#and also kind of still a coping mechanism

[auren-zagarra]

Your psychological analyses are so cool to read! Normally I'd skip something like that but it caught my eye since you're in the profession and I'm more receptive to that (It doesn't help that I have the same opinion as your conclusions and while people can think what they want....it's satisfying to feel like you're right and have proof lol).

Would you consider doing an analysis on Jamil sometime? He's my fave and I'd like to understand his mind a bit better. And maybe you could make an educated guess on what he'll do in the future (like will he continue staying a servant, will he break free from it, will he keep contact with Kalim? I'd love to see him break away from servitude but still work for Kalim in a good position, like how Jafar was for the Sultan)?

Jamil Viper: A Psychological Analysis

Disclaimer: Although this post is written by a professional psychologist, it is not intended to serve as a formal diagnosis. Rather, it is a character analysis of Jamil Viper, created out of personal interest and passion for world-building. In psychological practice, accurate assessment should never be based solely on external observation.

Author Notes (edited): Hello! First of all, thank you so much for being so sweet - you're all incredibly kind, and I really appreciate the support. I just want to clarify a few things: Jamil’s analysis was especially challenging because his canon material differs between the Japanese version and the official English translation. So, I decided to stick with the fan-made translation of the original game. That said, his character is quite difficult to diagnose, it was a pain to write that </3. I just want to also clarify something: Jamil’s situation wasn’t one of ownership or slavery. There’s an important distinction between being a slave and being a servant, and I believe his case falls into the latter. That said, it's still a form of systemic abuse. Also, it’s important to recognize that his parents played a significant role in shaping who he is. Their influence likely contributed just as much to his personality and emotional responses as his role within the Asim household.

Jamil Viper is introduced as a dutiful student of the Scarabia dormitory and vice housewarden under Kalim Al-Asim. Jamil is the son of the Viper family, which has served the Al-Asim household for generations. From childhood he was raised explicitly as Kalim’s attendant, trained never to outshine or disobey his master. In practice this means Jamil maintains an outwardly modest and compliant persona: he avoids drawing attention to himself and consistently downplays his own abilities (as he notes in flashbacks, he “could never surpass Kalim” and would “pretend to be incompetent” whenever they played together). Narratively, Jamil initially appears as a loyal, if somewhat reserved, companion to Kalim, however, in the story’s fourth book (Schemer of the Scalding Sands) his long-suppressed resentment bursts forth: he concedes he plotted for years to unseat Kalim and publicly betrays him. In summary, canon portrays Jamil as a complex character shaped by his birthright - ostensibly a humble guard and confidant, but one whose hidden ambition and bitterness drive a dramatic reversal in Book 4.

Personality and Coping Mechanisms

Psychologically, Jamil exemplifies a blend of traits that reflect his upbringing. On the Big Five dimensions, he appears highly conscientious (dutiful, disciplined, tradition-bound) and relatively neurotic (internally anxious and resentful). For example, he meticulously plans his schemes and strictly adheres to social protocol, yet he harbors deep anger and frustration beneath the surface. He is neither overly extroverted nor warmly amicable; rather, he is soft-spoken and measured in public, which can be interpreted as moderate agreeableness mixed with a hidden competitiveness. Openly he defers to Kalim and maintains cordiality, but privately he covets recognition for himself. This duality may reflect Freudian dynamics: Jamil’s superego (internalized duty and family honor) conflicts sharply with his id impulses (rage and ambition).

Psychodynamically, Jamil’s behavior fits with classic defense mechanisms: repression of anger and frustration, and reaction formation. By unconsciously blocking (repressing) unacceptable impulses, he avoids direct confrontation. His loyalty and conscientiousness can be seen as a covert expression of anger, where he over-compensates with dutiful service (a form of reaction formation). Anna Freud’s definition notes that such defenses are “unconscious resources” the ego uses to reduce internal conflict. For example, Jamil may sublimate his anger into work and organization; by exerting rigid control over his duties he gains a sense of agency in an otherwise powerless role. Cognitively, he likely maintains schemas (core beliefs) of inferiority and duty, which shape his interpretation of events. When Kalim’s behavior upsets him, Jamil might use rationalization or justification to cope (e.g. reminding himself it’s his duty). In short, psychological theory suggests Jamil copes by erecting internal barriers and strictly controlling his outer world, keeping his true feelings buried beneath a calm facade.

A Life of Servitude: Trauma and Its Effects

Jamil’s upbringing meets the definition of chronic childhood trauma. Generations of Vipers have effectively lived under a hereditary servitude contract to the Asim family, and Jamil himself has known no other life. In clinical terms, prolonged exposure to such inescapable stress in childhood (akin to slavery or trafficking) predisposes a person to complex PTSD (CPTSD). According to ICD-11, CPTSD arises from prolonged or repetitive trauma from which escape is impossible - explicitly, authoritative sources list slavery and childhood abuse as triggers for CPTSD. Symptoms of CPTSD include persistent negative self-concept, emotional dysregulation, and difficulties in relationships. Jamil’s behavior aligns with these: he often feels worthless or trapped by fate (a negative self-view), shows intense anger when pushed but must hold it in (emotion dysregulation), and struggles to form normal peer relationships outside duty.

Learned helplessness also describes Jamil’s condition. Psychologist Martin Seligman showed that when subjects endure repeated, uncontrollable aversive events, they eventually stop trying to change their situation. Jamil has been “subjected to Kalim’s carefree whims” for years with no real power to refuse; he may have learned that resistance is futile. Thus he often simply complies, suppressing his own needs (which is consistent with learned helplessness and with repression). Over time, this could internalize into chronic stress and depression. In sum, Jamil’s servitude is a form of developmental trauma: it likely imposed persistent stress hormones in youth, disrupted normal family roles, and taught him to expect lack of control. Psychological research shows such trauma can cause long-term changes in self-esteem and mood; for example, people with CPTSD often harbor deep shame and guilt over “failing” or “not doing enough”. In essence, his life resembles a cycle of trauma: he was never free to refuse tasks, learned helplessness made him passive, and the chronic abuse of status lowered his self-concept - all factors that theory links to complex trauma outcomes.

Manipulation

In the events of Book 4, Jamil’s darker side emerges as he actively manipulates others to achieve his goals. Canonically, he hypnotizes the protagonist and even classmates to remain in Scarabia and remove obstacles to his plans. Psychologically, these actions exemplify Machiavellianism. Machiavellianism is defined as a personality trait marked by cynicism, self-interest, and strategic manipulation of others. High Machs “lack empathy” and see others as means to an end. Jamil’s calculated use of magic to control peers aligns with this: he calmly bends others’ will without overt remorse, and he prioritizes his objectives above their autonomy. His demeanor during manipulation is unemotional and goal-oriented, much like the textbook “ruthless and self-centered willingness to exploit others” seen in high Machiavellians.

Possible Diagnosis

His chronic childhood trauma and internalization of servitude suggest complex PTSD (ICD-11). CPTSD is characterized by the core PTSD symptoms (re-experiencing, avoidance, hypervigilance) plus enduring disturbances in self-organization. In Jamil’s case, the prolonged nature of his servile life (listed as an example trauma in ICD-11) likely led to chronic negative self-concept and interpersonal difficulties. Thus an ICD-11 diagnosis of CPTSD (code 6B41) is plausible: he shows affect dysregulation (repressed anger that flares), shame and guilt, and persistent relational issues. Under DSM-5, these symptoms might partly map to PTSD or an unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder, but CPTSD is a closer fit due to its long-term scope.

Personality-wise, Jamil exhibits subclinical dark traits. He demonstrates entitlement and exploitation (mirroring Cluster B narcissism), yet lacks grandiose flamboyance. He also shows hyper-conscientiousness about duty and order - features that could hint at Obsessive-Compulsive Personality tendencies - though his motivations are rooted more in fear and shame than mere rigidity. We can say Jamil’s profile aligns most closely with trauma-related disorder criteria and some personality disorder traits (notably narcissistic/dark traits).

In summary: Complex PTSD is the most fitting diagnostic framework, supplemented by subclinical narcissistic and Machiavellian traits, all rooted in long-term emotional trauma, identity suppression, and chronic stress from a life of servitude.

[kinsey3furry300]

Great analysis: might I add, I would not be surprised if Fizz is in a group chat for people who work at Ozzies, and given Verosika works there part time, she might also be in the same chat, so Veronica has a professional relationship with both Pringles's polycule AND Fizz.

Fizz knew in advance that Stolas was acquireing an Asmodian crystal as a gift for Blitzø because Ozzie asked him if it was okay first in "Oops". Ozzy also had a legit reson to inquire to Stolas if Blitzø had accepted the Asmodian crystal or not, as its kind of important to his work, given the whole "You'd technically be under his jurisdiction" line Stolas says when presenting it in Full Moon.

Verosika has two separate sets of work friends, the Ozzie staff and the incubi from the office opposite I.M.P, who would know in advance that Stolas was offering the crystal as a romantic gesture, and could immediately know if it went badly. And there are three separate ways the info could get out (Blitzø crys to Fizz, Ozzie asks Stolas, Pringles Overhears).

It would be almost more surprising if she didn't know the gesture went badly by the next day when she's only two degrees of separation from both Blitzø (Blitzø->Fizz->Her) Stolas (Stolas->Ozzie->her) and Pringles (Pringles->Polycule->her).

And while I do think she was low-key stalking Blitzø, and was pretty petty and cruel to send Stolas that invite the day after the breakup, she also knew the whole time about them illegally acssesing the human world, given she's one of the few demons who can legally acsses it, and she never ratted Blitzø out for the highly illegal business, so my headcanon is that while she is still angry at him, she's not actually trying to ruin his life, so much as support his exe's and, primarily, work through her own feelings. She never seeks him out or rubs the Halloween party in his face, (its been going on for years and he only finds out when Stolas tells him) he shows up in her space to bitch at her, not the other way around, and she never seeks an apology from him.

While she's clearly not over it, or over him regardless of what her song says, I don't think she bears Blitzø any ill will, I think she just seeks closure by collecting his various ex's for thier little anual catharsis ritual, weird as it may be. It's not a healthy coping mechanism, but it's better than Blitzø or Stolas's.

Again, everyone in this universe needs therapy.

Contexing the dots

Just got asked this elsewhere. And now I'm kinda worried that others might have missed how Verosika knows about the fight between Stolas and Blitz

So have this...

Apology Tour is only a few hours after Full Moon. Which could make it really odd that she thought they were dating, and now broken up.

But Verosika was working at Ozzie's the night of their disastrous first date.

And Stolas' head butler, Pringles, was also out with his polycule to Ozzie's the same night.

They could have been random hookups, except that Ozzie is always booked months in advance, and they have rule about couples only.

There's 6 people at Pringles table. So they're all on a date with him, and bend the rules for even number polycules.

Two of his dates are Kiki and Milky, who are part of the crew that worked with Verosika during spring break.

Kiki is one of the ones who attacks Moxxie, and backs Verosika up when Blitz suggest the demon duel.

And Milkie was working the crowd when Verosika's was singing.

Also Josh and Ace were on a date together at Ozzie's too.

Making it very likely that Pringles, Milkie, Kiki, Josh, Ace and Verosika would have all gossip together about what just happened, when Blitz and Stolas go home sad from their date.

Which gives Verosika a way to have tabs on Blitz and Stolas' relationship.

Pringles knews this is the big now or never moment to Stolas. He says "he'll die alone if things go bad tonight".

So yep he's assuming their on again off again relationship is over if things don't go well.

And things did not go well, with Blitz screaming through the house.

Something the whole staff probably heard. Assumed it meant another crap work day full of picking up bottles, again.

And Stolas is drinking wine first thing in the morning after all. So yer they probably had a very craptastic night already.

Can't tell me there wouldn't be a group chat between Pringles and the people he's seeing.

And another between Verosika and the people she previously worked with.

Yes, I do consider Verosika actions to be a type of stalking, because she's using this to keep tabs on her exe's relationship.

She only worked with these people as a freelancer for one week.

But she gotta making sure Stolas has it in mind that they are well and truly over.

Stolas just said he wanted some space from Blitz to get his head together, and that the invite made him feel awful.

So it's pretty unlikely he'd have went without Blitz turning up.

Stolas calls the whole thing immature, silly, and petty.

Only considering going because it annoys Blitz. Very petty😛

Verosika can't even wait for the post to send that invite, because she thinks she's saving people from the horror of dating Blitz.

So she's gotta slip in before even Blitz can scail that garden wall.

Also Blitz hasn't been home all night.

He's been just sat in the van, stressing about how to fix this. (It would have worried Loona if he'd come home early. With how hard she and M&M were trying to make sure it was a good night for him).

Blitz probably has a change of clothes in the van, because he was expecting to stay over.

And then spend the rest of the night and morning listening to love songs, and sending memes to try and get Stolas to text him back.

And then Blitz immediately jumps the wall and ran over when he saw Stolas was up.

Because Stolas always texts him back instantly, so what gives!

[junimojo]

More Bob headcanons because you guys really seemed to like the first one

(+ some SentryAgent if you squint)

TW: suicidal thoughts/attempt, & mentions of past addiction

I’m genuinely floored that my first Thunderbolts headcanon post got so much positive feedback and I didn’t think anyone would see it or care, so I really appreciate all of the kind comments! Doing this is helping me get back into the groove of writing again and it’s turning into a nice coping mechanism as someone with GAD and PTSD. It’s nice to finally have a character like Bob to relate to. I’m glad other people like these as much as I do!

Headcanons start under the cut. Please refer to the trigger warnings at the top of the post and in the tags. Movie spoilers are also ahead!

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Growing up, Bob was always told that he looked just like his dad. A spitting image of him, even. From the time he was old enough, he kept his hair longer and always shaved his face clean. He would rather not have the face that hated him stare back at him in the mirror.

The first time the team heard Bob laugh out loud was during a trust exercise in training when Alexei suggested a trust fall. Ava didn’t catch Walker. The thud of Walker’s body hitting the floor and the much too long silence that followed made Bob double over and laugh so hard he lost his balance and fell. Not a giggle or a chuckle– a genuine, loud, belly laugh and a smile so wide that his cheeks hurt. (Bonus: Bob snorts when he laughs really hard. He hates it, but it’s how everyone knows he’s enjoying himself. Walker denies his heart skipped a beat when he watched Bob fall down laughing. Bisexual awakening has officially begun.)

Solo or group grocery shopping trips usually end with Bob coming back to the tower with snacks, sugary drinks and/or candy. Walker teases him for having the diet of a teenager whenever they go together, but he learns Bob rarely got to try these things as a teenager due to his addiction, so he lets him throw whatever he wants into the cart. He likes sour and gummy candy the best.

Bob’s the type of person to complain about his stomach hurting after drinking milkshakes, but he still does it anyways because they’re good. He missed out on a lot of things during his addiction and he isn’t going to let a stomachache ruin it, no matter how much he’ll hate himself for it later. “That’s a problem for me 2 hours from now.” He says. And then he whines about how his stomach hurts and he thinks he’s gonna throw up. He never learns.

Quality time, acts of service and physical touch are Bob’s love languages. He doesn’t need to be doing the same activity the team is doing. Just as long as they’re nearby or he’s in the same room as them, he’s fine with being a fly on the wall or in the corner doing his own thing. He keeps his mind busy by doing chores or other small deeds around the tower, like cleaning, laundry, the dishes, or (attempting to) cook dinner. The way Bob physically relaxes when he’s hugged or has his face cupped in someone’s hands is both adorable and sad seeing how touch starved he is. The smallest touch can bring him comfort, even if it’s linking pinky fingers, letting a hand rest on his lower back, or the gentle scratch of a beard brushing against his cheek.

There are some nights where Bob will have an occasional nightmare or two. He doesn’t know he talks and cries in his sleep, or sometimes he cries out to his mom. Yelena once went to check on Bob in the middle of the night when she heard him crying, but she found somebody had beat her to him, listening to quiet shushing and hushed comforts. Bob woke up confused that morning wondering why Walker was in his room, snoring away next to him.

Bob is afraid of heights, but he found himself at the top of the tower one day. He’s afraid to die, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t thought about how the team would be better off without him. He’s basically a walking nuke that needs constant monitoring or else Manhattan will disappear again, or worse. He wasn’t able to control himself yet. He didn’t want to put the team through that responsibility and to him, simply leaving wasn’t the best option. Bob did almost fall, if it wasn’t for his shaky legs, tripping over himself and falling flat on his back onto the roof. He laid there, staring at the sky and cried his heart out. He’s grateful to be afraid of heights.

[odiledemonicat]

So...is it just me or were the extreme flaws in Arcane season 2 basically the inevitable result of the both-sides politics and general too-enlightened-and-smart-and-cool-to-have-strong-opinions attitude of the first season?

The whole "Suuuure Piltover oppressed Zaun for years through wealth inequality, police violence and ecocide buuut the Zaunites are jerks too! Look! Drugs! Prostitution! Terrorism! (gee I wonder what drove them to do all those things?) in season one became:

"and all of it is just a cycle of pointless violence that will never solve anything and that's why the Zaunites should pretty much just accept their position and patiently wait for Piltover to be nice and grant them basic respect by resolving things peacefully.

See? You can even get one seat at the council which overwhelmingly outnumbers you and still represents your oppressors. Smiles all around! I guess the Zaunites just needed to believe in themselves and be the bigger person in this fight that Piltover started. Because, as we all know, violence has never had a historical record of changing things."

(all of this right in the aftermath of the Gaza war and also Vi's voice actor Hailee Steinfield posed for pics with the actual IDF btw)

The "we support gay rights, as long as one of them's a cop so the audience knows they're not, y'know, one of THOSE gays" became:

"and that's why it's fine that Caitlyn basically coerced Vi into becoming a cop too and then struck her for not letting her endanger a child. CaitVi 5evah! Jinx just needs to grow up and stop being so selfish and jealous and possessive! This kind of volatile highs and lows and emotional turmoil are normal for lesbians, right?"

(like I've seen the whole "7 years in prison vs one month in a lesbian relationship" meme and I get the joke is supposed to be all "haha relationships toxic" but like...is that not literally just lesbophobia?)

The "yeah, we condemn police brutality, IF it's coming from nameless faceless cops who you have no personal connection to whatsoever. If it comes from a main character you're supposed to like, we'll just excuse it away bc they're hot" became:

"and so now all the blame for cops' evil actions, including said main character, will be placed on one generic evil dictator with no exploration of their complicity or the inherent flaws to policing as a system."

"We support mental health awareness! As long as the mental illness leaves you as a hardened badass with cool marketable fight scenes. Deeply rooted emotional scars and unhealthy coping mechanisms are sexy and make you look gritty and tough!" became:

"and that's why all the misery(heheh) from the first season has been ramped up to 11 to the point of feeling gratuitous so we can keep seeing characters constantly sad at all times. And also why now all the fight scenes just basically look like the characters have superspeed instead of at least somewhat believable heightened reflexes from a lifetime of constant violence, leaving them without any of the grounded realism and weight that made them look incredible before"

"Disability deserves representation! Viktor's just such a heckin' valid cool smol bean! As long as it's just basically shown as a reason to feel sad for him and little to nothing else and also he's forced by the plot to be looking for a way to get rid of it."

became

"and now he's looking for a way to solve ALL problems and inequality which has to be a bad thing for some reason and his goal is kind of turned into a suicide metaphor. Also to do it he has to take over the world because we have to keep in line with the original game (even though we already departed from it greatly anyway) and we just made it so it's out of heartbreak over Jayce. Goodness knows we can't just have him actually achieve his original intention of using science and medicine to radically improve society, that would mean fundamentally changing the system!"

[tokyoghoulaspecs]

Based on the "Ghouls purr" headcanon.

Why or when do you think your favorite Ghouls would purr?

Okay NGL I was very confused for a sec why I got this ask on my TG aspec sideblog. But now I see you're asking a bunch of TG blogs and so,,, I am honored to be one of those. Thank you. 🥺

Now. I have no idea how many people know this, bc I haven't mentioned it in a while, but my main is @kyanitedragon. Normally I don't personally subscribe to the ghouls purr headcanon - it leans a bit too animalistic for my preferred interpretation of ghouls.

But! The idea is cute (who doesn't like purring??) and I did play around with it and go a very different angle and made up these headcanons:

Cats don't just purr from contentment, but also often purr when stressed, and there's a theory that cat purring aids in healing, which feels really ripe for worldbuilding considering that ghouls have regeneration. Maybe they go hand-in-hand — purring whenever their regeneration kicks in, or maybe they tend to purr when their regeneration gives out — instinctually using a more primative form of healing

(The theory also says that cat purring can lower stress and aid healing in humans too, so consider that for your ghoul x human ships! It wouldn't be an enhanced form of healing for humans, but it would still be comforting and have minor healing properties like the cat purring theory!)

And then I later made this post about Akira and how I see her reacting to ghouls purring, given she's a cat lover.

And then in my full ghoul au @2-steps-forward, I ended up further worldbuilding that ghouls purring is... kind of the ghoul equivalent in regards to the "boys don't cry" in toxic masculinity? Purring = affection or weakness, depending on the context. And that's something that in ghoul culture, generally speaking, is only "acceptable" in certain contexts / around certain people. You're only "supposed" to purr around your significant other, or your family when you're a kid. Otherwise, the only exception is self-soothing when on death's door. Any other time, you'll get looked down on. (Or so ghoul culture says.)

So these headcanons below are based on that worldbuilding:

Kaneki: When he gets bursts of happiness, purring will tend to reflexively come out, and then it'll startle him and thus abruptly stop. He'd probably cough and try to hide the sound.

Even when he learns what it is, he doesn't really purr often? He doesn't have many people he's close to as it is, and he cannot purr in front of Hide, and as he's been avoiding him since becoming a ghoul he doesn't necesarily have the opportunity for it to even happen around Hide anyway.

During his torture at Yamori's hands, he would purr in an attempt to self-soothe. And it may have become a secret coping mechanism in his own room at his group's hideout.

Hinami's really the only exception. During those 6 months together in their group, there would occasionally be some cute purring cuddles between them. But sadly, the key word here is "occasional", given Kaneki's mindset at the time. And it was probably born from Hinami taking it upon herself to hug him and purr and encourage it, thinking he needed it. (He always needs it. But sometimes he's too "busy" for purrs and cuddles. He's gotta track down their next targets or keep searching for Kanou and Rize.)

As Haise, between his uppity nature and his amnesia making his knowledge of ghoul culture reset... I think he would purr a lot. Half of it is overcompensation, trying to prove he's not a monster. And half of it is genuine affection. Or it's a weird mix of both. It's complicated. Don't ask him about it, he barely understands it himself.

In :re, Kaneki absolutely purrs around Touka once she married him. It's on accident at first, but when Touka doesn't mind it, he just doubles down and gets it all out.

And you bet he finally purrs around Hide post-dragon arc when it's no longer a secret!! Hide is thrilled and cuddles him and absolutely starts petting him like a cat. (Which Kaneki scoffs at and rebuffs but he honestly kinda likes it.)

Touka: She doesn't purr that often. Just, naturally. Which kinda sucks for her as she's a very "screw society, do what you want" person and wouldn't mind purring. It just... doesn't happen for her.

As a little girl she'd purr during long hugs or cuddles with her family. But after losing her dad, she hasn't been able to emotionally feel that sense of deep love or comfort enough to purr. Although, those early days/weeks she and Ayato probably cuddled up and purred to help each other cope.

Is it something she naturally grew up out of? Is it a trauma thing? Is it a personality thing? She has no idea.

She's purred a little bit around Hinami, but that's kind of it. And even then, it was her purring on purpose to reciprocate it, not an emotional response.

But in :re, some nights with Kaneki she might start purring and surprise the both of them. And post-canon, when things settle, I think she'd be able to purr openly and naturally, around Kaneki, Hinami, and Yoriko.

Hinami: I think her isolation from greater ghoul society and her close relationship with her family means that she purrs, like... all the time. When she's happy, when she gets bursts of affection from people she loves, when hugging. It was a shock to Touka at first, but she came to love it and absolutely indulges and encourages her. All of Anteiku finds it touching to see such an innocent and genuinely happy ghoul. Also, there's a high chance that this is how Kaneki finds out that ghouls purr. He very much worries something is wrong with her when she starts rumbling.

Nishiki: Never.

...Or so he says. He's purred once or twice around Kimi post-reveal, and then denied it each time. He used to cuddle and purr with his sister when he was younger.

Remember when Kaneki turned into Dragon and Nishiki (off-screen) gave Touka his jacket and hung out with her to comfort her? He may or may not have held her and purred when no one else was around. Just for a minute or two.

Tsukiyama: He'll purr around his Papa, but that's it.

His relationship with Kanae and Matsumae, while close, feels a bit too formal to warrant it. He sees them as family, but they're also his servants, and I think that disconnect would stop it from happening. Maybe once or twice it's happened over the years, when it felt right. Something more off-the clock and was just fun and bonding times. (Like, during a hug after his Scrabble games with Matsumae.)

If he was to purr around Kanae, Kanae would be stuck between "that is improper, do not do that!!" and loving it and wanting it to never end.

When he was bed-ridden in the timeskip and :re, he'd often purr to self-soothe. Which he didn't notice himself in his state, and all the servants felt weird about hearing it and unilaterally agreed to never discuss it.

[moreespressoformydepresso]

I don’t know why, but my favorite things ever are as follows:

1) take a random plot bunny and figure out how to make it happen in a way that makes sense and feels organic, and then work out what would happen as a result.

2) analyze the psychology of characters and build on it. Build backstories for minor characters that explain their canon traits while also adding stuff to their character that works with said backstory, and then explore how they deal with the various bad situations I put them through. Nothing tickles me quite writing characters healing from traumatic events they’ve been through and finding their happy ending despite being dealt a shitty hand in life.

[recent-rose]

'man why didn't yoshiki wish for the real hikaru to come back'

yeah so yoshiki is falling in love with 'hikaru'. that's what the whole manga is about fellas

[writing-is-hard-af]

Okay, but, y'all, he ADMITTED that he was using sleeping with Tommy to make himself feel less alone after Eddie left-

[windcarvedlyre]

While I'm talking about DR3 and its handling of themes, does anyone else feel like danganronpa's ideas of 'hope' and 'despair' became a bit flanderised sometimes?

I could be reaching- the series has always been incredibly hammy in how it uses the terms- but in DR1 they still felt somewhat grounded in the words' actual definitions and in DR2 Komaeda fixating on an abstracted conflict between 'hope' and 'despair' was presented as a bad thing. Thinking 'hope' is synonymous with 'talent' was part of the problem, but even without that he'd feel like an intentional twisted parody of Naegi. He takes the thematic conflict between hope and despair too literally; to him the concepts were less states of mind, more grand causes, and so no amount of suffering became unacceptable to him if it made for a more interesting narrative in the end.

But sometimes later additions to the series... kind of sound like him? Maybe I should revisit DR3 and give it more of a chance, but I felt like the entire narrative approached 'hope' and 'despair' in some of the ways Komaeda does. Like it kept throwing those words at me as a substitute for actual depth, because hey, it's Danganronpa, right? That's what you're here for, right? Especially considering how little interest the writers showed in non-Ultimates besides Hinata as people, making 'hope' feel genuinely associated with talent to some degree.

Similarly, in DRV3, what did it mean for the survivors to reject both hope and despair? Stripped of those words, their choice was to break out of the narrative's control, not let their reality being potentially fake get to them, and face the unknown together. Is that not 'hope'? Is that not emotionally identical to both previous games' endings? Does that not make the game's use of 'hope' completely divorced from its meaning?

If the themes were handled more coherently I could see that being done intentionally- exploring whether the series started with a good message and lost its way, and/or asking whether 'hope' is hollow if your struggles, your eventual triumph over them, everything was contrived for others' entertainment- but I feel like if that was the case the DRV3 characters should reclaim hope and reject false definitions or exploitation of it instead of rejecting hope itself. Because again, with feeling, what does that mean???

[werewolfmack]

I have been in a slow-mo argument with my mom over her being in denial about politics for years, and yesterday my dad just sat down while I visited and asked me if me and Lily follow the news and talk about it. He told me how it feels different now because you could watch the news and it kind of felt like it wasn't happening nearby, like it might not effect you, but now it's different because it's happening right now and it's happening to us in ways we can see. People are being deported, students are being removed, we all know people whose jobs have been threatened. And he talked about depression and feeling angry, in ways he's never really opened up about before, and he talked about how there are so many people in the world we didn't even realize. Sociopaths and people who love violence and people who are so gullible. He talked about how he and his wife both want to keep up with news now because he can't not look at it, it is so important, from Palestine to everything our dirtbag president is doing, it's so hard to see terrible things happening constantly but he doesn't want to look away. And he doesn't want to have pretend optimism because that's like ignoring it- it's not real advice to say "everything is gonna be okay." And having to work hard to learn what to do in each new scenario, because new things keep happening so fast. And he talked about how he thinks we have to keep making hope inside ourselves because that's always where hope comes from, you have to keep generating it because it doesn't really come from outside you. I know he was worried because I was telling him about being depressed this week (really this month). But it was so good to feel like I could talk to him, and I felt bad for worrying him but I felt so much comfort just knowing I have at least one parent who sees what's going on and sees how bad it is. And how he is struggling with stuff too but never wants to give up, and I told him I would never give up either. It was good. What a relief. Just not to have to hide how I feel and how confusing and scary it all is.

[dreampearls]

colleis personality functionally being left to the ether because her webtoon iteration is at such fundamental odds with her game iteration that any attempts to temper between the two just range so dramatically

[straybleu]

in today's episode I'll try to not isolate myself because I met a person who is super loud and proud of her disability which happens to be the same as mine but I'm still not over the shame I went through all my life and I'm beyond uncomfortable when people talk and joke about it :)

And of course I won't ask her to stop talking about it because she has every right to cope in her own way and if that means being loud and open about her experience then so be it :))

At this rate I'll push away every good person in my life (I swear she's amazing and I love her but heyy) :)))

[clarabowmp3]

in other words its my ex-bsf's birthday today and I am in no mood to wish her and idc how petty or immature that makes me

[potatoesandsunshine]

they got me again.... the silly names...

[byakuyasdarling]

can’t deal with the fact people glorify anxiety,,, like yes the disorder that literally keeps me from normal functioning and is detrimental to my physical and mental health is so cutesy and so easy to live with and I can totally sleep at night and I don’t get massively painful ulcer flare-ups when I’m stressed (it is literally debilitating) panic attacks are quirky! /s

I don’t have repetitive thought cycles that make me constantly worry and exhaust me throughout the day from a whole other disorder that’s exasperated by my anxiety! It’s so pleasant in both of these ways! I love when people think me flapping my hands is so cutesy when it’s totally not a sign of distress for the most part /SARCASM

I have no clue why anyone would want to fake something I am so desperate to get rid of. Like this is not fun — especially when so many people close to me in my life atm have this strong image of me that I hate living up to.

Though I will say that most likely, even people who fake disorders do have something bad going on and is symptomatic of broader issues (there’s literally a term for this, I forgot) — so I’m not going to go haywire at confused and hurting children. Though their actions are ignorant and can romanticise what living with these things is actually like and diminish other people’s struggles — I’m fairly sure they’re too young and confused to properly process that and I doubt it’s malicious the majority of the time. You’re just going to further push them into boxes by harassing them.

[bluntforcefem]

working on this fic hit by the concept of moka going by swallow which im going to have to rotate for a good minute