#and what if they weren't home?

[tripably]

.

[blood-starved-beast]

Another toxic headcanon of mine is Melinoe "child-soldier who grew up in a tent sleeping on a floor mattress in a bog and fucks in the Woods" would have a very difficult time adjusting to living in the House of Hades. Don't get me wrong she'd think she would do well and maybe the first few weeks/months or so she's alright. But as time goes on and she realizes she can't see the phases of the Moon or Selene's touch on her brow or simply go out and pick up mushrooms in the rain I think she'll 100% understand why Zagreus tried so hard to reach the Surface. And honestly, I don't think Hades would force her to stay/get a job at the House.

Melinoe and Hades are very similar, personality wise. Hades's first impression of his daughter is her running into his cell on her way to defeat his Father, the centerpoint of his trauma and the person he should have defeated long ago and left in the past. She goes in, night after night, fixing his mistakes. After a while, he must see the parallel.

Hades tells Zagreus in the first game to enjoy it while he doesn't have the responsibilities weighing Hades down. One could argue it's part of the reason why he's so bitter (other than being Divorced and traumatized). There's a convo where Hades asks if Melinoe is well. When she doesn't have an answer for him, he apologizes profusely. His failures are leading his daughter to become him. No childhood, only soldier.

There's no way in Hell or Heaven that Hades is gonna offer her an administrative chamber job lest he turns her into him. If he asks anything of her postgame, it's only to spend some time in the Underworld tending Pomegranate trees with her mom and time with them as a family but that's it.

[detectivehole]

no one cares that you didn't know other countries existed until you were 24. go learn about it now. second best time is today, this is the age of information. why are you announcing publicly how much you don't know? are you looking for something?

[general-cyno]

I've been musing about it for a while, thanks to some posts I've read recently too, and honestly... one of the (many) fascinating aspects of zolu to me is the way they share parallels/connections and or similarities to important figures in OP's world. spoilers for the most recent arcs and reveals ahead!

perhaps the most blatant and one of my personal favorites, are luffy and zoro's similarities to roger and rayleigh. as OP's mc and someone who's on the road to become the pirate king, luffy's own similarities to roger have come up a lot throughout the story and they've been acknowledged or pointed out by other characters like shanks, rayleigh himself and yamato, for example. from the goofy parts of their personalities, to the strength of their wills, and their dreams, luffy and roger's parallels are consistent in OP,

and as seen in rayleigh's brief memory of their first meeting, the straw hat luffy received from shanks was originally worn by roger back when he was young.

albeit the circumstances are a little different - with them stumbling upon each other by chance vs luffy going out of his way to meet zoro after learning of his name and reputation - this first meeting is still reminiscent of zoro and luffy's, with both ray and zoro initially rejecting roger and luffy's invitations to join them in their journey.

as for rayleigh and zoro, there's also a bunch of parallels between the two!

due to his previous time as a bounty hunter in the east blue, zoro made quite a name for himself and as OP progresses, his renown as the pirate hunter and the straw hats' swordsman is only second to luffy's. he was also the 2nd straw hat to get a bounty, and he's usually right behind luffy whenever their bounties go up. similarly, rayleigh was (and still is) considered a legend second to roger himself, strong enough that garp still views him as a powerful foe the marines can't easily defeat and managed to scare blackbeard away from amazon lily without an actual fight, despite the latter's strength.

there's other stuff too: the eye scars, both zoro and ray being greatly skilled swordsmen, their love for booze, being users of all three types of haki and even their epithets! from what I've read from other OP fans in discussion threads and through some internet search, rayleigh's title of "dark king" in jp is actually the name or word for pluto (the god of the underworld, roman mythology's equivalent to hades) in said language. in comparison, "enma", the name of zoro's most recently acquired sword and the "king of hell" title that he claimed after defeating king in wano, are a direct reference to the buddhist deity of the same name in jp mythology, also known as yama - a god of the underworld in charge of judging souls.

from the most recent flashbacks of the god valley incident, too, you can see the physical resemblance between these duos:

(as a bit of a side note, I think it was nice that rayleigh not only took it upon himself to mentor luffy, he was also the one who protected zoro from kizaru in sabaody and after the timeskip, during the straw hats' reunion in the archipelago and as they bid their farewells, zoro went out of his way to thank him for everything too.)

all in all, considering how close roger and rayleigh were (to the point roger called him "partner"), their strength, reputation and their overall journey with the roger pirates crew - the fact that luffy and zoro share more than a few clear similarities/parallels to them is really good imo, and it speaks both of the importance of their relationship and of the kind of figures they're bound to become, or are already becoming, in OP's world and ongoing history.

although it'd be sweet to have zoro and luffy directly refer to each other as partners as well (which kid and killer, another captain/first mate duo, have done too) I'm not sure it'll happen, if only for the sake of keeping the relationships between luffy and the crew balanced, so to say. still, like I said, knowing how close luffy and zoro are and that they share parallels with other captains/first mates, I think that says a lot about them regardless and the importance they hold for each other and the story as a whole.

another interesting resemblance between zolu and characters who are connected to one another involves, of course, shanks and mihawk - both of which are not only acquainted with each other, as rivals and friends of sorts, but also served as luffy and zoro's mentors/guides at different points of their lives and presently stand as their eventual foes to face in order to reach their goals of becoming the pirate king and world's greatest swordsman.

aaand last but not least, because it's yet another favorite of mine: joy boy/nika and shimotsuki ryuma. I sort of talked about it in another post, and I find it pretty cool. nika and ryuma come from different eras and don't exactly have much to do with one another but luffy's DF awakening and defeating kaido led to "joy boy" (since luffy refused to take credit for it directly by name) being hailed as a hero to wano that's comparable and only rivaled by ryuma, who in the past defended the country and was considered a legendary swordsman, whose sword shusui (that zoro wielded for a while) is a national treasure even.

since the hito hito no mi: model nika is a mythical zoan and vegapunk's speculated that devil fruits come into existence as manifestations of hope and wishes (or a potential for human evolution someone's desired), among other things, nika's existence as an actual god is kind of a subject of current debate in the fandom BUT. the fact remains that whether real or myth, he's still mentioned in old texts and his story has been shared among those enslaved by the WG, as a call for hope and freedom. in addition, even though he was human, ryuma also became revered as a savior figure and a sword god by the folks of wano.

so when you have luffy embodying the sun god of joy and liberation,

and it turns out zoro is none other than a descendant of the shimotsuki (frost moon) family, who resembles the former daimyo of ringo and the god of the blade ryuma,

well. those are some crazy parallels luffy and zoro share outside of their equally kinda crazy and meaningful relationship, as individuals and crew.

[usertoxicyaoi]

BOUNPREM + FILMOGRAPHY (2019- ).

“Everyday for the past three years, I always knew that tomorrow, there would be Between Us. When the camera turned off (after filming the last scene for Between Us), I felt my heart linger in that moment. I don’t know what the goal will be now tomorrow. More than having to wait, is the fear that there’s nothing now to wait for. So, what am I waiting for? My ultimate goal for the last three years has always been Between Us.”

[uselessnbee]

what i wish people would also explore more when it comes to Percy is the other side of his feelings about his mom about family and his childhood but this fandom is too afraid to paint Sally even in the slightest bad light (even if it's not bad just acknowledging her flaws because she's a human being and not perfect) that no one will touch on that subject. like yes Sally is the best mom but she also isn't and that's the thing! She isn't perfect! but she tried her best but her best still got Percy hurt and it isn't her fault at all but that's the tragedy of it. i want Percy's feelings about this explored. how he grew up with a loving mom but an abusive step father. how his step father would humiliate him and call him stupid but then his mom soothed him and told him he's not the things Gabe calls him. how Gabe would hurt him and Sally would be there to make him happy and loved but at the same time she stayed with him. i want Percy's feelings explored about how he knows his mother loves him but her absence still hurt him. she would work so much to have money to raise him she did that for him but at the same time it meant Percy was left alone or with Gabe. Sally gave up so much for him, she sent him away to protect him but at the same time he was sent away from his mom. she's the only parent he has because his father is absent and Gabe is not actually a parental figure at all but she's also often absent in his life too and that must have left him with such mixed feelings because it's not all black and white! Sally's love protected him but also hurt him. Percy loves his mom so so so much but there's also this deep-seated bitterness and hurt and anger he never let himself feel and then the guilt for having those feelings because his mom loves him he knows that and she gave up so much for him and she married a monster that abused her to protect him, he knows that but it doesn't make it hurt any less. the mess his emotions are because he knows his mom suffered for him and did it from her love for him but he still desperately wishes she never married that monster that he wouldn't have to have the childhood he had with him that he wouldn't have to live with the trauma he was left with. this all is exactly what makes their relationship so fascinating and also heartbreaking.

or the idea of Percy having weird mixed feelings after Estelle is born because that's his little sister and he loves her with his whole heart and would do anything for her and wants only the best for her but there's also this little jealous monster deep down that wonders why she gets to have a loving mom and a loving dad and a happy normal life but he never got that. why does she deserve it but not him? why couldn't he have that too? doesn't he deserve that too? he was just a child too so why why why??? and then the guilt of feeling that way too it makes me want to scream. emotions are fucking messy and they can be really ugly and they can make you hate yourself and there's no way Percy's feelings aren't a mess when it comes to this and i want to see it explored so badly!

and with Sally too! her feelings about Percy because she did so much and tried her best but sometimes unfortunately your best isn't good enough and it still got her beloved son hurt and she hates it and feels so guilty but she just has to live with that but she can't help to wish it was different. that their lives would be different. better. normal. she can't help but to wish she didn't have to do the things she's done, didn't have to suffer so much just to protect her child. can't help to wish she didn't have to worry so much, didn't have to be so scared about Percy, didn't have to be terrified that one day he won't come back home to her, that she won't be able to hold her son anymore because he will be gone, she just wishes he didn't have to suffer so much, she just wishes and wishes and wishes

and i just wish people weren't so afraid to explore this because it's so heartwrenching and yes if you want something do it yourself but unfortunately i cannot write nor am i able to handle this topic in a way it deserves so i am left only with rambling about it on here thank you

[dawnthefluffyduck]

New game interest unlocked

(crow in bottom right belongs to @patchwork-crow-writes)

[averydedicateduck]

trying to read a fic when I get hit with 'the problem is all on you, and that's all my fault' followed by several swear words and it wasn't even the fic, it was my neighbors arguing

I definitely couldn't finish reading it after that.

[chimerafeathers]

there's an essay jumbled up in my brain about dunmeshi's beginning and how clever and deceptive it is as a sleight-of-hand trick that distracts the audience from the depth and scope of the worldbuilding and foreshadowing that's being set up the entire time by dangling zany characters and wacky dishes and biology fun facts in front of us, and how that serves to catch invested viewers off guard when those elements come to the forefront, but also how it works against it with other viewers wanting "more" and not seeing it because the plot bait isn't laid out up front

how people getting frustrated with the characters "not taking things seriously" is mirrored and refuted in the confrontation between Laios and Shuro. how the characters' attitudes aren't just a result of shallow low-stakes "comedy rules" where nothing matters, but are an extension of their personalities (Laios's nonstandard expression of emotions being offputting even to people he knows) and the world and social environment (adventurers being desensitized to death and injury because resurrection magic is commonplace). the way the party refers to "saving Falin" instead of "retrieving Falin's corpse," indicating that they still see her with full personhood, and how that phrasing leads to some readers/viewers believing that Falin is alive in the dragon's stomach, conscious of being slowly digested while the party carelessly fucks around "wasting time." how the weird tonal dissonance makes sense in-universe and yet is deliberately challenged more and more the deeper the party goes

all the character building and pieces of lore slowly weaving together the shape of the larger world, laying the groundwork for the major themes that will surface later. so much is right there in the "low-stakes" early episodes if you know what you're looking for (or pass the perception checks).

it can be so satisfying to see new viewers/readers pick up on the clues even in the earliest "simple" episodes, or notice new things and make connections yourself....and it can also be frustrating to see people dismiss oddities and dissonance as shallow or bad writing because they don't expect a "cooking anime" to have depth like that. why try to question and understand and peel back the layers when you don't expect there to be any layers?

why can't laios take things seriously for once?

[mixelation]

I love that minato just yeets tori at the problem, no context, no warning, nothing. 😂

you think you learning hiraishin automatically gets you an s-rank and a flle onsight order? WRONG it just gets you yeeted at so many problems

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

all these polls about various facets of high school & people being able to answer them freak me out because i can't remember a THING about the details of my high school life at this point

[torgawl]

i think what hits most about nobara's backstory is everything that's left unsaid and peaks from between the lines. it's the fact you can easily infer that something was wrong without ever having clear answers on what exactly was wrong. but if you can relate to the feeling of wanting to escape a place and the alienation from everyone around you, especially when you're brought up in small communities, then you can certainly understand, if not fully then partially, nobara herself and the struggles she might have had to face all by herself for a very long time; maybe even the importance fumi and saori had in her life and the pain from having to part from them; and, perhaps the selectiveness in letting people in that she later on develops as well.

[savage-rhi]

Fuchgenta??

[fyeahnix]

I know some people really don't like the Olympics but I've been having a fucking blast watching it and I'm gonna be sad when it's over. I didn't watch it in 2022 for some reason and I kinda regret it but I made a conscious effort to do it this time. I've always enjoyed watching it ever since I was a little kid, even back in '96 when I was fucking 4 lol

So much history being made, so many memes, so many close games, so much... unfortunate controversy. It really has it all. And I def am not familiar with every sport I've watched. Technology has gotten better with the (un)fortunate addition of streaming, so I can now watch every sport the US doesn't give a shit about normally.

I've been watching so much fucking handball it's unreal. I learned how Judo works. I watched wrestling today. Taekwondo starts tomorrow. Breakdancing is making its Olympic debut at the end of the week. There is just so much cool shit to watch. I've watched so much more of every other country other than the US, and it's honestly a breath of fresh air because my god the American commentary is so masturbatory..

I just really appreciate the fact that these athletes have worked their fucking asses off to get here and I cannot hate them for doing something only a handful of people on the planet are able to do. It's a huge accomplishment. This shit reminds me why sports are so damn cool.

[sweaterkittensahoy]

Completely forgot as I was posting my other ep 7 thoughts, but watching those little P-51s fucking zoom forward to fuck up the Luftwaffe while the B-17s stayed back gave me such a sense of relief as a viewer. I cannot imagine how fucking relieved the B-17s crews must have felt to finally just have to fucking do the ONE job they were built for and not that job and the job of fighting off the Luftwaffe planes.

Like, the relief you see on Rosie's face isn't just for him, you know? It's for every single pilot there with him. It's for all those new kids he's taking to the mess hall on day 1.

And then he finds out that the men he's flown with have to do 28, and the new kids have to do 30.

And he just can't leave them behind and go home. It doesn't matter that he did his 25 in the roughest fucking circumstances and not a single man would blame him.

It's his character that stops him. His belief that it's wrong to ask even more of those boys who served with him and the boys just coming in.

It doesn't matter that they have P-51s to help. It matters that they were promised they only had to hit 25.

[stitchedragdoll]

Did you ever go after a version of one of your siblings?

"My siblings... I lost them the day I lost my world... I've met plenty of versions of them since then. I don't really like having to kill some during missions, so Crou is generally the one to do it, while I take care of the ones he doesn't want to kill. We're a great team !"

"So, no, I don't 'go after" any of my siblings. But I have some of them in my collection... Versions that are my new family. I won't lose them again"

Tw: Puppet Gore