#but someone who sees the monster and the manipulator and isn't impressed

[i-made-a-bg3-blog]

I was having trouble romancing Wyll in my Astarion playthrough for roleplay reasons right up until he was like, "oh by the way, you're the world's most obvious vampire, and if you hurt any innocents, I will wreck your shit. Cool? (Also, I find you very charming.)" Then, I was ready to marry him on the spot.

[tofixtheshadows]

You guys really need to stop and consider the ways you're talking about Kabru I am dead fucking serious. Like I know that flattening characters is just what fandom does to a certain extent, but Kabru's actual personality is getting lost to the fandom hivemind insisting that he's aggressive/cruel/sociopathic/hateful, and these are particularly concerning takes to see leveled at the only brown character in the main cast day after day. "My poor sweet golden child Laios needs to be protected from this scary brown man" is not a good look! Like, it's very telling that the bulk of the hate and bad faith readings are reserved for Toshiro and Kabru. Everyone else's flaws get to be discussed and validated and forgiven (or erased), meanwhile people are straight making up things to be mad about with Toshiro and Kabru but patting themselves on the back for being smart.

The worst part is how undeserved it all is. I'm trying to lay off anime-onlys because we're still kind of in the red herring stage of getting to know Kabru, but I would still like to gently suggest that even if you think Kabru is up to something, you don't gave to get in the tags of every fan creator's post and bring up how you hate him or You Can Tell he's totally evil. Sometimes I think Kabru's blue eyes give people license to say things about his appearance that they know would sound completely racist otherwise, but referring to his blue eyes acts as a get-out-of-racism free card. The jokes about the dog with brown contacts are getting old, by the way.

For people who have read the manga, it's disappointing. Kabru is one of the most complex and important characters in the story, and if you base your interpretation of him and all your fandom interactions on shallow first impressions you are completely missing out.

I know part of this is because Dungeon Meshi is a comedy, but the story also wants to be taken seriously. For example, it's admittedly really funny when Chilchuck calls Laios "sick in the head", but that doesn't change the fact that the way Chilchuck casually belittles Laios caused him to hide the fact that he was "hallucinating" from his friends for weeks. Those feelings matter.

Like, this

is funny.

But this?

Is not. This is just a very clear example of a brown boy with PTSD. As someone else with PTSD, just looking at this fucking sucks, man.

The only reason why Kabru thinks about killing Laios is because he is in the middle of a flashback. He's struggling through a panic attack. If he truly wanted to kill Laios because he's violent or because he finds Laios inherently annoying, he wouldn't otherwise talk with Laios normally. Notice how he doesn't act this way at any other point in the story- it's just because he's triggered by monsters. Even when he's thinking about his plans to "deal with" Laios later, he's reluctant to actually kill him and only considers it to prevent another tragedy. Despite his deadly skills, Kabru relies far more on "soft" power- insight, persuasion, diplomacy. He's a rare example of a character who absolutely is, or at least can be, manipulative, but seems to use his abilities for good. He's not a pathological liar, he isn't looking down on everyone behind a smile. He's someone who is extremely emotionally intelligent, and he's willing to put aside all his own basic wants and needs to stop the cycle of dungeons devouring humans.

I'm going to cut a potential thesis on his character short and just give some examples of things that fandom should consider about his personality more:

Racism in fandom isn't just about whitewashing in fan art, or using racial slurs. The insidiousness of bad faith readings, reductions to racist tropes, lack of fan content for characters of color, and dismissal of a character's complexity are far more common. You can believe yourself to be completely neutral or even positive about a character and still churn out low-grade bile about them into fandom's collective unconscious. Fandom reflects real life.

And I have been around fandom long enough to see how these behaviors (mostly from my fellow white fans) affect fans of color, how it makes a fandom feel hostile and unwelcome to them. It's fun to make jokes and memes, I'm absolutely not saying that everything needs to be a deeply nuanced take, but we need to be careful that it doesn't veer into toxicity. Please think about how our contributions to fandom come across, and what sort of vibes they cultivate in this communal space.

[tanoraqui]

Dungeon Meshi Liveblog: I think we all know I basically spent these 3 chapters cackling maniacally

In the demon business, we call that BAIT!

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I'm all but wiggling happily. I love a good game of chess. I'm not entirely sure it actually is a game of chess beyond in Kabru's mind.

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OH GOOD HE'S A LITTLE BIT STUPID. This comic really does take care to portray people as badass, hyper-competent, and kinda stupid, all in different ways.

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oh, ALWAYS love a Santa-coded crime boss.

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I appreciate that Kabru's pride is solidly among the things he's 100% willing to temporarily ignore in order to be someone's friend/get them to do what he wants. I like that in a man.

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Interesting - clearly he's being magically influenced, but not so...directly? as to have the hourglass pupils.

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^ words of a man who is about to get his ass, and his entire criminal organization, absolutely WHUPPED by like 6 elves. I suspect the Canaries are underestimating the tallmen and other denizens of this dungeon, because they're arrogant pricks, but the locals are underestimating this elite team of elvish warriors a LOT more. I can't wait to find out what they're actually doing while "sight-seeing." Spreading out into tactical positions, maybe?

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ASS! WHUPPED! omg it's like an evil version of the Wink.

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I want to see this fight animated so fucking bad.

I dunno, Kabru, he clearly uses the combination pretty fucking effectively.

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WHY DO YOU THINK THAT A VISIBLE DEMONSTRATION OF MONSTERS WILL GET THROUGH WHERE WORDS DIDN'T? These people already know there are monsters down here... And at best, of course, a bunch of people will die... But they're just short-lived races so I suppose it doesn't matter :)

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While I do appreciate this dedication to making Mithrun look as cool as possible at all times, sending a giant, zombie-making walking mushroom into the middle of the Level 4 lake is going to be SUCH a disruption to that ecosystem!! Somewhere, Senshi just groaned in pain like Obi-Wan when Alderaan was destroyed.

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Mithrun has recognized that Kabru is going at picking out unusual people in a crowd, and is now using him as a manhandled tool to do so, and I just think that's Neat.

And it works! (So now it's their turn to get their asses handed to them.)

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This chapter cover is giving me a lot of feelings about...love, and families of choice.

Except for how I'm holding Laios in one arm while brandishing a knife at that lion fountain behind him. Get the HELL away from my boy, you tiny manifestation of the granting of wishes, and all you greater ones as well.

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oh are they now? They're definitely canaries in a coal mine, then. Badass and valued for their skills, but disposable. Hmm AU where Marcille...

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oh my god holy shit never mind, it turns out Thistle sucks at this when facing an opponent who isn't caught off-guard.

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It is possible that Mithrun is honestly, earnestly trying to help Thistle? As best he can?

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Sharing food as love!!!

MY GIRL!!

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STILL A TEAM!

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Oh Mithrun actually only has one eye, it's not just dramatic anime effect + hair flop? Hm. Should have a cool scar to make it clearer. I'm impressed with what depth perception he's shown, though, with the teleporting!

Obviously this does mean he ranks up in the Favorite Characters list.

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Kabru: Ooh nice strategy, manipulating all those people in order to manipulate that one person!

Kabru: Wait, right, I still don't like you.

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Yes! Yes! The Kabru's inner desires is OUT! He is impulsively risking this chance to prevent another Utaya - his stated goal, the obvious greater good, definitely very genuinely his primary focus - in favor of demanding the answers he WANTS, and the independence from long-lived elves.

YOU TELL 'EM, BUDDY! TAKE A STAND! BURN YOUR BRIDGES!!

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I appreciate that Mithrun isn't bad at this personal assessment thing.

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brb need to go chew a wall or something!

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Vilderavn

CR 16

Neutral Evil Medium Fey

Bestiary 5, pg. 268

Unlike our last few articles, these horrors are decidedly not just little guys, and are in fact one of the most vicious Fey we've ever seen. Unlike many malevolent Fey which are merely born from mortal misery and anguish, Vilderavn were directly created by an unnamed fey lord for the express purpose of destroying mortal armies and kingdoms, something they excel at to such a degree that they make excellent overarching villains in a campaign featuring a looming war and political intrigue. A Vilderavn, more than any other monster we've seen in several weeks, is not a monster to simply be dropped on the party! These bloody birds thrive at being shadowy puppetmasters behind a conflict, advisors to (what the party believes is) the Big Bad, or even potential backstabbing allies and resources to the party themselves, turning on them at the climax of the adventure!

And the best part is that it's extremely unlikely the party will see it coming. Don't think it's just as easy as spotting an ominous black knight with a raven motif; Vilderavn are accomplished shapeshifters with an extremely wide repertoire of possible forms, able to take on the form of any Small or Medium Humanoid, a black-feathered Peryton, a wolf, or a Dire Wolf. You may find it strange that a raven-themed knight doesn't turn into a raven, and that's because it already is one! The above picture? That's after it's shapeshifted. A Vilderavn in its NATURAL form is a gigantic raven, and this is the form it uses to swoop over battlefields and kingdoms it plans to destroy... and to appear before prospective allies as an omen of fate, offering nobles, soldiers, and mages its skill as an advisor, an oracle, and spellcaster to give them the edge they need in the coming war.

If you can't believe some ostensibly smart people could be so easily tricked into believing a dog-sized bird is here to help them, don't be so judgmental! That might seem suspicious to someone from Earth, but on Golarion the culture surrounding such events is quite different; after all, not only do stories of heroes cursed into the forms of animals and deities appearing to people in the shapes of animals abound, but the Psychopomps as a whole are often associated with carrion birds and possess powers over fate and fortune, both of which Vilderavn can manipulate with their powerful spells and Raven Hexes. Those Hexes have numerous uses both in and out of combat, one of which includes the ability to send Dream spells to up to 6 people a day, letting them sculpt a first impression LONG before they appear physically before their target.

This isn't even getting into their skills, such as +30 to Bluff and +21 to Diplomacy (and further heightened by their Charm Hex), or their spells, such as at-will Suggestion or a 1/day Mass Suggestion to steer opinions, send anyone who could call their bluffs out on errands, and create trust where there was none before, or even a 1/day Modify Memory to completely rewrite a victim's knowledge of events until the fey appears to be some sort of saint or savior. They can also offer a Limited Wish once per month to a mortal being to sweeten any deal they make, making them seem trustworthy even as manipulative malevolence swells within their hearts.

Even if appearing as an animal doesn't work, they can freely change into generic wise sages, charismatic nobles, intelligent generals, or imperfect copies of just about anyone... unless they pull a kill-and-replace. Any creature killed by a critical hit from their bite (including a coup de grace if they're unconscious or helpless) has their soul devoured by the fey, and from there on out, the Vilderavn not only has the ability to perfectly assume their form, but has access to all of their memories, making their imitation literally flawless unless someone can see through their disguise with magic (and it will likely HAVE to be magic, because their Bluff and Disguise shoot up to +40 when imitating a devoured victim). Even then, good luck convincing anyone of what you see, as everyone else is likely under the raven's dewclaw as it steadily kills its way into more and more important positions until, eventually, it can take command of events entirely.

Wow, all this and we haven't even gotten to what it can do in combat! We're going to have to put the rest of this under a cut!

Vilderavn tend to avoid combat right up until the point they can destroy an entire army with a single blow to its leadership, right after it's spend weeks or even months carefully sculpting their confidence by leading them to numerous smaller victories. Until then, they serve as excellent advisors and powerful spellcasters, able to use Dispel Magic at-will to shield themselves and their allies from enemy magic, Detect Thoughts at-will to sniff out dissent and betrayers among the ranks (along with anyone who could view them with suspicion), and Scrying at-will to spy on anyone who lacks protection from such invasive magic. They also have a handful of constant spells which make it almost impossible to sneak anything past them: Deathwatch, True Seeing, and Tongues. No vampires, illusionists, or hidden conversations in foreign languages will corrupt and mislead the leader the raven is trying to corrupt and mislead!

And speaking of corruption, Vilderavn are masters of the corrupt art of curses. Immune to curses themselves, they can freely cast Bestow Curse to personally torment anyone they desire and Geas 1/day to force annoyances on petty quest, and their aforementioned Raven Hexes also have a menagerie of debilitating curses and debuffs among them as well, including the crushing Misfortune, the action-economy-ruining Agony, the absolutely Fighter-punishing Retribution, and the ever-reliable Evil Eye... and capped off by the damning Dire Prophecy, a permanent -4 penalty to not only their AC, but most d20 rolls as well, including saving throws. The Prophecy can also be cashed in at any time by either the Vilderavn (if it's nearby) or the DM (if it's not), imposing a -18 penalty on the victim's AC or on an attack roll, combat maneuver check, skill check, or saving throw.

Where's the -18 come from? Well, they use their Hexes as if they were an 18th level Witch, and all of their Hex effects (as well as the DC, which is 25) are modified by the fey's Charisma rather than its Intelligence. Powerful enough on their own, anyone who's played alongside a high-level Witch knows that Hexes are extremely potent force multipliers when the rest of the party can take advantage of them, and this means if a Vilderavn has allies, it can safely sit back and use its 110ft fly speed to keep it out of trouble as it debilitates the party with its powerful Hexes... and caw-haw-haws at them with Cackle, keeping the punishment of Misfortune, Agony, or Evil Eye rolling round after round as its allies tear into the debuffed party.

UNLIKE a Witch, forcing a Vilderavn into melee doesn't mean you're home free, oh no. They're dangerous enough in their raven form, where Bloodbird tacks a stacking 1d6 bleed damage onto its Claw-Claw-Caw-Caw attacks, the former doing 1d6+11 and the latter 1d8+11. If you think that's a mistake on my part, no, the Vilderavn can indeed make TWO bite attacks with its beak whenever it Full-Attacks thanks to a constant Haste effect on itself. If that beak damage looks low, it really isn't, because it's got a critical range of 15-20, threatening a critical hit 25% of the time instead of 5%. With a single Full-Attack, the unkind knight can deal an average of about 70 damage AND stack up to 4d6 bleed onto a single victim, then fly backwards the next round and strike them with a Hex or two before flying back in to do it all over again.

But of course, it's rare for a Vilderavn to have allies it doesn't plan to slay itself. When it has already used (or cannot use) its spells or Hexes to weaken its foes, or when it simply wishes to display its martial skill and fight on even terms with a human, it takes the shape of the Raven Knight, shedding its natural armor and its terrible beak and claws but gaining +5 Full Plate and a +5 Cruel Keen Falchion. Its AC goes from 34 to 38 in its knight form, and its melee goes from four weak natural attacks to four powerful sword swings (despite its low BAB; remember a permanent Haste gives it an extra attack!) dealing 2d4+21 damage... while also keeping the same 15-20 critical hit range AND the stacking bleed, potentially dealing around 50 damage with one swing instead of needing four attacks to achieve the same result.

So, let's see, that's the offense, how about the defense... High AC, check. High saves? +17/+21/+18, check. DR 15/Cold Iron and Good, check. SR 27, also check. Permanent Freedom of Movement? Of course, we can't have a battle end with a single Hold Monster now, can we? No elemental immunities, but it IS immune to energy drain, death effects, and all forms of fear. I'm also receiving a note about its saves, hold on. Ah, no, my mistake, its saves are actually +22/+26/+23, because the Vilderavn DO have power over fate, which includes the ability to add +5 to any one saving throw of their choice each round as an immediate action, something they're likely to save when they're targeted by a powerful Save-or-Suck that they're not immune to, such as petrification, sleep effects, or nausea. There's no per-day limit on this ability, only per-round, so maybe ask your allies to pile on all their most powerful abilities at once?

Hah. 'Allies.' There's no one here that's your friend. At least, that's what you're going to think while in combat with the Vilderavn; anyone within 30ft of it is not only vulnerable to its Frightful Presence, but its FP is also attached to Shatter Loyalties, an ability that causes anyone affected by it to treat all other creatures as an enemy, thwarting not only teamwork, but teamwork feats, as well as flanking bonuses, movement in tight spaces, and of course: willingly accepting beneficial effects. Any creature whose loyalty has been shattered has to be forcibly administered any positive effect (and is allowed to make a save to resist such effects), and doesn't count as a valid target for any effect or ability that counts 'allies.' This shattering effect lasts until the victim is no longer within 30ft of the fey and bypasses fear immunity entirely, so the party Paladin may not be shaken up by the Frightful Presence, but if they fail the DC 26 Will save anyway, suddenly all their beneficial auras shut off for everyone else, leaving them more vulnerable to the raven knight's fierce spells and Hexes.

If the Vilderavn pauses its assault momentarily when it has someone at death's door, do not mistake it for a show of mercy. Remember that they can tear the souls from their mortal victims, but they can only do so while in raven form, as Soul Eater very specifically triggers from its bite attack. A party held at bay by its magic or laid low by its damage may only be able to watch in horror as it assumes raven form, climbs atop their fallen friend, and drives its beak deep into their chest, shearing their heart from their body and their soul with it (frightening everyone who sees it, or shaking them up if they succeed a DC 27 Will save). From there on out, it has full access to their memories, their personality, their very face, ready to destroy their lives and everything they had ever hoped to create... and if the DM is especially cruel, it may use Modify Memory on the only conscious witness to the act to make them think their ally is fine, that they managed to get away from that fiend! A fiend slithering its way into the party as it wears the fallen allies' face. Waiting for the chance to tear hope away from you all one final time.

You can read more about them here.

[cosmicjoke]

i have a trouble characterizing furlan in my head i cant seem to understand what he is like

Well, Furlan's a very interesting character, and complex, I think, so I can see why it would be hard to fit him into any, one box.

Just the fact he's Levi's first, real friend says a lot though. I imagine most people probably never gave Levi a chance, really, to become their friend. They would have taken one look at him, at his seemingly surely, unfriendly attitude, his unsociable demeanor, and probably been turned off. And doubtless Levi's reputation proceeded him. Most people probably thought he was too dangerous to get near. But Furlan wasn't really afraid of Levi, which is very interesting. He knew Levi was strong, as evidenced by the fact that he tried to force Levi into joining his gang. But the fact he even took that chance tells us Furlan wasn't scared enough of Levi and his strength to steer clear of him, like I imagine most people were.

It's important to understand too that Furlan's initial interaction with Levi was an attempt to manipulate and use him. He essentially saw Levi as a mark, as someone he could press into his own service to bolster his gang's standing Underground. Of course, his plan failed miserably, and I think the fact that Levi didn't fall for it was probably a bit of a shock to Furlan. Furlan strikes me as the sort of person who was maybe a little cocky, a little arrogant, because he was used to being able to get people to do what he wanted with words alone. He was used to being able to manipulate others. But Levi saw right through him, and I think that probably forced Furlan to start respecting Levi a little more, and to start regarding him more as a person than as simply a weapon he could utilize. Maybe he initially thought Levi was just a dumb thug that he could easily control. But of course we know Levi is anything but stupid.

We also know that Levi saved Furlan's life at some point. We don't have any real detail on it, other than Furlan mentioning that his own gang turned against him, and Levi rescued him. I kind of imagine, from that one line, that, after trying to lay a trap for him, Levi had been paying attention to Furlan and his movements, keeping an eye on him, and that's how he was able to intervene and save Furlan's life. Maybe Levi was impressed by this kid's guts, by his willingness to engage with Levi at all. Like I said, I doubt many other people, if any at all, had been willing to even give Levi the time of day. Furlan, whether he realized it or not, was probably the first person to ever, really treat Levi like he wasn't some kind of unapproachable monster. And by doing so, he was maybe the first person since Kuchel died to ever treat Levi like a person. All Levi needed was a chance to be someone's friend, and we see where that lead. Furlan became like family to Levi. He became someone Levi was willing to do just about anything for, including going along with his wild plans.

What I get from the dynamic between Levi and Furlan is that Levi, essentially, lets Furlan use him. He acts as the muscle to Furlan's plans. He lets Furlan make the decisions, etc... Even as Furlan and Isabel sort of see Levi as their de facto leader, and Levi indeed leads them when it comes to immediate action, like what to do and where to go in the midst of a heist, for example, we never actually see Levi give out any sort of dictates or put his foot down and tell Furlan no. He seems to leave all of the scheming up to Furlan, and whatever those plans are that he comes up with, Levi is just there to execute them. When Erwin makes his offer to Levi to join the SC, we see Levi look over at Furlan, as if for confirmation of what his answer should be. He leaves the decision to him.

We see this same dynamic develop between Levi and Erwin later on, of course. And this isn't a statement on Levi's submissiveness as a character, as I'm sure some people like to frame it. What it is, I think, is a testament to Levi's selflessness and his commitment to others. He puts his own wants and needs aside for the sake of other people's wants and needs. Levi isn't interested in telling people what to do, or in controlling them. He isn't interested in power. He just wants to help people, and he does that by letting people use him for whatever it is they need him for.

Levi doesn't want to accept Lovof's offer of going to the surface, for example. He's got a bad feeling about it, and doesn't trust Lovof or the situation. But Furlan wants to go to the surface. We know it's something he's been trying to accomplish for a long time. It's his dream. And Levi has always been somebody who, while having no real dream of his own, supports the dreams of others. So Levi goes along with his plan of accepting Lovof's offer and joining the Survey Corps. He agrees to help, even as it's something he himself doesn't particularly want.

I also tend to think Furlan is a bit reckless, and Levi kind of serves as the person who gets him out of binds when things go south. That Furlan's own gang turned on him and he needed to be rescued is part of what makes me think that about him. And the fact he wants to go along with Lovof's offer, despite the obvious risks, is another reason. Levi strikes me as the practical one in their relationship, while Furlan strikes me as the one who might go off half-cocked on a hope and prayer, lol. I think, oddly, he's maybe the wild one of the group. Not that he's stupid. Far from it. Furlan is obviously quite intelligent. But like I said, maybe a little reckless and a risk taker. I think Levi would have been much more content to just keep his little family safe in an environment that he knew and understood, one he could keep them protected from, awful as that environment was, rather than take the risk of going some place he knew nothing about, with threats he couldn't predict or anticipate.

Basically, I think Furlan was the dreamer of their little group, and Levi was there to protect him, as well as Isabel, and to protect those dreams.

Once someone gave Levi the chance to be that for them, to be a protector, he took it. Because that's what Levi naturally is. That's who he's always been. Someone who helps and supports others. And I think Furlan was probably the first real person to allow Levi to be that, the first person that let Levi be who he actually is.

[dotemakesthings]

forgotten but not gone

(please be gentle, y’all, this is the first public fic I’ve posted since basically… ever)

inspired by/remix of the cursed light by datfearlessfangirl

okay, so.

the first Split was relatively harmless, believe it or not. it separated out Remus and Roman, sure, but the sides all still lived together and cared about each other.

as a teen/young adult, the sides were in cutesy little pairs.

Janus and Roman, the theater gays.

Virgil and Logan, the couple that considers sitting silently in a room together with headphones on a romantic activity.

and Remus and Patton, the chaotic powerhouses who love nothing more than making messes in the kitchen and screaming I-love-you’s from across the house.

but then

the second split.

it was a crisis of morality and identity on Thomas’s part

so intense that it ripped the mindscape in two

the “acceptable” sides simply got their memories wiped, starting from scratch

while the dark sides were locked away and hurt.

now, neither side knew about the others and the effect it had on them

so when the light sides saw a closet oozing with Bad Feelings, they felt it best to investigate for the good of Thomas

and they were greeted with monsters.

Remus, screaming out horrific imagery and banging his head raw and bloody against the wall

Virgil, spiraling into such a bad panic attack that the shadows around him were lashing out without him realizing

and Janus, fangs and all six arms out, who uncontrollably lied about how they were useless here, how they weren’t wanted, they needed to get out, ssssstupid little sides

the lights screamed

and ran out

the darks chased them

because, here’s the thing

imagine you have known someone all your life. you know their tics, what makes them happy

and you’re not afraid of what they’re like when they’re in distress, because you know what to expect. and you know you’re safe with them.

now. imagine meeting someone for the first time on your absolute worst day.

that’s what happened to the darks.

the Patton of before would have rushed to Remus, gently guiding him away from the wall and crooning soothing nonsense to drown out his babble about death and gore and being alone alone alone

the Roman of before would have nodded and taken none of what Janus was saying at face value, cradling Janus’s hands in his own and humming a quiet tune 

and the Logan of before would have tapped out a slow, calm rhythm next to Virgil until he could breathe and handle touch again

but they didn’t know any of that anymore.

all they saw were monsters.

and all the dark sides saw were their friends, family, lovers there when they needed help. 

the light sides fled back to the upper mindscape 

and the darks slammed into the barrier

screaming and clawing at the invisible wall

for someone to help

for their family to look at them

for someone to explain what was going on

and the light sides closed and locked the door with a sigh of shaky relief.

now, the light sides develop something of an ingrained bad reaction to the darks due to this colossally bad first impression.

Patton: disgust, fear, thin veneer of trying to be polite while getting them to leave the vicinity as soon as possible

Logan: coldness, indifference. not cruelty but no warmth or allowances

Roman: fear masked by anger and intense protectiveness.

and the dark sides all deal with the upheaval, betrayal, and pain in different ways.

Virgil: depressed, afraid, tends to lash out at the slightest provocation. goes from snarky to mean.

Janus: gives up and pretends everything is fine. sees no point in hurting himself to get something back that can't be replaced or repaired. covers heartbreak with snark. can't quite stop himself from flirting with Roman but pretends it's just manipulation. focuses just on Thomas and what's best for him, ignoring all else.

Remus: wears his rotting heart on his sleeve. tries the hardest to get Patton back and is the least equipped to do so. isn't exactly trying to keep the others' spirits up, but more just doesn't lose hope that they can somehow fix this. 

the dark sides can only come to the main mindscape at all at night at first.

the barrier stops them any other time

it’s Remus who finds out first, mindlessly banging his head against the barrier to pass the time only to fall flat on his face when it fizzles out

and they all slowly start sneaking in at night to see the home that they were thrown out of

and slowly, the lights start having odd little incidents

nothing in person, at first.

Roman: he finds something in progress and abandoned at the border between the imagination halves that he and Remus both worked on. he can't figure out why it looks so recent even though he can’t remember ever getting along with his brother this well.

Patton: he's having a Sad Night. he thinks he's hiding it well, but someone (Virgil) notices and leaves him cookies that are one of his favorites. not a secret recipe, just ones he likes. there's a little note saying that sometimes it's okay to have a second cookie. Patton can't figure out who would know him this well.

Logan: he’s dealing with an absolute menace of a meeting. he gets back to his room, seething all the way, to see a plain porcelain plate with an unsigned note saying “break me all you want, nerd! I’ll put myself back together!”. he experimentally drops it from a few feet up. it shatters with a very satisfying crack and then, a few seconds later, reassembles itself in his hand. he has a grand old time shattering the plate against the wall again and again until his rage has subsided to a manageable level. he can’t figure out who would come up with an idea like this.

and then there start being little middle-of-the-night interactions. because for some reason, the light sides have a much harder time falling asleep nowadays.

Virgil looks over Roman’s shoulder as he watches a Disney movie in the living room at three AM to try and fall asleep. Anxiety offers a teasing insult to the protagonist. Roman jumps out of his skin, at first threatening to stab him, but then lets him tentatively settle in on the counter behind him. they roast the movie together, gradually picking up steam until Roman actually laughs at something Anxiety says. they both freeze and stare at each other for a heartbeat until Roman sinks out without a word.

Patton finds himself tucked into bed after a too-long day sorting through Thomas' emotional responses. when he wakes up, there's a somehow still steaming cup of sweet herbal tea that tastes like a snickerdoodle. he vaguely remembers a soft voice hissing at him that he needs to pay more attention to his own needs.

Logan is reading philosophy textbooks and muttering to himself out loud. Janus offers a quiet critique. they have a heartbeat of wonderful discussion before Logan "remembers" himself and shuts it down.

eventually, through all this, their memories start coming back. it’s triggered slowly through their platonic interactions with their friends, and then all at once by their romantic partners.

(because the love of friends is just as impactful and important as the love of a partner)

Patton: 

Patton is sad and frustrated, muttering to himself and pacing in the kitchen.

someone walks in and he immediately stops and snaps into happy pappy Patton mode. “Oh hey, kiddo-“

it's Remus, who just cocks his head and says "you know you don't have to do that with me, right?"

and after some protesting on Morality’s part

he ends up goading Patton into a very cathartic expression of anger, fear, and frustration, and helps him sort it out. 

at some point, Remus has shifted to holding Patton in a loose embrace as Patton waves his hands and rants and sobs.

Patton doesn’t realize that he burrows deeper into Remus’ arms every time he wiggles.

to the point that he’s turned sideways in Remus’ lap, with one arm curled around him and the other one free to gesture.

and then when it’s all over, they’re talked out, and it’s almost sunrise, Remus reluctantly starts to tear himself away. 

and Patton, who quite suddenly cannot bear the thought of Remus letting him go, holds on

Logan: 

panic attacks? Logan? certainly not. he doesn’t get those.

so when he finds himself gasping for air, feeling like his chest is on fire, and locked into his worst thoughts, he doesn’t know what to do

because he knows how to treat panic attacks

but this isn’t one. definitely

and even if it was, for some reason all his knowledge on how to treat them is slipping from his mind no matter how hard he tries to reach from it

you have to breathe? somehow? but he can’t breathe, can’t think

and somehow through it, he hears a raspy voice

counting steadily and quietly

and he realizes that there’s a stim toy placed in his hands that he’s wringing.

and it looks familiar, but he knows he’s never seen it before

and there’s soft, flowy music playing from a Bluetooth speaker next to him

and that feels familiar too

and without quite knowing why, only having a bone-deep certainty that it’ll help, he slumps over into the person sitting next to him

smells lavender and laundry detergent

feels soft fabric under his cheek

and suddenly everything snaps into place

oh

of course

why does he feel so safe? because he’s with the safest person in the world.

Roman: 

okay so

Roman alternates between being scared of Deceit and feeling extremely attracted to him

this, naturally, freaks Roman out

and he expresses this by getting more and more aggressive towards Janus

at some point, he panics and attacks Deceit

Deceit freezes with Roman’s sword to his throat. they stare at each other

before Janus sinks out

a day or so later, he comes back

all six hands up, ungloved, and open to show that he means no harm

“You win.”

“… What?” says Roman.

“You. Win. I’m tired of fighting you. Grant me one last request and you’ll never have to see me again.”

some buried part of Roman is conflicted. but his conscious self jumps at the opportunity. “What do you want, snake?”

“Dance with me.”

“… What.”

“Grant me the honor of one dance, my prince, and I’ll leave. You’ll never have to deal with my presence again.”

And Roman, wary of some trap but eager to be rid of the beautiful confusing disgusting snake, agrees.

They rise up in an elegantly decorated ballroom

dressed in a fancy suit (Roman) and an elegant ballgown (Deceit)

and they dance

at first, stilted and formal

keeping to the steps and no more

but then Janus seems to come to some internal conclusion

and folds himself in close to Roman

before spinning outwards, skirt swirling, and coming back in

and somehow, without Roman quite knowing why, they’re dancing.

flourishes, leaning into each other, Roman even lifting Deceit into the air at one point

and his heart keeps pinging strangely

aching

(familiar, this is familiar, you’ve done this before)

but eventually, the dance has to end

and they both come to a stop as the song finishes, panting heavily

Janus is smiling through his heavy breaths

and Roman finds he is too

but Janus’ smile cracks and falls and he steps back.

“Well,” he says. “That was the deal.”

and he lifts Roman’s hand, which somehow has his sword in it although it didn’t a second before, so that the blade is at his throat

just like the night before

“One quick cut ought to do it.”

Self Preservation exposes his throat to his beloved. 

because he doesn't want to hurt Roman. 

because this dance was his last selfish act before he gives up

one last moment to remember his prince by

and Roman pauses with his sword at Janus’ throat.

because Roman can't figure out why Janus, the evil self serving snake, wouldn't take an opportunity to hurt him to save himself

why he asked for this dance at all

why his arms around him felt like home

and all of a sudden

the memories he’s been denying all this time hit him like a truck

and he remembers

(after all that, Roman congratulates Janus on his idea to bring his memories back by dancing together)

(Janus smiles at him and changes the subject)

the barrier weakens the more that the lights feel comfortable around the darks.

the more that Thomas feels comfortable around them.

by the time everyone’s memory is back, it’s like it was never there at all.

[genericnam]

I haven't made a character study in ages, so I think I'm gonna do that and more, by discussing every single villain from my favorite piece of Anime/TV show in general: Digimon Adventure (01)

This is going to be pretty long, so look under the cut.

Digimon Adventure is a flawed show with relatively choppy, repetitive animation, too short fight scenes, and a generally poor soundtrack inn the Dub (looking at you, Hey Digimon!), but I adore it for the characters and story. Digimon tells a tale of trauma, hope, the effects of loss and grief on children, and what it means to be brave, and the villains that push the plot forward and reflect all of this are some of my favorite villains and characters of all time. So I'm going to break them down now, in mostly chronological order (I'll be using Dub names and info since that what I grew up on and have always used, sorry if that offends you for some reason)

Villain number 1: Ogremon

Ogremon appears pretty early in the first arc as a recurring enemy and baddy. He serves as the rival and foil to the character of Leomon. Leomon gets hyped up by the main characters as the strongest active good guy on File Island, and if Ogremon is his equal, that makes Ogremon automatically intimidating.

However, Ogremon is dumb. He's easy to trick, and not too strategic, but he is full of willpower and fighting spirit, allowing him to tail the Digidestined across the entire island pretty ceaselessly. But that isn't for no reason, as Ogremon begins to work for someone pretty quick into his introduction... Devimon.

What makes Devimon intimidating is his sheer presence, the respect he demands. The entire arc up until his introduction, every foe they battled (other than Ogremon), had been animalistic, or a good person at heart. Devimon himself is pure evil, he has no redeeming qualities, no light in his soul or kindness in his heart.

Devimon uses his Black Gears and Hand of Evil to brainwash and torture countless digimon across File Island, and his gears are so spread through the island that he can control the very land itself.

Unlike Ogremon, who is gullible and somewhat cowardly, Devimon is a cunning monster. Devimon tricks and manipulates the Digitdestined, brainwashes Leomon twice, and easily beats all of their Digimon when they finally fight him.

The only reason Devimon lost is because of the way Angemon fights. As revealed in 02, the Hand of Fate's power increases the more evil your opponent is, and Devimon is just so pure evil that it was a oneshot.

While Ogremon was there as a brute force enemy, Devimon is the first of many insurmountable terrors that really shows the Digidestined how small they really are in the grand scheme of things...

Moving on to one of my favorite characters of all time, and the second arc villain: Etemon!

Etemon is goofy, that much is never hidden. He's a monkey that does an Elvis impression and rides around in a trailer performing music for his bumbling minions, but Etemon serves as a lesson that not every dangerous foe is so obviously dangerous. Etemon has a monopoly of the Desert of Server thanks to his Dark Network.

The Digital World uses a lot of crossovers from the real internet, and the Dark Network seems to be an embodiment of THE Dark Web. And Etemon controls it. The Dark Network allows Etemon to see just about anywhere and to take away the power that the Digidestined rely upon to survive: their digivolution.

Etemon is seemingly average on his own, but his true power comes in his coordination. Etemon's army is spread out, but it is powerful, and he can arrive just about anywhere with great speed thanks to how he sees everything there is to see. Piximon's hidden forest is the only place Etemon doesn't really have eyes.

Etemon serves as the mirror foil to Tai. While Tai is the Digidestined of Courage, Etemon represents hubris and arrogance. This leads Etemon to push a lot of Tai's character arc into place.

Now, once the Digidestined infiltrate Etemon's pyramid and get tricked by Datamon, Etemon shows up, and all seems lost. Datamon was the only digimon who was even close to Etemon's level, and he goes down pretty quick, but it's what Datamon does that really gives Etemon all of his best clout. Datamon fills the Dark Network with viruses that will make it destroy and consume everything they touch, before dropping himself and Etemon into it.

This seems to beat him, but NO. Etemon is too AMAZING to go out like a chump (or at least, that's what he thinks). Etemon bends the Dark Network to his will and instead fuses with it, becoming Etemon Chaos Mode

When Etemon is finally defeated, his sheer power rips a whole in reality that sends Tai and Agumon back to Earth, leading to the whole reason DemiDevimon is able to sew chaos amongst the others. But at least Etemon's gone for good, right?

Anyways, Etemon looks and acts goofy, but that's because he's strong enough that he has nothing to fear in the slightest!

Next up is DemiDevimon!

DemiDevimon isn't strong, or intimidating in the slightest. In fact, he's rather bumbling, but what DemiDevimon is good at is making other people better. Out of all the characters in the Digidestined, DemiDevimon is a major player in the arcs of Sora, T.K., Izzy, and to a lesser extent, Mimi and Matt. DemiDevimon doesn't have a whole lot going for himself, but he excells at making others look good, such as his boss...

Say hello to Myotismon...

Myotismon is THE strongest Digimon in the world at the time of his introdction. Other characters eventually become stronger, but before Megas get involved, no one was better than Myotismon. He was part of the exclusive club of characters who got TWO signature moves, which include his Crimson Lightning and Grizzly Wing.

Myotismon is unique from other villains in just how well put together his plan and army is. Devimon had Ogremon and mind control, and Etemon has a good group of lackeys, Myotismon has a veritable army with enough firepower to conquer the entire city and kidnap 99.9% of its inhabitants within days.

What makes him even more fearsome is his personal feats. Myotismon is the character who really steps up the tone, killing several of his own minions on screen when they begin to turn on him or fail. But perhaps his greatest feat is that he got Gatomon to work for him.

Gatomon is a Digidestined Digimon, and the embodiement of LIGHT itself. Throughout the series, Light has regularly been shown to be the second strongest of all the elements, only behind Hope. Myotismon was powerful enough, EVIL enough that he sucessfully tortured the embodiement of all Light into being his right hand woman.

And when every member of the Digidestined team up to beat him, Myotismon reveals that he's done all of this in a weaker host, and he reveals his TRUE form: Venommyotismon.

Venommyotismon is a Kaiju, and the first Mega level digimon in the series. He can very reasonably be argued to be the 3rd or 4th strongest Digimon in the entire show, depending on how you think he'd do against characters like MagnaAngemon and Piedmon. To beat him, the Digidestined had to activate the prophecy in order to unlock their own Megas, and it took a 2 on 1 for Venommyotismon to finally go down. This undead vampire king really just was That Guy.

And yet, he's not the strongest villain in the series...

Moving on, we have the Dark Masters!

The Dark Masters consist of four Digimon:

MetalSeadramon

Puppetmon

Machinedramon

and their leader, Piedmon.

The Dark Masters took over the entire digital world while the Digidestined were off fighting Myotismon, and they tore reality to pieces, reshaping the entire world into Spiral Mountain, a giant mountain of four zones, each ruled by one Dark Master, with their castle sitting on the peak.

The Dark Masters are the first digimon to use the power of teamwork in battle, and it really shows. They mop the floor with the Digidestined, and if not for Piximon's sacrifice, that would have been the end of the series. The Dark Masters arc is brutal, and with every member the heroes beat, it costs the lives of more and more of their friends. Sukamon, ShogunGekomon, Chuumon, Piximon, Whamon, the Numemon, they and many others were all victims of the Dark Masters.

The digidestined are only capable of beating individual members one at a time. MetalSeadramon gets beat, then Puppetmon, and then Machinedramon, until only Piedmon remains.

And yet, Piedmon still wins. He defeats every single Digimon the heroes have, including their Megas. And he turns them into keychains that he wears on his belt.

What finally puts down Piedmon is the power of the strongest crest unlocking its true potential. Hope. The embodiement of Hope itself, MagnaAngemon appears, and sends Piedmon through the Gate of Destiny, a portal to oblivion itself. NOTHING goes through that gate and survives. That is the only way that he could be defeated.

And yet, he is still not the strongest...

But we'll get to the final villain later, first... IT'S ETEMON'S COMEBACK TOUR, BABY!

Oh, you thought he was gone!? NO! During the mini-arc where the Digidestined are battling Puppetmon, it is revealed that within the afterlife, Etemon has been putting himself back together molecule by molecule. Etemon is so willful, and so confidant, that he reversed his own death.

Etemon fuses with his Dark Network fully, becoming MetalEtemon, a being capable of rivaling Puppetmon in power. MetalEtemon doesn't stay alive for too long, but in his short few episodes, he kills SaberLeomon with relative ease and sends Ogremon into his entire character arc. Etemon decided that dying twice still wasn't good enough, and he cheated death for the sole petty purpose of traumatizing his enemies more.

But now, let's get to the final boss...

This is Apocalymon. Apocalymon is the anit-thesis to EVERYTHING the digidestined are. While the heroes represent Courage, Friendship, Love, Knowledge, Reliability, Sincerity, Light and Hope; Apocalymon is Fear, Paranoia, Hate, Misinformation, Betrayal, Lies, Darkness and Apathy incarnate. He is made of the souls of every Digimon who died in the process of Digivolution, which means he is made of everything that the Digidestined relied upon to win.

Apocalymon created the big bads of every single arc on his own. Devimon, Etemon, Myotismon, the Dark Masters, they are all his creations. He is the ultimate darkness, so hateful and full of so much pure misery that he can do nothing except wish for the end of all life.

And he wins. Not in the Piedmon way where he beats almost everyone, no. Apocalymon KILLS every one of the digidestined and their digimon. He rends them apart, splits their molecules and data into nothing.

The only reason he didn't win right then and there is because of MetalEtemon. MetalEtemon's creation was foreshadowing, a sign that with enough willpower, you can cheat death. And that's just what the Digidestined do. With the power of friendship, they put themselves back together and reform their bodies, starting the fight against Apocalymon anew.

But they still don't beat him.

They can only fight Apocalymon to a draw, and he will not let that stand. Apocalymon unleashes his true ultimate ability: his self destruct sequence. Apocalymon possesses enough power that when he self destructs, the explosion will destroy TWO DIMENSIONS in the process, both Earth and the Digital World. If not for the Digivices containing the explosion, he would have gotten the last laugh.

Digimon Adventure is unique in that, out of every Digimon in the series, the VILLAIN is the strongest. Even MagnaAngemon in second place is nowhere even close to Apocalymon's level.

Apocalymon is the death of hope, the end of light, he is everything that has suffered brought to life, and he could only be defeated when he allowed himself to die.

Every villain represented something. Ogremon was the first showing of a threat that cannot be reasoned with. Devimon is the first brush with the harsh reality of the real world. Etemon shows that overconfidence will kill you. DemiDevimon shows that even people who seem like no threat can still sew the seeds of your downfall. Myotismon is the all too real chance that no matter what you do, some people will always seem to be stronger. The Dark Masters are a corruption of what can be achieved by working together. And Apocalymon? Apocalymon is the END. No matter how strong you are or how hard you work, there are foes who you cannot beat, and that you can only hope to cause their downfall. Apocalymon is the hopelessness that has condemed billions of souls, the misery and rage that will kill billions more. Apocalymon is nothing but the embodiement of everything that has ever caused sorrow... And that is something that cannot be beaten.

[eldritch-spouse]

Oooo fun question about your demons, and other creatures you think might be relevant (wraiths for one).

Which of your creations can sense emotions?

Like I know lust demons can sense that, and Nebul can sense emotions too (only negative ones? Or all ones?)

If lust demons feed off lust and that’s why they sense it, does that mean that sloth demons can sense and in turn feed off enthusiasm? (Or other similar, energetic emotions).

Just in general, would a reader need to be self conscious about your OCs sensing how they feel?

Who can sense emotions?

Plenty of them. It also depends if you're talking about the entire, immensely broad spectrum of emotions someone can have, or a select few.

As of now, only one character has the ability to sense every type of emotion in others.

Wraiths, like Nebul, are mostly in tune with people's misery. To gouge whether or not someone can be a more effective meal, they sense primarily negative emotions, such as depressive states, panic and terror, at times rage. He can also detect when someone is in brighter moods, but this gouging is severely limited, he can't decipher if it's happiness, infatuation or general excitement unless he gets in the person's mind. Nebul is also quite powerful for a wraith, meaning newbies are only able to sense sadness for the most part. The more power this type of undead has, the more clearly they can paint an emotional portrait of you.

Dorem, someone who can glimpse into souls, gets to see a little bit more of people's emotional states than he'd like sometimes. He can view more than that, going deep into people's identities and the overall background of their souls. It's oftentimes necessary for his work.

Higher entities like Krulu and Miara have a remarkably easy time understanding the emotions of those who confront them, although this isn't something they sense, per se. A higher who has a vessel, on the other hand, is always very in-tune with the emotional state of their host.

Breg is an example of a monster who has very acute "reading" senses. Hormones, smells, body language and general disposition are something he has no choice but to pay close attention to, so it's easy for the breeder to gouge emotions and states. This doesn't mean someone with a lot of self-control couldn't escape his radar. More feral-inclined monsters generally have this "ability" too, to varying degrees.

What about demons?

Their senses are a lot more specific to their needs, just like you said.

Concubi will hone in on desire and sexual frustration, sometimes preying on infatuation.

Sloths will focus on those who are either already tired (easy prey), or people with an abundance of energy/motivation (more work but more rewarding).

Gluttons sense hunger, exercerbating it to states of starvation and generally making people more impulsive. They can also encourage already satisfied people to keep going and kill them that way.

Wrathful ones feed on frustration of all sorts, bitterness and dissatisfaction, causing people to become senseless animals in their rage, or truly fearsome butchers.

Prideful ones sense arrogance above all, narcissism, and insecurities. They'll give people a delusional, grandiose view of themselves in an effort to feed off that energy. Some get so prideful they perform stunts that end their lives under the impression they'll succeed.

Envious ones procure loneliness, isolation, also insecurities and identity confusion. They encourage the vulnerable to blame others for their situations and put on second skins.

Greedy ones feed on both the rich and the poor, so long as the desire to gain and collect and take and steal is great enough.

Should you be self-aware?

Naturally, yes.

Emotional states are pivotal to a person who seeks to manipulate you, so all of them will take advantage of their senses to put you in a disadvantageous position.

The problem comes with the exhaustion that'll surely follow with having to keep an eye on your own state at all times. You never really know when they're studying you, so how can you be sure of when to try to hide your emotions? What if you can't? How do you combat that?

It's a tricky situation.

[k-s-morgan]

Hii I am new to the Hannibal fandom and I think u understand the show and the actors and Bryan alot . But there are some things that are worrying me . I read about Ur speculation of Hannibal s4 and I agree with it even tho it's almost impossible now to get a season but my mind can't find peace if I don't get some answers so I hope u won't mind me asking you about your thoughts and what the plot will be for S5 as Bryan wanted to include sotl and what he means by Will being "happy" only in s5.

Will he Leave Hannibal or something??

Hello! Welcome to the fandom!)) Now, what I think makes sense and what Bryan could have planned might be different things, but if to combine them... first, here are my predictions for the potential S4 in case someone is interested and hasn't seen them.

According to Bryan’s words ever since the show ended, this is what had to be present:

1) Will being behind the veil with Hannibal, firmly turning away from the ‘light’ side once and for all.

2) Will and Hannibal being in Cuba and having “adventures” as well as going after Margot and Alana together.

3) Mind Palace, hallucinations, and search for self.

4) Will being out of his mind.

5) Hannibal manipulating Will.

As a theory: Will is going to feel drunk on his newfound darkness and freedom. He was repressed for so long that now that he Became, he’ll be losing his focus and drowning in his own preferences, forgetting what they were and turning into a much more vicious monster any of us expected. He’ll be chasing the high he felt from killing Francis and failing to find it. He’ll be surrounded by blood, his past victims (hence the return of everyone dead, like Bryan mentioned), and more madness. A part of him will want to impress Hannibal, to prove that he’s a worthy partner (which is supported by Will seeking Hannibal’s approval throughout the show - the way he glances at him after biting Cordell is a good example; the way he has low self-esteem and knows Bedelia failed Hannibal’s expectations). So he’ll be acting more and more violently.

Hannibal will see that Will is losing himself in a new way. He won’t want to start a physical relationship with him (which Bryan mentioned) because he’ll be afraid that it isn't for the right reasons, that Will is too far gone to made decisions. So, he’ll feel like the best therapy would be to push Will even more and make him realize that he’s approaching their new life from the wrong angle, to make him figure out that this isn't the kind of killer he wants to be. To do this, Hannibal’s manipulation will entail them going after Alana and Margot.

Will won’t be fond of the idea but Hannibal will manipulate him into accepting it, intending it as a test that will finally make Will snap out of his state. So Will will initially help hunt them down but then he’ll realize this isn’t what he wants to do. Hence finally getting his mind back, which creates the ground for his happiness.

Him being happy in S5 is another thing Bryan mentioned. We also know he wanted to do SOTL.

Personally, I don't think this show needs Silence of the Lambs with Clarice and Buffalo Bill at this point because it has already incorporated major elements from it. Clarice has been divided between different characters; we had a plot with Randall, who didn't feel comfortable in his body, didn't find acceptance from society, and evolved in his own murder-y way. I feel like this echoed the events of SOTL in a way that paid homage to it but remained unique and non-repetitive.

But Bryan does want to film his version of SOTL, so it is what it is. Why I don't think he would break Will and Hannibal up, even though it's purely subjective:

1) He said Hannibal wouldn't want to initiate sexual contact with Will as long as Will is out of his mind in S4. This implies to me that the idea is potentially in the cards for S5.

2) Bryan loves the books and pays respect to them in the most relevant ways. I think he wouldn't want to go against the ending where Hannibal finds the love of his life and enjoys his beautiful freedom. The specifics might differ, but Hannibal would still get his happy ending.

3) The ending of every season supports this notion further. Each one ends with Hannibal's victory, it's a narrative pattern, and breaking it would feel jarring (looking at 'Merlin' here).

4) Bryan is always promoting Hannigram in very positive, life-affirming ways. Here's one quick example of him confirming a fan's question if they can believe that Will and Hannibal are happy somewhere out there. There is a million more examples, and I am skeptical that he'd be doing things quite like this if he planned some ultimate tragedy between them.

About S5 plot: Mads said that Clarice wouldn't be Hannibal's love interest while Bryan said she wouldn't be Abigail #2 for Will and Hannibal. So I assume her role would entail either becoming a reluctant ally or a clever nemesis. Perhaps she decides to seek Murder Husbands out because she feels like they would be the best bet at solving some crime, and they feel amused enough to enter a chase with her; maybe Will and/or Hannibal are imprisoned again, so she comes to consult with them. Maybe Hannibal is imprisoned while Will creates the persona of Buffalo Bill to make people like Clarice talk to Hannibal in their desperation for insights while staging his escape.

I like the first and the third options most. Though since Bryan mentioned that he might push SOTL into flashbacks, like it occurred during the 3-year gap in S3, I really don't see the point of this story-line. Introducing major characters so late in the game is a very bad idea.

In short, I believe that the ending for Will and Hannibal is planned as happy, and I'll keep thinking this until proven otherwise (hopefully never)).

[yan-snowcave]

First impression gone wrong

Transcript of all the speech bubbles can be found below the "Read More"

[Phew, this took 3-4 days of non-stop drawing to finish it, tbh I'm happy with how it came out! Especially since I rarely draw humans so it was a good, fun exercise and now I can work on other stuff for my OC (and Milo's 3 other forms ;3c) & other projects! (Also taking a lil break from drawing to let my hands rest.) And thanks to everyone who drew Makura, I promise I will try and draw your OC's and others too! They all look amazing just give me some time please TwT Also my handwriting isn't the best sorry!]

Transcript;

[Page 1]

Seth: Who's this? Milo...A new boytoy? Or...

[Seth's POV]

Makura: You signed the Contract Milo <3

You're MINE

I will "eat" you~

(I'm sorry but, I have to reveal the truth)

Seth: Maku's a demon!

---------------------------------------------

[Page 2]

Desmond: Seriously? This again? This is the third time this week...

Valli: Seth...

Makura: ...Ash will beat my ass, fuck

Milo: Huh?

Seth: You see in the book Demonolgy (volume 3) it's explained that most demons form contracts with mortals to obtain their soul to devour later on in exchange the mortal gets whatever they want.

It's also very important that the soul is that of a virgin or that they are an innocent or naive person with a pure soul like Milo. Unlike, let's say...Ryan who has a corrupted soul, which explains why he's still alive and kickin. Not to mentione that we never saw Makura without their hood-mask off. Not even during lectures and we know how the teachers are. They dont allow us to wear any hats or hoods, which means that Makura has to have some sort of demonic manipulation powers. Maybe they can even shape and change the universe to whatever they desire. And we dont even need to mentione the students who don't approach them almost out of instinct and we all know thats a clear sign of an Demonic Aura.

---------------------------------------------

[Page 3]

Seth: I have to confess I'm a bit jealous but also very proud of Milo. As a fellow monster lover, even if he stumbled into this relationship on accident. I will give him kudos for getting such a big catch! Getting a demon partner isn't easy.

I tried and failed so many times. Some were already taken and I'm no home wrecker for fellow monster lovers. We have to stick toghether y'know? No one else would understand the struggle of dating someone thats a non-human and even those with open minds often think our partners are crazy or just playing a demon which is rather rude.

But you cant do much about it. Also if you want to start courting them then you have to be very carefull. Demonic courting isnt for the faint of heart and will often force you to get gifts that many people would see as strange or disgusting. Also be carefull if you go further in your relationship, their claws, teeth and salavia can be harmfull to us mortals, not to mentione that lu-

Desmond: Seth!! For gods sake, stop with this NONESENSE! Makura isnt a demon, they have no demonic traits. They are just a cringey furry, wanna be pastel goth! That's KNOWN for their agressive behaviour!

Seth: I'm just giving Milo some much needed advice and warnings!

---------------------------------------------

[Page 4]

Milo: My prince!

Valli: Seth! Desmond!! Stop it right now or I WILL kick your asses!

[pruneunfair]

Oc's for my Au.

Malori Hemsley, Age:20

one of the many maids working at the palace of the Fahlgren empire (I renamed the eastern empire). Former slave of Nian and her husband, her job doubles as security since she knows how to use a sword but isn't allowed to join the military due to her past. Photo on the left is when she's at work and photo on the right is when she crossdresses to crash balls/banquets

Evalie Claude, Age:16

Duke Ergis wife and Maloris lost younger sister. The duchess who pushed a trend of regency styled dresses for women

Disclaimer: just gotta clear a few things up first. For anyone concerned for the age difference between Evalie and Ergi, he does not do anything to her, Ergi is a monster but he has standards and I will explain below why they got married to begin with. Also she has nothing to do with the Evalie from the original story, I just really like the name and I thought it would still fit since several historical figures shared a name at the same time period, still to avoid confusion I will call her Eva.

LORE DUMP: Malori and Eva's father, Sandro was a fallen Baron who was stripped of his title after going bankrupt from the consequences of schemes, scams and general white collar crime,though many think he just got sloppy it was actually because his partner at the time (Ergi) had screwed him over in trial by delivering the evidence. He and his wife changed their surnames in order not to be recognized and had 3 daughters, M+E being the older sisters to the baby Claire. The Hemsleys had little money to spare considering most of it went to the girls so Malori already had work experience as the oldest by wandering the streets to look for jobs such as chimney sweep or apprenticeships. As the years went on, Sandro grew to see all his daughters as burdens since it was harder for Malori and Eva to work as girls and Claire was too young and sickly and while he would rather not get rid of the daughter that did the most work, Malori would be more desired since she already has a track record of being able to perform most simple jobs. On Christmas eve, Sandro gave Malori extra food and let her stay home instead of working as a sort of compensation for what he was about to do. He doesn't tell Malori about what he's and her mother are going to do and shortly after, he sells Malori to a slave trader when she's 13 for enough money to last 3 years if spent wisely.

She winds up in the Tuania estate and becomes a slave. As a result, Malori starts to despise the noble class the older she gets but she also knows survival comes first and even after she escapes by burning the place down she still appealed to the higher class in order to manipulate some of them for her own gain such as becoming a rich man's mistress so she can take advantage of his eagarness by convincing him to let her get swordsmanship lessons. Once she abandons him Malori goes on a 2 month long journey of going out under a different name drinking at taverns, engaging in duels and even writting a few poems. After those months of utter depravity, she is inevitably caught and sent to be judged by Sovieshu himself after she attacks a nobleman, but instead of imprisoning Malori, Sovieshu was impressed that someone like her could defeat some of the imperial knights and even another noble, he decides to give her an ultimatum: live here as extra security while also doing maid work or be sent to prison for 30 years. Naturally she chooses the former.

As for Eva, she and her remaining family lived off the money Sandro got for selling her older sister for the time being, she and Clarie was told that Malori had died during the blizzard in a carriage accident and as the new oldest, Eva had to pick up the slack and go out for work. This time however Sandro had a new scheme to rise back in the ranks by looking to marry Eva off to a wealthy/powerful man starting as soon as possible. By now Clarie was dying of tuberculosis and the desperation for Eva to get married was not just for status reasons but also so Sandro wouldn't have to raise anymore children. What was not expected however was Duke Ergi to show himself after all this time much to Sandros fury. He offers to marry Eva with the promise letting the parents live in their own little home with fertile land to live off of. There wasn't much choice left and they might as well let Claire have a little happiness before she dies so Eva gets married off when she's 14.

On their wedding night, Ergi makes it clear to Eva that he is not a good man and does not plan to be loyal to her and that she shouldn't see him as some sort of savior who rescued her from poverty. While he doesn't sexually abuse Eva that doesn't mean he's nice to her either. The real reason he married at all was because it was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation and have a perfect tool to sacrifice in the future. I wouldn't say he's full on toxic to her either.. it's a weird relationship where they mostly ignore each other but on occasion can have a decent conversation. She's not totally alone either since she has other friends thanks to her popularity in the fashion area.

Eva also suffers from endometriosis, due to the time period set, no one really knows what's happening to her and some even accuse her of faking it for attention, to ease this pain, Eva is given potions made up of opium and the nerves of certain monsters as a painkiller everyday during her times of the month, the side affects cause her to become disoriented and exhausted which keep her docile and obedient. Effectively killing 2 birds with one stone not just for Ergi but also the house of Lazlo in the future.

[mysticdragon3md3]

I finally watched the Dungeon Meshi episodes where Kabru meets Laios, and I don't think I agree with that video essayist.

A while ago, I watched a Dungeon Meshi video essay, discussing characters, despite me being very behind on the series, because social media keeps spoiling Dungeon Meshi for me anyway. Like, I was seeing Chimera-Falin on my Dashboard and timelines before I even knew that would happen to her. But thankfully, my usual immunity to spoilers has kept up. Ever since Madoka Magica proved a different experience for me, when I reached later episodes that I had not been already spoiled on, I had been worried that I was no longer indifferent to spoilers. But Dungeon Meshi has been spoiled to me, fairly frequently, and I still enjoy it.

That video essayist ABSOLUTELY HATED Kabru. I prefer to like characters. I have dropped several good series because of one or 2 characters that just irritated my dislike. So I was worried that listening to that video essayist's seething hatred of Kabru, would influence my first impressions of him and maybe even lead to be dropping Dungeon Meshi.

But strangely, I still don't sense anything really bad from Kabru. And a big reason, I think, is the reaction of his party members. Even when Kabru is killing someone, his party members just turn around, act unphased, and let him kill people. That tells me that they trust his judgement. That likely, they know Kabru to not be a threat to them, even if Kabru is killing someone else. That tells me that Kabru likely isn't some random, dangerous killer, but someone who rationally chooses to be dangerous only to those who deserve it, like actual threats. And it also speaks to how Kabru probably treats his comrades well. To not act horrified, they would either have to fully trust Kabru or just be sociopaths themselves. But what are the chances of getting together a group of sociopaths? (Sociopaths are too anti-social and would be too busy backstabbing each other anyway, right?)

I've seen some reactors frightened at Kabru simply talking about the common vital points of humanoids. And I don't understand why someone planning ahead of time, to defend themselves or fight in a dungeon, full of monsters, rivals, and possible murderers, would be a bad thing. I would expect someone, going into such a dangerous situation, to be thinking ahead of time, how to kill opponents. But apparently, some people/reactors think that anyone who thinks ahead of time how to dispatch enemies, makes them bad. There's nothing wrong with being a little cold-blooded. It's needed sometimes. Like when you explore a dangerous dungeon. And how is his lack of understanding how his demeanor could be considered scary to others, any different from Laios's lack of understanding of how strange he is to others? And people have been praising, up and down, Laios's lack of understanding how odd he is. I don't see why suddenly Kabru is considered "crossing a line", especially given their situation/environment. Some people get scared and make overly broad assumptions, just because a character isn't afraid to kill or has thought about killing. But killing can be done kindly, or dispensed with rational decision-making, or even be discerned to allow some justified, petty cruelty. Just casting a broad blanket of decisions on a character's morality, for simply engaging with death, seems odd to me.

I mean, the ease with which Kabru kills, analyzes, and manipulates people, might seem cold. But aren't a lot of his actions the type of proactive smarts that lots of people wish characters would have, instead of making stupid mistakes? Whenever there's an "idiot plot", it usually causes complaints about characters not noticing things, not analyzing, not deducing clues/foreshadowings, and not being more careful. People complain about characters hesitating or holding back when fighting. So why would people hate Kabru for doing those very things?

Well, that video essayist did explain that he just had a real life bad experience with manipulative, two-faced people, so he was biased against any character that reminded him of those false friends he had in real life. Even so, there are ways people act, which I've long not understood why it was frowned upon. I remember when I was younger, my sister and I discussing not understanding the disdain against being "two-faced". Why is it bad to have different demeanors when interacting with people that you have different relationships with? Some mannerisms aren't appropriate with other people, as they are with others. My sister and I both agreed that you wouldn't act the same way with parents as you would with friends, and you wouldn't act the same way with acquaintances as you would with close friends, etc. So what's wrong with tailoring your mannerisms to be appropriate for different relationship situations? Since then, I've often wondered if the American ideals about being constantly forthright just clash with our Asian(-American) ideals about appropriate mannerisms. So I don't understand disparaging Kabru for "holding his cards close" and being careful with Laios---who is mostly a stranger to him at the beginning, except that they suspect Laios's group has probably robbed them twice. If anything, Kabru has more reason to be smart by not telling Laios his true thoughts and carefully sculpting a non-threatening act.

Anyway, I'm glad that I'm able to disagree with that video essayist, proving that my perception of Kabru has not been influenced by his bias.

So far, I like Kabru. He's smart, in both his masks and fighting style. Also, I like cold-blooded killer archetypes without malice, that don't understand why killing efficiently is "strange". They're usually amusing. Or at least relatable, in their lack of understanding "normal human behavior/ideals". ...Though, I'm not quite sure yet if Kabru is exactly that archetype. But so far, I like what I see of him. I don't really sense anything bad.

[honey-minded-hivemind]

I've done a Backstory!Post! for the first of my currently mentioned platonic yandere favorites... now I think it is time for the next one. To begin with, we had how Logan Howlett/Wolverine met his bby... so that means Victor Creed/Sabretooth is next! Let's begin this second Backstory!Post:

• Victor has not had a pretty life. Abused by his father, seen as a freak, hurt and cursed and hated, it wasn't a hard choice for him to decide to become the monster everyone expected him to be. It served them right. Everyone was the same, cowards and pigs, the lot of 'em. And if one was to survive, you had to be the meanest, the strongest, of the lot. He could count on his hand how many people he actually had an interest in.

• His bby is likely someone who surprises him. They are something unexpected, something different than the usual people he deals with. Maybe they are someone with a powerful mutation, or someone who happened to gain the upper hand on him. Maybe they have been dealt a similar hand to him, being hurt to such a degree that it leaves lasting wounds on their psyche... Either way, this bby isn't scared of him. For some reason, they don't see him as someone to revile or hate... if anything, they might be neutral, or even cordial, with him. For once, someone just treats him like a person.

• Their first meeting could be anywhere, really. Perhaps they meet on opposite ends of a fight... perhaps they are in the same group for the time being... for this scenario, I think they would both be held captive by someone. A scientist who wants to study different mutants and their abilities, and in turn make them into weapons, pawns, their own personal soldiers. This person is cruel and manipulative, playing their captives against each other, in an attempt to leave them unwilling to unite against them. Yet for the bby... they don't crack...

• And for the life of him, Victor can't figure out how they did it... how his bby stayed themself, unbroken and untamed... but no matter how they did it, he's not complaining... this is their origin story of meeting, after all, and of course his bby would turn out to be as unbreakable as he is...

• Of course it's his luck to get stuck in this situation. Another freak-of-the-week mad scientist wantin' to try their hand at mutant experimentation. Yep. Just his freakin' luck. And this one... this one is one f*cked up son uv a gun...

• You're not having a great time. Some nut-case is capturing and testing mutants... and you're one of the (un)lucky souls who got caught. Your mutation can only do so much, and this complete psycho has prepared for almost every ability there could be. All sorts of drugs, plenty of torture devices, not to mention the actual power-negating stuff... and this freak doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. They want to break you, to squash you into nothing and program you and every other mutant here into their personal toys...

• And you happen to have gotten on their nerve this time. It's not like this is the first time you've tried... but this is the first time they actually showed any outward signs of anger. They didn't take too well to you calling their work meaningless, a disgrace to science... so it seems they've finally decided to do something about you... So here you are, being dragged into a room and locked inside until they see fit to "test you" again... but... the thing is... you're not alone in there...

• Great... looks like they brought 'im some fresh meat... Victor groans a little as he gets up. Chains hold him to the floor, shackled to a thick metal cuff around each of his wrists. D*mn it... he can't even leave his side of this prison. And he takes a good look at what the lab rats brought 'im... and he isn't very impressed. It's a kid, that much he can tell... one who looks roughed up quite a bit... heh. Seems like someone made the doc mad.

• "Heh. Looks like we're gunna be stuck here fer a while, huh, whelp? Why don't'cha come closer, so we can get better acquainted?" He watches them, as they take in their new surroundings. The fresh meat winces as they move, but, they do approach him... yet they stay just out of reach... and then ask if he's okay...

• What? Is the whelp drugged er somethin'? They seem to realize what they just asked, and rub at their neck, looking sheepish. They point out that it's a stupid question, but that they are concerned. About him. "Uh, whelp. Ya realize ya should be more worried 'bout yerself, right? The doc must be rather p*ssed with ya ta throw ya in here with me." He lets out a cackle, then regrets it almost immediately when his chest aches with every breath. D*mn that f*cking *sshole doctor, professor, whatever the h*ll they claim to be! The whelp ain't the only one who earned the doc's wrath... whatever the loon gave him, it inhibits his healin' ability...

• "I guess the doc doesn't really like us, eh? This must be "special time-out" fer us, huh, fresh meat?" He sighs, his ribs aching with the motion. The kid hasn't stopped looking at him, but... it's not with fear, or contempt... if anything... they actually look worried fer 'im... They shuffle their feet uneasily, but he can't smell fear on them. None in the least. Blood, sure. Sweat, yep. But not a trace of panic or hate. Huh.

• You watch your cell-mate with concern. He's a giant. Chains hold him back, limiting his movement and leaving him trapped to the back of the cold room. Dark, dried blood covers him, and you can see wounds where the cuffs rubbed against his wrists. Not to mention the bruises coloring patches of his skin splotches of greenish-tinged black. He looks dangerous, deadly... but you stay near, asking if he wants something to eat...

• "Ya realize there ain't any food here, don't'cha, fresh meat? Unless yer offerin' ta be a sacrifice," he huffs out. But you just chuckle, and produce something hidden within the fold of your sleeve... it's a squashed protein bar... but... it's food...

• You ask the man if he doesn't mind that this is what you were able to hide on you. Then promptly explain that it won't taste very well, but it should sate some of his hunger. That he needs it just as much as you or anyone else here needs it. You notice the shackles restrict his arms to the point he can't lift them to his face... possibly as a method to force him to rely on the scientist and their minions for everything... you ask if he's still hungry, and that you're going to have to hold it for him while he eats, if he wants it...

• "'Kay, then. I promise, I won't bite ya. Scout's honor. Now, can ya come over here? I'm starvin'." He waits patiently as you approach him, bringing the much-needed food with you. You open it, holding it up for him to eat, still no signs of panic or fear. He can't help but chuckle a little at that. Looks like ta him, you're one tough little whelp. Maybe you're worth keepin' 'round...

• He takes a bite from the offered food, and you give him a soft, tired smile...

• "Not bad... hmm... thanks, whelp. I think we're gunna get along just fine..." With that, he devours what's left of the food... this moment is how you met Victor... and he never would've guessed that he'd end up with someone like you as his bby...

[susellesie]

One of the most heartbreaking parts of the Snowgrave route to me isn't the monsters running away, nor any of the big events that take place, necessarily.

It's when Noelle tells Berdly to r͟u͟n͟ a͟w͟a͟y͟.

That is the first time in the entire Snowgrave route where Noelle shows any opposition to Kris's orders. Not when she's freezing people to death, not when ordered to kill for a ring. At no point does she do anything other than panic and reassure herself this is correct. So what does it?

Berdly, and the impending reality he's going to die.

And this one line, to me, is what breaks me because it reveals so much about Noelle's internal monologue. It a) proves Noelle knows on, at least some level, knows her actions through iceshock are lasting, dangerous, and possibly fatal. b) proves she has in some capacity ignored this reality to avoid what reality awaits if she disobeys Kris.

Noelle's character is so interesting to me because there is the impression that she is so good and nice she couldn't fathom hurting others- but we can see this clearly happens in the Snowgrave route. She chooses to stay with Kris. She chooses to follow their orders to freeze people. Is there something to be said about the emotional manipulation she's put through throughout the route? Absolutely. In no way is this mainly Noelle's fault, but regardless it is a decision she makes to stay with Kris.

And so through all this- through the gruesome reality of snow-frozen monsters littering the city- the only one that can get through to her is Berdly. Everyone else Noelle has frozen are monsters she doesn't know, and who she will never have to know. There's not a second thought behind her actions, except for this one instance.

So she tells Berdly to run, and he doesn't, and then it's gone. Like any ability she has to effect this outcome is gone. She is the one casting the spells, and yet her expressions and dialog are just... resigned. By the end of it, with Berdly dead, she can't even bring herself to accept the reality of her own actions.

And now, for the crux of what this extremely long post is about; Noelle's childhood trauma. I've talked about this before, but Noelle grows up alongside a neglectful mother, and a father who excuses her actions. I've also talked before about how at some point, presumably after Dess goes missing, Noelle loses basically all of her friends. That being Dess, Asriel, and Kris. And who ends up replacing that hole? Berdly.

I believe the crux of Noelle's helplessness and actions in ch2 Snowgrave result from fear of abandonment. Once anyone will accept her- Kris- she's immediately latched on, despite any and all actions from them. Kris is different from Queen + Berdly because they represent someone who loves Noelle for who she is, at least in Noelle's perception of Kris. Queen and Berdly both want something from Noelle- and when she joins Kris's party, the only memory she has of them is from childhood- when it was Kris, and not the player in control. Kris doesn't need to use Noelle- the player does.

Noelle is, first and foremost, terrified to be alone. But secondly, also desires to be wanted unconditionally; for who she is. It's why Noelle will stay with Queen when Kris is not available, and it's why she stays around Berdly. But when given the option between people like Susie and Kris, versus Berdly or Queen, Noelle knows which ones she will pick.

So once she's already made her choice of staying with Kris, the realization of her actions are too little, too late. The risk is too high- the consequences are too large. Noelle does not want to know what happens when she is left alone: and that fear drives her through the Snowgrave route.

[fizzingwizard]

I've been wanting to react to the new!Nightcrawler!origins! buuut instead I fell asleep every night. anyway I haven't gotten to read it so I'm going by summaries.

Overall impression: Way too convoluted. Even though Mystique/Irene parentage was what I wanted as well, they lit had to tie canon into pretzels to get there. But what does X-men canon even mean anymore? Well, that's the other half of my impression: Why even bother, since someone can sweep in ten or twenty years from now and undo all of this the same way they just undid The Draco? lol

Not that I'm not dancing on the moon because The Draco is gone. That is vindictive dancing though. I don't like that one of Kurt's few biggish storylines is kaput now... except also kinda not??? like i said convoluted. And that has a ripple effect on nearly every other storyline he's had since The Draco too, because so many of them have been linked to Azazel/the afterlife. You can worm about to keep the parts of them you like, sure, if things are already this messy then why not let them be even messier!

But what motivation is there for a reader of X-books to care. X-books are so short-sighted these days that nothing means anything anymore. Things I wanted to see happen so, so badly when I was in high school could happen now and would have like a tenth of the impact, because everything is just forgotten/erased when the writing staff changes and the new staff isn't interested what the previous guys did.

Back to the origins themselves. There should be some appreciation for the inclusion of so much pro-gender fluidity. On the other hand, it's Mystique, lol. I'm not sure how to feel. Mystique has been many things over the years, and since much of it has been a messed up psychopathic sex idol, it's been nice to see them giving her a lot more nuance a la Claremont. OTOH, this is all just because of Jennifer Lawrence isn't -__-; That Mystique is the most boring incarnation of her ever. I really don't want to see Mystique that way in the comics. She needs to tread the line that never comes too close to angels. But that does make it tough for her to represent a marginalized community... since she's also a serial killer, I mean.

Irene's part is fine. I don't really have complaints except it's again just so involved.

The Azazel bit is incomprehensible. Whut.

And last, this is very much just my personal feelings... but I just don't think Nightcrawler should be this Shining Light Hero. He's always been my favorite X-man, and yes, I always wanted better storylines for him. But IMO it is always stupid to parade before a character with drums and trumpets, shouting "He's the good one! It was prophesied!" I was already side-eyeing the Hope Sword REALLY HARD and now you tell me Irene manipulated things so Kurt would be raised by Margali instead of Mystique? AND this was SO important that they even got Xavier to wipe their minds AND HIS OWN so none of them would remember what Nightcrawler really is? Whyyyy???

I know every time they change something people complain so. What can you do. To me Nightcrawler will always be the best supporting character with main character energy. ALL the X-men are both supporting cast and main cast at the same time. There should never be one front and center X-man who hogs all the limelight *cough* and is Teh Special One *cough cough* because it's X-MEN not "Wolverine and the X-men" *WHEEZING COUGHING UP A HAIRBALL*

The summaries seem to suggest - though I'm not completely sure - that Irene... wanted Nightcrawler to suffer? So he'd learn compassion, I guess??? As if being a blue, demonic-looking monster from birth didn't already guarantee that... I'm hoping either I or the summary I read misunderstood that bit bc it really makes no sense to me. But her leaving him with Margali to protect him from suffering doesn't make sense either, all things considered... I can only assume Irene was thinking about Kurt Darkholme, who was raised by Mystique, or maybe that one What-If where Mystique kept him upstairs and wouldn't let him interact with the outside world at all, and he ends up fusing with Rogue...

It's hard because I WANT to like this retcon, but I'm so damn wary of what they're going to do with it! It's just as scary that they might actually go through with whatever they're planning for Crawler as it is that they might NOT, since they almost never make good on anything they promise... Like what the fuck is up with his missing soul is that whole storyline still a thing or not!?!?

But I'll end on a positive note: At least he's not lusting after Stacy X, encouraging mutant strippers to morph into female friends, or any of the other lad fuckery Austen tortured us with. Also bye bye Draco, yay.

[jacky-rubou]

I know I said I was gonna psychoanalyze the Imagine Dragons song Enemy with Ford, but I can't stop thinking of Ford whenever I hear their other song Monster (and it's easier to think of interpretations to put into words lol) so here's an analysis with that song instead. Skipping repeat lyrics like before.

Ever since I could remember

Everything inside of me

Just wanted to fit in (oh, oh, oh, oh)

Ford felt ostracized as a child (ever since he could remember) because of his anomaly and outright states that he wonders if there was anywhere in the universe where freaks like him fit in.

I was never one for pretenders

Ford is someone who, if he is to pursue something, never wants to lie or cheat for it. He is earnest in his efforts. Someone who simply clashes with Stan because he doesn't like the duplicity his twin masters in. This side of him is most pronounced when he discovered Bill's deceit.

Everything I tried to be

Just wouldn't settle in (oh, oh, oh, oh)

Tough lyric but Ford tries to impress his father and other people at every turn, trying to be more than he is if only to feel worth something. But none of this feels right.

If I told you what I was

Would you turn your back on me

Ford made huge mistakes with Bill and he doesn't like admitting it just like that because of fear that he'd be shoved aside and hated for it.

And if I seem dangerous

Would you be scared?

Ford sees himself as someone who can only hurt others unless he stops his greatest mistake. So he assumes that everyone else would be scared of him for that reason.

I get the feeling just because

Everything I touch isn't dark enough

If this problem lies in me

This one is stumping me a little, but Ford not understanding how his family still wants to associate with him, much less love him, and thinking that it doesn't correlate to how dark he thinks his situation should be. Or Bill's influence beginning to take over his mindset. Something like that. I dunno lol.

I'm only a man with a candle to guide me

Ford takes on his problems by himself much of the time, only led by his intelligence and hints given by outside sources. He doesn't want to bring anyone into it unless he's forced.

I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me

Ford put thirty years worth of effort to stop Bill, the one that possesses him in his sleep and is essentially 'inside' him.

A monster, a monster

I've turned into a monster

A monster, a monster

And it keeps getting stronger

Ford is spiraling deeper into the thought that because he let Bill into this world to destroy that it makes him a monster. Despite the fact that being manipulated wasn't his fault and that Bill is the monster here.

Can I clear my conscience

If I'm different from the rest

Do I have to run and hide? (Oh, oh, oh, oh)

Ford knows he's weird and offputting to other people and feels like he needs to isolate himself to escape their judgements, believing he's a bad person for the crime of being himself.

I never said that I want this

This burden came to me

And it's made it's home inside (oh, oh, oh, oh)

Ford never wanted to let Bill take over the world and was in fact manipulated to that end. Bill is his burden that he tasked himself with defeating if it was the last thing he did.

So that's that I guess! That was my interpretation of how Monster by Imagine Dragons works for Ford Pines. If any of y'all have more to add, feel free to add your thoughts!