#how she exploits others and it does not save her from being exploited herself.

[miralines]

Fundamentally the interesting thing about Rose OUATIS is her position right at the intersection of privilege and exploitation

[oceanxveiined]

At her very core, she is the very definition of “jack of all trades, master of none”. She has a acquired a multitude of skills—dance, inventing, song, penmanship and composition, combat, strategy, and investigation, among others—but there is always someone within the Snake Eyes group who will always surpass her in some regard. So why does Ozzy keep her around?

Well, if there’s something she has above everyone else, it’s her tenacity and her daring

[sotc]

as fun as it is to talk about the sillay crow family dynamics, i'm soo interested in what this means for the crow familia going forward in a darker lens.

im mostly speaking from the perspective of a rook de riva who romanced lucanis btw <3

illario brought the axe down on his own head after failing to take first talon. he's imprisoned except to play house whenever caterina wants to see him around for family dinners before tensions inevitably shove him back into the cage he's been left to like some house pet lmfao. it's actually kinda fucked up and as a certified sicko i love it. especially considering the casualness in which lucanis describes all of this. crows gotta be a little unhinged<3

But!!! while lucanis was right that illario's reputation is ruined forever as a traitor crow beaten to his knees before every house that doesn't exactly free house dellamorte either. Talon houses will want their pound of flesh of illario for nearly trying to put antiva under venatori control. and yet lucanis refused. house dellamorte showed mercy. they are breaking the rules, making exceptions. this is not how the crows operate and there should--WILL be retaliations for it. illario left this house bleeding in his attempt to claim first talon and their blood is in the water now with house dellamorte having a sole heir who blatantly exposed a weakness and seemingly has no lineage to take after him.

and nevermind that we know murmurs amongst the crows will linger about a first talon being an abomination. i know lucanis kind of handwaves it off as at the coffee date like 'there could be worst first talons' but baby boy, you have avoidance and denial issues this WILL become worse of a problem the longer it goes on. <3

more under the cut bc i didn't realize this was getting so long lol

but in comes fifth talon viago de riva. a bastard to the king of antiva who wants to strengthen the crown. a man who has been ruthlessly exacting and meticulous to get where he is now. and the scariest part is that he has ambition, always has, and knows he has more power than the king himself to make plays if he needs to. this makes for a dangerous (and sexy) combination. in comes his protege rook. casting silly family dynamics aside, viago knows this union between house dellamorte and de riva is extremely beneficial for both houses but also very dangerous. even he knows his ties to teia show a weakness in him that other crows may seek to exploit. and while i do think he may be sincere about wanting rook to find their happiness with lucanis as he has with teia - i truly think he will not shy from showing the importance of a 'political alliance/union' especially with first talon house dellamorte struggling from the blow after all is said and done.

and of course, by extension to de riva, house cantori and the beautiful lovely miss teia, will be extending her support to strengthen their houses but also herself from any opposition. as much as i love that she's kind of the heart that brings this fucked up lil familia together, i know she is just as cunning and clever to recognize what this alliance does for her too.

and caterina.. well, without going into a whole thought piece on her, she has built her (and her grandson's reputation) entirely to instill fear in others, even command enough respect to know she's the one running things while lucanis is just a stand-in as first talon. but what happens when caterina is gone? another dellamorte dead just like all the others. all lucanis has left is himself and his traitor brother. how does he handle illario? how does he fair being a leader to the crows when he didn't want any of this in the first place and no longer has caterina to guide him? how does he wish to pursue carrying the dellamorte legacy (if at all)? does he seek a protege of his own to take on after him? i can't remember who says it (viago or lucanis) but there's a line about how saving thedas will make their houses immortal (hot and very sexy) but also how far can that reputation protect house dellamorte, really?

i don't really have a point to all of this, this is all just stuff im simply chewing on and letting out into the ether because the ripple effect of repercussions with what illario did and what lucanis now has to deal with fascinates me SO MUCH.

[utilitycaster]

I think the fallacy that Downfall/Divergence lays bare is that again, Brennan is not simply a Capitalism And Power Bad guy (and indeed, it's fundamentally impossible to play D&D as Power Inherently Bad - it simply does not support that thesis and indeed actively works against it as a game system, regardless of how you feel about the nature of power in real life. It is also pretty much impossible to play as Violence and Murder Inherently Bad, and I think many analyses of actual play fail when people try to act like it could be played as such). The consistent message is that exploitation and failure to care for those less powerful, and a refusal to change, is the problem. And I think that Aeor and Marlath ultimately serve a similar purpose within these narratives.

The truth of the matter is that Aeor and Marlath are negatively affected by the greater powers within the context of the Calamity. While Aeor has consistently been described and portrayed as an isolationist, authoritarian, and warmongering city-state during the Age of Arcanum and early Calamity, presumably circumstances were more preferable to them during a time of terrestrial abundance, even if they were not themselves farming. Whether or not Aeor's response to the Calamity was justified is a matter of debate; but it is undeniable that they were genuinely scared of the gods. Similarly, Marlath was an opportunistic bureaucrat even before he sold others out (and was not rewarded), but he was still living under the tyranny of the Strife Emperor himself, serving as a cog in the machine because it was preferable to the alternative. Fear was the motivation for him as well, as it is for many who become part of an authoritarian regime.

The mageocracy of Aeor and Marlath's actions caused others concern; but both had opportunity to change for the better. Both failed. They may have again been acting from fear and trauma; but in doing so showed them as entities who would sell out the weakest in their community for their own benefit. Aeor focused not on medicine nor helping their fellow Exandrians, but on weaponry and persecution. Marlath's skills in inventory could have been a boon to a resource-limited community, but he chose exploitation. Selena could have kept her knowledge to herself and at least, in her last moments, tried to save her city if not her creation. She did not.

Within the context of the narrative, the destruction of Aeor and the cutting out of Marlath's tongue are not, in my opinion, joyful triumphs. I may cheer the latter - it is in many ways a victory, unlike Aeor which can only be framed as tragic, and also, crucially, it's pretend - but this is someone who was given multiple chances! Hell, maybe Fiedra didn't make the right choice - not that Marlath didn't need to be stopped (as much was said on Cooldown) but maybe there was, in this case, a nonviolent option. However, it's hard to condemn Fiedra either; she nearly died in the woods and was saved by this camp, and to see someone she stuck her neck out for and suffer with for over a week not just plan this exploitation, but assume she'd be in it on it, is a hard pill to swallow.

And so too in that way do Aeor and Marlath serve as turning points for the people who doomed them. The Prime Deities immediately decide to remove themselves from Exandria as soon as they can seal away the Betrayers again, taking no joy in what they've done. Fiedra tells Nez that she and her gang will be protectors, at risk to themselves, after a lifetime of being survivors at times at the expense of others. They change where others couldn't.

I think a lot of people like to assign D&D villains concepts and epithets, like Capitalism or Imperialism or Landlord or Religion, because it feels very good to destroy these things, and very bad to realize that to destroy them is to cut out the tongue of someone who may have escaped the same horrors as you and crossed the same wilderness. Most people do wish this change will come without "danger, fear, or risk on their part" and are dismayed to find there is not a bloodless option. The BBEG isn't just an avatar of capitalism: they are a person who keeps choosing it and won't listen to signs and speeches to change their ways. Similarly, the hero is not just the person who stops them; they are the person who realizes that they themselves are not without their own ways to change.

[nataliaphantomhivesblog]

I know that when it comes to the book of circus arc, Doll and Joker's character deaths tend to pull on our heartstrings, and while I agree that the ends they meet are completely devastating—I believe that the tragedy of Beast's character as well as her demise is completely overlooked by the fandom.

She is shown to have the initiative to part from Baron's Kelvin's orders. While she complies for Joker and to protect the children back in the orphanage, she can't stand to keep hurting innocent children in return and watch as Joker's spirit crumbles.

Not only do we clearly see her moral ground, we also see how deeply painful this situation is for her because of how it hurts the people around her, especially Joker.

During this discussion, Joker is completely dissmisive of her feelings, pushing her away. She is emotionally upfront and when she was about to tell Joker that she loves him, he cuts her off.

He basically tells her that they have no choice but continue to uphold Kelvin's orders, and leaves her behind.

Beast is completely torn, and Sebastian, being the demon that he is, takes advantage of this, sexually coercing her in the process.

She needed Jokers comfort and reasurance. And just like Joker and the rest of the circus trope—she was a victim of Kelvin and needed to seperate herself from that dark world just as much as the rest.

Beast’s moment of vulnerability with Sebastian is especially tragic, not just because he manipulates her, but because it underscores how utterly alone she truly was. In that scene, she’s desperate for comfort, for someone to listen, and Sebastian, ever the predator, exploits that need.

But what cuts deeper is the realization that what she actually needed was simple: an outlet for her pain, and the reassurance Joker failed to give her.

Her trust in Sebastian is misplaced, yet painfully understandable. After a lifetime of obedience and unrequited love, she’s never had the chance to voice her fears or doubts.

When she finally does, it’s to a demon who weaponizes her honesty against her. There’s something uniquely cruel about that, her one moment of emotional openness becomes another step toward her death.

Something about the way Beast calls herself and the rest of the troupe Kelvin's possesions is so twisted, but it gives us the grasp of the abuse they went through by the hands of their "father."

Kelvin quite literally owns them, and Beast (as well as the rest of the trope) allows him to do so because not only do they feel like they "owe" the man for saving them, the lives of the other kids back in the workhouse are at stake if they don't please him.

When she finds out Sebastian indeed used her to get information, she feels awfully guilty. The circus trope blames Doll for befriending Ciel, but beast knows that deep down, it was her who fell into the trap of the enemy.

The scene where Doll apologizes, only for Beast to immediately cut her off with ‘you are not to blame.’ reveals so much about Beast’s crumbling psyche.

Her guilt isn’t just over the mission’s failure; it’s the crushing weight of knowing she allowed Doll, the youngest and most innocent of them, to shoulder the blame first. In that split-second reaction, we see Beast’s self-loathing collide with her protective instincts.

That fleeting moment of raw honesty where Beast reassures Dollis instantly smothered the second Doll presses further. With a hardened ‘It's nothing,’ Beast slams her mask back into place, retreating behind the role of the Circus’s unshakable strongwoman. But this isn’t just deflection; it’s self-sabotage.

She’s trapped between the need to be heard and the terror of what might happen if she truly is. 

Sebastian’s former act of ‘kindness’ is so insidious because he exploits this very contradiction. He offers her the illusion of being seen, only to weaponize her feelings for further gain. Meanwhile, Doll, the one person who might have understood (considering she was decived by Ciel too.) is brushed aside. 

Beast’s death scene is a masterclass in narrative cruelty: not just for its violence, but for how it mirrors a lifetime of being stripped of her humanity.

When Dagger throws himself in front of her, taking the fatal blow, her raw, guttural screams aren’t just grief, it's also the sound of someone who has always been forced to watch others suffer for her survival.

And then Bard, speaks up, he says:

The line isn’t just tasteless; it’s deliberately degrading. In her final moments, Beast is reduced to the very things that defined her suffering:

A Tool for Others’ Use: Just as Baron Kelvin weaponized her loyalty, Bard reduces her to a tavern fantasy, erasing her pain under the male gaze.

An Object of Exploitation: Sebastian’s manipulation (feigning intimacy to extract secrets) is echoed here, she dies as she lived: a thing to be used, never seen.

A Martyr Without Witness: Dagger’s sacrifice is framed as noble, but Beast’s agony is met with indifference. Even in death, her grief is trivialized.

The arc denies her any dignity, the narrative itself treats her as expendable. The fandom overlooks her, the characters dismiss her, and the world ensures she dies unheard.

This is why Beast’s tragedy lingers. It’s not just her death, but the way the narrative denies her even the smallest mercy: no one truly sees her. Not Joker, who dismisses her; not the other circus members, who are trapped in their own cycles of abuse; and certainly not Sebastian, who treats her vulnerability as a game.

Her story is a quiet scream in a arc full of louder tragedies, and that’s what makes it so devastating.

[jeweljoker]

Jinx and Vi and Caitlyn and agency

I love Jinx and Vi and have overall positive feelings about Arcane s2, but there's this idea that Vi's character was "ruined" in s2 for Caitvi to happen and I heavily disagree with it. Firstly I don't think Vi was ruined and her decision making isn't contradicted by what we know of her, she's just being forced to make miserable decisions in miserable circumstance. Secondly, the source of negative perception of her character is primarily in narrative decisions made for the benefit of Jinx's character. I'd like to go into that.

Vi choosing to become an Enforcer is primarily motivated by her responsibility as Jinx's older sister and her guilt at her mistaken belief that she "created the monster"(she literally says this). She was pushing back against Ekko and Caitlyn's belief in S1 that her sister was too far gone, but she's now experienced first hand the kind of cruel sadism she's capable of. Vi has been hearing and seeing other people suffer because of Jinx and doesn't know what to do. Vi is seeing Jinx as her own mess she needs to clean up and lying to herself that she'd be able to do the cleaning up, and she ultimately can't and we're shown this. Caitlyn's mother being murdered is part of the guilt she's carrying, yes, but Vi would always have had to come to terms with how she needs to handle Jinx and her actions. She chooses to put on the uniform primarily because of Jinx.

Vi going after the chembarons and attempting to dismantle shimmer is something Vi has already done. Silco is her focus in s1 for obvious reasons, but she displays a belief that the crime lords and criminal structure of Zaun and what Piltover does in allowing this to happen are a major cause of suffering and exploitation of its people, and wants to take direct action against it. You see the chembarons trying to make another Silco in his absence now. Vi has always believed this independently of anything to do with Caitlyn. Her mission with Jayce and the Enforcers in S1 was LITERALLY her doing this. She already used Hextech to try and take out chembarons. The necessity of the gas can be argued, but Vi has already been on this mission and knows what was necessary to pull it off. Caitlyn does not corrupt Vi's morals. Vi is being put in a situation where she has to bend them for an end goal she wants while in a very bad situation. Zaun was always going to face the wrath of Piltover in some form because of Jinx's actions.

Vi works with Caitlyn at Viktor's camp so she can get her family back. She purposefully withholds information from Caitlyn(that her father is the beast they're after, that Jinx is there)while setting up Jinx to have a shot at her if she doesn't pull through. Is there still lingering attachment there? Of course. But she's using Caitlyn to save Vander. She(rightfully) does not trust Caitlyn here. She's prioritizing family above all else again as she always has done.

People criticize the Vi/Jinx jail scene conversation as character assassination so Vi can go bang Caitlyn but it absolutely is not(first of all, regardless of how well you think it was executed, Vi clearly doesn't realize Jinx is considering suicide here). This dialog is there to be a huge piece of Jinx's character development. This dialog is not here to serve Vi's character. It's here to serve Jinx.

Jinx's lines about Vi not needing to feel guilt or responsibility for her and to be happy with Caitlyn are there to show how Jinx has grown. It's there because she's been reflecting in the cell after everything that happened with Isha. Her mental projection of Silco brings up Vi's prison experience while she's there in a cell experiencing it herself. Caitlyn comes and brings up how Vi still believes in Jinx and that she's changed. Jinx has the moment of realization when Vi comes to free her that Vi is never going to give up on her, Vi will keep sacrificing herself for the sake of Jinx. Jinx is realizing how Vi has suffered when she was previously someone who was very inconsiderate to the suffering of others in general.

"There's no good version of me" is setup for Ekko saving her. Because Ekko is uniquely in the position where he HAS seen a good version of her.

"I'll break the cycle" is set up for her later breaking the cycle by walking away.

From a narrative perspective all this dialog is ONLY there to serve Jinx's character. Vi takes NOTHING from Jinx's words. If you remove these lines nothing changes about what Vi thinks(because she's panicked and only sees the betrayal in Jinx's actions)or how the scene of Caitlyn and her in the cell afterwards would play out. Like a lot in the show it's there to make the audience feel for Jinx.

Vi doesn't choose Caitlyn over Jinx in the jail scene. Again, Vi does not know what Jinx is thinking of doing in the moment and has no clue how to begin looking for her either. Vi is choosing what Vi desires in that moment. You can criticize the timing and other choices of the scene, but a display of Vi choosing herself in some form was necessary.

Vi's PTSD moment at Vander/Warwick at the end enables Jinx to save her and do the action of letting her go and "walking away". Vi could have come to a realization in the end about herself and their relationship and her own needs, but instead Jinx letting go of Vi is a defining moment for HER character. Jinx has always, since childhood, had a fear of inadequacy and abandonment. That people pushing her away means they don't see value in her and don't love her, even when those decisions are made BECAUSE of love and the desire to protect her. She has learned now, through Isha, what it's like to be in Vi's shoes. That Vi has and will always love her. That Vi's actions in childhood that fueled that insecurity WAS love. She pushes Vi away now out of love for Vi herself. The final major act of growth and love in the show is made with Jinx's agency at the expense of Vi's.

Caitlyn has, with the exception of her hurting Vi at her lowest point, only ever done things respecting Vi's wishes or given her choice. Caitlyn does not damage Vi's narrative. Caitlyn frees Vi. Caitlyn chases after Vi as Vi does what she wants. Caitlyn sacrifices her safety for Vi. Caitlyn advocates for Vi so Vi can speak to the council. Caitlyn tries to withhold Jinx's name out of consideration for Vi. Caitlyn doesn't shoot Jinx because Vi pleads for her not to. Caitlyn makes the decision for a strike team partly at Vi's request to avoid a full scale invasion. Caitlyn helps Vi save her family. Caitlyn gives Vi the freedom to free Jinx expecting nothing in return. Caitlyn ultimately gives Vi her unconditional love.

Caitlyn does not take agency away from Vi. Narratively, Caitlyn is used to put Vi in situations where she is forced to make hard decisions, but these decisions do not contradict Vi's character based on what we know about her and decisions she's made unrelated to Caitlyn. Vi being torn between Jinx and Cait was always going to be part of her character from s1.

Vi's arc in s2 was about her being freed from the burden of guilt and responsibility, and she ultimately doesn't get there through her own realizations, it's Cait and Jinx's acts of love that does it. Even here, Caitlyn's act of love is her proving to Vi that she is there for her regardless of the decisions she makes. Jinx's act of love is making the hard decision of them parting ways. She takes the agency away from Vi.

I adore Jinx and she was my favorite prior to S2, but she is undeniably the narrative's darling. She gets the preferential treatment when it comes to showing her internal struggles, her trauma, getting the audience to sympathize with her, and she ultimately gets the more traditional, satisfying character development in the direction where she only gets better.

I personally for the most part like Vi's story. I felt horrible for her the whole show, even in S1 where I was a full time Jinx lover, and could never understand the lack of grace people treated her character with. I see the beauty in a person who has only ever made actions of love that come back and hurt her be saved in return by the love of the two people she cares about most. Two people who were saved from continuing down dark roads and love her as much as they do because of how they were touched by how beautiful her heart is. She doesn't come to those realizations herself yeah, but the result of all the love she gave is still right there in the narrative and she gets a hopeful future. Arcane is a tragedy and I like the tragedy in Vi. Yeah I have my own nitpicks and things I would have liked to see for her(mostly just more general introspection), and I do understand the point of view and frustrations of people who wanted a typical hero's narrative or more self actualization for her, but I like the flavor of tragedy she brought. Notice how nobody ends this show happy!! Everyone is miserable in some way!!! I love pain.

If you truly believe Vi was bastardized as a character by the end, something I heavily disagree with, then it was preference for Jinx's development in the narrative over hers that stole her spotlight. Vi's narrative "low moments" are so Jinx can get her big ones. It wasn't Caitlyn or Caitvi that took away from Vi.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Portal Children AU, Pt 3

From that moment on, Kara gets her wish-- she and Lena are fast friends. Rarely is one seen without the other, even when Lena takes to the fields to run, or climb, or shoot her arrows. Kara tags along, not just allowed but truly welcome. And when Kara begins asking questions about archery, or staffwork, or swordplay, Lena finds an unexpected love she's never had a chance to indulge in-- teaching.

She teaches Kara as much as the girl is willing to learn-- which is everything. By the end of their first year as roommates, they spar on near equal footing, with Kara diligently acquiring and adjusting to the techniques Lena gives her.

In turn, Lena helps Kara understand how best to utilize her muscles-- something Kara never had to think about when flying through the air fighting monsters and aliens. There, it had simply happened, but here-- here she has earthly physics and human anatomy to think about, and Lena helps her with understanding both. With Lena's help, Kara shifts her focus from sheer strength to true function, increasing her range of motion and flexibilty, until Kara almost, almost feels as powerful as she did in her home world.

Kara tells Lena all about her nonsense world, about the joy of flying and the satisfaction of punching an alien back to Mars. She tells Lena about the sister she'd met, the friends who had become her family. She promises Lena that she would have loved them all, if she had been there.

And little by little, Lena shares her own experiences in return. Kara is shocked, to hear just how long Lena had spent in her world-- doors rarely re-opened for children after their eighteenth birthday. That Lena had been almost thirty when she was shoved back through... Kara can hardly imagine the horror of being shoved back into a child's body after living so long as an adult.

She's appalled to hear how Lena's brother had exploited their world instead of saving it, and outraged on Lena's behalf when she learns the Lena's return had been neither accidental nor by choice, but instead a cruel punishment enacted by Lex when Lena was needed most.

Kara understands then, Lena's single minded focus on finding the door back to her world.

But try as Lena might, she makes no headway on finding her door. By the time their 17th birthdays come, and graduation looms before them both, Lena has a new plan.

"I'm going back to my family," Lena tells Kara one night, as they lay in their respective beds, a shaft of moonlight cleaving their room in two. "My father wants me to join him at his company."

Kara frowns, rolling to face Lena. "But that would mean going to college. It would mean going to the city. You *hate* the city."

Lena doesn't deny it. "Lex opened the portal back here by magic," she states bluntly. "Magic is simply science we don't understand. Which means I can open the door from here."

"Does LuthorCorp have that kind of technology?" Kara asks, amazed.

Lena glares stubbornly at the ceiling, twisting her blankets with her fists.

"They will."

Kara considers the declaration, and studies Lena's profile. They've been friends for years now, and Kara knows Lena better than anyone else in the world. And she knows that if Lena says she'll do something-- she'll do it.

"Okay," Kara accepts finally. She flops back on her back. "Then I'm coming with you."

Lena's head whips towards her. "What?"

"You don't think I'd let my best friend brave the unknown alone, do you? Besides-- it's about time I go on a proper adventure again."

---

From that moment on, Kara casts herself as Lena's lieutenant. They rent an apartment together in the city, and navigate their own ways through adult life.

Kara is initially ambivalent towards higher education for herself, but allows Lena to talk her into a kinesiology and exercise science degree. Along the way she falls in love with social media, and builds a following creating content centering on body positivity and fitness done right. When she graduates, it doesn't take long to develop enough clientele as a personal trainer to open her own studio.

Meanwhile, Lena focuses on any and all science she can get her hands on, earning double undergraduate degrees and then a masters and a doctorate. Before long, she finds herself on the Research and Development team at LuthorCorp. She continues to invest not only her swordplay and archery, but also takes on new and developing martial arts, spending her evenings in dojos learning fighting styles Lex hasn't even heard of.

The most surprising thing the city has to offer is free-running. Early every morning Lena meets up with a local group and careens around the city, turning every block, wall, and ledge as their personal jungle gym. She stays quick, stays sharp, stays fearless.

Kara occasionally joins her, adept enough to keep up at a moderate pace, but her work with busy professionals trying to squeeze their fitness in before work means that the parkour remains predominantly Lena's. In the autumn, when the air is chill and crisp with the smell of turning leaves, she can almost believe she's home in the forest, her fauns and deerish friends thundering along just behind her.

But even as they build their lives, neither Kara nor Lena forget their mission. Neither of them lose the longing for their homes, nor their intent to return. Lena spends long hours in her lab, often working solo on her pet project she describes as a transmatter portal to her supervisor (and her father), but in truth will hopefully one split the fabric of reality, and admit her back to her world.

It's years before it happens. Before one night, just as Kara enters Lena's lab with dinner in one hand a keycard in the other, Lena presses a button and a tear opens. It gapes wider and wider until it truly looks like a door, a broad, tall window into another world. She knows Lena recognizes it from the way her friend's shoulders finally relax in relief, and from the immediate step Lena takes over the threshold without so much as a glance behind her.

"Lena!"

She knows the risks. The school for wayward children warned what might happen if they enter a world that wasn't their own. But Kara doesn't hesitate. She pitches herself towards the portal, squeezing through just as it begins to close, Lena already far ahead, the distance between them warped by the shifting realities.

Kara stumbles into the wooded grass on the other side. Catching her balance, she whips around to glance behind her for the door, but sees only endless forest stretching beyond. To her horror, when she turns forward again, Lena is nowhere to be found.

"LENA!!"

[lazysshoebox]

Yk what fucks me up slightly? The fact that Madoka remained the protector for Homura

Many of the roles Homura had with other girls changed, almost all of them really, some more drastic than another

Sayaka turned from a friend to somebody who thought of her as someone suspicious, someone who couldn't trust her, someone who saw the worst of her qualities and agreed that Homura didn't deserve to be with them

Mami turned from a teacher to a rival, from a caring girl who smiled and gently explained everything to somebody who restrained her, who pointed a weapon at her, to somebody who wasn't above fighting it out, somebody who while kind, wasn't afraid of confrontation

Kyoko... Well not too much I think, perhaps Homura started seeing her as a role model at some point, the ideal magical girl who cared for herself and herself alone, a perfection that broke away when met with someone so similar to herself and different, perfection that shattered gloriously in an explosion of flames that devoured both of them together so that neither would be alone anymore

But Madoka? Despite being protected, despite being unsure of herself, despite it all, still attempts to save Homura, still saves her everyday by proxy of simply existing, simply being a guiding light for her to move towards like a moth, to burn herself with the light and get up before going back towards it, because the same light that burnt her gently caressed her, looked after her and helped her despite barely knowing her, healed her back up before the cycle repeated itself

Madoka attempts to protect Homura through asking her to work with Sayaka, extending it to both the girls, not wanting either of them to get hurt

She's powerless, she doesn't fight, she's afraid and doesn't think she can form a contract, yet she still tries to extend her hand and pull Homura out, move her closer to them, illuminate her so that she could clearly see her, understand her, extend that understanding to Sayaka so that they would befriend each other, so that their safety would be clearer, more guaranteed

It doesn't work of course, but then she does something that does, ascends and breaks away from the rules established by the exploiters, established a kinder world, changed it and quite literally became the protector of all magical girls hope, a chance for a kinder ending

Because she never stopped being the protector, no matter how much Homura tried to stop her

[deadbydangit]

Recently got into Dbd x Reader fics and loving all of the ones you have made so far!

An idea I had is The Unknown attacking the S/O of one of the killers as they are heading to meet up with them (Huntress, Deathslinger, Trickster) and how the Killer would go about saving/protecting S/O from The Unknown.

Thanks for doing what you do!

I believe I can do that. I might switch it up to just their significant other getting attacked. Please enjoy.

Protecting the Reader: Huntress, Deathslinger, Trickster

Huntress

It would take an absolute idiot to hurt Anna.

It would take an absolute moron to hurt someone on a cares about.

She's already lost someone important in her life.

And she couldn't do anything about it.

But now she can.

And she will.

They won't even get a warning.

They hurt you?

Hatchet to the face.

Was it an accident?

Hatchet to the face.

It does not matter.

Anna can get a little too protective at times.

She's always super worried about you.

So much so that it might be hard to make other friends outside of her.

You might need to get her to tone it down a bit.

You just have to understand that she's not willing to lose another important person in her life.

Another thing she'll do is throw herself in the way of harm.

Just so you don't get hurt.

She knows she's tough and can handle it.

Although, she's not invincible and you'll have to remind her of that.

Sometimes, it's minor dumb things.

Like standing in the way of a snowball or something little.

It can be ridiculous at times. Just know it's her way of showing her love.

Deathslinger

Caleb is a little more reasonable.

On one hand, he'll protect you.

On the other hand, he doesn't want you to become too dependent on him.

If you're in danger, he'll come to help you.

But he will stand back and see if you can handle it on your own first.

That's not to say he'll let you get hurt.

He just doesn't want you to become lazy and depend on him too much.

He'll probably teach you how to shoot a gun.

Something he's made especially for you to defend yourself in case of an emergency.

Though it is something smaller and simpler than the Redeemer.

He'll put you through lessons before he lets you even touch it.

You'll have to learn all the parts and how to put it together before your even allowed to shoot anything.

And, being able to defend yourself is good for your confidence.

He couldn't handle a scaredy cat significant other.

If it's something that you can't handle, or you've tried your best and are still In harm's way, you best believe he'll be right there protecting you.

He'll beat the perpetrator to a bloody pulp, and then some.

He'll keep going until you stop him, and you'll have to stop him.

He's trying to make an example out of this person.

"Anyone messes with you, they mess with me."

He's not always the best at showing affection, this is just his way of showing he cares about you.

Trickster

Ji-Woon has more of a hands-off approach.

He's probably going to leave you on your own.

He really isn't much of a fighter aside from throwing knives and swinging a bat around.

If he entered the fray, it would only make things worse.

And it might damage is beautiful face.

He can't have that!

However, he'll leave you with a small supply of knives in case of an emergency.

He isn't the best teacher, and throwing knives can be very difficult.

Instead, he'll show you how to stab people with them just in your hand and all the vital places that would help you defeat your opponent faster and easier.

Now if somebody insults you or is mean to you?

"Bitch, I know you didn't just say what I think you said?"

If you think the person verbally attacking you can talk smack, he can double it.

Easily.

He's amazing at picking out every little flaw that a person has.

And exploiting it.

Drastically.

He's actually trying to make the other person cry.

And he has.

He thrives on that type of stuff.

"Don't worry. As long as I'm around, no one will dare insult you my pretty little s/o."

[theflowergothic]

The Weird Similarities I’m Finding Between the Sinder Drama and Kelly Piquet

This has been in my head the past couple days, and I need to write it out. Bear with me.

So I’m not sure how many of y’all follow Virtual Streamer/VTuber drama. I’m not really into the scene myself save for a couple streamers (Gawr Gura, Dokibird, Takane Lui), but tweets from the latest VTuber scandal have invaded my feed, and I can’t help but draw parallels to our main character: Kelly Piquet.

First, a quick explanation of who Sinder is and the controversy she’s gotten herself into from what I can gather:

Sinder is an independent VTuber who built her brand around being a cozy, kind-hearted hellhound girl. Think “saucy and scandalous, but sweet”. She showed herself as approachable, amiable, and a little mischievous— someone you could see yourself trusting or considering a friend.

But according to testimonies (most notably from artist Nanoless), there was something much darker brewing behind the scenes. The allegations include, but are not limited to:

Pressuring artists into unofficial exclusivity, discouraging them from working with others (Nanoless)

Sabotaging other VTubers behind their backs, including those she called friends (Silvervale)(Bao)

Allowing her boyfriend (Red) to serve as her manager, a relationship dynamic that blurred personal and professional boundaries (Vampeaches)

In short: the “sweet hellhound” persona hid the person Sinder truly was: manipulative, controlling, and territorial. And the setup with her boyfriend/manager created a situation where any criticism or discomfort could be spun as betrayal — both professionally and personally.

Since the allegations came out, Sinder has released an “apology letter”. She acknowledged she hurt people and mishandled her relationships, but frames much of her behavior around fear, ignorance, and misplaced trust in others (namely, her now-former manager — who, again, was also her boyfriend).

It’s the classic soft-deflection tactic: admit to some wrongdoing to appear mature and accountable, but ultimately reframe the scandal as a tragic misunderstanding where she was also a victim. And in turn, throw the person closest to you under the bus.

So how does this relate to Kelly? I’m so glad you asked: Kelly Piquet is the FINAL BOSS form of Sinder’s tactics.

Sinder’s alleged manipulation stayed mostly within the VTuber and artist communities. By contrast, Kelly is on the global motorsports stage, weaving herself into her victim’s life, career, and image.

And sure, there are differences to their tactics:

Where Sinder leaned on a “cozy hellhound” persona, Kelly perfected the act of the glamorous, nurturing, “future Mrs. Verstappen” — someone you were supposed to root for and admire.

Where Sinder shifted blame to her manager/boyfriend, Kelly used burner accounts (Serendipity1818, Bluepurplecoconut) to attack critics, manipulate gossip narratives, and quietly push Max into defending her.

Where Sinder framed her downfall as a tragic misunderstanding fueled by fear, Kelly framed all criticism of her as jealousy, misogyny, or ignorance without ever addressing the harm she caused.

But at the end of the day, both stories follow the same plot:

build trust through softness → exploit it behind the scenes → play the victim when challenged → quietly rewrite history.

Both Kelly and Sinder have hurt people through their actions. And both go to show us that h arm is still harm, no matter how soft the branding. Manipulation doesn’t become less dangerous just because it’s delivered with a smile.

And another lesson to be learned from both Kelly and Sinder is that parasociality is a hell of a drug. It talks fans into defending illusions. It talks fans into badmouthing those who refuse to play the game. It talks victims into second-guessing their instincts. And it convinces the perpetrators that they are above accountability.

Because when someone has crafted a persona that feels warm, harmless, aspirational… it’s easy to forget that persona was built for an audience and not for the truth.

That's why stories like these matter, whether it's Sinder quietly isolating collaborators behind the scenes, or Kelly Piquet weaving herself into a vulnerable young man's life. Because emotional performance is not the same as emotional integrity.

And that when someone asks you to trade your discernment for loyalty, you’re not protecting them, you’re protecting the illusion they built.

[purgemarchlockdown]

Kotoko's ideology

(Also Known As: Kotoko has fascist ideals and I read way too many wikipedia pages for this.) (CWs: Discussion centered around Prejudice, ableism, sexism, and other topics that are associated with right winged/fascist concepts)

(Note: I went on this rabbit hole because of This post from Gunsli that covers things I don't cover here. Go read it! Plus this post exists because of a lot of conversations from friends out of fandom, and in fandom, like 74n5n and the affermentioned Gunsli who also helped in proofreading!)

So Kotoko is one of my personal favorites of the cast. There's a lot of things I find interesting and intriguing about her and her characterization and her place in the story.

One of those things is her worldview. I'm obsessed with it to say the least. It's one of my favorite things about her characterization. I find it to be a complex and emphatic look at a specific worldview:

Fascism.

Vigilante Justice

Okay so, fascism as an ideology is something we tend to associate with conservative right-wingers and powerful political parties. In our stories, there's a bit of a mythical edge to the image of fascist dystopia. Something strong and uniform.

Like, a lot of cartoons and shows and comics have the alternate nazi dimension where fascism reigns supreme over the populace, for example. We got many films and shows of the heroes standing up against faceless images of Evil Nazis or Nazi-likes, with leaders who are powerful scientists or soldiers hiding somewhere scheming something.

We can tell if someone is a fascist, we say to ourselves. The aesthetic qualities of fascism are something we can all recognize. Right?

Kotoko Yuzuhira is a (notably afab, put a pin in this) college dropout vigilante.

This is immediately incompatible with how we tend to view it. She's not a faceless drone or general. She's someone working with limited resources trying to hunt down evil because The Law can't do it.

A Underdog Revolutionary, that's how she thinks of herself.

Kotoko: Yes. I hate evil. Hurting innocent people with violence, taking away from others, killing people… I hate all this evil behaviour! The law being unable to judge some sins, there's too many of these cases in this world. Having clearly bullied and torturing the weak, but exploiting loopholes in laws, there's so many sinners who still live in such a carefree manner! Even though I want to change this world, I alone only have this much power.

Kershaw argues that the difference between fascism and other forms of right-wing authoritarianism in the Interwar period is that the latter generally aimed "to conserve the existing social order", whereas fascism was "revolutionary", seeking to change society and obtain "total commitment" from the population.[47]

Robert O. Paxton finds that even though fascism "maintained the existing regime of property and social hierarchy", it cannot be considered "simply a more muscular form of conservatism" because "fascism in power did carry out some changes profound enough to be called 'revolutionary.'"[228] These transformations "often set fascists into conflict with conservatives rooted in families, churches, social rank, and property."

And that's what she...is. I'm not going to say Kotoko is part of a secret evil organization or anything like that. She is an underdog, at least at the start of Milgram. She's a single individual up against society and social order. A Heroic individual standing up against erroneous social structures.

Really, Kotoko presents as very classically heroic, she's directly acting to save people, confident, doing real research, actually finding those who deserve punishment and bringing it upon them.

She's determined, she's strong willed, even when she's suffering she doesn't stop.

T2Q6: Don’t you feel scared of killing people?  A: If it’s for the world. How I feel about it is completely irrelevant.

It's sad and tragic, but she knows that if no one does it then nothing will actually change.

Kotoko: If you brag about hating evil, act against it! Carry on the belief that your actions can change this world! If you only brag about it from afar, the world will just continue to rot no matter how many of you are there!

She holds no attachment, no qualms, no second guesses. She does what is good at the cost of her own self, she's a heroic ideal in that sense. A hero so willing to do what is right even at the cost of their own self.

T2Q14: Don’t you feel a sense of isolation in your current situation?  A: It feels like nothings changed. If the world gets even a little better just by me undertaking this isolation, then that is the role the strong play.

Someone who actually has the strength and intelligence to do the things that no one else can do.

T2Q7: Why did you choose law school?  A: Because I have my suspicions. That’s the majority of my reason to why I chose to study it. Cause it’s unsightly to spout complaints without having proper knowledge T1Q4: When did you start learning martial arts?  A: In elementary school, perhaps. Without enough power, you can't enforce justice and do the right thing, can you?

Who actually acts instead of just waiting around for the world to fix itself.

Kotoko: You keep asking for it, but as soon as it happens near you by your own choice, you all start complaining and evading your responsibility... You're always like this... Always such idiots!

Able to actually handle the problems thrown at her, instead of running away like a coward.

T2Q20: What would you have done if you weren’t forgiven?  A: I’d despise it all. To compromise justice just because you’re unable to withstand the pain that comes with it is unbelievable

Fascism supports the creation of a New Man who is a strong-willed, dynamic archetype, a figure of direct action and bellicose violence. An anti-individualist, he is characterized by a sense of confidence and masculinity, quiet dignity and self-worth, determination, and authoritativeness. With a detachment from romantic love, family background and schooling, his worldview is romanticized, passionate, serious and realist, preoccupied with the honoring of fallen heroes, a strong belief in personal responsibility, national rebirth and renewal.

And there's something genuinely admirable about that intent of hers. It's sincere. She's disgusted at the state of the world, at how horrible it's become. Even implying that this isn't the Normal version of the world, but a distorted, corrupted one.

Becoming light-headed again, it all becomes crazy The normalcy sought for, Fading away, Everytime death comes The soul moves forward

1. The mythical past—used to invoke a nostalgia for a fictional time when the nation was great as it was not yet sullied by the “Other.”

Kotoko's ideology is built on an idea of the world's Unnatural Impurity. The idea that there is something corrupting and poisoning it. That Whatever is causing harm to the world is an External Thing. One that can be beaten if she puts enough pressure on it. At least for a while.

T2Q5: How do you deal with evil that can’t be bested by strength?  A: Force it so that it can. No matter how long it takes, no matter what means I’ll need to use.

So I ask the question, what Does she consider evil?

Sinners

Okay, so she already answered this question, in her T1 interrogations she describes evil as:

T1Q20: What do you think is evil? A: Oppressing innocent weaklings.

Which is a pretty cut and dry answer that she elaborates on in her VDs:

Kotoko: Yes. I hate evil. Hurting innocent people with violence, taking away from others, killing people… I hate all this evil behaviour! The law being unable to judge some sins, there's too many of these cases in this world. Having clearly bullied and torturing the weak, but exploiting loopholes in laws, there's so many sinners who still live in such a carefree manner!

Case Closed! We don't have to think more about this! Everyone go home! The post is done!

... Okay so it's not as simple as that. It's pretty clear that Kotoko's opinions on evil and how it should be treated is a bit...

Kotoko: Treat you like a child? Hah, you’ve got to be kidding. Back when I was your age, I was already the person I am today. I don’t have any plans to let you get away with something just “because you’re a child.” ……remember that.

Extreme, to say the least. She's very "Violence First." Because:

T2Q16: Do you think there are the ‘weak’ among the other prisoners?  A: I’m sure there’s a lot. Those with weak wills will easily turn to evil. The only thing we can do is firmly instil the risk of turning to it.

Which- There's another contradiction! She just defined evil as the ones who oppress weaklings, yet right here she shows her disdain for the weak for so easily turning to evil.

And again, in the same trial, she refers to the prisoners as:

T2Q11: Is there really no chance to start anew for wrongdoers?   A: No way. Once a beast gets a taste for human flesh, it will always come back for seconds.

And continues to discuss the matters of the strong, and how there oppressing the weak.

T2Q10: What is your ideal image of a hero?  A: An ally of the weak. Someone who helps the weak and crushes the strong.

These are two very conflicting ideas. It's almost like:

Fascist societies rhetorically cast their enemies as "at the same time too strong and too weak". On the one hand, fascists play up the power of certain disfavored elites to encourage in their followers a sense of grievance and humiliation. On the other hand, fascist leaders point to the decadence of those elites as proof of their ultimate feebleness in the face of an overwhelming popular will.

And not only that- Kotoko casts herself as an underdog, and the assumption of that role is presuming one as "weaker than" or "having less opportunity/power/skill" than the one above, the elites above her who are stronger and more powerful than her. The Beasts who roam the land. Who will always win, because, in her own words.

T2Q18: What would you do if evil disappeared from the world? A: I see where you’re getting at. But I believe it will never truly disappear.

"Pacifism is trafficking with the enemy" because "life is permanent warfare" – there must always be an enemy to fight. Both fascist Germany under Hitler and Italy under Mussolini worked first to organize and clean up their respective countries and then build the war machines that they later intended to and did use, despite Germany being under restrictions of the Versailles treaty to not build a military force. This principle leads to a fundamental contradiction within fascism: the incompatibility of ultimate triumph with perpetual war.

Kotoko: How amusing! Are you really a warden?  Es: Shut up...  Kotoko: You let their sins off just because they're close to you? You're making the punishment less severe just because they get along with you? What's next? Going to give them leniency for their looks? For their personality? For how long have you known them?  Es: I told you... to shut up...  Kotoko: Why would I? I'm trying to tell you the truth. In MILGRAM, a warden with mindset of yours is just usele-  Es: Shut the hell up! [slaps]  Kotoko: [catching breath] "Violence"... you call it? Being angry at hurting your precious prisoners... [laughs] Ha... It's not even violence at all.  Es: ?..  Kotoko: Weak... You're too weak. With that fragile body of yours, you can't stop anyone. You can't protect anyone. You can't even do your justice. All imperfect.  Es: Imperfect?..  Kotoko: In order to stop someone, you have to squeeze their throat. Without mercy.

There's this sort of...self victimization to it? If that makes sense.

6. Victimhood—casting “Us” as victims of “Them”, who are taking resources from “Us” and demanding special rights.

A sense of frustration and anger at herself and the world for being so weak and pathetic.

A form of political behavior marked by obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation or victimhood

And that these feelings of weakness and shame are real reasons to attack who she views as enemies. No matter if they are strong.

the belief that one’s group is a victim, a sentiment that justifies any action, without legal or moral limits, against its enemies, both internal and external;

Or weak.

Because Kotoko holds a lot of genuine anger at who she considers "weak." As shown above and in Many other instances. She literally calls them "Useless weaklings" in her T2 voiceline. She has this Deep Anger and Bitterness at those who she considers not doing enough to help. To those who are failing to actually do anything of actual substance.

Kotoko: How ridiculous... It's always like this... All of you weaklings always act like this... All of you enjoy seeing someone getting hurt... (...)  Kotoko: You keep asking for it, but as soon as it happens near you by your own choice, you all start complaining and evading your responsibility... You're always like this... Always such idiots!  Es: I acknowledge it. You're the strong one, and we're weak. You're right. But that's how we are.  Kotoko: You have no power, and yet you make no effort to gain it! You're talking about justice, but it just doesn't make sense! You're invested in people's disasters, yet you take a position of "I have nothing to do with it"! You can't even face your true selves!

"Contempt for the weak", which is uncomfortably married to a chauvinistic popular elitism, in which every member of society is superior to outsiders by virtue of belonging to the in-group. Eco sees in these attitudes the root of a deep tension in the fundamentally hierarchical structure of fascist polities, as they encourage leaders to despise their underlings, up to the ultimate leader, who holds the whole country in contempt for having allowed him to overtake it by force.

So, if the words strong and weak just refer to the enemy, and those descriptors of the enemy can change depending on which one is more suitable for the situation. Thus making the idea of the evil that are "oppressing innocent weaklings" be more a subjective concept.

Then...what else can we search for when it comes to determining how Kotoko views who is "evil."

Cause, it's not just because they don't agree with her. It wouldn't have mattered if they agreed with her or not really. Yuno says it outright:

Yuno: Really? If you ask me, Kotoko is someone I would never want to make my friend, though. She’s the type who picks a conclusion from the very beginning and won’t actually talk with you.

Kotoko has stated that she has been tracking Mikoto Kayano since the start. Even though at the time she was semi-amicable with everyone. With Mikoto even being rather insistent that he did nothing wrong at all.

Kotoko: Like me being suspicious of Kayano Mikoto’s actions, carefully tracking his actions, it's all under your permission.

And she's said this again in the interrogation! Saying that she had "her suspicions."

T2Q17: Why did you choose law school?  A: Because I have my suspicions. That’s the majority of my reason to why I chose to study it. Cause it’s unsightly to spout complaints without having proper knowledge

Suspicious about what? About who? She says it's the evil, the sinners, but who is this? Who is this evil? Criminals? That's just the terminology she uses. If it really was just criminals shouldn't she be against MILGRAM? Es? They did kidnap her and she has no Knowledge of their true intentions, and yet she doesn't trust her fellow prisoners but the Guard who locked them up.

"Obsession with a plot" and the hyping-up of an enemy threat. This often combines an appeal to xenophobia with a fear of disloyalty and sabotage from marginalized groups living within the society (such as the German elite's "fear" of the 1930s Jewish populace's businesses and well-doings; see also antisemitism). Eco also cites Pat Robertson's book The New World Order as a prominent example of a plot obsession.

And so, I ask again. Who does Kotoko believe to be evil?

"Your Existence is a Crime"

Chauvinism (/ˈʃoʊvɪnɪzəm/ SHOH-vih-nih-zəm) is the unreasonable belief in the superiority or dominance of one's own group or people, who are seen as strong and virtuous, while others are considered weak, unworthy, or inferior.

Kotoko Canonically Holds Ableist Beliefs.

This isn't up for debate.

22/12/15 (Kotoko’s Birthday)

Kotoko: Hm. The border between the two is getting a lot vaguer. Your entire existence is a crime. And I will see you’re punished for it. That is what Milgram, and Es, and I have chosen.

“UNDER” Doltish “001 Parasite”

Kotoko: “Fufufu, fufufufufu.You’re thinking some outrageous things.To be frank, it’s abnormal. But I don’t dislike it. If only all sinners were like you.”

Kotoko Also Canonically Holds Sexist Beliefs.

This also isn't up for debate.

Futa: Isn’t that obvious? What a stupid question. There’s no way a girl could win in a fight against a man. This is real life, not a manga. There’s too big a difference in body size. And that’s what determines the weight of your attacks.  Kotoko: ……Futa’s not entirely wrong there In a lot of martial arts, they specifically split up divisions based on body weight for that reason. I’m bantam, and he’d probably be either cruiser or heavy.

“UNDER” Obscene “002 Slut”

Now, as much as the phrases "Obscene Slut" and "Your entire existence is a crime" is Loaded. Let's pretend, for a second, that this doesn't necessarily mean that Kotoko, to some extent, believes that mentally ill people are evil/wrong and that women are weaker than men.

For a moment, let us pretend that Kotoko didn't just tell us and go into the finer details of how she views strong and weak.

Cause, there is a bit of consistent framing Kotoko uses when she's talking about "the enemy." Those who contribute something meaningful to society (in her eyes) are ones who "contribute" something meaningful to society mainly through the usage of direct action, physical strength, and physical/mental durability.

T1Q4: When did you start learning martial arts?  A: In elementary school, perhaps. Without enough power, you can't enforce justice and do the right thing, can you?

Kotoko: Es, look. Someone who committed a crime can only realise its severity through losing something. I've seen many criminals, but none of them would give way without pain.

Kotoko: Weak... You're too weak. With that fragile body of yours, you can't stop anyone. You can't protect anyone. You can't even do your justice. All imperfect.

Kotoko: You have no power, and yet you make no effort to gain it! You're talking about justice, but it just doesn't make sense! You're invested in people's disasters, yet you take a position of "I have nothing to do with it"! You can't even face your true selves!   Es: Whatever you say.  Kotoko: If you brag about hating evil, act against it! Carry on the belief that your actions can change this world! If you only brag about it from afar, the world will just continue to rot no matter how many of you are there! If you don't have strength on your own, let me take care of it, Es! I can do it in MILGRAM!

T1Q: What is your ideal image of a hero?  A: An ally of the weak. Someone who helps the weak and crushes the strong.

T2Q14: Don’t you feel a sense of isolation in your current situation?  A: It feels like nothings changed. If the world gets even a little better just by me undertaking this isolation, then that is the role the strong play.

Those who cannot do that and are "unable to contribute" or somehow disrupt the stable world, thus causing it's normalcy to "fade away" are parasites.

“UNDER” Doltish “001 Parasite”

Obscene

“UNDER” Obscene “002 Slut”

An existence that is disruptive to the world at large.

Kotoko: Your entire existence is a crime. And I will see you’re punished for it.

Who are Weak due to a issue in there mental state and need to be warned against the consequences of "turning to evil."

T2Q16: Do you think there are the ‘weak’ among the other prisoners?  A: I’m sure there’s a lot. Those with weak wills will easily turn to evil. The only thing we can do is firmly instil the risk of turning to it.

Or be treated as irrational beasts that need to be firmly put down because nothing else will get through to them.

T2Q11: Is there really no chance to start anew for wrongdoers?  A: No way. Once a beast gets a taste for human flesh, it will always come back for seconds.

Fascism emphasizes direct action, including supporting the legitimacy of political violence, as a core part of its politics.[264] Fascism views violent action as a necessity in politics that fascism identifies as being an "endless struggle";[265] this emphasis on the use of political violence means that most fascist parties have also created their own private militias (e.g. the Nazi Party's Brown shirts and Fascist Italy's Blackshirts). The basis of fascism's support of violent action in politics is connected to social Darwinism.[265] Fascist movements have commonly held social Darwinist views of nations, races and societies.[266] They say that nations and races must purge themselves of socially and biologically weak or degenerate people, while simultaneously promoting the creation of strong people, in order to survive in a world defined by perpetual national and racial conflict.[267]

Social Darwinism is the study and implementation of various pseudoscientific theories and societal practices that purport to apply biological concepts of natural selection and survival of the fittest to sociology, economics and politics.[1][2] Social Darwinists believe that the strong should see their wealth and power increase, while the weak should see their wealth and power decrease.

"The only thing we can do is firmly instil the risk of turning to it."

Kotoko's ideological view is, at the very best, biased against those of marginalized groups or of "degenerate" thoughts and actions, and at the very worst, actively targets them because she personally believes that they Do Not Contribute to Society.

But we aren't done there yet.

Werewolves

Let's take that pin out now.

Kotoko has gone on record that she views Femininity as:

T1Q10: What do you think about the word 'feminimity'?  A: It's one of the means you can take. It's something you can freely choose depending on the scene, so it's not something to cling onto.

Now, as I have shown. She's kinda sexist. Which throws into question how she perceives herself.

Since, I have just asserted the idea that Kotoko does, at the very least, hold some concerning ideas about Women, and I think most people would notice that this is a bit contradictory when she herself isn't really the feminine ideal as decreed by the patriarchy either.

Now, just to be clear here, no, I do not think women should be baby machines. I am a cat who cannot perceive it properly.

However, if we are going by the strict gender binary and the stereotypes associated with it. Kotoko is pretty masculine. She puts focus on physical strength, she's mentally strong in the face of ills, she doesn't show much emotion, so on.

However, as Utena and also The World has proven to us. Just because you present or act in "non-traditional manners" doesn't mean You've Deconstructed the Gender Binary and the Patriarchal View of the World we Learn from the Society around us.

You can be the butchest girl the prison can handle and still hold traditional gender roles.

And the way Kotoko interacts with the world indicates that she still Holds these ideas, even if she has deconstructed them a bit, and since we are talking about her ideology...

Fascist Italy promoted what it considered normal sexual behaviour in youth while denouncing what it considered deviant sexual behaviour.[271] It condemned pornography, most forms of birth control and contraceptive devices (with the exception of the condom), homosexuality and prostitution as deviant sexual behaviour,

Sexual anxiety—as the “Other” embraces non-traditional approaches to sexuality,

But, going further into the way she views masculinity specifically...

"Machismo", which sublimates the difficult work of permanent war and heroism into the sexual sphere. Fascists thus hold "both disdain for women and intolerance and condemnation of nonstandard sexual habits, from chastity to homosexuality".

Machismo, Exaggerated pride in masculinity, perceived as power, often coupled with a minimal sense of responsibility and disregard of consequences. In machismo there is supreme valuation of characteristics culturally associated with the masculine and a denigration of characteristics associated with the feminine.

Futa: Isn’t that obvious? What a stupid question. There’s no way a girl could win in a fight against a man. This is real life, not a manga. There’s too big a difference in body size. And that’s what determines the weight of your attacks.  Kotoko: ……Futa’s not entirely wrong there

"Without enough power, you can't enforce justice" is what she said, isn't it?

Road to Hell

Okay, there was 700 more things I wanted to talk about but because I haven't even gotten into:

Through all of that, there would be one great leader who would battle the representatives of the old system with grassroots support.[1][2] In the fascist utopia, one mass of people will supposedly appear who have only one goal: to create their new future.[1][2] Such a fascist movement would ideally have infinite faith in its mythical hero who would stand for everything the movement believes in.[1][2] According to this utopian ideology, under the guidance of their leader the country would then rise like a phoenix from the ashes of corruption and decadence.[1][2]

Or her ideals of heroism or her view of violence in detail or-

But I think I can leave that to the people reading this. This post is getting really long and I'm trying to still keep it structured. I know all my links are Wikipedia and one Britannica. I had the energy to transcribe my dad's books on this I would.

However, we also do need to ask, where does this leave us?

Y'know, since Kotoko is the Audience Parallel and Milgram is a Social Commentary Webseries.

Well, Kotoko is a character in fiction, and fiction is the safest place to explore this. Kotoko Yuzuriha is a familiar character in the sense that a lot of people are like her actually.

Gunsli has brought up the idea that Kotoko was radicalized by news, and I personally think All the characters in Milgram have underlying right wing ideas and violent views on the world. It's not something...unique to them even. We call them conservative and traditional because to a lot of people it's "just the way the world works." Kotoko’s not special or unique for believing in these things.

She’s asserted multiple times that she’s had a “normal life” and whether or not you doubt the validity of that statement. There is nothing inherent about Kotoko that makes her more susceptible to this. 

And I think those are themes that are worth exploring.

[aquarii-doodles]

Thinking about Homestuck again

Do you think Dolorosa ever thought about her sons death when she's a slave for Dualscar or Mindfang? Do you think she ever blames herself for his death? Do you think she ever replayed his death in her mind to think of a possiblity of him being saved? Of him never having to go through the pain of being crusified, being exploited and used as an example of disobediance, as an example of what happens when you go against the statusquo?

Do you think she ever thinks back to the night she found him? A little grub with a color so bright you could pick him out in the dim light of the twin moons. I wonder if she thought back on that night fondly like most parents do when they hold their baby for the first time. Cradling him in her arms and seeing that he held the potential to be someone great. I wonder how she felt being his mother. I know she was fulfilled, but was she terrified for her baby? Terrified that the both of them would be killed for simply existing in a world that wanted neither of them? Do you ever wonder if she regreted leaving the brooding caverns? Does she regret not going back with him in her arms? Not going back and convincing the other jade bloods that they can raise the grub by themselves and teach him to be like all of them.

Do you think Disciple ever thought that maybe one day she could move on from her lovers death? Do you think she sat in that cave alone for sweeps crying herself to sleep longing for the release of death to see the love of her life again? Do you think she wrote down everything she did so that one day maybe, just maybe, someone in her lifetime would see his words and say that they want that too? Do you think she scared off other people because she was terrified to make another connection as deep as she did with Signless? That she was horrified at the idea of losing someone again that she couldn't even bare the idea to speak to another person. Do you think she ever learned of Dolorosa's death?

Do you think Psiioniic ever pleaded for his own death? Do you think he ever talked about what happened to his best friend? Do you think that over time he gradually began to forget those he grew up with and lost? Do you think he ever forgot what Signless looks like, but remembers his screams like they were yesterday? Do you think he ever talked to himself and spoke what he remembered from Signless' surmons? Do you think that deep in the Condess' ship as the battery that Psiioniic tried to convince himself that everything was just a dream? A horrid dream and that at any moment he would wake up, but deep down he knew it was all real. That it was real that he couldn't stop Signless' death.

Do you ever think that they all thought of ways to have stopped Signless' death? To stop his suffering?

Do you think any of this pain came down to their decendants?

[mxdarling]

[the consequences of saving someone]

spoilers for round 1, round 5, (a little bit) round 6, and round 7, yapping, angst, 510 wc.

[a/n; i just needed to get this out of my system cause wow this is kinda fucked up (i say this as if it wasn't already fucked up LOLL)]

it's funny how alien stage, while subtle, keeps showing us the outcome of a person saving another person. 

Sua, while initially wanting to tie with mizi saw that one point difference in their score and knew that she was going to die, saving mizi a cruel fate.

Following her death, mizi was unable to function properly, barely even able to compete against Luka in round 5 which could've ended in her death had hyuna (disguised as a robot guard) not save her and escaped. 

Ivan, not wanting to live in a world without till and taking notice of till's lack of spirit, he throws away the round. Seeing from round 5 that violence gets you disqualified, he does exactly that. Safe choking till to get the guards to shoot him instead. 

In round 7, we can see that despite ivan's death being a source of strength, it ended up being a weakness for Luka to exploit. For a moment, till wanted to give up, had mizi not sneak into the crowd, till would likely have a much harder time competing with Luka in his current state (even then, till still lost, had it not been for the kiss, maybe ivan's death would have been a strength and not both a strength and a weakness).

Mizi, having escaped the alien stage, sneaks into the crowd and revives till's spirit, leading him to be able to get out of the trauma ivan's death inflicted. Due to her desire to save till (the last remaining of her friends) she is dragged back onto the stage where she saw all her friends die.

Hyuna, the rebel, saved mizi from her supposed death in round 5, because of the rescue mission (initially for both Ivan and till but both are now dead) she becomes injured and I dragged (alongside with mizi) onto the stage where she is confronted by a familiar yet haunting face. 

Saving someone doesn't guarantee they'll be okay, saving someone doesn't guarantee that you won't be dragged back to hell by the very same person you saved, wanting to save someone doesn't mean you'll actually save them. Nothing good comes out when being a savior. 

I'd also like to point out how luka is the one singing "my savior" in ruler of my heart. We've seen how he exploits those acts of sacrifice to his advantage, yet hyuna (without killing herself in return) saves mizi. Seeing that the relationship between those two is implied to be negative currently, could it be that luka mocks these acts of sacrifices because his savior (hyuna) left him alone in alien stage? How the person who he held so much importance left him to fend for himself? Perhaps deep down, he was waiting and waiting for hyuna to come back for him, for his savior to come and rescue him from this hellhole. 

She does come back, maybe not for him, but she's back, alive, injured, but alive nonetheless. Yet in the current circumstances, I don't think anyone would be able to play savior this time.

PLEASE DO NOT COPY, REPOST, SHARE, TRANSLATE OR REUPLOAD ANY OF MY WORKS TO OTHER SITES WITHOUT MY PERMISSION + REBLOGS AND COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED.

[lvrstrsh]

the way this song is so fitting for the three arcane ships (caitvi, jayvik, timebomb) omg?? maybe not so much caitvi but during their breakup era yes a little bit.

"you're the best thing to ever happen to me but also the worst thing to ever happen to me. on that day when i met you, maybe i would rather that it never happened to me" is SOOOOOO JAYVIK CODED I'M ACTUALLY GONNA JUMP OUT A FUCKING WINDOW JAHHSWQO. viktor saved jayce from killing himself, helped him achieve his life's goal to channel magic. alternatively, jayce helped viktor to be more than just an assistant, gave him purpose and did with hextech what viktor always wanted to do: help people. HOWEVER, them meeting ultimately led to their deaths (actually erm i refuse to believe they're dead and prefer to believe they're in some higher form of existence giving each other cosmic backshots 💜). them meeting helped bring hextech to the world which, as it happens, was the beginning of the end. the formation of the hexcore, viktor turning into robotic jesus, starting the cult, the formation of the anomaly that sent jayce to the ruined dimension (poor guy also lost his mind) so although jayce was able to fulfill his life's dream, it also was the thing that ruined him. if they never met, this all could've been avoided, which is easily seen in the dimension ekko & heimerdinger were sent to. they were best friends, equals in the sense of intellect and generally just two halves of one whole (saw someone on insta relate them to the sin²x + cos ²x = 1 formula and gen crashed the fuck out) hence, the best and worst thing to ever happen to each other.

"why does hearing your name hurt me when it hides right there in the vicinity? what kind of emotion, is it hatred or pure sweetness when i hear your name?" we all know ekko and powder were childhood friends. due to a series of unfortunate events, powder was taken under silco's care — the same person who was the cause of vander's and benzo's death (who were like father figures to ekko). powder became jinx and was working for silco, who was using shimmer to exploit his own people. as ekko grew up, all he did was work to defeat the purpose jinx was working for. imagine how much it must hurt for him to know someone who meant sm to him is doing all this to his people. her name brings bitterness, but also the sweet press of memories of simpler times. then, obviously, ekko was sent to the other dimension. saw that other dimension have everything he ever wanted (except vi ☹️). powder was still HIS powder. his life was playing out just the way he wanted. however it wasn't REAL. he got a glimpse of what could've been. in that dimension ekko and powder grew up to fall in love. imagine coming from your reality where you're enemies, and the being sent to this one where you're lovers. but you can't stay, no matter how happy it makes you. he got a taste of the sweetness that could've been. then he had to go BACK to his reality, where he saw the same girl he could've fallen in love with try to kill herself. and, afterwards, when you've basically saved the world, you're left all alone and are led to believe she's dead (uhm which she's not trust 🙏)

i don't think i have to explain the 'worst of all blessings, the best of all curses' verse in relation to both the ships because AHHHHHWJWJWJWIWIWIWJSIQIQJWIIWIWSIJQIDBCIAOJW

alright guys anyways thank u for coming to my ted talk 😁

[takosan]

Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun (S2) was a struggle to get through. Too many ideas, so much violence. It was gut wrenching. I started and stopped so many times. One of the things this storyline gets right is the depiction of trauma and how it affects people.

1. Nanachi meeting Mitty’s copy and Vueko seeing the protector of the village (Juroimoh who takes after the man who abused her) both show how traumatic moments recur and manifest. This is a fundamental aspect of trauma, that the incident(s) which caused the trauma will return to the person’s mind against their will and force them to relive their trauma again and again. (Think about vets and fireworks for example). Seeing Mitty again felt like a physical blow - after everything Nanachi went through with her, and the incredibly difficult decision to ask Reg to use his incinerator….here is Mitty again. It was a gut blow.

2. Irumyuui’s trauma (her exile from her village and implied mistreatment because she is infertile) shapes her wishes when she is given the cradle of desire. Her first wish (to have children) deforms her body and reduces her entire being to a birthing vessel. This is unresolved trauma corrupting her wishes. Trauma will consume you if you don’t have a productive way of coping with it. You can’t live a full life when your life is oriented around trauma. Irumyuui also shows us that sometimes love, family, and friends are not enough for healing. This is such a painful truth (as I am sure many of us have experienced in our lives). Despite the wonderful relationship she builds with Vueko (and Belaf too I think), her life’s desires remain oriented around what she was told she was lacking… Or perhaps it is that healing does not happen fast and Wazukyan’s actions to save all his people take away the chance for Irumyuui to heal in her own time…

3. We know that trauma is inherited, and generational trauma is real. Irumyuui’s trauma is literally inherited and internalized by her child, Faputa, and nearly consumes Faputa too. (Faputa’s one burning wish is to destroy the village and its inhabitants...)

4. Traumatized/oppressed people can be both victims and perpetrators. Wazukyan and the Ganja squad are an example. A group of misfits/abandoned people, searching for their home and a place to belong, who end up committing/condoning horrific acts against Irumyuui in order to survive. Sometimes homes are built on violence. Victims can/do use trauma or their own survival as justification to oppress others. Even though some of them feel guilt, Vueko is the only one who attempts to remove herself from the situation - unfortunately by trying to commit suicide. (Wazukyan feels like Christopher Columbus sometimes, and the indigenous people living near the abyss as parallels to the indigenous peoples in the Americas… Wazukyan is an important reminder that power dynamics are not static. I’m not sure if he is traumatized/someone who has experienced violence like other members of his squad but even if he has, he is the leader now. He exploits a child, imprisons Vueko, and uses their relationship against them.)

Yes Wazukyan please explain how trapping Irumyuui in her own body and Veuko inside her adopted child’s body is ‘crushing injustice.’ The abyss may have enabled what took place but the choice and decision was firmly Wazukyan’s.

5. And in an opposite case, Vueko’s trauma actually leads her to be more empathetic to Irumyuui. Vueko is running from her trauma (she says so plainly in the first episode when she says she is looking for a place where she will no longer hear her abuser’s voice in her head). And her nurturing connection with Irumyuui is one which seems to be healing her. The very first line of the episode has Vueko saying this to Irumyuui about the compass: “Until I met you, there was something I was looking for…” I think she means that the compass led the ganja squad to the abyss but it led Vueko specifically to Irumyuui - as it was meant to. When she hands the compass over to the elder, the panning shot immediately shows us Irumyuui appearing in the dark behind her. Wazukyan and the others needed to descend into the abyss to find their ‘home’ but Vueko has already found what she was looking for in Irumyuui. Relationships can be an important part of healing from trauma but unfortunately, Wazukyan’s actions and the power of the Abyss combine to turn their relationship into a co-dependent one and utterly infused with guilt on Vueko’s part.

[theadhddimsenion]

Some musings on the buckso family and self worth in the hellaverse.

I would like to note how all known members of the buckso family have (or likely have) severe self worth issues because between fizzes need to be good enough for mammon, barbies drug addiction and need to scapegoat her brother and blitzs well, everything self worth problems seem to be a buckso family tradition.

Let's start with the biggest example of the family scapegoat blitz. Anyone who has an once of media literacy can tell you that blitz has severe self hatred problems that have caused him to both intentionally and unintentionally destroy his life in a twisted self falling prophecy and cycle brought about by the abuse of his ratshit father!! His Need to both get the love and affection he was never given and simultaneous belief that he isn't worthy of it has caused a lot of problems for him and others, in certain pieces of concept art for cash we clearly see him giving blitz the creul nickname "disappoint-o" and threatening to kil himself if bltiz didn't do as he said another common and cruel tactic that emotional absuers like him often use alongside his weaponizing blitzs love for his mother. But while he may be the most egregious example due to being the scapegoat common of absuive familes, he isn't the only one.

In contrast to blitz being the family scapegoat fizz was the family golden child despite being adopted. Fizz seems to be a lot more mentally stable than his best friend but I wouldn't wouldn't be telling the truth if I said be was without his angst and traumas himself. In addition to being horrifically mutalited in the fire and lied to by cash he also seems to have a need to please his audience given how long he let mammon abuse him and I would like to note that fittingly for the lord of all greed and exploitation and one who is far from subtle with his sin mammons abuse of fizz is the most comically exaggerated in the entire franchise which is usually dead serious with such topics. We also see that fizz is quite quick to forgive considering how he forgive blitz even after being mutilated and likely was Willing to forgive Ozzie after he wasn't able too much to save his best friend and while this is certainly a noble trait it also has been a problem for him as he was obviously too willing to forgive mammons behavior at least at first and it's likely he could have some issues with forgiving cashes likely less than stellar parenting which while it was likely not as bad as the treatment blitz got he still likely instilled the idea that his worth was measured by what he could do for others rather than what he though it was that he did to blitz.

Now here's where we get more speculative as we don't have a lot of info on the women of the buckso family (accpet loona) so I'm going to have to make guess here.

Barbie to me strikes me as not really truly believing cashes lies at heart and on some subconscious level knows that she's living a lie but like many victims of tragedies before her feels it would be better to that someone be to blame for the fire than accept that what happened to her was nothing but a horrible coincidence because if things like that can just happen than she may not be strong enough to face the world. Even if she is just completely taken in by cashes lies and fully believes that her brother burned everything out of jealously that isn't exactly a better option for her as I think that if that is the route they take her charater they will have cash drunkley confess to everything then after they beat the crap out of the old fucker than I can easily see her breaking down as she beats herself up wasting her life and being a "failure" despite making it out for the fire the least burned because her brother and fizz had successful careers and people who loved them (and royalty no less!) And perhaps even being the hero of impkind if blitz really does become a martyr what was she? A pathetic drug addicted lover who wasted her life blaming her hero brother for something that wasn't his fault and blitz will get a moment where he will comfort her saying that he knows what it's like to hate and blame yourself and that he knows that whatever horrible things the voices in your head tell you you are never as bad as they say you are.

As for the mother of the twins Tila we never really got to know her or even hear her voice which blitz might not even remember but I would say anyone who was willing to marry cash buckso more than likely had some self worth issues.

As for the vile scumbag of a father and ringleader i have to say I personally doubt it but it is possible that cash is just one in a long line of shitheels who desperately try to make themselves feel better about themselves by collecting as much cash as possible.

And last but not least we have loona buckso who like fizz was adopted but given what we saw of her in the pound and how similar her and her adoptive father are I am willing to bet money that she has plenty of self hatred herself.