#i almost published the diskduo take instead of this i almost got a heart attack

[tsui-no-sora]

There's something so interesting to me about the different ways in which Luzu and Rubius take care of Quackity.

In this cap, we saw Quackity with Luzu again, and just like last time Luzu was taking a lot of care of him, explaining to him how certain mobs work, and protecting him from them. He gave Quackity what the mobs dropped immediately, just to show him.

He also went out of his way to search for Quackity, he whole time they were on the mines, even when he got lost very far away from him.

He also was very adamant about ensuring Quackity keeps the backpack, he gave him closed, and he showed him that the rest could totally rob him at any time, wondering if he's never been robbed before. But afterwards, he made sure to give him everything back.

Luzu's priority whenever he was around Quackity, was making sure Quackity was alright.

On the other hand, we saw how Rubius behaved with Quackity.

Quackity already knew Rubius was a dangerous person, and he was seeking him out exactly for it.

And, at the end, predictably, Rubius totally killed him again, but more than that, he also was trying to teach him how to take care of himself around others.

But, what I find most interesting is what happened after Rubius killed him again, when Quackity who still upholds that good faith to the world around him, asks him why he keeps betraying him, even as Quackity keeps trusting him with his life.

Rubius says this: You are small. I'm taking care of you.

It was to introduce you to the rest.

I'm betraying you first so the rest can't betray you later.

I am trying to protect you, Quackity. I am trying to protect you.

(These dialogues are out of order for convinience sake.)

Rubius makes sure to tell him that he's young, that he's small, that he's the youngest person here, and that he needs to be taken care of.

And obviously, this isn't something Quackity can so easily understand. He only screams back, that he doesn't understand Rubius, and his way of protecting him, and his way of caring for him, that he's giving him too many mixed signals at once.

But, Rubius doesn't understand what Quackity can't see, because Rubius knows himself, knows the things he has done, knows that him more than anybody else plays against the rules, and he gets away with it, but that it isn't just him that the rest do too.

Rubius: What mixed signals?

Rubius and Luzu are both very aware of how harsh Karmaland can be. But Luzu is aware on the side of the one who gets betrayed, and Rubius is aware in the side of the one who betrays.

Rubius is aware that the world around him will pray for a moment of his weakness, and take advantage of it immediately, and he's showing that to Quackity.

He's grabbing Quackity's hand, and putting it against the hot iron, so Quackity doesn't forget that it burns, and this approach works, because the rest of the stream, Quackity keeps searching for any opportunity at all, to kill Rubius back.

And at the end, he succeds at it.

And oddly enough, Rubius's reason for dying is believing that Quackity wouldn't try to kill him, because he does very much suspect everything Quackity is doing, and he tells him as much, but he still stepped right on the mine. Because Quackity is still the youngest of them all.

He's almost impressed with Quackity as well, talking about the way he killed him very nonchalanty, and offering advice about how he could have done it better.

Rubius: If you had done it now, if you had placed it there, I totally could have fallen for it.

And through all of this, Quackity still doesn't understand why Rubius does what he does, he himself says he was being too obvious, that Rubius was already suspecting him, that it makes no sense, but he's still so proud of himself.

He even thanks Rubius himself, for giving him this victory, for allowing him to make justice, and get even, for being his first mine kill on the Server.

Quackity: Rubius taught me a lot. I owe this to him too.

And, I think this is Quackity seeing on his own way, what Rubius was trying to do, even if not seeing it directly, he was teaching him how to defend himself.

Quackity made him a tombstone, a crux to signify, a little funeral, to remember his big moment forever, to thank Rubius for it.

That's something only Quackity would do. Something only he would respect and care about. I'm sure Rubius himself would just find it amusing, tbh.

And, that really shows the way Rubius has taught him to think about the Server, as a place you have to fight to earn respect in, to earn victory throughout, and that's what I find so interesting, in the ways Luzu's character, and Rubius's character, introduce the world of Karmaland to their youngest, newest member, Quackity.

The one who they are always calling child, and young, and small. The one they are taking care of.

The key difference is: Luzu who says he will take care of Quackity, because he is his elder. And Rubius who tells Quackity, you better learn to take of yourself here, because you are the youngest.

Defensive vs Offensive

I will take care of you vs You better take care of yourself

Basically, too long didn't read, Luzu's way of protecting Quackity, and teaching Quackity how to protect himself, is showing him trustworthy people, keeping him close, and teaching him to defend himself, and defend him himself.

While Rubius way, is to show him the hurt first hand, is to make sure Quackity totally knows, that Karmaland isn't trustworthy, and something will always go wrong. Rubius, way is to teach Quackity that the best defense is a good offense. That it's better he got betrayed now than later on.

That before he can be hurt by anybody else, Rubius will hurt him first, and that Quackity before being hurt by somebody else, should hurt them first.

And he succeded on it, because Quackity killed him too, at the end.