#i did my best. i hope this makes sense

[catmaidetho]

:0 i would love to hear how you write etho!

after making that post and going to bed i've realized that it's so hard for me to describe all the thoughts that go into it so

tl;dr: i have consumed an ungodly amount of ethoslab content to the point that writing him is kind of second nature

you could also probably go thru my archive for etho text posts i've rb'd, cuz those have also influenced me a lot and i'll link a few at the end. i also sincerely recommend watching and rewatching his hc7 because that is like, everything i love about etho in 40-smth episodes.

long and kind of complicated/messy answer under the cut. i tried to go as in-depth as i could w/o being overly rambly

when you think of etho, what do you think of? you probably think "mysterious cryptid redstone guy who is scary." that is the devil talking. he is not mysterious, a cryptid, or scary at all. he is just a guy who's reputation is bigger than him.

here's some (very basic) traits i'd assign to etho before any of those:

humble

reflective*

confident

competitive

friendly

mischievous

avoidant

*reflective in the sense that he mirrors other people's energy.

originally i had a whole rant typed up explaining these personality traits, but i realize you are probably a fellow ethogirl and a lot of these need no explanation. if you want an explanation/to better understand why i chose those personality traits, i am going to once again recommend his hc7, as well as checking out anything he's done with team canada (pick a series and just start watching. if you dont know where to start, one of my beloved mutuals has a neat little guide for ppl new to etho's content that includes some staple team canada content.)

some things i apply to my etho that make sense to me that might go overlooked by the casual enjoyer:

he is so incredibly neurodivergent coded. i am not going to make any assumptions on etho's brain structure, i dont think its my place, but seriously. give your etho some silly thing to be super passionate about on the side. make him easily distracted/get off topic easily. make his storage system start out well but quickly descent into chaos as he gets too lazy to use it.

he goes with the flow! this goes along with me describing him as a reflective person. he "yes, and"'s stuff like there's no tomorrow. he takes whatever energy is thrown his way, and he chucks it right back at you. he gets dragged into shenanigans and goes "oh this might as well happen! let's see how far we can take it."

he likes to avoid problems he doesn't see as immediately his own/aren't immediately affecting him. his response to moon big was literally "i'll let the other hermits deal with it. look this low gravity makes not having elytra so much easier! lets go build a bee farm." if it doesn't affect him right this instant, or there's nothing he can do about it, he will worry about it later (and probably forget to worry about it.)

he prioritizes the "fun" factor above all else. if you know what the bamboozler is, you understand this. also, the bee farm i just mentioned. if there is a very efficient/straight-forward way to do something or a very fun way to do something, he will go with the fun way most of the time. if the only option is boring, he'll find a way to make it fun.

his reputation precedes him, but his reputation is a little inaccurate to modern times. someone who doesn't know him very well might think he's menacing or scary, but the reality is that he's just a silly little guy. don't get me wrong, there is a reason he's seen as menacing, and if he wants to be he can be, but most of the time he's just here to chill.

his humor is very roundabout. he tells a very long story to get to the punchline, or he tells something that plays into stereotypes so much it's ridiculous. here are some examples. he is also a professional "your mom" joker, like i literally cannot link enough examples his staple joke is "your mom."

most importantly, i think, is that etho doesn't take himself too seriously. i think a lot about the quote from cleo that goes like, "etho doesnt say he's a grownup, he giggles and runs away." so dont make etho too serious!

HE IS LITERALLY JUST SOME GUY. i cant stress this point enough. he should have "just some guy" energy. tiny voice he's doing the best he can. things happen to him and he is mildly bewildered. something goes wrong and he needs like, one second dedicated to panicking before he does anything about it.

just for bonus content, some of my favorite posts/clips that heavily influence the way i interpret/write etho. he is so ^-^ | he calls food poisoning an adventure | evidence that etho's a former scene kid | obviously your mother never loved you 'cause you're some sorta monster :) | "you jerk" compilation | etho teasing scar in among us

[inquisitor-apologist]

Thinking about how, at the end of the day, at the fatal moment, the sunset of the Republic, it wasn’t Yoda, or Obi-Wan, or even the Chosen One himself standing in the way of Palpatine. It was Mace Windu.

Mace Windu, the inventor of Vaapad and Master of Form VII, the Jedi's strongest duelist, the only person to ever defeat Palpatine in combat. Mace Windu, Master of the Jedi Council and the youngest Master ever appointed to it, the revered leader of the Order. Mace Windu, who forgave even those who tried to kill him, who risked his life over and over again for his troops, who, after 3 years of desperate war, tried to negotiate with battle droids. Mace Windu, who knew the clones were created by the Sith and chose to trust them, who saw every Shatterpoint in the Republic, and loved it still, and fought for it until his last breath, until he was betrayed by Anakin, who he believed in and trusted despite everything.

Mace Windu, High General and hero of the Republic, the embodiment of the Light, the last and greatest champion of the Order, the best Jedi to ever live.

[cringelordofchaos]

// for even if I'm far away, I hold you in my heart //⟩ 💙💜

[frogs-in3-hills]

obligatory turtle pile art

[Image Description: A digital illustration of Don, Mikey, Leo, and Raph from the TMNT 2003 cartoon. They all sleep in a turtle pile surrounded by pillows and blankets. Mikey and Leo are in the center, Leo’s arm around Mikey’s shoulder and Mikey’s arm stretched out over Leo’s stomach. Mikey sleeps open mouthed, while Leo looks relaxed and is smiling faintly. Don is curled up around Mikey’s side with his cheek resting on Leo’s arm. Raph is curled up around Leo’s back with an arm over his chest. Leo rests his head against Raph’s shoulder. A beam of light falls over their faces. End ID.]

[xxplastic-cubexx]

so like do you think they made the plastic wheelchair ALONGSIDE the plastic prison as a Just In Case situation, only after they realized charles was going to be a frequent visitor, or both as in because they knew charles was going to be the only person visiting him during planning they decided to make him a chair ahead of time

[mesothulass]

@luminouslotuses here's the queerplatonic jaiden & roier you ordered for @qsmp-secretvalentine !!! happy valentines day 💜💜💜

Credits:

Unconditional love Wikipedia // ROIER EN QSMP DIA 20 Y JUEGA EN LA JUANIQUILACOPA “EL HOYO” !! // Carl Sandburg, "Languages" // ROIER EN QSMP DIA 24 Y JUEGA LEFT 4 DEAD 2 CON EL MARIANA Y ALDO GEO !! // Edith Franklin Wyatt, "Translations" // Unconditional love Wikipedia // Roier & Jaiden Purgatory Skins // Team Bolas QSMP Wiki // Phillip Phillips, Unpack Your Heart // The Timer is almost up... // Unsent Project 1, 2, 3 // The Timer is almost up... (31:24, 2:11:15) // Kieran Setiya, Love and the Value of a Life

(bonus: the edit i made before i thought to ask if you wanted it edited or in separate pics lmao)

[sherrymagic]

Aside from the soul, I guess there are some feelings... that have passed to this body as well.

Poom Phuripan as JOE in Episode 5 MY STAND-IN (2024)

[ancha-aus]

RealAgeAU Drabble - Progress

I am here! And I made this drabble! @spotaus get in here! We got a new update :3

This one i had to take the time for haha Also I am fucking dying it is so hot and warm and everything is moist and i hate it and please end me i am not made for this heat. and as i am melting so his my sanity and mental health

anyway hahahah it is warm :') I dislike the heat.

First drabble Prev drabble Next drabble

And no beta or edits. I write these in one go and hope for the best lmao.

*------------------*

Dream watches as the bear walks through the stream. looking at the water and following movements Dream can't see.

The bear eventually gets to some mysterious perfect spot and stays put. it opens its mouth and waits.

For a moment. nothing happens.

Then the fish start to jump and rush and one ends right in the bear's mouth. The bear bites down and starts eating.

It is fascinating.

Nature in motion.

Dream continues to lay right there on top of the branches as he watches the bear continue hunting and eating. at ease with what it does and who it is.

His phone ringing ruins the silence and Dream curses as he grabs his phone quickly checking who is calling now. He sighs at the sight of the caller ID and answers it "Hey Core."

The child, is core still a child?, sounds frantic "Dream? Where have you been!?"

Drema hums as he leans against the tree, watching the wildlife again. Good to see the bear has dismissed the noise he made and it went about its day again "out and about. learning stuff."

core sighs "Dream... the people here need you and-"

Dream hums "No they don't. They can do their chores and tasks themselves. I told you and all of them this before." he is not going to fall into the same trap as always. cutting himself apart to please others. He needs to figure himself out first.

Core sighs loudly again "Dream... If you like it our not. You are still the guardian of positivity to them! They are nervous and you can relax them."

Dream sighs annoyed himself "No Core. I can't. Or at least, i don't want that role anymore. Correction. I never should ahve had that role. I already told you that what i did before was a mistake." he had explained this so many times already. Explained that he shouldn't have tried to stop what Nightamre had been doing.

Yet no one understood!

They kept demanding him to keep doing what he had been doing before.

It is exhausting.

Dream sighs loudly and cuts off whatever Core is saying "I am not coming back to the omega timeline. Let it rest Core and move on. That is what i am doing." and he hangs up the phone. He leans against the tree and calls the number he knows by soul.

one ring later and "Dream! How is your break going? Seen any cool things?" Blue sounds excited.

Dream smiles as he leans against the tree already feeling relaxed. Just hearing his friend and hearing him respect what dream wanted makes everything right. The need to complain disappears and he focuses on the good "Yeah it is pretty cool. I am in a large forest. Saw a bear catch a fish with its mouth." the bear moves towards the side to eat some of the fish it caught.

Blue groans "lucky!! I am stuck in another reset. Kid got stuck somewhere in hotland and my bro and I are trying to figure out a way to hel them progress quicker."

Dream chuckles "You and your brother gave up on acting as if you don't notice the save, loads and resets?"

Blue hums "Well... yeah! I know it is a large risk and a big show of trust... but my brother explained to me that knowing I was there for him? With him in the resets and that i truly understood how it felt? He said it gave him peace and hope. that he felt less alone. And that got me thinking... Maybe... maybe Chara would feel better if they knew they weren't alone? That they didn't need to figure it all out alone? Papy had been unsure but he ended up deciding to trust my opinion and decision..."

Dream hums and nods "how did that go?"

Blue is silent for a moment before answering "Well... we dropped hints first and tried to ease them into the idea... then they ended up having a panic attack and apologising over and over again. We just sat down with them and we spoke it all out. they ended up sleeping over at our place for a while and would ask us everything about how we experienced it. So... I think it helped... thanks by the way."

Dream blinks and laughs "Why thank me?"

Dream can hear the smile in Blue's voice "Because you gave me the idea of it all! You were the one to trust me and share your worries with me. and once you shared those pains you felt better. You explained how the powers and responsiblity got too much and painful... That is when i realised. If you, an actual adult and god already felt like that... how would a child feel with so much power and responsibility but no guidance?" Blue is silent for a moment before he speaks "I know we aren't... we arent suposed to mess with the past or what happened or the anomaly but... How can there be any change if we don't try? Be it for the better or worse? At least we won't be stuck in the same loop anymore."

a moment of silence and Drema speaks quietly "What if they end up deciding to use this for bad stuff? To betray that trust and beleive?" what if blue gets hurt?

Blue hums "That is their choice. My choice was to be willing to trust and help. To beleive in the better and do waht i needed to do to take a step in the right direction."

Dream stares down before chuckling "You are truly one of the few between all of us who is sane and has healthy mental health."

Blue laughs "I have struggles too Dream. everyone has! we all do waht we can to cope. talking about struggles... did something happen?"

Blue is too damn smart and knows him too damn well.

Dream sighs "Smething did but... I honestly don't want to talk about it." he chuckles and rubs his new outfit. a more neutral grey with just a few yellow accents "You already need to listen so much to my problems. I want to be there for you too!"

Blue hums unhappily "dream."

Dream sighs and folds immediantly "just... Core calling again."

an even unhappier hum "We need to get you a new cross-multiverse phone. with a new number that Core doesn't know."

Drema can't help but laugh "maybe we can go shopping later? When your loop calms down a bit?"

Blue cheers "Yes! That sounds great! Oh! Did you want to come over for dinner? Chara is going to be friends with alphys and stuff which leaves me free early!"

Dream smiles "gladly. be there in a bit!" blue replies with his own goodbye and Dream hangs up. feeling much lighter and better than before. he opens a portal and makes the multiverse jump.

--

dinner is amazing and Dream takes some time to catch up wiht both Stretch and Blue. enjoying hearing more about the updates about their universe and how tlaking with Chara has helped them all a lot!

Dream is just happy with Blue is getting closer to the happy ending he deserves. To finally be free and explore the surface world he longs for so badly. Dream is also happy that Stretch seems to be doing better mentally. Dream may not be close with Stretch like with Blue but he still likes the other skeleton! Stretch is nice and can be a true sweetheart. Stretch just has to battle depression and hopelessness at the same time.

Blue once asked Dream if he could heal that for Stretch. a desperate plea from a worried brother. Drema had tried but he couldn't. He had once again remembered that it have been the purple apples that could heal mental illnesses. and he did not have a connection to those. Dream never told Blue that and just told him that Dream could only heal the physical body. That mental health was something that needed other and special care and support of loved ones.

Etiher way. it is great to see both feeling better and happier!

They relax and enjoy their time when Dream's phone rings again.

Stretch shoots it a curious look "I thought you muted that?"

Dream groans and nods "i did." he always does. one check later and a frown "Core again."

Blue sighs and steals his phone. he answers it and speaks right away "One. It is rude to call people at dinner time. two. Learn to take no. three. Stop, you are starting to appear obsessed. solve your own problems. It isn't Dreams issue." and hangs up again before handing it back.

Dream stares dumbfounded but Stretch just chuckles "Careful Blue. YOur protective side is showing."

Blue huffs but doesn't appear embarresed at all "Well! They should learn to take no and solve their own problems instead of trying to make it Dream's issue!"

Dream rubs his cheek "I am not much better... I keep asking you for your help..."

Blue looks at him and shakes his skull "Dream that is different. You ask for help. You accept if I am busy. Core demands help and doesn't accept a no." Blue smiles "See the difference?"

Dream feels himself relax again as he happily takes another bite. He enver needed food but it is nice.

a whistle "impressive."

Drema turns quickly and stares "Reaper."

Reaper grins and waves "Hey Dream. Blue and..." he needs a moment "Stretch right?"

Stretch looks a tBlue.

Blue shrugs at his brother "aparently I, or we for that matter, don't know how to not mess with things and cause alternative worlds. it is a long story. also. Don't touch reaper. everything reaper touches dies."

Reaper nods "it is why i float. Anyway. I had a moment and figured i should check in on the whole god thing and had to tell you guys soemthing but well... dinner." he waves at the table and grins "I didn't mean to be rude but..."

Stretch shrugs as he continues eating "I don't mind. talk god stuff. I am gonna keep eating."

Blue smiles at Reaper "I agree! You can just tell us now.. want a plate?" he waves at the dinner served.

Reaper chuckles and waves it off "I don't need food."

Blue huffs "neither does Dream but it is still a nice experience!"

Dream nods as he eats another bite "very nice. also. Blue and Stretch with all the timeloops are good cooks." Blue is already getting a plate and fork ready for the other skeleton.

Reaper blinks but takes the plate thankfully and carefully. he joins in and hums happily "It is great." and continues eating.

It is nice. a little strange but nice. Dream hasn't felt this relaxed and happy in a long time.

Reaper eats antoher bite before starting to speak "Anyway. I came with a mission." he eats antoher bite.

Dream nods and knows where this is going "Is this about... my job?"

Reaper nods as he eats antoher bite "Pretty much. Got any idea on what you want to focus on as domain yet?"

Dream sighs and shakes his skull "I... I hadn't... I had... wanted to wait with picking... until i foudn Nightmare and could talk things out first." he had wanted to pick soemthing together with his twin. make sure they still matched...

Reaper blinks but grins "you dont need to worry! you two are twins after all. if one of you picks a domain the other will automatically lean towards something that matches." he shrugs "god and twin magic stuff."

Dream blinks and feels a bit better. Their magic will always match?! That is great! That is fantastic and-

No.

Dream shakes his skull "Then I really don't want to decide without him!"

Reaper looks confused "But you will match anyway?"

Dream feels himself shake "Like with positivity and negativity?! No! I am not going to pick anything that can cause that kind of mess and split again!" He isn't going to do that to nightmare again!

Wait...

What if he can pick something that is the negative of the match? That would mean Ngihtmare immediantly gets the positive side right? But it hardly ever has only one opposite! Happiness can be the opposite of both sadness and angry to just give an example!

Or people often say love and hate are opposites but then people say it is love and indifference!

There are too many options and he isn't going to do it!

Reaper frowns "Dream. You can't keep going around without somekind of purpose. You are already heavily leaning on Blue as it is."

Dream looks away embarresed while Blue just frowns "Wait how do you know that?"

Reaper raises a brow "Because you are starting to get a boon."

Blue blinks while Stretch frowns "A boon?"

Reaper nods "Yeah. Gods can give boons to mortals who helped them. The more help and support given generally the stronger the boon. Normally these are given on purpose but well... with Dream's magic slightly all over the place." he just waves in their direction.

Blue frowns "what happens if i get one of these?"

Reaper hums "it depends on the god, the boon and the person. YOu could just be kinda like a workshipper if you get a tiny one. High priest kinda deal is also possible. But... with how involved you are with helping Dream? Probably an acolyte. Very strong powers... and pretty much automatically an outcode if not you just surpass that straight to something between mortal and demigod. Acolytes are powerful blue."

Dream shoots blue an anxious look before staring at Reaper "How do i stop that?!"

Reaper shrugs "Now you know about it? And you know you could do it? It is less liekly you will accidentally do it. especially if you don't want to. Boons are suposed to be a thank you kinda deal after all."

Stretch shares a nervous look with Blue but blue pats his hand "I am okay bro." Blue looks at Dream anxious "Dream... You know I love helping you. Really! But... i don't want to be an acolyte or any boon okay? I am just happy to be able to be friends."

Dream grbas his shoulders and stares at him "Blue. I promise and swear! I will never actively give you one unless you ask me okay? And I will try my hardest and best to never accidentally give you one okay?"

He wills himself, his soul, and magic to get the message. Blue doesn't want a boon. Blue doens't want a title. Dream doesn't want to give Blue either of these. Dream does not want to force either a boon or title on blue.

Reaper puts his plate away and floats at a distance "Sorry for the whole... bad news situation. I just figured... fi you are going to keep dodging picking a domain you need to understand this possibility..." he waits a moment before his phone gives a ding. he frowns at it "Work demands me again. Give it some thought. think about your domain and keep an eye on yourself." and Reaper disappears as if he was never there.

Blue frowns at where Reaper left and gives him a reassuraning smile "Hey. If you don't want to give me one you won't give me one. I trust you to not do it on purpose. And we will just make sure I stay in my own universe more! Not tempt fate!"

Dream frowns as he rubs his arm "Maybe i just need to pick a domain... but i don't want to accidentally force nightmare into a role he doesn't want..." it wouldn't be fair.

Blue frowns but Stretch speaks up "makes sense. fuck knows i would never have willingly picked Blue to also rememebr the resets."

Blue shoots him a look but Dream looks a thim confused "But i thoguth it was helping you?"

Stretch nods "It is. it is nice to have his support and everything" he smiles a tblue sadly befor elooking down "But it is a lot. the resets are a lot. i didn't... i didn't want to force him to deal with that." he shoots blue a look "I didn't want to force you to experience the same thing that i saw as hell. I didn't want to do that to you."

Blue frowns and goes to his brother to give him a hug. Dream relaxes and smiles a bit. because Stretch understands. Stretch understands why Dream can't make this choice just yet. Blue understands as well and... and trusts him.

Dream nods to himself and focuses. He doesn't want to give blue a title or boon. He wants blue to just remain his best friend. he wants blue to get the choice. He wants blue to get his chance to pick his future. He wants Nightmare to get his chance to pick his future.

To make their own paths.

To progress and grow in the way they want.

Dream smiles at the two brothers "Thank you two. for being my friends. real friends." he doesn't have many. which makes the two all the more special. and if they want to remain exactly as they are then Dream wants them to stay the way they are. because that truly gives them the chance to be and become who they want to be. instead of being what Dream wants.

Dream just hopes this will work. Because he also wants a chance to figure out who he truly is. And who he wants to be and what he wants. a chance to change and be. a chance to try and grow as a person.

Maybe that is all he ever really wanted.

*------------------*

Meanwhile Nightmare already figured his own domain out and is working on it. Also. No one tell Dream he already picked one. it just isn't as obvious. after all... Blue did mention that Dream helped him find a way to progress and move forwards :3

First drabble Prev drabble Next drabble

[deoidesign]

.

[spinjitsuburst]

ramble about ur favs i wanna hear abt ur thoughts -zaptrap

HAN’S INFODUMPING ABOUT JAY... START!!!!

so like sgdkdhdkdhd I say Jay and Lloyd are my “favorites” but honestly it’s so hard to pick favorites out of this skittles squad like I love EVERY character for a variety of different reasons. I was going to also infodump about Lloyd but then I started talking about Prime Empire and then this post got. Long. So. it's just Jay I may infodump about Lloyd another day especially since I'm very Conduit Brained Rn but yea yea!

this is long so i'm putting most of it under the cut so y'all don't kill me for making a huge long post

I considered putting Zane and Sora on here as well since I’d also consider them my “favs” but like this is already gonna be. A lot of. Infodumping (also i typed THIS part before I even started and decided not to yell about Lloyd because this already got long enough). Maybe I’ll make a separate post for those two hmm hmm much to consider but for now MY (technically) FAVORITE NINJAGO CHARACTER: JAY WALKER

THE SPARKPLUG WHO INVADED MY BRAIN LIKE A PARASITE

so hey his name is a pun this makes me laugh ridiculously hard every time I remember he is named. After a misdemeanor HSKSHDKFH

Jay is such an interesting case of a character for me because I started out the show not liking him. Which is. Stares at my entire account I think my feelings have changed somewhat

Jay starts out as an asshole I don’t think anyone can disagree with me there (although honestly they’re all assholes in early ninjago they bullied a ten year old and left him dangling several feet off the ground) but over the course of the show you can see him start developing into a much more interesting character. He goes from being so insecure he's faking everything about himself to someone who knows who he is and is so genuine about it

now yea we could argue about whether his character was too uwu-ified post-season 10 but this is the FUN HAN POST SO WE'RE NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT the point is you can SEE the growth that Jay has gone through and I am going to show you that growth through what I call

✨ The Skybound to Prime Empire Effect ✨

I AM SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THE IDEA THAT PRIME EMPIRE WAS WRITTEN TO BE A DIRECT PARALLEL OF SKYBOUND AND WAS CENTERED ON SHOWING HOW THE NINJA ESPECIALLY JAY HAVE GROWN THROUGHOUT THE SEASON

when season 12 rolls around we are at the point in Jay's development where he is CONFIDENT in who he is. He's a fun-loving jokester with the power of lightning and the drive to help people whenever he can. He uses jokes and humor to help alleviate tension and get people through whatever's happening. And when on his own what does he do?

BECOME AN ENTERTAINER BABEY

i like to think jay's club in prime empire was a safe haven for anyone stuck in the game who figured out hey. we Can't Leave and felt freaked about it. Also Jay would generally try and spread the word that hey something ISN'T RIGHT HERE which would lead people to want to stay with him

(totally plugging my friend's fic but this kind of thing is explored in would you like to enter prime empire by @finn-m-corvex y'all should check it out cool cool)

also the prime empire shorts which i watched all of in the midst of typing this video cuz i love them go watch them please please please jay was publically fighting the red visors which I imagine may have raised some red flags for some players

THIS SOMEHOW TURNED INTO PRIME EMPIRE INFODUMPING LMAO ANYWAYS Jay's confident! He becomes an entertainer because it's who he knows he is! And it's something that will get people hyped and having fun, which is very in-character for Jay to do! He uses those kinds of things to mask the Bad Things going on and get people remembering what's good

I've talked about this sort of thing before but that's Jay's whole philosophy as early as season 9! Which is a DIRECT contrast to how he views it in season 6, as Nadakhan puts it scarily accurately

"You make jokes to mask the fact that you're afraid"

(i was gonna grab a screenshot for that like i did with the hunted scene but netflix has bloCKED THE ABILITY TO TAKE SCREENSHOTS THE WAY I USED TO and i don't have them already and i'm too lazy to grab them from elsewhere so alas trust me he says it)

making jokes to hide your fear and using humor to remind yourself of what's good and coping with the bad are two VERY different outlooks on it

so I think this outlook is what drives him to make this glamrock persona in the first place - this is a bad situation, one he's in with other civilians, and what better way to keep him and themself safe until the others get there than throwing a big performance at a safe place!

also it's just so gender okay I want to look like Superstar Rockin' Jay so badly

it's also interesting to see his outlook on his parents change over time! In season six he finds out Ed and Edna aren't his birth parents and feels upset about it, not understanding why his birth parents would've abandoned him. In season twelve, that outlook changing is EXACTLY why Jay's able to get through to Unagami

"I was abandoned by my parents, too!... I never understood why, and I never had the chance to even ask. But I always hoped there was a good reason. What if there's a reason?"

(again curse you netflix i wanted SCREENSHOTS whatever whatever)

It's this scene that gets Unagami to calm down long enough for Milton Dyer to get there, and presumably is what stops him from just. Flattening him and Jay like a pancake.

to piggyback off of this i absolutely adore how Unagami and Jay consider each other adopted brothers in that one book I still haven't read and I hope he's in Dragons Rising at some point Unagami is my favorite "villain" (no longer a villain) in the whole show he deserves more screentime

like this is where i found out about this and it's plagued my mind ever since. i need to read. this book just for them

SO YEA OKAY Prime Empire is "Who is Jay as a Person Post-Skybound" to me also it opens up so many fascinating things about Jay. I rest my case

so backpedaling a little bit. JAY CARES SO MUCH ABOUT HIS PARENTS GUYS IT'S SO SOFT AND I'M sobs

like yea the first episode with Ed and Edna in it has Jay avoiding them like the plague but this gets explained very easily when you remember he was bullied for his home life before he became a ninja. It makes a lot more sense why he wouldn't want them around his new friends, assuming they'd react the same way. Also how was he supposed to know literally all the rest of the groups parents were either dead, presumed dead, or had a toxic relationship with their kid lmao

(Cole calling his mom kills me. Cole's mom is dead. I know they probably just didn't think that far ahead when writing the dialogue but it's so funny mans pretended to call his dead mom to get on Jay for not appreciating his parents iconic behavior)

anyways literally every episode Ed and Edna are central to (except like the one in skybound) Jay stops at nothing to protect his parents and it means the absolute world to me he's so much like them!! They raised an inventive little nerd and he will stop at nothing to make sure they're safe and it's. It's SO IMPORTANT TO ME OKAY

ALSO this is an excuse to clip my favorite piece of dialogue possibly in the entire show. Except Netflix won't let me now. So you just get the text dialogue

Jay's just fallen from the sky with a messed up eye and is incredibly distraught that all his friends are captured. And his dad just. The woRLD IS FALLING APART AND HE'S EATIN' SOUP-

Ed i love you

anyways

anways anyways this just turned into me rambling about prime empire and then Ed and Edna and a lot of disjointed other stuff but thank you for this opportunity i was going to also ramble about lloyd but i put this post in a word count and

yea i think that's enough for a tumblr post anyways! If anyone wants any like. More logically thought out and direct thoughts about characters feel free to send me asks this was fun thank u @zaptrap for this opportunity to scream about jay

[pynkhues]

I recently read an article in which Quentin Tarantino stated that fewer movie stars exist as a result of "Marvel movies in Hollywood." I think Jennifer Aniston made a similar argument before saying that there are no longer any movie stars. I'm not sure what that means. I can think of a lot of movie stars right now, such as Zendaya, Timothee Chalamet, and Zoey Deutch etc. what do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this and Quentin's comments.

QuillBot's

Months ago, when you sent me this ask, anon, I wrote out a really long reply and as soon as I hit post, my laptop crashed and ate the answer, and I was so annoyed at myself for not saving my reply, that I couldn't bring myself to try and re-write an answer. I'm really sorry for that, especially because I think this is such an interesting ask (or well, two asks, because I think the death of the movie star and the impact Marvel's had on the broader concept of a movie star, are kinda two different things).

I've been thinking about it a bit again recently though, particularly as the Oscar race gears up, and Jacob Elordi and Charles Melton''s respective stars are rising in an industry currently desperate to find the new young Hollywood male 'talent', and I've been thinking about it again because honestly?

I agree with Jennifer Aniston, I think the movie star is dead.

We are a long, long way from Golden Age Hollywood where actors like Cary Grant and Marilyn Monroe could captivate a public imagination in a way that translated to big box office effect, after all. Hell, we're even out of New Hollywood, an era dominated by names like Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, and Jane Fonda, and the Blockbuster era with Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone and Harrison Ford.

My original reply went into a lot of the different reasoning as to why this is (like with many things, I don't think there's any one reason for it), in particular how the advent of streaming has changed our relationship with films and TV shows, how the saturation of the market has diluted the staying power of celebrities, how social media and the perceived accessibility of celebrities removes personal mystique which in turn removes intrigue and increases a sense of entitlement, and the fact that so many people having stopped going to the cinema means that the experiential element of seeing a film in a setting larger than life has been diminished.

I think call out culture plays a role too, with any actor on the rise being torn down by tweets they made eight, nine or ten years ago impacting how their star rises, I think the dismantling of the studio system (which is a good thing!) also harmed actors in the long run as studios stopped investing the same resources into making and training stars (they used to be able to sing, dance and act! Now some can barely even act!), and I think, of course, the rise of prestige TV changed the industry substantially (after all, movie stars were movie stars - they traditionally did not, and would not, do TV, which created a clear class structure in terms of screen-based storytelling).

And yeah, I think the language shift from film and TV to content has done irrepairable damage to the artistry of filmmaking and the consideration of a movie star as an actor at the top of their field instead of an actor with the most Insta followers or YouTube subscribers (after all, if everything's content, isn't it the same thing? [no lol]).

Which I guess is kind of where Quentin Tarantino's argument comes in, right? What he's saying is that Marvel's made it so that the IP - the content itself - is the star, not the actor, and I'd say he's probably right with that.

Think of it this way - back in the New Hollywood/Blockbuster era, Harrison Ford was the movie star - he was leading new franchises left-right-and-centre between Star Wars and Indiana Jones, sci fi epics like Blade Runner, leading action thrillers like Patriot Games, The Fugitive and Clear and Present Danger and getting nominated for Oscars for Witness.

He was a movie star in every sense of the word because you could hinge a film - one with a new concept, not just remakes or sequels - on him and be virtually guaranteed a success. He was what sold the tickets, the director just hopefully had to make something good enough people would leave the cinema glad they saw.

Tarantino's argument is the Marvel model - - hell, even the new Star Wars properties, turned the franchise into the star, for better or worse, which means original films can't compete because nobody knows the IP. Back when Harrison Ford was at the top of his game, his name was what helped original films including smaller, standalone works like Witness find an audience, but the studios have changed that. Capitalism has changed that.

Properties with existing audiences and deep pockets for merch were prioritised, only now those franchises are faltering and you've got a generation trained that 'cinematic events' are reserved for blockbusters in established universes, instead of taking a risk on a new film because you know you love an actor who's in it.

Do I think we could go back?

Maybe, but probably not.

I think the place we are now in the history of cinema / TV / 'content' means you can't make a movie star anymore because I think the industry is simply so different that no actor can break through in the same way that even Leonardo DiCaprio could 30 years ago. That industry doesn't exist anymore, actors aren't guaranteed draws (Bones and All proved that for Timothee Chalamet, and Wonka I think could go a similar way), or they have to heavily rely on other industries to become household names which I think dilutes them as a pure 'movie star' (Zendaya's a great example of this - I like her a lot, but how many movies has she even been in? They built her career up in peripheral industries long before they tried to sell her as a movie star, and frankly, I'd question her even as a leading actress yet given she's typically only either been in ensemble casts or clear supporting).

It's a whole new world, and yeah, I think the movie star is dead.

[quailclaws]

I may be a bit late to the party but I love Madotsuki sm, happy 20th anni, my sweet child <3

[majorproblems77]

For your consideration;

Consider.

Sky is only sleepy, because he loves cuddles.

And he always had a cuddle buddy to sleep with.

So he goes to bed early and sleep in late.

I am considering...

And I love it

In fact....

I slipped... Whoops

"Is he sleeping again?" Warriors asked as he sat beside Time, fire crackling beside them. Night had fallen and the camp had long since quietened down as the group were preparing to rest for the night.

"I think so." The old man smiled as he remained as still as possible. The skyloftian had settled on his shoulder and was soundly sleeping.. The small wood carving in his hand limply hanging from his hand.

Warriors smiled gently while shaking his head. As he reached over to take the carving and the small carving knife from the Skyloftian's hands.

"You know. This is probably the latest I've seen him here. He's normally gone to bed by now."

"Well. He's been asleep on my shoulder for..." Time paused looking up at the Sky. "Two hours and twenty-seven minutes."

"Considering you're still in plate armour, thats pretty impressive. Let me get him off you and into his bedroll so you can get some rest."

"No.... No... Don... go..." Sky's voice sounded sleepy in protest. as his hands attempted to grab at Time. Finding The captain's scarf instead. "Dont... leave me." The man in question looked down at the man in his arms eyebrows raised and worry stitched into his forehead.

Time let out a groan as he stood tall. stretching his legs. Looking towards the skyloftian as he swung his arm around. Trying to regain feeling. "That. Sounds like a dream."

"It does." The captain paused. Looking down as the Skyloftian shifted below him. Sky wrapped his arms around the Captain's neck. As he nuzzled his head into the Scarf. "uhh... this is new?"

"Not new." A new voice as the Two men turned around. A flash of blue and black as Wild approached them. "Sky's a hugger." The champion smiled as he approached from the woods. The champion looked at Warriors. Then down to the side. "Let's just say that I'll take your watch tonight Captain." He looked back at the two men. "Sky won't let you go. So you might as well rest while he's giving you the opportunity."

"I've..."

"Nope." The champion pointed to the Skyloftian's bedroll. "You go there. If you try to leave him down now He'll wake up and won't sleep for the rest of the night."

"How do you know?"

"Experience. And its too far to ordonan from here to make it in a day if we leave at our normal time."

"Wild It's my watch I really should..."

"You can take partial watch from besides him, but he need's someone close by." Wild smiled, "And anyway, I'd hate to have to set the sailor on you for upsetting him. Or Twilight for making us late to his home which I might add he's been waiting to get to for weeks now."

The captain looked down at the skyloftian, and sighed. Walking over to the skyloftians Bedroll and placing him down on it, being mindful to not jostle him too much.

Time chuckled. As he also went over. Helping the captain settle the Skyloftian down. "I can stay with him if it makes you uncomfortable. I know you dont like being... Confined."

"If I can do it in the war, I can do it with Sky now." The captain leant his arm down, allowing the Skyloftian to curl around it.

Time chuckled again. "Alright. But let me know." The older man patted his shoulder and stood up. Walking away.

Warriors ended up remaining by Sky's side all night. Sleeping sat upright his arm grabbed by the younger man.

When the sun filtered through the trees the following morning. The captain awoke with a groan as he rolled his neck. He sat up and after hearing the rustling of fabric saw a blanket had been placed over him.

"Hey captain..." A soft voice from behind him made him turn around. The Skyloftian stood a few feet away from him. A mug in his hands.

Sky was fully dressed, he looked like He'd been up for a while. The sailcloth draped over his shoulders. finished his approach to the captain and handed him the mug.

Coffee?

Sky knew he drank coffee?

Silence fell between the pair as The captain took a few cautious sips. It was perfect.

"Thank you for last night... You didn't have to do that."

right...

"It's no bother." The captain said gently as he stood. Rolling his shoulders and stretching his arms one at a time. So he could keep a hand on the mug.

"No really. I know you dont like being forced to remain still. You didn't have to do that." The skyloftian shifted nervously as he looked down.

"It's alright."

"It's just I've always got Mia or Zelda at home I'm never alone and since We've been on this quest it takes me so long to get to sleep when I'm alone cause it reminds me of my journey and how it...." Sky began to move his hands rapidly as he spoke rapidly.

"Sky."

"...reminds me of how I lost my best friend saving another i didn't feel alone cause Fi was always by my side and it made me feel safe and I do feel safe around you guys and all but I just..."

"Sky." He tried again.

Sky continued to ramble. His hands twitched nervously as he bunched the sailcloth between his fingers.

"SKY."

The skyloftian stopped, freezing in place.

"It's alright. We are brothers. You need to just ask."

"I..."

"If you say you're sorry, I'll set Wind on you."

"I'm sorry..." Sky spoke so softly as he ripped his hands together. Thinking the Captain hadn't heard him.

The captain raised his eyebrows before raising a hand to his mouth. Sky's eyes widened as he shook his head. and waved his hands in front of him frantically. "You dont need to do that."

"WIND!"

[solradguy]

GUILTY GEAR COMIC ANTHOLOGY - 06: HOPE and 07: EXTRAORDINARY GIRLS OF MYSTERY

Poor Chipp.

Mangadex (webview) - Neocities (download)

[linagram]

[ 𝚈𝚊𝚗𝚘 𝙰𝚜𝚊𝚑𝚒'𝚜 𝚃𝟹 𝚅𝙳 ] 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚃𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙰𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝

THE BOY!!! i wonder if he'll be able to get a full inno combo..

Warnings for Asahi's VD: toxic family dynamics, Asahi also gets to act a little homophobic, but it's played for laughs.

Warnings for Asahi's MV: the aforementioned toxic family dynamics and despite the song's title, there's not any insect/bug motifs, not counting the ending.

(sounds of footsteps)

Hinode: So.. It's time to interrogate your brother, huh?

Hinode: Are you sure you can do this? You can just let me and Eiji-san-

Miki: You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine.

Miki: Why do I even have to worry about anything? I already know I will forgive Marito. 

Miki: .. And you and Eiji-san will forgive him too, right?

Hinode: .. Y-you really love him, haha..

Miki: I've said this before: I can understand Eiji-san's case, but you, Hinode-san..

Miki: You really were okay with punishing your own brother.

Miki: And when he tried to kill himself, the one who saved him was Miyagawa-san and not you.

Miki: You weren't even that worried about him!

Hinode: ...

Miki: I can handle this. I'm still not the best older sister, but at least I actually care about my brother unlike you.

(the door opens)

Asahi: Ah, Miki-nee!

(sounds of Asahi running up to her)

Asahi: I missed you so much! 

Miki:"He's so cute.."

Miki: I'm pretty sure we have talked earlier today though..

Asahi: I don't care. I like you, Miki-nee, so of course I'd want to spend as much time with you as I can.

Hinode: Haha, you really do like her, don't you? I've never seen you act so nice to someone before-

Asahi: .. Miki-nee, do you want me to kill this guy for you?

Miki: Huh?!

Hinode: K-kill?..

Asahi: I don't know, Miki-nee, he's kind of a weirdo.. He looks like the kind of guy who claims he doesn't know anything and then he reveals that he actually knew the whole lore right when we're all about to die.

Asahi: Also he looks gay, honestly.

Miki: ...

Hinode: ...

Hinode: Heh. Miki-san, your br-

Hinode: Uh.. Ahem, I wanted to say that Asahi-san is kinda funny actually.

Asahi: Oh, so you're okay with me calling you a-

Miki: Now, now, how about we start the interrogation?

Asahi: .. Ah. Right. 

Asahi: I forgot that you didn't come here just to.. hang out.

(sound of a screen turning on)

Eiji: Okay, so are you all ready to begin? 

Miki: ".. Why is Eiji-san so.. calm?"

Miki: "He doesn't really talk to me anymore, but he doesn't seem mad about Kei-san's second trial verdict.."

Asahi: Ugh, you're here too..

Eiji: I'm glad to see you again too, Asahi.

Asahi: How can you even see us right now? Aren't all the cameras-

Asahi: !

Miki: ...

Hinode: ...

Asahi: N-never mind-

Eiji: Oh, but I do mind. Asahi, how did you know what happened to the cameras?

Eiji: And to answer your question: I can only see things from the screens in everyone's cells. I can't see anything from the other cameras.

Eiji: "Guess he wasn't able to break into everyone's cells and use the spray paint on the screens too.."

Miki: "So he DID see Yoshioka-san when we were interrogating her."

Asahi: U-uh..

Asahi: H-hey, Miki-nee said to start the interrogation! So stop asking questions that aren't related to my crime!

Asahi: Eiji-nii is such a meanie..

Miki: ...

Miki: "I want to know more about his relationship with Kei-san and possibly Himura-san, but..  Now is not the time."

Miki: Okay, Asahi-san. We know pretty much everything about how your crime went, but there's still one very important thing we have to discuss.

Asahi: .. What is it?

Hinode and Eiji: She's talking about your-

Asahi: I am not going to talk to anyone here except Miki-nee.

Eiji: What? That's just stupid, you have three guards here and you're only going to talk to-

Asahi: Eiji-nii, why don't you go and shove all your bandages in your mouth and choke on them?

Eiji: ...

Miki: .. Why did you kill that woman?

Asahi: ...

Miki: We know how she died, we know about your relationship with her, but why did you kill her?

Miki: You told us that you had to do it to her. I just want to know why.

Asahi: .. I..

Asahi: .. I-It was self-defense.

Eiji: Oh really? You know it can be counted as self-defense only if you were in immediate danger, right?

Eiji: So like.. It can be counted as self-defense only if she tried to attack you or something.

Asahi: .. She didn't attack me, but I'm sure I would've died if I didn't kill her.

Miki: Was she really that dangerous?..

Asahi: .. You know, I don't really believe in God or magic or miracles, or.. anything like that.

Asahi: Like.. Come on. That just sounds dumb.

Asahi: But.. Sometimes I can't help but feel like her not being able to have kids of her own was..

Asahi: .. Maybe her becoming a mother really wasn't meant to happen. And like, for a good reason.

Asahi: She never took me seriously. It's like, she just liked the concept of having children. She didn't actually like having a kid.

Asahi: It's like I was just this cute toy that was supposed to make her go "Awww! Look at you!" and not an actual human being.

Asahi: Yes, she bought me everything I asked for. But when it came to actually spending time with me.. 

Asahi: Seriously, she avoided me like I was the fucking plague.

Asahi: Every time I asked her to go somewhere together, she just went "Oh, sorry, mommy is feeling a little sick".

Hinode: ...

Miki: But.. If she wanted a kid so badly, why couldn't she spend at least some time with you? 

Asahi: .. No idea. Every single time I rebelled against her, every time I showed that I have emotions and I can disagree with her and even hate her, it's like..

Asahi: Her brain just turned off.

Asahi: She just stared at me. And said nothing.

Asahi: It's like she was a spoiled rich girl who said she wanted a pet and when her parents got her one, she just took some pictures with it, played with it a little bit, but when it came to actually taking care of it, she made others do all the work.

Asahi: .. Except in my case, I was alone almost the whole time.

Asahi: Like think about it. She didn't even actually adopt me, she just found me and took me in and made everyone believe it was a kid she adopted because she's so nice.

Eiji: Okay, but.. Why did you think she was going to kill you?

Asahi: I said I'm not going to talk to anyone except Miki-nee-

Eiji: You have already answered my question earlier. Why can't you do it this time too?

Asahi: ...

Hinode: Oh, right, when Eiji-san mentioned the immediate danger part-

Asahi: Fine, fine! You are so annoying..

Asahi: Um.. 

Asahi: .. I got really mad at her and she started saying shit like "Oh, I knew I will never be a good mother"  or "I can't give you what you need".

Asahi: And after that, something.. changed. 

Asahi: It's like she didn't know how to play with her cute little toy anymore.

Asahi: We haven't talked that much after that. She couldn't look me in the eyes.

Asahi: And I think the last straw was me hearing her say to her husband..

Asahi: "You were right. Adopting him was a bad idea".

Miki: ...

Hinode: .. Oh.

Asahi: Haha.. If you were me, what would you think she was going to do to you?

Miki: I-I.. I'd think she didn't actually mean it-

Eiji: I'd think she wants to get rid of me.

Asahi: .. Wow, Eiji-nii, can't believe you actually have a brain in that head of yours.

Miki: Did you think she was going to kill you?!

Asahi: Kind of. She was too weak to attack me, I knew that for sure.

Hinode:.. You thought she was going to kick you out of her house, right?

Asahi: .. Yeah.

Hinode: And for someone like you, with nowhere to go, it would be..

Hinode: Not that different from being killed.

Asahi: .. *nods*

Asahi: .. I was scared.

Miki: E-every child would be, Asahi-san, there's nothing to be ashamed of.

Eiji: Still, your whole plan doesn't make any sense.

Eiji: Like sure, you'd kill her, but what were you going to do after that? I doubt her husband was happy to see her corpse. 

Eiji: And I doubt he wanted to do anything with you after that.

Asahi: .. Eiji-nii.

Asahi: I WAS LITERALLY 11 YEARS OLD WHEN I KILLED HER!

Asahi: I HAD ZERO EXPERIENCE! I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING! I JUST KNEW THAT I HAVE TO STOP HER! IT WAS EITHER ME OR HER!

Eiji: OR YOU COULD HAVE JUST ASKED HER WHAT WAS GOING ON!

Asahi: ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO CALL OUT A CHILD FOR NOT BEING GOOD AT KILLING PEOPLE?!

Eiji: GUESS WHAT, SHE'S DEAD, SO YOU'RE ACTUALLY GOOD AT IT, YOU JUST DIDN'T THINK IT THROUGH!

Asahi: FUCK YOU!

(bell rings, machinery sounds)

Asahi: .. It was him who kicked me out. Her husband.

Asahi: Haha.. He really was not happy about her murder..

Hinode: It sounds like he really loved her, but.. You can't just do something so cruel to a child.

Asahi: .. Are you going to vote me guilty this time? Because it wasn't actually self-defense and it was just me being an idiot?

Miki: I don't know about these two, but..

Miki: Please know that I forgive you, Marito.

Eiji and Hinode: Huh?..

Asahi: .. What did you just call me, Miki-nee?

Miki: O-oh, I-

Miki: .. Whatever. You have to know the truth.

Miki: The third trial is getting closer to its end and we don't have much time, so..

Miki:  Asahi-san. I know you don't remember your past that well.

Miki: You're so young, but you have already lost so many of your memories because they were too scary.

Miki: I know how much you want to see your.. "Real mother" again. 

Miki: But I..  I can't promise you that. I-in fact.. I don't think you're ever going to see her.

Miki: B-but, um.. A-at least you have me.

Miki: Asahi-san, do you remember your family well? You know, the people who you were living with before you met that woman?

Asahi: ...

Miki: You don't have to answer. From what I saw in your second video, I can tell that you do remember them, you just don't want to think about it. And that's okay.

Miki: Just.. Please know that I'm your older sister.

Miki: And the name you had before you met that woman was Andou Marito. 

Asahi: ...

Miki: S-sorry. I wish I could've revealed it in.. a different way and not like this.

Asahi: .. It's fine.

Asahi: I.. I think I actually kinda knew that you're my real family.

Miki: ...

Miki: *sobs*

Eiji: Hey, I know, this scene is supposed to be very touching, but can we extract his video already? We have three more prisoners to interrogate.

Eiji: And all of them cause way too much trouble.

Miki: A-ah, right, right.

Miki: Prisoner 007, Asa-

Asahi: Y-you can call me by my real name. It's fine.

Miki: .. Okay.

Miki: Prisoner 007, Marito, sing your sins!

42% ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░ 100%

[ Asahi Marito's Trial 3 MV: Caterpillar's Cries ]

The video starts with showing us a dark forest. Marito comes out of it and he's not looking good: his hair is messy, his clothes are dirty and he overall looks like he's going to die very soon. He falls on the ground, not having any energy left to walk, and looks up. We see his adoptive mother, Satsuki, and her husband. 

"Hello, who are you? Ah, I see, you're my mother number two

At least that's what you claim to be

But I'm not so sure, I find it hard to believe

My mother would look at me like I was her child and not just a cute new toy"

Satsuki smiles warmly at Marito and holds out her hand to him while her husband turns away. It takes him a moment, but Marito takes her hand.

"But fine, I'll accept your help 

I'll accept your love and affection

Even if I'm not sure if that's what I need

A kid like me doesn't have much of a choice here"

We see Satsuki, her husband and Marito walking into a house that looks really fancy and it really looks like a place where a rich couple would live, but also, their house has a really dark color palette which makes the whole place look intimidating and creepy in some way. Marito looks scared and he walks over to a table. He sees a piece of cake, but just as he's about to take it, someone slaps his hand away and Marito drops the plate on the floor. 

"Hello, who are you? You're not someone I should've become

Does this happen to those who get carried away?

Or does this happen to those who got everything they wanted?

Could it be that you're just like me, except you're completely satisfied?"

The person who slapped his hand away turns out to be Marito himself, but that version of him looks different. This version wears better clothes and simply looks like what you'd expect a rich couple's kid to look like, but his eyes also look.. weird. They look too swirly and colorful. You could say that this version of him is not Andou Marito. It's Yano Asahi.

""Stop, that's enough!" But it will never be enough

Sweet or sour, I don't care, I want everything I could never have

Even if it's rotten, even if it's broken, I just want to have something

Do you understand now? I live like I can die at any moment"

Asahi makes Marito fall on the ground and Marito starts to cry because of how scared he is and because he expects Asahi to hurt him. Suddenly, Asahi stops and looks at Marito. Something about the boy's reaction makes him change his mind and he helps him get up. 

"I don't understand, why do you understand me so well?

It's like you're me, it's like we really are family

Please, please, help me stop feeling so empty

Fill this void, say I'm not alone, say I can have everything, say I can have more"

The boys are walking somewhere now. Marito starts to notice that there's a lot of food, toys and other things lying on the floor as they walk. He starts picking those things up meanwhile Asahi doesn't seem to care about this stuff at all. Marito starts seeing weird ghost-like visions of Satsuki and his other self. They all show Satsuki giving him the exact things that are lying on the floor right now. At first Asahi looks genuinely happy to receive them and thanks her. But as those visions continue to show up, Marito notices that Asahi starts to look more and more disappointed with each new gift, until eventually he rejects one of them, making Satsuki look at him with a confused expression. We don't get to see what this gift looks like exactly and it looks blurry. Marito wonders why this happened and he looks at all the things he picked up. Asahi looks at him and simply shakes his head and sighs. 

"Why would you do this? Are you this ungrateful?

Don't you remember what we had to go through?

Do you really need more? Do I really need more?

Do I need at least something? Or do I need everything?"

Finally, they walk into a room that seems to belong to Asahi. This room has so many toys everywhere that you can't even see the floor. Marito looks at all the toys and his eyes start to sparkle, but then he sees a small table in the middle of the room and three chairs. It looks like Asahi has decided to hold a tea party. 

Now we see Marito, Asahi and a plushie having a tea party together. Marito looks happy, but Asahi looks like he's thinking deeply about something. Marito notices it and takes one of the plushies and makes it kiss Asahi on the cheek and smiles. 

"Why are you so nice? It's like we really are family

Maybe kindness really was what I needed from the start

I just wanted someone to hug me and say that they love me

I was tired from all the gifts that had no love inside"

Asahi blushes and tries to act serious, but it also looks like he's.. sad for some reason. Marito continues to drink his tea..

Until he suddenly drops his cup. It looks like he's in pain. 

""Stop, that's enough!" But it will never be enough

No matter how hard anyone tries, I will never be satisfied

It's time for me to admit that I will never be truly happy

Do you understand now? Maybe death was what I wanted from the start"

Marito falls on the floor while Asahi watches him and when Marito looks at him, he sees that he's.. crying. Asahi walks over to him with that plushie in his hands and he gives it to him. Marito takes the plushie and hugs it. He closes his eyes. 

"It's fine, it's okay, as long as you love me and I love you

Maybe your love will satisfy the hunger I've felt since the day I was born

Or maybe it will do nothing but make the void consume me

Honestly, I just want to be loved, who cares about the consequences?"

He opens his eyes again. They are as weird as Asahi's. He's wearing the exact same clothes as him. Satsuki walks into his room. She's holding the same toy Asahi rejected in one of the visions.

"Please, say that I am a good kid

Say that you will take care of me, say that one day your house will feel like home

Please don't throw me away

Don't punish me for my greed, forgive me again and again and again"

It's a caterpillar plushie.

The video ends. 

[throughpatchesofviolet]

I've been doing a lot of thinking, lately, and I ended up reflecting on my identity a bit, yesterday--mainly through Sherry, since she's my conduit for self exploration and reflection, but specifically in a situation where she's trying to explain herself to Heathcliff.

Specifically, I was thinking about how I experience romantic attraction, and how Sherry--even just based on her source material--is very much some flavor of aromantic and asexual. I don't really use any labels, and neither does she, but that's because I have had negative experiences with them.

Anyway, something about Sherry trying to explain to Heathcliff that she doesn't really feel romantic love is very cathartic to me. I project onto her a lot, so she's maybe had an inkling of romantic attraction once or thrice (one of her little crushes was Hubert, to keep it in line with my canon lore), but it's never gone anywhere, and usually fades pretty quickly.

I feel Heathcliff wouldn't really understand what she means--he'd have a hard time wrapping his head around someone not feeling (romantic) love, especially since he's known that feeling pretty much all his life--but he'd also be the first to defend her from anyone who thinks her lack of interest in romance is "weird." Even if he doesn't completely understand her feelings, he cares about Sherry, and he knows how it feels to be treated differently because of who he is, so why wouldn't he stick up for her?

Like I said above, Sherry doesn't use labels--she simply knows romance isn't something she needs to be satisfied with herself. Yes, she may eventually find someone she feels genuine, long-lasting romantic attraction towards (Heathcliff--much, much later on), but she's come to terms with the fact that, if she doesn't, she'll be okay on her own.