#it is also associated with relationships!!

[superbat-lmao]

Sometimes I see time-travel!superbat where Bruce meets an older version of Clark and can’t quite believe that it’s not an alternate reality. That things will play out for him like it did his counterpart. Where he doesn’t believe that he’s worth it, or that anyone could stick around through his idiosyncrasies.

The fics unfold as Clark weathering that paranoia or distrust. His amusement at Bruce’s obstinacy. Or Bruce’s shock and disbelief at having a relationship.

What I would like, is a fic where Clark meets older!Bruce, one who has been married for years and shows how he loves his husband. Where Clark sometimes can’t quite convince himself that Bruce actually wants their relationship and isn’t just humoring him in some sort of way. That under all of Bruce’s masks, the ones that choose the most optimal decision in any situation, the ones that stress team cohesion and efficiency, that Bruce just wants him. Plain and simple. No ulterior motive. Just want.

I want that Clark to meet a Bruce who is so settled in his marriage, that he doesn’t realize how the smallest of concessions are blazing neon signs to Clark. Laughing at a joke, leaning into touches, faint non-smiles, eye rolls, shifting his weight, literally any tell of his that he normally suppresses and just. Allows Clark to see. Puts on for Clark because he knows it amuses him. Wants him to see and be a part of.

Just, the easy acceptance of Clark’s love that he couldn’t convince himself he’d be able to make Bruce believe. Being loved back, just as fiercely. Altering habits not out of necessity, but preference. For someone so stoic, so controlled and measured in their every response, to see him be as relaxed as he’s capable of. To know that Clark has shaped that relaxation.

I think that the first thing Bruce does, unthinkingly, catches Clark off guard. Maybe he blinks at a question or raises an eyebrow. Reacts in a way he doesn’t usually allow. And an alarm goes off in Clark’s head. He keeps a list, a tally of all the ways this man isn’t his Bruce, all of the ways he’s softer. He thinks there must be something wrong. An alternate universe, a trick of some sort. Because it’s wrong. For as miraculous as it is to see a Batman that actually chuckled at one of his jokes, it strikes him as wrong. Some sort of forced personality change.

And if he confronts Bruce about it?

Bruce is devastated. To learn that the man who becomes his husband doesn’t believe that his love will affect him in measurable ways. That Clark will actually distrust him for how he’s changed. That the most remarkable thing he’s ever been a part of is so unbelievable that Clark looks for other explanations.

And Bruce may acknowledge that he can do a poor job of showing it, did a poor job of showing it in the beginning, but he loves Clark. For no particular reason other than that he wants to. It is not kindness or pity or whatever other misguided concerns Clark has. It’s that he wants him and allowed himself to be changed. To be better. And he tells him so.

(When older!Bruce sees younger!Bruce he has a few helpful suggestions. Well, he thinks they’re helpful. Younger!Bruce can’t quite see how “make sure to roll your eyes once a week” would make his future marriage better, but who is he to question it? It obviously worked out. Even if Clark looks at him like he’s grown a second head the first time he does it. Actually he’s pretty sure he x-rayed him but won’t call him on it. Just this once.)

[miyamiwu]

A Guide to Chinese Names & Nicknames for your Fandom Needs (Part 1)

I made this guide with my different CMedia fandoms in mind, but it should apply to any other Chinese media.

Something that has been irking me a lot since To Be Hero X penetrated the mainstream English fandom spaces is how many people keep referring to the characters by just their surnames 😭. It sounds weird and demonstrates a lack of knowledge on Chinese culture in general. I don’t blame these people, though. A lot of the TBHX fans are new to donghua, and we’re also past the era of fansubs with detailed translation notes.

However, it’s no excuse to stay ignorant. To help you avoid making the same mistake again, here’s a Chinese names guide for your fanfic and meta needs.

Disclaimer: I am not Chinese, but I have been studying the language for years and also engage in a lot of CMedia. So, I do know some stuff. Regardless, if you find any errors in this post, feel free to tell me so I can correct it.

Note: Fandom-specific examples are written in small text like this.

Essentials

1. Chinese name order is Surname first, followed by Given Name.

Chinese surnames are usually only one syllable, making it easy to figure out which character in the full name is the surname. Just look at the first one.

However, there are a few two-syllable surnames, like Sima, Ouyang, Zhuge, etc. You may refer to this list for other two-syllable surnames.

In Link Click, Liu Siwen’s partner is named Ouyang, and in some subs it’s written as Ou Yang. However, Ouyang is actually just her surname, since her father is named Ouyang Bubai. We don’t know daughter!Ouyang’s given name. I also don’t understand why Liu Siwen would call her by just surname...

2. Calling someone by both their surname and given name is the neutral, normal way to call anyone.

To those calling Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi as just Lu and Cheng, and Lin Ling and Yang Cheng as just Lin and Yang… Please don’t. Who tf are those 😭

2.2. But in some stories, characters may not have surnames.

In the danmei (Chinese BL) novel Bestial Blade, the setting is a prehistoric-ish tribal society where nobody has surnames. Although some characters may have two-character names, the first character is actually part of the given name and not a surname. In the case of characters with only one-chara given names, affixes/honorifics are added when addressing them. This will be explained later.

2.3. Nobody calls anyone by only one syllable, unless there’s a special reason behind it.

Example 1: In To Be Hero X episode 8, every child in the orphanage has no surname and go by only a one-character given name. But nobody really calls Qing/Cyan as just “Qing.” It’s not always in the English subtitles, but children and adults alike actually call Qing as Xiao Qing (Little Qing). The “xiao” is a term of endearment, and it’s explained later on in this post. At one point, the orphanage director also calls her by the nickname “Qing Qing.”

The one time Xiao Qing was called with only “Qing” in this episode was at the end, when the orphanage director got mad at her. Not using xiao or calling her by nickname at that moment was really chilling.

Example 2: In the danmei novel Your Distance, there were instances where the male lead Bai Changyi addressed the protagonist Ting Shuang by just “Ting.” This sounds weird, but it’s fine ’cause it was on purpose. In the context of the story (two Chinese men living in Germany) and the relationship between the characters at that time (not that close), it sounded as if Bai Changyi was trying to keep his distance from Ting Shuang by refusing to associate with him like how one would with a fellow Chinese.

3. A close family member calling you by full name and without any honorific can be odd.

Like, imagine your mom calling you by full name. Once or twice, it sounds like you’re in trouble (re: Lucky Cyan example in 2.3). But all the time? Your mom hates you.

Nicknames or given name+honorific is more normal.

This doesn’t apply to Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling from Link Click, even though they canonically consider each other as siblings. Idk, maybe because they have different surnames and aren’t really blood-related? Anyways, how they address each other is fine. And considering how they get along with each other, I also think they’d find those affectionate nicknames cringe 😂

4. If the given name is more than one syllable, then it’s fine to address that person by only given name and without any affixes and honorifics. This is an indication of closeness/familiarity.

e.g. In Link Click: Xia Fei calling Cheng Xiaoshi as only “Xiaoshi.”

However, there are instances where an older person may call a younger person by given name even if they aren’t that close. Like, a preschool teacher addressing their student by only given name is acceptable.

In family, an elder addressing someone from the younger generation with only given name is also normal, regardless of how close they are. But the opposite is not true. It is generally considered rude for someone younger to call an older relative by only given name.

Chinese Nicknames via Name Variation

5. It can be formed by repeating a syllable in the person’s name.

This, for me, is the most affectionate way to address someone. It sounds very cute.

Lin Ling (林凌) from To Be Hero X can be called Ling Ling (凌凌), and that’s why the Chinese fandom abbreviates his name as 00. In Chinese, zero is 零, which is also pronounced as líng.

5.2. However, be careful in choosing which syllable to repeat because you might end up with a nickname that doesn’t sound nice.

In Link Click S1E1, Cheng Xiaoshi laughed when Qiao Ling called Lu Guang “Guang Guang.” This is because Guang Guang sounds a lot like wang wang, the Chinese onomatopoeia for a dog’s bark. (Some subs translated “Guang Guang” as “good boy” to get the joke across.)

In a similar vein, please don’t nickname Wang Qing as Wang Wang 😭. Qing Qing 青青 is much prettier; it sounds like the qingqing 轻轻 that means “softly” or “gently.”

5.3 Also consider how you’re portraying a character in your fic.

Would Vein from Link Click, whose Chinese name is Xiāo Wèiyǐng 萧未影, be comfortable being called Yǐng Yǐng 影影? The tones are different, but if you say it fast enough the sound isn’t that far from the yīngyīng 嘤嘤 which is a cutesy way of crying in text online (similar to “huhuhu” in English).

Xiāo Xiāo 萧萧 also sounds close to xiǎo xiǎo 小小, which means tiny.

Xiao Xiao and Ying Ying don’t really sound “manly,” but they’re not exactly bad nicknames either (I think). Just consider the context of your story before going with any of them. If unsure, consult a dictionary or a native Chinese speaker.

6. Adding the prefix ā 阿 for monosyllabic names.

This is more common in Southern China.

In To Be Hero X, Ahu’s name is actually the prefix ā 阿 + the character hǔ 虎, which means “tiger.”

In Mo Dao Zu Shi, Wei Ying is called A’Ying. In Bestial Blade, every female supporting character in the Black Eagle tribe is named with the prefix ā 阿 + a one-character given name.

You can only append ā 阿 to one character. So, no “A’Wei Ying.” Just A’Ying.

7. Adding the suffix 儿 (-r or -er).

This is more common in Northern China.

The subtitles don’t show it, but Nezha, from the Demon Child movie, is called Zha’er by his parents.

8. Adding the word 小 xiǎo (little) before the name.

You add this before the name of those younger than you or subordinate to you.

In Link Click S2, Liu Lan actually calls Li Tianxi “Xiao Xi.” But in some subtitles, they put in “Xixi,” probably for English localization.

When done among relatives and family friends, it is a neutral, informal way of calling someone. Cute, but also doesn’t express any special-ness since it’s no surprise for an aunt to call her niece as Xiao + Given Name. Still much more affectionate than just calling them by given name, though.

However, when done in a work setting…

a boss calling one employee with Xiao + Surname expresses some degree of favorability, especially if they still call the other employees by full name.

An older employee calling their younger boss with Xiao would sound like they’re not taking them seriously because of their age.

An old, mature boss calling their reckless new and young recruit with Xiao could indicate they think their employee is childish.

So yeah, it all depends on context as well as the speaker’s tone when they say it.

Xiao + Given Name is often used for children.

e.g. Empress Wu from White Cat Legend calls Li Bing “Xiao Bing-za.” Ignore the “za” for now, but the fact that an Empress is calling her subject with Xiao + Given Name is enough to show how much she favors Li Bing. Or maybe she just thinks he’s like a little kid, since she is waaay older than him. (Don’t be fooled by her young facade; she’s an old lady.) Regardless, “Xiao Bing-za” sounds very informal.

Xiao + Repeated Syllable (re: #5) sounds really cute. A bit childish, perhaps, but it really depends on context and tone.

Not a fandom example, but I used to call my cat Xiao Maomao (little cat cat)

9. Adding the word 老 lǎo (old) before the surname.

This is like the opposite of xiao, and it comes across as more rough/casual. Compared to xiao, it has more of a “bro” vibe.

Lao is often used for those older than you, while xiao for those younger.

But between those of the same age, you can use either depending on the kind of tone you want to achieve (re: #8 for notes on xiao)

If you use lao for someone younger, it could come off as ingratiating or extremely respectful.

Link Click: I can imagine Cheng Xiaoshi addressing Lu Guang as “Lao Lu” when begging him for a difficult favor 😂

That’s all for now! For a more comprehensive guide on Chinese nicknames, check out these resources:

How to Address Chinese People Correctly – Appellations in Chinese

30+ Chinese Nicknames: A Guide to Popular Choices and Cultural Significance

In part 2 of this post, I will talk about Chinese honorifics.

[emmajh97-mumaji]

So I was reading the P5R Art Book I got (with the help of Google Translate akjdsf), when I got to the section showing off the Faith and The Councilor cards. And...

Creator's Comment-- "...The Advisor looks like the Sun, but is actually Mars..."

...holy shit. That gave me pause.

Because, as someone who is an avid student of The Tarot and understands the symbolic significance of Mars, I finally realized...

IT'S THE HECKING TOWER. MARUKI IS THE TOWER DISGUISED AS THE SUN.

The Sun is associated with exactly what it says on the tin-- representing the light of the soul, joy, and warmth in both Tarot and in Astrology. Conversely The Tower card is associated with astrological Mars-- the planet of War and Destruction. More importantly, The Tower represents the hand of fate violently destroying foundations once thought to be stable. Dismantling any constructed sense of control a person has, humbling them and forcing them to start over with a clean slate.

Look at the people falling from the top of The Councilor card just like how they do in The Tower card. Seeing those sad people fall may look like a hint to Maruki being not all that he seems but, when you tie that to the symbolic meaning of The Tower, it goes from a wink and a nod to a straight up spoiler for his entire character arc!

Maruki has constructed this happy facade that needs to be brought crumbling down, not just for the sake of the world being held mercy by his delusions, but for his own healing journey to actually begin.

And even if you just look at it literally-- Maruki's final boss fight is punctuated by his giant tower-like Palace shattering and him nearly falling to his death if not for Joker catching him in time!

IT'S HECKING BRILLIANT. WAAGH!!!

To go even further-- I also love how the Faith card (both versions) are obviously a fusion of imagery from The Hierophant and The Devil cards.

I don't have as coherent an argument to make here, but there are definitely implications.

The fact that The Hierophant card is also known as 'The Teacher', and that The Councilor card even takes the place of The Hierophant in one deck, makes me think that this is hinting at Maruki's influence over 'Kasumi'... and how she overcomes it.

It could also represent Sumire's relationship with the real Kasumi. (Note how the devils in the reversed Faith card are smiling as they parade around a corpse; meanwhile in the true Faith card, where the High Priest is alive and well, the servants look disheartened/depressed by the reality of their situation.)

Tying it back to Maruki again-- it is said that the titular tower on The Tower card is one built by The Devil. It is the beautiful lie that we build to hide an ugly truth. Maruki destroys 'Kasumi's beautiful lie when he forces her to remember that she's actually Sumire. Then in turn, Sumire destroys Maruki's beautiful lie when she shows him that overcoming her ugly truth wasn't only possible- but is how she became her best self.

"So you truly don't want it, huh? ...Looks like I'm totally finished."

[olderthannetfic]

Two points re the eternal fixed top/bottom vs. verse discourse, coming from a submissive femme bisexual in a butchfemme relationship who doesn't mind either fixed t/b or verses in fiction.

The first one is that I think people are protesting a bit too much about the possibility of queer relationships being influenced by cishet gender norms. Most of us grew up in contexts where cishet relationships and the roles associated with them are THE default and more or less the only examples of romantic relationships, so it only makes sense that we'd carry that over onto our queer relationships or identify to some extent with the roles society gives us. This does NOT make those sorts of relationships worse or less queer or less progressive, but I feel like we've gotten to a point where people get so defensive as soon as you even hint at being somehow influenced by traditional notions of gender or relationship roles that it's sort of counterproductive. We've had notions of bottoming being feminine for 2000+ years, I pinky swear you didn't unpack all your baggage around that by the time you're 22. And you could unpack it and still decide that you like being an effeminate person who bottoms and leaning into those roles and stereotypes as a form of self-expression and signaling what you expect from a relationship and that's okay too (that's what I do)!

The second point is that, especially in fandom, there are stereotypes and constellations of traits that people associate with tops and bottoms that can feel frustrating because they warp everything around them. It's easier with original fiction because if I don't want to read tall top/twink bottom I can look for something else, and in any case the characters are constructed from scratch to fit those stereotypes. In fanfiction it's annoying when characterization and even appearance are warped to fit the stereotypes: two guys of the same height and build suddenly having a huge size difference that was never there in canon is the ur-example. In one of my fandoms there's a pretty, effeminate twink who bottoms canonically and I'm cool with that, but he's also the most utilitarian dresser in the setting and 95% of the fic makes him fashionable and vain and appearance oriented. That man does NOT have a skincare routine. He washes his face with plain water only and has ten pairs of identical black/grey/navy T-shirt and pants combos. And I don't really care if this is a stereotype that comes from bottoms=women or a stereotype within the queer community (I suspect it's actually because he's blonde and rich in addition to being a twink who bottoms), it's just annoying with how much it warps characterization. You do also sometimes see the opposite, in the sense of people trying to force feminine traits or some reversal on gender roles onto, say, a completely generic masc man to be "progressive", and any criticism of how much his character is warped in the process is labeled as "let men be masculine".

Tl;dr even IRL most people don't fit ALL the stereotypes for their type of queer person, and a lot of complaints come down to how fucking boring it is when you warp all fictional characters into the same basic mold. Fixed T/B is cool just for fuck's sake let them have some personality that doesn't tie into T/B common places.

--

[feyweird]

I woke up thinking about how Fitz is associated with a wolf, yes, but also with the buck, symbolizing a predator vs prey relationship within himself as well as outside of himself. Likewise Beloved is associated with cats often, and later with birds (golden pheasant, crow). Another predator-prey duality. This is complicated later by when they drink dragon blood, and become more serpentine flavored. Crows will eat snakes of various kinds, especially young ones. It's like this duality can't be escaped necessarily, only transmuted. Even when Fitz embraces the buck role more openly later in the F&F trilogy, his wolfish nature is more internalized, but not gone. Motley will not bond with him, not in the way Nighteyes had, but more in the way that crows typically bond with wolves and deer, as an outside observer of this dynamic and how they can benefit from it for their survival. It also makes me think of tarot cards and their reverse forms. I'm sure this can be observed in other characters, like how Kettricken is associated with the fox and deer. Foxes are not a primary predator of deer, but will occasionally go for a fawn if desperate. Still a threat, but not a direct threat. I think this does fit symbolically with how certain people see her introduction into Buckkeep politics. I think it would be fun to create an oracle card deck with these themes.

[katerinaaqu]

The connection of the word "head" as a connotation of the word "life" is a common expression in Greece. One way we use it is for example "Κόβω το κεφάλι μου ότι..." ("I chop my head that...") basically goes like "I would have sworn that..." basically speaking of something you are so certain of that you would risk your life in a bet for it

Or "Βάζω το κεφάλι μου στον τορβά" ("place my head upon the executioner's board") aka "risking too much" or "taking unecessary risks"

The association of a head to life is common even nowadays in Greece

Either way the mourning of Achilles is definitely something one could speak hours on and I have only touched the subject to my analysis here:

Achilles and his self-destructive tendencies after Patroclus died is definitely a subject that ironically can never be spoken enough. Also on Achilles expressing emotions which I made a small post about

The subject of emotion in Achilles is a huge subject for sure especially to linking to his most intimate relationships

Well, time to ramble about the Iliad again even tho no one asked, yay! This time it's about language: there's one specific expression which I'm kind of obsessed with, and it's φίλη κεφαλή (phìle kephalè).

So, phìle is the feminine form of the adjective phìlos (the word where philtatos comes from), which obviously means "dear", "beloved": but by extension, in the Homeric language especially, it means "something that belongs to someone". Which actually makes sense because it's basically implied that if something belongs to someone, it has to be something dear to them. And this is mostly used with body parts (like, instead of saying "my hands", in Homer you'd find something along "the dear hands" and so on.)

And that's where kephalè comes in! The word literally means "head". In the poem there's a lot of talking about heads: chopped heads, disfigured heads, pierced heads, and so on. But many times, metaphorically, it can also mean "body" or "life". Why? Because, since the head is the most important part of one's body, it is the essential part in order to live. And of course it's "dear" to you, because otherwise you'd be dead.

So what happens if you put the two words together? You basically get an affectionate form of address, which could be translated to "my dear head", but most precisely "my dear life".

In the Iliad, when Achilles learns of Patroclus' death, he states to have loved him "like his own head" (kephalè is the word he uses), and right after, he refers to Hector as the man who killed his phìle kephalè...

Because the head is to the body what Patroclus is to Achilles: the most important and precious part of himself. And now that he's lost him, he feels as if Hector had killed a whole part of himself, the one that kept him alive. Because his head has been literally torn away from him.

Also in another passage he refers to Patroclus as ηθείη κεφαλή (hethèie kephalè), where hethèie basically means "sweet", "beloved", "worthy of honor". And once again the "head".

I'll stop rambling for now, but this stuff was just too beautiful not to be talked about?? (and for me not to hyperfixate over it)

[marichild]

ciel for the character ask game!!

OMG ANON HI. THANK YOU FOR THIS AAAA I CAN TALK ABT MY BABY.... ask game

CIEL PHANTOMHIVE

favorite thing about them: he’s my babyyyy <3 three apples tall and they’re all laced with cyanide. he’s a baby who turns to arson and is impossibly kind and tries his very best to be cruel and heartless but he cares. he wants to be an adult but he’s a child who needs essential growing-up experiences and wants them no matter what he says.

least favorite thing about them: literally nothing could make me hate him. ever

favorite line: i have two actually—

“There are only two kinds of people in this world. Those who steal, and those who are stolen from. And today, I steal your futures. That’s all there is to it.” there’s something about the way he says it so coldly, especially knowing he wasn’t thinking rationally at the time; especially knowing that this night will come to be one of his greatest regrets. he sincerely believes what he says, but. does that make any of what he’s doing any easier to digest? does it help him any?

“I’m a hopelessly self-centered and righteous person. That’s why I took your hand to repay the disgraces against me. Not for anyone else’s sake, but for myself!” oh god. first of all the first time I read this scene (and the entire arc in general) I was crashing the fuck out. second of all what I think about this scene is that he isn’t lying, but that he does want revenge for his brother and parents. he isn’t half as self-centered and self-righteous as he believes he is; those things may be true, but at the same time: he’s so hopelessly kind. he cares so much. he cannot be like his brother as much as he tries and he’s buckling under the weight of his trauma. god. my baby.

brOTP: tbh. as much as ciel & sebastian compels me. all of the servants and soma and also sieglinde. cannot pick one over other. the thing is ciel phantomhive is literally a friendship is magic bitch and he’s just in denial about it.

OTP: cielizzie ❤️ this is less in a romance way and more of a weird fucked up fell-for-the-facade way + partnership built on odd trust way. also they are in love. don’t ask me to elaborate I’ll pull up with a whole essay on ciel’s relationships

nOTP: ehhhh nothing I would not read if it was done in an interesting way tbh

random headcanon: I saw a post abt this a few weeks ago!!! but!!! ciel needs his walking stick not just for decorative / status purposes but also because he genuinely needs it, since his body still isn’t as strong as it should be with a combination of his chronic illness and his still being underweight and low-stamina after spending so long in that cage. he has chronic pain, too, probably, in addition to an off depth perception that he has since adjusted to. yes the cricket match was hell for him. (<- now you may ask. mari if he’s your baby why are you doing this to him. idk man the logical chain of events says this is most likely to happen despite him being thirteen years old.)

unpopular opinion: okay I’m going to cheat a bit but since r!ciel is ciel phantomhive also. r!ciel is not a little bitch and I do not trust you if you purposefully hate on him ❤️ that is a child under the influence of a grown adult immortal man and has been through exactly what his brother has been through and suffered something his brother will never understand. also does a child being a nightmare not delight you. come on

song i associate with them: oh god. um. mukanjyo by survive said the prophet is one I associate with him sometimes. uhh. what else. blue & grey by bts I suppose. wiege from alien stage because it was brought up in the hunting dogs server one time and I cannot get the image of the phantomhive twins in place of hyuluka (as siblings ofcs do not shoot me please).

favorite picture of them

I have two again <3 LOOK HOW ADORABLE HE IS IN THE FIRST ONE IN HIS HALLOWEEN DEMON OUTFIT. something abt the startled expression because those kids pushed a candy basket into his hands 🥺🥺

second of all I’m specifically insane about this one because: once upon a time you would have folded into your the shadow your brother casts but no longer. you’re made of something sharper and more jagged now; who you have become wants the parts of the world you were once happy to relinquish. you are no longer going to sit and be heartbroken about being the sickly spare because you are not anymore. you spent years molding yourself into something you are not and succeeded halfway and sacrificed so much for the brother who just comes back and plucks it out of your hands with the kind of effortless heartless joy and sadism that you could never replicate. who said you’re just going to sit around and let it happen?

[rosary-enthusiast]

I feel great comfort in the idea of the Gods feeling no need to label sexuality, as done by the Greeks. Unfortunately, Ancient Greece was not as openly gay as commonly believed, much of the homoeroticism expressed, especially in Athens, was explicitly an exclusively masculine, wealthy, expression of power. A social status symbol for an older man sexualizing a younger boy, understood today to be abusive. Much of the time a more equal relationship between men was seen as inappropriate & indulgent.

However, queer people more comparable to modern day relationships did in fact exist, & I don’t doubt the Gods do not discriminate in their love.

I often use Saint Sebastian as a representation of Apollo, because he’s associated with arrows, athletes, & beautiful young men. Saint Sebastian is unofficially often referred to as the patron of gay men, & it isn’t lost on me that Apollo can be interpreted as a similar homoerotic figure. He is perfect in body, & he is supposed to be the masculine ideal, often praised in Greece especially. I choose to interpret his relationship with Hyacinthus as a representation of this aspect of him.

Artemis was never married, & never had children. She clearly prefers the company of women, at least mythologically, & her relationship with the nymphs can be interpreted as sapphic in nature. What could be more sacred to the protector of women, then two women loving each other?

Dionysus is the god of the outcasts, & the downtrodden. His worshippers were those mistreated by society, & he subverts gender many times. According to some he was raised as a girl, & the image of him we are more familiar with is very much effeminate. He has an epithet referring to his wide sexual preference, both as the giver & the receiver, which at the time would have been a subversive act, as well as something that challenges the expectations of a masculine person. He is also associated with theater & performers, which is a big part of queer culture.

Sappho prayed to Aphrodite concerning her love for another woman, not to mention Aphrodite was born from the testicles of a man, which could be seen as a transition of genders.

Basically, the gods love you. Although the Greeks were a very different society to ours, & we should view things within a historical context, it’s not wrong to want to reclaim some of that history for yourself. If you see yourself in the gods, in figures of mythology, that is not only ok, but it is what people have been doing for all of time. Stories change meaning, & evolve.

[talonabraxas]

“In order to know the light, we must first experience the darkness.” — C.G. Jung

Hekate - Greek Goddess of Magic, Crossroads, & the Moon

Hecate is a formidable goddess who has assumed numerous incarnations since her early beginnings in Ancient Greece. Although tales of her ancestry differ according to myth, she is popularly thought to be the daughter of the Titan god of destruction, Perses, and the Titan goddess of falling stars and the night, Asteria. With such a power couple behind her, it is no surprise that Hecate is considered one of Ancient Greece's most powerful deities.

To the poet Sappho, Hecate is Queen of the Night. To Hesiod, she is 'Supreme, both in Heaven and in the Underworld'. To Shakespeare, she is the mistress of the three witches in Macbeth. Hecate presides over spirits and magic. She can be found at the crossroads - both physical and metaphoric. She stands at the doorways and portals to other realms - including the spirit realm. And as such, she is a very good deity for College of Psychic Studies students to have on side.

Persephone, Demeter & Hecate

Many will know Hecate from the Persephone-Demeter-Hecate myth. When Hades, lord of the Underworld, saw the beautiful maiden Persephone, he fell instantly in love. Persephone was not only beautiful, she also had a fine pedigree, being the daughter of the great god Zeus and Demeter, goddess of nature. Hades planned to capture her and make her his queen. One day, Persephone was out gathering flowers. Hades seized his chance and kidnapped her. No one heard Persephone's scream… except the goddess Hecate.

Hecate took pity on Persephone, and on her mother, Demeter, who was wrought with worry for her missing daughter. Armed with a pair of blazing torches, she ventured into the Underworld to find Persephone and guide her back. Mother and daughter were reunited, but Persephone was doomed to return to Hades for a portion of the year. During these dark months, Persephone would assume her throne as Queen of the Underworld, with Hecate, her trusted companion and guardian, by her side.

The Triple Goddess

Classics scholar Károly Kerényi famously wrote that the Greek myths and their deities are archetypal blueprints of the human soul. The Persephone-Demeter-Hecate myth is the Triple Goddess: Maiden, Mother, Crone. It embodies all aspects of the goddess, and the three phases of the moon - Waxing, Full and Waning. Robert Graves describes this relationship beautifully in The Golden Fleece (1944): 'Maiden, Nymph and Mother are the eternal royal Trinity... and the Goddess, who is worshipped in each of these aspects as New Moon, Full Moon and Old Moon, is the Sovereign Deity.'

The Crone or waning moon aspect is Hecate. Another representation of Hecate, according to Barbara Walker in The I Ching of the Goddess (1986), is the Hindu goddess Kali. Hecate is associated with old age, death, winter, and, ultimately, rebirth. Her appearance heralds a call to transformation and healing, the end of a life phase leading to the inevitable start of a new one.

As the Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess, Hecate is the wise woman. She assists in times of difficulty as the midwife to the psyche, bringing us through metamorphosis. Just as Hecate guided Persephone from the Underworld, she guides us through the dark night of the soul. Standing at the crossroads of our life, facing all directions with her flaming torches, Hecate can see into the past, present and future. She is the clairvoyant way-shower, lighting our path forward when we don't know where to turn.

Calling on the goddess Hecate

Any aspiring medium, intuitive and magic-maker would do well to call on the goddess Hecate for support and guidance. Hecate is as comfortable in the spirit world as she is in this one. She can assist us in strengthening our connection to spirit and support us in opening up and developing our clairs and psychic abilities. Hecate can also guide us on our path, showing us the next step in our self-development.

As with any deity, our relationship with Hecate is unique to each of us. However, there are various traditional ways to honour her. One is to be kind to dogs. Hecate's familiar is a black dog, so when you treat your canines with kindness, Hecate will look kindly on you. Another is to celebrate Hecate's traditional feast day on 13th August. Whether you place a dog figurine on your altar, or practice a monthly dark moon ritual to celebrate her, you will find a powerful ally in the goddess Hecate.

[smoltimidturtle]

Time for part 2!!!! Also another warning for spoilers of OW!

Day 16: If you went to wonderland, what would your wish be? Do you think you'd eventually be corrupted?

To know what it feels like to be loved....or to know what it feels like to be wanted/needed and not always an after thought/forgotten about.

Yeeeeah, I could definitely see myself getting corrupted by Wonderland.

Day 17: Have you ever created any OW characters in another game?

Not yet....but if I get back into games like Stardew Valley or Terraria it might give me enough of a reason to create one of them!

Day 18: Do you have a favourite OW ship?

GENZOU/IGGY ALL THE WAY BABBBBY!!!!!!

(also Iggy/Orlam!)

Day 19: Has OW, or its characters, made any kind of positive impact on your life?

It's for sure has made me rethink my past friendships and mistakes, and want to rectifie them in some way. Also made me want to reach out to my more recent friends and apologise them. But have to get over my social anxiety for that 🥲

Day 20: Draw a silly doodle!

(I can't draw for shit!)

Day 21: If you were to write a fanfic, what would you most like to write?

I may, or may not, already have some in the works (but I've got to finish all my other fics first!) But I'm thinking of sick fics or hurt/comfort ones!

Day 22: Have you had any dreams based on OW?

Potentially....and I'm not telling!

Day 23: What is your favourite scene in the entire game?

I'm just going to name one for each arc, because there's so many good ones!

Arc 1: The end scene with Buck. It really sets the tone for the rest of the game!

Arc 2: Genzou and Iggy comforting each other after fighting Gidget!

Arc 3: The scene in Orlam's apartment.

Arc 4: The dance scene!

Arc 5 (I'm going to cheat here a list more than one!): The scene between Orlam and Genzou in the castle, the slowdance between Iggy and Orlam, the entirety of Iggy/Genzou's route, the final wish scene, and telling Bucks to come home!

Day 24: If you could ad a new CG anywhere in the game, where would you add it?

End of neutral route, all of them (now as adults) recreating the prom photo. That or Bucks pulling them all into a big hug!

Day 25: Are there any parts in the game you don't like to replay?

Any of the SA scenes.....

Day 26: It's Iggy's Birthday!!

If he's ok with it then I'd give him a hug. And that's it's ok to still be figuring stuff out well into your 30's! (Still doing that myself!) And also wish him a fantastic Birthday!

Day 27: Is there a song you associate with OW?

I've made an entire playlist for this exact reason!

Day 28: If you could add a new arc, what so you think would be the most interesting?

Would love to see more of Bucks, as we didn't get to see much of her. Maybe see more of the struggle's she had to face becoming a mother, and the dreams she had to sacrifice.

Day 29: Is there anything about OW or it's characters you're still curious/wander about?

Probably Hunar as we never really got to know him, other than the bbq scene, the initial call at the beginning of each arc, and of course the scene with him at the beginning of Arc 5. Would love to see more of his relationship with the friend group, and with Bucks herself!

Day 30: Create something OW related!

Does cosplay count...? Because that's another thing I did.

And now for the 2nd part of my anniversary celebration... 30 Days of Our Wonderland! A set of silly and/or thought-provoking prompts about the game and chars for a full month of OW!

I'll be answering them each day. Feel free to join in if you want to! Either creating your own posts or reblogging this one, etc. I'll be using the hashtag #30DaysofOW for all of my answers.

[firstkanaphans]

Have you seen the x accounts that are talking about first and khaotung having long-time girlfriends? Do you know anything about those rumors?

So, the short answer is that I think one of the rumors has legs and the other doesn’t. Gonna put this under a read more so y’all aren’t allowed to get mad at me if you choose to read it.

The girl I always see people talk about in regards to First is Amichrcy. I don’t know her actual name but that’s her Instagram. She’s a friend of Mint’s and, as far as I can tell, there’s absolutely no evidence her and First even know each other. They don’t follow each other on social media, they’ve never taken pictures at the same place. What people cite as “proof” is similar-looking jewelry—not even the same jewelry—and that’s just not enough for me.

The girl people have associated with Khaotung is Isanddy—again, I don’t even know this poor girl’s name, I’m so sorry. She’s also a friend of Mint’s and this one seems to have a little more substance because both her and her cat have definitely been at Khaotung’s house. Here are some pictures of her cat side-by-side with pictures of Montow and Vaanjoy in the same places.

And here’s a picture of what looks to be her handbag in Khao’s house.

Khaotung follows her on Instagram but First and Tonkhao don’t. Otherwise, I would probably just think she was a friend of Tonkhao’s.

Personally, I’m way too biased to approach this objectively. I literally don’t think anything could ever convince me Khao is not a gay man, but that’s the evidence I’ve found so feel free to judge for yourself.

I do think it’s important to remember, though, that whether FK are dating other people or each other, that doesn’t mean that the relationship they choose to share with us is any less real. They’re young. They’re allowed to live their own lives and they don’t owe us anything.

[toffeeinhun]

EVERY NUMBER FOR INHUN BECAUSE I LOVE READING PEOPLE'S TAKES ON THIS SHIP and I also love your takes

Aww thank you!! I love your takes too 💕

1. What's something you like about it?

Ahhhh so many things! I love how ideologically/morally opposed they are which makes their dynamic really interesting to watch and explore. Even as Young-il, he was challenging Gi-hun throughout the season. And the fact that they went through such similar things but turned out so differently. It's fun to see how their dynamic plays out differently in AUs. There are just so many cool things to do with their characters.

2. What's something you dislike about it?

Hmm this is hard. I don't think there's really anything about the ship itself I dislike. I think I dislike the discourse in the fandom surrounding the ship more than anything, but that isn't really unique to Inhun.

3. What's your headcanon about them?

Just one thing? hrm... I think In-ho likes to buy Gi-hun new clothes all the time, but he buys increasingly more revealing clothing with each shopping trip. Starts out with some nice fitting pants and shirts, then he starts getting thin shirts that can be easily seen through before moving onto mesh/netted shirts. Gi-hun is very embarrassed by this.

4. Which one fell in love first?

In-ho, definitely. He probably fell in love while keeping tabs on Gi-hun in the 4 years between games.

5. Which one confessed first?

I can see this going either way depending on the circumstances, but I'm gonna say Gi-hun. I think In-ho would be too in his own head and insecure to think Gi-hun would feel the same way as him especially after everything. So Gi-hun would realize In-ho isn't picking up on his feelings and have to be more blunt and just confess.

6. What song do you associate with them?

I have a few from the 2 bands I've been listening to recently

Shallow - Magnolia Park

Shadow Talk - Magnolia Park

Cult - Magnolia Park

Warmer Weather - Old Neon

What Do You Love - Old Neon

Better Things - Old Neon (makes me think specifically of their relationship in Love Thy Enemy)

I swear I listen to other music just not recently

7. How should they end up?

HAPPY!!! ALIVE!!!! pls i'll cry if anything bad happens to them 😭

8. What would their typical date be like?

I already answered this in a serious way so I'm giving you a silly answer that @niterose and I talked about one day

In-ho can't behave when they're out in public on their dinner dates. He'll bring up how good Gi-hun looked tied up in the back of his limo, bleeding and beaten, and the waiter overhears and gets freaked. They are slowly getting banned from every restaurant in the city because he can't stop talking about how hot Gi-hun was risking his life in the games, and everyone who hears the convos think they're a very kinky couple and get very uncomfortable waiting on them because In-ho will just not shut up for 5 minutes when other people are in ear shot.

9. What characters would support or hate their relationship?

I can't think of anyone who would hate their relationship really. A while ago I made a post with some thoughts on Jun-ho's relationship with In-ho's wife, and I mention Jun-ho would feel conflicted about In-ho and Gi-hun dating because he feels like In-ho is replacing his wife. He eventually accepts it and is happy for them.

I also think Ga-yeong would approve, and she and In-ho would get along really well.

10. If they could be drawn as any classical/iconic romance scene, what would it be?

Okay so. I know this doesn't technically count as ""romantic"", but my first thought was this scene from Saw

It's romantic in my heart 🥲

11. Why should or shouldn't they be together?

Answered here!

But to summarize: they're hot and perfect and there's absolutely no reason why they shouldn't be together 😤

12. What is your favorite scene with them?

So I actually got an ask weeks ago asking this question and I answered it here!

But I'll also add on any time Gi-hun smiles at In-ho. Like after their reunion during mingle when In-ho separates from the group, and when In-ho tells his dumb joke about Gi-hun's last name.

🫠🫠🫠

[germanpostwarmodern]

The Millowners’ Association Building is one of four buildings Le Corbusier realized for private parties in Ahmedabad, India, and arguably a milestone in the architect’s oeuvre. The building heralds the distinctive features of Le Corbusier’s late work but at the same time has remained somewhat under researched. This circumstance has now been changed with the release of Mehrdad Hadighi’s in-depth study „Le Corbusier’s Ahmedabad Millowners’ Association Building“ by Birkhäuser. Hadighi, professor at Penn State University, views and analyzes the building against the backdrop of Le Corbusier’s writings, the extensive archival material held at Fondation Le Corbusier and his intellectual references, a deep dive into the architect’s thinking and the omnipresent conflict between the rational and the artistic. This dual condition forms the backbone of the book and goes back to LC‘s reading of Paul Valéry‘s „Eupalinos ou L‘Architecte“. As Hadighi proves, this dual condition traverses Corbusier‘s reading of authors like John Ruskin and Friedrich Nietzsche and also characterizes the design of the Millowners‘ Association: based on drawings from the archives, Corbusier‘s sketchbooks and newly drawn plans and sections, Hadighi shows the interrelatedness of parts of the building, most prominently embodied by the long ramp leading from the street level to the first floor and the staircase providing access to the other floors. These two elements are in a push-pull relationship where the ramp pushes into the building, carves out a massive space that is present both vertically and horizontally while the staircase pulls out of it. At the same time the utilitarian character of the ramp, in a dual condition, is juxtaposed with the sculptural presence of the staircase, again a relationship that, as archival drawings show, only developed over time.

This one example together with the numerous others substantiate Mehrdad Hadighi’s reading of the Millowners’ association and the presence of the dual condition in Le Corbusier’s thinking and architecture. By lucidly addressing and deducing the dual condition, the author provides a truly fascinating analysis of a pivotal building in Le Corbusier’s oeuvre that is highly readable and provides new cues to the understanding of his architecture. Warmly recommended!

[blossomthepinkbunny]

Sexism in HB (and HH)

I feel like I have mentioned some of the underlying misogyny present in HB before, but I never just fully talked about it, so I wanted to make this post where I talk about the sexism issue in Helluva Boss (Hazbin will also be addressed, mostly Helluva Boss though). This is a topic very close to me and I haven't seen a post that just wraps up all of the points in one Text, so that's what this is.

Little disclaimer, I know that the main creative individual behind these shows, Vivzepop is a woman. That's why a lot of people will diminish points made about sexist writing. But Viv being a woman does not mean that she is incapable of having misogynistic views. And I do not want to call her sexist directly, but it is important to realise, that how these shows (especially HB) write female characters can be quite sexist in multiple ways.

Since I like to keep things structured, here are the main things I realised about how female characters are written, which makes me call this show sexist with its writing.

Excluding female characters from victimhood

Sidelining female characters for male ones

Women for mens development/absence of mothers

Stereotyping women

-Rival for (male) attention

-Crazy Ex

-Rude bitch (+ rude bitch who gets in the way of a gay relationship)

-Caretaker/Mother

A lot of these topics will overlap in some way, I'll try to keep them concise and make the differences clear.

1. Excluding female characters from victimhood

There is a big focus on men who have gone through some sort of trauma in both shows. Blitzø, Moxxie, Stolas, Fizzarolli, Angel Dust and Husker. All of them are victims of some form of abuse (sexual, physical, domestic, psychological etc.). The ones I want to focus on now are Blitzø, Stolas, Fizzarolli and Angel. Because all of them are victims of abuse that is most commonly associated with and most commonly happens to women. Blitzø has to sleep with a wealthy man in power who holds something he needs to live over his head in exchange for sexual favours. Stolas was forcefully married at a young age and had to produce an heir for the family, while also facing domestic abuse from his partner. Fizzarolli experienced exploitation of his body through his job as a performer. Angel is a sex worker who get's raped by his pimp and generally is forced to do sexual things he does not want to do.

While of course, all of these scenarios can and do happen to men and it is important to acknowledge that, one cannot deny that these are issues that women are much more likely to experience. My problem isn't that these issues are portrayed through men, but rather how the women in HB/HH barely get acknowledged as victims.

Stolas and Stella are probably the best (or worst) example of that. They both have the same backstory with abuse I mentioned before, just with the bonus that Stella, as a woman would be more likely to experience not only a forced marriage and pregnancy but also the domestic violence they pushed on her later in the series. Fact of the matter is, that Stella and Stolas' relationship had no implications of domestic violence before the writers wanted to stop making people sympathize with Stella. A victim of the same trauma as Stolas, who got pushed as a maniac and psycho. All to redeem a man who sexually abused a lower class citizen while cheating on his spouse. There is also the fact that Stella faces very overt sexual harassment through her brother, which the show just doesn't acknowledge because it hates her. Stella is a bad victim (or not a victim at all) because she is angry and loud (and later on randomly an abuser), while Stolas is the good victim because he is sad and quiet.

Fizzarolli's story shows similarities, though not as extreme. The characters of Glitz and Glam are treated with no sympathy or anything, because they are mean to the male character. The idea that they are in a similar position to Fizzarolli (who fell victim to Mammon's exploitation through being a fan of his) is never acknowledged. We see the girls and they are immediately rude and bitchy. No one bats an eye to the fact that them facing the same exploitation as Fizz isn't good or deserved, because they are mean and probably chose that life. A statement which just reeks of misogyny, especially when one realizes, that the people mainly affected by sexualisation in the performing industry are women. Again, the women don't get sympathy because they are rude and promiscuous. Fizz deserves all the sympathy because he is hurt and 'actually' feels objectified.

In both of these scenarios, women are excluded from being victims in situations they are very likely to face, because they needed more sympathy for the male characters.

Blitzø's story doesn't have a situation like that, luckily. His story is mostly brought down because of the fetishization of gay men or mlm relationships. Since this is not the focus of this post all I'll say is, that if Blitzø was a woman, wayyy less people would be shipping Stolitz. I'll leave it at that.

Where we can once again find something similar is in Angel Dusts story, though to a lesser extent. Seeing as Angel struggles with sexual assault, I find it odd that they specifically chose Husker to console him and help him through his trauma. It is still a thing that most sexual violence or assault victims are women. I feel like no one ever considered how terrifying hell as a lawless place where pretty much everyone lives together is specifically for women. It seems like they want us to expect that every female character down there is like a badass murderer, who can easily avoid creeps and predators. But the show also makes a point to say, that the people in hell are often judged unfairly and that the system is "corrupt". So it's very likely that a majority of the women down there are simply just people who didn't believe in god or who made one mistake that doesn't deserve eternal damnation. With that perspective, a world without laws where no one cares about crime, murder, assault and rape is very terrifying. Seeing as so many crimes in hell would just be rape (which I know happens to men too). So we can easily assume that every female character has faced sexual harassment atleast once, if not to an even larger extent. Charlie I can see being excluded from that, as she is quite sheltered. And Mimzy too, seeing as she isn't played as a person who would realistically be able to add to the conversation (she is pretty much the brutal psycho murderer I mentioned earlier and she is treated mostly as if that stuff just doesn't affect her, which is weird in it's own right).

But then there is Valeria, who we know experienced at least sexual harassment from Adam while being an exorcist. And Cherry Bomb, who we can assume the same of, seeing as she was a woman on earth and a woman in hell, where sexual assaults should lurk around every corner. None of them get to have a discussion with Angel about his situation though. They are seemingly not important to a conversation about rape, which every girl hears at some point in their life. The actual nuance that could be there, having a conversation between two victims is eradicated through Husker being the one to talk Angel down. Husker, who has no common ground with Angel when it comes to this topic and who does not seem closer to him than Valeria and especially shouldn't be closer to him than Cherry Bomb in the end. Cherry, Angels actual best friend is shown to not know what Angel needs, coming off at best as simply out of touch and at worst, as directly malicious. Husker knows exactly how Angel needs to act now even though he, once again, doesn't know him nearly as well and isn't at all in touch with what he's going through. So not only are the female characters excluded from a meaningful moment, which could show the very tragic reality of something most women go through, but Cherry is also sidelined heavily as Angels best friend, to make room for a male character. Which leads into my second point.

2. Sidelining female characters for male ones

I think this is pretty self-explanatory. In Helluva Boss specifically, the female characters do not stand out and mostly do not get story focus quite like the male ones do. Millie and Loona are very egregious in that regard, seeing as they are part of the main group, but don't have nearly as much development as Moxxie or Blitzø and even Stolas (I will talk about that more later on). In Hazbin Hotel this is done a bit better, since Charlie is the main character and Valerie as well as some other background characters get focus too. That is not me saying that they have good characterisations, especially Charlie as the main character is very underdeveloped.

Who I mostly want to talk about here are Stella and Cherry Bomb though. Because while it is bad with the other female characters already, with them it is probably the worst. Because at least Loonas and Millies lack of screentime makes room for already established relationships and main characters.

Stella got basically replaced as a villain by her brother. That is so laughable because it simply is: female character with actual urgency, connection to the main plot, established goals and a personality is replaced by a male character that has none of that, just because. I don't think I need to elaborate on that. This change also just came with making Stella stupid as hell and just loud and obnoxious, something her brother is too, just to a lesser extent (so the change didn't even add a more likeable character in Stella's place).

Cherry got shoved to the side as Angels best friend and main confidante for Husker to develop their relationship, something that was purely fanservice and doesn't make a whole lot of sense in the general context of how these characters interact. Cherry doesn't know what Angel needs to be better, her attempt is misguided. So it is on Husk to actually understand what he needs, even though he should have no idea of that, since he isn't nearly as close with Angel as Cherry is. Cherry comes off incredibly misguided. Her relationship with Angel, which was always assumed to be very close is also not a thing in the show. They have very little interactions and in the ones they do have, Cherry doesn't know what Angel needs and Husk does a better job like I mentioned. Most of the other scenes Cherry shows up in are used to develop the ship of Cherrysnake. So bland and just badly done, that it is weird more than it is cute or romantic. So Cherry having an actual important connection to the main cast was replaced for Huskerdust and she was pushed even further aside to make Cherrysnake happen. A female character being mainly used to serve the male storylines leads to my next point.

3. Women for mens development/absence of mothers

Starting with the female characters that are mostly used for the development of male characters, rather than being treated as their own person. Cherry, as mentioned previously used as a way for Husker to get closer to Angel and also as a woman for Sir pentious to swoon over. She initially turns him down, but then realizes he is actually soo brave and amazing and strong, because female character who just doesn't want to be in a relationship with a male character? That doesn't happen.

Next up is Millie, who has the most unused potential in either shows in my opinion. She is often just reduced to being Moxxies wife. She helps him by practically acting as a caretaker in many ways (more on that later), helps Blitzø to rekindle his relationship with him, but rarely faces struggles that aren't somehow connected to Moxxie or made about how Moxxie feels. I know people want to point to the short she got with Sally Mae, but that was the only real time we got her personal struggles laid out. And it only got brought up and resolved in the same episode, which was also a short, so legit like 2 Minutes. And in "Unhappy campers" they just introduced a character trait she never was shown having before and in the end still made the episode mostly about Moxxie.

Loona was there as a vessel for Blitzø to express love as he felt he could only express genuine emotion towards his daughter. But now that Blitzø is with Stolas and their relationship is flourishing apparently, she doesn't have that going for her anymore. She is also physically abusive, which they have never acknowledged and probably decided to stop playing as a joke, since people got understandably upset. And the other thing that is reoccurring with her character is her crush on Tex and basically any other guy that would give her attention. That's not necessarily bad, but she has nothing except her special relationship with Blitzø (which like I said is pretty unimportant now) and her love problem, which was only focused on guys so far.

Barbie Wire is barely present and we know almost nothing about her. The one episode she shows up in mainly uses her appearance and her upset at Blitzø as a reason for us to feel bad for him. We do not get to know further why she is upset and made the choice to permanently move away. That's not of interest, only how Blitzø feels about it.

Octavia is actually a character I like a lot, but even then she is mostly used for us to feel bad for Stolas. She isn't as bad as some other examples, but depending on who you ask she is either a well written depiction of a child facing neglect and a broken family, who is right in her actions. Or a cruel bitch who doesn't understand how hard her father tries his best. I still think the way she is utilised is mostly leading to her being just a tool for Stolas to face some repercussions while also making him more sympathetic to some people.

In a similar way that Stella and Verosika are just the mean exes, that eventually lead to Stolas and Blitzø getting together to heal from their trauma (I'm aware that Verosika did not cause trauma to Blitzø specifically, he mostly mistreated her from all we know. She is still used in the narrative as something representing a past that Blitzø wants to leave behind for good).

Now onto the mothers in the room, or rather the lack thereof. Mothers in HB are used similarly to the other female characters as male development helpers, despite not even being present really. Blitzø and Moxxie have the "bad father, nice mom that's dead" combo. We don't have any more information on their mothers other than that they were the good counterpart to the evil dad's. They serve as nothing but plot for Blitzø and Moxxie to feel sad about. Stolas doesn't have a mom, just an out of touch dad. Millie has both parents actually, but they don't really get focus, because Millie doesn't get focus. The only thing we know about them is that her dad doesn't like Moxxie and her mom is slightly nicer I guess. And then there's Octavia, who might as well not have a mom at all, since her and Stella's relationship only barely exists. Stella is of course a bad mother, because that woman just can't do anything right. But even then, we never get an idea of how their interactions were when in Octavia's eyes "everything was still alright" in the family. Stella doesn't get to have a special relationship with Octavia, because nuance doesn't exist for her and she needs to be manipulative and obnoxious to everyone apparently.

4.Stereotyping women

These are just some stereotypes that female characters often fall into.

-Rival for (male) attention

This is mainly for Loona, but in general the female characters in HB/HH tend to not have friendships with other women. The only example I can really think of are Millie and Sally Mae, but they are sisters so it's kinda expected and Charlie and Emily, but they barely interact and even then, a point could be made about what I'm going to point out. Loona and Octavia don't really count, they hung out once and then never again (sadly).

The moment Loona is introduced to Beelzebub she immediately dislikes her. Just because the guy she had a crush on is dating her. This just the stereotype that women will always compete for men against each other, as if they have no other objective. I get that it makes sense for Loonas character, but I've said it before and I'll say it again, Loona desperately needs friends her age for her development. And I won't count the two hellhounds that showed up at the end of "Sinsmas", they are not even named and we do not have a reason to assume they are especially close with Loona when we have barely seen them before.

Also when Emily and Charlie first meet and get along well we can see Valeria being visibly upset. As if Charlie becoming friends with another woman is going to end up on her leaving Valeria or something. So another unnecessary rivalry between female characters, because they pose a threat to/ruin the possibility of a romantic relationship.

-Crazy Ex

Verosika and Stella. They are shown as overreacting (Stella hiring a hit on Stolas, Verosika throwing a whole hate party for Blitzø) and bitchy, mean and obsessive over a past relationship. Their behaviour is used to justify the behaviour of the male characters, while ignoring what they went through. Stella is pushed to the extreme of having her be a domestic abuser in the end, just so people can excuse Stolas cheating on her.

Verosika throwing that party is completely overreacting and is treated as weird and crazy (which it is), ignoring that Blitzø ended their genuine relationship by stealing money from her. That is also used to show Stolas as the "reasonable ex" because "he would never do something like that".

The lady from the latest episode also kinda counts into this. She isn't a real character, but she pretty much plays the same role of "see how terrible, obnoxious and even homophobic she is?!". So that it's excusable for a man to cheat on her to achieve happiness.

-Rude bitch (+ rude bitch who gets in the way of a gay relationship)

Rude bitch is pretty much every female character that is in some way mean to the male characters. Verosika, Barbie Wire, Stella, Glitz and Glam, Octavia (in some eyes). They come off as irrational and their rudeness, which is written like that intentionally, is used to excuse how the male characters treat them.

The special category of "rude bitch who gets in the way of a gay relationship" goes to (of course) Stella, thorn lady from Sinsmas and Octavia somehow. I don't think I need to elaborate on Stella, they made her an abuser so that people wouldn't dislike the gay relationship that came out of her getting cheated on (that is also just a terrible relationship).

The thorn lady is presented as blatantly homophobic, so that it's actually good she got cheated on and the gay couple can finally be happy with their children.

And Octavia, or how some fans of the show call her "Cockblocktavia" (which is just terrible for a teenage girl who just wants to feel close to her dad), who is mostly used for Stolas to feel kinda bad about being with Blitzø, without actually doing anything about it in the end.

-Caretaker/Mother

Millie fits here. The M&M relationship baits you with a Malewife x Girlboss sort of relationship. Which implies that the male counterpart (Moxxie) would take over a more traditionally female role. Being the caretaker of the other emotionally, while the wife takes care of finances and everything else. But even then in most instances it's Millie who takes care of not only Moxxie, but alo Blitzø. Like the responsibility lies with her to be a caring type, to build up her husband when he is sad and get the group drinks, without getting one for herself. That's a role that she even passes to the only other female main character. When she goes out with Blitzø in "Ghostfuckers" and tells Loona to basically look after Moxxie, as if he's some child that needs to be constantly cared for. Even though Loona is younger than him.

But of course that isn't the end of Millie being mothered by the show. Because how could I forget that she is pregnant now. How amazing that the female character we have been continually promised to get more character development, that isn't just being an extension of her husband, get's that in the form of a pregnancy. Wow.

I'm not the only one who hates this, for obvious reasons. It was just never in Millies character that she would want a baby. I hope they make her get an abortion. That could be used to be educational on a serious topic and wouldn't crowd the cast up more (because that's not what we need from this show!). In the worst case they'll make her keep the baby for some reason that will most definitely come off as very traditional and potentially conservative. It could also lead to her getting excluded from more action to do baby shenanigans, which would just be depressing at this point.

I haven't mentioned it yet, but her pregnancy is also used to discredit a very genuine and actually important point as just "having pregnancy hormones". Their livelihoods depend on killing people, if Blitzø just suddenly decides not to, because the people just so happen to live his dream life, that's his problem. I think it's so terrible to shove off her very real concern as just her being irrational because of pregnancy. And honestly, I see Millie and Moxxie having children down the line, but the reveal now, when so many people have been waiting for meaningful Millie screentime that makes her stand out just feels gross.

Now I just want to say that of course one can like the female characters and anybody can have a different opinion/interpretation than me. I just thought this was worth pointing out, because people still like to act as though there is no underlying sexism at all, which is just not true. Except for Striker and Mammon, all of my favourite characters are the female ones, mostly because I just feel like they could've been used so much better. And I enjoy using the base of these shows to make my own version basically, I feel like that is what most people are doing anyway and when you acknowledge that, just going deeper into your own version is super fun.

[mortish-writes]

For the dynamics with the boys, will we be able to choose them without changing our personality too much? I have two traits on a specific dynamic but it’s not the dynamic I want

Dynamics will be in large part tied to the traits associated with them. Not 1 for 1, but it will be difficult to make an MC with traits that are completely out of sync with the dynamic. For example, let’s say you want to play Valdricht’s Veiled Mate dynamic on Dark Maiden, but you want your MC to be tender. First, none of the choices that would align you with Veiled Mate would boost tenderness. Certainly, you could gain tenderness through other decisions such as interactions with Serax, but you would often have your stoic interactions with Valdricht leveling them out.

The dynamics are also reflective of how your personality interacts with those of the guys. Valdricht isn’t going to be inclined to play mind games with a tender or measured MC, his personality is more “I’ll give you whatever energy you give me.”

In Classic Route there will be more space for different personality expressions within the dynamics, allowing you to have a more challenging relationship with one love interest and a more deferential dynamic with the other, but you still won’t be able to have a personality that is wildly out of sync with the dynamic you’re seeking because it would force the guys to behave uncharacteristically toward your MC. Another dynamic to keep in mind, is that Serax and Valdricht have their own dynamic, and if your MC is cozying up to one while driving the other crazy, it could cause friction between them.

I’ll break it down in numbers and percentages once we reach the end of the prelude. In the meantime, feel free to let me know which dynamics and traits you want for your MC and I can let you know if/how it will be possible.

[thiscityneedslessfog]

Yukiko’s Castle of Escapism

I really love Yukiko’s dungeon and want to talk about it. I think the imagery in it is great and conveys her character very well. This writeup was honestly long overdue, I should’ve written it back in like February.

I’ve said it before (major spoilers!), but I believe the crux of Yukiko’s story is her relationship with power and how she originally feels she has no control over her life, before learning she has more agency than she believes.

I want to drop a lot of context first, though.

Contextualizing the Amagi Inn

So, one of the first things we learn about Yukiko is that she is the heiress of the Amagi Inn. But what does that mean to her? What is the Amagi Inn and why does she feel so much pressure to inherit it?

Well, the Amagi Inn is a ryokan. Which, “inn” is a pretty good way to translate the word, but ryokans have a lot more diversity than most Western inns do. They also have hot springs, called onsen (温泉)!

Chris McMorran, in his book Ryokan: Mobilizing Hospitality in Rural Japan, discusses the difficulty of the job of the family that owns a ryokan.

This convergence of home and workplace in time and space, along with its relative lack of privacy, makes some ryokan owners feel trapped. Managing a ryokan is a twenty-four-hour a day, year-round commitment. Most of the face-to-face hospitality occurs between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., but someone needs to answer late-night requests or emergencies. These calls typically go directly to the owners’ residence. They answer the 2:00 a.m. request for an extra blanket or the occasional desperate plea from a woman fleeing an abusive spouse and begging for the physical safety that will come with a job (see chapter 7). Busy inns like Yamazakura close only a few days a year for maintenance and major family events like weddings or funerals.

[Source] located on page 62

As for Yukiko's role, she is in training to be the okami of the ryokan. Which is easily the most important role in the ryokan in total. The Japan Ryokan Association's website describes the role of an okami in the ryokan pretty well.

The okami not only bears the greatest responsibility for waiting on and taking care of guests but also acts as the chief service manager on behalf of the ryokan. The okami's role corresponds to that of a general manager in a Western hotel. In many cases, the okami is the owner of the ryokan or the wife of the owner, which means that the okami, as the representative of the ryokan, attends to all external affairs such as business matters and cooperation with the local community. [...] In the majority of ryokans, the role of the okami is handed down from mother to daughter or to daughter-in-law. In either case, the younger generation studies under the older generation, and devotes herself to mastering the responsibilities and principles of the position of okami.

[Source] page 62

In Yukiko's case, the implication is mother to daughter, as she is the only child of the owner of the Amagi Inn and her husband.

Furthermore, Chie calls the Amagi Inn “the pride of Inaba,” and describes it as basically what’s keeping Inaba economically afloat in the first place, and with the advent of the Junes competition, there’s even more pressure on the Amagi Inn as a bastion of Inaban culture.

Traditional Japanese femininity and the Amagi Challenge

Yukiko also is seen by her peers, male and female, as a personification of traditional Japanese femininity, a "Yamato Nadeshiko." Now, if you don't know what that is, it's the traditional ideal of a Japanese woman. Satoko Kakihara in her dissertation about Japanese femininity titled Flowers in Contradiction: Japanese Imperialism and Gender Construction Through Women’s Writings, 1895–1945 succinctly describes exactly what that is.

Another common label in Japanese discourse is the cliché of the Yamato nadeshiko (大和撫子), a phrase that describes the figure of a beautiful woman, the kind of elegant, flower-like beauty that has become naturalized and idealized in Japanese society. Nadeshiko (撫子) is Japanese for the genus of flowers called Dianthus, which includes more commonly known species such as the carnation; Yamato (大和) is another name for the nation of Japan, used also in phrases such as Yamato damashii (大和魂, the Japanese spirit), which essentialize and valorize Japanese nationalism. Yamato nadeshiko thus literally indicates a flower that belongs to, or is native to, the Japanese nation, embodying its positive and requisite characteristics. This standard of female beauty points to a particularly Japanese female beauty that is found only among the “Japanese”, perhaps even recognized or appreciated by only the Japanese as well—a beauty prized in a society that places significance on nature, the passing of seasons, the grace of flora that enriches the Japanese environment.

[Source]

This leads to her being distinctly sought after by the male students around her. Even older guys who don't actually have any romantic interest in her, like the reporter who interviews her before she's thrown in the Midnight Channel, comment on how beautiful she is and how she must have many suitors. But when it comes to the male students, she has had approximately zero interest in any of them. Even her best friend Chie comments on it.

Which... only makes them more determined for some creepy reason. They made a game out of it, the "Amagi Challenge," to see who the hell is going to get Yukiko as his actual girlfriend, and if he gets rejected, how brutally?

So Yukiko just constantly gets thrown around and hit on, much to her understandable aggravation.

The Castle Itself

So let’s start with the layout of Yukiko’s dungeon. It’s a castle. But an odd detail about it and the aesthetics of the shadows within is that it looks nothing like Japanese castles you’d see all over, well, Japan, which is Yukiko’s home country. It looks very European, resembling more specifically Mediterranean architecture. The shadows within also keep this trend of Western Renaissance-era clothing rather than anything that a Japanese person would be familiar with in their history, such as her fifth floor miniboss, the Avenger Knight, or her post-dungeon boss, the Contrarian King.

Part of the image Yukiko presents from her physical appearance is that of a traditionally feminine Japanese woman. Her hair is in a princess cut. And she states herself that she has never left Inaba.

Yukiko’s Shadow, Konohana Sakuya, keeps saying throughout her dungeon that she wants a prince to take her far, far away, to run away where nobody can find her.

Notably, Yukiko’s own breaking point leads to her admitting she wants to run the hell away herself, which is in Floor 6 of her dungeon, features an interview from a reporter that touches on two huge sources of stress for Yukiko: namely the unwanted attention she gets from her male peers and the fact she is the heiress to the Amagi Inn--in this scene she's recalling being asked about the Amagi Inn by a fellow student

When it comes to the stress on her from her male peers, she understandably doesn’t like the idea of just being seen as a prize to be won, which they clearly act like she is.

She sees everything in Inaba and her association with it as a cage, and uses the idea of this Western castle as an escape because it’s so starkly different from everything she knows—there’s no way Yukiko would be recognized here.

The music in the dungeon has almost no traditional instruments either. It's full of chaotic synths, incredibly modern instruments. It has a slower, gentler side, but still nothing like a shamisen or a flute is audible in the music piece.

Konohana Sakuya, Yukiko’s Shadow

Now let’s move on to her shadow. Her Shadow, later her Persona, is named Konohana Sakuya. If you don’t know who Konohana Sakuya-hime is, she’s the goddess of Mount Fuji, and has some pretty significant impact on Japanese culture—her presence is hugely important to Yukiko’s character. But she is not just the goddess of Mount Fuji. She’s the maternal great-grandmother of Emperor Jimmu, the first Emperor of Japan, and she is considered the goddess of motherhood and one of the most beautiful deities in existence.

There’s a pretty good summary in the Encyclopedia of Shinto in Kokugakuin University.

Konohanasakuyahime became pregnant in a single night, and asked Ninigi to make special preparations, since she would be giving birth not to an ordinary individual, but to a child of the heavenly kami (amatsukami). Ninigi, however, was surprised at her claim to have become pregnant in a single night, and suspected that the child was actually the offspring of an earthly kami (kunitsukami).

Shamed and enraged at Ninigi's accusation, Sakuyahime entered a doorless parturition hut, setting fire to it with the vow that the child should not be injured if it were truly the offspring of the heavenly kami. Ninigi. Inside the hut, Sakuyahime gave birth to three kami, including Hoderi, Hosuseri, and Hoori (according to Kojiki; the names differ somewhat in the various other accounts).

[Source]

Sound familiar? Yukiko’s often sought after for her beauty, and actually, much like Konohana Sakuya-hime, is associated with transience because of the latter’s association with cherry blossoms, which only bloom for a very short time before giving way to leaves.

Right before we meet Tomoe, who is Chie’s Shadow, Yukiko’s thoughts talk about how little she thinks of herself and how much she hates her name precisely because of its association with transience, as her first name (雪子) literally translates to “snow child” or “snow girl.” Yukiko states she believes that because of that short lived nature of snow, that she's only meant to inherit and continue the inn as the okami and nothing more. She believes that is the only fate for her because of how low her self-esteem is.

I spoke about the pressure on Yukiko from the expectation to be the next okami of the Amagi Inn. But I didn't quite talk about how that ties into her relationship with her status as a woman, which is actually much more tied with the Amagi Challenge than you'd think. Something I didn't mention about the role of the okami is one specific detail: the fact she's also to create a successor and train the next manager and okami of the ryokan, as mentioned in McMorran's book.

This ideal of the eldest son as successor places intense pressure on ryokan families to produce a male heir and on eldest sons to accept the duty. However, a disproportionate burden falls on the emotions and bodies of okami. Ryokan owners, male and female, current and retired, frequently told me the most important job of an okami was to bear a son.

[Source on page 83]

It's pretty related to Konohana Sakuya-hime's importance as one of the ancestors of the Imperial dynasty of Japan, as her display of loyalty was to set the house she was giving birth in on fire to show that the kids she was having were actually fathered by Ninigi.

But it's a clear display of the pressure on Yukiko to marry a guy in order to head the Amagi Inn. But according to both herself and Chie, Yukiko hasn’t even had any male friends, let alone a male lover.

And furthermore, you know how I mentioned she’s considered the goddess of beauty and Mount Fuji? That’s a pretty huge piece of Japanese cultural identity, which further ties Yukiko to her status as a Japanese person who is deeply tied with Japan's traditional culture.

Now let’s look at Konohana Sakuya, the Shadow’s, design. She’s a princess, just like her mythological self. But she’s not portrayed as a Japanese one at all. Much like the Shadows and the castle’s layout, Konohana Sakuya adorns herself in a Western princess’ clothing.

Note, princesses are the female children of the royal family according to history. But normally, a princess is not going to be the heir to the throne despite the power she’s supposed to have as a daughter of the most powerful family in the kingdom. Instead, princesses tended to be married off as ways for kings to consolidate power, and usually she never had a say in this situation. So Konohana Sakuya being portrayed as a Western princess represents two things:

1. The perceived denial of power that’s supposed to belong to Yukiko as princesses were denied power for being women despite being royalty

2. The sense of desiring escape from her life by visually rejecting everything she associates with the inn, which includes the traditional Japanese architecture and fashion she’s used to in her life.

Now let’s analyze her Midnight Channel Episode, very clearly based on the idea of the Amagi Challenge, where people have to win “Yukiko’s” affection to be her prince. And it’s pretty clear Yukiko’s basically considered the princess of Inaba, from Chie’s words about her family’s ryokan being the economic backbone of the city. It’s also highly sexualized, which is going to be a theme in the Midnight Channel Episodes, but in Yukiko’s case this sexualization comes from the Amagi Challenge and how she is seen as a gold standard for traditional Japanese femininity. She doesn't feel like anyone can see her as anything else whatsoever, so Konohana Sakuya is, in a sense, giving into what she sees as her fate by sexualizing herself.

Also, the way she presents herself once actually in her dungeon is very clearly meant to invoke the damsel in distress archetype so common in folklore and in video games. Nintendo, even, has frequent damsel in distress stories, and their video games are a modern creation despite they themselves being made in 1889. Damsels in distress frequently do not have much in the way of agency, only meant to be rescued by male protagonists, like how Pauline is rescued by Mario from Donkey Kong in the Donkey Kong games, and Princess Peach (sometimes) in the Super Mario games. These damsels by game mechanics are just destinations, prizes to be won, just as Konohana Sakuya portrays herself to be in her Midnight Channel Episode.

Konohana Sakuya is meant to show how Yukiko feels she has so little control over her life, that she feels she has to meet the expectations of everyone around her, even if she doesn’t want to. Not only that, but she represents Yukiko's relationship with loyalty and connection through her being drawn to Yu, Yosuke and Chie as her "princes," methods of escape from her perceived fate.

Yu and Yosuke are obvious. Yu is a guy from the city and has seen tons of things that Yukiko has never seen before due to living in Inaba all her life, so he represents a life she's interested in living. And Yosuke is the son of the Junes manager, and Junes is seen as an enemy to Inaba, so being with him, likely by working at Junes as she rejects him when he asks her out, would be an active sense of rebellion. But Chie is special. Chie is someone she's known for a long time and therefore trusts the most--and aside from that, Chie is not a guy. She's a girl. Which means unless they adopt (or Chie is transgender without bottom surgery, which is not implied to be the case), there is absolutely no way for Yukiko and Chie to produce a child together. But Konohana Sakuya has eventually come to the conclusion that despite how much Chie means to Yukiko and by extension herself, Chie cannot save her from this situation, likely because Konohana Sakuya realizes her and Yukiko's bubbling jealousy of Chie means that can tear the two of them apart and make Chie a less viable or stable option of escape.

How much or little power does Yukiko have?

Yukiko is the only daughter of the Amagi family. Zero siblings are mentioned whatsoever. So all eyes are on her to lead the ryokan because there's no other known heir, and it seems that everyone just assumed Yukiko would take over the Amagi Inn. Furthermore, Yukiko cannot escape the sexualization of the boys around her despite her repeatedly rejecting their advances, the sheer fact they make a challenge out of it shows how little she is truly respected.

All of this on top of the fact that the job of a ryokan worker can lead to very little privacy, from childhood to adulthood, can lead to the working family members such as Yukiko feeling trapped. And considering Yukiko is an only child, if she does not inherit the inn, who will? The inn might be forced to close, putting more pressure on Yukiko.

And this culminates in Konohana Sakuya's rant:

Yukiko believes that she has no control over her life, and a bitter resentment is growing from that perceived lack of control. Tomoe, Chie's Shadow, points out the bubbling jealousy that Yukiko feels over Chie Satonaka, her best friend, for not having so much unwanted male attention on her.

And Konohana Sakuya insults the inn, as she sees it as a source of stress and a prison. This Western portrayal of a princess is her rejecting this perceived cage that her status as a traditional Japanese heiress gives her. Konohana Sakuya implies that she believes the only way to get out on her own is to sever ties with her family, especially since when she initially starts seeking various jobs, she starts out hiding this fact from her family.

But, there’s actually way less pressure on Yukiko than she initially believed, as shown by a little detail: Konohana Sakuya’s berserk design. She’s a bird in a gilded cage. (One friend pointed out she actually could be considered a lovebird considering the heart on her chest, symbolizing how she's tired of being pursued by the male students around her. I thought that the heart represented how she wanted help from loved ones outside of the inn to escape her situation.)

Of course the sexualization of her because of her femininity is something out of her control, but something she learns isn’t is whether she inherits the inn or not. She doesn’t have to at all. There were already hints other than Konohana Sakuya that her family is more open-minded than she thought, simply because Yukiko is an only child and therefore has no brothers, and sons are seen as the ideal to head ryokans as we've established. But she’s a daughter and she was considered a satisfactory heir. But at the epilogue of her social link, she confirms it.

Her family and their workers are totally okay with her doing what she wants, because they love Yukiko. No strings attached, they just straight-up adore her. They want her to be happy and if that happiness can't come from the inn, that's fine. Yukiko’s the one in control of her life. And she doesn’t need to burn any bridges at all, she’ll be supported all the way through.

Yukiko doesn't really have to escape from anything, at least not related to the inn. She can leave it entirely if she so pleases, and she has Chie and the rest of the Investigation Team by her side. And now she's realized she has everyone at the inn, too.