#it really is for those who needs stories to live in a way

[tyrantisterror]

Ok one last bit that's been gnawing at me. So, like, the resolution of Lilo and Stitch could be (and probably has been) criticized for presenting an impossibly happy ending to Lilo and Nani's very real problem - the solution to the issue of their family being pulled apart is to have aliens from Outer Space make protecting them a matter of intergalactic peace, forcing the United States government to offer them more support, and also having two aliens (one of which is a mad scientist) stay and help out around the house. Not exactly a workable solution for real people with these issues.

I would argue that this is, in fact, the point of that resolution. I think you're supposed to look at Lilo and Nani's situation, see how cruel and horrible the real world solution of "tear these two sisters away from each other for their own supposed good" is, and then sit there and think, "Well, surely it shouldn't take the miraculous intervention of fictional aliens to solve this issue in real life." Why can't, like, real humans do that work? Why couldn't the U.S. government better fund social workers so they could keep these small families together, why can't communities band together around those who are suffering the way these fictional aliens banded together for Lilo and Nani? Why is the solution presented here, which CAN be done by humans, only feasible to us in a fictional world full of whimsical aliens?

Lilo and Nani's happy ending requiring the intervention of fantastical made up beings isn't a flaw, it's a crucial feature. It's the point.

Because there is no world in which the "solution" that real life would offer - i.e. Nani losing custody of Lilo and, at best, visiting her occasionally - is a happy ending. The movie establishes so, so clearly that the vast majority of Lilo's problems are a result of fear of rejection and abandonment. Her parents are dead, she will never see them again. The kids at school treat her like a rabid dog. Other adults treat her with well-intentioned condescension at best and visible anxiety at worst. Only Nani loves her unconditionally (well, and Stitch too eventually), and in fact Nani is the only one who actively fights to keep Lilo around. You think that kid's behavior is going to improve from having the government step in and say, "Nah, you can't have your sister in your life the way you used to. She has to leave you." Fuck no, dude! Her trauma's just going to get worse, and the bad behaviors she has a result of it are going to get more extreme!

I feel stupid for even having to write that out - the movie cannot make it more plain and obvious how bad of an idea it is to separate Nani and Lilo, how cruel it is, how it does nothing to solve the real problems these girls face, and how it's ignoring what they both need, which is support from their community, not isolation from it. The movie is not subtle about this! It is in fact very, very blunt about the need for a big community - AN OHANA, if you will!

So, again, it'd be REALLY, UNFATHOMABLY STUPID to adapt this story and, say, decide to end it with Nani losing custody of Lilo so she can live on her own! Kind of unthinkably cruel too! Just really bad story telling! I don't know how dumb and inhuman you'd have to be yourself to want to change the story that way!

It'd be a bad idea!

Fuck it, I didn't want to make a post on this but it's bugging the hell out of me so let's exorcize the thought.

Lilo and Stitch is an extremely good children's movie. I've been working at a daycare for over five years now, and out of all the children's movies I've shown to an auidence of twenty or so school-age kids (i.e. between the ages of 5 and 12), the only movie that's held their attention as well as Lilo and Stitch is The Emperor's New Groove, and the only one that's held it better is An American Tail. Of those three, Lilo and Stitch has won the vote of "what movie we will watch" the most. It not only entertains kids, but emotionally captivates them from start to finish, because it very thoroughly understands how to engage children on their level. It's a smart, tightly written children's movie.

The feat of story-telling genius it pulls of lies in its ability to reach both where children's imaginations want to go and where their lived real-world experiences lie - most children's movies focus on one or the other, but Lilo and Stitch dives deep into both. On the imagination side, there's Stitch's whole plotline of being a little alien monster being chased by other weirdo aliens onto earth because they want to stop him from running amok and causing havoc (which, of course, happens anyway in fun cartoony comedy/action spectacle). On the real-world side, you have Lilo's plotline of being a troubled little girl who has an abundance of very real problems that, like an actual child, she struggles to comprehend and deal with, as well as the many adults in her life that care about her to some degree but all struggle to fully understand her. Kids want to be Stitch and run amok and cause cartoony havoc. Kids, even the least-troubled kids, relate to Lilo, because all of them have been in a similar situation as her at least once in their lives.

Balancing these two very different stories, with very different tones and scopes to their respective conflicts, is a hard writing task, but Lilo and Stitch manages to do it in a way that seems effortless with one very powerful trick. The two plots are direct mirrors to each other, complete with the characters involved in each having foils in the respective plot. To break it down:

Stitch, the wild and destructive alien gremlin who everyone has labeled as a crime against existence, is Lilo, the troubled young girl who's viewed as a "problem child" by all the adults in her life. In both plotlines, Stitch and Lilo are facing the threat of being "taken away" from the life they know because they act out, and in both plotlines, we see that this is an unfathomably cruel thing to do to them and will not actually solve the problems they have.

Dr. Jumbaa, the mad scientist who made Stitch because making monsters is what mad scientists do, and who had no intentions of ever being nurturing or parental to anything or anyone in his life, is Nani, Lilo's older sister whose parents died when she was young and now is forced to act as a parental substitute despite not being mentally or emotionally prepared for that responsibility yet. Both Dr. Jumbaa and Nani are trying to get their respective wild children in line with what society wants them to be, and both are struggling hard with it because they in turn have a lot of growing to do before they can actually accomplish that.

Pleakley, the nebbish alien bureaucrat who ends up being assigned to help Dr. Jumbaa despite being mostly uninvolved in creating the whole Stitch situation, is David, the nice but mostly ineffectual guy who's crushing on Nani and wants to help her but doesn't really have much he can provide except emotional support. Ultimately Pleakley and David prove that said emotional support is a lot more helpful than it seems on the surface, as they give Jumbaa and Nani respectively a lot of the pushes they need to become better in their parental roles.

The Grand Councilwoman, who runs the society of aliens that is trying to banish Stitch forever for his crime of existing, is Cobra Bubbles, the Child Protective Services agent who is in charge of deciding whether or not Lilo needs to be taken away from her home forever for, ostensibly, her own good. Both are well-intentioned and stern, with a desire to follow the rules of society and do what procedure says is the most humane thing to do in this situation, but both lack the understanding of Stitch/Lilo's situation to actually help until the end of the movie.

Finally, we have Captain Gantu, the enforcer of the Galactic Council who is a mean, aggressive, sadistic brute but is viewed as a "good guy" by society because he plays by its rules (well, when he knows can't get away with breaking them, anyway), who is the counterpart of Myrtle, the mean, aggressive, sadistic schoolyard bully who is viewed as a "good kid" by other adults because she plays by the rules they established (well, when she knows she can't get away with breaking them, anyway). Both Gantu and Myrtle are, in truth, much nastier in temperament than Stitch and Lilo, but are better at hiding it in front of others and so get away with it, and often make Stitch and Lilo look worse in the eyes of others by provoking them to violence and then playing the victim about it - in fact, both even have the same line, "Does this look infected to you?", which they say after goading their respective wild-child victims into biting them.

The symmetry of these two plotlines allows them to actually feed into each other and build each other up instead of fighting each other for screentime. The fantastical nature of Stitch's plot adds whimsy to the far more realistic problems that Lilo faces so they don't get too heavy for the children in the audience, while the very real struggles of Lilo in her plotline bleed over into Stitch's plot and make both very emotionally poignant. When both plotlines hit their shared climax, they reach children on a emotional level few other movies can match - the terror of Lilo being taken away from her family, and the emotional complexity of that problem (Cobra Bubbles pointing to Lilo's ruined house and shouting at Nani, "IS THIS WHAT LILO NEEDS?" is so starkly real and heart-breaking), is matched and echoed in the visual splendor and mania of the spectacular no-way-this-is-going-to-work chase scene where Stitch, Nani, Jumbaa, and Pleakley all team up to rescue Lilo from Gantu.

The arcs of the characters all more or less line up. Nani confronts her own failures to be a guardian and parent to Lilo and resolves to do better and learn from her mistakes. Jumbaa, who through most of the movie protests to be evil and uncaring, nonetheless comes to not only care for Pleakley, but more importantly for Stitch too, and ends up assuming the role he never wanted but nonetheless forced himself into from the start: he is Stitch's family. Hell, the moment that reveals this is really clever - Stitch goes out into the wilderness to try and re-enact a scene from a storybook of The Ugly Duckling, hoping, in a very childish way, that his family will show up and love him. Jumbaa arrives and, coldly but not particularly cruelly, tells Stitch that he has no family - that Stitch wasn't born, but created in a lab by Jumbaa himself. But in that moment Jumbaa is proving himself wrong - because Stitch's creator, his parent, DID show up, and did exactly what happens in the story by telling Stitch the truth of what he is. It can't be a surprise, then, that later in the movie Jumbaa ends up deciding to side with Stitch, to help him save Lilo, and to stay on Earth with his child.

David and Pleakley go from being pushed away by Nani and Jumbaa respectively to essentially becoming their partners in the family. The Grand Councilwoman and Cobra Bubbles finally see how cruel their initial solution of isolating Stitch and Lilo from their family would be, and bend the rules they are supposed to enforce to protect and support this weird found family instead of breaking it apart. Gantu and Myrtle are recognized for the assholes they are and face comeuppance in the form of comedic slapstick pratfalls. And most importantly, Stitch and Lilo both get the emotional support and understanding they need to thrive and live happy lives as children should be allowed to do. It's like poetry, it rhymes.

It's a very precise, smartly written movie. It's a delicate balancing act of tone and emotions, with a very strong theme about the need for family and understanding that hits children in their hearts and imaginations. It's extremely well structured.

...

So it'd be kind of colossally fucking stupid to remake it and start fucking around with the core structure of it, chopping out pieces and completely altering others, with no real purpose beyond "Well, the executives thought it might be better if we did this."

[mapoeggplant]

skip to loafer chapter 71 analysis // spoilers

the chase for the perfect motherhood: for many chapters, we had the chance to hear the monster; now, it's finally time for the scientist to share her side.

the play is about to start, but the story has been going on for a while. for a long time, we had the chance to listen to shima and understand his side like never before, and now, it's time to stop and listen to the side of those who made the mistake. it's finally time for the scientist to give her account of the creation of the monster.

it's very difficult for me not to feel empathy for shima's mother in the present, but unfortunately there's no other way out for her than to reap the fruits that she herself planted. which makes me feel even more sorry for her, since i can understand that she was doing her best to do what she thought was right, but unfortunately the truth came out when it was too late.

in my opinion, motherhood is one of the hardest things in the world, especially when you have no support network whatsoever. you have to, all by yourself, raise a human being in the way you understand to be the best, giving them what you believe to be all the best opportunities you can give. but of course, we are all living life for the first time, so making mistakes is almost impossible.

we don't know exactly what yuki's family life was like and everything that really happened until sousuke came into her life. what we do know is that she lived in a completely abusive relationship and that she had a child with a man who doesn't even remember that he is a father. when we look at it from this perspective, we can understand where all the fear and control that she began to place on shima came from.

motherhood, loneliness. a home, a life, a new world in her hands. the fear of losing her child, the fear of making her child suffer, the anxiety of giving him everything she always believed to be good. the glass dome, the external pressure, the fear of others. the need to protect.

the problem is that, at some point, fear and overprotection dissolved into abuse.

it is undeniable that misaki takamatsu has a writing style that shows the characters' pain without turning them into villains. even if we only have one side of the story for many chapters, at some point the other person will have their chance to speak and the reader will be able to gain a little more depth about this character's life. but, of course, the story simulates a human life, so it is to be expected that the reactions and consequences will also be completely human.

i remember writing, in my analysis of chapter 68, that taiga was both a salvation and a tragedy in shima's life. a salvation for having given him the chance to be a child for a while, a tragedy for having been the butterfly effect that would cause all the subsequent events involving shima and ririka's careers (more details in my analysis). now, taiga once again fulfills this role and finally forces shima's mother to face her own flaws by exposing all her mistakes, something that everyone around her did know and gossiped about (which even shima knew about), but never had enough courage (or strength or they simply didn't care) to face her.

having all her actions exposed so coldly in front of yuki doesn't make her angry, but rather makes her finally see all the pain she had been subjecting her son to for so many years. the fog that covered her eyes, which she believed so much was care, finally disappeared, revealing something much more painful.

and she does what many parents can't do, or simply don't want to do, don't think it's right, don't see any point in it: she apologizes to her son and starts seeking treatment. when she says she's going to the hospital, i interpret it as her seeking psychological help to understand where she went wrong and how she can move forward from here. her life has changed, she found someone who makes her feel good and who takes care of sousuke. her son can finally be free to be whoever he wants to be...but what was done is already done.

it's understandable how angry shima feels about his mother and why he's so reluctant to open up and give her a new chance. for years, he didn't have a mother who was there or someone who took care of him the way a mother should. the wound that opened and remained exposed for so many years cannot heal overnight: it takes years and years of trial and error until the pain begins to be more tolerable than agonizing.

shima has been showing a desire to change ever since he took the initiative and invited his mother to go see his play. this is a huge step, which is the result of a lot of struggle on his part to want to change and find his own happiness. shima's growth is very explicit and palpable, being explored in several chapters — but it still needs a lot of work.

the story of the two still needs a lot of forgiveness to start moving forward. yuki also needs to forgive himself, just as shima needs to forgive himself. the struggle to find a healthy relationship between mother and son requires a lot, a lot of work and dedication, which i believe has already started on both of their parts. but, if shima decides, after all, that he doesn’t want to have any relationship with his mother, he’s in the right to do so and it’s his choice to make.

i hope that yuki one day finds the strength to be the mother she always dreamed of being in sousuke's life. i am very happy to know that now there is someone who is willing to help her and who treats her son with immense respect, as a stepfather should be. i'm also happy that she had a new chance with kieri, but sad that she can't change the past. 

now, for sousuke, i hope this play is his way of letting off steam and finally accepting this monster that lives inside him. embracing his past self so that both of them can move forward. taking all the scraps you left behind and analyzing what is still valid to be used in your new life and what needs to finally be left behind.

life is made of successes and mistakes, of scars that we cause to others and that are caused in us. made of wrong choices, badly said words and feelings much greater than we ourselves can control. it is up to us to understand where we went wrong and where other people went wrong with us and to find a new reason to continue. forgiveness is something that is entirely ours and should only be given when we feel safe enough.

ah! before i finish, just a little note: you can see that shima is way more comfortable with keiri now than he was before. i do believe there's a lot of mitsumi's influence there, but we can't deny the fact that keiri fought hard for his big brother's love!! it's clear that he admires sousuke a lot and wants to be closer to him. great to see them being so comfortable around each other.

what a ride, huh?? another chapter that highlight sensei's beautiful writing, that's for sure!! can't wait to see shima acting in the play and being way more open. sensei do love to make the school festival to be a very crazy arc!!!

thank you for reading 💛!! please support sensei if you can!!

see you next month :)

[weirdgenetic-fuckup]

Pleaseeeee write a dreads era kirk fic where he fingers you because he's having a hard time staying hard due to all the substances he was using at the time🙏🙏

Warnigns: Angst, Drug abuse but no active drug use, cheating, toxic relationship, smut, erectile disfunction, fingering (f receiving), if you think I missed anything let me know otherwise enjoy!

"Are you kidding me?" You demanded, having gone through all the work of looking pretty, dressing up, shaving, making everything perfect for when Kirk got back. "I mean- are you fucking kidding me, Kirk?!" You demanded, smacking his chest while he just sat there, stroking his cock faster, waiting for some kind of reaction.

"It-it's not- I'm sorry- stop hitting me!" He grabbed your wrists, holding them tight. He didn't look up at you, you were wearing a new teddy and it looked good, also he didn't need to be this close to your disappointment. "It's not my fault, alright?"

You stared at him. "It's not?" You asked, voice rough. "So it's mine?" His eyes shot open at the implication of his words, how you'd taken them. His mouth opened and closed a few times, searching for the right thing to say. He'd managed to keep his drug addiction hidden from you for so long, he wouldn't stop while he was home but he took significantly less, just enough to dull the edge. On tour was another story, in that he had Lars doing shit with him, groupies lining up.

You knew about none of it and he would rather die than let you know.

"I'm tired." He finally said, wrapping his arms around you and burying his face in your chest. You let out a heavy sigh but you couldn't argue with that, he just came back from tour, it was reasonable to be tired. He looked up at you with a soft look in his eyes, asking for forgiveness. "I can still help you get off." He offered.

Unable to stay mad at him you cupped his face and kissed his forehead. "I can live with that." He smiled and turned you around so you were sitting between his legs with your back against his chest.

He started kissing on your neck, the piercing under his lip cold along your sensitive skin. He smelled like booze, smoke, and sweat. A deadly combination when he looked like that and did such things to you.

You spread your legs for him, giving him better access to your cunt. His long fingers pulled the thin, mesh layer of fabric out of the way and ran his finger through your wet folds, gathering your juices. You'd been waiting so patiently for him this whole time, riding his pillow with a pair of his boxers pushed to your nose, eyes rolling.

Having him here with you was every bit better. Kirk was terrible to you, he really was, he chose everything over you, booze, drugs, his friends, groupies. Everything was more important, but how could you bring yourself to care when he was so perfect sometimes? Those few moments, like now, with his calloused digits dancing over your flesh and curling just right inside of you.

He pumped his fingers in and out of you nice and slow, letting you feel every time his knuckles slipped in or out. Your back arched against his chest, soft moans leaving you.

He brought his other hand to your clit, rubbing it in circles with two of his fingers. Your hips bucked up into his hand, he let out a soft chuckle, nipping at your neck a little more aggressively now, leaving marks. "That's it, feels good to have someone who knows you, right?" He purred, voice so perfect and soft right in your ear, lips caressing the shell of it.

You nodded, reaching down to hold that hand that was pumping in and out of you, just touching him. "Feels-feels so good, Kirk." You mumbled, chest heaving as your head fell back onto his shoulder.

"Always so quiet." He said with a soft chuckle. "No one would know if I had you on the tour bus." He said it because groupies were often loud and everywhere, screaming for Kirk to fuck them harder and he was always high enough to do it all night. You heard it and got a very different idea.

"I-I could come on tour with you?" You asked, eyes shining as you looked back to Kirk.

He but down on your neck, making you whine. "Focus on cumming, doll." He mumbled, leaving a few more bites leading to your shoulder. His hand moved faster, lewd noises coming from his palm hitting your slick skin. He pulled the other away from your clit, the palm of his hand hitting it for him.

It was harsh and stung, but it felt so good, his scent clogging any cognitive function you had as your release quickly crept up on you and your body flooded with pleasure, heat shaking through you and coming out all mushy.

You melted into him with a few moans, eyes fluttering shut. You always fell asleep fast after cumming, you weren't asleep yet but Kirk knew you'd be out soon, especially since he wasn't going another round. He laid you down and kissed your forehead, muttering something about needing the bathroom before he slipped away, snatching the little baggy from his pants pocket.

[linkyychan]

I had to draw one of my favourite scenes from ISYH, Ochako is such an amazing character and seeing her growth was so satisfying

Go read the fic on this link. It's by @firesign-18, i've finished reading the fic a few days ago and it was suuuuch a ride. I'll leave my thoughts below the read more 🥹

HI! if you're reading this..... i went a bit crazy reading this fic it was such an amazing work. If you haven't read it yet, don't read what I'm gonna write here.

I was recommended this fic months ago but I put it aside because there weren't that many chapters out yet and i just KNEW i needed a bunch of chapters out before starting it, cause i would have trouble not reading it all so fast after reading just the summary. That was a fantastic decision, it was so worth the wait.

I want to talk about it in sections so i can explain my thoughts properly :') There's so many aspects of the fic I loved and I wanna take the time to explain because I never really do it and this time I want to..

First the beginning and the little changes: We start off with our favourite, miserable Ochako (yay canon!), except this time it's even worse cause even less of her fight with himiko was recorded. I was kinda scared there but of course i shouldnt have doubted for a second. Anyway, Himiko is alive!! and the heroes got a way to salvage the footage of the tgck fight from Ochako's mind, so it gives her hope again :)

I wanna move forward a bit after Himiko is back because I wanted to talk about something I like to wonder a lot: how do you write a redemption arc for himiko toga post last war. I've read a bunch of fics with the same premise and I always love those who get a bunch of people to come together to help her achieve it. I love the UA involvement, as well as All Might, Miruko and Ochako of course. And the concepts of the strikes and conditions are very realistic, I liked seeing how we were gonna achieve Hero Himiko someday. All the process explained, I love when its this detailed!

I do wanna talk about another aspect before jumping into the tgck big stuff: OCs. I love OCs so much. There's Dr Ellie and the Spares who are the most important here. First Dr Ellie- whats not to like abotu her. She's been helping Himiko for a long time now, we grew to know her too, and she has a badass past, we were all gonna like her. Now the siblings: yeah i do think it's a big decision to make the villains OCs, and it really worked because they were so well developped. I went to a whole lot of emotions with them, from anger (*cough* chapter 43), through sadness and joy :') They were easy to sympathise with, and i just love how again, everyone decided the "save them" route. It really fit well with Himiko's story.

OKAY now tgck my beloved... i am so happy they got together-ish relatively fast because oh boy were they down for each other so bad. I love how it tackled their lives in relation to their future job as hero, this is a part I'm always curious to see. I really prefer when a future where Himiko is alive doesn't revolve 100% around Ochako. I want to see what she could do herself, grow with others and I think this fic accomplished this perfectly. I like that she's able to forgive herself and grow and imagine a future where she is thriving. Himiko means so much to me as a character and she was written beautifully. For Ochako, I love it soo much when she's strong and so skilled and she's pushing her limits. I loved exploring her grief and her hopes, then her struggles with selflessness vs trying to be a bit more selfish for a change. These two complement each other so well. That was such an amazing read, I'll probable have to read it again in a few weeks to relive it all.

Anyway I'm not sure who took the time to read all this, I don't usually do comments or something besides a few heart emotes here and there but for that fic, it was so good I just wanted to write something and now I've spent a long time writing :') It just hits all the boxes in tgck tropes for me so it was a blast to read!

(Also shout-out to possessive Ochako, i really love her being as crazy for himiko as himiko is for her....)

[elliespuns]

one of my fav scenarios to think about is joel getting to know u as he's settling into jackson with ellie. you're this young little thing, the man has to remind himself that he's old enough to be your damn father, yet you have this way of pushing past his gruff exterior and managing to get through those heavily-laid walls he's set up. i headcanon that he started taking an interest in u from your first patrol together (which is also back when he thought he'd never have anything to do with u romantically because why the hell would a young thing like you be interested in a grizzly bear of a man like him???)

If Joel felt he was falling for someone way younger than him, I think his first instinct would be to create distance. He might become grumpy and less communicative. Shorter sentences, avoiding eye contact, finding excuses to partner with other people on patrols. He'd subconsciously be trying to nip it in the bud before the feelings get any stronger. He'd be easily annoyed by things that wouldn't normally bother him. This would be a deflection tactic. You might find him snapping at people, including you (though likely not with the same intensity as he would with someone he truly disliked). He'd probably start making self-deprecating jokes about his age—like a way of testing the waters, seeing how you react, but also a way of reinforcing his own belief that a relationship with someone like you is impossible.

He'd be constantly battling with himself. He'd be going over the logic of why this is a bad idea: the age difference, his baggage, the inherent danger of the world you live in and the people of Jackson (gossips, allright). He'd try to convince himself that his feelings are just a result of loneliness. But he would definitely be watching you and seeing how you interact with others.

As his feelings would intensify, he might subtly try to guide you, offering advice, sharing his experience, trying to ensure you make smart decisions on patrols. This is partly genuine concern for your well-being, and partly a way of proving to himself (and maybe you) that he has something valuable to offer. He'd start letting little things slip. A shared story from his past, a glimpse of his softer side. He'd still be guarded, but the walls would be slightly lower. This is a huge step for Joel.

And as romantic at heart as this man truly is... even if you make it clear you're interested, he'd be hesitant. He would still be skeptical. He might even push you away at first. "You don't know what you want" or "This isn't a good idea" would be something he might say. He needs to be absolutely sure you understand the risks and the implications before he even considers pursuing anything.

If you persist, he'd eventually have a brutally honest conversation with you. He'd lay all his cards on the table; his past, his fears, his flaws, the reasons why this might not work. He needs you to see him for who he really is. He'd be hyper-aware of the power dynamic and would want to make sure you're always comfortable and in control. He'd be incredibly respectful of your boundaries.

Once this man commits, he's all in. He'd be fiercely loyal and protective, willing to do anything for you. He would be the most dependable partner you could ask for.

[demonslayedher]

Today while watching the second half of the Entertainment District Arc at the theater (for context: in Japanese with no subtitles, but I'm relatively fluent in it as a second language), I had a bit of a startling moment as Tengen recalls his ninja past.

"Huh?" I thought, "Did I miss something? Was it that seven of the Uzui siblings simply died of the harsh training that their father put them through?"

Like, the importance seemed to be placed on the fact that the lifestyle and cruel mindset was what killed them, and that Tengen did not want to live like his father and surviving younger brother. Emphasis was not placed on Tengen having killed any of them himself.

"Was this one of the edits made for the film version?" I pondered. "No, I think this scene was always like this. Why did I remember his back story differently though? Did I miss a more archaic word for them having been put up against each other to kill each other?"

But as I kept watching, it kept bothering me.

Like, "But that all really only made it sound like they happened to die due to harsh training. That's really different from being put against each other to cull each other. Did the manga say more in that scene? I need to check when I get home, because that is a big difference... Maybe Tengen will mention something about it in the grave scene. After all, at least a couple of them are dead because of him. Right...?"

But there was nothing to imply guilt in the grave scene. Just that he regrets they are dead at all and that he needs to live it up for their sake. I had always assumed this scene was set after the Fanbook #2 detail of how he used to say he was going to hell until his wives got mad at him for it. But he said that because of the guilt of killing his siblings, right?

Or... was it just general guilt over going along with the shinobi lifestyle and killing people???

But... but he did unwittingly kill a couple of his siblings without knowing who they were because their faces were covered and he was just following his father's orders, right? After all, I... I mentioned that in a fanfic. I mentioned that in timelines. I mentioned that in meta. I mentioned that in so much meta.

I grew more and more bothered as I kept watching the movie, wondering if, all this time, I had attained some false memory. I've been wrong before; I am but one nerd on the internet. It's not a big deal to be wrong. But, but if I wanted to avoid leaving false info out there, I would have to fix so much. I would have to completely reevaluate the way I have interpreted Tengen's character for years.

Where did I even get such a far-fetched idea with no basis in that flashback? Because Japanese is so contextual, did I completely misattribute Tengen's father's fault onto Tengen himself? But where did I assume those details about him not knowing they were his siblings until after he killed them? Was it fanon? Was it a mistranslation somewhere (I've come across a few widespread ones, after all)? How did I fool myself into this? How will I go back and amend all those posts???

So anyway. I got home and checked the original flashback text (in Japanese). Pretty much the same as the anime. Gulp.

Checked Fanbook #1. Basically a recap of how he did not want to live like his father and remaining brother. An extra tidbit about being given three wives when he turned 15, as was their culture. Nothing to justify my vivid memories.

But finally--in content that wasn't published until months after the manga ended--Fanbook #2 had it!!! Every detail as I felt I had already accepted as canon long ago, and then some--three Uzui siblings died beforehand, and the remaining six were put against each other, Tengen killed two without knowing who they were, his remaining brother killed another two without caring.

So why am I telling you all this?

So that you can appreciate the relief I felt as I said,

"I'm so glad Tengen killed his siblings!"

[emoclowncircus]

i respect the time and effort you've put into this,but unfortunately,i still disagree on regard of the "Anthony" boy being Vergil. And,quite frankly, I find a lot of the points you provide to be quite shallow and don't go beyond personal interpretations when the episode itself provides enough implications that the "Anthony" boy is indeed Dante.

First off,the elephant in the room. It is directly disproven by the "before the nightmare" novel,where it is explicitly stated that Vergil hasn't gone under any aliases unlike Dante. This alone erases all the probability of Vergil being "Anthony".

You might argue that despite it contradicting the current established lore ,the time the episode was prepared was still based around Vergil --"so the point still stands". But,i'd say otherwise. Because as I mentioned earlier the storytelling and the evidence only points to one of the Sparda kins,and it is Dante.

The first obvious clue,is the picture shown in the episode. The Anthony boy is shown wearing red(with a BLACK blouse,NOT "blue"). We all know red is associated with Dante. If the boy really was intended to be Vergil, wouldn't the producers atleast put on his signature color?Seems like an odd creative choice to make if the kid really were Vergil.

The second point,the hidden box. Dante didn't just guess where it was,he knew where it was. Near the end of the episode we it's digged up(and since it can't be Ernest we're left with Dante).why would someone like Dante go as far to do something like that when it holds no sentimental value for him?If Ernest really were just a stranger,this thing should hold no significance for him.Why bother?

"Oh!For his brother!The box signifies Vergil's blue and has the letter "V" on it!" Again,this is nothing more than a mere personal interpretation,and doesn't rise above the actual implications provided by the episode.

Third,"Anothony Redgrave" is obviously a reference to Tony Redgrave...(does this need spelling out?..) DMC's original creator,Hideki Kamiya has stated before that the alias Dante takes is from a journalist named "Anthony Redgrave". (Would like to bind the source here but it's an old tweet and the ask itself is deleted)

Fourth...you argue that Dante does not care for Ernest. Then what's the point of this scene?

The melancholic atmosphere,the expression,the used soundtrack...Why the hell would Dante brood over a stranger's words?The same bothersome stranger that supposedly "mistaked him for another" the entire time?...He could simply shrugg it off as another unpleasant encounter. He's had plenty of those.

But from the way it is shown,he doesn't. He CARES. Because he IS Anthony ,and the guilt he carries is a burden for him to this day.

Everything from start to finish,the framed picture,the box,Ernest's crash out,leads to this. Why convey such an emotional conclusion if the journey had no impact?

"OK ,but then why does Dante keep on denying he's Anthony?"Maybe he's not "known for lying" as you said,but that does not exclude him from the act. Dante's not a reliable narrator with his own identity nor past. He denied his own heritage,put on fake names and lived as another for a really long time. If he tried tricking himself,what makes other people,or even the audience to an extent,an exception?Furthering my point; Dante distances himself from ordinary people as much as he can. In EP2 he says he doesn't like dealing with human folk,and again in the "before the nightmare" novel one of his reasons for not attending Patty's birthday party is that he doesn't see himself fit for an event involving ordinary people. He has lost the people dearest to him because of demon heritage ,and seeing Ernest,somebody directly from his past who could've been a victim of the past tragedy(CAUSED BY HIS DEMON HERITAGE)He'd obviously wanna cut ties the sooner he can.

Putting all of this together,I see no trace of Vergil anywhere in the story. People push this theory because they take Dante's words for granted,but if you were to analyze it just a little more,the pieces add do up.

Devil May Cry: The Animated Series (2007) - Dissecting Episode 8 "Once Upon a Time"

A.k.a. spending many words addressing what I feel is a much dismissed episode of the 2007 anime.

Ep 8 "Once Upon A Time" is a Vergil backstory episode. From what I've seen over the years, this apparently flies over the heads of even people familiar with all other works in Devil May Cry canon. But I think that this episode deserves re-evaluation, because it is really very consistent with how Vergil is portrayed both in DMC 3 and in his more recent re-appearance in DMC 5.

The premise of the episode is that a man named Earnest heard that his old friend Anthony had resurfaced running a business called Devil May Cry. He had fallen out of contact with Anthony 20 years ago following a fire that burned to the ground the port town called Morris Island where they lived - killing the majority of the population. The fire was claimed by survivors to be caused by a demon attack on the island. Dante denies meeting Earnest before. He goes along with Earnest to visit the town anyways because he wants to know who is putting Earnest up to this.

Consulting the various pieces of evidence.

1) Dante is not usually known for lying (except for withholding information), and yet he says repeatedly "I'm not the Anthony you are looking for". That's a pretty odd way to phrase his denial, but it makes sense when you realize why the show can't just outright say "that wasn't me, but it might have been my identical twin brother". A conceit of the show is that it never once acknowledges in words that Dante had a twin brother. The show is allergic to saying the name "Vergil" (not even once!), which made it surreal to watch as an introduction to the series in 2007 and to later learn "oh, he has a twin brother!....OH NO he has a dead twin brother!" Because of the way that in retrospect it's obvious that Vergil haunts the narrative in at least half of the episodes.

This is almost the exact same way that Vergil is handled in DMC 4, where he's very plot relevant despite his name never being spoken. The Yamato belonged to "Dante's brother" - that's the extent to which anyone acknowledges him in words. Because the writers have decided to address the question of "how do you make the viewers aware of the past escapades of the characters without wasting screen-time on exposition dumps" with the answer of: "Don't! :)"

Real people don't start off every new relationship by explaining their tragic backstory - so when characters like Patty and Nero are introduced they are surrogates for the fraction of the audience who did not play the previous games or read the books and are reacting to the mysterious figure of Dante from an outsider perspective.

2) This point is one of the weakest (because it only works in hindsight), but it should be said that as of DMC 5 and Visions of V it is known that the demon attack on Morris Island is entirely separate and unrelated to the demon attack on the Sparda mansion near Redgrave City. It is also heavily implied that Dante was constantly up in Vergil's business - making it unlikely that Vergil could keep a secret friend from Dante and also have that friend never find out about his twin brother.

Plus there is the timeline to consider. DMC 1 takes place 20 years after the attack on the Sparda mansion. Morris Island takes place 20 years before this episode of the anime. There is a gap of at least a few years between DMC 1 and the anime considering that there was enough time for Trish to partner with Dante, change the shop name, and then for Trish to leave and the shop name to change back. So even the timelines don't match up if these 20-year time spans are strictly correct rather than vague approximations of time.

3) Dante has a completely separate backstory about where he ended up after his family home burned down in a fire and he was separated from Vergil. Because of the shock and to protect himself he buried his real identity in amnesia for like 8-10 years and created an identity as Tony Redgrave. He became a regular human mercenary and unaware of demons until suddenly he was pulled back into it and forced to remember. This is covered in the DMC 1 novel. The DMC 1 novel has been more decisively folded into canon as of references to its events in DMC 5: Before the Nightmare. In contrast, Vergil's whereabouts during the same time period were a mystery. What would have been the point of giving Dante a new personal history set in a small port town when you can instead take the opportunity to fill in the blanks on the person whose past is unknown?

Basically, the writers take it for granted that there is a tacit understanding with the fans that they will be faithful in writing Dante's character to the extent that is possible. Thinking that the viewers understand that the 2007 anime is not an adaptation of any previous works and has no desire to re-tread those previous works. The version of Dante as he appears in DMC 3 and subsequently in the anime is written as the character he would be if he experienced the events laid out in the DMC 1 prequel novel. Anything that they've retconned is exclusively related to Vergil - Vergil was not abducted by Mundus as a child and Vergil did not experience the events of the DMC 1 novel (and is unaware of Gilver in general). So if those things did not happen - then what replaced them? The way that anime Ep 8 and DMC 4 are written imply that the writers already had ideas about the answers (it's only 3 years between DMC 3 in 2005 and DMC 4 in 2008), but outside of more prequels there is no graceful way to deliver information about a character who is canonically dead - everything about their thoughts and intentions is filtered through 2nd and 3rd hand unreliable sources.

Even so, Visions of V re-creates the singular kid Vergil scene that was shown in the DMC 3 manga. In that case the scene takes the form of a surreal nightmare that is forced on him by the demons that he is conversing with in the present. It's surreal in the sense of the symbolism of being naked and afraid and stabbed to a gravestone with your own name on it.

Whereas the Visions of V version positions itself as a more straightforwards narrative account of the event. Vergil chooses to acknowledge what he was really thinking and feeling that day as a step towards working past it:

4) Earnest and "Anthony" had a favourite teacher - Margaret - so they seem to have both had a scholarly inclination. The unique cutscene introducing the Vergil playable route in DMC 3:SE (and at multiple points in the DMC 3 manga) shows him browsing books in a library.

The plot of the episode is that Earnest has an ill-begotten plan to open a portal to Hell and summon a demon. Dante tries to talk him out of it and is unsuccessful. This is a smaller scale version of what Vergil did in DMC 3. The parallels - they are here.

5) The kid in the photo that Dante sees at Earnest's house is wearing a blue/black jacket and red shirt. Blue with red interior lining being the colours associated with Vergil at the time of DMC 3, but even more directly with Nero in DMC 4. Morris Island is a port town. Fortuna is a port town on an island. This anime was being written and produced during the same timeframe as DMC 4.

6) Earnest and "Anthony" buried a box of treasures as children and it was a secret between the two of them. The box that Dante digs up has a scratched out name on a field of blue. The first letter of the name is a cursive "V". How did Dante know where the box was? Dante and Vergil were twins and were still similar enough at age 10 or so that Dante could guess where Vergil would have hidden something. They were similar enough that they both chose the same name of Anthony/Tony when they tried to obscure their identity. The identity confusion is a feature, not a bug - it's part of the tragic irony. It's toying with the same question as DMC 5: if their positions were switched, would their fates be different?

Dante does not care about Earnest. At all. At least, beyond the point that he's a person about to do something foolish that could get himself and a lot of other people killed. Dante is doing the bare minimum to humor this man - so if not because of some gesture related to their "friendship", why even dig up the box? For the same reason that he went to visit the town: curiosity. He was looking for proof of Vergil's existence in the world before that one time he showed up when they were 18 talking about a lunatic plan to raise a demon tower and open the connection between human and demon worlds (DMC 3 manga), and then at age 19 actually went through with that plan while revealing that the point of it all was to gain more power (DMC 3), followed shortly by throwing himself into Hell while severely injured at the end of DMC 3. What would motivate a person to do these things?

7) This port town being burned down in a fire caused by a demon attack explains a lot about the psychology of Vergil, in ways that would not be explicitly confirmed until DMC 5 and Visions of V. He's motivated by his fear. He did not hide from Mundus as successfully as Dante, and even when he tried to reinvent himself as a different person the demons caught up with him. Dante lived through one tragic fire and loss of home and safety and he knows how devastating it is - but he repressed the memory and moved on from it in his own uniquely dysfunctional way. Vergil experienced at least this 2nd attack, which begs the question of how many more times did it happen that Dante is unaware of? How badly would it damage a person to live in fear of being constantly hunted and unable to stay in any place for very long or form lasting attachments to other people? Dante can relate to this a bit given his own personal tragedies, although unlike Vergil he has a handful of people like Lady and Trish to keep him grounded though the years.

But for Vergil it can be extrapolated that he was forced to be alone after any attempt to get close to normal people ended in further tragedy, and it seems like the demons won't stop hunting him until either he is dead or the mastermind sending the demons to hunt him is dead. This evolves into an obsession with power, detachment from human social connection, and willingness to make the decision that a city worth of humans is acceptable collateral damage so long as it gets him that power and opportunity to end Mundus.

If there is a single detail that calls in to doubt that Ep 8 is about actual Vergil post-separation from Dante, it is that "Anthony and his mother" lived in the village. On the other hand, the inclusion of this detail seems as much designed to baffle Dante as it does the viewer. This could be a hook for Dante that has him doubting Earnest's story and/or his own memory because he was certain that their mother died at the same time that Dante and Vergil were separated. However, although there are photographic records of "Anthony" in the town there don't seem to be any of this "mother", and her name is never given.

So if indeed "Anthony" was Vergil, then this mother figure is a continuing mystery. The possibility is that Vergil was accompanied by a woman who was a mentor to him in some way, similar to Dante with Nell Goldstein. Could have been a magical mentor - how did he learn to fling about spectral swords anyways? Impossible to say for certain (i.e. more flexible for future use as a plot point), but if Patty and Morrison from the anime are canon then this suggests that other things set up in the 2007 anime could get a callback if ever there was a DMC6.

As for the purpose of this episode in the context of the anime - it would have been deliberately designed as an attack on Dante by Sid - the mischief maker of the series who is advancing a background demon resurrection plot. One of the times that Dante confronts him Sid says "In the end you were drawn here by the smell of a devil weren't you?" before backflipping off the balcony as the scene lights up with blue lightning.

What is it that Vergil says in the Mission 13 fight in DMC 3 the first time he uses his devil trigger: "You will not forget this devil's power".

This whole episode is a twist of the knife to deliver a reminder that Dante and Vergil weren't so different once, that kid Vergil probably missed their mother as much or more than Dante because he didn't have the luxury of willing himself into amnesia, and that while Dante managed to make it to adulthood before demons found their way back into his life Vergil was not so lucky. Understanding some of the reasons that drove Vergil to obsessively seeking power only makes it worse that Dante was now twice responsible for unknowingly playing into Mundus plans by severely injuring Vergil in a fight to the death in DMC 3, and then by killing him instead of saving him in DMC 1.

Bonus: Even the alcohol gets in on the theme. Dante in his own home office enjoys a "Budweiner" beer with his buddy Morrison as he gets the details about Morris Island. The end credits show him with a glass of "Back Janiels" liquor - these are his usual tastes. When he visits Earnest's house it is just after seeing that photograph of (presumably) kid Vergil that he is offered a glass of red wine.

This is some classic gothic imagery where red wine evokes the look of blood. The last time that Dante and Vergil fought (intentionally - not counting when Vergil was under the control of Mundus) it was over what it means that they have the blood of Sparda. And blood is present in the lyrics of the lesser demon battle music that plays through Missions 2-13 right up to the scene where Vergil is trying to open the gate.

... Taste the blood, Taste your fate, Swallow your pride, With your hate, ... Knee's in the blood with your crying pleas, Wade in your sorrow, bathe in your fear, Clear the mind of the righteousness suffered, Witness the moment of your failure's prosper!

[polkadotjohnson]

David Dastmalchian on Murderbot, breaking new ground in Dexter: Resurrection and therapy breaks on set

by Louise Griffin - Published: Wednesday, 28 May 2025 at 7:00 pm

"I can't say who yet, because we haven't announced it, but I just worked with one of my heroes in the film and television space… immediately we got into those kinds of conversations, and I felt so comfortable when we were shooting in the morning to say, ‘I have my support group zoom at this time. Can I attend?’ And this person being like, ‘Of course, 100 per cent,’ and, ‘Do you need anything else? How can I help support you?’"

Carefully teasing what's to come from his character in Dexter: Resurrection, he says: "There are things about this character that are very specific and special, and I've never gotten to do it before with any role I've ever played before. "I've always been scared of, but excited by, the challenge of something that is new or different for me. So just know that going to prepare for the role meant thinking about things in a way that I had not really done before."

"What it's there to do is excavate the beauty of the human experience, and do so with honesty and integrity and authenticity. So my dream and my hope and my prayer, when I get to be a part of telling stories like this, that do value all human life, no matter who they love, how they love, how they identify... you just dream that someone's watching it who maybe feels disconnected from those who look or identify or live their lives differently than them, and they they get touched by that beautiful, invisible, golden thread that connects us all. "To me, it's an honour. I'll be thankful to Martha Wells for the rest of my days for creating this world and creating the character of Gurathin, because playing him really changed me."

A beautiful interview! This is just a snippet, click the link and read all of it.

Saved here in case you can't access it.

[aggressively-polite]

You are so right about Cassian's transition from S1 Cassian to R1 Cassian not being there at all. Did the writers somehow forget the significance of Narkina 5? Maarva's Rebel funeral? Nemik's manifesto?

A HUGE part of 'kill me or take me in' was because of the PORD act and what Cassian and Melshi knew what was happening in at least the four or so prisons prisoners were sent from Niamos. There were probably so many more.

It was a significant turning point for Cassian. It was traumatic. Did he not truly learn teamwork, conspire with Kino to free thousands of men and overthrow their oppressors? Surely a turning point for a once lone wolf turned one time mercenary who was only really out for himself?

During the four years that followed Narkina 5, tens or even hundreds of thousands of innocent people, enemies of the Empire, and criminals who are meant to do their time and get their freedom eventually are living that dystopian hell that Cassian was and it began long before the day Cassian was arrested. With every day the Empire ruled the galaxy, those people would never see freedom.

CASSIAN KNEW THIS, yet they largely chose to regress and not progress his character and focus on a romantic relationship that should have been cut after the show went from 5 to 2 seasons, and use that as a reason to not to commit. That's what they did with the limited screen time they had?

People needed to know about Narkina 5 and the other prisons. Cassian and Melshi agreed on this. Cassian didn't get to say goodbye to Maarva because he was in prison, and then what did his last remaining parent do with her death?

Incited a riot and resistance against the Empire. Cassian heard her entire speech and it was clear that the wheels were turning for Luthen as he watched her speech and what she accomplished with it, as though he was putting together that aside from his interactions with Cassian, the reluctant but immensely capable man raised by that woman could really be the guy.

Taking Cassian off the board because he knows too much could be the biggest mistake Luthen might make in his life. And then lo and behold, Cassian is waiting for him on his ship, ready to die if Luthen won't bring him in. He was ready to go ALL the way.

WHAT HAPPENED TO ANY OF THAT?

You could have left his story off there and continued to Rogue One and it would have worked as a prequel, which is such a shame when other characters had such compelling stories.

Yes!!!!!!! You've articulated what I feel perfectly!

Andor season 1 works as a great prequel to Rogue One because it gets Cassian to where he needs to be emotionally (fully ready to dedicate himself to fighting the empire), and then leaves enough of a gap for us to fill in his development to captain.

When I finished season 1, I was so happy that it felt like a complete arc for the character and I could leave it there and let imagination/fanfic fill in the rest.

Even though I did like a lot of season 2 (the whole build up of Ghorman I really enjoyed), it felt like such a regression for Cassian, and makes it impossible to connect his character back to Rogue One.

I really think the Ferrix characters should have been left in season 1, or have a separate plot line that doesn't intersect (much or at all) with Cassian's.

Bix didn't get to feel like a character to me in season 2, just as a plot device to make Cassian feel conflicted. She was given no agency or drive of her own - she leaves the rebellion (something she says she believes in) just so that Cassian will be fully in the rebellion (even though he should've been from episode 1). Why couldn't she just break up with him to go on her own missions? Why did they make her talk about how strongly she believes in the fight, just to make her a widowed mother on a farm?

Actually now that I think about it - I think Wil and Cassian's relationship works much better in comparison - they care about each other but it doesn't come before the cause (at least not for Wil).

I think the writers should've just picked one Ferrix character to live (either Bix or Wil) and give them Wil's plotline. Cassian's plot could then focus a lot more on actual missions for the Rebellion, how Yavin builds as a base (hated that we saw none of this in the timeskip), and setting him up for Rogue One.

[bfwooin]

when i see you baby, i just don't wanna let go.

synopsis. your best friend, hyuk, couldn't bear seeing you with wooin any longer.

content. hyuk has a crush on reader (more like obsession), jealousy and possession, manipulation (?), petnames, alcohol, drunken confession, making out.

a/n. idk how submissions work im so sorry bb @shintaru, but HAIII ML ♡ i loved writing this sm hehe, thanks for requesting!!! also i wna tag ppl in my posts but idk who to tag,,, if anyone wants to be tagged lmk pls! <3

you’ve been bad, really bad, according to hyuk’s logic.

he notices how often you go to wooin’s apartment; those instagram stories from wooin’s account left imprinted in hyuk’s mind as wooin posts photo after photo of you and him awfully close together.

fuck, the guy even has a whole highlight dedicated to you named “my favourite girl”, and it makes hyuk seethe with envy.

ever since that night where hyuk introduced you to the rest of the sabbath crew at wooin’s nightclub a few months ago, you found yourself attracted to wooin because of his charm, though you didn’t dare to mention about it to your best friend on the night itself, who stared daggers at the both of you whenever wooin offered to pour a drink for you.

he regrets bringing you to the club that night, a foolish mistake from him as the only three places that you frequently go to now are your home, your university, and wooin’s to do god knows what.

he has tried to put in a bad word about wooin whenever you talk about your interactions with him. “he’s a playboy,” is one that hyuk never fails to emphasise during your conversations with him, but it falls deaf on your ears.

eventually, hyuk had enough of tiptoeing around you; he needed to drill his obsession inside of your head. his chances with you aren’t exactly zero (at least that’s what he thinks), so he has to find every possible way to beat wooin to steal your heart.

one night, where you’re finally not at wooin’s place for once and at home, you hear your doorbell ring, thinking it’s probably your package that arrived.

though when you opened the door, you were greeted by hyuk, who oddly has your package in his hands.

“it was just left out here,” he says, and you nod awkwardly and let him enter your space before closing the door shut.

“why are you here?”

“i was bored, and i was in the area too.”

what a liar.

he cycled around and stationed himself at the park nearby with purpose, staring at your unit of the tall building to see if you were out or not based on the lights, before deciding to head up and find you.

he sets your parcel aside and stands in front of you, studying the features on your face with his blankless gaze. his hands are in the pockets of his trousers, his finger picking the skin on the side of his thumb as he couldn’t stand the ill feeling of you being in wooin’s arms as the guy pleases.

it should be him instead.

“do you want anything to drink?” you ask, walking away from him and opening your fridge to reveal a few cans of coke and sprite, as well as two cans of beer that caught his eyes.

as you were about to reach for the sprite can, you feel his presence towering you from behind, guiding your arm to reach for the cans of beer instead. you turn around, and his face was extremely close to yours, your lips a few centimetres apart from kissing each other.

“just take it,” he taps on your hand with his index finger, urging you to grab the cold cans before you get even more lost in his eyes.

as the hours past midnight, the both of you are intoxicated, sitting on the floor of your living room with the couch behind as a backrest. you throw your head back, resting against the plush furniture as you look at hyuk from the side.

he’s an eagle, his eyes fierce and unforgiving on your face. “are you dating wooin?” he asks with slight annoyance in his tone as jealousy takes over. he props his elbow on the couch, staring at you for your answer.

“i’m not,” and your words couldn’t have made him happier, he felt as if he had won. you whine, your flushed face shifting to rest on the side of your cheek.

“why? you like me or somethin’?” your words are slurred, escaping your mouth with a drunken smile across your lips.

“yeah, i do.” your smile wiped away from your face, and you swear time stopped for the both of you. your heart races faster at the realisation, sobriety catches up to you in a second before you could stop him from leaning closer and placing his soft lips onto yours.

he grabs your waist, pulling you onto his lap as he claims your body with need. your body couldn’t resist him, reacting and moving to his liking. your mind is scrambled with conflicted thoughts of hyuk, slowly slipping away from the grasp wooin has on you.

“you’re mine. not wooin’s, not anyone else’s, but mine.” he pulls his face away, admiring your parted lips plump from his kiss and your hazy eyes.

“but wooin-“

“he’s probably fucking some other girl now,” he lies, wanting you to forget about wooin and focus on him even though he knows that you’ll be hurt by his words.

but he craves for your attention, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make you his girl.

“no, he isn’t."

“you’re just blind, princess.” he caresses your neck with his fingers, making you shiver as you tear your eyes away from his gaze.

“look at me.” he commands, and you obey.

“don’t go to him anymore, he’s a really bad person.” his hand grasps your nape whole, his thumb circling over your skin and tracing your jawline possessively.

“a good girl like you doesn’t deserve him, i do.”

hyuk knew he had won the moment you gently pecked his lips, marking him with your tinted lip gloss as you moaned softly, feeling his tongue enter your mouth like his home.

you’re beyond sober at this point, but tipsy on his lust like a drunkard.

[cogentranting]

Let me preface by saying I haven't seen the new Lilo and Stitch, so I'm just going off of what I've seen online.

Now. There are bigger things wrong with it, then what they did to Bubbles, but I want to talk a little about Bubbles.

To my understanding, the new movie changes Cobra Bubbles so that instead of being the social worker (who happened to previously be in the CIA) Bubbles is just a government agent chasing Stitch and there is a new female social worker character.

Here's what the director said about why he did that:

"In order to buy these two girls getting separated in a live-action movie, you couldn't really have the representative of that antagonistic force be a comically huge guy with tattoos on his knuckles, who for some reason is also a social worker. [...] This grown-up Nani, with all her wisdom, is now advising a younger version of herself. It's beautiful....If the dramatic stakes of Lilo is that she's going to get separated from her sister, then you need a person who actually services those stakes in a credible way. You can get away with that being Cobra Bubbles in an animated film — a 6-foot-5 huge dude with 'Cobra' tattooed on his knuckles is somehow a social worker in that world. I don't think you get away with it the same way in a live-action film."

And I think this shows a complete lack of understanding (or a willful misinterpretation) of what Cobra Bubbles is doing and why his character works in the original film.

Why is Bubbles a "comically huge guy with tattoos on his knuckles"? Because when you're a little kid (or a nineteen-year-old guardian) and your home is being evaluated to see if you get to stay there or if you get taken away, social workers are scary. And Bubbles captures that by outwardly representing the way that he feels to the kid in that situation. He's intimidating, he's powerful, he's unknowable. And your fate is in his hands. Granted, I understand the impulse of saying "we don't want to portray social workers as something bad and scary because they are there to protect kids--we don't want to make kids afraid of social workers". Sure. But Cobra Bubbles just represents the reality of what the kids already feel in that situation, and lets kids understand that who haven't been in that situation.

Furthermore, a big part of the original movie is the turn, realizing that Bubbles is not a bad guy. As the movie goes on, it becomes clear that Bubbles is genuinely there to protect Lilo. The demands he puts on Nani, while difficult and providing the conflict for the movie, are reasonable expectations to keep Lilo safe (of course Nani needs to have a job. of course they can't have an aggressive out of control 'dog'). In fact they would still be the concerns of the movie even without Bubbles there, he just provides a voice for them and creates a sense of urgency--he personifies those needs. And both Lilo and Nani come to see that Bubbles does want keep Lilo safe. Crucially, when Lilo ends up legitimately in danger she calls Bubbles. And in the end Bubbles ends up helping provide the means for the full family to stay together (he's the one who suggests the loophole that allows Lilo to keep Stitch). That scary, powerful force that is Bubbles, eventually turns from being an antagonistic force, to a protective one. Cobra Bubbles characterization recognizes the reality both of what social workers often are for kids, and the picture of what they should be. Kids are going to look at this figure in their life and find them scary. And if all is working as it should be, hopefully they will come to see them as a person on their side with the power to protect them (whether that means staying in their same situation or not). And in this story that comes in the form of bending a little to realize what's actually best for Lilo and who is actually going to fight for her the hardest and then providing the help needed to maintain that.

This lady:

does not do that. Maybe they create some of the same effect with her in other ways. I don't know. But surely not as effectively. And based on the quotes from the director, I suspect that they don't try to capture any of that. Instead, it seems like she is just a mentor figure that Nani has to learn to accept.

(And I think it's notable that in the original movie, Bubbles had to change. Nani and Lilo and Stitch all did too. But Bubbles had to have movement. And I can't fully speak to the live action because I haven't seen it, but it seems like the new social worker in this one probably doesn't . In the original movie virtually every character has an arc, changes in some way. But it seems like this version the arcs for several characters were removed, flattening them out)

Now, I do think there is a grain of legitimacy in the director's comments. Cobra Bubbles is a cartoon character. If you're going to adapt him to live action you have to make some adjustments. But I think those adjustments are minor if you keep the heart of the story and the characters the same. Maybe he's not the size of a tank. Maybe he doesn't have the knuckle tattoos. Maybe you need to give a little more space to revealing his gentler side. But at his core he can be the same and work in live action if you know why he works in the first place.

And it seems very clear that whatever the director may say about making the movie more realistic for live action, the heart of the matter is softening the social worker to pave the way for the changed ending. But even there, I think if you wanted that ending (you shouldn't) you could still get there with Cobra Bubbles. Except what this change does is shift the narrative perspective from Lilo to Nani. Cobra Bubbles is a social worker through Lilo's eyes. Mrs. Kekoa is a social worker meant to be viewed through Nani's eyes, which is why she positioned to be a "grown-up Nani" (literally, it's Nani's voice actress from the original). So really the change to Bubbles, is a move in line with the ending to centralize Nani over Lilo.

[love-little-lotte]

So, everyone's obsessed with Next to Normal Original London Cast, right?

I first discovered this musical way back in high school because I was in love with Aaron Tveit (still am). That should've only been a thirst-watch, but what do you know, I fell in love with the musical, its heartbreaking story, complex characters, and hopeful music and lyrics. The way this story handles grief and mental health was something I haven't encountered before, and it opened my mind to so many realizations. Even now, years after my first listen, I'm still learning a lot.

A new cast recording has been released today. I haven't watched the pro-shot yet (not available in my country, but I've seen bootlegs!), so this was my first introduction to the West End's take on one of my beloved musicals. I stayed up late last night to listen to this recording, and I ended up sobbing my eyes out, as if it was my first time listening to it. This recording is absolutely perfect. It tore my heart to shreds, and while nothing could really beat the OBC recording for me, this one came close. I loved that they included some of the dialogues, plus the emotions from the cast were so crisp and clear. It definitely elevated my listening experience, and I honestly couldn't stop listening to it.

This particular song—"Maybe (Next to Normal)"—is my favorite song in the musical. Diana and Natalie's relationship is the one that struck me the most in the musical, and this song encapsulates their worst and best moments. This version is actually missing some lyrics (but when life needs a change and the one devil won't, you fly to the devil you don't), but apart from that, it's able to hit the right emotional tone. Caissie Levy and Eleanor Worthington-Cox were able to emulate what I loved about Alice Ripley and Jennifer Damiano from the original cast while also bringing something new to the table.

This particular stanza from Natalie also makes me tear up all the time:

It's so lovely that you're sharing No, really, I'm all ears But where has all this caring been For sixteen years? For all those years, I'd prayed that you'd go away for good Half the time afraid that you really would When I thought you might be dying I cried for all we'd never be

The anger, desperation, and sadness in Natalie's delivery in this scene strike me so much because for me, this is the first time she shows real vulnerability in front of Diana. This is where she conveys how she felt abandoned all her life and how all she wanted was her mother's love and attention. And how, even though she wanted her mother to leave, especially during the worst times, she couldn't give up on her. At the same time, this is also Diana's first time connecting with her daughter. It's her first time seeing Natalie's broken self and how her sickness has affected her life. She's not the "Invisible Girl" anymore. And in this song, she apologizes for not being there for her and tells her that all she wanted was to give her a normal life.

Which makes the title reveal in the last part even more impactful:

I don't need a life that's normal, that's way too far away But something next to normal would be okay Yeah, something next to normal, that's the thing I'd like to try Close enough to normal to get by

Because, really, what's the definition of "normal," anyway? A complete family with a dad with a job, a stable mom who cooks, and their happy, satisfied children? Beneath that, everyone has their own demons. Even the most normal people you see in your neighborhood have troubles of their own, and I guarantee you—no one's life is "normal." All we can do is try to survive each day, live as best as we can, and just get by. This is emphasized in the last song, "Light," where Diana sings, "But some hurts never heal, some ghosts are never gone, but we go on, we still go on."

Anyway, this is your sign to listen to the new recording. It's really that good!

[yes-no-maybe-soo]

I just realized Valleydream Bloom also has a reference to SylusMc's gladiator-arena life. Sylus buys the castle that was holding some kind of hunger games that MC was investigating. Even here, they team up and defeat those power hungry losers. All power-couple style. Cuz of course they do that. Liberating not only themselves but also others from those shackles. Again. And again. In every universe. They've always done this together. Except for when they were separated. Sylus still doesn't give up though; he's still a protector. His anecdote hits even harder now. But MC, even without her memories, does it in her own way, by becoming a Hunter. She doesn't remember anything about her past (EVER took so much from her poor baby🥺) but that didn't stop her. And Sylus knew this. That's how he knew she would come back to know the truth (they give off such Odysseus-Penelope vibes ughh I'm unwell).

Anyway, thanks so much for listening to my incoherent rant, I just needed to let it out! Infold keeps playing 3D chess with our hearts fr! 😭💔❤️

A lot of things hit harder after Death and Rebirth, yeah 💔 it rewired how I view so many moments from previous cards and the like...

And that for sure includes the part from Valleydream Bloom that you mention. The writers knew what they were doing releasing that just before the Death and Rebirth reveal... they've had everything carefully planned to ensure maximum emotional pain for us...

God, I still can't get over how Sylus canonically has lived through genocide (as a minor), persecution (also as a minor/juvenile), the Hunger Games (as a child), and also the Purge (repeatedly and as an adult, though he understandably chooses not to participate until MC wants him to. Good on him for staying in and playing video games instead), in addition to everything with MC across both his known lives. And he remembers it all... the fact that he is still so mentally and emotionally stable is insane tbh.

But heartache aside it's also pretty satisfying when pieces of the puzzle begin to come together slowly but surely. And also to realize just how deep Sylus' love for MC goes. Like yes we always knew he was a lover and yearner but those Timelock Keys really made it crystal clear... particularly the final one. There really is no love purer than his 😭💔💘

I love the parallel you make between MC and Sylus teaming up to liberate others in Valleydream Bloom and how they teamed up in the past to liberate themselves from a similarly fucked up situation... just like how dragon Sylus as a last act of defiance liberated himself and MC from the curse that fate had carved out for them and how in present day he is still working to free them from whatever fate has in store (which I believe is still to kill/devour each other).

And yeah like you say the fact that he knew that MC would come and seek answers... because "that's just who you are" 🥺💗 and that he set up a way for her to get said answers from so early on... but only when she is ready and actively searching for them... she means so much to him. His love and consideration and respect for her is so so apparent in his actions... both prior to the main story and during...

[mishaapocalypsse]

hiii 💕 may i request Soldier Boy x (fem) reader? like she's really insecure about her appearance, being a bit chubby but without the "curvy" stereotype and she can't help but compare herself to Crimson Countess and can't believe that a man like him would even turn to look at her.

pd. Congratulations on getting engaged! ♡

|| Waiting For A Girl Like You||

Pairings: Soldier Boy x Chubby! Reader

Warnings: None, except some adult language, and sexual themes.

More under the line!

PS: Not engaged anymore...long story short...not the person for me. Anyway, enjoy this after two years lol.

You didn’t wear red.

Not because you didn’t like it—hell, you loved it. It was bold, confident, striking. But it reminded you too much of her. Crimson Countess. With that hourglass silhouette, those legs for miles, that cleavage like a goddamn billboard. She was the kind of woman comic books were built around, a living pin-up.

You? You couldn’t even look in the mirror without that tightness in your chest. The softness of your arms, the slight roll of your belly when you sat down, the way jeans always cut into your waist even if they fit in the legs—it all just felt wrong. Like you were the before photo in an ad that had never aired.

And yet… somehow, Soldier Boy looked at you.

Sometimes.

And God, did that make it worse.

It started with glances.

Quick, casual, meaningless. You’d tell yourself that. Had to. Because the second you believed they meant anything more, your mind would immediately summon her. What he used to have. What he wanted back.

What you could never be.

He’d crash on your couch when he wasn’t laying low in some safe house, mumble about how the others were all assholes, flick his Zippo and pretend not to notice the way your voice dipped when you answered his questions. You tried to hide it—your affection. Your awe. Your hunger.

It was embarrassing. You knew better. He was Soldier Boy.

And you? You were just… the chubby girl who blended into the crowd. Not curvy in the glamorized way. Just soft. Plain. The one who made herself small in pictures and avoided full-body mirrors.

But tonight, something shifted.

He was drunk. Or high. Or both. Slouched on your couch, boots kicked off, green eyes fixed on the TV but unfocused. His flannel hung open over a stained white tee, his dog tags glinting dully against his chest. You padded into the living room barefoot, arms crossed over your oversized shirt.

“You ever heard of pants?” he drawled, voice rough like sandpaper dipped in honey.

You flinched. Then looked down. Just a long tee and bare thighs. Chubby ones.

“I’m at home,” you muttered, tugging the hem down. “Didn’t know I needed to dress up for company.”

He turned his head toward you. Really looked at you.

And it was a problem.

His gaze lingered on your legs, then back up to your face—lazy, appraising. But not cruel. Not mocking. It made you burn.

“I like it,” he said. Simple. Grunted it out like a truth too obvious to need repeating.

You blinked.

“Don’t mess with me,” you whispered, almost too soft to hear.

His brow furrowed. “I’m not.”

You stared at him.

“You don’t have to pretend,” you said, heart thudding. “I’m not Crimson Countess. I know what I look like.”

His expression darkened. He sat forward, arms on his knees, cigarette ash dusting the carpet.

“Don’t say that name around me.”

You flinched again, but this time from his tone. Like it hurt him. Like it stabbed.

“She was... the perfect kind of beautiful,” you mumbled anyway. “Not like me. You know that.”

There was a silence that felt like walking a tightrope in a storm. Then:

“The hell I do.”

You looked at him, startled.

Soldier Boy stood, slow and deliberate, towering over you now. That flannel, that stubble, that barely restrained violence. You took a step back instinctively.

“I knew a woman who wore red like it was war paint,” he said, eyes cold. “Who kissed like a lie and smiled like a blade. Who turned on me the second I wasn’t useful anymore.”

His voice dropped, rough with memory.

“She was never soft with me. Not once.”

You swallowed. Your hands trembled.

“I’m not useful,” you murmured, meaning I’m not pretty. “I’m not—why would someone like you even look at someone like me?”

He stared at you for a long, weighted moment.

Then he closed the space.

“Because you’re real,” he said, biting off each word. “Because you don’t flinch when I lose it. Because you make eggs without acting like I’m a fucking monster. Because your laugh sounds like something I didn’t think existed anymore.”

His voice cracked. Just a little.

“And yeah, because you’re pretty. You’re fucking gorgeous. And if you ever say otherwise again, I swear to God—”

Your breath hitched.

“Say it again,” you whispered.

He blinked. “What?”

“That I’m pretty.”

It came out small. Desperate.

His face softened. Just barely. The tension bled from his shoulders, and he touched your cheek like he didn’t trust his hand not to ruin you.

“You’re beautiful,” he said, like it hurt to admit. Like he didn’t know how to say it right. “Not in some picture-perfect, pin-up bullshit way. In a way that makes me feel like maybe I’m not dead inside.”

You made a small, broken sound.

His thumb traced your cheekbone. Rough fingertip, tender pressure.

“I don’t know what the hell this is,” he muttered. “But when I’m with you, I don’t wanna blow shit up. I just… wanna stay. Eat breakfast. Watch dumb TV.”

You couldn’t help the tears that welled. You hated that. But his hand cupped the back of your neck and pulled you in.

“I see you,” he said, voice low. “Every inch. Every curve. Every soft part you hate. I see it. And I want it all.”

You melted.

And when he kissed you—gruff and clumsy and starved—it didn’t feel like a fantasy. It felt real. Heavy with scars, trembling with need.

You weren’t Crimson Countess.

You were something he had chosen.

And for the first time in a long, long time, you let yourself believe it.

[note-boom]

I'm trying to catch up with BSD s5 now that I have time and I'm less than 2 minutes into ep 2 and already I'm going insane and shaking someone's metaphorical shoulders because, because -

"I trusted my soul."

"Actually, I had no way of knowing if they'd believe me."

That's how a story WORKS. The story only has power over you so far as you give it power over you. And if you are a reader or the author of a story, you have that choice to break free from the narrative that's entrapping you. It's like when we get so invested in a piece of fiction and it starts taking over our lives and we have to take a step back and go, right...this is fiction. I know what reality is because I am an individual soul, not a narrative's character and plaything and this story only have power over me as much as I give it power. The characters in BSD might be the characters of the BSD narrative, but they are not the characters of the Book. They are people. Unpredictable, beautiful people that even Ranpo - who CAN predict everything that follows the pattern of a story - cannot fully predict. Because you cannot predict a person's actions or thoughts or future, you can only trust in them

[zakiyah]

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