#making my theories or reading other ppl's interpretations

[enden-k]

Hi!! You're free to ignore this if it doesn't interest you ofc but I wanted to talk a bit about the "Aventurine racism" thing. It's mostly people not reading things right and misinterpreting things (as always.)

Aventurine is said to be Sigonian, a race known for being untrustworthy. Now, "Sigonian" is not a reference to any real place or community, in any language. It's entirely made up and exists only within the honkai universe. The reason people started speculating that he is Romani is because he calls himself "Avgin", which the game translates as "honey", and "Avgin" is indeed the romani word for "honey". This, of course, doesn't prove he's Romani or based on any Romani culture at all, but people took it and ran with it.

Ratio called him "Sigonian thrall" and, since Romani people have suffered a lot with slavery, people started freaking out. The thing is, Aventurine is a slave, but it has nothing to do with any Romani inspiration or traits he might have. Aventurine is a slave because he works for the IPC, and a good majority of IPC workers are enslaved to the IPC. He's not even the first character to be shown to have a branding mark. Topaz, who I didn't see anyone complaining about, is also enslaved to the IPC and has the same marking on her neck.

It should also be noted that although both Sparkle and Ratio were racist towards Aventurine, the "race" being discriminated against is entirely fictional and not meant to represent any real ethnicity or culture. We should keep in mind that the story is set in a magical universe, and we have nearly no information on Sigonians or Sigonia-IV.

Personally - and this is just my own theory/interpretation - I don't think Ratio was being racist at all. Judging by how the IPC operates, Sigonia-IV has most likely been destroyed or suffered a great disaster, so his claim of Aventurine being a "Sigonian thrall" could've been just a mention to how he has nowhere to run from the IPC, since his home world is gone. Also, Sparkle is just mean, and not really a trustworthy source of information - her comment on Sigonians being notoriously untrustworthy could be her own personal opinion rather than fact (of course, we don't have enough information on this to claim that it's just her opinion, nor that it isn't.).

Sorry for the long ask! I also have more to say about the possibility of Aventurine being romani if it interests you, based on him being a Su expy.

thanks for explaining this further, i dont really have anything add to it other that i share your interpretation there but i think its interesting for the others to see as well (this entire topic is tiring me out but mostly bc of some ppl taking it to extremes or making stuff up to prove their points. thanks for taking the time to write and explain all this!!)

[hollowed-theory-hall]

That theory in Riddle being sexually abused by a Doctor figure and the behaviours he depicted + the talk on unsympathetic victims... Kind of violently reminded me of Severus, and especially his Worst memory where the Marauders did what they did to him. Even his bond with Lily was this unhealthy dependency I think? Well not the right word. But Lily was the only thing keeping him sane and going I feel.

Anonymus: Adding on to the previous ask about Sev and Lily and unsympathetic victims. Do you think the Evans ever acted for Severus the way the weasleys did for Harry? A safe retreat? Do you think they ever tried to report Tobias? How do you interpret Sev and Lil's bond? I know a lot of the fandom thinks Sev was infatuated with her/ romantically loved her...but I often felt that Severus raised Lily to a holy Mary status, and that while he did in fact love her, it was platonic (in which case there is a comment to be made about the way platonic love between opp sex PPL is perceived and ridiculed)

I'm not the op of the post you mentioned, but yeah, Severus is a great example of an unsympathetic victim. Personally, he isn't a character I like all that much, but he is undeniably an interesting one. This turned out a little rambly, but that's what I got.

We don't know how SWM ended, but, yeah... not pleasant regardless of how far it went.

Severus was definitely a victim of abuse, both at his home and school and what he went through was awful. That victimhood doesn't excuse his treatment of students in his care. Like, I had a temporary position as an instructor for teenagers, and Severus' treatment of his students makes me want to throttle him a bit.

But as a child, as a teen — he definitely didn't deserve the life he got. Dumbledore has a tendency to turn a blind eye to abuse for various reasons, which ended up fucking a lot of people over, Snape included. (Tom and Hary too)

As for Severus' dependence on Lily, yeah, I think he was incredibly fixated on her. I agree with you that that fixation isn't necessarily romantic. Lily, was essentially Severus' first friend — his best friend. Lily was to Snape what Ron was to Harry in a way. The first person he felt he could trust.

I went through The Prince's Tale to refresh my memory on all of this, and I wanna talk about his friendship with Lily first, actually.

“. . . thought we were supposed to be friends?” Snape was saying, “Best friends?” “We are, Sev, but I don’t like some of the people you’re hanging round with! I’m sorry, but I detest Avery and Mulciber! Mulciber! What do you see in him, Sev, he’s creepy! D’you know what he tried to do to Mary MacDonald the other day?” Lily had reached a pillar and leaned against it, looking up into the thin, sallow face. “That was nothing,” said Snape. “It was a laugh, that’s all—” “It was Dark Magic, and if you think that’s funny—” “What about the stuff Potter and his mates get up to?” demanded Snape. His color rose again as he said it, unable, it seemed, to hold in his resentment.

(DH, 569)

Severus sees himself and Lily as best friends. He's happy when she dislikes James, but, he never makes any attempt to become romantic with her. It can be read either way, but personally, I like to read it as a close friendship.

(A little unrelated note about the above quote I saw someone mention once somewhere: Severus knows James fancies Lily, and warns her about it in that same conversation above, and It's interesting he raises Lily's potential romantic interest in James as a retort when she says she doesn't know what he sees in Mulciber. Is anyone shipping Mulciber/Severus? 👀)

I mentioned in this post how I believe Severus' Patronus is a doe because he sees Lily as his defender. Even after all these years. And I think, that too, can be about friendship. Because Liy was his first friend, his first defender. The fact that in SWM we see her step in to defend him suggests to me it happened before. That Lily stepped in to defend Severus, so when he calls for a guardian, in the form of a Patronus, it's still Lily.

And after SWM, Severus is less concerned about what happened to him, he's more concerned about losing Lily. That was the worst thing about that memory. Not his humiliation or assualt, but the loss of his first, and probably only best friend. I don't think he ever trusted someone else like he trusted Lily:

“I’m sorry.” “I’m not interested.” “I’m sorry!” “Save your breath.” It was nighttime. Lily, who was wearing a dressing gown, stood with her arms folded in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. “I only came out because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here.” “I was. I would have done. I never meant to call you Mudblood, it just—” “Slipped out?” There was no pity in Lily’s voice.

(DH, 571)

Is he a blood-purist who thinks Lily is a perfect muggleborn and therefore an exception to everything? Yes. Severus is in the wrong here about calling Lily a mudblood and thinking it's fine because she's a good mudblood, she's not like the other muggleborns. Lily has every right to cease her friendship with him over it.

But it's telling about his priorities the first thing he does is try to fix their friendship, to apologize to her.

Did he deserve to be hanged upside down and likely stripped in the middle of a large audience at school? Hell no. James probably didn't see it as a big deal, but it's so messed up I don't really know what to say, really. Like, I think Severus definitely fought back and wasn't always the victim of the Marauders, though. In the scene I mentioned above with Mulciber it's implied Severus and his Death Eater buddies are just as bad as James and the Marauders are. Their targets are just different. I think what James did is awful and inexcusable, but at the same time, I think, in the same way Tom Riddle hung Billy's rabbit to scare his bullies away, Severus tried to do the same, if less successfully. It's why he invented spells like Langlock (used in SWM on him) and Sectumsempra.

A lot of his demeanor is the result of abuse. He bullies and scares his students because he's mimicking his father, his abuser. he learned from him to control by force, with fear threats, and degradation. Because that's what Severus experienced as a child. Also, the fact he became a professor as young as he did, meant he felt had to force his students to take him seriously. Some of his first students probably saw him in his lowest moments as a student himself. So, he resorted to the fear and insults that his father likely used when he wanted to be taken seriously.

I truly think the loss of Lily's friendship is what stung the most about the whole ordeal of SWM. I mean, Severus has a lot of bad memories. I'm sure this wasn't the only time he was humiliated and assaulted. He was abused by his father. He was almost killed by Lupin as a werewolf during the prank. And then he joined a terrorist organization where he was likely tortured, where he likely watched people die. And in all of this, his worst memory is this one case of assault that I doubt was the only one? This doesn't make much sense to me, I think it's his worst memory not because of what happened to him, but because he lost his friendship with Lily over what he considers a "stupid slip".

And yeah, after Lily's death, in his mind, Snape raised her to a saintly status. He never has a mean thought about her, because he feels guilty over her death. He feels like he killed his only defender. So, of course, his memories of her are colored like she was perfect. That's how he wants to remember her so he can keep feeling guilty and hating himself over it. He feels like he deserves to feel that way. This is something you see with victims of abuse, they rationalize their abuse by convincing themselves they deserve it.

And Snape is a very bitter character who doesn't want to get better.

As for whether I think he found solace in the Evans household the same way Harry did with the Weasleys? The answer is yes actually. And there's some evidence for it.

Lily knew things weren't good at home for Severus:

“How are things at your house?” Lily asked. A little crease appeared between his eyes. “Fine,” he said. “They’re not arguing anymore?” “Oh yes, they’re arguing,” said Snape. He picked up a fistful of leaves and began tearing them apart, apparently unaware of what he was doing. “But it won’t be that long and I’ll be gone.”

(DH, 563-564)

And Severus mentioned later in that conversation how his father doesn't just not like magic — he doesn't like anything. Severus and his mother are very clearly implied to be abused by his father when his mother is mentioned. He doesn't describe much of what goes on at home, he tries to act fine, but I'm calling it abuse because of what it most likely is. Severus can't wait to leave home as an eleven-year-old. This isn't something that usually happens in healthy households.

Additionally, Severus spent enough time in their house it was conceivable he and Lily snuck into Petunia's room to find her letter to Hogwarts:

“You shouldn’t have read—” whispered Petunia, “that was my private—how could you—?” Lily gave herself away by half-glancing toward where Snape stood nearby. Petunia gasped. “That boy found it! You and that boy have been sneaking in my room!”

(DH, 566)

So, he probably stayed over with the Evans parents most of the day and only returned home to sleep. That's what I think happened. And, Lily's parents seem very kind and accepting of magic from what little we hear of them:

Lily glanced toward her parents, who were looking around the platform with an air of wholehearted enjoyment, drinking in the scene. Then she looked back at her sister, and her voice was low and fierce

(DH, 566)

“You knew?” said Harry. “You knew I’m a — a wizard?” “Knew!” shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. “Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that — that school — and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was — a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!”

(PS, 41)

I think Severus preferred the Evans house over his own. His own where his parents argued and his father abused him and his mother. Where his parents both worked and left him wandering the streets as a young child.

As for whether the Evans parents ever tried to report Tobias, we just don't really know. I'd say no. Domestic abuse in the 1970s was still largely unrecognized and not treated legally and medically like it is today. So, I don't think they'd have anyone to report to even if they wanted to. Especially with where the Snapes lived, which was essentially slums that the police didn't bother with anyway.

[dnpbeats]

emma i need to confess something any theory about dnp fucking other people pisses me off

anon i'm gonna put about twenty disclaimers on this bc i'm not trying to start discourse but i must say i agree 😭😭 TO BE CLEAR at the end of the day we don't know the ins and outs of d&p's relationship, and we never will. as dan said in BIG ppl want to know who he's fucking when he's fucking them and how long he's fucking them but that is not our business to know!! so i acknowledge that my thoughts on this are my thoughts and they come from a place of personal bias and projection! so if u disagree that’s okay!! okay anyway:

yeah lmao i get that i honestly don't think that they are in an open relationship for a variety of reasons. like logistically speaking it'd be difficult (espc before they were out) and we at least know phil doesn't like one night stands, so it's not like they're perusing grindr every day looking for someone to hook up with. but also like all the swinging jokes are what make me be like yeah they aren't doing that bc if they were i don't think they'd joke about it sm bc i think it would hit too close to home 💀😭 also, i think people read too much into some of dan's comments during WAD. like i get it, yes he likes making horny jokes, but i dont think it's that deep. like even if he wasn't with phil/was in an open relationship, he wasnt being serious when he said cute mutuals slide into my DMs yk 😭 he's always made jokes about being thirsty it's nothing new. also he himself said that all his thirst posting were jokes*! and other reasons too like how jealous dan gets 💀💀

but i also think people have only one interpretation of what he says sometimes, for example him saying things like this: "This is my hot boy autumn right now and I am very much enjoying, for the first time in my life, being free and out and in the world, being able to actually talk about things, being honest, being able to go out and have fun." which, if you want to interpret that as dan saying he's getting dicked down every night of tour, that's your prerogative! but i do not think that "being free and out in the world" has to be about sex, like there are so many layers to that! i just take it to mean like being able to live authentically and exist as a gay man in public yk?

ive said this a couple times in tags on other posts, but i think that sometimes (not all the time!!) the reason why ppl come up with open relation theories is because it's already a given that d&p are together. like in 2015 you could theorize "are they gay are they in a relationship" because it wasn't explicitly stated by them. but now that they're explicitly gay, and anyone reading between the lines can see that they're together, you can't really "speculate" on phan. so, the next progression is to speculate on the exact nature of their relationship: is it open, are they in a qpr, etc. so anyway yeah that's my two cents 😭 if someone thinks they're in an open relationship that's fine pls don't come for me 😭😭

*I CANT FIND THE SOURCE FOR THIS but i know he said it bc i've referenced it before, when i eventually find it i'll put the link 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[raprockcity]

debating on changing my theme soon so here's a new temp about i guess. hey im anastasia, or amadeus! (my friends & polycruel know me as akira, tho!) 20. she/he. im a jew of color. something something about my sexuality and gender whatevr. who care

no dni btw. i block whoever i want for any reason. as should you! dont like what you see? block me! if you really wanna know my stances, fuck around and find out! im not really into creatin dnis cuz they make me look sillier than i need to be

byi? dont use or repost my art. remember i draw for myself & only me, my art isnt for you! i get really self indulgent for these purposes & i self project a lawt. ;w;

more stuff abt me under cut if you wanna read !

main blawg | oc blawg | oh i also have anotha main but... ooo you gotta go find that yourself. its a secret. you'll totally never find it (sarcasm)

interests: i like jjba, metalocalypse, brba & bcs, cookie run kingdom, bojack horseman, minecraft, off, ponytown, & my ocs !!! feel free to talk to me if we share interests! idm making/being friends if youre also an adult!

ive been into jjba since late 2020. also the time i was obsessed with akira, keicho, and rohan and still am. my fave part is diu & i dont really think abt the other parts. i also really love ranting abt narrative stuff & the problems i have with diu (and also jjba as a whole) & also how other ppl talk abt it and interpret it. as much of a hater i am, i dont bite! i try to be polite, heh.

+ my other interests... i heart rock, but i also listen to some metal on da side. cant pin down a particular sub-genre for both nor a fave band atm. oops. i like writing, believe it or not. i also like art (no shit), i think im still a beginner but i taught myself color theory from ponytown. heh. i also like character design & fashion, but really im not educated on those i jus think theyre neat. OH OH! i also really love (basic) web design & html... i also like editing & at some point ran an editing blog which is now deleted. XP

OH and last thing cuz i cant really articulate my interests well - heh, i actually began writing before i began drawing. i really like writing my own poems, um.. creative writing especially. i also love writing analyses on my favorite characters. maybe ill do that sometime!

[constantineshots]

as someone wit cancer (posting this anonymously because some ppl on the internet hear this and go fucking crazy) I’ve always found John Constantine is actually a really interesting rep In theory. I do think Delano like most things fumbles the bag when it comes to that topic but… it’s Delano what do you expect. I really like timelines where John gets treatment before it’s terminal (though usually that very idea seems out of character) or something it’s such a comfort hc. sorry for rambling. I was wondering how YOU interpreted johns cancer storylines as the John Constantine guy.

hey, you’re safe here, do what’s best for you! and I wish you the best. and never apologize for rambling! i love rambling. please keep rambling.

i’ll put this under a read more because i realized how long this is, but i hope it helps answer your question!

but as the john constantine girlie, it’s always been such an incredibly interesting plotline to me. he does take drastic measures to cure himself in the main vertigo timeline, and his interactions with other cancer patients and then realizing that this thing is terminal… it was intriguing. because it’s john. how he handles things is so much different than how others will. you’re never going to get the logical answer- “maybe he’ll get treatment.” “maybe he’ll go find healing magics that could help him.” “maybe he’ll go spend more time with his loved ones.” this is how most people would think to act. I can’t imagine what it’s like to have cancer, but if it were me, i feel like i’d be angry to be living on a timer, so i’d probably check a few things off my bucket list out of spite. not john constantine, though. instead he threatens a war in hell over his soul so everyone has to cure him.

john smokes cigarettes. we all know this to be a fact. however, he ends up getting terminal lung cancer as a result. it shows a very possible risk that most people aren’t willing to acknowledge until it’s too late.

i haven’t spoken to my mother in forever because our relationship was never good ( can’t you see why i like john constantine now? ), but in a way, it reminded me of her. she was a heavy smoker, and i, as a child who sometimes went over to her house begrudgingly, would be caught up in second hand smoke. as a result, these sorts of things were big worries of mine, and yet every time i told her she can’t do things like smoke inside the house and such, she’d just do it anyway. which put everyone at risk.

while, of course, cancer isn’t always caused by smoking, it can be, and she never took it seriously, not even when she was coughing badly and it was clearly dangerous for her health anyway. I don’t think she ever will.

within john’s character, though, we know he clearly didn’t care much. of course, he didn’t want to die because he knew he was going straight to hell at the time. so he concocted his little plan and ended up curing himself of cancer and not dying as a result… and then continuing with the bad habit. he’s a comic book character, so i guess it’s different, but i think it kind of sent the wrong message.

after a tale of john being distressed about having cancer and having to say goodbye to the people he cared about, or john meeting others who had cancer and being affected by the loss of someone who had died as a result of it, i think some expected him to put down the cigarettes. but alas, john has never been the kind of person to make good decisions.

so when i see him doing the smart thing in some storylines or aus that people write and so forth, i’m always stunned. like good on him, of course, handling his shit before it gets worse, but john has always liked to be a pain in the ass and wait until the worst possible moment. like the exact day he’s supposed to die for example. though i do enjoy these more, because it sends the right message…. john isn’t the kind of character you look to to give you the right message in most aspects. his political beliefs are good, but everything else is a dumpster fire.

but in my opinion, john constantine is a character- one of a rare few- who has cancer. there’s a described time of his struggles with it, some depression from it, the loss of someone he’d met who had it, and that was a journey. but then, in true john constantine fashion, the cornered rat idea he has, he cures himself of it- or, well, more forces some other beings to cure him of it, but hey.

that’s all i got, but feel free to explain further on anything you want to!

[pocketgalaxies]

miss ma'am would you like to expand some thoughts on all of the imodna stuff from this past ep? i always love your takes on them :)

hello yes!!

ok starting with imogen. i can't believe it's basically canon that girl's been kinda in love with laudna for so long. like i knew it but i didn't Know it and now i Know it and don't know what to Do with it except be like oh babe. i'm so happy for you for making that move. and the speed at which imogen steered the conversation to that point as soon as they were alone is so endearing, the way she was about to overflow with the need to ask that question. also marisha being like "this wasn't supposed to happen to my dead girl" and laura going "i know :( i know ¯\_(ツ)_/¯" bc sometimes the character wants what the character wants and this character wanted this so so so so so so so so bad

LAUDNA ON THE OTHER HAND.

i've seen a few other ppl say this and i certainly agree that laudna's reaction to being asked "can i kiss you" and what happened afterward is very ambiguous and i'm so curious what the Hell fuck is going on in her head now

what does it mean when someone asks if they can kiss you and you just say "ALRIGHT." like it's not an inconvenience and it wouldn't bother you so sure they can do what they want, you don't mind. it's not a "yes i want you to do that" it's a "yes i won't be upset if you do that" and those are different!! it could easily be either "i was not expecting this holy shit what do i do oh my god wait what okay wait just let her do it first and figure it out later" because laudna as we all know is romantically emotionally stunted. but also it could be "imogen wants this and what imogen wants i will give to her no matter what it is and this is an easy thing to give" which is,hmm,,,,unhealthy

and then immediately launching into like. i think i need you to be with me in order to be a good person. i think i can't separate from you without destroying myself or hating myself. and imogen going "you're not a bad person" and laudna kissing her again like she needs to Consume that in order to believe it

i'm kinda swinging between multiple interpretations of this, the first being like. laudna recognizing that imogen is showing interest and commitment to her but also coming from such a harrowing experience and needing to put that on the table first. "i don't think you realize that i'm unstable. i'm a bad person. i'm unlovable because you're the only thing keeping me from hurting everyone else." she doesn't explicitly say it but it'd be easy to see the implication of "are you sure you want this, want me?" and imogen saying with so much quiet conviction "you're not a bad person you're not a bad person" is why she kissed her again, because she needed to hear it and hearing that imogen still wants her despite her warnings makes her more confident to initiate a lil kiss or two by herself too

but there are so many other routes to take it. did she recognize that kissing is what imogen wants and therefore kissed her only as a way to say thank you for calling me a good person, almost like a reward, a purely transactional thing on laudna's part? did she not enjoy the first kiss but feel like she needed to try again to maybe convince herself to like it because imogen is so nice and wonderful and amazing that she should like it, what if not liking it makes her an even worse person? did she kiss her because she didn't know what to say in response because she didn't believe imogen's words at all and it was an easy distraction? did she just want to kiss her again so bad so she just did it?

idk maybe we're all reading way too much into this dkfjskdfjs but i think any option could be believable and i have things i like and dislike about each theory, and i love the fact that it wasn't a straightforward "omg yes please kiss me we're dating now!" bc it's so chewy and juicy and fun. if laura and marisha aren't on the next episode of 4-sided dive i MIGHT fly to LA and storm the set

anyway regardless of what's going on in laudna's head, i think it's safe to say that it's not a great sign of her general State Of Mental Health when she was kissed by her bestest bestie and STILL bor'dor and delilah were what she wanted to talk about. i think you'd have to be in a Very bad place for a reunion and a kiss with your fav person to not distract you, at least for a little bit, from talking about that stuff. how imodna's relationship changes moving forward (if at all) will be v interesting to see and i'm so so ssosososo os osos oso so os excited.

oh also before i end this post, just want to acknowledge that i'm assuming laura and marisha discussed it during the break and decided to keep it a secret from the rest of the party. i'm SURE we'll see some interesting discussions about that moving forward, both from laudna and imogen when they're alone + the rest of the party once they find out. i'm not thinking too hard about that decision, i think there are countless mundane and harmless reasons to keep it a secret for now, so i'm just gonna look forward to future eps!!

[honeynclove]

It’s your turn pookie 🫵 tell me about your favorite ships for each character 😍😍😍😍

IM SO GLAD YOU ASKED TEEHEHEHEHEH (ships underneath the read more bc lord can i blabber) also the formatting of this one turned out odd for some reason random letters r bold n I am too lazy to fix it so

heartslabyul riddle - azurid‼️‼️‼️ GUYS THEYRE SO CUTE IDK their moments in book 6 were everything to me n also this fic sold me on them they’re so cutie rahhh. special shout out to the oc I ship him with ace - adeuce r my annoying little brothers however I want the best for them n think their relationship is funny deuce - ^^^^ and also epeldeuce bc ain’t no way they went on a beach side date and thought I wouldn’t call their gay asses out 🙄🙄🙄 trey - auhmm. hhhrmmmm. well. I do like riddle cater n trey as poly but I wldnt say it’s my favorite 🥱 cater - IDEKEI 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈 chronically introvert online discord mod x chronically online extrovert instagram user ITS SO GOOD GUYS (for fic recs strongly recommend anything Adverb_Slut on ao3 writes) special shout out to the oc I ship him with savanaclaw leona - malleona is funny to me but like. I don’t ship it idk. same w/ leovil they’re just comedic to me. LEONA X ROOK THO IDK I REALLY LIKE IT IDK WHY ruggie - rugs too busy getting cash to be in love /j 🙄🙄 idk I do find kalim x ruggie and ruggie x silver to both be cute jack - epeljack is rlly cute to me but other then that I’m not a fan of any other jack ships. I LOVE LOVE LOVE him and vil PLATONICALLY tho <333 oh and ig someones yuusona w him is cool or whateverzzzzz octavinelle azul - besides azurid, which I adore, I alsoooo love love love idiazul smth about those two LOSERRRSSS in love makes me happy 💕💕💕 I also enjoy him with rielle but like… my very specific interpretation of rielle that’s basically an oc 😭 jade - will y’all kill me if I just say myself bc that’s the truth. like I’m sorry guys me n Jade r so madly in love it’s actually wildly insane and crazy and we will have joint tombstones 😁💕💕😍😍😍🏳️‍🌈🙄🏳️‍🌈 we r madly in love and also both on the spectrum (which one? all) I also like siljade bc I think it’s silly floyd - FLOJAMIIIIIIIIIII 💞💞💞💞 GOD. that ship is so silly I wanna shake it like a snow globe rhhhhahahahahha. i also love FLONEI bc it’s SILLY N IDK 😭😭😭 I just like it guys. also myself sorry I’m sorry scarabia jamil - ^^^^ n I also enjoy azujami in a comedic sense but outside of that I lowkey dislike it lmao. WAIT AS IM WRITING THIS I AN REMINDED OF JAMIL X RUGGIE WHICH I HIGHKEY ENJOY TBH kalim - Again don’t have any specific ships for him, but Silver x Kalim is v v cute I would squish them my cuties pomefiore vil - alr mentioned leovil but I am also casual rookvil enjoyer I just think they’re silly. shout out to the oc I ship w him tho rook - mentioning rookvil n rook x leona again just bc they’re silly ‼️‼️ honestly love rooks lil freak self epel - epeldeuce epeljack and uhhhh SEBEPEL ignihyde idia - I think I’m running out of idia ships to mention tbh. I DO LOVE IDIASIL AUGHHH. Idk his chronically online ass is so good w so many different ppl it’s crazy diasomnia malleus - I ship him w myself duh 🙄🙄🙄 malleyuu specifically I love seeing everyone w him it’s so cute. ALSO I find mallerollo rlly funny n interesting tbh silver - silidia n siljade &lt;3 sebek - just sebepel rlly tbh lilia - LILIBAUL😍😍😍😍🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈‼️‼️ I LOVE OLD MAN YAOI GUYS /j n I also rlly enjoy him x levan n meleanor the angst is crazy and insane and I love it RAHHH. I also ship him w my oc Fleur who’s based on Flora from sleeping beauty. Also most ppl who make Lilia a bf get my support I love that old man staff trein - him x his wife ig crowley - him x meleanor x lilia only in the crowley = levan theory vargas - I ship him w an oc based on lefou from beauty and the beast ‼️‼️ sam, crewel - no ships for them :(( other neige - FLONEI ‼️‼️‼️ I just wanted to mention them again tbh. I’ve also seen cheneige which is v cute chenya - kinda fond of him poly w/ Trey n Riddle ☹️☹️ I think it’s cute rollo - ROLLO X AUGUST (vice president npc) FOR THE WIN GUYS I COULD TALK AB THEM FOR DAYS. YEARS EVEN. fellow honest - more weird silly ships I’m the second fellow x aces big brother shipper literally ever

OKKK I think that’s everyone 😍😍 feel free to leave opinions on my opinions idk

[stardustdiiving]

I would read your zhongxiao codependent yuri Like, I do generally picture them as a vaguely father/son dynamic BUT THAT IS NOT CANON. It's just as much fun to view them through a romantic interpretation! Idk why people can't view the same characters in different kinds of relationships without being weird about it.

Anyway I love your vision and would love to hear more about it lakdjs

THANK U SO MUCH Im not sure if I’m gonna write zx in the future since I’ve tended to be shy about posting my stuff relating to them for over a yr now, but I did post this fic with them last year while trying to get a hold on how to write them (mind the tags it’s pure angst omg). I was too shy to tag it as ship since it didn’t feel shippy enough, which is kind of funny to me in hindsight bc I reread it and am like. Man I think only a zx shipper would write this NUFNVJVJV

Post got kind of lot Im gonna go on a tangent about them under the cut

Honestly my theory for why ppl r very set on the father/son interpretation is everyone’s immediate thought on to how to make the power imbalance between them seem less uncomfortable is to apply a parental interpretation to it. Which is fine ofc, I get it, but the way ppl push it as canon a lot kind of grates on me a little bc they’re usually incredibly passive aggressive and pushy even if u clearly designate ur post as ship OTL

Also not really a fan of the characterizations either since ppl tend to treat Xiao like a moody teenager Zhongli has to reel in (this is hilariously reminiscent of the post I made about how ppl handle scaramouche and nahida a bit ago haha). And idk I just feel kind of polarized about the headcanon overall bc I associate it with people being really uncomfortable and frustrating about zx

I just like how there’s sort of an imbalance to them, some zxs like them being more fluffy and functional but I sort of like it where it’s not like, entirely dysfunctional but I’m prioritizing a specific kind of character study over romance. This tends to be how a lot of my ships go ngl I just sometimes enjoy the intensity/intimacy of romantic feelings thrown into the mix if it makes it interesting but I’m not often interested in a lot of my ships following more standard romance plots(?) I guess? Unless it’s specific ones. Which sounds clinical when I put it like that but this is just bc I am very aromantic NHFBVJVJ

When I say codependency in zhongxiao honestly it’s sort of a theoretical(?) codependency—not sure how to word it? I think Xiao would be really fucked up if he didn’t have Zhongli in his life suddenly but I don’t think his relationship with getting attached to people invokes what people would majorly think of when they think of codependency in a ship I suppose. It’s moreso I just feel Xiao could be at his worst with dehumanizing himself in comparison to other people with Zhongli, because said mental state is driven by how he feels about debt, service, and duty which are very closely tied with devotion and how he would feel about someone he considers his god and leader, as well as someone who saved him

It’s fun this is paired with Zhongli who generally knows how to work with Xiao kind of understands the self destructive depth Xiao’s loyalty/devotion comes with. Also fun they have been around each other for a very long time and Xiao as one of the adepti is familiar with the past I think Zhongli appreciates having around. They work but it’s also a case where Zhongli is in such a position of power over Xiao its kind of very delicate situation that’s hard for both of them to navigate. Which is fun to explore. I esp love contrasting it with other Xiao pairings (actually i think i still have that xiaoven fic up on my ao3 where I tried to convey a specific interpretation of them in a similar exploration vein too)

I totally get why people wouldn’t like it (I feel a lot of my opinions on xiao ships just clash with a lot of fandom consensus so bad all the time And it’s just bc I’m like this I’m not even trying to be contrarian or anything. HELDINCJD) but I just tend to handle shipping in a specific way. It’s not I don’t enjoy fluffy or lighthearted zl and xiao stuff I actually enjoy it a lot I just like there being layers. This makes it feel more impactful when I think about how Zhongli looks out for Xiao in canon or how Xiao gets like textually flustered talking to him (lantern rite 2023 was so tailored to my tastes it’s not even funny)

[edmundodiazz]

Just finished reading the Jurassic Park novel, and after reading and watching other peopels opinions on it online (especially the divide between the book vs the movie), I was kinda bummed to see how everyone was hating on novel John Hammond, saying he is the cliche of the "evil rich dude" and the movie version is much more sympathetic, a character with redeeming qualities.

People have the right to their own opinions, but I wonder, are there more people who, like me, prefer the novel version?

I like to look for the shades of grey in characters too, but I don't believe that everyone has to presented in a positive light, not everyone has to be sympathetic. The novel version of Hammond just seemed to fit much more into the story.

His character was far more realistic for me not only because his shortcomings were, in big part, the cause behind the disaster (apart from the chaos theory and messing with nature, bringing an extict species into the world that has changed so much), it also showed what I see in today's world - the greed of capitalism. How treating your employees like shit and trying to spare yourself as much money as possible at the expense of the product always comes with consequences that, in one way or the other, ruin people's lifes.

His greed to make as much money as possible with no care in the world when it came to the people and the world around him masked as a wish to provide people, especially children, with amazing entertainment, is such a glaring theme in today's world. Everyone is so focused on improvement and progress and making money and becoming sucessful and rich and famous… oftentimes at the expense of other people, the world, or the created product itself.

The lack of mention of this additional message that is present in the book just started grating on my nerves so I had to vent… There is more to be said, and, of course, much more smartly than my emotion-driven word vomit, but I just had to get it out and see if maybe there are some ppl here who'd share my view and/or would like to present an alternative interpretation.

[tempenensis]

Hi lele just wanna drop a lil vent AND need YOUR opinion on it please if you would be so kind♡ tq

I hate western fandom so much like even god can't help them!

Ok so i shipped satosugu and itafushi (♡♡) but now this western fans are screaming crying blah blah saying its canon when its NOT

Ok i understand about itafushi cus gege has implied it as well but nothing about satosugu has been said has it? It was just a mistranslation for godsake

All these western ppl started screaming satosugu canon after the director said some ship stuff but that SO does NOT make it official now does it?

I mean even the director of bleach has officially admitted that the anime was kinda biased and towards ichiruki than the ichihime that was later CANON by the MANGAKA himself

Im east asian and i speak and write Japanese well (its my first languag) and so i have always been reading manga first and then watching the anime. And i, as a manga reader, noticed the difference and so many things that were indeed ichiruki but thats not what im saying

Cmon are you getting me lele?! Im not trying to spread hate i just want the western fans to know not to cry wolf unless its OFFICIALLY confirmed or such

Just because THEY WANT to make a ship canon thru some half assed opinions does not mean they would pressurized or shame others who do not get on board on their not canon but i say its canon so its canon train

I really liked satosugu because i though it was cute but now i don't cus the western fandom made it so toxic

I told them that the official manga that is in Japanese language says something else (that my one and only thing) they literally all hounded on me, bullied me online for being a 'homophobe'? Like why? I have a girlfriend for around 3yrs now haha 😂 (im a girl)

I DONT KNOW WHAT TO SAY IM SORRY LELE FOR WASTING YOUR TIME BUT I JUST want WHAT IS YOUR OPINION please

Thank you very much

Have a wonderful day

Uh, yeah. So it's finally time that I came clear. I once said that I have a ship that I barely tolerate, so.... that NOTP is none other than stsg. I recently block the ship tag here in tumblr, actually. So now that I said this, stsg fans, you're very welcome to block me.

I'll put the rest of my answer under the cut in consideration for the ship fans, since this is definitely not for the fans. Don't say I didn't warn you if you're one of the fans and still continue to read and then get offended

Honestly, this is a thing that has been happening since several months ago. I don't know exactly why, but the western stsg fandom got very loud - to the point that I, who usually can tolerate many things including pairings that I don't ship, became unable to ignore it. Fans today really likes to throw words like "canon" and easily verbally attack people who don't agree.

Anyway, even if Director Park said it, it doesn't really make it actually canon. I still remember Nakata Jouji (I love the man, he's my favorite priest in Fate series), the seiyuu for Naobito, said that Naobito is Maki's father, which later written by Gege to be untrue. Ougi is Maki's actual father. So, unless Gege writes or says it directly, what other people (even staffs) can only be considered as a speculation; since it's their interpretation of the characters, just like we fans do.

It's just when related to a ship, fans always get loud. Remember viz's mistranslation "my one and only" lol? I have long thought since the volume came out that the stsg fans will take it and run with it. And this is just a personal theory, but the loudest one are the one with the smallest crumbs. Itfs is still fed today by gege so we're just content day to day, but stsg currently has nothing in the manga so they get really loud when the smallest crumb drops. It'll pass if you wait, just stay calm lol.

So my intolerance does not come from the ship itself, but from the fans, so yeah. Same, anon, same.

[fluffypotatey]

Pounding my fist on the floor, 1) you KNOW most of tumblr is going to be obsessed with Macky’s stage voice. He’d be an icon for it, YouTube commercials want him voice acting for them and video game trailers like Nevercake. 2) Hilarious how Macky was all LMAO you thought you were the other guy? And how we’re all ruffled over fandom reading wrong, and then Macky gets to experience ALL of that he didn’t intend with fanonizing The Fool. Sorry bud, welcome to fandom! Also bro really thought these Swk moments would prove something and were important enough to include- 3) the mortifying ordeal of Swk talking to you but also complimenting you then insulting you and offering to collab?? 4) oh my gosh not the voice actor theories Mackey is insane, like we been knew how extra he is for the bit but if fandom caught a whiff of that things can go wildly controversial conspiracy for him, stuff like how he’s treating the voice actors/paying/crediting them properly, linking to socials, etc (but if he ever exposes the voices as done by himself they would explode) 5) Wukong persona ship reminds me of the Onceler x himself ship thing tumblr had going on. 6) Macky hears of shipping discourse and wonders what the heck is up with package delivery. 7) Stop that question is so funny, I’m going “Aw lol” at them defending their favorite silly guy but real, going mad with power XD on his way to making the next Antigone (Greek play the terrifyingly large classics fandom on tumblr calls the blueprint for tragedy, we lost a war to them and it resulted in a crack ship because fandoms are that crazy) if fandom is that picky about the tragedy. 8) the memes about Macky and PLS I’m crying this is so funny I’m gonna sob that’s his comfort character!! His self insert blorbo you’re so right he is that author who WILL complain that the curtains were blue for a reason! Literature students hate him and teachers are vindicated! You gotta interpret it correctly hahaha, this kind of behavior would baffle anyone from a whole grown man (his ass does NOT have a degree in the performing arts) didn’t go to school at all, can’t even pay his taxes don’t even got his own house he lives in Swk’s walls. But rlly being protective about who can relate to your comfort character is like, mentally ill tween behavior he gonna be under so much scrutiny

Bestie they would be on him like fucking vultures (get it? because he’s dea—)

he doesn’t get why the fandom is misinterpreting his work. like why are they focusing on some star and cloud when the real themes are centered on the sun and moon like that is his motif, how are they able to be so wrong—

ngl i dont think i would react any differently if i was in Macky’s shoes and my ex/enemy/the guy you wanna kill is gushing about your artwork while giving you a compliment sandwich and WHY IS HE ASKING TO COLLAB WHAT IS HAPPENING????

new video essay just dropped: ISPP’s creator is problematic actually and benefits off of employee abuse (followed by another essay in Macky’s defense and the concept of privacy and how fandom culture has evolved into a space where the privacy and comfortability for actors and production crews is seen as a bad thing vector “deprives the fandom from X”)

yes, i too thought of the Onceler fandom and they also apply as a reference

Macky on his thought over shipping: “I know it evolved over the years and became such an efficient tool. more efficient than i ever dreamed, but i dont see how that relates to my stories???”

the power of the ISPP compels him….to what path? that’s up to him

there would be sO many memes that come after a VA Q&A like so many (“was anyone going to tell me…” and “yeah, yeah the [bombshell of the fandom] we all know that”)

Macky would struggle so, so, sO hard with ppl misinterpreting his work 😂 he is absolutely at that level where he’ll go at arms for his characters (specifically his self-inserts) and talk about how if you watched the films THIS way them MAYBE—

[darklordofthesimp]

Ok, this is me after reading Sano-lost-connection's theory:

And excuse if I don't make much sense, I'm a little dumb and english isn't my first language.

I'm literally this emoji 🤯 because I was interpreting this story differently.

In my mind, all the things that are happening make sense tied to Birdy's mental state. Birdy's is our POV, but they're deeply traumatized so they may be somewhat of an unreliable narrator. I think something important about trauma and stuff is the fact that is pretty usual for ppl going through it to be angry and resentful, but here is the thing: Birdy doesn't have WHO to direct all that anger and resent.

Birdy is "forced" to face their trauma head on, which would be König but, along the story, Birdy starts to realize that König is not that murderer beast their brain convinced them to think, König seems (to Birdy and to me, at least) to be trying to fix the relationship, not only bc they are together on the team, but bc König seems to be pretty insecure about his appearance making ppl fear him, but bc this IS a situation in which Birdy has 100% the right to be terrified of him he's trying to "mend" it. He feels deep guilt, but what's worse: he has a living reason that PROVE that his insecurities about being a monster are true. The dinamic hurts the both of them.

With this being said, Birdy's resolve in hating König is wavering due to his actions, SO: Who could Birdy BLAME? If is not König, and not the "entity" that made the mistake, who then? The system, a higher up, "someone" is out to get them.

I repeat, this is based on Birdy's traumatized point of view.

Thats why when Birdy tried to tell Saint they were like "But are you SURE", and thats why König said to let it go. Truthfully, noone would believe in such "accusations" coming from a somewhat freshly traumatized person. But in König's point of view, he may have felt that Birdy's words were a breach of the little trust he had gained from being nice to them. In a "oh, so you were being nice to me because you were trying to get me in your paranoid delusions" or something right??? So it might have hurt Königs feelings, but in Birdy's mind it ALL makes sense! Thats why they were so quick to think that König was in on it, Birdy's looking for someone to blame for the fucked up shit they had and have to endure!!!!

Welp, that's what I thought lol, but if Sano's theory is right then OUCH bc I was sososo hurt, in general, believing that Birdy and König were hurting, separately, while hurting each others feelings for being together AND trying to heal, making this some kind of super mega tragic story (which it is)...

THERE IS PHYSICALLY NO WAY FOR ME TO RESPOND TO THESE THEORIES WITHOUT ABSOLUTELY DESTROYING THE WHOLE THING I HAVE PLANNED AND VIRTUALLY THE ENTIRE PLOT OF ANYTHING

But let me tell you right now I really do be sitting here reading these giggling and swinging my feet because I love reading thoughts and theories on the story and it gets me so motivated to write cos I know y’all are waiting on what happens next

[plan-3-tmars]

guilty kazui anon - i definitely agree that it's a no-win scenario, no matter HOW you analyze kazui. what i'm doing by thinking he'll take a guilty vote as "you've seen through my lies, i can stop lying now" is REALLY risky because it CAN backfire. i personally just think the risk of it backfiring is better than risking another trial where he's guarded and lying again. BUT i understand not everyone wants to take that risk, and not everyone interprets him the same!

it all really just comes down to personal interpretations of kazui and tbh? i agree with inno voters on... so gd much. which is honestly what makes it SO fun to discuss. we agree, but came to totally different conclusions! isn't that fun??

i just love when ppl can be like... constructive about theories and such like this bc it really makes milgram so much more fun when ppl are like that

sorry I only saw this now but I completely agree! As long as people aren't spreading misinformation (purposefully) about a character then idm how they vote and genuinely enjoy reading other theories because it could rlly be the thing that just makes something click in your brain about a character/lyric- whatever.

[liauditore]

26!!!

Space Zace Mutualson you know this. You were there for this. (<-- suggestive art in the link)

I have simply accepted the fact that I live amongst jesters and frauds and one day you will all collectively tell me the sky is Green, Actually and yet somehow my spirit remains unbroken. I hate you and everything you stand for.

ask game

ok but more serious response under the cut (HE IS GINGER THO YOU CAN PRY MY DEAD CORPSE OFF THIS HILL)

In general I must say I believe every interpretation is somewhat valid when it comes to art.

Let's say you're listening to a break-up song some guy wrote about his very specific ex-girlfriend Aleisha. You might read the backstory to it and learn about Aleisha but you're probably not going to think about This Guy's Girlfriend Aleisha when you think of the song, but your personal experiences with similar themes of heartbreak/separation instead.

Like yes, technically the 'correct' meaning behind the song is about Aleisha but the story in your head, the one that applies specifically to you, is probably more interesting to think about than Aleisha.

What I'm trying to say is although I have very specific storylines and themes in mind when I draw, I like it when people take what I give and spin their own little tale out of it, y'know? I think it's neat. The best FNAF theories were the wrong ones.

Buuuut that's just how I feel about it anyway.

I think the closest thing to a time where I felt the need to shut someone down was the bit of drama that happened in the notes of this piece (<-- again, horny art lol). Just cus I felt like it was kind of not really even related to the artwork and I don't think I actually really even cleared up how I portray scott/pearl but what can I do 😭😭

(just for the record for anyone who's interested, I don't see them as romantic OR platonic. they hate eachother so deeply that it comes back full circle into passion and care for each other, in that "if i lose you i lose what i live for" kind of way that can only exist within fiction. romantic-coded but not romantic if that makes sense? like batman and joker)

also i don't like being policed and im a rabid animal so if the Internet ever did get on my nerves abt the way i draw or don't draw something I would probably just go straight the opposite direction out of spite lol (FYI the above incident is a-okay to me since everyone was reasonably respectful but I've definitely seen some over the top reactions to stuff in the past. ppl on tumblr tend to be polite tho)

so uh yeah 👍

[emblazons]

I like reading theories here (and i like to theorize on my own too) but I just kinda wish there was more "realistic" Bylers here who theorize about what actually migh happen in terms of character arcs and story and relationships in the next season. Because when it all comes down to it, we will have to arrange our expectations regarding what is most likely to appear on our screens in S5. And I just feel like there are not many blogs doing or considering that. I especially agree with you on this-- reading Bylers' analyses and theories before vol2 really meddled with my expectations and it feels like the majority of our fandomside just went overboard and focused on what they wanted to see instead of what was likely going to happen or happening in story's direction and that is why the majority of Bylers misunderstood things or just got very disappointed or got shocked by what happened.

I feel like majority of the Bylers are still misreading some things in the plot (that being Mike's characterization most of all) and that because of that reason, many people will get blindsided again in S5 like they have in vol2. Because people expect and want to see certain and specific things about characters and plot, and they are setting themselves up, so it kinda feels like ppl just going to be disappointed again by certain things due to them not actually considering Duffers' intentions and writing style/choices.

That is why I wish there were more "realistic" Byler blogs in this fandom who do not go overboard or do not get too attached to their headcanons and do not build up way too specific expectations based on those-- i feel like it would honestly be the best way to get ready for S5 and arrange our expectations in this community for what is likely to come in the next season.

I agree! Honestly, I can appreciate people wanting characters to be the kind of people they can relate to or enjoy (or more specifically fleshed out than this ensemble cast of characters allots for sometimes), but when you combine that with a sense of "I know better than the writers" a lot of people have, it leads to either vast disappointment or bitterness, which...idk. Maybe I'm just good at managing my hyper-fixations with logic/ who The Duffers are as people, which makes me more lenient LMAO

Especially in terms of the Mike characterization bit / how a lot of theories don't really align with the narrative so much as their desired characterization of him...I can deeply empathize with why people think certain things about him, but the way I see a lot of people still analyzing based on single looks from Finn in S1 scenes or off of another post where someone cherrypicked 45 seconds of a scene without the whole episode or season as context...like, I just feel like they're setting themselves up for upset. I obviously also have my own preferred interpretations and I do definitely think some people are better at pulling and synthesizing important bits of the narrative / details into a sensical way than others, but...like I said in another ask, I'm not holding anything with an iron fist.

Lately I've just stopped waiting for other people's analyses for any new knowledge + have started working on my own Mike analysis (kind of a companion / extension of this concept I started for Will + Dustin) where I talk through the narrative setup of his character for S5, less so than whether or not I want him to be gay/bi/end up acting first etc (just because....be the change you wanna see in the world LMFAO). I've already written several posts about my perception of Mike's arc + his characterization outside of any strict interpretation of things like Finn's looks or his labeled sexuality, and...that's how I'll continue to process his character for as long as it makes sense to lol.

--I'm also entirely unsure how I became the spot people went to talk through their feeling weird about how theories are made in this fandom, but! I appreciate you all trusting me with your honest opinions haha

[batri-jopa]

I'm digging through my drafts lately so now the time has come to speak about movies that are like milestones for me:

Collateral (2004) dir.Michael Mann

I watched it for the first time in June 2021 and it became my hyperfixation, something I've been obsessed so much that... well, I literally LIVED that movie for about 4 months and I consider it changed my life's goals' perception❤️‍🔥 I've been reading all possible reviews, comments, interpretative theories... I wanted to wrote my own review and interpretation of the film.

(Just for those freaking abt actors: ppl who hate movies with Tom Cruise in it - usually make exception for the Collateral - and if THAT'S not convincing to you I don't know what is!)

Who would have guessed that the story about heartless hitman interacting with that poor random taxi driver has a potential to change a live perspective of a 35 years old person? Vincent is so inhumane I'm not even sure he deserves to be called a "character" (not more than a killer-cyborg probably) and what he says to Max about his attitude toward the world and his life and his dreams is so provocative and cruel but... it's all so freaking true. You are over 30 already and the time to act and to change your life and to fulfill your dreams is NOW! Now or never!

"Someday? Someday my dream will come? One night you will wake up and discover it never happened. It's all turned around on you. It never will. Suddenly you are old. Didn't happen, and it never will, because you were never going to do it anyway. You'll push it into memory and then zone out in your barco lounger, being hypnotized by daytime TV for the rest of your life."

Not to mention every next victim feels like another lesson in personal developement of Max (or any viewer sympathising with him), just like those lessons given to Scrooge by ghosts in A Christmas Carol. Yes, there are five of them instead of three but it's like the first case is: "wake up!" - the next: "this happens for Real!" - then "and there's nearly nothing you can do about it..." - and "...but you got to try anyway..." - followed by: "...because it's all about you right from the start!"

(One night you may need to turn your whole life upside down)

And I know some people see the last case as lame, cliche, unbelieveble, predictible or whatever - but jeez, ppl, that's how it works in a theater play! Of course it could have been predicted and so what?! It's the story about Max's character and in my opinion: that when he gets to know about his key role in all this - in a way similar to Bastian in The Neverending Story.

And I dare to say at this point it is not about any "love" or any such thing (here, take my AroAce filter): it's about a dream, that still is to be fulfilled, about a life, that could have been, about the right to be yourself and freedom to choose your way. About an urge to fight for something so important that you simply can't turn away from it anymore. About a need to defend something that feel so close and dear to you like it's your core, like it's yourself - like it was all about your life from the very beggining!

(And what if: maybe it all would never had happened if not for Max symbolic giving away his dream "island"?🤔)

I love how the provocative speech of Vincent to Max and all the uneasy questions he gives to him are meant to get him out of his comfort zone: your job is to take the client from point A to B, never before have you cared what they gonna do there, maybe all of them where going to kill or hurt somebody, so why did you not care about it ever before? Why would you care about it now? What the difference if the bad thing is happening close to you or far away from you? What's the difference if you do or do not know about it? And what actually changed in your case now - anything other than that now you know? In all this you are irrelevant, COLLATERAL, you are only a fucking meaningless, powerless cab driver! Look at you, you're not even the one to decide your own route! And if you decided to only always do your job without the second thought - then why don't you just do your fucking job right now?!

And then it's like: you can run from your problems and avoid hard decisions for just so long - there's literally no more place left to run and hide, and you got to face your greatest fear... To save a life.

Not your life though.

You'll be reminded it's NOT about you. That it's not your business. So you can simply step back and live. Just keep on being nobody, not having anything to say, not having any power over bad things happening around you. You'll be reminded that you're weak and you can keep the safe distance and remain comfortably numb just as you always used to be...

You could remain COLLATERAL

Only would you be able to live with knowing you haven't even tried?

As much as I hate guns IRL - I loved to learn about the "mozambique drill" (some fans probably breaking new record of rewatching "yo, hommies" scene over and over again) and reading other viewers' interpretations of what actually happen in the final shooting... and of why he could not or would not reload... (as a neurologist I'd vote it's bc of his brachial plexus) and finally thinking about the spontaneous act of previously non-spontanous character - winning over cold routine of the one always talking about "adapting to enviroment"... Like Max've won over him by actually learning his lessons!

This movie is filled with symbols and allegories. Starting with the silver gray Vincent: I like to compare him to a heartless cyborg T1000 from Terminator 2: The Judgement Day, or see him as an angel of death, or even - as mirror giving a dark reflection, like an evil alter-ego of the main character! (there's the allusion of policemen that a taxi driver might get rampage and kill ppl around the town - followed by Max's mother asking "Who?" like not noticing Vincent - to the point Max actually "acts" Vincent - all these priceless little hints that Vincent might not even exist in a first place...)

My own favorite interpretation is that Vincent is personification of a coyote - the spirit animal meant to teach you life lessons that are many times very uneasy but really rewarding

(And don't listen to director talking about Vincent, it seems to me that Michael Mann did not himself get any deeper meaning of this guy at all!😑 Like treating his past history seriously? Oh please, have mercy...🙄 Vincent's power derives from the fact he's so perfectly inhumane he barely touches the earth! Or at least he's the perfectly neutral transparent everyman... who's empty of emotions. And you can treat as a symbol of anything you want!😋)

The story takes place in the middle of the night - with the broad streets of the great town being almost empty - and it's such an unusual view it gives an almost dreamlike mood. Perfect time and place for a life-changing story about changing your life.

All in all this story is so brilliant someone definitely should have made a movie about it!

😆

PS. And I love the soundtrack.