#or she is aware of when she's being petty; which is why she actually lets things go pretty easily

[arbitrarygreay]

The root of Talder tragedy

Tally doesn't think that intent is magic, but Alder kind of does? So, Alder often talks about having no choice, and how the ends justified the means (example: her decision to deploy the Citydrop privates), but ultimately, she falls back on her internal motive, that she did all of the things she did with the intent to protect her people. She believes that that is sufficient to engender (enough) trust between her and the unit to work together in 1x10. Tally is focused on the practical fallout of things. In 2x6, "[Alder] causes more problems than she fixes, doesn't she?" In 3x1, she beats herself up for accidentally compromising the Dodger facility. "Oh, if you ever need anyone to ruin everything, I am available. No, seriously. Alder, Penelope, now this? I may just be the Camarilla's greatest weapon." something something linked to how her Sight focuses her on how the world will be, not how she wishes. So, of course, these two mindsets collide in the worst possible way in 2x5. Tally is focused on the effect of Liberia leading to the creation of the Spree. Very notably, Alder immediately concedes the point that it was a bad call. "one of my deepest regrets", "an even deeper moment of personal failure", "prideful failings". She did the same in 1x10, easily conceding that she did all of the things the unit accused her of, holding that she wasn't the same as Spree simply because of her motive. In 2x5, what Alder fires back at Tally as the transgression that Alder is offended by isn't about the actions. She is incensed by "accusations of conspiracy and nefarious intent". Arguably, Alder does not pursue punitive action against Tally for this because Tally successfully protests the framework. "I just wanted answers" successfully shows that Tally was not looking at Alder's intent. Unfortunately, Alder and Tally are similar on this point of what stirs them to anger: to be willfully misunderstood. Alder tolerates the power-jockeying of her subordinates for the most part, so long as they're on the same page that it's all for the sake of protecting their people. For anyone to intimate that she does more selfish things is where she gets incensed. I wrote previously how Tally gets the most enraged when others impugn how she should feel. So, Alder thought that Tally attacked her intent (which is magic), but then let it go when Tally cleared that up. Unfortunately, in doing so she attacked how Tally should feel and act about it. And the root of the tragedy is that though they are similar in what moves them to anger, they are drastically divergent on how they act on that anger. Where Alder's reaction to slights is to rebuke then forget (because she has the power to do so), Tally's reaction to slights is to burn bridges. So, Tally doubles down on "it's about the consequences, intent is not magic" and tries to tear it all down. In 2x10, her empathy wins out. She says to both Nicte and Alder that she understands that they didn't have nefarious intent. However, this is Tally just sympathizing with them, not that she has changed her mind on what matters. She can't get over how her own actions seemed to have backfired, no matter her intent. (And so, this history fundamentally influences how Tally and Alder interact in S3, where they consciously try to avoid falling into the same failure modes with engaging with each other.)

[shinidamachu]

inuyasha, kagome and jealousy: why their feelings were justified

disclaimer: I'm aware there's a debate about whether or not inukag was officially, canonically dating during the series and that the answers tend to change according to the source material embasing them (manga or anime), but despite using manga panels to write this, I did it purely out of practicality and have no intentions of opening this particular can of worms right now. The point I'll be trying to make for @inukag-week's bickering prompt is that their feelings were valid regardless.

Inuyasha and Kagome get criticized a lot for the jealousy they feel of each other.

People seem to think that Kagome is not entitled to that sentiment because she chose to stay by his side knowing what it entailed and, more often than not, was the one telling him to go see Kikyo, so it's not fair of her to resent him when he actually does.

On the other hand, they claim that precisely because Inuyasha goes to see Kikyo, it's hypocritical of him to get mad at the fact that Koga is constantly showing just how much romantically invested he is on Kagome, as he has no ground to stand on.

Their feelings, however, are completely justified and no other scene proves that better than this manga interaction Sunrise mercilessly cut out:

Inuyasha is once again jealous of Kagome and Koga's proximity and he lets his frustrations out in no uncertain terms, but then Kagome makes a good point: what righ has he to be upset about it when he is also close to Kikyo? It's exactly why he gets flak in the first place. And his answer to that question is very interesting:

She may think Inuyasha is diverting, but he's really not. That's the briliance of this exchange: they are both right and they are both wrong on their assumptions.

Of course that, from Kagome's perspective, Koga putting his arms around her is not that big of a deal. They have no history whatsoever and she made it clear since day one that she wasn't interested. If he still wants to shoot his shot, it's all she can do to lay a friend and ally down gently.

Plus, it doesn't hurt that Koga's interest on her is such an ego boost...

Or that it turns the tables on Inuyasha to make him feel insecure and worried for a change.

Or that, in a twisted way, it actually reassures her of the feelings he tries so hard to be nonchalant about.

It might be a little petty of her, but how any of that even compares to Inuyasha kissing Kikyo? To Inuyasha meeting her alone even though she did terrible things to the two of them? To everyone constantly talking about how he still has feelings for her?

Surely he must know, after everything they've been through, that it can't compare, that he is the one Kagome is in love with. And since he does know, how dare he ever doubt her?

And of course that, from Inuyasha's point of view, Koga putting his arms around her is a huge deal. She complains about how every time he sees Kikyo they "float off into their own little world" but the truth is that except for the kiss she laid on him and the goodbye one they shared when she passed away for good — none of which had romantic conotations —, his interactions with Kikyo were pretty sterile, especially if juxtaposed with Kagome's interactions with Koga.

Kikyo is dead and isn't romantically interested in Inuyasha, nor is he romantically interested in her, but Koga certainly is into Kagome. Just because it isn't reciprocal yet, doesn't mean it hasn't potential to be.

Koga is the one regularly inserting himself into her personal space and she lets him, even though he did terrible things to the two of them. And so how can he be sure she doesn't like it? And how exactly is that different from the dynamic they share? Was she, after all, just being nice with him too and nothing more?

Surely she must know, after everything they've been through, that he only leaves because he has a duty to fulfil, but that he will always come back to her, that she is the one whose shoulders he puts his arm around. And since she does know, how dare she ever doubt him?

It's a classic case of miscommunication, but one that actually makes total sense, because they're just two teenagers navigating through extremely complex feelings in the worst possible circumstances.

They don't have the bigger picture the audience has and even if they did, their judgement would still be clouded by their jealousy, which keeps they stuck into their own perspectives.

And what makes even hard for them to get over these feelings is that they don't come from a place of ownership at all, but rather from a place of insecurity.

That's why Koga and Kikyo make up for such formidable rivals for Inuyasha and Kagome: it's not about the competition — the audience knows there isn't really one —, it's about the insecurities they bring out of the pairing, because they were carefully designed to do just that.

From the very beginning Kagome was being compared to Kikyo for being her reincarnation. She starts the story already having to measure up to her in power and once Kikyo actually enters the scene, Kagome is also taken aback by her beauty and elegance, but more than that: she feels like she can't compete because Kikyo "died for Inuyasha." One day he might return the favor.

For his part, Inuyasha has Koga to deal with. A good looking, uncomplicated man who has taken a like to Kagome and has absolutely nothing holding him back from pursuing her, while he has nothing to offer but a difficult past, an unstable present and an uncertain future. One day she could grow tired of it all and realize that Koga could give her everything he couldn't and leave for good.

In conclusion, all that jealousy is rooted in insecurities and in the fear of losing each other, which are completely understandable and absolutely valid .

The differece, I think, is that the narrative lets Inuyasha express his feelings of jealousy directly towards Koga, from insults to actual physical fights, without grand repercutions, while Kagome is never allowed allowed a similar outlet

But that's a topic for another day.

Special thanks to @kitramune for helping me with the panels.

[warblogs17282]

So, what relationship does Stella and Octavia have with each other exactly?

Short Answer: Evidence points to them having a really bad dynamic with each other.

Long Answer:

Let's just quickly address the fact that we've never seen Stella and Octavia actually interact with each other on screen yet. Yes, I'm aware of this, but I'm making this post thinking about what we actually know so far, and what I've gathered points to Stella not caring about Octavia. To be honest, I think the lack of elaboration on their relationship has been incredibly purposeful, with the purpose being to paint the image of what their relationship actually looks like in a sense.

Evidence 1: Stolas' Assassination Plot.

We know Stella wants Stolas killed, and at no point has Stella actually considered how Stolas' assassination would make Octavia feel, which is best evidenced by the time she screamed she wanted Stolas dead right in front of Octavia (the fact Octavia had headphones on is entirely irrelevant to the point I'm making),

and the conversation with Andrealphus in s2 e4, where both of them also did not give any fucks about how the assassination would make Octavia feel. (I'll get back to this point later on)

Evidence 2: Stella being abusive to Stolas in front of Octavia.

What this proves is that Stella is abusive towards Octavia. Many reputable sources say that what Stella is doing here is child abuse, which I'd like to mention, that it can negatively impact the child in a number of different ways, and I highly advise you check out the Barnardo's page about it if you want to learn more.

Evidence 3: "You leave with Via on weekends."

Notice how this never gets expanded on at all? It's just that, there's no specifics to it or anything, which in my eyes, potentially also points to the fact that Stella doesn't care for Octavia, because it could tell us that there's no attempt made from Stella to actually bond with Octavia, which would explain why that statement is never expanded upon. Plus, Stella literally sidetracks that statement from Stolas with "I like tormenting you. I want to keep reminding you of what you did."

Evidence 4: The beginning of s1 e2.

"Mmph. Via's calling us, Stella."

"You get up."

Notice how Stella is not concerned about the fact that Octavia is actively calling her out, and also when Octavia is clearly upset from the tone of her voice. Which shows us just how little Stella actually cared about Octavia, even when she was just a young child.

Evidence 5: The s2 e4 conversation.

"Because, my dear sister, you've already produced an heir; when he dies, his duties, his possessions, his legions, it'll all pass to.... Via."

"If you kill him, you would…."

"Laugh? Ha-"

Notice how Stella does not even pay Andrealphus any attention whatsoever when he brings up the fact that all of Stolas' stuff will go to Octavia. This alone shows just how much Stella is self-centered within her own desires, which in this specific case, was to have Stolas dead, as shown by the follow up line "Laugh? Ha-".

Which just further shows that Stella is only interested in what she wants, not taking how Octavia would feel about the assassination into consideration yet again, with that and the obvious display of her being self-centered in this scene, both of which showing further that Stella doesn't care about Octavia.

Evidence 6: "What? No! I'm not turning her against you--"

Let's be real here, Stella has already started screaming at Stolas over petty shit, so I highly doubt that Stella said this out of actual concern that he's turning Octavia against her, but instead, she said that to use it as a weaponized statement. Or you could also say that she's weaponizing that sentiment against Stolas.

Evidence 7: "I'm glad one egg fell out of me"

It's always irked me about the fact that Stella refers to Octavia as "an egg" here. Like instead of any other possible way she could possibly phrase that statement, she chooses the one that refers to Octavia as "an egg", instead of her actual name or even daughter for that matter. Which also could point to Stella not really caring about Octavia.

Evidence 8: The paintings.

The Loo Loo Land picture. Just compare Stolas' and Stella's faces in that painting, Stolas looks actually happy in it, most likely because of Octavia, while Stella on the other hand? Her smile looks quite forced to me, it's barely even there, which tells me that Stella doesn't even want to be at the family outing to Loo Loo Land, which further shows how little she actually cares for Octavia.

And if I recall correctly, that's the only picture we see both Stella and Octavia in, as shown by the other paintings where there's only Stolas and Octavia present, which combined with the forced smile in the Loo Loo Land painting, further shows us how little Stella cares for Octavia.

In conclusion: I have shown multiple clues and pieces of evidence that show that Stella most likely doesn't genuinely care for Octavia, with s2 e4 really showing how self-centered Stella is, and just how much she only cares for her own self-interests. While future episodes will most likely show us more about Stella's and Octavia's relationship, the evidence and clues within the show appear to point to the fact that Stella does not genuinely care for Octavia.

[fafodill]

I don’t vibe with the golddigger!Lily headcanon because (unlike Severus or even Petunia) she doesn’t ever need to proactively, well, dig. She lives a charmed life for like 18 years! There’s a war going on where her people are the target of an evil murdercult that a decent 25% of her school supports and Severus snapping at her seems to be the first and only time she’s even remotely targeted for her blood status! Everyone loves her! Voldemort himself is willing to let her walk away! 

… so no, I don’t think she ever thought about whether she was doing the same thing as Severus before she died, because she died at 21 and that is well before any your-experiences-aren’t-universal brain development tends to kick in. Maybe in an AU where she lives to actual adulthood and has to come to terms with how lucky she’s been? But I think her “sin” here, such as it were, is naivety, not hypocrisy or some sort of secret hidden cruelty tbh. She’s just a kid and her life is wonderful until it’s horrible and then she’s murdered.

Which is to say, I do think she’s exactly as nice as she presents herself to be! It’s not a lack of love or compassion that’s the issue, she has love and compassion and willingness to forgive and believe in people’s better natures in spades! It’s a complete lack of context and understanding that makes her a both a fairly realistic teenager and a godawful friend to poor Severus, who needs a functional adult on his side rather than a 16 year old who’s engaging with his life-or-death situation through the lens of petty schoolyard disagreements because that’s all she’s ever known. Harry does similar things in the opposite direction when he interprets relatively normal interactions as preludes to violence due to his abusive upbringing, right, this is the kid who reacts to “Professor Flitwick, can I borrow Wood?” with the sincere belief he is going to be beaten with a cane.

(I also think Lily died without knowing the truth about the prank, and that’s part of the reason why the Marauders ditched Remus after graduation. And I think she never wondered about it even for a moment, even though she would be absolutely horrified if she found out.)

she has love and compassion and willingness to forgive and believe in people’s better natures in spades.

Well she clearly doesn't tho, does the? If she did, she would have surely been able to forgive Severus or at least take half a step back, get her head out of her ass and realize he was being horribly manhandled at that moment. For heavens's sake, he had been restrained, choked with soap and hung upside down, 4 vs 1! She was entitled to feeling hurt but if she so self-centered as to think that what he had told her compared to what he had just been subjected to, then it says a lot about 1) how normalized it was to see him being hurt and 2) how entitled and sensitive she is.

She smiled.

To me it clearly indicated that they had grown apart in a significant way already because if she considered him her friend still, she would have hexed James, she would have tried way harder to help Severus and she would certainly not have smiled. The smile AND the insult she hits him back with afterwards aren't things that occurred in her mind for the first time. Had she not smiled, I would be willing to think that calling her Snivellus (AND insulting his underpants - which she's aware - VERY AWARE - that he's poor as fuck) was just her being a hurt teen and wanting to hurt him back in the same way that he had just done. But she had to suppress a SMILE beforehand, and that's just vile and revealing. I would be horrified if a friend of mine was treated this way, I would yell and ask for a teacher and attack the bullies. And she was popular! She had some leverage AND James was in love with her (and she knew that). She was a good witch, she could have done something, ANYTHING!

But no, she suppressed and smile and then insulted him and I firmly believe that it means that she had started laughing at him behind his back for a little while already. Maybe reluctantly. Maybe to fit in, but also because she did find him kinda lame. And that maybe she was already planning to cut ties with him but didn't have a good enough reason. The insult was the perfect excuse.

She is Petunia's sister.

They both married super young an older guy who was of higher status and both became mothers right away. They still had the same background and education and it shows. And they are both capable of cruelty, this scene is the proof of it.

In your next sentence you say she lacks 'context and understanding' which explains her attitude towards Severus but what do you even mean here, lack of context? What context? She was aware that he has been bullied for 5 years already. Even if Severus had tried to hide some from her because he was ashamed, James and Sirius still were definitely not hiding it and she was in the same House as them.

I'm willing to admit that she was 16 and self-centered. But it's not because you're 16 that you're necessarily an asshole. But you're right here: she did not have remotely as much problems as Severus. But I think she didn't want to be associated with him anymore. She was a rising little star compared to him (socially) and she must have been quite happy about it - that's fair.

But coming from a modest background and turning your back on your dirt-poor friend - while sadly understandable because as a teen she just wanted to fit in and let her old life behind - is still extremely shitty.

I think her “sin” here, such as it were, is naivety, not hypocrisy or some sort of secret hidden cruelty tbh. She’s just a kid and her life is wonderful until it’s horrible and then she’s murdered.

She's not naive. She choose to look the other way. She gaslit him by calling him obsessed with his bullies - that he wanted gone from the school for very valid reasons - because she herself liked them and appreciated the attention she got from James. To her, Severus must have felt like a sourpuss looser who wasn't making any efforts. She didn't want to admit that he was struggling against things way bigger than them (blood and social status and also lookism). It's not naivety, it IS hypocrite. How convenient for her to judge him when she got into the 'good House' and is pretty and not as poor as him?

Look, to me, taking away from Lily the fact that she did turn her back on Severus even before SWM is taking away from her character. She's not an angel. She's not the devil either but I do think it says a lot that she's Petunia's sister and that she married James Fleamont Potter of all people.

She was young. They all were. But you can be young and still feel compassion towards others and acknowledged their difficulties - even if you don't plan on remaining friends with them.

[acourtofthought]

Why in the world are some acting so self-righteous over the Bloomsbury bracket?

The book is written.

The winning moment won't change what is in it.

Bloomsbury doesn't "know what they're doing" when it comes to a certain ship because these were fan submissions which they had no control over. It wasn't their decision to spam the poll with what I'm sure were many fake accounts which allowed certain people to vote multiple times.

The only thing they had control over is the placement of the winning categories (that made me cackle by the way and if anyone honestly believes Az letting someone borrow his "precious" is more important a scene than Elain helping to stop the war than it's clear they don't actually care for Girl Power the way they pretend).

Also, Lucien not being on there doesn't prove anything, it just means that many fans of Lucien chose not to engage or weren't even aware because at the end of the day IT'S JUST A SILLY CONTEST FOR FUN AND THEY DIDN'T FEEL THE NEED TO GATHER THEIR "SOLDIERS AND UNITE IN THEIR VOTES" and / or, they realized this was meant to hype up the 10 year anniversary of the release of the ACOTAR series which at it's heart, is the story of Feyre and Rhys (a pairing I imagine Bloomsbury credits the success of the ACOTAR series on since e/riel is not even confirmed to be endgame). We can love our ship and our preferred characters yet still understand that the contest is not really meant to be about our personal favorites (that's called maturity) therefore there was no need to prove something by voting as many times as possible by using burner email accounts.

To claim Lucien's character had zero scenes to offer is your jealousy and / or ignorance showing. Now when he commanded one of the greatest Illyrian warriors ever with a single word. Not when he ran across a battlefield, blood streaked across his face, to make sure his mate was all right (his first battle too, all while uninjured). Not when he risked his life by shouting the wyrms location to Feyre, which he was then whipped for. Not when the line "I'm Lucien. Courtier and emissary." "Your eyes are like stars, and your hair like burnished gold." is often repeated.

But again, I'm not sure why anyone is acting like this is meant to be anything more than fun. Fans can spam Bloomsbury as much as their little hearts desire but Sarah is sitting pretty (petty? haha) with the knowledge that nothing anyone does, wants, or says, will change what SHE has already written.

[bevy-obeyme]

Character Study - Lucifer, The epitome of pride and how family makes you risk everything. {{Part 1}}

— Spoiler Warning for Lessons in Original Obey Me —

Art by https://x.com/pyunrim/status/1687472597787897856 on twitter/x

As we are all aware, Lucifer was once a greatly admired Seraphim who was also God’s favourite. An ethereal angel with three pairs of wings and yet he disgraced himself - why?

First things first, we all know that even during Lucifer’s period of stay in the Celestial Realm, you’d be surprised to see he still retains most of his qualities during his 'angelic years’.

For example, during Lesson 52-3 when Satan (''Sully’’) and MC go back into the past during a dream, we meet the Seraph as shown above.

It is evident Lucifer still held a sense of pride and superiority, not afraid to exert his authority and influence to get MC and Satan to help with his bidding, as well as portraying himself to be mockingly condescending at first.

However, even Lucifer himself wasn’t opposed to breaking the rules as during Lesson 52-5 he directly goes against the rules in the library to satisfy Satan’s curiosity in books.

This conveys that Lucifer ( even with his high ranking position ) cared not for petty rules and as such wasn’t afraid to dismiss them or rule them out when it came to a favour.

Later on in the same lesson we see that same lesson that Lucifer is still quite cunning, actively playing along to the disguises Satan and MC have brought up and tricking Satan into opening a blank book that acted as a restraint.

Whilst it does not differ from what Lucifer would’ve done in the present, his goal is noticeably much more genuine and appears to be more honest of what he wanted to ascertain which was to find out if Satan was a demon and therefore if he was a danger to the Celestial Realm. In addition, we see that Seraph Lucifer is able to let go of his pride without as much struggle as he apologises to Satan without hesitation or spite. This implies that back then, pride wasn’t as powerful to Lucifer. Even if he did carry more than the average angel, it was balanced out by his honesty and genuine intent.

So we have assured that Lucifer is not much different to what he was like in the Celestial Realm, so why did he fall?

The answer is rather simple; Love. Or rather, his strong dedication to family.

The brothers were very much mischievous as they are now - Mammon was originally a troublemaker under Michael’s care who was then subdued when Lucifer took him in. Belphegor snuck off to the human world often as he was fascinated and ended up dragging Lilith along with him.

Despite the annoyance this caused, Lucifer referred to them as '’small’’ problems which Raphael was actually quick to quip at according to Lucifer. However, he confirms that he never minded and it is evident the eldest even covered for his siblings during their mishaps. Until.

Lilith met a human. We learn during Lesson 15 the history of Belphegor’s hatred for humanity and Lilith’s perish - which was linked to humans.

Falling in love with a human as an angel was heavily against the rules as celestial beings are only meant to guide humans and offer their utmost devotion to the Father (God). Having a lover would surely meddle with duties and especially that of Lilith’s choice being a human - a race both demons and angels alike deem weak and inapt.

Despite this, we see that Lucifer does not hold a bias towards his sisters’ choice as many would have and actively supported her.

He did at first put on a caring and what may have appeared stern face when he went to check on his sisters’ lover, but ultimately, it is understandable. Lucifer was the eldest and Lilith was their only sister and the youngest at that - he wouldn’t want danger to come to her if she had chosen a dangerous man to fall in love with that she could potentially become victim to which explains his protective tendencies - much like that strict father that insists to meet your boyfriend and asses him.

[putschki1969]

Hi Puts! YK just announced that Keiko will be not participated in YK Live #21 this year 😢 I'm kinda sad about this.

Okay, I didn't expect to have to use this gif so soon...

All jokes aside, this announcement is indeed very saddening and disappointing but I would be lying if I said I was super surprised.

Just a few days ago I addressed some possibilities for the future in THIS POST here and I was trying my best to remain optimistic despite knowing very well that Yuki had pretty much cemented her stance on the whole thing by releasing that initial statement. The way she positioned herself as the victim and everyone else as perpetrator was a clear message. By explicitly name-calling the members, it was made to look like Hikaru and Keiko were “aligning themselves with the enemy”. The Asia Tour probably couldn't be cancelled or re-arranged due to existing agreements/contracts but we didn't know how the Kalafina debacle would affect anything after that. Seems like we have our answer now. The girls have all officially fallen out of favour and are being considered as “Space Craft adjacent”. They are now in the same position as Wakana, nothing more than pariahs. Which means of course that everyone is now following the usual M.O. of ignoring each other’s presence. I'm not saying this is all coming from Yuki's side, there's a very high chance of the girls themselves being restricted in their activities due to contractual obligations (Space Craft most definitely made them sign something to make that Kalafina Live possible).

As discussed previously, we got our first glimpses of the shunning process when Yuki decided to distance herself on social media by unfollowing Hikaru and Keiko.

Then just a few days ago, a photo was posted from the recording studio and a certain someone was notably absent.

I guess Keiko's exclusion from the YKL is just a natural progression although I will honestly say that I didn't think Yuki would go that far, jeopardising the quality of her performances like that. Considering that her craft has always been her main priority, letting go of the literal backbone of 90% of her live music seems like a very stupid decision but I guess pettiness knows no boundaries in this ever-lasting feud between Team Yuki and Team Space Craft.

Oh well, needless to say, I won't be attending YK events any time soon. I don't hate her and I still appreciate her work but there's no longer any incentive for me personally. The girls have always come first and nothing will ever change about that. I am not Team YK or Team Space Craft, I am Team Kalafina and always will be! This just means I will have to support their solo activities even more and hopefully they will all increase their activities to give me lots of opportunities to show my appreciation.

As I mentioned in my post from a few days ago, nothing in life happens without a price having to be paid. Sacrifices need to be made, time has to pass. I am sure the girls were aware of most of these consequences when they decided to commit themselves to the Kalafina Anniversary Live project. Just like all these years ago, Wakana was aware what would happen if she stayed with Space Craft. The Japanese entertainment industry is not for the weak, shitty things happen all the time, you win some, you lose some. Hikaru actually shared some very good advice during her live broadcast from the other day. Life has a way of balancing itself out, for every bad thing that happens, a good thing will follow. And every rough experience might one day turn into an opportunity so I guess we can try to look at the whole thing with a more positive mindset. We don't know if this is permanent or not and we also have no idea what's in store for Kalafina so I refuse to despair because of it.

Speaking of Hikaru, she also mentioned that throughout her career, the main priority have always been the fans. I think this sentiment is shared by Keiko and Wakana which is why they ultimately decided to hold the Kalafina live, knowing very well that they'd have to pay dearly for their decision.

Of course they didn't think there would be such a harsh backlash in the initial phase but that was mostly fueled by Yuk's unfortunate phrasing in the statement. If she had refrained from mentioning the members, I don't think that there would have been such an outrage and immediate condemnation of the girls. Fans would have been upset but most of them would have simply blamed Space Craft and not the girls themselves.

Nonetheless, all that bitching and moaning from "some" fans didn't stop thousands of people from getting their ticket and showing up for the live. As far as I am concerned, the concert was a huge success and everyone there was filled with happiness. The girls must have surely interpreted it like this as well so hopefully, they felt like it was worth their sacrifice.

[xaharadesert]

Petite MC - Headcanon

Arcana Characters (Main 6) x MC

A/N: Can you believe that I wrote like 150 Arcana headcanon sets before someone asked for a petite mc? I feel like this is a classic that I missed out on in my early days. Please let me know if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes :) requests are open!

❤️Julian❤️

He was already constantly filled with anxiety and an ever looming sense of dread, but meeting you has somehow increased it

Logically he knows that your size doesn’t diminish your many talents and capabilities, but he worries all the same

He likes to keep you in his line of sight, and in crowded spaces he’ll hold your hand or place one of his hands on your back or shoulder so you don’t disappear into the fray

Often he can be seen looking behind you, a bit hunched over so he can hear what you’re saying

He likes to think he looks like a scary guard dog, but depending on the circumstances there’s a good chance he looks even more scared than you

🧡Portia🧡

You can be short legends together

She hopes you’re okay with short jokes, because now that she has a partner who’s just as short as her, she’ll be making them all the time

Says you can tag team taking out people’s ankles if they piss you off

She really likes that she doesn’t have to worry about getting on her tiptoes to kiss you since you’re about the same height

Once joked about having you sit on her shoulders with a cloak to pretend to be Muriel while committing crimes

💛Lucio💛

Loves being the taller one in the relationship, it makes him feel strong and important

He’s always been a fan of heels (the higher the better), but he does appreciate that he can give his feet a break when he’s out with you

Does try to talk you into wearing heels for special events though; he says it’s more fun to look down at people

Makes short jokes when he’s feeling petty, but they’re not very well thought out, and mostly come down to “well, you’re short, and that’s bad because I say so”

Still feels really bad about this later, and insists that you should feel insulted even if you were totally unaffected

💚Muriel💚

He may actually cry from the stress

He’s always been uncomfortable aware of his own size, and that sensation is heightened whenever you’re around

If he bumps into you, you will be going down, and he is terrified of that

He tries to make himself smaller by hunching over whenever he’s standing or sitting next to you to draw less attention to the size difference (obviously it doesn’t work, and most people just pity him since he looks so awkward)

Hates that people are perceiving him as a sort of guard dog for you; he feels like the juxtaposition is leading to stereotyping, and you’ll need to reassure him that you don’t see him that way

💙Asra💙

You know, he’s never really noticed it all that much

Of course, on a physical level he knows you’re pretty small, but as someone who has always been right in the middle of short and tall, he doesn’t really see it as a very big deal

He does like that you’re just short enough to fit under his chin when he hugs you, but that’s about it

You don’t have to reach too far to give him a kiss, which is also a plus

And he’s already got plenty of step-stools around for reaching the top shelves, so there’s no need to ask (not that anything but decorations ever goes on those shelves anyway; if neither of you can reach them on your own, why bother giving them a practical use?)

💜Nadia💜

Adjusting to your height takes a bit of getting used to for her

She’s the type to wear heels and keep perfect posture, so she stands tall even among people of a similar height

She accidentally looks over your head until you call her attention down to you pretty often

Expect to be gifted plenty of heels or platform shoes early on in the relationship

She’s not particularly fond of the idea of abandoning her own heels, but if you struggle with yours then she’ll switch to something a bit more practical so she can kiss you more easily

She complained about neck pain exactly one (1) time, and silently prays that you never bring it up again to tease her

[silverhypnos]

Another chrollo question sorry:

When he fought zeno, why was he so interested in which of the two were stronger? Neither his younger self that we see later of him seemed to be insecure of their power, unless that power was solely to protect the Troupe. It's such a...I wouldn't say self centered, but it is a notably kind of petty question from chrollo. It kind of sounds like the sort of question hisoka would ask. One that note (Sorry two questions) why do you think chrollo give hisoka such a long leash, despite the clown obviously radiating bad vibes, even for the Troupe? As someone who wants to protect his friends at all costs, shouldn't he be more wary of a psychopathic murder clown (who did defeat #4 to get in?)

Hmmm, I think maybe it's easier to answer the second question first. I have pondered on the same thing, on why Chrollo who's brilliant and perceptive allows such a dangerous nut case near his spider family. While Chrollo is brilliant, he is human. He makes mistakes, and he miscalculates situations that later bite back at him. Letting Hisoka in and giving him a long leash was an oversite on his part. So, this is just a theory that I came up with, but I believe the whole 'long leash' was Chrollo's display of saying "You're strong on your own." Chrollo's main goal over the years has shifted into wanting to keep his family safe, especially after Uvo's death. I believe Chrollo has a habit of keeping less combat-ready teammates close, or with someone better at combat. Chrollo was fine when Uvo said he wanted to fight the chain bastard alone, also implying a bit of a long leash there. But when Uvo never showed up, the teams were enforced. That time when he let Hisoka go alone, it was before Uvo's death had been confirmed. When Hisoka watched as the other Spiders were killing the Mafia member, I doubt Machi would have snitched about being teamless. (Heck, she probably preferred it) As long as Hisoka comes back, I doubt Chrollo knows about it. Now in terms of why Chrollo would let Hisoka join, I think it was a gamble on Chrollo's part. I think Chrollo saw that Hisoka could become a problem if they rejected him from joining. I also believe Chrollo is keenly aware that Hisoka's bloodlust is mostly directed towards him. Chrollo made a cocky gamble that if they let Hisoka in, Hisoka wouldn't kill any of the legs because that clown would be focusing on trying to get Chrollo alone. Most of the whole fanbase believes that Chrollo always keeps two members because members being alone is 'against the rules'. But again, Chrollo had no issue with Uvo going alone after that chain user that originally captured him. After Shalnark and Kortopi died, Chrollo was hellbent on going alone and had no issue with Machi and Franklin going alone. Chrollo only teamed up with Bono and Shizuku because they wanted to join him. (Granted, Chrollo is very mentally unwell at the moment) The Truth is, most of the fanbase assumed it was a rule because Hisoka said Chrollo always teams up with two people. And later, after the backstory was revealed, it felt like Sarasa's death reinforced that idea.

But we as the audience have to remember, Hisoka is fickle. So either A, he's fibbing the information to push Kurapika into teaming up with him. Or B, Chrollo did this as a precaution around Hisoka. Now, onto the first question. The Spiders in the York Shin arc were at the peak of their cockiness and recklessness. Both Uvo and Pakunoda's death was the reality check for them to get their shit together. Not just the Spiders, but Chrollo. Chrollo does have moments of cockiness, even when he was a little child. (Like when Chrollo tricked Phinks with the VHS tape swap) I'd argue that Chrollo likes feeling smug, he often tries to suppress it, but he actually likes the feeling. He couldn't help but smile when he successfully stole Neon's nen. He couldn't help but party with his friends when they successfully stole from the Mafia. When Hisoka revealed that he was a fake Spider all along, he let out a chuckle, knowing that his life was no longer on the line as he was allowed to communicate to Hisoka about judgment chain. In short, Chrollo LOVES winning. And sometimes, that cockiness of him makes him say petty shit. He can tell that Zeno is a formidable foe who's also very good at analyzing. Hearing Zeno admit that if they got serious, he might have lost to Chrollo probably felt so good. I don't think Chrollo was insecure at all, the opposite actually. I think he was allowing himself to be a bit childish. Zeno reinforced it when he called out Chrollo for being cocky right after. But, that's just my opinion

[marisandini-chu-blog]

EPISODE 4 TBHX LET'S GO!!!!!

A quick word before we begin; just to establish my mindset and expectation as I watch this. Particularly about the Trust Value.

I've mention this before in previous posts how there's nothing wrong with Heroism; the desire to be popular and notice, with the performance that comes with it.

Image is important. Image is a tool. Heroism push people to do good, even with shallow intention, and the people who receive help would not have cared if they were genuine or not.

There is good in heroism the same way there is good in being able to enjoy a good music from an artist we love. Excited for youtubers making content to teach and spread joy in a community they establish. For TV personalities be able to spread good message and bring awareness for people to come together and point their energy for a good cause.

It's not always vain in wanting to be popular.

Which is why it becomes a problem when a capitalist system tries to monetize a virtue. When people enable a toxic culture without calling them out. When trust becomes a cage.

So I'm looking forward to Lin Ling's finale and the conclusion of his arc; will he change or will the system change?

Will Lin Ling put trust on the people who still relies on him? Vise versa, will the people keep their trust even when his image has change?

Now... let's begin.

Of course God Eye aim his attack the moment Nice is at the Top 10. That petty bitch

"The Moon has to be a played actor" Oh no... I feel called out

God Eye, you want to show reality to the world and yet you're denying your own truth; which is that you are a petty bitch

WHAT THE FUCK?! HE CAN'T LEAVE?!

God, I wish I had save the post, but there was someome who mention how the Trust Value makes a hero's body a cage while their mind is still free — this fits with how Nice's body doesn't want to go outside but his mind wrestle to save Moon

Oh God, I don't know how to feel about this. Maybe I am bias, but I would feel terrible if my trust and faith is taking his free will away — and we've seen how the people would rather have the hero save people than their image in the previous episode. There's definitely people who want Nice to save Xiao Yueqing, but they're drown out by the majority

MISS J YOU'RE NOT JUST ERASING MOON'S MEMORIES, YOU'RE ERASING LIN LING'S VERY EXISTENCE WITH THAT CHOICE! NOOOOOOOOOO!

Urgh, this is why I hate God Eye's whole schick. He's basically a papparrazi trying to create the next buzz even at the expense of someone

Ooooooh, I like how God Eye is not just changing the Public's perception of him. But also the Blaster's perception of himself and the animation SHOWS!

YEAH, LIN LING! YOU'RE NOT NICE! GO BE A HERO!

Hoooooooly?! I didn't think Lin Ling is gonna reveal all the truth?

You know what's ironic? As easy as it is to break people's trust, It's not that hard to gain their trust

A youtuber named Aliciaxlife (check her out, she's great) also react to this. And one of the things she shared was at the start, she creates a persona for the public that becomes stiffling overtime. When she decides to break it and be more genuine (read: meaner😆), her views plummeted for a while before it rise back up

So even though it's over dramatic, hasten and simplified – this kind of stuff does happen. That if you're willing to be genuine and spoke out for the right thing, people will always root for justice

Lin Ling's fight is sooooo ugly, I LIVE FOR IT!!!

Okay, so Lin Ling shootingup into Top 10 level is a bit of a strech, ngl. There should be a lot of people scrutinizing

I FUCKING KNEW SHE WAS FAKE!!!

Okay, having people who fakes things get faster gratification can be annoying. At that point, I can understand God Eye's perspective

God Eye could actually make a good point if he decided to put all that energy to be less annoying a better version of himself instead of tearing other people down.

For someone who begrudge a hero who fakes himself, he seems too surprise at seeing the truth push Lin Ling stronger. Maybe perhaps people fake themselves because people like you who likes to pull people down with the truth? Ever think of that, God Eye?

THE COMMONER?! FUCKING COMMONER? WHO THE HELL IS COMING UP WITH THE LAME ASS NAMES? FIRM MAN IS BAD ENOUGH ALREADY!

Xiao Yueqing becoming a hermit is not what I expected from her

WTF?! SHE ACCIDENTALLY PUT HERSELF IN AN ABANDON ISLAND?! I SHOULDN'T LAUGH BUT GIRRRRRLLLL!!!!

It fits her character though. Of course she jumps and didn't think twice

The definition of be careful what you wish for

Lin Ling, I don't know how you work that teleporter gun, and I don't care to know. Just get her out of this island, I think she has enough...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

I heard about Director Li's reputation but...

WHAT THE FUCK?!

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!

AFTER AN ENTIRE EPISODE DEDICATE TO NOT LET HER BE AN ACCESSORY TO A HERO - YOU FRIDGE HER?!?!?!

The worst part is? I can't even hate it! WE'VE BEEN WARNED FROM THE FIRST EPISODE!!!

Episode 3 React

[comrade-emma]

After reading @rosaq’s post about Rose being a metaphor for a disabled adult instead of a child, I felt compelled to write my own essay about why she gets way more shit and way less credit than she deserves. While I’m not as big of a fan of SU as I used to be, it still has a place in my heart and was important to me. I relate to a few “problematic” characters in it such as Lapis and Pink Diamond and I think Rose deserved better than how Future or the fandom treated her.

The idea that Pink wanted a colony to prove her worth as an equal to the other diamonds and not just be seen as a joke hits hard for me. I’ve been there especially now where I feel like I have to move out and prove I can be a successful adult to my parents. The way the other diamonds treated Rose is very relatable to a lot of autistic people. They liked her when she acted goofy and made them laugh but when she struggled with social awareness, they yelled at, degraded and abused her by locking her away.

A lot of people, especially parents, only like autistic children when they’re the quirky kind that gushes about dinosaurs or astronauts, but flip the moment they inconvenience them. I’ve felt like my parent’s acceptance has often been conditional. They praised me when I was being goofy but dad would flip and make me feel like I was bad for having struggles with awareness or was hesitant to try new foods not to mention making me do Keto for almost a year because they felt it would “help” me. I’ve often felt babied whenever they lectured me over small things yet was also never given actual accommodation.

Some may disagree but I don’t blame her for leaving Spinel behind. It was wrong but because of her upbringing that taught her Diamonds were superior, she didn’t understand Spinel was an individual and not a toy. Rebecca was inspired by a toy rabbit she left behind when writing Spinel. To Rose, Spinel represents everything she hated about herself and how the other diamonds viewed her. To her, she was giving up a toy to prove she could be mature. I’ve been there before such as when I gave away toys or ditched certain hobbies such as paleontology, especially at a conservative school full of creationists I was forced to be friends with because my parents liked them, so people would take me more seriously. Let’s not forget that Spinel isn’t innocent and decided to wipe out all life on Earth and hurt Steven out of petty revenge yet never got as much hate as Rose did.

After reading some of @thewoollyviking’s posts, I’ve come to agree that Future felt very mean spirited towards Rose and that it seemed to just confirm the idea that she was a bad person incapable of change. I don’t hate Steven and relate to him at points too but he acted downright cruel by shoving her picture away and telling Greg who he learned had a similar upbringing that it wasn’t that bad despite being in Rose’s position and nearly dying because of how bad it was. That episode was poorly executed to be honest since most people don’t understand how curfew, chaperones and meatloaf can be abusive or stifling as I’ve seen some call Greg spoiled or “incredibly immature” for being angry about his childhood.

The way Steven acted in Future kind of reminds me of the Ultimate Kevin arc from Ben 10. A character who’s normally forgiving and willing to give second chances suddenly becomes very cruel and mean spirited. I’ve defended Ben from people who called him a narc or psychopath for deciding to execute Kevin but the writing in that arc was very mid. I don’t know if it’s due to the time constraints CN put on the show or was intentional but Steven never reconciled with or at least let go of his anger towards Rose and refused to emphasize with her despite being so similar. Rose never got a chance to redeem herself in life and thanks to Future will never be able to do so in death either. Everyone hates her and acts like they’re better off without her which is gross since it just confirms her self hatred that she was incapable of doing better.

Rose is a character that I relate to hard especially as someone with autism and is transfem. The way the diamonds treated her rings true to my own experiences with how people will act friendly to your face but then treat you as a joke and never give genuine respect or accommodation to. I’ve written more about how my dad treats me regarding my queerness here but I don’t blame Rose for acting the way she did. She needed help and was just treated as bad for her outbursts and was only appreciated when “cute”. I’ve thrown out things to prove I can be mature and don’t really hold her abandoning Spinel against her. The other characters are never given as much hate as Rose and I actually like Blue, mainly for her VA, but the other diamonds and Spinel did way worse yet got off far easier than Pink. People can dislike Rose if they want but it does say something about how the fandom views a victim of abuse who did a lot of wrong but did her best to change and struggled with loving herself.

[darkcommet]

Ranking the Mikaelson siblings dateability from worst to best because I’m bored…

((Not including Freya in this because I have a lot to say about her, but, I can make it a separate post if anyone is interested))

Bottom of the barrel (and I KNOW I’m gonna catch hands for this one)

ELIJAH MIKAELSON: I rank him so low because he’s probably the worst Mikaelson to get involved with realistically. Yes, he’s charming and he’s rich and generally seems pretty invested in his relationships… but he never REALLY takes steps to ensure his partner is safe. He idealizes love but prioritizes the people in his life perpetrating violence upon him which in turn makes it impossible for him to find genuine love

And I’m not even talking about being safe from enemies. I’m talking about being safe from Klaus. This whole “I love you so much, but I’m going to let my brother murk you and then I’ll be over it in a week or two” thing (while exaggerated here) really puts me off. He’s so good at protecting his siblings and is capable of protecting his lovers… yet somehow he always fails and when he does, he mourns, but then he’s over it.

There’s this whole element of choosing family before love that I can’t really get behind because Elijah is always going on about honor and dignity and being a gentleman… but there’s nothing honorable or dignified or gentlemanly about you actively letting the women in your life get murdered by your brother. A man you have known personally for upward of 1k years… like be sffr, please.

Next on the base of the pyramid….

Klaus Mikaelson: Listen. I love a morally grey sociopathic vampire with daddy and mommy issues as much as the next mentally ill queer woman… but REALISTICALLY you and I would not be a be able to change him. Klaus Mikaelson is too volatile, paranoid as fuck, unable to self regulate, and convinced everyone around him is out to get him.

This man was daggering his siblings (SIBLINGS) and leaving them in boxes for years at a time. People he claimed to love. For all his bitching about Esther and Mikael being horrible people Klaus sure fucking turned out like them. His only true redeeming quality is his love for Hope. He genuinely breaks the cycle with her and I respect that.

Know who he isn’t breaking the cycle with? You or me. He’s gonna get paranoid and then heads are gonna start rolling. You cannot change this man.

Middle rung of the pyramid (and lowkey equally ranked)

Rebekah Mikaelson: I love Rebekah. Genuinely. But I would absolutely hesitate to date her. Because at the end of the day, Rebekah is a victim of abuse. Klaus and Elijah domineer her life, one daggers her and locks her in a coffin and the other is real wishy washy about letting him. Rebekah is allowed to have sex, she’s allowed to flirt, but she is not allowed to develop genuine attachment with anyone that isn’t family.

Which leads to why I wouldn’t date her personally, but why I think she’s a solid choice.

If one managed to get close to the inner circle and actually manage a date with Rebekah, then you can bet your sweet ass that she is going to do everything in her power to keep her lover safe. She’s going to be doing a thousand times more than Elijah to protect a romantic partner from Klaus and I respect that… what I don’t really like is how her trauma has developed into jealousy, which lends itself to toxicity.

I think she’d be a good partner in terms of her Originals characterization. Not so much with her TVD characterization. There’s a little too much petty in TVD Rebekah for me to really say she’d be the perfect partner. But I think she’s a very solid choice… her loyalty to Klaus would also make me hesitant to date but that’s whatever.

Finn Mikaelson: LISTEN, if you got locked in a box for 900 years and became mentally aware somewhere around the 400 year mark and you said “I’m not mad at my family.” despite hearing said family being daggered and undaggered around you… I’d call you a fucking liar. If my siblings did that shit to me it would be on site. Finn’s reaction? Fucking tame. I personally think he should have been more murdery toward his family (not so much Hope but you can’t convince me the other Mikaelsons haven’t threaten to kill / killed a kid soooo).

In terms of dating. Old fashioned as fuck, but I don’t think he’s be intentionally cruel. Finn has a lot of respect for his mom, and while I hate Esther, you can’t say he totally disrespected women because he really didn’t? We don’t know enough about TVD Finn so a lot of this is based on TO. But, I do think that Finn would be a decent partner.

He loved Sage and I think if he ever dates someone other than her he would be a good option. He’s not loyal to Klaus, so any tomfoolery on Klaus’ part wouldn’t go too far, but I do think that modern anything to do with a relationship would be a struggle for him. Which isn’t his fault. Finn never got the opportunity to live and this never gave him the opportunity to learn. I don’t think he’d be a total misogynist, I genuinely do think Finn would want to learn and better himself if only because doing so offers him a sort of quasi humanity, but it would be a challenge.

I rank him higher than Rebekah because I feel more confident in my statement that if Klaus tried to get froggy, Finn would attempt to handle it before he jumped. I don’t know if Rebekah would…

Finally… the gold star… the God Tier standard…

Kol Mikaelson: the way he treated Davina. Enough said.

But realistically I think Kol would be the best choice. For starters he would do everything in hos power to mitigate any danger Klaus would pose to his partner. There wouldn’t be a question of, ‘if Klaus’ paranoid ass comes for me am I 1) making it out and 2) going to have to watch my Mikaelson partner stand by and let it happen’ because Kol’s not letting it happen. He’s playing chess to Klaus’ checkers and, sure, it doesn’t always work out… but he would absolutely prioritize you.

Second of all, the man surrounds himself with witches. He respects witches. He learns from them, engages with them, and yeah it’s self serving but he seems to have a little more respect for women / witches than the others.

Obviously he has his issues. Kol’s angry. And angry gets people hurt. But we’ve seen him have true, genuine connection with people outside of his family that I don’t think Elijah or Klaus are truly capable of. All in all, Kol is the best bet because at the end of the day he isn’t prioritizing family. He isn’t looking at Klaus and stepping aside if Klaus comes for your head. You’ll probably still die but, you know, at Kol will try to keep you alive.

Frankly, don’t date Mikaelsons at all… but if one were to get the opportunity… I would say Kol’s your best bet at a healthy-ish relationship.

[alexiethymia]

Aoko is Kaito's security blanket

All purely headcanon, but I like the idea of Aoko not realizing how much Kaito values and relies on her. Like in Love is War, 'the first to fall in love loses' so from Aoko's perspective, she's on the losing end, like she knows Kaito cares about her, but she's absolutely sure that maybe it's tilted more towards her end. And she is absolutely ok with that. I don't even mean this in a romantic sense, since from extra material and the manga, you can tell that Aoko is still innocent and dense. Even in a purely platonic sense, I could see Aoko thinking that she'd be more affected if Kaito was not by her side than the vice versa. You can see it in the little things like her self-depreciating comments (which is not helped by Kaito at all! you dumbass), and how she's ok with giving him up to Akako if she thought that was what's best for him.

But in fact it's the opposite. Kaito is the one who wouldn't be able to function without her. You can see it at the surface level. Aoko hardly gets jealous, if at all. In the first place she doesn't even know exactly what it is she feels for Kaito, just that she loves him. Even before she can think about jealousy, she has to face her own insecurities.

Meanwhile, as we've all seen, Kaito is petty when jealous, even allowing it to affect him as Kaitou Kid.

But I think it goes deeper than that. We see their first meeting from Aoko's perspective and how important it was to her, but that meeting must have changed Kaito's life too. Because all his life, Kaito's wanted to be like his dad, the best magician, and just like Shinichi with his first captive audience for his first deduction, making Aoko smile with his magic must have been life-changing for him.

Aoko is his favorite audience, the first to really believe he could be the best outside of his family, which is also why he loved performing for her when they were kids, and until now. It's funny to think that the slight rivalry he felt toward Aoko's mom was all because he was embarrassed in front of Aoko. That's the thing, he's always wanted to look cool in front of her, which is actually endearing in a way. I would actually love to know how Kaito views his feelings for Aoko. I don't think he's like Heiji pre-Ebisu bridge where he hadn't realized the meaning, but was still possessive over Kazuha anyway. I think he is fully aware of his feelings which makes me curious when he fell in love or realized he fell in love with Aoko. 'He loves everything about her,' after all.

When I say that Aoko is his security blanket, I mean that being with Aoko, performing for Aoko, and making her smile makes him believe that everything will be ok. Despite his secrets and his injuries and the double-life and never-ending search. It's routine, and so it's normal and comforting, much needed stability in his chaotic life. When Aoko withdraws from his side for example (like in the ski episode) he has no enthusiasm in performing for anyone else. This is why I truly believe if Aoko said she hated him, he would break. It's like after his father died (darn you, Toichi) he latched onto Nakamori-keibu and Aoko for stability. This is even more prominent after he becomes the next Kaitou Kid. People either detest him or admire him. He's a performer removed from the audience. And yet there are still people who willingly care for him outside of his family - the Nakamoris. Kaito is always alert, but Aoko is the person who would remove rice around his mouth for him and the person he'd allow to do so in the first place, because whether he admits it or not, Aoko is the one person he lets his guard down around.

The sad thing is, although Kaito seems to be a lot more extroverted than Shinichi, the former is much more solitary in comparison. Shinichi draws people in and reaches out. It's not that Kaito repels people, and he can certainly be empathic when he wants to be, but he doesn't exactly have the close-knit group of friends that Shinichi has. His relationship with Hakuba is far from the relationship Shinichi has with Heiji where they'd as sooner die for each other. Even as I think Hakuba would want to be genuine friends with Kaito (he's intrigued by him, except it's a shame he's the thief he's trying to catch), maybe because of that initial encounter with Aoko, Kaito is still a bit belligerent. While he does treat Akako like a friend, he still seems wary of her, unlike the strong bond of trust Conan has established with Haibara. Even with Shinichi and Ran, they both had Sonoko to make it into a stable triangle. Meanwhile, it seems like Keiko is more of Aoko's friend that Kaito's. In other words, the only person who Kaito has let into his heart seems to be Aoko (and even then, there are barriers). It's hard to blame him though. Shinichi's situation forced him to build networks and rely on others because he was left almost helpless. Kaito's situation just encouraged further secrecy and to handle everything alone. This is also why Shinichi's and Kaito's relationship is so important to me, because it seems like Kaito can relax around Shinichi too. Even as they bicker, they can work together. And I think Kaito really needs that kind of relationship where he can rely and trust someone from outside his inner circle.

Knowing this, it really shows the weight of what Aoko and to an extent Nakamori-keibu really means to Kaito. It was intriguing to see him lose his cool when Nakamori was shot, and that absolutely warm and fond smile after finishing his conversation with Aoko. There was no trace of Kaitou Kid in those moments, just Kuroba Kaito. He couldn’t help but drop his poker face! (and all of the emotions he was feeling then, including guilt, panic, and fear could warrant a whole other analysis). And again it's a bit sad that he can only show those faces when he's alone, not even daring to show them to Aoko (and anyone else).

The most that he can do to hint at his affection is acting like a tsudere brat, because it's safe, it's familiar, it's what Aoko would expect of him. I like this idea of Kaito being hot and cold (like how Aoko compares him to ice cream) because he has to actively keep on re-wearing his poker face. I have this headcanon that Kaito almost always gets cuteness aggression from Aoko (because let's admit it she is absolutely adorable), and his defense mechanism is to just be willfully blind to her charms and slightly be a bit mean because otherwise he'd just glomp the hell out of her.

I also like this idea that because of how used to each other they are, they are just naturally touchy with each other, like casual ruffles to the hair and light hugs. I can imagine one afternoon where they're just hanging around with Keiko and Kaito just drapes himself over Aoko's lap like some overgrown cat while fiddling with his smart-phone, and Aoko's just absentmindedly carding her fingers through his hair while talking with Keiko.

Meanwhile, Keiko's like: ???

You couldn't immediately say it was romantic, but it also seems much more than platonic so Keiko says nothing because she knows as soon as she draws attention to it, they'd spring apart faster than if they had been burned.

I like the idea of everyone at their school being silent witnesses. They're used to two versions. The most common one, bickering Bakaito and Ahouko, mop-chasing and skirt-flipping all across the hallways. But also the quieter, more intimate one where Kaito would just as casually take a bite of food from Aoko's chopsticks as she fed him, or Kaito draping his arms and entire body weight on Aoko as he complained he was bored.

For Aoko, it's natural. In the first place her thoughts don't veer towards thinking too deeply about her relationship with Kaito. It's enough that he's here and by her side.

For Kaito though, I like the idea that even when he's made his conviction about being careful around Aoko or rather being careful about his feelings for Aoko, there are just some moments where all of the thoughts about plans and heists just gets quiet. His calculating mind can rest for once and he doesn't need to act, whether as Kid or always joking Kuroba Kaito, and just be in the moment with Aoko. I think he finds peace when they're like that. This is also probably why no matter how injured he gets (something to be said for his lack of preservation) or how his plans keep exploding around him, he can't help but smile when he sees Aoko safe and sleeping.

In a way, it's like they're in their own little world that no one can enter and a (weird and slightly dark part) of Kaito perhaps prefers it that way.

tldr; Aoko suspects, but doesn't know exactly, just what and how much she means to Kaito.

[sepublic]

When discussing the benefits but also the dangers of fantasy in TOH, it makes me consider how this ties into Belos’ bigotry, religious superiority, white supremacy, etc. Because I see how in the parallels to Luz and the depictions of his witch hunts as a ‘game’ he played as a kid, the show is getting into the thought process behind white supremacy and the like; Specifically, by suggesting that it comes from the same core principle of “I was born special, I’m a hero.”

Because think of it this way; I was born inherently better than others, it’s in my blood, I have to defeat evils? These aren’t unlike what white supremacists believe about themselves. After all, TOH is coming off of Harry Potter, which is criticized for the “It’s in his blood” trope with the protagonist.

This is foiled by Luz, who wants to believe at first that she’s special and things will automatically come to her because of it, but then Eda has to explain; Sorry kid, but if you want things you have to work for and earn them, just like anyone else. Some things can be attributed to luck on Luz’s part, but it’s not as if she’s blind to this and saying it’s ‘destiny’ (unlike someone else), plus in general we all have a bit of privilege in some ways.

And again, that ties back into Christian white supremacy, particularly the Puritans, who believed their colony would be a "City upon a Hill." That it’s their goal to enlighten people, or else root out the evildoers; You can see how this evolves into evangelicalism in the U.S. and the right’s obsession with anything new as satanic, even if it’s something like Elvis Presley or Pokemon (which Dana grew up with, coincidentally), or more recently, furries.

(No really, this actually happened I kid you not. It seems like an exaggeration but I swear it genuinely happened and it truly is absurd that it did.)

Anyhow I think that’s important, because it’s not just the message that Christian white supremacy is bad, it’s why people even believe and buy into these things to begin with. A lot of alt-right 4channers and the like fall into these rabbit holes because they feel cheated out of the implicit, unconscious promises of white supremacy and feel as if they’re owed something; So obviously women and PoC, the queers, the ‘diversity hires’ and affirmative action, this is what’s cheated them.

And you can see the connection between white christian ideas and how that can translate into a lot of fantasy stories, hence “It’s in your blood” and “It’s destiny,” as well as Isekai Colonialism; The idea that what if another world and its inhabitants just existed for you. These tropes are inspired by outdated ideas that Christian white supremacy, an outdated belief, has plenty examples of and sometimes even inspired.

And this is why it’s important to engage with these things critically and question them… But at the same time, Luz is still allowed to love Azura, it’s just about maintaining a critical eye and being self-aware of what you internalize and don’t. Hence her learning to differentiate reality from fiction and not become delusional; Hence King doing the same!

By making that connection, it does explain this type of bigotry by framing it in a way that viewers can actually relate to, even if they also condemn it just as much, if not moreso after understanding. It ties even the genocide with tropes like the dragon slayer, the endless horde of monsters you don’t ever have to feel bad about or question killing, or the DnD Evil Race; Which on their own, these stories aren’t necessarily in advocacy for genocide of course, some of them are just inspired by previous ones without making that connection. And most people know not to let it affect how they see reality.

Because it’s one thing to let yourself be petty and find catharsis against a genuine, extreme example who has gone out of their way to hurt you (those definitely exist, alas); But it’s another to actively search for people to feel angry towards, amidst groups unrelated to you, and provoke them until they give you that ‘justification’. Because you’re not responding to anything, you are the aggressor; In essence, you are performing a witch hunt, in a need to feel like a hero enacting righteous judgment.

Because you’re desperate for the power of putting someone else beneath you, which is what the mundane bully does, out of the belief this conversely translates into you being above others; Again, the ‘chosen one’ beliefs, the Christian white supremacy. And suddenly you better understand why Evangelicals raged over something as innocuous as the Pokemon games that Dana grew up with, back when they first came out.

So Luz understands; She does understand, better than some people, in fact. She understood the Collector. But just because she understands, doesn't necessarily mean Luz approves or excuses; She still has every right in condemning Belos because she never let herself go that far, and this behavior would be condemned even by those trying to make up for it; It’s why they try to make up for it. And the fiction Luz wants to happen for herself (which isn’t the same as the fictions one enjoys) isn't centered around there being hidden bad actors amongst the populace to constantly root out; Luz is only going to react, not act, and consistently, predominantly sees the best in others.

In the end, Belos latched onto Caleb marrying Evelyn, and then the Grimwalkers, and finally Luz, as a way of a proving a point to himself; That wiping out witches WAS in service of humanity, it would actually help them, by showing how he 'rescued' a human from temptation. I'm sure he genuinely loved Caleb, but in an extreme form of Luz's Wing it like Witches, at some point he subsumed Caleb's input and agency to instead make him into a docile trope to make decisions for.

And when Caleb didn't go along with that story, pointed out how it didn't fit the reality of the situation; Philip killed him! His priorities shifted from doing it for Caleb's sake, for the sake of HIS fantasy; He saw an opportunity to live out the Witch Hunter story and it mattered more to him than actually helping someone, or realizing in relief he didn't have to.

Hence the Titan saying Belos "fears what he can't control" due to "his need to be the hero in his own delusion." It’s a quote applicable to real life conservatives who look for things to outlaw, because hating makes them feel like righteous saviors; Remember Pokemon? Gotta save people from themselves and any potential temptations… Belos couldn't control Caleb, and the Grimwalkers? Belos' way of re-attempting his 'side quest' to again, prove that what he's doing is for the sake of humanity, in the absence of actual humans to work with.

Not that he cares about this for fear of hurting others, but because he fears it means he isn't the special hero. Note that Belos doesn't feel guilt over any witches and demons he killed in For the Future, it's telling; As is the assumption that even if he was treated with hostility when arriving in both Gravesfield and the isles, Belos still understood that murdering the colony was wrong… Yet ignores this lesson when it comes to demons because of hypocrisy, choosing to go after the world that was canonically accepting and would be much harder to attack.

And when Luz shows up, Belos abandons Hunter (showing how much he really cared) because Luz is a real human to save, even if she's technically a queer girl of color; But if you remember how Americans kidnapped Native children and assimilated them into Christian society and culture, it actually makes perfect sense because it's another form of genocide. And it's just as racist and insincere as the murder. And just like many homophobic Christians, Belos selectively chooses what to apply from the Bible because he knows it speaks contrary to what he does and he fears that, it’s something he can’t control despite his attempts to.

[lej222]

Hlw! Would love to see your analysis on if jisu likes miae romantically or not. Hope u'll do that sometimes😊don't feel pressured tho it’s just my wish❤️

Sorry for the late reply, but here is a long post about my thoughts about Jisu's character arc, including spoilers from episode 147 (these are just my ramblings, my word is not gospel :D)

Does Jisu like Miae romantically?

Now, this is a hard question to answer. And I will try my best to break down what we know about him so far.

We only have two fragments of the time when Jisu and Miae were classmates. The first one is when Miae called out Jisu's bullies and she asked him the same question Jisu repeated years later to her (important!) about scolding the bullies. The other memory was Jisu's transfer to another elementary school. He was forced to write a letter and mentions how he liked Miae the most and the whole class, including Miae, cry their heart out. Jisu remembers how hard Miae sobbed and Miae can also recall someone telling her they liked her, but doesn't remember the boy's face or name.

Years later after moving around, Jisu ends up in the same school with her again in the spring semester in 1998. He is surprised, even more so when they become classmates in the following year, but doesn't care enough to interact with Miae. Coincidences keep happening - her pencil landing at his chair, they get sent out to the corridor, they become folk dance partners, he finds her name tag and uses it to avoid punishment, they get detention the same time. And Jisu still doesn't care about the whole situation, not until their actual detention week starts when he initiates conversation for the first time. This is when Jisu concludes their random encounters are fun and Miae is an interesting person. (Edit:: I'm rereading the story, and actually the turning point of their relationship is when Miae tries to save him from the teacher when they ruined the plant. It's possible Jisu doesn't let anyone close to himself and was intentionally petty towards Miae in the beginning until she decided to help him. We see that Jisu is greatly speechless in that scene and decides to flip over the plant. My best guess is that he might have realized Miae is still the same person as she was back then and she's still brave so Jisu becomes active for the first time for her and takes the blame. It is probably also the moment he concludes being around Miae is fun)

Based on these alone, I'm inclined to believe that even if Jisu loves her romantically at this point of the story, he's not aware of it. For him, being around Miae is exciting because she is fun. She doesn't remember him at all, but she's still the same person as she was years ago in elementary school so Jisu feels comfortable around her which didn't go unnoticed by their homeroom teacher or Jisu's mother. Miae probably doesn't understand why people keep emphasizing his unique personality and connect the dots, but we readers can easily assume Jisu was bullied because of his difference. And it is something he shares with Miae so he might feel like she understands him, or rather, she doesn't treat him differently because of it. It's a situation that can easily bloom into love with time, even if he's not there yet.

But why is Jisu is important in this story?

One thing I always see people complaining about is Jisu's plot relevance. However, it is a much more complex narrative choice than just a simple love triangle.

I have said this before, but memories and fate are intertwined in this story. There are just too many clues that support this. Miae doesn't remember Cheol at the beginning of the story, she even has trouble recalling his name. As the plot progresses and we see more of her memories, fate keeps throwing them together and they develop a friendship that turns into romantic love. In fact, it's a recurring point in the story that Miae keeps forgetting important things. Her dreams, things she must do, Jisu's entire presence in the past.

Which takes me to my next point, the unidentified higher power in the story. It's been always present, at first only giving small signs of its existence in the form of phone calls or changing the weather. Let's remember that lots of times Miae and Cheol had a moment it started raining (Miae's dream about Cheol, when he helped changing the light bulb, when they wanted to take a photo together). However, the unknown presence's voice gets more and more active as thes tory goes on. Not only it starts interacting with Miae in her dreams, she can also hear it in certain situations and wonders where it came from. In fact, when she is talking to Cheol's shoe in one of the very first chapters, she has a weird feeling for a second and we get a close up on the shoe. This supernatural (?) power has always been involved with Miae, but it starts to be more aggressive.

Not only it tells Miae that she's too late and it tried to warn her, in the newest chapter it floods every scene with car ads that are about changing one's car. So the mysterious entity clearly tries to intervene, giving chance encounters to Miae and Jisu while preventing Miae and Cheol's relationship (like how they cannot have a photo together).

Okay, so what does it mean?

It is something I obviously cannot answer as I'm not the writer.

BUT let's not forget that someone like Jisu in this story, who was shown to have exceptional cognitive skills (like knowing every person's name whom he's ever met, being first in the school and likely is on the spectrum), also has excellent memory. And what did I say about memories and fate? That they are seemingly intertwined! Jisu is writing his own fate, he appeared later in the story because he chose to not get involved until that point! He is the character who is aware of everything in the past and present. While Miae has trouble with her memories, and what do we see? Fate aggressively trying to steer her.

At the end of the day, we have two routes that are possible:

Miae is fated to be with Jisu, fate/the stone deity/the universe knows it and tries to warn Miae her time with Cheol is short so she shouldn't have any regrets. In this case, the story is about how Cheol and Miae helped each other in a certain period of their lives, but had different fates set in stone.

Miae was fated to be with Jisu, and the higher power knows it, but Miae will change her own fate to be with Cheol instead. In this case, in the remaining chapters we will see her fighting against her own destiny and win in the end.

At this point, I feel like I have to mention I've studied philosophy for quite a few years, and I highly doubt we can get a satisfactory explanation of any of these possibilities. But rather, it will be a simple:

even though we were not fated together, I cherished our time together

or love overcomes destiny itself

Other interesting idea

This is just for fun, but the comic Miae reads is a clear symbol of her relationship with Cheol. They have almost every cliche in the book (with sometimes a little twist) like troubled boy meeting childhood friend, becoming neighbours with their windows facing each other, accidentally seeing the other's body, falling on each other first kiss, etc. This is your typical 90s shoujo manga which makes sense because the story takes place in the 90s.

On the other hand, we have the chaotic meetings of Jisu and Miae who bond over trash, don't get the accidental kiss trope, etc. And whether it's meant to illustrate that they will only remain friends or it's meant to be a contrast to Miae and Cheol's comic book romance, I don't know. Depends on the ending the author wants to convey. I would be fine with either possibilities as long as Jisu won't be used as a plot device.

Plus, Miae&Jisu and Cheol&Miae parallel each other a lot. Just coming from the latest chapters, Miae has interacted with Jisu's mom, but not really Cheol's parents. Cheol has interacted with Miae's parents. Miae is bothered by Jisu. Cheol was bothered by her. Cheol saying the same thing Miae said to Jisu. These are all definitely intentional.

As usual, please don't take my words seriously, this is just all for fun.

Edit: there's one other interesting thing to consider:

Jisu is aware of the coincidences and thinks they are fun. He's been saying this for a while. Which means if there's indeed a higher power in the story, Jisu is accepting of fate.

Miae, on the other hand, willfully rejects her own fate. Let's say Miae and Cheol's meeting was bound to happen - it was also their destiny. She acknowledged those coincidences and even wondered how strange they were. So the higher power was content. But what if, according to their fate, their time together is indeed short? Because Miae rejects her coincidental meetings with Jisu, saying how she hopes she won't meet him again, only for the higher power to be more aggressive and take on an active voice. In the last chapter, she even kicked the flyer away about changing one's car, only for her to end up with a bubble gum in her hair so she was forced to get a haircut from Jisu's mother. Jisu's question last chapter is more than just him asking to play together - it's a chance for Miae to go into the direction the higher power wants her to be.

The real questions:

Is fate something one can overcome? Are certain things bound to happen and we can only decide how to deal with them emotionally? Is the narrator/higher power omnipotent and omniscient? Because if it is, can Miae still decide what's the best for her? These are the truly complicated questions that we cannot answer because there are no answers. So I'm excited to see what Soonkki will come up as the resolution.

[kursedmayo]

I HATEEEE it when people say Falin and Laois are EXACTLY THE SAME. NO THEY ARE NOT, WHAT.

LISTEN TO ME.

Falin is soft spoken. Shes the type to get spoken over. Her presence is faint and she's hyper conscious of other people's emotions and very much empathetic- up to the point that she would retract herself to make room for other people and generally more than self-sacrificial, her first thought is to rush into danger without considering it- unlike her brother who will at least analyze the situation first. This is why people like her so much, it's because she knows how to temper herself. She's wouldn't come off as intrusive, she doesn't dump people information about something unless they show her interest first. She's weird, but she stays out of people's business. That's Falin.

Laois is different. He doesn't mask- or at least, he rarely does, and he's a lot less aware of people's true emotions because he spent his childhood ostrasized and unable to connect with other people. This is why he's too much, he's overcompensating from everything he went through. Now that he's a bit safer from petty bullies and has some friends, he lets himself blurts things out and generally rarely considers how other people would perceive his words before he says or does things, because that's how we went through his entire life. This is why he accidently says offensive things without meaning to. From what I can tell from the Manga, he still wants to befriend people while not being able to understand them as much as monsters, so unlike Falin he's more likely to overstep people's boundaries and speaking over them while attempting to get closer- something which can bother people because they get trapped in a conversation where they don't want to be in, like Toshiro/Shuro.

(I also think this is why he was in such disbelief when Kabru said he was interested in Laois and wants to know him, because usually it's always the other way around.)

People like Falin more not just because she's a girl but because she's empathetic, calm and knows how to handle people despite being odd, so she comes off as charming. People don't like Laois because he's more hyper- especially if he likes you and is taking about his interests, PLUS he's not just odd he very obviously acts and says freaky shit, so it's easier to dislike or be annoyed with him.

Disclaimer, I don't dislike him, he's a wonderful character with relatable issues and to be honest, he kinda reminds me heavily of a friend of mine actually, but as someone who relates more to Falin I HATE the fact that the story spends so much time building up what Falin is like only for people to say that "SHES BASICALLY A CARBON COPY OF LAOIS!!!".

It kinda reeks of accidental misogynistic fandom behavior because tell me why you are unable to seperate a woman from her familial relationship and similarities with a man instead of awknowledging her as her own person even though the fucking story built up Falin's characterization over the chapters as someone who is CLEARLY different although similar to her brother.

GOD. I'M SO TIRED.