#so i guess this is me feeling optimistic about meta. also for once lol

[zmediaoutlet]

trying to articulate something here --

I dig the experience of reading meta that is coming from a well-reasoned place but I nevertheless fundamentally disagree with, and I think that comes down to a willingness to sift down and down and down until you come to an essential Thing about the text-genre-intent-characterization-whathaveyou. Like -- I can see how you got there, but wait, you didn't consider [xyz].

Top of mind example: Dean's masculine because he's trying to act like John. On the surface -- absolutely! He's trying very hard to mimic Dad because his universe centers around god Dad. He's also often operating in a world of trying to do what Dad would want, and making assumptions of his own about what those wants would be, which is a slightly different operating structure.

...But. What's actually driving that? Is it dad qua dad? Or is it -- Dean is essentially loyal-obedient-conformist? Is it that, in the cultural context of growing up in the '80s-'90s with a father who grew up in the '60s-'70s, this is what being a certain kind of man meant and so it is essential to lock into those tropes and characteristics?

We look to how Dean acted like a certain kind of boy when he was an 18 year old and then a 26 year old; we look to how that is updated by the time he's 40, and operating under what is the correct kind of man to be in 2020 vs 2005 (use of language, acceptable levels of nerdiness, fashion sense, etc). From there we can look to how he's not being John, he's being... a normie, more or less. And bless his heart for it. He just wants to Fit. If he were sticking with Acting Like Dad, he wouldn't cheerfully cosplay through a Panthro case, you know? So what's actually driving the behavior, when you look to the heart of it?

So then, if Dean were Deanna--

You can extrapolate. And this stuff is outside the text -- you have to decide What Dad Would Want from a girl-child (given cultural context and norms, given how the young version of John was characterized, given how John and Mary might have operated when they were 'safe' for those first 5 years, given how John might have then shifted his expectations and needs for his kids upon entering the hunting life), and then whether What Dad Would Want fits against a fairly normal conformist presentation (in the way that Dean is intensely normal, if a little wrong-side-of-the-tracks), or if John flips the script and for some reason decides that his kid should not fit in and have what's actually a much harder time, for a traditional gender presentation in the culture they live in, etc.

All of this boiling down to: what matters most in the meta consideration? What's key for characterization and universe structure? Does it actually matter? --no, not at all. But it's very fun to tease apart.

[daz4i]

Hi hi my love!! ^^ So you asked for asks right? :3 I realize a lot of the times when I send you these I tend to ask you to rank stuff lol so I guess I'll lean into it? How about top 5 (or 10 if you have enough) anime series or top 5 (or 10) animated movies? :3 It's pretty general but I figure it should give you a lot of room to go over some of your favorites ^^ Sending love and good wishes!!! ❤️

ehehe thank you my love 🥺👉👈🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

i wanted to do both but then i did the top 5 anime and i got very carried away with my explanations so i kept it as just that. anyway:

1. haikyuu!! probably my favorite show ever tbh. i think hq has a perfect story, like it uses its genre to do everything right, and its impact on the outside world is amazing as well. as for the series itself, it's just beautiful (ignoring that one episode in season 4) and has a very unique style, stellar voice acting, awesome soundtrack, delicious symbolism, and it really gets you hyped for volleyball :P it's very easy to get attached even to the most minor character bc the story is written in a way that lets almost everyone in this HUGE cast (well over a 100 or even 150 named characters, i'm pretty sure) shine, and you're guaranteed to find someone you like. the only downside is you'll probably end up rooting for every team so eventually a team you like will lose a game (likely to another team you like) and that hurts every time fr. and still!!!!! it manages to be so feel-good and optimistic and really gets you pumped and inspired!!!! i think anyone who is even just open to try sports anime should check it out, it's def one of the most accessible I've seen in that genre (in a sense that it doesn't expect you to already be familiar with the sport to understand the story)

2. honestly?? osomatsu-san. probably bc it's very dear to me like emotionally, season 2 was still releasing when i was stuck in the hospital for a few months, and it was like a light i held onto every week (i was also following a few mangas back then but those were harder to follow. due to oso-san's skit nature it was always a good time) and i mean, ichi was my first f/o before i even knew that term existed hehe. it's one of these shows i wouldn't actually recommend to anyone unless i know they're ok with gross or edgy humor but i do think it's really good, i love how meta it is, and i think it uses its premise to deliver maximum entertainment!

(oh my god that was so much gushing abt a silly skit show i am so sorry <- guy who wrote most of the hq gushing after typing this part up. he was not aware)

3. ok so this one's really niche, idk if any of you have even heard of it heh. it's called bungou stray dogs-

ajdkflhlh while i have my gripes with how they adapt the manga, i do still think it's a very good anime as is. it was good enough to get me hooked on the story and characters and want to learn more and follow the story further, yknow? it's beautiful and i love its use of colors for symbolism, it has really great voice acting, and the energy is kept up throughout it enough to remain engaging. it's honestly a show I'd recommend everyone to at least try 🤔!

4. persona 4!!!! from one mediocre adaptation to a GREAT adaptation. i think p4's anime is really really well made - it manages to translate a game this long into a coherent and interesting story, gives its characters time to shine, and maintains a perfect balance between fun and emotions. also it has probably the best dub I've ever heard. naoto's anime voice dni. also i think episode 26 is a true masterpiece i think everyone should watch it

5. ngl. it's a three way tie for me. between shows i only watched once and don't have a lot of attachment to beyond that, but i think they're really good for very different reasons. gekkan shoujo nozaki-kun / great pretender / blue period. i won't go into details on why i love them all bc this post is already long enough. but if you're reading this you should check them out 🫡

also if this post convinces you to check out any show mentioned here you legally have to tell me ok? esp if you end up liking it 🧐🔥🔥

[mikuni14]

I have a bit more time this week and decided to catch up on watching BL series, but whenever I watch 2 episodes, I feel like another 3 new ones jump in their place. Today, seeing the Korean version of Why R U just killed me lol 👀😭💀 I guess I'll never catch up 🤷‍♀️. Especially since very few series really interested me so I feel like I'm dragging. Most are engaging but like "ok, I'm watching, because maybe the next ep will be interesting" or to just see how it ends...

At the moment I am watching the following series (starting with the ones I like the most): Laws of Attraction this series has it all, a beloved couple, an interesting and engaging plot, romance presented at a high and satisfying level. It's perfect, it's what I want, I look forward with excitement to each new episode 💖 Jun & Jun the series started great, it also has a nice couple, unfortunately the last 2 episodes lost "steam" due to the appearance of as many as 2 (!) rivals and devoting LOTS of time to scenes with them, which made the romance fall into the background (you don't do that, as Chains of Heart has taught us). But I think the end of episode 6 got the series back on track 💖 My Personal Weatherman it's actually quite nice, very old school yaoi Hidden Agenda hm, I don't know what it is about this series, but I enjoy watching it, although it has many flaws. I guess I just like actors 😎 Love in Translation It's only the first episode, but it's looking good. I like the main couple (especially Offroad, I liked him a lot in Our Days). The trailer suggests a nice series, although the Step by Step trailer also suggested it will be good (it wasn't), so I'm optimistic, but cautious 😉 Kiseki: Dear To Me the series so far is trope after trope, cliché after cliche, and all the old school yaoi manga i've ever seen packed in one product. And we see so many familiar faces! It's fine. Love Class 2 it's fine. Be Mine Super Star I just don't feel Ashi's emotional commitment to the relationship, also the series itself is very silly. And I keep waiting for a good script for JaFirst. They were almost there in Remember Me. They just deserve something good, not another series "feeding" on their good chemistry Only Friends I've only watched the first ep so far, and I'm waiting for the right mood to watch the next ep. TBH I'm not really interested in this one, might drop it if the second ep feels the same as first 🤔 Wedding Plan I also only watched 1 or 2 episodes. I WANT to give it a shot, but the plot, which I understand is pretending to be getting married to hit on a wedding planner instead of just going out with him like a normal person, is so incredibly stupid and cringe to me that I had to take a break lol As I mentioned, I WANT to give this series a second chance, I like the couple, but it may take time, I have to be in a special mood for it 😄 Stay by my Side dropped Stay with Me dropped, but maybe I'll come back to it someday :) Why R U I honestly couldn't even get past the first episode

I plan to watch Dinosaur Love and maybe Dangerous Pleasure, although I'm not a fan of PerthChimon pairing.

I probably missed half of series being aired now lol

There are so many series, but in my opinion quantity does not translate into quality. There were times when there were fewer series, but actually more of them pulled at my heartstrings and I spent hours on tumblr reading awesome meta and experiencing, analyzing meaningful scenes, words, gestures. I don't have it now. Only LoA does that to me, a bit of Jun & Jun.. it breaks my heart, that one wonderful BL, Sing My Crush, aired all at once recently, making it easy to overlook and not getting the recognition it deserves. Idk... I just want to be emotionally (and a bit intellectually) invested 🥺 OR JUST HAVE FUN 🥳

[tourist-in-teyvat]

Hello! I saw your matchup rules and it seems like fun! Would it be alright to ask for all three? If not, that’s perfectly fine, you can pick whichever you think would be the most fun for you to write, since that’s what’s most important overall, don’t overwhelm yourself ^^;

Vison:

Trying to organize this the best I can lol, but it’s kinda difficult when I don’t understand the tumblr ask controls, so sorry about that- Anyway, my MBTI type is INFP, although I’ll admit that I lost interest in and stopped researching the types after I figured out which one I was, so I’m not entirely sure what that means (at least assuming I’m remembering the result right, my memory isn’t the best so it’s entirely possible I’m wrong but I don’t feel like taking the test again lol-). I’m not the best at describing myself, but I’ve been told that I’m nice, smart, and funny. I’ve also been told I’m optimistic, but I personally thought I was pessimistic but eh who knows at this point. I’ve also been told I’m introverted I guess?? I’m really terrible at describing myself beyond what people tell me I’m sorry ahhh- I really want to do something to help people, if that counts as an ambition, but there’s really only so much I can do myself. I’m trying to work to become something in the entertainment industry, both because I like doing that and making people laugh, and because it’s easier to start charity fundraisers if you have some sort of following, which most often stems from those fields of work. I mainly want to help people who the world has sort of like betrayed if that makes sense, like homeless people who can’t get a job to stop being homeless BECAUSE they’re homeless, kids who are mistreated for literally just existing, those kinds of things. Worst case scenario I’ll just like start a revolution or something lol. (Only half joking- I WILL do that if I feel I have to. Watch out government I’m comin for ya lmao-) For challenges I usually try to fix the problem without people really knowing I fixed the problem, or the way that’s easiest. If I can’t do either of those for whatever reason I won’t do it normally, I’m going to do it in the most unreasonably over the top way because I think it’s funny. I don’t really handle gifts the best, unfortunately. My first thought if it’s not for like a specific event is “what do they want is this a trap-” but if it’s for something I skip that step and go right into “why did you spend money/time on me I’m so sorry-”. I don’t really feel happiness 90% of the time for whatever reason even though I am grateful, but it doesn’t seem like I am because I’m just sitting there like “I should be hyped right why do I feel nothing that’s weird am I broken???” Yeah idk either.

Character:

What kind of matchup it is I will leave entirely up to you, I honestly don’t mind either way. If you choose platonic, gender doesn’t matter to me, but if it’s romantic I’m asexual but I prefer guys. If you really want to write romantic and a girl though I don’t really care, be free lol. I don’t really go out of my way to interact with people. I only initiate interaction with someone I’m not already friends with if I need to talk to them to make my life easier, like if we’re assigned to work on the same thing together or they’re my best bet on getting the information I need. The issue is then they have to be like really persistent because i have ✨~Trust Issues~✨™️ so I’m immediately suspicious that they’re trying to mock me in some way, or are planning something against me, which I mean I guess can be the same thing but whatever. Once I’m relatively comfortable though I’m really loud and hate being serious. That can also cause some issues because my sense of humor is usually almost complet nonsense to anyone who isn’t me (or who shares my sense of humor) or relatively dark. Because of that, I really value people who can just roll with my jokes, because that’s honestly one of my favorite things to do and not many people can do that. I also usually like people who are confident since like thats the only way we’re probably going to interact at the start and also they can ask people for things for me lol. I can’t stand people who can’t understand what I’m trying to tell them when I’ve already tried to make it as simple as possible, doubt my knowledge on something I just told them I know about, or have absolutely no respect for anyone that isn’t them. I also don’t like people touching me (others don’t really like it either as my instinct reaction is usually to hit them before I realize what’s going on-), but I can tolerate it if it’s within my strangely specific boundaries, I know it’s coming, and I actually know and like the person. Then and only then, will my response not be to strike them down lol- I also have the bad habits of often accidentally rambling (like I’m doing right now in all of these replies wow so meta-), interrupting people when I have a thought (I try to say it before I forget, realize other people are still talking and try to shut up but I physically can’t until I finish the sentence), or lying to get out of situations I don’t think will end well for me (be it mildly embarrassing or we all die lol). So yeah that’s not great but it happens I guess.

Team:

Usually in groups I always somehow end up being the leader even though I really don’t want to and nobody really verbally agrees on it, it just happens. I always respond to what weapon I would use with now since I always play as bow users in games that have characters that use bows, but I think I would actually use a sword or a claymore were I to be put in that situation. Catalysts aren’t real so I’m not including them in my process of elimination, I’m extremely nearsighted so I doubt I’d be able to aim the bow well, I don’t understand polearms no matter how hard I try just like how do you hold it what-, so my best bet is probably a claymore or sword. Not sure which one though, but if I had to pick I’m not physically the fastest so the claymore makes more sense taking that into account. Yeah I don’t work in groups often idk what else to say for this specifically that I haven’t said in the others uhhhhhhhh-

Sorry this got so long, my bad lol. If you don’t want to respond I totally get it, and since this is so long it also makes sense if you want to not respond, so you can just indicate that it’s this one with this emoji if you want (✨). Sorry again and I hope you have a nice day! :)

If someone else had the same thought and wants to use ✨ that’s fine (wouldn’t be the first time) so if that happens you can use 🐀 as a backup lol. (BET NOBODY WILL USE THAT H A H I WIN jk lol-)

Vision: “Justice flows across the water’s surface.”  

> You feel a cool and soothing mist settle on your skin as a deep blue glow draws your attention to your hands. A hydro vision, it’s silver casing glimmering in the visions’ light. It seems your kind nature and your need to help others has granted you a hydro vision. How you wield this vision is completely up to you. 

Character: Thoma (romantic/platonic)

> You strike me as the type of person Thoma would get along with. Being born and raised in Mondstat, he keeps that relaxed and cheery aura around himself while in Inazuma. He’s got a keen eye for people and their character, and adapts to whoever he’s talking to. He would want to get to know you as soon as he caught wind of you. He’s energetic, but respectful, so you won’t have to worry about boundaries being pushed at all. And you certainly won’t have to worry about him dismissing your ideas. He wouldn’t have the job he has now if he didn’t learn to communicate with others and hear what they have to say as well. And believe it or not, he wouldn’t find your dark humor off-putting at all.

Team: Lisa, Kazuha, Bennett

> Being a hydro claymore user, I can see you being the main dps in this team dynamic. I feel as if Lisa’s electro would offer excellent super-conduct moves. and Kazuha being a support/sub dps would also compliment the team nicely. Bennett would also offer a nice addition to the team with his ult, making this a well rounded team. As for how the team dynamic goes? That’s entirely up to you 😉 You are the leader after all. 

[easilydistractedbyfanfic]

What did Raven mean by Murphy being Emoris "moral anchor" and do you think they will have a talk about what happened

Hi there! Thanks for the ask although I gotta tell you - I’m not sure if I have a good answer on this one! Me and @jarleene were talking about this after 7x03 as well, and we’re bummed that no script-to-screens have been released from The 100 Writer’s Room for this episode. Maybe they will clear it up - or maybe that will give too much away, which is why we don’t have them! I’m not sure why they haven’t been shared like usual.

As far as what I think goes... there were some things that felt OOC in this ep for me (what else is new, since plot takes priority over characterization a lot in this show, imho), so I do think there’s a legit chance that some lines are there for plot/humor/sarcasm/shock value rather than something that the characters genuinely feel or think. If we don’t get the script-to-screens for this scene, then I guess we’re left to fill in the blanks ourselves.

That said, I have not rewatched the ep even though I intended to. I’ve watched so many Murven edits since 7x03 aired and I’m drowning in too much angst. But, in this scene, Murphy & Raven are arguing and when Raven delivers this line, Emori’s reaction did seem upset to me even though it was only a glimpse. I don’t believe we have seen clear or deliberate fractures between Raven & Emori’s relationship up to now so it’s hard to say if this is supposed to be one. Because of that, I’m more inclined to think that this is supposed to be a dig at Murphy from Raven, and they were the ones arguing. But that doesn’t quite make sense either because how would Murphy being the moral one in comparison to Emori really be an insult to him? I actually agree that Murphy can be more moral than Emori, but whether it’s true or not doesn’t really matter here. What matters is whether Raven means this as an insult to Murphy or to Emori, and if it’s an insult to Murphy, is he bothered by it, does it hit like an insult?

Or maybe we go a little deeper and think about whether Raven intended this as a dig sort of at herself. Does she feel like she’s been trying to keep Murphy in line or on a better path, and is he really going to throw that back in her face? Is she upset here because she sees that she’s backed into a corner and her two family members that are with her are questioning her choices even though she has a track record saving their asses?

I think it’s important to note that in this ep, Raven witnesses the Wonkru mess where Indra supports lying to Wonkru to keep the peace and Gaia wants to tell them the truth. The truth is told, everything unravels and not only is Wonkru broken but no one there will help her/help save people’s lives. She approaches the Eligius IV criminals and hears them infighting. She also mentioned their torture of her earlier in the ep. So in these particular moments, she’s not doing great with the trusting people or having an optimistic outlook. Indra’s stance of keeping control might be resonating with her. And of note - she’s the only one who is involved in all of these scenarios. Everyone else only sees one interaction or none. She initially lies to Eligius IV by saying the repair is routine. This is a lie but as she tells Murphy & Emori, she expects everyone to vomit for a day or two, not die. We hear her say that she didn’t know the radiation was that bad (meaning outside the reactor room), and when she sees Murphy get sick as a nightblood after not being in the reactor room like Emori was, there’s acknowledgement from her that things are worse than she had thought. BUT she also says that it’s too late for the prisoners too.

So, in thinking about all that, I also lean towards maybe the “moral anchor” comment was a dig at BOTH of them for judging her in that moment. It could go deeper if Raven is remembering any of the s6 scenarios too, maybe feeling abandoned by Murphy & Emori still because of them becoming Primes and how that led to a lot of fallout.

But yeah. We don’t KNOW, and it’s a weird enough line that I think it stood out to a lot of us who care about any combination of these three characters. Sorry I once again got wordy af but that’s just how I roll. LOL! Also I hope SOMETHING made sense to you in all of this, but I’m gonna reblog another post with some commentary after this one if you want to read another POV that could shed some light!

ETA - yes, I am hopeful that there will be a conversation about this. It could tie in to quite a lot of Murphy & Raven’s past but that gets into a whole other meta! ;D

Thanks for the ask & stay sane and healthy! xoxo

[laurelwinchester]

Do you ever get the feeling most of the Laurel fans still hanging around the Error fandom actually didn’t like her? If I hear the phrase “how Laurel should have been” in describing Siren or even this rumored new so-called E1 version of her from 8x1 I’m going to scream. It’s like they don’t understand at all that a meta cry and/or smart mouth aren’t the things that made/make Black Canary THE Black Canary. It’s her heart and bravery and kindness and resilience. 1/2

They always complain that Error Oliver is a shitty GA because his personality is nothing like canon Oliver’s. Yet it seems they really wanted the opposite for Error Laurel because they love Siren and Siren has nothing that makes her like canon BC except the meta cry and that’s the least important thing that makes Black Canary who she is! I’m honestly so offended on LL & KC’s behalf. 2/2

.

you know what’s weird is that the other day i wrote out this whole post about how much i loathe when people say black siren is who laurel should have been from the start, but i deleted it because i thought it was too aggressive. 

but, sure, yes, let’s open this can of worms again lol.

however, let me put a cut here because i don’t want to be entirely exiled from the laurel fandom. like, i’m already a little exiled, but i don’t want to be voted off the island completely, you know?

also, disclaimer: i don’t care if you like both laurel and black siren. that’s cool. i genuinely hope you’re enjoying your fandom experience because everyone should. but i don’t like siren and i’m going to be critical of her here so if you like her, please just scroll on by. i truly do not want to upset people.

i also definitely do not think the entire siren fandom is worthy of this rant. but some of them are. i have not had a good experience with the fandom, but if you are not one of these fans (who are, it’s worth noting, mostly on twitter) then this doesn’t apply to you.

yes, i think one of the many things that makes me dislike black siren so much is that she has really illuminated the unfortunate fact that a disappointing number of laurel fans apparently didn’t actually like her very much. which is…incredibly disheartening, to be honest, because - well, let’s get this out of the way right now:

laurel is who laurel should have been from the start.

that’s it.

laurel was who she should have been. she never needed to be anyone else. not once. laurel was a whole person. she had emotions and opinions, she was a badass but she also cried and she was scared, she dealt with depression and addiction and grief in harrowing but realistic ways, she reacted to things like a human being, and she had this endless amount of compassion and forgiveness, this incredibly capacity for kindness and empathy. that was what made her dinah laurel lance. her humanity. that was what made her a near perfect dinah laurel lance.

but it turns out that wasn’t what some people were looking for in their black canary.

they wanted their black canary to hit things and use her canary cry, but never actually cry because crying is annoying and for the weak. and they definitely didn’t want her to live with mental illness because superheroes are supposed to be stronger than that, right? god forbid the black canary be depressed. can’t have that. and an addict? how shameful that the black canary could ever be thought of as a lowly addict, right? and all that forgiveness laurel had? nah, forgiveness is weakness. bitterness and cruelty is where strength comes from, right?

they wanted the Strong Female Character trope, the one they all complain about (as they should because it’s unrealistic and harmful) but secretly that’s all they want. and they got it in the end, didn’t they? they got their poorly written, shallow, ableist (blows my mind that nobody talks about how casually ableist black siren is, which leads me to believe they think she’s right so…yikes) character with none of the heart dinah laurel lance is supposed to have.

don’t get me wrong, katie cassidy is tremendous as black siren. i love her and i love that she’s thriving. it’s wonderful for her. but black siren is written as a flat character with nothing in common with who the black canary is supposed to be.

but hey, she’s got a canary cry so that’s literally all that matters, right?

it’s not like the black canary is more than her cry or anything. it’s not like she’s a whole person. nope, she’s just an ass kicking blonde with zero other defining characteristics.

jurnee smollett-bell knows that the black canary is all heart. her compassion is her biggest strength. that is her superpower. not her canary cry, not her fighting skills. her heart and her humanity. jurnee seems to know that. she has done her research. hearing her talk about dinah makes me feel incredibly hopeful and optimistic, like dinah laurel is in very safe hands with her. i trust black canary with her. i think we’ll get an amazing dinah from her.

laurel had all those things too. katie made sure of that in the beginning. she was, again, a near perfect dinah. but they killed her and replaced her with two depthless characters (who were literally created to replace and erase women, but i guess that wild misogyny is okay and we’re not supposed to talk about how gross that was) with absolutely none of the heart and the compassion that makes black canary who she is and it turns out the worst part about all of that is that apparently that’s what people wanted her to be “from the start.”

nothing more than some sneering trope with a sonic scream and a smart mouth and nothing else.

well, congrats to them. they got it. they won. the dctv black canary was fridged, her kindness was stripped from her, her empathy was erased, her compassion and forgiveness were replaced with smirking and sarcasm, unapologetic ableism, mindless ass kicking and screaming, and all we’re left with is some hollowed out shell. everything that makes her dinah laurel lance was violently ripped away from her and the audience has made it clear that they’re okay with that because things like kindness and heart are not what they want in their black canary.

so i hope they enjoy their soulless version of dinah laurel lance in the spin off. i’m sure it’ll just be top tier television.

me? i’m going to stick with the compassion and heart that laurel had. they can have black siren’s canary cry. i’d rather have laurel’s kindness. that’s who the black canary is to me. that’s who she always should have been.

[comicteaparty]

February 18th-February 24th, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from February 18th, 2019 to February 24th, 2019.  The chat focused on Patchwork and Lace by Sooz.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Patchwork and Lace by Sooz~! (http://www.patchworkandlace.com/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PST), so keep checking back for more! You have until February 24th to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 3. What has been your favorite moment between Sheol and Lilika? What about their relationship dynamic stood out to you? Ultimately, do you believe the two will wind up together romantically, or will the past keep them apart?

QUESTION 4. In regards to Sheol’s PTSD, what moment most stood out to you? Do you believe Sheol will be able to heal, and if so, what will it take? How might Sheol’s continued suffering affect the story or her relationship with Lilika further?

Delphina

I really like the scene with both Sheol and Lilika's flashbacks happening simultaneously. Something like that could have been very confusing, but it was laid out really well with the chain going down the middle. http://www.patchworkandlace.com/?p=451

Lilika's probably my favorite of the two main characters. She's sort of like this adorable dark demon-summoning cultist Card Captor Sakura. Darray is pretty new, but he also cracks me up.

Delphina

Lilika and Sheol's dynamic is interesting and falls a lot on hurt/comfort patterns. The kiss (http://www.patchworkandlace.com/?p=533) was satisfying, both as shipper kerosene and also because it was one of the few times that Sheol expressed something she wanted instead of just protecting Lilika or doing her duties. Even if it's not romantic, I hope there's more situations like that in Sheol's future where she discovers who she is and what she wants in (un)life, but I suspect that there's still going to be a lot of secrets she'll keep from Lilika before she really gets to a place of balance and peace. I suspect Lilika and Sheol will end up together, but only once Sheol is able to let go of the pain in her past and stop protecting Lilika from her secrets.

€heshire777

Sheol looks a lot like Unity from skin horse.

Stefan G

1) There are so many beautiful scenes, but my favourite one so far was this one ... I think the interaction/dynamic between the characters works really well/naturally and the ending made me chuckle. I enjoy humor like that

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. Who or what do you think Lilika is a vessel for? Why was Lilika specifically chosen for the role and why do you think they can’t just find a replacement?

RebelVampire

@Stefan G For future record, it's better to link the page by URL rather than post a screenshot. Many creators don't like screenshots of their work taken, and images also aren't included in the archive either. Thus, to readers to the archive, your comment would actually have no context.

Stefan G

Roger that

...this is so difficult

Delphina

It definitely seemed like Lilika was special and advanced in magic for her age. I'm just curious all around about the organization (cult?) she grew up in and what their motives are. It definitely appears that whatever they originally wanted for Lilika, she's a free agent now who's doing pretty much whatever she wants, so I would assume she got too powerful for them to control and ran away. So if they don't even have anybody on her power level because she's over 9000, it makes sense that they want to get her back.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 6. How exactly do you interpret Sheol’s past so far as it’s been shown? Who do you think her former master was? In the end, how do you think Sheol came to be on her own and will her former master come looking for her?

RebelVampire

1) i really liked the most recent scene where sheol is talking about leaving lilika while you can hear lilika just teaching the kiddo in the bg. before i felt their relationship was just kind of set in stone (romantic or not) in terms of them staying together. but this scene...this scene added doubt. now theyre not just star crossed lovers, but actually have to work at the relationship, whatever their relationship is meant to become. and i really like when stories add a complicated aspect like that, because relationships are work whether theyre friendships or something else. 2) Lilika. I just like this dynamic of Lilika being cutesy but summoning the most horrific looking creatures. Yet, even if the creatures are weird looking, she shows them a lot of kindness in a way. I also like shes more of a hiding her cards type of character. While I like Sheol, her emotional issues are pretty in your face so you can basically see her deck of cards. Lilika though? I don't know how she might be hurt or traumatized and I like that a bit more. Adds more mystery to solve. 3) I liked the scene where Lilika is offering understanding and comfort to Sheol being out of sorts. Just...it was such a positive interaction and really showed the depth of Lilika's care for Sheol beyond just having a bunch of shirts handy. I like in general how the two of them are somewhat opposite in personalities and yet have this subtle way of getting along and showing their care. As for the ship, I'm gonna be optimistic and say yes. And assume they won't go up in flames.

varethane

that answer to 2 is really interesting, because in that respect they're both kinda opposite to the usual tropes that tend to apply (the stoic/stern type vs the bubbly, upbeat type)

you'd expect that Lilika would wear her emotions and background on her sleeve while Sheol would keep everything close to the chest, but it's the reverse, haha

Delphina

Yeah, to get a bit meta about it, the webcomic title is a pretty obvious reference to the two main characters, so I think they gotta stay together.

varethane

I hadn't thought of it that way til I saw your reponse though

RebelVampire

4) The moment where Lilika asks if Sheol is good but Sheol was like, "no but ill manage." That was such a sad slap in the face but so true to trauma. Cause sadly life doesnt care if you are traumatized. Sometimes you have to go live life and just manage. And I liked seeing that in the story cause it made the trauma more relateable to me. As for healing? yes, but years and years and years and years from the current time. For now though, I think Sheol's trauma is actually gonna get in the way and stop her from helping Lilika when Lilika most needs her. Then drama and conflict ensues. 5) Probably this comic's version of cthulu. As for why specifically Lilika, like Delphina I assume magical talent. But I'm skeptical at the time cause if all it took was magical talent, they wouldnt need to chase her down. Just get a new student. So I feel there must be super special about Lilika's talent. Like she has some sort of connection even better students don't have. 6) I assume her master was some lord scientist who just felt like playing god. And that he was using Sheol to both prove his awesome and gather some sort of resource. Hence the whole targets thing. I personally think that Sheol just ran away cause she found some body part had murdered a shiz ton of people and could no longer live with herself of the selves she was made of. It sounded like he was alive, so I do think her former master is gonna come looking for her? Or someone close to him. I mean not everyday you hear about living flesh dolls, so someone is bound to be interested.

huh, you make a good point @varethane . actually had not considered that their types are different from the expected trope

Delphina

On the topic of Sheol's past, it looks like Zerymos assembled her. Nell and Lilika's cult seem to know of him from the recent pages, so I assume the dude is either a cult-adjacent individual practitioner or split off to do his own thing. From the flashbacks, Zerymos pretty much made Sheol go out and murder specific people on the regular. (From this scene http://www.patchworkandlace.com/?p=452 and the one that I can't find where the person recognized her mouth and wanted to "kiss their daughter" one last time - (Really wish this comic had an archive page...)) I first suspected Zerymos wanted corpses for more experiments, but in the first scene, she's not carrying the body back, so maybe he's a leader who just wanted to freak people out and flex his power over them? He certainly didn't seem to be worried about Sheol using discretion since she just walks into a crowded group of screaming people and chokes 'em. If she's been that overt and people have heard of her, then it definitely makes sense that she wants to cover up as many scars as she can, but I've also been curious why she's only covering the mouth because you can still see the stitchwork down the middle?

varethane

she's still gotta see lol

that's why the broad-brimmed hat I guess, it puts shade on the area she can't help but keep exposed (unless she invests in something like this )

Delphina

Maybe the big hat helps, but yeah, I'd get me a ski mask or veil or something if I'd been that murdery.

snuffysam

she could go all invisible man-style with bandages and a pair of sunglasses

and yeah if Zerymos wanted stealthy kills, he probably wouldn't have made her walk around naked

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. Do you believe that Nell will succeed and capture Lilika? If so, what will happen to Lilika? What will Sheol do? If not, how will Lilika and Sheol manage to avoid capture? How will it affect their future plans?

RebelVampire

7) Nah. I honestly think Nell is going to vastly overestimate her skills and vastly underestimate Lilika. It's also 2 v 1 right now since her partner was sent off, so nell probably isnt gonna have a good time. Sheol, assuming she's present, will over course protect Lilika. Although this begs the question of how much of Lilika's past does Sheol know? I mean of course she knows of Lilika's demony magic stuff, but did Lilika mention anything else? cause if not, that's the point i feel Sheol is gonna go wtf and want answers. but yeah i think after all is said and done, theyre gonna skip town for a while together.

Delphina

Well, it seems like Nell is going to be forced into seducing Lilika away for reasons I don't quite understand (http://www.patchworkandlace.com/?p=589). So I suspect it's not going to be a physical fight (which I agree, Lilika and Sheol have the advantage with, especially if Lilika is irreplaceably powerful and Sheol has no visible physical weaknesses) but a love-triangly-psychological sort of approach. Drive doubts in both of their heads about whether they really love/trust each other so they're easier to manipulate.

varethane

I don't think Nell is likely to overestimate herself, lol. She admits right off the bat that she's not good at that sort of thing

RebelVampire

hey, someone can say theyre not good at something and still be far off the mark at how not good they are

XD

RebelVampire

(the archive for the chat on Sombulus is up now! https://comicteaparty.com/post/182974467985/february-11th-february-17th-2019-ctp-archive @Delphina )

RebelVampire

QUESTION 8. What exactly do you think happened with the Way of the Bright Waters that has Sheol so interested? Is it something Sheol herself was involved in, or something from one of her memories that isn’t hers? Will she actually learn information about it?

RebelVampire

8) well we know there was a murder thing, but somehow the way sheol worded it makes me think she wasnt entirely responsible or something? which that to mean means two likely scenarios. either its the fault of one of her body parts or someone whose life force or whatever she stole and she feels she needs to take responsibility. or sheol might have like a detachment complex. kind of like how some media portrays assassins as guilt free cause they consider themselves like the sword or gun and it was the person who ordered them to kill's doing. so sheol might have some of that going on. not sure. what i am sure of is id hate to be in sheol's head cause if any of this is true it sounds like an identity hellscape

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. Do you think Sheol will indeed leave Lilika to pursue her own goals? Is she right that Lilika doesn’t actually need her, or do you believe Lilika has her own trauma regarding her past history that Sheol helps with?

€heshire777

No, or at least not until endgame.

It's a possibility that she will leave and be pursued.

Delphina

Yeah, I think if they do get separated (either because Nell succeeds in finding away to get in Lilika's head or just flat out kidnap her), it won't be permanent because they'll want to be with each other. Lilika hasn't really given much indication that she's having trouble with stuff from her past IMO, but y'know, growing up in a cult has gotta do something to a person in general. I think they're both going to realize eventually that they're happiest together and do whatever they can to stick to each other and continue their life of adventuring together.

snuffysam

I think Sheol doesn't realize how much Lilika likes her. Like she considers herself to be a burden or something.

Delphina

True, I think it's safe to say that the part of Sheol that thinks people like and accept her is severely underutilized.

She also may be worried about snapping and going out of control and hurting Lilika

RebelVampire

QUESTION 10. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

RebelVampire

i second. i def think sheol just has a large disconnect with how much lilika likes her. evend espite the kiss. almost like she thinks its all just some game to lilika and that eventually lilika will get bored. 9) the above being said, i think sheol is going to try at some point or another. i kind of get this impression sheol just thinks lilika is the this strong, carefree person who would be completely fine on her own and doesnt really even think too hard about all the times sheol has had to save her. and i think sheol needs to make the attempt to break this image. but will it be permanent? nah. i believe in them to realize theyre happier together. or be practical and realize safety in numbers. 10) im looking forward to learning more about lilika's magic and seeing what else the full scope of her capabilities are. like, what other creepy monstrosities can she summon. XD mostly just cause thats my favorite aspect right now.

Delphina

I'm looking forward to learning more about Lilika's past and both of them growing as characters. It's hard to say what Lilika might be dealing with beyond conjecture, so I hope more is explained about why she's so cavalier if that's indeed a defense mechanism. Sheol is clearly dealing with a lot and I'd love to see her develop more healthy attitudes toward self-care and growing and healing from her pain. While I suspect a lot of that is going to involve Lilika's affection and that's okay, romantic relationships don't and can't heal everything, so I hope some of it is also just self-reflection.

snuffysam

Oh this is extremely last minute, but - more sappy romance! can't get enough of it!

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Patchwork and Lace this week! Please also give a special thank you to Sooz for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Patchwork and Lace, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

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