#that's the only narrative direction I'll accept for his character

[dxxtruction]

I've said this once, and I'll say it again, framing Armand as 'wanting Louis and Claudia dead' or 'planning their murder' makes 0 sense with any context the show provides us.

This still means he's 100% complicit (!!!). In fact, the very idea he could've prevented it at all puts the onus on him pretty highly. Compounded also on the fact that, as his lover, he had special obligations to Louis that he neglects by doing this, and the matter of racist intent that's involved in this that everyone's obligated to stand against on principle. Not to mention this is murder. Suppose one could say the very conditions set by the coven make one easily groomed to complicit-ness, but this is simply yet another explanation for things there's never any real excuse for (Don't be like Armand and try). But, it also begins to highlight why it's not a very good read of his character to blanket this as his sole doing, and as his desire at all to do. As it would completely ignore Santiago's much greater role in perpetration (Being the leader in creating, with the other coven members, the context for the complicit-ness to occur), as well as not considering the role the Laws, and ultra-violent dynamic of the coven, played into what Armand decides on. It ignores the whole narrative.

The option presented to Armand surrounding the trail was never his own making. The choice to take part in it at all is actually a lack of choice, because it doesn't actually concern his own choice in it. (Basically, he wouldn't ever come to it himself or willingly. Making it not validly consensual). It's likely as well the only reason he's directing it is because he'd know how to. He hadn't chose that part either, and frankly never really had to begin with. This is all especially true under coercion, or threat of violence - yes, even if he could act against it. The point is whether a victim of it believes there is threat, or that there could possibly be one, not whether it actually ever posed a real one.

When it comes to choice between the Coven or Louis, they exist as more options towards opposing obligations than anything else, and neither outcome, as he sees them going, is what he would actually choose were he to have a choice in it. Which he doesn't. (No one can choose outcomes, only predict them.)

Except, Armand could've created a choice for himself, but didn't. He could've found a way to prevent it, but didn't. He chose his own choiceless-ness, over making the potential for something he'd always prefer - and so would be a real and consensual choice - but didn't, because he didn't feel he would be able to have it the way he wanted. Paradoxically trapping himself into doing something he doesn't want, because he can't have what he wants. He not only becomes choiceless then, but wantless. Total self effacement. Reinforcing an enslavement that is now false. Living in Mauvaise foi - bad faith. (The Sartre cameo was foreshadowing of this exact thing.)

Perhaps he does this because he's become incapable of letting himself have that level of self, or awareness. Letting others decide his fate for him is all he can accept, when this is the only kind of self he knows. And/Or because the far worse option was simply the only one he could have any greater certainty in the outcomes with. There is also still the threat posed by a united force of the coven as well. This all points to Armand already being very easy to coerce into it, fact, he'd already been heavily coerced when he was groomed repeatedly to all this centuries prior.

The thing to understand though is he was never going to actually come to the trail, let alone having ever wanted Louis' demise, when what he really wanted was Louis all along. Only because there's an opposing threat presented to him, does he actively work against himself as he doesn't see to any alternative. (And Claudia was always a footnote in all this to him, a literal footnote in history, so wouldn't have factored into his decision much... don't read into this also being a footnote. RIP Claudia, miss you dearly.)

Also in coming to this choice-less decision, he knows nothing can prevent the coven from turning their backs on what they've already set their hearts on doing. They'd mutinied to get this. And, he knows as well he can't force Louis to love him, or for this matter, love him forever.

In having to decide on something, he appeases the thing that threatens him the most, which is the coven. And with a mere feeling of a threat from Louis, his obligations to him are taken as only thereafter fleeting. Though this doesn't mean he'd stopped loving him. Simply stopped acting out the biggest obligation to someone you do love - which is keeping them safe, and alive, if you can help it. (He is in love; doesn't act in love). So no, this doesn't mean he wants or orchestrates what the coven is forcing him to do - this makes no sense. But that, within the dynamics of the coven, which have changed to be against him, and the laws they seek to uphold with this change, there is a high-controlling obligatory threat to violence he must also accept to eliminate all threat to himself. Real or not.

Now, how real that threat is with his decision, is granted not the most plausible in a physical sense. (and factor that he could've come to a plan with Louis and it would be doubly true.) - but if you consider Armand as someone who wouldn't know how to fair well without other people, or at least desperately not want that, there's a certain level of threat still to suddenly becoming very isolated. And more importantly totally alone. This is the main threat to him, really. If he had, let's say, made a plan to run off with Louis, and he were to then leave him down the line, this would be a threat to him in the same way as losing the coven would. The coven provides a security that Louis could not in this sense - but it's just that. A security.

It's very: siding with an abusive parent/guardian because at least they provide a sense of some protection, or dare I say mercy, on you. Even when they're completely opposed to your wants/needs/autonomy.(etc.) (Notable etc. - he'd been fucking them all for years, like the lack of metaphor is so striking.)

He does end up making choice for himself in the end though, and that is resurrecting Louis + not saying the truth to Louis. He chose this WAY too late, but it's probably when outcomes started to change from how he thought they would go that he realized the errors in his thinking. That, given this, he also would never have known if Louis would leave him. And so rescuing Louis from this was an option the whole time to avoiding threat, if he had just seen he could've had that. That he could've had what he wanted and just chose that for himself. Even up to the very moment.

He's tragic in this way, but you almost don't want to view him like this because he'd reaped all the rewards over choices he never made. Choices he would've made if he were (... well, Lestat), but really a more self-respecting person who actually understood the thing he wanted, [love], and the trust it takes to have that. Because Armand chooses to lie, or obscure truths, he sets this relationship up to always have inevitably broken on lack of trust.

He is a perpetuator of manipulation, and does do things which mimic the neglectful and highly-controlled kind of abuse the coven was offering him, and past abusers were inflicting on him as well. Once he's to himself, with only an obligation to himself and to Louis as a companion - as was his want and choice - he therefore takes full responsibility for those choices he makes. He can't just be complicit in those things. You might almost want to excuse (not forgive) what comes before it, because the choice wasn't of his autonomous consent, and he was highly susceptible to fall into it - and for Louis I think he does (technically it's only his right to do as well*) - but even Louis can not excuse for things Armand of his own volition chose to do.

Because Louis has some self respect, and does understand love requires trust, he had to end things there. The fact Armand still wanted to fight for it anyway says a lot about his own development throughout all this time, and how it's not moved very much forward from where it started. To end off, I would think this sets him up for a lot of growth in later seasons. He's literally hit a wall, and has to now redirect his life.

*When I say 'technically' it's Louis right for the purposes of respecting this is fictional media this right only naturally extends to the community Louis represents: [Black people, Black queer men, Black abuse survivors, etc.]. These people do not have to side with Louis excusing it, and that should be respected always more than Louis own excusing of it wrt the shows text. In other words, there's no excusing it except through Louis eyes. That's how that has to work.

[pep-the-artemis]

Villain Comparisons

A wild pairing (I know) but there is merit to comparing them both.

Hazbin Hotel and Murder Drones spoilers below (two shows I deeply recommend anyone for watching for really different reasons). I'll try to minimise spoilers.

TL;DR and image transcripts at the bottom.

Firstly, introductions.

Sir Pentious is a former human who ended up in hell and now in pursuit of peer acceptance has become easily manipulated and turned to a life of evil; his desires also lead him to become easily manipulated by people like Vox. He takes on the form of a snake, a creature surrounded with assumptions of evil.

Doll Yurikova is Russian robot from a 'race' formerly enslaved by humanity and corporate greed; due to the experiments conducted on her mother Yeva, Doll became cursed—giving her eldritch powers and driving her to insanity. At a young age she was forced to watch both her parents die at the hands of the genocidal Disassembly Drones and now seeks revenge and to learn the truth about her curse, hoping to find a cure.

(no prizes on guessing which show is darker)

The reason I think this comparison is worth making is because they're both redeemable characters and die a sad, tragic death against the main antagonist who they had zero chance at even scratching... but I think Murder Drones pulls it off better.

Firstly, from the pilot and episode 1, Sir Pentious seems evil for the thrill—he enjoys the destruction, turf wars, and rivalries—but once he enters the happy hotel (calling it that to avoid confusion with the title), these traits seem to disappear. His rivalry turns to crushing and motives seem to shift more towards peer acceptance as mentioned above (he is still has a fascination with war machines but to me that never comes across as evil).

Doll, on the other hand, is straight up a psychopath. She kills without remorse or reason, she's a cannibal, and keeps the corpses of her dead parents in her home. Most of this is because of her curse but not entirely—unlike Uzi with the same curse, Doll shows no remorse or regret for her actions.

Secondly, Sir Pentious is weak AF. He loses every fight he is in. This is meant to be used as comedic value and also to show how he doesn't really belong but its so lame how even in the final battle he is worthless.

Doll, on the other hand, is an utter menace. The only reason the main cast one there first fight with her was because Uzi was immune to her magic and got distracted when her mothers bracelet broke. Doll outclasses the main cast making her a real tangible threat.

Thirdly, Sir Pentious main character flaw is that his is too weak against peer pressure and so his arc is to grow a backbone and act as his own person and not care what others think of him which is what the happy hotel is supporting him with. This is not a critique.

Doll's, on the other hand, main weakness is separate to her motives. She is unwilling to work with others, she fights alone and isolates herself from the world. This is in direct contrast with Uzi who is willing to work with others and understand there past mistakes. So for Doll to start her journey of redemption, she has to accept others into her life which I cannot stress enough is always an option for her, Uzi is constantly wanting to cooperate.

Lets begin wrapping this up—with there final scenes.

The battle of Heaven and Hell, Hell is losing. Realising this Sir Pentious decides he needs to lead the charge head on—he kisses his crush and charges forward in his own death machine attacking Adam head on... then his killed immediately before he can fire a single shot.

The most obvious thing is that this death is not narratively satisfying, he could have landed one hit weakening Adam but no Adam was just too strong of a threat that he didn't even need to even bother.

Then, even though he was killed by an angelic weapon (its kinda murky what Adams blast is exactly...), he gets redeemed... I know they can kill off characters, they did it to Dazzle, but I understand that it would be very dark. The problem is that it defeats the concept of 'a selfless act'. doing a selfless act isn't "do something because later you'll be rewarded", it's "do something because its the right thing to do".

Now onto Doll, who's death takes place in three different scenes. The first scene comes in two parts; the first Doll gets the jump on Tessa (who is just a woman with a longsword) and they fight and even with Dolls teleportation and telekinesis, she is unable to land a hit on Tessa. The fight ends with Tessa landing two strikes, one cutting off Dolls eye patch and the other disarming her. This works well to show that Tessa is a real threat while not undermining Dolls skill.

The next half of the scene, leaving Doll alone in the dark, Tessa disappears. An impossible feat in a narrow tunnel. Doll begins to panic and when she finally see's Tessa its too late, she can do nothing and dies. This is so important because it shows just how outmatched; Doll was utterly helpless. This works because of the previous scene which cemented the fact Doll is competent.

So Doll dies without redeeming herself. A real bitter song, she forced herself to live in isolation refusing every chance she was given only to never be given the chance, dying confused and lone just like like how she lived. But her deaths not over.

The second scene shows Doll stumbling out of a hellish pit, her torso ripped apart and entrails pooling out. Her last act before collapsing was leaving the message "дать отпор" (fight back). Her final act was to try and help Uzi, a real glimmer that for her redemption was truly possible but (that she's dead) out of reach.

The final scene is just a simple kick in the teeth, we watch as 'Tessa' devours her entrails, a real mockery... basically Liam Vickers saying "oh she is dead! I cannot stress that fact enough!". Utterly brutal.

Sir Pentious was evil, went searching for redemption, and got everything.

Doll is evil, refused all calls for redemption, and got nothing.

tl;dr

So overall, Murder Drones pulls of tragic character death better because

Doll isn't just a walking punching bag.

It was made explicitly clear that she lost because Tessa was stronger and not because she was weaker.

the show doesn't pull any punches unlike Hazbin hotel which immediately revives Sir Pentious.

Is Sir Pentious a bad character? No, I think he had a mediocre death.

Again, watch both shows. Hazbin Hotel is a great and fun comfort show while Murder Drones is a lot heavier but full of so much small detail it has great rewatchability. Being so different its less about which is better and entirely about which you prefer.

[Image ID: A digital drawing of Sir Pentious from Hazbin Hotel. It is a background-less shot with Sir Pentious smiling facing the camera with bold posed arms. /.End ID]

[Image ID: A digital drawing of Doll Yurikova from Murder Drones. It is a background-less shot with Doll grimacing facing the camera with limp arms by her side. /.End ID]

[bookishtheaterlover7]

I know we’re all feeling disappointed, angry, disgusted, discouraged, etc but I still believe in Chris. I still believe that he’s forced to do this. Going to one of the biggest events in Hollywood, giving her a peck after seeing the camera on them, selling the narrative that has been forced on him… I don’t see this as betrayal or accepting her behaviour. We all had a feeling that this was going to happen and it did. Because it’s the Oscars. It’s the perfect opportunity for Alba to rub shoulders with the elite.

I know how you all feel and you can lash out if you want to, leave if you want to and go through the emotions but I still believe that Chris is forced to do these things. Pretend to be happy with her. Even if they come out with a baby and claim that it’s theirs, it’s still not going to convince me at least.

This last sighting tells us that it’s still not over, unfortunately, but, for me, it doesn’t mean that Chris sold his soul or himself. Just shows me that CAA and AB see what we saw and make Chris sell this more. In my view, he’s doing what he must otherwise he will be blacklisted from Hollywood and will never work again.

I get how all of you are feeling, especially you Mod and @innersublimefury. You feel betrayed, hurt, not cared for, etc and I’m not telling you that you shouldn’t but I have the feeling that it will die down because after all the hints that Chris gave about how he truly feels about her, this is just him trying to survive Hollywood.

I’m still on Team Chris. 💙

I'll only let me walls down for a minute, okay.

After reading your message, An🫶n. All I can say is thank you 🥹

Because honestly I thought y'all would hate me for lashing out. And basically pour all my hate towards the two of them.

So, I'm thank you for telling me that it's okay for me to go through EVERYTHING basically. The betrayal, the hurt, all of it.

And it's going to be a while, and I won't make it easy for Chris to make his way back into my good graces (heart, whatever). But I won't give up writing his characters, because my writings are basically my children and I'm not willing to give them up.

Basically, thank you ❤️‍🩹 and I'm cautiously in #Team Chris, I don't want him to suffer. Grovel, but not suffer. But that doesn't mean, I won't spew hurtful words and shade in his direction. Just giving y'all a heads up.

Just give me time to mourn, and thank you 🤗

And now back to our regularly scheduled cold-ish front 😌

And I'm sure whoever is reading this thankful for your kind words, An🫶n 🤗

[animehouse-moe]

Just a little heads up regarding the sexual humour in Undead Unluck in the manga it’s gone after a couple of chapters in the beginning. If you were to take a look at the story now and look at the beginning you wouldn’t think it’s the same story. So it’ll probably be a few episodes until it goes away. I felt the same when I first started reading it and now watching the anime I find it cringe because I kinda blocked it out 😭 but it’s still a good story with great characters I like how the studio is adapting it. Hope you enjoy future episodes :) also looking forward to your reviews !!

Well isn't that some good news haha.

It's good to hear that because the narrative structure and world is immediately appealing through these first two episodes. The author is clearly intelligent in how they do things because of how they paired up the two negators in this episode, in my opinion.

Sticking characters together with similar abilities is an easy way to confuse characters and readers/viewers alike, because where one ability ends and the other begins can be a bit of a hazy line, and they use Fuuko to represent that in contrast to Andy. It's also very nice to see them immediately go for a negation that isn't too simple since it gives viewers something to mull over for next week.

Apparently this has turned into a full blown rambling of my thoughts once more, so let me hide the rest because of talking theory haha

On the topic of negators and their abilities, I personally feel like Shen's negation is has something to do with desire or impulse. Their negation can be seen as "simple" when you look at it in just Fuuko's context (or even Andy's as well if you're not really paying attention. While it might sound similar to how Andy describes it as "will", Shen's hint of it being a power that works on "your deep psyche". Will is the representation of something much more shallow. Sort of like the idea of conscious will vs unconscious impulse.

Anyways, an example of where things get jumbled up is Shen is able to cause Fuuko to run in reverse, which is a surprisingly similar feat to how he allows Andy to aim for his weak point so that he can "invert" Andy's actions like Fuuko. But it can't just be the act of reversal, as Andy ends up frozen by Shen when he hesitates about killing him.

If I were to try and explain it in my own words, Shen is negating the instinct of the characters. Fuuko didn't think about running to Andy, she just did it. Andy didn't "think" about not killing Shen, he physically hesitated. That sort of thing.

Anyways, to bring a long story short here, the depth expressed so quickly with Negators shows a lot of potential in how the author is approaching the concept which is great to see. Oh, and also thanks to Shen's dialogue towards the end of the episode, their power works on looking at the individual. You could argue that it's "eye contact", but Andy's fight vs Void shows that mutual eye contact isn't a requirement (though Shen does only close a single eye once during the sequence, so it's shown that you don't need both eyes on the target for it to work).

But I'll got a step further regardless. Immediately, the benign rule of 10 Negators in the Union poses an interesting question. Why only ten? Personally, it sounds like someone, or something is using the Union as puppets to cull and control the negators around the world. You might say, "well that makes sense", but it doesn't. If the Union can wield Negators as a weapon, why would they kill them, and why would they so quickly accept the people that killed Union members as their replacements?

It reeks of an unseen hand controlling negators and their population through the Union, but aside from a group in direct opposition of the Negators, I'm not sure what it would be. I'd have a hard time believing it's a Negator that's at the head of this plot, but it's not like we have any examples of people that are whatever the opposites of a negator would be called.

The thing that confuses me the most though is the seats. Ten seats at a table that resembles a clock (where are the other two?), and I can't help but be reminded of the clock in the first episode's cold open, as well as the visuals that appeared when the clock struck midnight (does removing the last two seats of twelve have something to do with the visuals, or with Andy and Fuuko specifically?). Could a doomsday be in the cards, or is it something to do with a Negator that can control time? Or am I just reading way too far into this?

Only manga readers will know I guess, which makes it even funnier that this is responding to someone who read the manga. I just couldn't help but mull over my thoughts here though so I hope you don't mind.

So yeah, past the very rough and prickly humor here, these first two episodes have a lot going for them in reassuring me that there's a really good story ready to unfold.

[butchsophiewalten]

Firstly, thank you so much for your constructive response. Replying to your post about Jenny&Jack's name problem.

1. I have no idea what makes you think that I blame Jenny for her inconsistent actions. I'm just trying to justify a point that seems illogical to me, and I'm turning to you bc your analyzes are really reasonable and I'd like to know your opinion.

2. I'm not saying its a plot hole and I'm not saying it's a HUGE one. It doesn't take detective deduction skills to ask my question, and I thought about it within the first 15 minutes of reading the /sophiewalten page. I understand and accept that there are conventions in a horror series, but this thing isn't that hard to rationalize, so why not do it? Feels like 'this too shall pass' energy.

3. In order to connect the '74th summer missing people, Jenny only needs to know Sophie’s surname and... Okay, it's a pretty absurd explanation, like not knowing your girlfriend's surname? whom you've living together for at least a year? I didn't even think about it. Sophie hides it? Sophie doesn’t know her own surname and lives with a different last name? Jenny just doesn't bother to find out such obvious information? It seems like a topic for another discussion.

4. The examples I gave in the original post are not literal, but are evidence of how much resonance the Walten family's case had among the Brighton society. I didn't mean that everyone there listens to the same radio station, reads the same newspaper and watches the same news channel for a 7,000 people town. I meant that Jack and others weren't some kind of no-names, unlike ordinary BSI workers, about whom Jenny for some reason knows and even saw&remembered their missing posters (she calls Ashley 'very pretty'. So the some random girl image from four years ago remains in her memory, but the fairly famous businessman name doesn't?).

I'll admit I realized shortly after I answered that ask that it was directed less specifically towards you, and moreso broadly directed at the gist of your complaint as well as a bunch of other similar complaints I've seen that I hadn't given myself the opportunity to talk about before. Which isn't particularly fair to you, so I'll stay more specific to your particular criticism this time.

I'm sort of confused by this. I'm trying to imagine what you think a better version of the /sophiewalten scene would be. You're saying you'd like it more if when Sophie didn't remember her father's name, Jenny filled her in on it being "Jack Walten", which is a name she remembers as a locally famous person from her childhood/early adulthood who disappeared. Which is.. fine? But that ultimately relies on rewriting Jenny to have information which she is clearly not supposed to have canonically. Information which (in my opinion, anyway), could spoil some of the most interesting opportunities for storytelling that The Walten Files has. I think it's actually really important, narratively, that Jenny has as little information as possible regarding Sophie's family, so that Sophie can seek that information out for herself and obtain it by actually interacting with the story, instead of just being told by another character. So, let's assume that's not what you mean, and what you're actually saying is that when Sophie brought up not remembering the name of her father, Jenny, in response, should have given some sort of excuse as to why she doesn't remember his name either. The name of her girlfriend's father which she isn't aware has anything to do with Bunny Smiles-related info that she may or may not have. I don't think I need to explain why that would feel really weird and unnatural, actually. I think it would bog down the scene very unnecessarily and take away from one of The Walten Files' only examples (so far) of interesting, character-focused exposition. The thing I'm additionally implying here is I think the knowledge Sophie has of how her missing family relates to BSI exactly is incredibly limited, and I don't think she's given any information about that connection to Jenny so far, because we have yet to see her do so. All Jenny knows is that her girlfriend's family disappeared. She doesn't know it actually has anything to do with Bunny Smiles, and even assuming she *does* remember that major missing person's case from her childhood, she isn't supposed to have made/remembered the connection between those disappeared people and the modern BSI, much less between both of those things and her girlfriend. If we were to get a textual explanation from the series as to why exactly she hasn't made these connections that would be fine, great even! But I think it would actually be really bad if that explanation occurred in /sophiewalten specifically. I think it would really weaken that scene. You have to remember we're literally only 1/4 of the way through the series right now, it has plenty of time to patch up little holes like this if it decides to do so. (That said, I really don't even think this explanation absolutely needs to happen? I'm sure it would settle people with opinions like yours, and that's all well and good. But, like how you say you were asking that question within the first 15 minutes of reading /sophiewalten, I very much wasn't. I'm struggling to articulate what exactly I'm trying to get across here, except that I was and am willing to suspend my disbelief far enough to just accept that Jenny doesn't have any more information here than Sophie does without additional explanation, because I think anything otherwise would have made what is legitimately a very good scene between those two characters a lot worse.)

I think I accidentally effectively addressed your other two points already. They are addressing a point which I personally think is fundamentally moot. I do not think there needs to be any explaining of whether or not Jenny knows Sophie's surname or why there's a line subtly implying Jenny's lesbianism instead of explaining why she doesn't remember the children's restaurant entrepreneur who was on the cover of Livingston Today Magazine eight and a half years ago

[misrepresentedmorallygrey]

PROPAGANDA

Caroline Propaganda

"this is a new opinion to me personally. However i do like it. Caroline Bingley was a Mean Girl TM to the Bennets, it is true. but like she was only really wrong about Jane and Elizabeth, and that motivation was jealousy and self interest (towards a socially acceptable goal). Jealousy because they were getting attention from her boys, Charles and Darcy, and self interest because she had a plan to secure Darcy's hand in marriage which did not involve either Jane (or Lizzie) getting married. Yes she was rude in leaving Netherfield and dismissing Jane when she got to London. But none of this actually justifies how much hate is directed towards her by the fandom. She was just trying to do what was expected honestly and she wasn't even the worst offender in the story. That would be Whickham. Even Lady de Bough and Mr. Collins are arguably worse towards the Bennet family than Caroline and Caroline is matching her sister in almost all of these offenses. We forgave Mr. Darcy for his part in convincing Bingley to leave, why not Caroline? it seems like she made her amends. AND Caroline even warned Lizzy about Wickham when not even Darcy, who had kinder feelings towards her and more credibility on the issue at large, did!"

Helene Propaganda

"while already being a character whose narrative purpose was basically to show how much leo tolstoy hates women, the fandom makes it so, so much worse, playing up her supposed "villainy" over that of even what tolstoy writes. constantly i've seen people say that she deserved being threatened and almost killed by her husband because she's? a bitch, i guess? like her husband literally throws a marble slab at her and yells "i'll kill you!" at her and tolstoy implies that if hélène hadn't run away he literally would have and i've seen people say that they wish he had solely because their marriage made him unhappy, when the marriage wasn't her choice either. later on in the book, she aids her brother, anatole, in an attempt to elope with the female protag and i've seen people say that hélène was Worse than anatole, the one trying to elope w/ an engaged girl solely because he wanted to sleep with her, because hélène should have "known better" while anatole was just a stupid guy... do they not see how fucked it is to excuse a man's direct actions and blame it on a woman for not stopping him? any defense of her character is constantly met with people saying that she's one-dimensional and not worth defending because she's meant to be an antagonist — without looking at the fact that she's written that way because she represents what Tolstoy, a misogynistic old man, hates in women. with literally the slightest shred of context it's obvious that she is not the villain tolstoy makes her out to be. how a fandom in 2023 shares the same beliefs abt women that a man in the 1860s does is completely baffling"

[tiodolma]

In response to their latest reply of this post because they already blocked me.

I will push back on this. You always invoke the writers (doylist) and yet push for watsonian (in universe) headcanons. That's unfair. But I'll roll with you.

Merlin wants to be treated with respect.

-i agree

I'd I think what Merlin is fighting for is to get those advantages without those positions, as he also believes it’s what everyone deserves. Not just him. To say that Merlin wants these positions is to disregard what he is fighting for. These privliges for all.

- "Merlin wants democracy but he won't be happy if he got to that position first" is what I'm getting here. Let's be clear: Democracy- equal representation in court, power to the people, the ability to have collective power and to choose or elect a leader" This is a bold claim which I will get back to you later. On one side, yes he wants magic not be banned anymore, that is true. But like I said, given his experiences in court, it would be big damned lie to say that he would not have appreciated at least a position where the king would seriously listen to him without him getting punished. Only nobility, knights and council members had that.. There is no evidence that he would hate that, op it is you who keep pushing this narrative;

And you could say that he could get that to happen from being a council member witch is a fair point,

- i agree with this;

But again, merlin as a character is designed to say no to taht and to dislike the position and know we are back to square one.

- disagree. He was happy when he was given the seat in the first round table even though he politely and jokingly refused (he has manners jfc), and was disappointed when Arthur demoted him; OP HE WAS HAPPY TO BE REGARDED AS ARTHUR'S EQUAL IN THAT SHORT SPAN OF TIME THAT WAS S3 EP 12-13. How can you say that he disliked it???

Everyone must be tested fairly for merlin to be happy, as in nto descrimanated against.

- debateable. this is the same guy who'd kill for the monarchy no matter what the cause. This is the guy who uses magic in service for the oppressors and persecutors of his people. Merlin is as complicit and unfair as they come. If you think about it Democratic form of government isn't even on his agenda. But that is what the rebels like Kara wanted. What Merlin (and Gaius) were pushing for was a meritocracy= the ability to serve your rulers basedyour on merits, good deeds and past efforts or result of state exams. Meritocracy is Arthur's thing when it was convenient for him btw! Then you are right! Magic users must prove their loyalty, their goodness, their right to live! Guilty until proven innocent! They must be TESTED and ensured that they won't turn evil before Camelot accepts them! Merlin actually agrees with that! Remember how he keeps saying "I will only use magic for good?" What is good? WHO DECIDES WHAT IS GOOD? What if the version of "GOOD" isn't in tandem with the wants of the crown? Who'd be the judge? Who would be the executioner? ARTHUR? Yes. GAIUS? Yes. MERLIN? YES. Gaius and Kilgharrah trained Merlin for that! It's what Merlin has been doing the for the whole series! IT'S IN THE TEXT.

Merlin is as loyal to the throne as they come DUDE. Merlin (and all his backers) is pushing for Arthur to be the KIng of Everybody (this is "divine right of kings" sht. Higly monarchist AND Imperialist.)

That is in direct opposition to what what the many of the non-prophetic factions of the magic folk wanted: THEY DON'T WANT ARTHUR TO BE THEIR KING. THEY DO NOT CHOOSE ARTHUR AS THEIR KING so they turn to radical solutions, assasination! They aren't represented in court or in the seat of government, remember? Their existence alone is illegal. That's the only option left for them! But Merlin's job is to protect Arthur's goddamn throne! For Merlin, ARTHUR HAS TO BE THE ONE AND TRUE KING. He won't be "happy" if Arthur was not king! That is Merlin's definition of success! THAT'S IN THE TEXT TOO.

So!!! what Merlin is pushing for is not the true liberation of his people. He does not realize this yet. He never had the chance. MERLIN DOES NOT SUPPORT TRUE EQUALITY even though he has been led to believe that he was.. Merlin hopes for everyone to accept the Arthur Pendragon regardless. The magic-folk who don't agree with that are going to get killed, usually by him. In fact he has been ordered to Kill Them, since season one. MERLIN DOES NOT SHARE THE SAME WISHES AS ALL OF THE MAGIC FOLK. I beg you to stop claiming that he does. IT'S IN THE TEXT.;

Merlin does not want nobility. He wants to be happy.

- I TOLD YOU That does not mean that he does not want or would not appreciate a similar position of respect and influence. I TOLD YOU HE WAS HAPPY THAT ARTHUR REGARDED HIM AS AN EQUAL. A NOBLE (technically). IN THAT VERY SHORT MOMENT AFTER THE FIRST ROUND TOUBLE. Your claim is not an absolute truth because MERLIN WAS HAPPY IN THAT EPISODE. HE WAS PROUD OF IT. HE EVEN REMINDED ARTHUR OF IT. Until that absolute asshole of a shit boss pulled the rug under him. But sure yeah as headcanon, then go on;

There is a difference. The text also goes great lengths to show taht nobility does not equal happiness, especially with showing how unhappy Arthur is by playing on the classic neglected rich kid trope.

- Are we still talking about Merlin here or how you project Merlin's ideas of nobility to be? Fine it was shown that Merlin does not desire the harsh political life of nobility, criticizes it even. But he lives with a nobleman, a freeman, a respected member of the high court: Gaius. Merlin is living the perks of that charmed life, of being the ward of a high council seat and also being a favorite of the King. He enjoys some protections and comforts that nobility affords. He's in much better living conditions than all the druids combined. And he is relatively content in that privilege!THAT'S IN THE TEXT TOO. AND YET!!! Merlin had been always frustrated that he could not speak as freely as Agravaine, as Guinevere, as the Knights do, that he is never listened the first time he gives cautions to his own damn boss too, and you know what? THAT IS ALSO IN THE TEXT!;

Again, it doesn’t matter what you think about it morally, it is the moral message the writers are pushing.

- now you resort to doylist arguments to defend your headcanons? And then use "morality? Where the hell did that come from? I just wanted to dispute that your claim contradicts canon. Come on. But I'm listening to you.

So

That "I'm happy to be your servant Arthur. I was born to serve you." is your basis then. Fine. I concede. But that's all there is. Your claims that MERLIN IS NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY WITH A COUNCIL SEAT WHERE MERLIN COULD SERVE ARTHUR MORE EFFECTIVELY' is still headcanon at best.

Because at the end of the day, if Arthur asked if melrin wanted to be a knight or apart of the council, we would say no. It doesn’t matter what you think, and it doesn’t matter what i think. Merlin woudl say no. Merlin would always stick to what he has alwyas said. No matter how terrible he is treated, he would say no. There is no debate. It doesn’t matter how much happier you think he would be, and it’s not a “good” thing and it’s not a “bad” thing, it’s a Merlin thing.

We never had a scene where Arthur offer to knight him though? much less him VEHEMENTLY refusing Arthur as you claim. Arthur just said that he wasn't a knight and therefore had no obligation to defend him to the death. WHY ARE YOU CLAIMING ON SOMETHING THAT NEVER HAPPENED? You realize that this is headcanon territory right? So what if he told Will, Daegal and Lancelot that he just wanted to be a servant? The scenario we are tackling is his reaction and response if he was going to being GIVEN a position OF RESPECT within ARTHUR'S COURT by ARTHUR.

We had an ACTUAL SCENE where he got promoted by Arthur though! a chance to be the King's and the Knights' Equal! A FANTASY COUNCIL SEAT! Fine he refused at first, JOKINGLY AND WITH DISBELIEF! but he accepted it. I TOLD YOU. REPEATEDLY. MERLIN LIKED IT. HE GOT TOTAL JOY AND FREEDOM FROM IT. and HE WAS DISAPPOINTED when it was taken back. (IT'S IN THE TEXT. OHMYGOD.)

OP OP OP OP .... Your claims aren't adding up.

You cannot assume what the writers's motives are unless you give a straight reference that they said it. Even then. That begs the question. What if the writers' don't tell us their true motives? Are we wrong to headcanon that Merlin would be happier and more effective if he was given a better social position? I have discussed all the evidence in the work. You're not wrong to reach that conclusion yourself that Merlin would say No to that either, because that is Your Headcanon and you have basis to draw from in canon too!

Yet you start your statement with "I think a lot of people miss the point...." and then you proceed with "And as a character that is written to not like those jobs, he woudl be written to be unhappy in those jobs." by just assuming that is what the writers intended and then arguing that you are right, even when "THE TEXT" is contradicting you.

If you are right, then show us the producers explictly saying that! It's not wise to just make claims because that's what YOU FEEL the writers were making. Show me an interview then, or a comic-con answer if you are that confident of your claims. Word of God matters in this discourse after all, since you are so adamant to be doylist when the narrative fits you.

These fluctuations between your diegetic and extra-diegetic reasonings is exhausting. Just say that they are your headcanons and move on.

[allterrribleideas]

TADC Ep 2 Rampant Theorybaiting

Is this all spoilers? I guess I'll just spoiler it all. It's probably not even relevant though!

So the fun theorycrafting discourse from this episode that isn't centered around whether the purple psychopath rabbit is redeemable is who in the cast may or may not be an NPC. Caine seems to suggest he has no method of determining this, and I'm willing to accept him at his word since he doesn't ever seem actively malicious. With that in mind here's my absolutely straw grasping theories on who may be an NPC. It should also be said that since we don't know what magic technology this world runs on, there might not BE any difference between a 'human' and an 'npc' beyond like, I dunno, admin rights? They might all get simulated the same way but humans only get so and so treatment while npcs get this and that, I dunno, it's episode 2, let me have my fun damn it.

Pomni: Seems very unlikely to be an NPC owing to her knowledge of the outside world and ability to curse. Caine also explicitly identifies her as a human, so if she's an NPC, she was created by some other entity and we haven't really gotten any evidence there's anything 'above' Caine yet apart from whatever originally built the world. So she's pretty likely human.

Ragatha: Technically I feel like she's confirmed human via Kinger, who I didn't talk too much about but is my favorite character. Also she got obliterated by the abstracted Kaufmo and I feel like an NPC wouldn't have survived that? I get the idea (from Gummigoo exploding) there's not actually any blood or gore, and everything is censored like German TF2, so when NPCs 'die' they just turn into confetti or some other kind of fun prop, and Ragatha definitely had a bunch of times she could have 'died' but survived, so she feels pretty safely in the human camp.

Kinger: My gut says it's unlikely because of the existence of the Queen human character that was seen briefly in the first episode (well, her room, at least). NPCs don't abstract as far as we know, and it would be weird to have a king and queen chess piece but one is human and one is an NPC. It also wouldn't make sense to me that a character that's been around for 'years' who is considered to be 'old' would be advanced enough AI to pretend to be human for this long. Then again Caine is (probably) an AI and is pretty advanced. I also don't think Kinger being an NPC really changes much for him, it wouldn't be a super important reveal without more backstory for him.

Jax: I've already gone over most of the evidence for why I feel like Jax could be an NPC, but my gut again mostly says he's not. This is more for narrative reasons though, I think his character 'works' better as a cruel and hateful human than as a one-note poorly motivated NPC. Wouldn't surprise me if there's a reveal but he's got enough bits and bobs pointing in that direction I could see it happening. I don't think it'd be good for the story, though.

Gangle: My number 1 NPC pick! Gangle exhibits a lot of strange behaviors that are NPCish. She has probably the weirdest body of the cast apart from maybe Zooble. Her gimmick doesn't make sense- we haven't seen anyone else be 'affected' by changes in their appearance, why does her mask control how she acts? That's how an NPC would behave! Jax TREATS her like he treats NPCs too (though Jax treats everyone like garbage so maybe not a big point there). I think it's worth keeping an eye on her! My FORBIDDEN HEADCANON that I will believe until it's definitely proven wrong is that Jax dragged Gangle out of an adventure because she's specifically so easy to bully and abuse. Like he seems like the type of person who would keep a pet just to have something to take his urges out on. That is INCREDIBLY unlikely though, I'm just throwing it out there because it's particularly cruel and interesting to me.

[rohitgurumith]

SOURCES AND SIGNIFICANCE : BLOG POST #10

For the final academic blog, i will be tracking back to the session that took place on 29th November about Emotions and i will be using another media object as an example to show how Emotions are the visceral side of digital media.

This time I'll be using the South Indian film "Vaaranam Ayiram" (Thousand Elephants) Directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, as the media in this blog. Its basically another movie that i loved which was purely driven by emotions and emotions only.

SYNOPSIS :

The movie tells the story of Surya, an Indian Army Major who discovers the death of his father while on a rescue mission. He then begins remembering the relationship he had with his father and the tales associated with him. The plot is based on the director's experience hearing the news of his father's passing in 2007, and it also serves as a memorial to him.

This movie is also one of those movies where the plot isnt as grand with a complex narrative and plot twists but its the characters and the emotions they express that makes it so special.

HOW IS THE EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT CREATED ? :

The movie offers the audience a wealth of knowledge. It emphasises that life must move on regardless of what occurs. Better opportunities are awaiting you. Every emotion was properly represented in the film. The director began by addressing the Father-Son connection, Husband-Wife relationship, and Lovers relationship in a way that only he could.

Because of a father who sees himself as his son's best friend, a mother's love for her family, a man who will stop at nothing to win the love of his life, the agony of losing a girlfriend, the recovery process, the protracted wait for a woman to have her love accepted, and a wife who is understanding, this movie is what it is.

When the main character is going through a challenging time, one of the movie's most crucial characters makes a fleeting appearance but has a big impact on him.

The greatest success of this film is when it enables us to comprehend love, friendship, and relationships, whether they are within or outside of the family, and when we are able to sense their connection and emotions while viewing the film.

REFERENCES :

Menon, G. (2008). Vaaranam Ayiram. Cloud Nine Movies. [Accessed 8 Jan. 2023].

[pumpkin-toast]

thoughts

i have a lot of issues with Dark Revival. pacing, structure, gameplay but ill be DAMNED if i said i didnt adore every single second of it

there will be vague spoilers under the cut, so read at your own risk. i won't be saying anything outright.

Okay so I have to say that compared to BATIM this game felt. Very narratively disorganized. In the original Bendy, every chapter had a very distinct beginning and end point with it's own themes and story, whereas DR feels more like one giant insane super-chapter that's a continuous sprint to the finish line.

Chapter 5 in particular left me feeling very confused in it's structure as it was flinging you around haphazardly between different set pieces? And it just felt really weird with the pacing.

The gameplay is definitely a step up from Bendy, but it looked like it got really stagnant and repetitive as the game kept going and they didn't really seem to build on it at all.

This seemed to be a common theme, too. They would introduce a topic and then not build on it too much. That one section after the elevator (if you know you know) particularly stuck out to me. I don't remember the stuff introduced there ever coming back after the fact.

Story thoughts - again, I'm not going to be spoiling anything but be aware I'm talking about spoiler-y topics.

Edit: Okay but the entire opening section just made me feel so warm and happy. Ramager’s comfort game BATIM real??? Crazy shit.

I'm not an instant fan of what they did with Audrey's backstory. I'll have to sit on the idea for a while.

The Cycle lore is very welcome but it seems to contradict a lot of generally accepted Bendy lore. Also something I'm going to have to sit on.

Baby Benders was hands down the best part of the entire game for me, he was absolutely delightful throughout. I wish we got just a little bit more of him but he was great. Blorbo supreme, even. The Ink Demon was great too - his design wasn't anything like what I was expecting but he looks rightfully horrific /pos. I prefer the original BATIM design over him (he's just too iconic yknow?) but I still enjoy this incarnation.

I'm NOT fond of the new Ink Demon mechanic though. The roaming Bendy from BATIM chapter 3 were much more intimidating than the version we got in BATDR and I'm not entirely sure why they chose to go this direction with him.

A lot of stuff felt very fanservice-y but hey! I'm fans! I have been done a service and I'm okay with this outcome. I sit back in my chair and sip my coffee and there are no complaints from me.

Okay the ending. That final section was. Well uh it was something all right. Personally I adore it but I will admit I think it's Very Fucking Stupid (/affectionate) and I predict people will hate it. It felt very hit or miss to me. I would not have been able to predict that in my wildest fever dreams

(Also very vague spoilers but that one character cameoing in the final stretch only to have him croak immediately had me WHEEZING that was the funniest shit. Kinda killed the tone though.)

I think that about sums up my thoughts. I really liked the game! Baby Benders is one of my favorite characters of all time. The FNAF reference was cool. It was totally worth it to get up at 7am for this /srs.

[fairyroses]

Brainy’s evil relatives, and his resulting fear of himself

+ Kara reassuring him (and us) with the truth:

[arrancxr]

You hate the Shinigami side for the most part, yes? Are there any that you hate in particular?

Oooooh, this is a good question! owo

From a story standpoint, most of my dislike for the Shinigami side is directed at the system more than the individual people, honestly. I feel like a LOT of their problems are tied to how their society operates, not the people caught up in it. Most of them, especially the ones who aren't at the very top of the ranks, seem pretty decent! However, from the way they approach the conflict with Hollows to the way they treat the people in their own realm, they're awful.

Turning to a meta standpoint, I would have liked the Shinigami a lot better, I think, if they hadn't been cast as the ultimate good guys. It's not fair to expect anything too deep from a shounen manga, I know, but probably the number one thing that bothers me about the Shinigami side is that they're given an author-granted privilege to do whatever they please and still be the designated "good".

Like, Szayel and Mayuri are pretty equal in terms of moral atrocities and general nastiness. And yet while Szayel's sadistic mad science is portrayed as disturbing and evil, to the point where the horrific death he gets is treated like something he deserved, Mayuri... pretty much gets off scot-free. He's a Captain with active permission from the ruling government to more or less do whatever he wants, the people around him (who are supposed to be the good guys!!) never do much more than complain about the creepy shit he pulls, and the main manga ends with him still doing exactly what he wants, with no more punishment than a brief wound to his ego from losing Nemu.

And that's where it irks me. Shinigami are allowed, if not encouraged to be as cruel as they please when dealing with Hollows. We see them do things every bit as awful as the Arrancars' actions, but the narrative insists that, by the sole virtue of being Shinigami, it's somehow acceptable when they do it. The moment when Zommari questions the Shinigami's right to kill Hollows could have been interesting! It could have opened up a whole discussion about the fairness of the Shinigami system, both to the Hollows they're killing and the souls in the Rukongai they're (supposedly) protecting!

Instead, Byakuya shoots down the moral question with no further answer than "because I'm right," and it never comes up again. There's a recurring theme of Shinigami characters being narratively protected from any wrongdoing... when it's done to anyone else.

When Shinigami (or human, by protagonist extension) characters get hurt, it's a bad thing, and the perpetrator is immediately and inherently a villain. When other characters (most notably, Hollows) get hurt, so long as it was a Shinigami that did it, the action is almost always justified somehow, or at least reduced in "badness". The only real exception is when assigned "villain" characters are involved, and even then, that doesn't always make much of a difference.

For example— the Visored are the results of Aizen's inhumane experiments. They suffer for it, for a while, but in the end, they're accepted into the main cast as important characters and "good guys", and it's widely accepted that what Aizen did to them was fucked up and cruel. And yet, Wonderweiss, who's also a result of Aizen's experiments (and is debatably much worse off from them), is shown none of the same mercy. He's relevant for as long as it takes him to be a living fire extinguisher, and with the sentiment of "I can slaughter you without hesitation," is killed and forgotten.

I could go on for much longer here, but I think I've made my point... >.> Though, since you asked about specific Shinigami I dislike, I'll point out a few of those too.

Mayuri — Where do I even start? I'd probably like him a lot better if he didn't get away with so much (I do tend to enjoy awful anime men...), but his utter lack of consequences for anything, ever, just really puts me off. Since he gets a narrative pass for pretty much everything, he's not fun at all! >:(

Kenpachi — Similar to Mayuri, I'd probably be more fond of him if he was written differently. I'm generally a fan of overpowered characters (when they're well-written), but Kenpachi seems to exist solely to be Kubo's Ass Pull vessel whenever he writes himself into a corner and doesn't know how else to kill off whichever nonsensically impossible to beat villain he's set up this time.

Yamamoto — He's pretty much the face of what's wrong with the entire Shinigami system. On top of that, the "wise, ancient leader who's stuck in his ways and far too strict" trope doesn't appeal to me much. I just don't see anything to like about him...

Byakuya — Tbh, his fight with Zommari made me really not like him. His type of character can work, but the fact that Byakuya single-handedly shut down the most promising moment of maybe putting some actual thought into the Shinigami vs Hollows situation ruined him for me forever.

Those are the ones that I actively dislike the most! There are more who are on my ick list because they're just plain boring, but that's a different matter altogether.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Why did they not release stills with Buddie working together, why in the hell did it have to be Buck and Lucy who don't even work together. Stop trying to push them together, no one wants them!

Nonnie

I really don't understand why these stills are riling you up! Stills by their very nature are designed to tease but ultimately give nothing away- which is why we don't see anything from inside the fire!

I'm only going to say this once and I'll delete any more messages I get about Lucy being in these stills!

The stills are great and I don't know where you got the idea that they're trying to push them together - they are literally just standing next to each other in front of the fire truck - doing their job!! What do you want - they can't not interact with each other - nothing they have done so far after the kiss has in any way hinted at romance - its all been very platonic sibling like even. They are going to be working together so I'd just accept it if I were you - you'll enjoy things much more!!

We know that Buck and Eddie will be working together from the synopsis . Lucy is literally just standing there doing nothing wrong - there is no need to hate on her. Yes she kissed buck , yes we wish that didn't happen, but it did and we can't change it. The writers have a reason for choosing to go down the direction they did and we'll find out why in due course. Lucy is much more about Taylor and the BT break up that she is about Eddie and, to me at least, it makes far more sense to have a force outside of Eddie play a role in getting Buck to break up with his gf. It is better storytelling and means that when Buck and Eddie do get together it is independent from any of the current drama - I literally just wrote a theory about it here

She isn't getting in the way of Buddie, if that was her purpose as a character we'd already see that playing out and we're not. I honestly don't know what to say to you to convince you that Lucy is not a problem, that actually if anything she's helping to create a much better Buddie narrative.

[florenzismind]

So, we know that Isabel is in next week's TCL episode, but she is also in the following week's. I don't necessarily have a problem with her, but I do have an issue with all of these ladies around Arman. What is the goal, here? I kind of gathered that Arman is a ladies' man, and Hayak even says he's given him women (maybe a business thing for the hotel...I can only hope). It almost seems like a character inconsistency. Like, is he a mobster with a good head on his shoulders and morality? Or isn't he? I know it's early in the series, but I already feel like I've been watching for two years. I have dealt with quadrangles before. It never ends well. All you get is warring fandom. I feel like there is going to be progress made between Arman and Thony within the next two weeks where they become more intricately connected, in more ways than one. But still, there are things that seem to need to be contended with.

Hi, anon! :)

I totally get where you're coming from but I'm not really worried about Isabel (or Nadia). I'll try to explain what I mean, so apologies if this gets long-winded and too elaborate lmao. (But also thank you for sending this ask because I love talking about the show!)

This meta is long, so I'll put everything under the cut in case someone's interested in my analysis of Arman and his relationships with Isabel/Nadia/Thony. <3

We know that there are two versions of Arman. I don't mean that one version of his isn't honest or real but rather that Arman had to leave his vulnerable side behind when he joined Hayak's operation. It seems like he fell in love with Isabel in his early Hayak days, where he was just considered some tool. She broke his heart (because Hayak forced her to) and he let it happen, focused on his job and making Hayak proud instead. He lost contact with his family and obviously poured his entire heart and soul into this new "family". He's incredibly loyal, which is an intricate part of Arman that is true to both versions of him (which is his best quality and his downfall at the same time *angsty chef kisses*). I don't know if Arman considers Hayak his family but I'm absolutely sure he'd still die for Hayak. We've seen week after week that Hayak doesn't see Arman as a part of his family and he will never be accepted into Hayak's family either. Arman might get more opportunities and responsibilities but that's just because he's incredibly good at his job and Hayak knows and uses that. But at the end of the day Hayak still sees Arman as a tool he can use to achieve his goals.

When it comes to the women in Arman's life, his mom, Isabel and Nadia and Thony represent different focal points (or maybe influences).

His mom obviously raised this vulnerable, loyal, incredibly attentive and (emotionally) intelligent man. He was aware of his family's struggles and wished more for his mom. I do think they had a good relationship and that definitely shaped his respect for women and his relationships with them. This is the Arman we're all drawn to (and I'm including Thony here lmao).

Then, he met Isabel and fell in love with her. She's the daughter of his boss, which, of course, made their relationship infinitely more complicated. Isabel probably got to know him in his early days, not entirely shaped by Hayak. I'm sure he did a lot to make Hayak happy because he wanted to make a good impression on the father of his love. Arman was probably softer around the edges, there was less blood on his hands and more idealism in his mind. Isabel represents the past in a way, one of the last genuine relationships he made with no direct connections to his job. But that relationship got tainted at the end because Hayak intervened to end it once and for all. No doubt, she will remind him of his more vulnerable side. But it's a double-edged sword because she will also always remind him of the fact that he will NEVER be a part of Hayak's family (and I'm sure that's her main narrative role.)

Now, there's Nadia. She's a really interesting character that isn't entirely tangible to me, yet. I think Arman likes her well enough, he obviously trusts her when it comes to business. He might even love her but I doubt he's in love with her (or ever was for that matter) and I think that applies to both of them tbh. I think they either have an open marriage or it's for business (and some pleasure on the side lmao) entirely. But the narrative makes sure to include a lot of business talks in their scenes together and I think that's important because it showcases her role in Arman's life. Her role isn't to be the romantic partner in Arman's life, she is directly tied to his "criminal life" and therefore Hayak. She represents his current life, his present in some way which is filled with work relationships that he conveniently paints as family ties even though he hasn't had a genuine relationship since Isabel broke up with him and he lost all contact with his actual family. There's a reason why Nadia specifically reminds Arman that Thony's only the help. The narrative wanted to tie Nadia to Hayak (!).

Then, there's Thony. She brings out this "old" side of Arman. The man his mother raised, the man Isabel fell in love with. She makes him vulnerable or rather he wants to be more vulnerable with (and for) her. She makes him question himself constantly because she doesn't let him get away with anything. She lashes out when she's scared and always manages to see right through him (and hurts him in the process). She's a person that values family above anything else, she's incredibly loyal to her family and I'm sure Arman is drawn to that. He aches for something like that, I think, and it's so obvious because just look at his face when Thony gives him Luca's drawing? I think Thony represents the Arman he was before he became who he is right now. But Thony isn't tied to Hayak (at least in a metaphorical sense). She's loyal to her family and cares about Arman in some way but that's about it. She represents his future: The only way Arman can actually change and grow as a person is if he rejects Hayak and chooses himself. Arman hasn't been loyal to himself and his own morals for so long and I think Thony let him realize that. And because Thony is connected to him in that way, by choosing himself, he will choose her.

I'm personally SO ready to see the episode when he will have to make a decision and choose Thony and by that automatically reject Hayak and Nadia (I could actually imagine Isabel helping Arman with Thony? It'd make sense in this narrative construct at least).

Long story, short, anon (I've been writing this for an hour now, don't mind any mistakes lmao): That's why I'm not worried about Isabel or Nadia at all. Arman's introduction, his very first scene with Thony, was without a doubt romantically coded. The writers are aware of their relationship: People like them together because we're supposed to like them together. They're written to be read romantically from the very first episode. And I'm very excited to see how their relationship will develop, however long it'll take for them to actually be canon 'in an exclusive relationship and us against the world together'- kind of way! :)

[persephoneyss]

Bad Movie.

Pairing: Jung Hoseok x f! Reader. Ft. Jungkook.

Genre: Yandere, dark themes, angst, gore a little.

Summary: ❝Looking for the person you love, beautiful woman.❞

Warnings: Yandere behavior, obsession, harassment / stalking, humiliation, forced marriage, non-sexual intercourse, abuse of power, implicit murder, drug use naming, minor past master / pet relationships, secondary character abduction, ugly hallucinating hoseok , beatings, blood, photos depicting abuse, mistreatment and death, bribery, sexism and humiliation (directly aimed at female prostitutes), hoseok mistreats and humiliates jk, awkward marriage proposals, use namjoon as a secondary character because it hurts more:(, etc.

Number of words: 6000+

︙Author's Note: This is my longest fic so far, I think. It took a lot for me to do it, especially since I didn't have a clear idea about the whole plot that would take and the role that each character would develop. So if you see Jungkook in a kind of strange character, blame my mind for including him almost last. Also, I hate Hoseok in this fic. Namjoon angel and fallen soldier, by the way let me know if they cried with his death, it hurt me to write it. Thank you very much for the 200 notes in my previous fic, I'm crying.

Read the Warnings well and enjoy!

(Sorry for any mistakes, my first language is not English and I am not fluent either.)

Puedes leer este fic y más aquí en español.

Confidence, a beautiful and treacherous feeling at times.

Feeling superior is a constant whisper of the ego within you, calling to be released and make others feel as what they really are, despicable and useless trash. It was fun laughing at losers when you haven't had that sense of defeat yet.

Hoseok fervently watched his rivals fall at his feet, laughing at his incompetence and stomping even more pathetic defeated form even though they were already dead in tears of pain. He smiled, he always did when he felt invincible and He bit his lip gently to hold back an excited laugh.

No one could be compared to him, and in his high sense of power he could never be alert when he struck him with a blast of vengeance.

It was you.

His eyes stared at you in horror and anger, his ego inside him hated you from the first moment. Because while despicable, he loved you for much more than his pride and winning sense.

He fell at your feet but he never made you notice it, behaving as he normally would around you even though he was always behind you.

Luck was her greatest ally, he always smiled at her and she helped him. It was fun to play with your opponents pretending to be the victim, the cornered mouse and then smash everyone with a snap of your fingers.

His mother looked at him with love and his father with pride, he was the only and favorite son of the Jung family. His success was never derived from love, much less, it was blasphemy in his family to say something so false and impossible.

Hoseok admired his family when they met in the great message of his parents' house, his grandparents smiled and his relatives brought out their most exquisite stories to entertain. They were all crows pretending to show interest in a prestigious place in the will of the family's monarch, his grandfather.

It was at one of those dinners that he got to meet you, he used to get bored of hearing his cousins ​​tell their anecdotes with prostitute women who mostly called, whores of a night. Mocking their shocked faces when they refused to pay them and threw them out of their big luxurious houses.

He rolled his eyes when a family friend, little Jungkook who was known to his father because of his prestige in his last name, chimed in trying to get into the conversation with a shy smile.

Lucky bastard, he thought bitterly. He didn't like the little idiot sticking his hands in boiling water, he wasn't even supposed to be there.

He hummed a goodbye as he walked out the front doors, walking aimlessly to his bored eyes. His feet stopped abruptly with a strangled sigh when he first saw you, you looked tired as you apparently searched for a key inside your bag. Could visualize the logo on your shirt from the grocery store where he assumed you were employed, He stood looking for what seemed like an eternity at you before you find the keys and rush through the back door. He snorted before lazily continuing on his way, however the next day he ended up following in your footsteps again and with even more confidence.

It took a few weeks for him to be able to enter the small commerce store and be able to look you face to face for the first time, it was expected that you would serve him with a smile asking if he was offered something. But he did not see you anywhere, he looked for you before another equally young woman approached him kindly, he sighed making a face of disgust surprising the she worker, his expensive shoes got dirty on the floors of the humble place with shame. His little investigation and search took him through many corridors of the establishment, he observed the shelves and each person who seemed to be wearing the uniform of the store thinking of finding you distracted with your work, maybe he thought of approaching you and asking for directions which he clearly didn't need. Knowing that  she you couldn't refuse because that was your job. In a way, you were there to serve him.

He let out a bored sigh, tired of playing hide and seek, he turned around ready to leave that place that disgusted him so much in a certain way, but once again he stopped in an instant. It was a moan. He clenched his fists, walking hurriedly to the place where the noise came from, he was sure it was your voice and that made him even more angry thinking that he would find you in a compromising position with someone.

He did not think that his lover would be such a stupid and dirty person.

You were crouched on the floor, grimacing with pain and exhaustion. You seemed very annoyed trying to lift a box with your arms, the scene was tender and certainly pathetic, she smiled noticing that you were so distracted that you were never aware of how I was watching you with carnal desire and painfully bad adoration.

"I-can I help you." He was surprised at his little babble, justifying himself later. Nobody ever managed to make him nervous, his father used to despise weak people and certainly he always sought his approval by doing things that were not correct. "They seem heavy."

Your face pale before the scare, turning into a face of shame quickly, you shook your head with a gentle movement, smiling still pained. "I'm fine sir. Can I help you? Maybe he got lost, let me guide-..."

"Actually, I do need help but not with your services." I speak in disagreement, you seemed confused but she nodded at his request. The customer is always right, right? How convenient. "I need you to allow me to help you with that heavy box, not to be rude or calling you weak miss, but you can't seem to handle it."

Lie, under his politically correct excuse was a dialogue about how insufficient you are even with things as easy and common as carrying a box, obviously you needed his help and Hoseok could give you that and more, much more. You just had to say it, it was so simple and fun.

"I -... I can do it, but i will accept your help sir ..." He smiled making an emphasis for he to give him his name, he let out a small laugh finishing his sentence.

“Hoseok, you can call me Hoseok, darling..." He mock imitating his position, your name left your lips like a melody and he immediately felt the sweet taste of it slide down his tongue. Beautifully perfect, indeed. "Now that we can finish the introductions please allow me."

Her expensive outfit crumpled as she bent down to lift the box with ease, you were once again oblivious to her incoherent and certainly crazy fantasies, it was like a romance comedy movie in her eyes. The charming fellow always stays with the girl. And likewise, no one could go against the fictional plot.

He was immersed in the beautiful narrative that you would be hers at the end of the credits.

It was not the last time she saw you, she returned to her same routine of continuing to stalk you with obvious impudence. The only thing that really changed was her new setting and her character, he was hiding between the shelves waiting for the right moment to appear in front of you with a charming smile. Over and over, he was locked in an infinite loop.

He was starting to get tired of just having you in his arms and sheets just in his heavy and lustful dreams.

"A date? How funny Hoseok."

His face twisted in annoyance, but he put on a fake smile again when you looked at him again. "Hobi." He corrected in a high-pitched voice, insisting that you call him that. "And she spoke very seriously my dear, everything is ready."

"Eh ... I -..." A simple wave of her hands was enough to shut you up, you frown in confusion and secretly disgusted.

"On Saturday, I'll send you the address of the restaurant. Goodbye, dear!"

You watch it for a few seconds but he's already gone, you resign yourself to continuing with your work of ordering the products on the shelves. Thinking and trying to remember when you gave him your number. A very characteristic noise distracts you, a call makes you smile with love and adoration.

The plot is taking an interesting turn.

Hoseok was charming by nature, his economic position made him even more desirable to the opposite gender and even his own. It was not strange to see people flirting with him or being suggestive with his proposals, he was on a pedestal and he enjoyed it. His subconscious whispered a little bored. I couldn't deny that he became boring in a way, but you appeared in the story as an extra who soon became a main character. You changed the script of his life already established and narrated.

You were so funny.

He smiled in front of the mirror when he thought of you, since he met you that day he started chatting with you secretly from your supervisor. You had told him several anecdotes to make him laugh, you were also naturally charming pulling out various expressions of adoration that you did not even notice. Oblivious to that, you'd better get ready for the climax of the movie.

The wind was strong in the streets of Seoul, your hair was noticeably messy causing you to let out a tired sigh. You should be planning your wedding banquet right now, but you honestly didn't want to leave Hoseok alone at the dinner he had organized. You put the invitation in your bag, thinking of giving it to her when the time was right with a smile. He seemed like a good person and undoubtedly a good friend in the future.

"You're on time, I was just about to order our food. Honey." The last word slid down his tongue with malice and arrogance, Hoseok inwardly chuckling at your disengaged expression.

"Thanks, but don't stop you can order for both." You say arranging your chair correctly.

The restaurant looked relatively empty, there were only three other people including a couple who ate dinner while chatting enthusiastically.

You smile unconsciously, thinking about what would also make you feel the same way.

"I was looking forward to this dinner, my dear. I also hoped I could tell you how much you have captivated me for a long time, specifically since the first day I saw you." And the others too, he thought shifting your posture.

"Thank you, I'm very flattered to cause that feeling ... in, good in you." You whisper clearly uncomfortable forcing yourself to stay calm. You were sure that you had never given a hint or anything else in Hoseok to establish romantic feelings. "But I-... "

"I know, darling. That is why I have to offer you the opportunity to be my girlfriend and my future wife."

Wife?

For a moment, you feel a rush through your body. You refuse to make a scene in front of all the few people present out of respect, you calm down by counting to ten slowly in your head, but it becomes very difficult for you as you continue to observe his comfortable smile and how he behaves. He seemed very sure of the affirmative respect you would give him, you snort angrily at the thought.

"I am sorry to have been misunderstood Mr. Hoseok, but I am not seeking a relationship with you and very sorry I reject any relationship beyond friendship." Your body lifts up, making Hoseok laugh well in advance of your final sentences. "I am engaged and my future husband is waiting for me, good afternoon."

Trembling, you leave the invitation in silence, leaving the luxurious premises in the same way. The waiters watching you with surprise, being an audience of rejection and humiliation on your part. Hoseok sighs, sipping his wine glass patiently pretending not to hear what the couple behind him are saying.

What a bad luck.

Life wanted to want to return all his damn vanity to him, making fun of him with your almost imminent rejection, obviously he knew that you were engaged and that you loved the poor man who had the bad luck to be his competition, but love is not always the important thing in a relationship or at least not of both parties. The voices of the waiters and the couple distract him from his plans for his next step, he clenches his fists angrily dropping the silverware on the plate calling the attention of everyone in the place.

"Filthy vulgar and talkative people, she will be my wife even if her words have been heard by her prying ears." He raised his voice, causing everyone to shut up. "It's just part of the script."

Maybe if the character who wanted to be the main loses the role of him, he should be the villain. The bad guy in the movie.

He read the invitation with meticulous delicacy, laughing at the little message you put aside. He thought about attending for a second, wondering if it would be nice to walk in to go straight to the altar and shoot your husband willing to take his place by your side. But that would be risky.

"Where are we going, sir?" He asked his driver with a smile.

"Take me to the best brothel in Seoul." He whispered delicately, smiling just as happily as before your rejection. I'd make you pay double the bill for your indulgence.

And likewise, the world is a truly small place. Jungkook nodded clearly uncomfortable obeying someone other than Mr. Jung. Hoseok cornered him like a helpless rabbit in the claws of a cunning fox, flashing his jaw in warning. He felt confused about his little assigned task, watching the direction pointing the right way to his chauffeur who only followed orders.

A small feeling of remorse ran through him, making him want to vomit when he remembered how Hoseok's face was so close to his with arrogance, as his hands roamed his arms gently. He was disgusting how he used his power to such a useless and demanding gain, sometimes without any realism.

"Little Jungkook, you have a very lovely name. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, you were so insignificant that you seemed pathetic to me." He whispered making her wince. "My father told me that you are good at obeying, I would like to test his theory." His cold hands were constantly running down his arms, making a shiver run through his body. "Still remembering well, I already did it before."

Jungkook was weak under his cloak of power, where he could so easily hide it. Lose it. "Yes, h-hyung." An inappropriate moan came from his lips causing him to cover her mouth in shame, a little touch near his crotch was enough to tempt him. Hoseok smirked, narrowing his eyes before walking away slowly wiping his fingers on his expensive clothes in disgust.

"I want you to befriend someone, don't ask, just do it. I'll tell you your next step when you're done." He ordered bored.

"We are here, young Jeon." Notice Jimin with a smile, Jungkook sighed wearily thanking him before getting out of the car ready to fulfill his mission.

I observe him for a few seconds standing in the entrance without doing anything, he was cleaning the windows of the building with force. He seemed like a nice person, certainly a bit humble. He approached making the man bow respectfully, even though he was older. Money can buy everything, they say.

"I am young Jeon, a new investor. May I have a chat with you?"

The man was surprised, no one who was someone by name and a few numbers along with several zeros would be able to notice his presence and at least greet him. A coffee sounded more intimate and undoubtedly inconvenient for him, but again out of respect he accepted the offer with a smile adorning his features.

"My name is Jungkook informally, but I like you and you can call me that." He spoke kindly.

"Namjoon, Mr. Je -... I'm sorry, Jungkook." He corrected sheepishly, making her smile.

He still didn't understand that he planned to do Hoseok with a building cleaner, but he didn't feel in a position worth asking. Furthermore, he would still not receive an honest answer.

He passed by the same place every day, pretending to enter the building only so he could meet Mr. Kim and talk about unimportant subjects. He gained his trust almost immediately, promising that he would give her a better job soon at his own company. He felt like an idiot taking advantage of the man in front of him in such a way for a simple whim from Hoseok.

He was an idiot, but he didn't want to go back to what he was before. A pet.

"I'm very happy, I think she will make a good wife." He responded with encouragement, seeing how Namjoon nodded looking for a picture of his fiancée to show him. He seemed excited, Jungkook understood his happiness after he explained that he saved for a long time to achieve his dream of getting married in a church. They were both in it together, in looking for a future.

He got lost in his thoughts, maybe if he lied to Hoseok about gaining trust from him, saying that Namjoon was a very cold and quiet man, he could make him forget about it. He sighed squeezing the coffee cup in his hands, Namjoon caught his attention by showing a photo of you smiling at the camera with a background of the bridge and the sun behind making a beautiful background.

Jungkook became alert, having seen that face before.

Hoseok had you as the wallpaper on his phone, he knew it was you because of your characteristic features and the scarf you wore in both photos. You were the new fad of a rich fool.

"T-is ... She's so cute, you're very lucky."

Namjoon nodded with a smile, apologizing before returning to his work upon being called by his supervisor. Jungkook put aside his cup feeling the bitter taste of his thoughts, Hoseok was planning something, he knew he was a son of a bitch who liked to keep his plans under lock and key and in a deep grave. He walked away calling for Jimin quickly, before being accosted by Namjoon who came running over, seemingly forgetting something of the utmost importance.

"I apologized Mr. Jeon, but I wanted to give you this personally. It is an invitation, in addition to the proposal to be the best man at our wedding. My fiancee said that it would be appropriate for me to choose someone and I decided that you were perfect, you can decline if you prefer. . " He spoke kindly, as always. Namjoon seemed to have no hatred in his heart, making his own feel heavy on his chest.

Could he bear the blame?

"It's my pleasure to accept her proposal, thank you for considering me. Good afternoon, namjoon-hyung."

He said goodbye by getting into the car as fast as he could, making Jimin look at him with derision. Obviously noticing his nervousness, Jungkook sighed hiding the invitation as much as he could before reading Hoseok's message ordering him to go to his house to sort out his affairs.

It seemed like a joke as he always looked so flawless, ready to humiliate him again.

"Jungkookie, I'm glad to see you again. Now, we'd better come in for our talk." He smiled making anger grow inside him, Hoseok sat on one of his expensive furniture before pouring himself a glass of wine. "Well, I heard from a little bird that you accomplished your task. Good pet."

"Don't call me that, hyung." He grunted in annoyance, making him laugh. "I can't go through with this, I did what you wanted. Leave Namjoon-hyung alone."

"Oh, they're close now really cute. But you forget that I can't fulfill your wish, because "Namjoon-hyung " is an essential piece in my little game." I speak mocking him as always. "Then we will move on to the next step ..." He thinking for a moment, before snapping his fingers. "Invite him to a bachelor party night at the brothel in the center, I already made the reservation. When they are there, leave him alone. A whore will take care of him properly, and maybe you can go make him a oral another yourself." He sneered evilly, reminding her of his past, Jungkook bit his tongue resisting the urge to respond properly. "Since you're clearly good at it, little pet."

"Yes, hyung."

Hoseok nodded saying for him to leave asap, tired of seeing his stupid face. He got up ready to do so, but his arm was taken tightly before bringing his face closer to hers, Hoseok let out a sigh, doing he could smell his breath of mint and wine combined. His hand lowered him into his pockets dangerously close to his crotch, he bit his lower lip to resist a moan escaping him, this had happened before and he begged it to stop forever. From his pocket, she pulled the invitation out, making her gasp in horror.

"Godfather of wedding, new facet of you... kookie." Rolling he eyes pushing him away from him, he fell to the ground before being met by a blow to his cheek. "What a shitty pet, you idiot."

Two days was enough for you to tremble at the thought. Your dress was proud to be seen, it was the most comfortable dress you could find at a fair price. Namjoon tried to enter but he was stopped by your friend who said that he will wait until you keep the dress out of his sight avoiding bad luck. A smile wavered on your face, everything was perfect up to a point.

Namjoon looked at you, a blush covering his cheeks before asking his obvious question. You didn't expect him to want a bachelor party, but you couldn't refuse because you simply trusted him.

Maybe it was your mistake.

You wished him luck, feeling an inexplicable emptiness. Your friends didn't offer to make one for you, they just sat on the couch in their living room talking about movies and arguing about what color the cake would be. It was the calm before the storm.

Jungkook felt a giant headache, the lights of the place were making him dizzy. Jimin had insisted on going with him to such an 'unusual' place to keep him safe. Namjoon had brought a couple of friends who seemed to be always close to him preventing the woman who did the job Hoseok had him do from becoming difficult.

He smiled, thinking that he would have no choice but to let it go. But Hoseok was not a good loser, and neither was he a good winner.

Hoseok:

He distracts his friends, and be careful what you say, kookie.

Received at 11:30 p.m.

He bit his lip, glancing around the bar, thinking he'd find him sitting somewhere spying on everything but nothing looked suspicious. He sighed, sending Jimin out for drinks with one of Namjoon's friends who he gladly accepted. He got up having pushed one away, the other who introduced himself as Jackson seemed more reluctant to leave his friend alone but with a few excuses about feeling bad managed to get him out of sight.

Believed that he would find Namjoon sitting right where he was before but no, he was gone. He felt a burning feeling of guilt, maybe if you didn't find out, nothing would happen.

"You're still the same as before, boss." Jimin sat down next to him, making him uncomfortable.

"Same as before? I am no longer a child."

"But you continue to obey as one. The manipulation they use on you is your greatest weakness, you are afraid, you obey without hesitation thinking about how this will indirectly affect you. But you never do anything to avoid it, you feel bad about this but you still sit here without doing nothing."

"What can I do, Jimin? I don't know if he really left by his will, or if they forced him. I don't want to enter a room in this dirty place and see him sleeping with another woman, because he wanted to and is a fucking infidel . "

Jimin ignored his words, falling silent after several seconds.

Feeling unhappy is a horrible feeling without a doubt. The curious eyes looked at you as if they themselves could judge your story.

Namjoon disappeared as quickly as the wind, many sharp tongues said that he eloped with a lover so as not to marry you. Others believed it was a kidnapping, maybe a robbery gone wrong and he was taken away or he was killed somewhere far away. A sob escaped you just thinking about it, the detective in front of you watched you cautiously.

"We don't know anything about him yet, but we will continue with the investigations."

You nod, without saying a word. Jungkook came in minutes later with a handkerchief in hand, he observed you before gently hugging you. You had the pleasure of meeting him after Namjoon disappeared that night, he introduced himself as a close friend from work and quickly offered to help you with the search.

Maybe he felt guilt.

"Thanks, Jungkook." You smile wiping the tears that escape from your eyes.

"They are looking for the best they can, they even alerted the Japanese embassies in case they might take him there."

"Japan?" Puzzled questions. "Why would someone take him so far? He's just a man with little money, that's ridiculous."

"We don't know, but I promise I won't rest until I find it."

Hoseok sighs bored, witnessing the moment. He had been bribing the bloody police force to hide the information from you about the discovery of your fiancé's corpse floating in the middle of the waters of the river where they used to go together. The only thing that was removed intact from his clothes was a small photo of you smiling, sitting on the banks of the same river.

The police mourned the death, but his faces left grief when they saw the money in his hands. He made fun of Jungkook as usual, who passed by him ignoring him when he went to his house to talk to his father, he knew that the useless little one was very meddlesome in the search for your future husband and ex-fiance. He rolled her eyes remembering how she used to look at him with discontent in meetings, suspicious of him.

He was a good detective, he couldn't deny the obvious.

"You didn't have to do this, a I'm sorry was enough." You say admiring all the bouquets of flowers that came to your house from him. "And I'm sorry for your loss."

He wasn't sorry.

"My dear, losing a loved one is something without a name. I can give you more than this if you promise to smile again, I love your smiles."

Jungkook snorts approaching you from behind, Hoseok to growl at noticing him so close and see how he puts his hand on your shoulder, apparently like support.

"Hyung, he didn't think it's a good time for ... That."

"But little kook, when is not a good time to express how you feel about your loved one?"

"When that person you say you love is crying over the loss of someone special because of evil people who don't know what remorse is. Do you understand that, hyung?"

"No, not really." He laughs cynically making you lose your patience, your little body comes between the two men, with one already furious and the other inadvertently giving up, you make a face of annoyance before speaking.

"Sirs!" You yell at him immediately, Jungkook steps back adjusting his tie. A mania that he had and that you noticed when he presented himself in front of you with regret, he did it when he was uncomfortable or nervous. "This is not the time to argue, I think you'd better leave my house if you're just wasting your time. Thanks for the flowers Hoseok, and Jungkook ... I, I want to continue the investigation on my own."

"That?!"

"What you heard, don't feel responsible for Namj's disappearance -..." You tremble correcting your words, making Hoseok scoff. "My husband, he was just at the wrong time in the wrong place. Thanks for your help, I'll see how to pay you very soon." Jungkook denies trying to insist but fails when you are already closing the door and giving him an apologetic smile.

Your breath feels heavy, you sigh falling to the ground sobbing again. You wanted to find Namjoon, but a large part of you was afraid of how. Dead, with another woman, with serious injuries or simply ... Alive but with trauma for life. You did not want to see him suffer, it was your judgment in life to see the person you love cry in his pain.

You observe yourself, telling yourself that you would be fine when you find it.

Your email seems to explode with thousands of messages received from people claiming to have seen a man like Namjoon near their homes. You ignore them knowing that most of them were false, the first few days you read all of them giving the police false clues that they quickly denied and dismissed.

You dry your tears, closing all the windows and cooking a simple instant soup, eating in absolute silence. It was overwhelming feeling alone at home, where you were supposed to feel safe indoors.

The rain, thunder, and evil outside seemed to be invisible within that place.

A chill runs through you, the control of the television seemed tempting to calm that neat silence and avoid your boredom. You give up turning on the TV, you see the first channel, you keep changing looking for the unknown, you didn't know what you wanted to see. Maybe a newscast saying they found a tall man with dark brown hair and charming eyes unconscious, with a couple of blows to the face and a few scratches but okay, safe, alive and waiting to see your face waiting for him with a warm smile.

Swearing never ever to let go.

A couple of tears slide down your cheek, ruining your fast food. A few knocks on the door manage to scare you, causing you to bite your lip in anger.

"Who is?!" Questions in a shout.

Nothing.

"It better be good ..." You say in muttered, you open the door expecting to see a child running to his house laughing at his childish joke.

But no, there is no one at the door. Just a small envelope that easily slipped underneath, you take it hoping it's a letter from the police announcing good news. Maybe a simple identification of suspicious faces, or footprints at the club.

"I hate being the bad guy, it makes me feel good.

He's dead, I did it for you. For me. For us. I want to make you happy but it's so difficult when I don't know what you want, tell me what you want.

Love you. Love you. Love you.

My heart is so weak in your cold eyes, I feel that you look at me with ignorance of my feelings. Do you want to find it? Do you want to do it?! Okay. Good luck with it. "

It was everything, plus a picture of a golden ring with a large diamond shining brightly. You wrinkle the letter in anger, tossing it into the first bin you found nearby. It seems that in the end, someone did want to joke with you.

Your days remained the same, you went out to work and in the afternoons you called each of the investigators to ask for new news, it was almost always a solid wall, there was nothing really important to report and little by little, they gave up.

Jungkook knocked on the door, he heard some footsteps approaching making him have a little hope. But when the door opened he saw you with a worried face, he felt his heart squeeze in his chest when he tried to get closer but you avoid him by leaving in a hurry. You were dressed in a long black skirt and a white blouse, you were elegantly ready for something.

"Where are you going?" He ask stopping your hurried pace, taking your arm tightly.

"Yo, listen... He... Or her, I don't know who it is but ... You know, he or her know where, he's alive I know. I just don't have time, please."

Your mouth moves wiht fear, you were hiding something but not from him. You were willing to tell him but not now. Not at that time.

"Let me accompany you, I can take you and I will feel better if you are safe."

You nod, letting go of his grip and running down the stairs, outside there is a very elegant car, apparently waiting. The driver smiles at you as if he had known you before, you make an uncomfortable face trying to continue on your way but Jungkook introduces him saying that he works for him.

"Jimin, he's Jimin. He's a good person and a great friend, I've told him about you before."

"I see, sorry." You speak with a bow before climbing to the back, Jimin just smiles kindly, as always.

"Where are we going today?" He asks animatedly, Jungkook takes your hand for support making Jimin remove the smile from him. Your nervous state and your afflicted face are enough for him to understand the situation.

You give him an address, Jimin searches the map being unknown to the place. Your eyes sparkle when the lights of Seoul are reflected in them, Jungkook holds your hand tightly in fear of letting you go again. He felt sick when you stopped calling him, cutting connections with him totally to this day. He spend sleepless nights looking for more clues, the only thing I had until that moment was the identity of the woman, she was a prostitute without anything special, when he spoke with her he seemed indifferent saying that he did not know Namjoon and that the last time he saw him It was when he drugged him and left him in a room as ordered.

The whore made fun of him saying that he would give him this information if he did not tell the police anything, he obviously accepted. Now he repented, the woman disappeared after that and days later she was found in a garbage container. It seemed to be a suicide, the container was from her building, the window of her old apartment faced just where she was supposed to fall if she threw herself without thinking twice.

Right in the garbage.

The wheels of the car made a thud when it stopped, it was a cabin, the only one nearby. You came down quickly thanking Jimin who just made a flirty face. Your hands trembled with the cold, you look at the letter that tells you where and when you should be standing at the door.

"Wait for me here, if we don't go out or you hear noises, you know who to call."

"Yes sir!" Jimin obeys with a laugh at the boss's serious tone of him.

"Y-you should go, I can do this alone." Your voice rises in the echo of the silent place, Jungkook rolls his eyes before offering his arm to you, making his decision clear.

You laugh calming your nerves, the door opens just as you both step close to it. A man stops them, saying that only you can enter the next room. You stop Jungkook who was to protest, you calm him down by leaving your ring in his hands with a smile.

Your body disappears when another man closes the door silently, Jungkook sighs looking annoyed at the guards who ignore him.

A message coming to his phone distracts him for a few seconds.

Jimin:

Should I call the police, Mr. Jung, or the hospital?

Received at 9:35 p.m.

Smile ready to answer before hearing the door open again, he approaching you to ask everything and at the same time nothing. Your pale face is enough to make want to hit the person who was inside with you. Questions remain in the air, your arms surround him while you sob for forgiveness.

From the shadows Hoseok smiles, admiring the document in his hand, your signature shiny as gold is glued to it. He thought it would be more difficult to convince you to accept his marriage proposal, but the precious and expensive ring fit you perfectly. He raised his hand proudly admiring his own, the wedding would be planned as soon as possible making him jump like a happy child.

You had accepted, with the promise that he would bring you back to Namjoon.

But it was never specified in the contract that he would be alive.

The wedding was in a meadow, outdoors with distinguished guests and a few friends and family of yours. Hoseok greeted everyone, by taking your hand tightly introducing you as his wife immediately. It's as if he wants to show everyone that you now belong to him, as if you were a prize.

And maybe if you gave him the key to her success.

"You better smile my dear, nobody wants to know what will happen if you don't." Her lips brushed your hand before placing a chaste kiss on it. "I love you, my beautiful protagonist."

You sob, tears falling from your face as you melt into his disgusting caresses. The man in front of you, your un-predestined husband. The one who stole the position of your true love, he was kissing you delicately.

"Don't cry, decorate the room just the way you wanted. The photos were a special touch ..." His teeth bit into the sensitive skin of your neck, an involuntary groan of pain escaping. "Love you."

Your eyes move desperately to find a photo where the beaten, abused or dead body of Namjoon cannot be seen. You scream when you find one where you see blood everywhere, you are resigned to look down at the ground where Hoseok was crouching kissing the inside of your thighs.

Your mind tried to process the idea that Namjoon had been killed, mutilated and thrown into a river that washed away his body along with happy memories. Farewell to him was prolonged as your body faded in pain.

Hoseok enjoyed the sight of your eyes tightly closed, his cock throbbing inside you as she fucked you like his wife.

The head of the bed moved crashing into the wall, and unconsciously your walls tightened around it causing it to release a curse aloft to the sky.

We got to the end of the movie, smiled as he dazzled the credits by seeing Jungkook's lost name. His little bitch who was his toy for many years, laughed remembering how she did wonders with her mouth.

He pretended not to know him when her father introduced him, taunting her hurt face.

He held you in his arms tightly, you had been struggling to free yourself from his grip as he continued to abuse you over-stimulating your pussy. Your eyes closed falling asleep from crying so much.

He caressed your face, kissing your dry, chapped lips.

The end.

[parismystere]

hey, someone who hasn’t watched 4th season yet cos idk where it is (from Canada) should I watch it? been keeping up with tea and how salty the mlb fandom has gotten (not u) but lately become unsure if I should :/ also any suggestions abt where to watch?

miraculous.to is the website if you decide to watch! they have all episodes of the show and are the source i go to for live streaming of episodes as well.

honestly, it really depends - i personally enjoyed (fully or almost fully) like 5 episodes at most and i pushed through the parts i disliked in a hope of a pay-off i don't think i'll get. but that's me! i know that a lot of people enjoyed watching it, so that's not the right way to figure it out.

first things first, it's a huge tone shift. episodes are far less sunny and comfortable, instead they are chasing drama and angst. gone is the homey feeling the earlier seasons gave us. it's the first season that attempts to do a cohesive narrative, so the show has moved on from the episodic format. the pacing is often awkward - the first half is too slow in comparison to the second half, which is universally accepted as having pacing issues. there's a lot of plot convenience that tends to be unbelievable/annoying. but personally, even though i disliked it, i'm grateful for it because i think the show stopped beating around the bush about what intentions it has and what direction is taking, something that was unclear before.

i think the main idea behind this season is ladybug's new position as a guardian and the shifts that come with that. she's building her team of superheroes and the introduction of them + the kwamis take up a lot of screentime. the romance, with the exception of a few episodes, is barely there; this is marinette's Leadership season, which is conveyed through episodes having way more akumatized villains or sentimonster villains than before. imho, this season has felt more like superhero media than any romance media, so if that's up your alley, you'll probably like it. there is an emphasis on the battles, on hawk moth getting stronger, on the main heroes powering up or receiving new looks, on the temporary heroes, on unifications. i jokingly began calling it the Akuma Show lol. that part was never exciting to me - i am strictly a feelings and romance gal - but if you prefer it over the romance, then you'll enjoy the season. there are definitely still slice-of-life episodes like in the previous seasons, but they often got salted on for being boring or underwhelming, so once again it depends. did you enjoy befana or bakerix?

if you have a huge adrien bias that trumps anything else you enjoy about the show, then you'll most likely hate this season. if you are a chloé stan, don't hold your breath. if you are an alya stan, she gets some cool moments and has an increased plot relevance, but in the end you realize she served as a plot device, which imo isn't very good. if your favorite side is ladynoir or simply love their 'us-against-the-world' + complete trust dynamic, then that's going to slowly erode and likely won't ever come back. honestly, i think the only people who are completely happy with this season are the marinette stans and the love square fans who are willing to accept anything as long as their ship happens.

the main thing for me is that this season removed any chance of adrien having agency in his own story and turned him into the Damsel In Distress/Love Interest trope, which i dislike. there is also a lot of interplay with his cousin félix, who appears in three episodes but quickly became the most interesting character of the season, and there is a loooot of sentimonster theory shit that goes down. so as someone who is a very hardcore adrien enjoyer, this season will be my last because i dislike what is happening with his character + am whelmed by the lack of romance or think it's poorly executed + am personally not here for superficial girl power + certain episodes send bad messages imho.

that being said! i definitely take this way too seriously so for someone sane and normal it should be fine lol. for some of the overly invested/emotional folks, this season has been a deal-breaker. but as pure entertainment, without any stan biases or expectations of cohesive show theming, i think it does its job pretty well - there are benefits to chasing shock value! a lot happens that doesn't necessarily matter as, say, a long character arc/season arc, but it is entertaining, like enjoyable filler.

my favorite episodes of the season are psycomedian, glaciator 2 and gabriel agreste, all of which should be able to be watched as stand-alone eps and are imo fantastic. glaciator 2 especially is like marichat fanfic dream. they're worth it, i think.

so... i tried to help, i hope i did, but imho the enjoyment of this season strictly depends on what you like about ml. some parts get turned into a grotesque – and some get strengthened – but there IS a huge shift that isn't pleasant for many.