#which implies they're powerless

[worldbuilding-tomfoolery]

"We're just like you"

Next to the genre of photo that's meant to make you look up at the person in awe for their godlike brilliance

[vasito-de-leche]

;KPOP DEMON HUNTERS ABBY - Relationship Headcanons

Compilation of headcanons about Abby (Abs Saja) in a romantic relationship.

YOUUUU KNOW ITTTTT OF COURSE THIS IS MY BIAAAAAS. I love getting into new things because I have so many ideas so many things to overthink and analyze about new blorbo, ougghhhh

since all the other Saja Boys that aren't Jinu get minimal screentime, it's pretty much free real estate for headcanons. dont look at me, i love making demon guys a little feral, as a treat for us monster freaks

When it comes to the Saja Boys and the concept of dating, I do think that if their idol careers lasted more than two songs released back to back, they would pull off some publicity stunts involving fake dating and so on--think of the Miromabby or Zoeystery shenanigans from the movie. Because of their nature as demons, I can't see them choosing to date someone so casually.

In my previous post with general headcanons for the entire group, I mentioned how the other four aside from Jinu might also have ulterior motives to help him and join the band, which adds to the pile of reasons they wouldn't lead any conventional lives on the surface, let alone find a partner.

But that's not to say that they're entirely closed off to the possibility of dating. There's just a lot to navigate first. Each has their own baggage to deal with.

When it comes to pretending to date someone as a publicity stunt, it's safe to say they're all good at it; it's part of the game, after all. They're very good at pretending to be a Kpop boyband already. But Abby specifically strikes me as one of the very few who might end up reconsidering his feelings on the matter, or at the very least, come to genuinely enjoy the illusion of a relationship. Jinu is too good at playing the game, only to pull the rug from under his partner's feet (RIP Rumi), Romance has (ironically) too many layers and too much baggage involving relationships to truly commit, and then Mystery and Baby are much too distant or guarded to even consider people out of the group.

While Romance and Abby have been shown to have some interest in Mira, I do like to think there is an important difference between the two of them when it comes to love--Romance plays the romantic and heartfelt lovestruck role as his namesake implies, but it is all part of an aesthetic and a fleeting hobby he indulges in. It's all fun and games, simply because he never had the intention of committing in the first place, a fun irony in which the embodiment of romance cannot really find love.

On the other hand, Abby lives by much more simpler rules: if it feels good, why stop or avoid it?

It's easy to portray him as a himbo, or someone who struggles to be taken seriously specifically because of how reductive his role in the boyband may be (only offering good looks and muscles, all brawn and no brain, etc) but I like to overthink things, and instead portray him as someone who is just direct when it comes about the things he wants or likes. While others take extra steps to get what they want, or pull the most insane mental gymnastics to justify their actions, Abby's approach is always the fastest and most straightforward.

Jinu will create a boyband to rival Huntrix and then almost fall in love with their leader only to betray her in the end and get his wish instead of going to therapy, but Abby? If he wanted to get his memories erased, he'd just give himself a concussion every so often or seek a spell that could do that. Easy.

I like to think this also plays into how he became a demon, heeding Gwi-ma's call in those extreme and rare occasions he couldn't just do as he pleased or get his way through sheer determination or perseverance, until it became the norm rather than the exception, and thus his shame is related to that powerlessness and dependence on the power Gwi-ma offers.

But to tie it back to relationships, this is all a lot of text to say that Abby would be the perfect Saja to get into a classic fake dating relationship 130k words slowburn fanfic scenario with, the type in which the lines between fake and real get blurry really fast. His demonic traits or emotional baggage don't keep him from forming meaningful relationships like others, but I do think that decades (maybe even centuries like Jinu) of living as a demon have definitely altered all of the Saja Boys' perception on how to properly interact with others.

When Abby catches feelings, he remains just as flirty, fun, silly and high energy, but there is a wild edge to his words that spells out trouble--not necessarily in any negative way, more so like the feeling of knowing you're being roped into shenanigans that none of your friends would agree with, the promise of fun danger, all while knowing you're in safe hands because the man leading you into the lion's den won't let anything happen to you.

I don't think he puts you in danger on purpose or with malicious intent, that's something Mystery or Baby would do. In Abby's case it's more like he gets caught up on these positive feelings you bring him that he ... forgets he's meant to put up a perfect boyband front. That's it. He gets swept up in the moment so easily, he just forgets he's in the human world.

His smiles are sharper, with pointy fangs you swear you have never seen him have. His hugs are a bit more suffocating, his grip on you when he leads you around town is somewhat erratic and manic, and you swear you can hear a slight distortion in his laugh, as if his voice wasn't human at all. He may forget that you need to sleep and show up at ungodly hours, looking frenzied and excited to take you out for a spin. Contrary to popular belief, no, he does not growl or get into fights with anyone who is remotely interested in you--but he DOES ask you directly if you'd like him to fight whoever tries to hit on you, literally asks if you'd be into that sort of thing of seeing him beat up others for your attention. He can do it. Humans are much more weaker. Just give him the sign. Do you want to see him beat up demons instead? Sure. He can do that too. He will look very good and flex his arms while doing it, just for you.

This is basically Abby in his honeymoon era--a demon trying to remember how to balance demonic instincts and habits built up over centuries against what he vaguely remembers as the conventional way to court someone. If you mix this with the fact that demons like the Saja Boys are basically doomed to relive their worst memories and feelings for all eternity as Gwi-ma's thralls, then you might understand why Abby gets a little too drunk on the butterflies and good feelings you awaken in him.

I think he's also the least troubled by the idea of his crush or partner finding out he's a demon. Surely, if you like hanging out with him, something so small shouldn't be a problem, right? It's not a problem for him, after all. You're absolutely cooked if he finds out you're into the demon aspect, though--Abby will be absolutely shameless, using this to his advantage whenever he wants to convince you indulge him or do whatever he wants. Abby may not have Baby's puppy eyes, but he keeps track of all the things you like about him, just in case.

When it comes to telling you about his past before becoming a demon, there might be some reluctance out of shame. The rest of the Saja Boys are allowed to know since they're all pretty much on the same boat as him, but what about you? What if you decide he's not the one for you based on something that happened so long ago? I can see Abby blurting out the events that led him to become a demon in the heat of the moment, during an argument or something, if only as a way to get you to stop arguing with him.

On a less intense note, I do agree that he's the clingiest Saja Boy, at least physically; Abby has to have a hand on you at all times, no matter how. Either with an arm around you, leaning on your shoulder or just fully leaning his entire weight on you, sliding his hand in the back pocket of your pants while you walk, resting his chin on the top of your head, etc.

This guy does not care about personal space. Or rather, he cares about getting rid of it altogether. Most likely to kabedon you, at first for fun to see your reaction, and once he settles into the relationship as a way to get a moment of your undivided attention whenever he feels like. He makes zero attempts at hiding your relationship once he's caught genuine feelings, and even gloats to his band members about it.

Most likely to make you sit on his lap even if there's other seats available because he thinks it's extremely endearing. Most likely to give you his clothes to wear, except he wears extra small shirts to emphasize his muscles, so he doesn't get to enjoy the view of his partner in an oversized shirt or sweater because he might as well be wearing crop tops at this point. This is easily remedied by just buying an extra large pair, so you can at least have matching outfits.

One thing that will never change regardless of the stage of your relationship with Abby is the insane amount of shirtless selfies he sends you throughout the day. You guys could spend 20 years married and he'd still manage to sneak in a shirtless bathroom selfie.

There's so fucking many. You can't even pull the "When he's copying your snaps so you pull this move" meme because he already sends you dozens of pictures of him flexing his biceps. These range from tasteful shirtless pictures as a "pick me up" for you, to genuine fun selfies of him going about his day but he somehow manages to always have his shirt open, to extreme levels of fuckboy vibes manufactured to deal extra damage to any fans in the vicinity.

I also like the dumb idea that, at some point, you just start playing tic tac toe with his abs whenever you receive a picture of them, and he thinks it's so fucking funny he always plays along. So your camera roll is 50 selfies and 20 versions of the same selfie of his abs because you keep drawing and playing tic tac toe on them with him. While others think his focus on his looks might be an indicator of low self-esteem or compensation for any other insecurities, Abby is actually rather confident. He thinks it's hilarious if you draw funny smiley faces on any pictures of his abs, or joke about how conceited he seem to be.

Another fun headcanon I have is that he's the lead dancer, and thus tries to get you to dance some of the Saja Boys choreographies from time to time, since he came up with them himself. The fans love to see these videos of you two practicing Soda Pop and trying to mess each other's rhythm up for fun.

[venussaidso]

master gaslighters

Another Magha detail about Emily Nelson, from A Simple Favour, aside from her secretive/concealing nature, is her plan to get insurance 💵 after faking her death, her con-artistry supporting the purpose of Magha nakshatra.

Magha is associated with death and ancestors. It especially represents the receiving of blessings, wealth or assets from the dead. Her scheme and trickery is an inauthentic expression of this, and in the end, she fails.

Ketu can take everything away from even its natives, as she loses all the wealth and life she's built for herself by the end of the film.

But it's very interesting that in Another Simple Favour (2025), the synopsis describes her getting married to a rich Italian businessman, who is played by the Purva Bhadrapada Moon native Michele Morrone. This is probably after she gets out of prison, and is likely with him solely for his wealth to find her power again.

Typical Jupiter-Ketu.

Another scene, in the first film, where Anna Kendrick's character, Stephanie, visits a painter who was obsessed with Emily, it reveals Emily's lack of identity.

The reveal of her different names, and her personality being described differently implies that. Also the fact that she's literally a pathological liar... it reminded me of the series Inventing Anna, where the Ketu native, Anna Sorokin, is said to be described very differently by the multiple people who knew her. And it's revealed that she is also a pathological liar as well.

Just like Emily Nelson, Anna Sorokin conned simply for 💵.

And just like Emily, as indicated in the second film of A Simple Favour, Anna is reinstating herself in the socialite/wealthy circles.

It's very interesting that these Ketuvians scam with the purpose of their nakshatras. As Emily Nelson fakes her death to receive wealth (Magha), Anna Sorokin fakes being an heiress to scam money out of socialites (Ashwini).

I have already given fictional examples of Ketuvians being heiresses/being related to royalty (or something of significant legacy).

Even Ashwini Moons Cate Blanchett and Ingrid Bergman played heiresses, in the films Oscar and Lucinda & Gaslight (respectively).

For example, Nicola Peltz Beckham is a real billionaire heiress, and she has Ashwini Moon. And Hannah Bronfman, with Mula Moon, is another billionaire heiress. This makes sense as Ketu, especially through Magha, signifies receiving assets or inheriting titles etc. So it's very interesting that when it comes to Ketu scammers, money, titles, and assets are consistently the focus.

In Thor (2011), Loki literally scams Thor for the end goal of ruling. He triggers Thor's arrogance and subtly pushes him to storm Jotunheim and make war with its people, which gave Odin the perfect excuse to strip Thor of his power and banish him. Loki needed Thor out of the way to get the title of King of Asgard, and everything was going to plan.

When Loki visits Thor on Earth, he presents himself as a sorrowful brother who cannot help him return, further ensuring Thor stays powerless etc. — all classic con artist behaviour which involve exploiting trust, creating false narratives, and deceiving multiple parties for one's own gain (draining others in the process). Actually insane how I rewatched the movie and literally gagged. Ketu men are the most classic gaslighters and they play these archetypes so well when they're actors too. In the 1944 film Gaslight, Magha Sun Charles Boyer plays a husband who psychologically drives his wife insane which makes her have a nervous breakdown.

He schemes even further when he finds out that she's worth so much wealth. Now he wants to get rid of her in order to claim her wealth, same way Loki wanted to get rid of Thor to claim the throne.

Ketu being associated with the psyche, the subconscious mind, makes sense of this nature to understand exactly how to push someone's buttons psychologically and get them to do exactly what you want them to do (hence, the spellbound effect which is associated with vampires and cult leaders).

So when this scene came, it blew me because Loki has been psychologically pushing Thor into the very actions that fit his schemes and then he made him believe everything was his fault and then abandoned him to claim his "inheritance". So even though he grew up into wealth and royalty, it's still giving sneaky male gold-digger vibes.

[eldragon-x]

An aromantic reading of Deltarune and Kris Dreemurr

Pretty much what it says on the tin, just my interpretation of how the game and characters, especially chapter 2 and Kris, interact with romance, and how it coincides with the overall themes.

I've been meaning to write an essay like this for months and am trying to finally get it out less than a week before the next chapters of Deltarune come out.

Because of the time pressure, this isn't as throughout as I would've liked it to be and doesn't include screenshots, but I thought it's better to get my rough idea out than not at all, and I was afraid this might become even more daunting to write if I wait and the new chapters have even more material for this topic.

Warning for discussion of abuse and incest in relation to Snowgrave Route and speculation around Ralsei's relation to Asriel.

So, choice, autonomy, freedom, and lack thereof are some of the major themes in Deltarune that are reflected in the characters in various ways. I'm going to focus on the party members we had so far (Kris, Susie, Ralsei, and Noelle) specifically for the sake of this topic.

Kris lacks autonomy due to quite literally being controlled by the player via the soul. The exact how or why are unclear, but we do know that we are capable of acting against Kris' will and there have so far been three occassions of Kris removing the soul from their body in order to act without the players influence or knowledge.

Ralsei lacks autonomy because he is dedicated to a script. His entire purpose revolves around bringing the Deltarune prophecy to fruition, he insists Susie fight on his and Kris' side for it, he brushes it off when Susie points out how strange the Spamton Neo fight was, and he's shocked when things don't go how they're "supposed to" during the Snowgrave route.

On top of that, he's - for lack of a better word - a huge doormat, towards Kris/the player especially. Suggesting Kris should try to be merciful on their journey, but clearly only keeping it a suggestion. Offering that Kris can hit him if they want in response to them attacking his dummy?? Just generally being willing to put aside his morals and wellbeing for the player to a concerning degree.

Noelle lacks autonomy because she lacks the courage to stand up for herself and considers herself weak and helpless. She says Kris and Rudy are the only people she's able to say no to, her percieved powerlessness against Queen potentially reflects Noelle's concerning relationship with her mother, and through the Cyber City she relies on Kris to guide her and show her how the dark world works which is taken to an extreme in Snowgrave.

Susie on the contrary, is a character I would say represents freedom and choice in a way. She shuts down the player's choices and goes against the script on several occassions which makes her a strong foil to Ralsei. She first rejects her role of a hero of legend and instead joins Lancer, she's kinda weirded out by Ralsei's speech about how Darkners find fulfillment by assisting Lightners, she causes herself and Ralsei to be able to act, and she drags Ralsei along with her on the split path, questioning why everything should be up to Kris, the protagonist.

-

With that established, I now want to talk about Kris' relationships with these characters, especially in chapter 2.

Noelle and Kris are established to be childhood friends who drifted apart at some point.

It's significant that one of the important steps in the Snowgrave Route involves Noelle being unsure if they can even still call each other friends, saying they're "something else", and have Noelle think there's no good interpretation of that.

The Snowgrave Route is the Noelle Romance Route where you, essentially, force these two into the "childhood friends to lovers" trope.

People have already pointed out how Kris' and Noelle's dynamic in Snowgrave is framed like an abusive marriage. Noelle's main weapon here is a ring obtained through implying she and Kris are in a romantic relationship. Noelle relies on Kris to get "stronger" which only causes her to become more hesitant to speak up and afraid of losing control again afterwards. This is also so far the most blatant instance of characters noticing the player's presence in some way with Noelle talking about how Kris has been acting odd recently and they're unrecognizeable to her.

And, I might read too much into this, but I feel like there's something to be said about how the Kris + Noelle section of this route ends with Berdly - Noelle's closest friend who genuinely tries to look out for her when he notices she's in a bad situation - being frozen by Noelle. Friends are always second best when there is romance.

-

I wouldn't exactly call the normal route of chapter 2 the Ralsei Romance Route but it is the only route where Acid Tunnel of Love happens and I consider it sort of an equivalent to Snowgrave Kriselle when it comes to the romance aspect.

We don't exactly know how Kris feels about Ralsei, but they don't seem very fond of him, while Ralsei is almost desperate to please Kris and/or the player using Kris as a vessel, and is implied to have a crush on them/us.

And, I'm going to be blunt, having a character who is supposed to remind us of Kris' brother be implied to crush on Kris is a weird choice.

I've seen people say that these elements don't co-exist. That Acid Tunnel of Love doesn't actually have romantic undertones because Ralsei is supposed to resemble Asriel, or that Ralsei doesn't actually resemble Asriel because Acid Tunnel of Love has romantic undertones. But I just don't think that's true and it would feel insincere to me to try to "solve" this problem.

To be clear, I personally don't think Ralsei is Asriel or even has any familial relation to the Dreemurrs. What really matters to me here is that these elements are there and we currently lack the full context and maybe we just have to sit with the uncertainty and discomfort of it.

More precisely, we have to sit in the discomfort of it alongside Kris themselves, who rather cruelly has to sit through this ride, hearing Ralsei say that it's nice that they're themselves, and potentially comply with the players choice to hug Ralsei even though we know they don't like hugs, because we think it's cute.

-

Kris' relationship with Susie is very important. They seem to be closer to each other than anyone else really which is kind of wild when you remember they were still on bad terms a day ago.

I've mentioned how Susie represents the freedom of choice the most out of the main cast in my eyes, ironically partially because she takes away choices from Kris. But, seeing from a meta perspective that she's really taking away choices from the player, I believe she can become a gateway to agency for Kris, seeing how much she genuinely cares for them and how Kris themselves seems to trust her.

The ending of chapter 2 stands out to me in the context of romance in Deltarune and what it means for Kris and Susie. Specifically, when she asks who Kris would take to the upcoming town festival: Noelle or Ralsei. The two people who Kris is forced to have a "romance route" with depending on which route you play.

If you choose either of them, Kris will say it in a confused way and Susie insists that she meant nothing weird by it. If you don't respond, Kris stares at Susie "like a weirdo" and she insists she was just joking.

But if you pick Susie, there is no indicator that this is something Kris wouldn't say nor brings them discomfort. Susie complains that they're dodging the question and of course she'd be there if they went.

-

In conclusion, chapter 2 puts Kris in romantic situations which are clearly forced one way or another. Romance is "inevitable" and all characters involved lack autonomy in some way.

Susie is a character who has a lot of freedom comparatively, is never forced into a romantic situation with Kris, and Kris seems to be the most comfortable around her.

None of this inherently makes Kris aromantic of course, but it stands out how the narrative of chapter 2 seems to force romance upon them, partially through the player's hand, and frames it as something uncomfortable. And I would be surprised if this doesn't become a pattern in future chapters.

-

Some things I don't know where else to bring up:

I don't really know where to fit Berdly in the big themes of autonomy and freedom, but I want to note that he also looks up to Susie and I think him "crushing" on Noelle, realizing he actually just admired her as a friend, and then "crushing" on Susie as soon as he gains respect for her is extremely closeted aro teenager behaviour.

I'm not sure what this all means for Suselle specifically, so far the game has played them rather straight, but I defenetly think their relationship is gonna go through a lot and be further developed throughout the game.

[cheeseanonioncrisps]

One of the more interesting aspects of Stayed Gone is the implication that, prior to his disappearance, Alastor must have been producing some quality programming.

Despite it's obvious importance in the modern world, TV apparently only started outcompeting radio in Hell after Alastor vanished. Seven whole years ago. And when Al returns, Vox's first response is to freak the fuck out about whether he's gonna keep his audience.

That's fucking crazy.

And we can be pretty sure that people weren't just listening in out of fear, either. Or because Alastor was making any major effort to crush all other forms of media.

If this was purely about which Overlord was the most powerful, then Vox's verses would surely have focused on emphasising his own strength. Instead, they're all about calling radio outdated. Vox is genuinely worried— apparently based on experience— that Alastor is going to outdo him in terms of sheer entertainment value.

Which raises the obvious question: what were Al's shows actually like? (Aside from those early broadcasts guest-starting the screams of the damned, obviously.)

We get kind of a taster in the song:

“Salutations! Good to be back on the air. Yes, I know it's been a while, since someone with style treated Hell to a broadcast— Sinners, rejoice!— instead of a clout-chasing mediocre video podcast. Is Vox insecure, pursuing allure? Fitting between this fad and that, is nothing working? Every day, he's got a new format! Is Vox as strong as he purports? Or is it based on his support? He'd be powerless without the other Vees! And here's the sugar on the cream: he asked me to join his team! I said no, and now he's pissy, that's the tea!”

Obviously he's doing it to music, so there's going to be some difference in the cadence of his voice from that, but still, he's talking noticeably quicker than he does in person. And he gets right to the point.

Compare it to his commercial in episode 1. There's a big difference in terms of both how much respect he's showing his audience (“well hello there, you wayward sinner!” vs “good to be back on the air”), and how much relevant information he delivers.

Alastor is a great character to watch, but most people who interact with him directly seem to find the experience either annoying, awkward, terrifying or all three.

Mainly because Al seems to go out of his way to put people off even when he's actively trying to get them to trust him, by making condescending asides or constantly dropping references to his own power. On air, however, he greets everyone politely and even drops what is almost an apology for being gone so long (“I know it's been a while”), then immediately gets to the information that he knows they're really listening for.

Alastor may not respect Charlie, Adam or Lucifer, but he does respect his audience.

And the content he's producing makes it clear why people are still tuning in. Al has the gossip. Katie Killjoy and Tom Trench may not be unbiased exactly, but they're clearly trying to provide sources for their claims and maintain some veneer of professional news reporting.

Al, meanwhile, is quite happy to provide strong opinions and baseless speculation about public figures, content that is less fitting with the professional image that Vox seems so desperate to keep up, but that is likely to attract a bigger audience.

What gets me curious now, however, is wondering what else he used to provide.

Again, radio was apparently the medium for news and entertainment in Hell until Alastor left. Implying that a) radio was at the time fulfilling many of the function that TV now provides, and b) Alastor was involved enough in this that it collapsed/got overthrown the moment he left town.

Did Alastor have an empire similar to the Vees? Did he run a bunch of channels? Did he have DJs and sports commentators and presenters on his payroll?

Given that radio seems to have collapsed completely after he left— did they all go running to Vox when he was presumed dead? Was the Vees new empire in part built on the ruins of Alastor's old one?

Or did he do the whole thing solo and just run like, a bunch of different shows. (In which case, since radio's bread and butter has always been music, Helluva Boss fans can now have fun imagining him interviewing Verosika Mayday about ‘Vacay to Bonetown’.)

[eldritchneuro]

How to introduce your knife

Knives' main introduction in episode 3 starts with two of the oldest tricks in the book - or one, really, depending if we're counting the use of a code and the trope/convention it builds one technique or two.

The film language is not subtle. Whilst elements such as the massive amounts of gore, unsettling sound design and deep blue fog make for striking imagery, the star of the show is undoubtedly the classic low-angle shot, slowwww-ly tracking in to the diner entrance.

And I do mean track and not zoom. The camera movement here isn't stable, there's a couple of bumps and jerks that serve to imitate how someone would hold it in their hands, and it gives this scene the feel of a POV shot despite being so close to the ground. Tracking in also serves to accentuate the impact of the low-angle shot, since the angle at which you're looking up at something naturally gets more harsh as you get closer to it.

Low angles in film are typically used as a way to give whatever they're filming agency and power, which here means adding a significant element of intimidation to whatever's behind that door. And with the help of such a long cut, it plays into another very basic yet very effective technique - the classic horror trope that states that you don't show the audience the monster. Fear of the unknown reigns supreme.

This trope actually continues with Knives himself, with his big cocoon-blanket-hoodie-thing obscuring his body from the viewer. If it wasn't for the light glinting off of him, you could easily miss the guy at first glance. (Technically you could read that light above Knives as halo or eye imagery but ehhhhhhhhhh it's a stretch) Indeed, the focus of this shot seems to be less on Knives and more on the meat-grinder-ing of E.G he's just done here. That and the lighting. It's overwhelmingly bright, and a good quarter or so of the screen is just pure white. Obviously light = divinity and at this level of saturation, the implied higher power is so removed from humanity that we can barely look at it without averting our gaze.

And when we avert our gaze, the next thing we are drawn to in this scene is Knives. Touched by divinity, still alien, but not so much that we can't look at him. Keep in mind that there is a deliberate choice here to have Knives not be the one emitting light - he and Vash are emissaries of a higher power, not directly part of it.

This also contextualizes Knives' statement immediately after. There are two ways I see you could read this - either Knives is positioning himself as a god, and mocking E.G's poor attempt to worship him, or he is asking Vash if Vash shares a desire of his to converse with the divine. When taken together with the coding of the prior scene, there's an unstated question to the audience as to where exactly the twins fall on the scale between human and divine.

There's obviously something off about Knives here though. Partly through his alien costuming, but also from the fact that he seemingly cut a guy's arms off with an unseen super weapon and the incident of someone's limbs being separated from their body is such an unnoteworthy occurrence that he can't even be bothered to turn around from whatever he's thinking about as he sits at the piano.

Vash is so obviously emphasized as the opposite of his brother here. Outside of the blood, he's the only colour in the entire room, the only one with his weapon out and the only one of the twins visibly open and expressive. And he's so, so obviously powerless in this scene. It's a full doubling up on him film language wise, with him both isolated via the frame-within-a-frame of the door and the dirty shot to make sure Vash never gets to stand here in full view whilst simultaneously making Knives look gargantuan in comparison.

These two shots are utterly evil in their composition, and how the mise en scene of the blood on the wall lines up in such a way that it looks like it came from Vash's gun. There's not much to say that I haven't touched on before - Vash is boxed in by the roof above when Knives is in the open, Vash's posing is dynamic and he speaks in a panicked manner where Knives' is calm and composed. Knives is bathed in light and now we also get the addition of Vash being bathed in shadow, away from the divine whilst Knives is positioned far closer to it.

When Knives claims ownership of the plant, he also claims it as his property first, then corrects himself to him and Vash. Knives first, Vash second, the townspeople a very distant third place. Any opinion the plants themselves have on this matter isn't brought up.

For once we actually get a shot where Vash is framed as larger, which perhaps acts as a way to emphasize his convinctions and validate them as something that gives him strength. This is also the first time we see Knives in front of the window and thus not only casting his own shadow but blocking the light out, as if to suggest he isn't as holy as he thinks he is.

(I think there might also be a continuity error in this shot. The piano seems to have shifted forwards a bit to place in front of the window)

Once Knives asks Vash "who's side are you on?", he goes back to dominating the conversation however, and the scene shifts aptly. Knives is once again framed as large, Vash as small, although he's not quite as stifling as last time. The perspective doesn't have him blocking out any part of Vash's body, and the frame-within-a-frame consisting on the diner entrance around Vash is less noticeable. Vash has gained a little bit of power in this conversation, albeit by not much.

Then, when Knives talks of Vash's loneliness, it cuts to a shot of Vash by himself to match. Vash being so audibly and visibly panicked drives this home, because who could find company in someone who makes you so angry and scared, even if they are your own brother?

I have yet to come to a conclusion on why Knives' feet are such a large motif in the story, other then the fact that the foley artist probably had a blast with the 'bare feet on blood' sfx. Perhaps it's to show Knives as someone who walks literally on top of blood, not caring to look down at the pain and suffering below him.

Hands are also major motif throughout the story, and they're typical paired either with the gain or loss of connections. Here however, whilst Knives may connect with Vash literally, it's not a positive or typical form of connection. Instead, Knives' touch brings disconcertion, fragility and isolation, cracking Vash's gun and shoving him alone into the state of a confused vulnerable child, in what reads to me like a shockingly acute depiction of a dissociative flashback. If you removed all the sci-fi language, you could tell me this was an artsy depiction of a PTSD episode and I would probably believe you.

TL;DR: Knives is a creature with divine connections who believes himself more holy then he is and is also fucking terrifying, especially to Vash.

[shannonsketches]

I noticed that the element of the triforce that the individual characters are supposed to represent, is also their weakness. Zelda's wisdom is being stifled by doubt and lack of experience; she's eager to learn, but her zeal is not enough and relies on faith and Link to save the day. I'm not implying that wisdom and faith cannot go hand in hand, but she needs to be able to represent her element more. Maybe her wisdom is knowing when to wait and allow someone else to bear the task? But it takes away too much initiative from her. Ganon's element is power but he's the one who ends up losing almost every time. And Ganondorf on his own, isn't powerless! He's a king, he knows magic, he can wield almost any weapon, he's patient, conniving and intelligent and knows how to make best with what he has. He isn't weak! And yet, the whole split happened, because he was feeling powerless.

They locked themselves in a self-sabotaging cycle that's powered by doubt.

Yeah! So one of the reasons I really love the Triforce lore is that it’s a three-way mirror that reflects both what the user has and also what they need (very wizard of oz).

Ganondorf is a very powerful man, physically, and magically.

Politically, though, he’s next to helpless, which is an awful thing for a king to be. He’s a king of thieves in OoT, because the Gerudo are not a wealthy or thriving nation there. In-Game they don’t have a local living area like the other regions (or even a store — just one floating bombchu salesman in the middle of the desert) — they’ve got a post-war fortress full of guards, and a temple that is being used as a secret base Hylians can’t get to.

Consider also, Ganondorf is the most highly decorated of the Gerudo, and he’s not decked out in gold. He’s wearing mostly iron and topaz. Nabooru and Twinrova are the only ones who have gold fixtures/jewelry along with the higher ranked guards for their protective elements (which is why I think it could arguably be pale bronze or yellow brass, which is a common and highly durable gold alternative).

The Gerudo are implicitly just surviving in OoT, and Hyrule speaks of them like they’re monsters (except for the one guy in town who has a fetish). More than that, WW establishes that his real grief comes from the weather, which any mortal is powerless to control.

So Ganondorf is powerful as a person, but powerless as a king, which is literally the only thing he was born to be.

Be that as it may, though, he is a well-loved king, and a survivor, and a thief, so he also has to embody both wisdom and courage too!

Zelda is the most obvious mirror to Ganondorf. She is a very powerful woman politically and magically, but physically-- compared to Ganondorf -- she's terribly meek. That's the obvious read, that they're 1:1 Parallels, but her real weakness lies in her courage.

Zelda (in OoT) leans on her massive political power -- In the child timeline, she literally sees a foreign dignitary executed before he does anything wrong, based on a recurring dream she has.

Do you know how insane that is? Do you realize how powerful she is?

Ganondorf is not just some guy -- he's a foreign KING. He's a KING that a TEN YEAR OLD had EXECUTED based on VIBES.

And we think she embodies wisdom because her vibes were (as we, the audience know) correct. But it's actually because as an adult, she understands that none of it needed to happen that way. That the only reason Ganondorf was able to pull off his stunt and get the Triforce at all was because she tried to control the situation, sending Link to gather everything Ganondorf couldn't get himself and put it all precisely where Ganondorf needed it to be.

Despite being a child at the time, by the end of the story, by the time she's Sheik, Zelda is taking full responsibility for what happened, and is doing everything in her now extremely limited power to fix it. She's so sorry to need Link, and at the end of it all is desperate to give him another chance to be a kid, and to be innocent, and to be happy, because she realized so quickly that she never should've involved him, visions be damned. She knows none of it was his fault or his business, and she's mortified that she dragged him into it in her own attempt to control the weather.

These other two items shift in other games -- WW and Twilight Princess show us a Zelda with tremendous courage and very little power, physical or political. And then the Wild's era, despite removing the Triforce narrative, shows us a Zelda with immense power and terrible guilt and insecurity -- her power locked behind her fear, and she is only able to access both when she embraces courage.

Which brings us to Link.

Link, on the surface, is a third wheel in a chess game between ancients. But the reality is that he's the base of the prism. He's the foundation that reflects both of the others.

There are MANY different personalities for Link, and personally my favorite gag is that Link is simply too stupid to be scared, but that's just a gag -- because something I've come to really enjoy and respect about him is that he consistently displays fear. Link embodies courage because he is full of fear and chooses to fight anyway. Link leads a good life. He is comfortable, he has family, he has friends, he knows peace. What makes Link courageous is that he is willing to give up his access to all of that if it means that everyone else keeps theirs.

Link will lock himself in a room with the apocalypse if it means he's the only one who gets hurt, and it's not because he believes this is his sacred duty, or his life's purpose -- he'd much rather be at home chasing chickens around or riding his pony through some pretty scenic route -- it's because he is so full of love for other people that he's willing to give up anything to keep them safe.

Link's not very powerful, but he is also unburdened by any desire to be powerful. Link's not very wise, but he is unburdened by any desire to be wise. Link is content in who he is, Link is happy to keep things simple. But Link is so brave that he becomes a leader, which actually makes him the most dangerous of the three.

Courage, unburdened, is fucking terrifying. To both Wisdom and Power. Because, unlike Wisdom and Power, Courage is contagious.

Link can empower and inspire and reveal truths others might not have been able to find on their own. Link doesn't need charisma or brutality. Link can build armies just by being observed.

"But Sketches, you haven't really said anything about how Link reflects the other two." It's subtle! But he does. I see it like this:

• Ganondorf reflects Link's relentless determination, refusing to stand down in the face of impossible odds. In this way, they're connected by their power and courage. • Zelda reflects Ganondorf's burden of being born in a crown, forcing them to learn leadership, and how to use their recklessness strategically, as children. In this way, they're connected by their power and wisdom. • Link reflects Zelda's sense of love for the faceless innocent, and her dedication to protecting all who can't protect themselves. In this way, they're connected by their courage and wisdom.

Because the inherent configuration of the triforce requires those connections to be balanced -- Separately they are overwhelmed by their traits. Ganondorf is willing to sacrifice everything he is in order to reach his goals, Zelda is so pre-occupied with preventing prophecy she ends up instigating it, and Link is so ready to step in and help that he never considers the consequences.

Every single one of them, left to their own devices, would rather see themselves destroyed than fail those who may or may not be relying on their success. They're all very similar, highly reflective characters who all represent compelling foils for each other and yes, display how their unfettered strengths are also the thing that damage them most.

[freakenomenon]

YES HEIDHEUDJ THAT QUESTION WAS A JOKE

anyways REAL question

Do you have any Ellen-specific headcanons, thoughts, etc? Can be about anything, I just wish to know your interpretation of her!

EHE. I HAD A HUNCH ( the camera pans to a giant glowing vegas style billboard that says "autistic" pointing directly at me )

now , i have a LOT of Ellen-specific headcanons , interpretations and thoughts. that i do not have the energy to retype. so i think it would be best for me to just find all my favorites from other posts and put them here in sections.

starting with ;

Why I think AM calls Ellen pet names

within my own fucking delusion. id like to think its also because ellen is constantly talking about love ( at least from teds perspective in the short story ) and the fact that its remarked several times in her psychodrama as well as in the others descriptions of her. that she isnt as experienced socially as she is with her work ethic and her studies in general. not only because of her own beliefs, but likely because of societies view on her as a black woman as well. remarking on moments in her childhood where she felt mistreated because of it. "I curl up my lip, the way I practiced in the mirror for days when I was in seventh grade, so I could tell the kids in school to go to hell when they teased me."

"What purpose could you have here other than to steal something?"

" The question stirs up a lot of bitter memories from when I was a little girl. Sometimes, I'd go into a convenience store, and the clerks would think I was a thief just because of the color of my skin. " ( side note, alongside her being pushed aside and metaphorically spat at obviously for being a little black girl. ellen also gives me the vibes of an autistic person who was never told that they had any mental conditions simply because their parents, her grandparents in this case, didn't want them to "use it as a crutch" .. but thats just me )

perhaps even growing anti-social because of this, struggling with human connection and often seeing her own emotions as illogical, getting angry at herself for wanting to cry or for rushing into things. which are just. generally very humane things to do. and implied to render others as illogical for "wasting their minds" . her character background stating "she knew in a deeply superficial intellectual way that "a mind is a terrible thing to waste," i imagine that after her being assaulted, losing her husband , and their child. alongside the trauma within her childhood, LITERALLY watching people she loved die whilst in "the ghetto" ( its still so crazy to me that they never mention this in the GAME. ) , and her incredibly flawed views on emotional status. she detatched herself from personal connection more and more. not only out of a belief that she didn't NEED it , but out of a fear of being incapable. being undesirable unless the other person wants something out of her. after losing so much because of it, rendering herself as incapable of connection. running away from it as much as she did her emotional problems. they're illogical, hysterical, why should she waste her time with them? why should she waste her time with people. but, under AM. completely powerless with nowhere to run away. all she can do is take in everything and let it consume and destroy her. even if it is something that isn't initially meant to hurt her. words of love, of care. being treasured. alongside furthering her paranoia by telling her she should be afraid of the others. being reassured, with the wrong message. being coddled and warmed by words of affection, but still with the wrong intentions, by the wrong person. and she cant run away, she cant fight, she cant redirect her attention. kill em with kindness, i suppose. or torture them. that works too.

Thoughts on Ellen and Benny's relationship. ( get it , i made it purple. cause. lavender. lavender marriage. get it )

ill start off like this 

both ellen and benny have it the worst when it comes to the survivors alterations , not ted. ( EVERYONE BOOS ) as well as the fact that AM "hating everyone equally" is simply. a lie. and they're proof of that. its insane to me that , while picking apart everyone's personalities , their flaws , what makes them tick. AM specifically chose to mangle and dehumanize the only queer man , outwardly made him look like some sex-pest brute , and then stripped him of his identity in one fell swoop. As well as reduce the only black person and the only WOMAN to the overly emotional , hysterical , whore. 

it’s incredibly fascinating to me that AM not only reduced them both to the incredibly harmful stereotypes ALREADY forced upon them by the society he turned to rubble with the flip of a switch. But also stripped them of their ability to even express themselves within , and outside of those parts of their identities. I imagine that's why they are seen to be the closest ( element of their characters that i really hated being taken away in the game. benny would not have called ellen an idiot for being scared he wouldn't he wouldn't STOP )

I can’t help but imagine that the only reason benny would have “complied” or at least pretend to comply with the system the other men likely set up with ellen is to. shield himself , create a false narrative and hide the fact that he was gay to protect himself. which, is sadly incredibly accurate to how queer people in the real world often mask their identities to survive. having to conceal a part of themself that they can't change. its also worthy to note that while benny was able to mask , ellen can't just. cover up the fact shes a black woman , she cant hide or run away or deny what she is. and in her situation , she also can't run away from the consequences that come from. Merely existing. “Wrong.” and cant shield herself from the grief and mental strain that comes with that kind of dehumanization by avoiding the elephant in the room all together. 

in my head, ellen and benny didn’t start off. Actually having sexual encounters. i imagine benny tried to get into it the first time , and ultimately was uncomfortable. only to be slapped in the face with the notion of ellen. also being uncomfortable. and still feeling as though it couldn't be avoided. Both of them having this kind of “I only agreed to this because i thought it was what you wanted.” mentality. and actually becoming attached to each other as a result. without the mental burden of thinking that the other only views them as a sexual object

yknow

only to have that all swept from under their feet by AM.

seeing ellen wiping spittle from his mouth and holding his hand and trying to make sure hes safe is genuinely kind of heart wrenching when you think of it from less of a "oh shes the nicest of course shes doing that" and more of her. trying to keep the last scraps of her friendship with the only man who actually cared for her outside of what she can offer him alive , scraping and clawing to stay attached to what used to be her only equal. man.

Ellen's Favorite Foods

she often mentions particularly citrus-based / acidic fruits with sweeter tastes. as well as products with particularly bright flashy labels. so from what i can gather i imagine she has a massive sweet tooth , but a preference for natural sweetness instead of sickeningly sweet candies and such. for savory foods ?

i'd imagine she likes anything that doesn't take too long to make or , liking home cooked meals , they feel more hospitable and less. empty. but still shamefully finding herself indulging in the same sloppy takeout from down the street , just to fuel her body. knowing she can afford better for herself ,, but generally just not bothering to humor the thought.

i can see her repeat ordering orange chicken and sticky rice from whatever chinese place is the closest. burgers are too greasy, but she wont turn her nose up if its the only option. ....... she probably thinks olive garden is fancy. i think she'd enjoy pasta in general too!!! i dont know if drinks also count within this but she casually refers to gorrister's honky tonk as if it's something familiar , kind of implying she enjoys alcoholic drinks. probably liked ice tea considering she still remembers the commercials after 109 years. neutral on smoothies, thinks their consistency is tolerable at best. based on the mentions of fruit, she probably likes fruit juice. which is funny because most smoothies are just fruit juice but thicker.

Miscellaneous scenarios that i think i wrote during manic episodes ( half joke. )

in. the event of ellen and ted knowing eachother pre AM.

ellen can't legally hurt ted the way she wants to, she can't rid herself of him naturally without the emotional strain. he has her in an almost hostage like situation. go back to nothing, or stay with the creep. so she just. hurts him in a way thats cathartic in the moment. to ease her desire to rid herself of him. listening to the burning end of the cigarette sputter against him and scald the spot she mindlessly chose. followed by the sound of him hissing and choking down a sob. she tries not to think about how much he enjoys it. almost ashamed at the gratification she gets from looking at the scabbed over puckered blotches. still, she wonders how much he'll tolerate beyond that. at some point ellen takes a hold of teds hair and forcefully exposes his neck, he's stunned. unmoving as she stares intently at the collection of marks. pressing the lit end of the cigarette in the same area. it's attention, he'll take it. she thinks. unhappy knowing how correct she is.

―――

thinking about ellen and AM. do you think that he takes her to the side sometimes after months of plaguing the survivors with famine and feeds her. feeds her something raw and gory. only as a way to dehumanize her. to watch her cry and thank him for the bare minimum, shuddering over a pile of disgusting muscle and tissue. giggling as she sobs through bloody teeth. even through all the gagging and illness. the humiliation of being treated like a dog. she's thankful. grateful, even. another moment of what she can only process as kindness or generosity,, despite the brutalization of her pride and her self worth.

still in hysterics, he stifles laughter as she regroups with the others. still filthy and reeking of blood. its degrading. unbearable. and still. AM knows she'll come back and do it all over again. just to feel the minimal endearment. the favoritism. special treatment at the cost of her dignity. a taste of the scum of what raw humanity is like

... i think that's it.

im gonna go eat.

[cruyuu]

Since the official art of them came out, I've seen some very hilarious takes about Yuuji and Sukuna. Some people coping HARD. "Yuuji is forcing him" Well gee, since when can he force Sukuna to do anything? Or is Sukuna that powerless against him? Even in Yuuji's domain, Sukuna didn't have to catch a damn crayfish or do archery, but he did, mind you all this happened BEFORE Yuuji said he could kill him (and even when this happened, he had support from Nobara). He's like, "ahggg fine I GUESS I can do this" lmao. In the official art, he's the one leading the dance. For what reason? Gege didn't have to draw them with their fingers intertwined, with Sukuna's arm around Yuuji's waist, and yet. Why have all this with the snow falling around them? (Yes the cat might be pandering, that's another valid reason) Right after we have the epilogue with Yuuji saying he still likes the snow and it's special to him?

"B-but he doesn't like Yuuji!" Well Sukuna called Yuuji by his full name when he was turning to dust. Have we forgotten that that's an indication that Sukuna respects someone/a sorcerer? Is it not significant going from "brat" to "Itadori Yuuji"? I'm guessing this does not apply to Yuuji then lmao. Also, I'm not saying Sukuna loves him or likes him like he loves, idk, fighting. But he at least recognized Yuuji. Another thing is that people forget that Sukuna usually says one thing and does another. Isn't this what Mahito implied? He literally called Sukuna a liar and he was like "Yeah so lmao". Their change/development is subtle, but it's there. Isn't the end of the fight an indication of this? Actually, Sukuna had an existencial crisis during this BECAUSE of Yuuji lol. For all his faults, I think some of Gege's strongest points in JJK are Yuuji and Sukuna. Sorry for the long rant btw!

Hi anon! Let me rant along with you!

I'm not on that app but I did see several posts here on Tumblr about how "there's suddenly so many skit shippers don't these ppl know that's a horrible ship" like bruh. Do you not realize Yuuji came from a brain inhabiting his mother's corpse? That Yuuji isn't even human? Are they not aware they're reading a work which isn't suitable for children?

Most are coping because sukuita is a problematic ship yet it's getting a lot of spotlight. Hell, Gege had drawn them dancing in the snow together on love day. "Yet they're related!! How could Gege :(". Well... they could lol. They clearly don't give a shit (and I say good for them!)

That's also the big issue to these ppl. Idk if they ship Yuuji with someone else and are mad that his "reincarnated uncle (grand uncle)" got the lovely romantic official art. Let's also not forget that Yuuji practically promised his forever to Sukuna. The finger that he's missing is literally the marriage finger. Am I to blame for that? Nope. Gege wrote it like that and I'm just pointing it out.

Dunno why that's stopping them from shipping their Yuuji ships. If canon's an issue, just focus on non-canon. No need to go shit on skit shippers lmfao

As for the arguments you've mentioned:

"Yuuji is forcing him"

Yuuji had also forced him to become so obsessed with tearing down his ideals and forced him to be in his close proximity while he's fighting him. He also forced him to call him brat and constantly think about him even while fighting others. The power Yuuji holds is, after all, that strong. He even forced him to change his own viewpoint and got him to hold his waist in that official art because he's now capable of using abilities which allow him to control Sukuna's actions. 👍

"B-but he doesn't like Yuuji!"

I think the right sentence is: he's obsessed with hating him so much so that it can't even be about hate anymore, it has to be that he's just in denial and that he loves him. There's a thin line between love and hate, after all. Who in their right mind spends so much time talking and thinking with delight about how someone-who-they-hate's abilities had improved? Who in their right mind changes their ways after their enemy confesses that they'd like to spend forever with them?

Their change/development is subtle, but it's there. Isn't the end of the fight an indication of this? Actually, Sukuna had an existencial crisis during this BECAUSE of Yuuji lol. For all his faults, I think some of Gege's strongest points in JJK are Yuuji and Sukuna. Sorry for the long rant btw!

Nice points and no need to be sorry, anon. It's hilarious how some ppl can't see it and are actively ignoring it lol. These two are tied to each other and are totally in love and to say otherwise is just ridiculous imo.

[ineffable-endearments]

Crowley and His Plants in Season 2

I've got this complicated post about Aziraphale and the bookshop brewing, but I want to give Crowley and his plants their own post.

It's really important that Crowley hung onto his plants for juicy characterization and symbolic and thematic reasons. It's a major character development portrayed with relative subtlety, an excellent example of Showing, Not Telling, and I think it's a thrilling sign for Crowley's character development.

Before having a chance to think about it, I thought keeping the plants in his car was a funny and odd - but sweet - detail to include. In fact, it was so sweet that it was one of those "felt like fanfic" things!

In Season 1, and in the novel, the plants were very much there for trauma reenactment, for Crowley to vent his hurt and fear and anger and betrayal onto. In a sense, they seemed to be Crowley's way of roleplaying with himself, if we assume they were only sentient because Crowley thought of them that way. Through the dynamic of yelling at his plants, which he assumed could understand him, Crowley could emotionally act out both the terrified, powerless plant (subconsciously) and the big scary entity threatening it with destruction (consciously).

If we take everything at face value, we can also guess that Crowley disposed of plants that he no longer liked because of their imperfections, which would seem to imply he didn't have much of an attachment to them. Where they went doesn't matter that much to this particular line of theorizing. He could have given them to his elderly neighbor, he could have plunked them in a community garden, he could have left them on a doorstep, he could have shredded them in the garbage disposal. In any case, they were gone from his kingdom.

And after Season 1, I wondered if he would care to keep the plants if he wasn't using them to act out trauma anymore.

But in Season 2, the plants are in fact the ONLY thing from the flat that Crowley has hung onto as he moved into his car. Sure, it's possible that he has other possessions squirreled away somewhere and he just carries the plants around because they need sunlight, but most of the other possessions go unmentioned, so we have to guess that the plants are specifically important. They're also important enough to follow him into the bookshop and back to the car instead of just staying in the car for the trip to Edinburgh.

We also don't see a single instance of Crowley berating the plants in Season 2, but they do still express his emotions somewhat (shaking when he's afraid). He still has whatever subconscious connection to them he was experiencing before. Notably, there's at least one scene where a brown spot is visible on a plant, so whatever Crowley's doing, he's not getting rid of the plants like he used to.

This seems like an obvious example of Crowley's attachment to Earth condensed into a handy symbol. Crowley has started to admit to himself that he cares about these helpless living things, that he just likes them for their own sake. They're not a sign of a job well done for Hell. They're not a memory of Aziraphale. They're not a tool to make life easier or numb the pain. They're just Life On Earth and Crowley likes to have them.

Crowley has gone from using his plants as a tool for trauma reenactment to holding onto his plants because he has a genuine attachment to them. And, for a character whose arc I believe is going to involve forming more outward connections to others, that's a big deal.

Crowley's still got a ways to go. He's carrying these plants around, but the Bentley can't be an ideal environment for them. The whole process of driving them around, not to mention bringing them in and out of the bookshop, has to be kind of awkward for Crowley, too. It's very reminiscent of a character whose attachment to Earth is ambivalent, but who is moving in the right direction.

I wonder what'll happen next. His progress could be relatively linear, wherein he just goes off and forms more connections to humans on Earth after Aziraphale goes back to Heaven.

My suspicion, though, is that he will return to Hell with the specific goal in mind of thwarting the Second Coming and possibly trying to bring the entire system crashing down. In this way, Crowley experiences a massive setback in his position (he wants to be on Earth, not in Hell!) but is actually demonstrating a redoubled dedication to Earth and humans, so what he's doing is not backsliding. Compare it to Season 1, when Crowley is charged with delivering the Antichrist and complains, as late as the Antichrist's 11th birthday, that he didn't want to be involved, that Hell shouldn't have chosen him - when Hell choosing Crowley was the only reason he was ever in a position to try to thwart Armageddon.

But that's a lot of speculation. The point is, the plants are a meaningful connection to Earth and Crowley is taking care of them.

[blushingdread]

((Thank you for answering! I love your take on Oppy and Hero. Adorable!!! 🥰))

Ok, one more question, and I'm done! Promise!

Now, Cold is, of course, deeply detached from emotions. But emotions are sticky confusing things. Cold (I believe) absolutely does care for the others and LQ. He doesn't care about dying because it doesn't really matter to him, and they seem to come back again anyway. It's a non-issue.

But what if the voices were all separate? What if death is permanent? And, what if it was someone he was close to?

Would he morn them? Would he pretend that it doesn't matter and sweep it under the rug with all other emotions he feels? Would he miss their presence in his life?

((This might be a bit disjointed, and I don't know if it even makes sense. I just like to think that Cold is low-key protective over the things and people he considers *his*))

No problem! I love rambling about my headcanons!! You can send me as many asks as you'd like, though I probably won't answer them quickly like I'm doing rn

I agree that Cold cares about the others, in Molment of Clarity when they were all saying things exactly opposite to how they usually are (I'm done fighting, my heart feels quiet, the fear is gone, ect) Cold says "I'll be free of all of you." Which implies that he usually likes them. Peek fiction. You get confirmation that he cares when he gets sick of them

I think the main reason he likes them so much despite... being himself is connected to the fact that Cold is most in tune with TLQ's godly nature. Something about that connection makes him loyal to them. The other reason is their free enrichment and amusing

Side headcanons, but think Cold would be the only one who would be like okay after getting his own body. Everyone else would kinda hate it. They're all so unused to being alone that I think it would freak them out. However, perma death would fuck him up. You mean to tell him that he has his own body and he can't even have some nice alone time with a hacksaw for fun?? There are so many things he can't try out now because they would kill him. He'd still be invested in trying a bunch of new things, but would be deeply annoyed at the limitation

As for the actual question. Would he mourn them? Show deep sorrow or regret for their deaths? No. I feel like he'd process death in a similar way that I do. When they first die, he skips straight to acceptance. I can see him saying something like, "They're gone. If we can die, then we eventually will. You should make peace with this fact." It's not like he doesn't care at all. He doesn't like the fact that one of them are gone, but death is final, its already over. At most you'd get a "What a shame." Out of him

Then, years later, and I don't mean like two closer to four, when he least expects it, he thinks something like, "Oh, they would have liked this." And it all hits him. He wouldn't cry or anything, hell I don't even think he'd really be sad, more like the absence of whoever died would suddenly become glaring and obvious, and it would annoy him. Primarily, he'd be annoyed that they're gone and annoyed at himself for being annoyed. Eventually, he'd settle back into acceptance, but this time, he's actually processed the fact that their gone and how he doesn't like that

(I think Cold would only get protective in situations like tMoC levels of trauma on the line. He doesn't want them to be that ever again. It makes them more annoying than usual and makes him feel powerless. -10/10, doesn't like it)

[vickyvicarious]

When a couple of hours had passed I heard something stirring in the Count's room, something like a sharp wail quickly suppressed; and then there was silence, deep, awful silence, which chilled me. With a beating heart, I tried the door; but I was locked in my prison, and could do nothing. I sat down and simply cried.

This is heartbreaking, of course.

But all the more so because it implies that Dracula didn't just come straight in through a window and hand over the child to be eaten. This time is different from before in several ways, all of which seem designed to taunt Jonathan with his own powerlessness even more.

The feeding itself appears to be happening in the Count's room, right by Jonathan's. Or at the very least, he came in through his own window, and then silenced the child and carried it away to be eaten elsewhere. Previously, he seems to have come back in through his own window and then walked through the castle to deliver the baby to the vampire women, but I don't think they were actually supposed to be in that room either. I suspect they're meant to eat down where they sleep usually, because then it's easy for Dracula to come in his own window and go down the stairs to deliver their meals more in the chapel area. There's also a ready place to dispose of a body there if I recall correctly. So Dracula coming in through his own window isn't necessarily any kind of taunt so much as his own standard procedure. But the children being so quiet while they are carried in the bag suggests some kind of hypnotic control to me, or at least gagging/smothering them somehow - they'd be wailing or screaming for help on the trip over too otherwise, instead of only making any noise when the bag is opened. So the fact that Jonathan hears a cry, even if it is quickly silenced, suggests to me that some amount of feeding or at least 'unwrapping' is happening right next door to him. Where he can hear (and then hear the even more horrifying absence of sound) but not reach, thanks to his locked door.

But Jonathan's door was not locked when Dracula left. I suppose it's possible that Dracula ordered the vampire ladies to ensure he was closed up in his bedroom before he returned, and the hypnosis scare was just their way of doing so. I don't really believe that though, because a) Jonathan's breaking free seemed genuine, and b) Dracula doesn't seem to trust them to get that close to him as a rule. I suspect their little dust dancing was not quite allowed, any more than they were supposed to look at or touch him even when he went out of bounds before.

So that means that Dracula probably came back and then locked Jonathan in afterward, right? In which case, he would likely be carrying the child right up to Jonathan's door with him, right up to the very threshold where Jonathan could try to intervene - and then locking him in so he couldn't.

And this is all on top of the mindfuck inherent in Dracula dressing up in Jonathan's clothes to go out and do this. Not only did Dracula ruin any local credibility as a human Jonathan may have had left after months imprisoned in his castle, not only did he potentially create 'eyewitnesses' to Jonathan posting his letters, not only did he potentially convince a mother that Jonathan was the one who kidnapped and killed her child... on top of all that, he did all this in Jonathan's own clothes. He did all this just - but only just - out of reach.

Jonathan sits down and simply cries. Because there is nothing at all he can do, and he has been made brutally aware of this again and again and again. And all this happens even before the mother chases after. Imagine how aware of both their helplessness he was. He knew her child was already dead before she even arrived. He knew she wouldn't believe him if he tried to tell her anything, he knew he couldn't save her either. He couldn't do a single thing, and she blamed him for that, and despite being forced into this inactivity on some level perhaps he blames himself too. Perhaps he is jealous of her - the bravery to act despite certain death being the result of acting; and the release that death brings. But he still wants to live, even if he has no hope he will. And he also surely is aware that Dracula would take personal care of his death or at least give him to the vampire ladies, that his fate would be the same as her child, and his soul would be forfeit as well as his life.

Meanwhile, Dracula didn't even care enough to go down and kill her himself. She was utterly disposable to him, not even of interest as sustenance. It's so deeply utterly cruel - but perhaps Jonathan is a bit jealous of that as well.

[greenboyfriend]

choose a fish to fill you with whimsy & glee! (tarot reading)

"what can you look forward to?" image 1: this guy's got it all figured out. he's able to breathe above water due to the bowl of water superglued to his face. one might even assume he has prosthetic legs, or perhaps even feet... image 2: the ideal male figure... you may not like it, but it's a fish with a broom as a tail and no internal organs. image 3: a fish that doesn't resemble anything in particular. no... not at all! image source not everything may resonate with you, and that's ok! take what does & leave the rest. don't force it.

1.・。.・゜✭

you guys!!! there is something very wonderful in store for you, so long as you’re able to get yourself out of this rut! you may be feeling powerless, suffering some sort of attack, and being forced into the role of the victim. however! justice means to tell you that there is a major change that must be made on your part. instead of letting yourself be victimized, take action! use those emotions you’re feeling to tackle this challenge with passion– take that risk!! don’t be afraid to get creative, too. above all, and no matter what it takes, you’re going to need to address this, and with confidence.  in a broader sense, this situation is teaching you how to overcome a fear of yours. maybe you’re not the best at asserting yourself, but that’s ok! we’re all learning!! take this as a step in the right direction.  the extremely right direction, i might add, as the 9 of cups and justice seem to imply, this will be a very fruitful endeavor for you. the 9 of cups is often referred to as the “wish” card, because it represents having your wish fulfilled. after you take action, i see this result leaving you feeling quite pleased with yourself, and even a little smug! as you may know, justice is no card to be trifled with, so keep in mind that the actions you take regarding this situation will heed important results. do what you know is right and believe in yourself! you can do it!!! all of these cards are reversed-- except 10 of swords-- indicating that they're meant to inform your future actions (in the next few days, or next week). so don't worry if you haven't thought about it too much yet. but please remember that justice does not play! believe in yourself, you'll know when the time is right. there is some 18+ info beyond this point... click the link to read the rest but be warned its literally 2 sentences and NO ONE UNDER 18 SHOULD fucking READ IT! /srs link

(10 of swords, page of wands reversed, 9 of cups reversed, justice reversed)

2.・。.・゜✭

hello my silly little broom fish. you’ve been working hard! if you haven’t, expect to work hard soon! you will be taking on a new project or adventure, which will require your full attention. i’m thinking, some of you guys might be taking a new class, or be receiving training of some kind. you’re going to need to put your all into this! you may already have an idea of what to expect, but some things will be new, too. take the time to really get into the minute details, tie up loose ends, and recheck, then rerecheck, and rererecheck just for good measure.  this may also be a way for you to expand your horizons, and become a leader. if you have a good idea, share it! you may end up showing others the way, and being a representative of some kind. remember, though, to be painstaking about this, and really brush up on those fine details.  along the way, make sure you’re keeping yourself on course. if you need a moment to reflect and think about where you’re going, consider it a part of the process. while it is also a good idea to consider other perspectives, keep in mind that you’re here for a reason. you may have to assert your position & really push for your way of doing things. again, if someone else has an idea, don’t underestimate it, but don’t underestimate yourself, either! this may take the form of having to resist authority, and you may have to be firm. in doing this, you may also be able to reap a reward of some kind! remember, there are so many people in the world that would push for their perspective no matter what, even if they haven't researched it at all. based on the 8 of pentacles, you most certainly have researched, so believe in yourself! make that stand!!... well, when it comes to. all of these cards are reversed, so this situation is likely to come into fruition in the future-- in the next few days, or possibly next week. mull over it for a while. when you start to see the signs, seize your opportunity!

(8 of pentacles reversed, 3 of wands reversed, 7 of pentacles reversed, 7 of wands reversed)

3.・。.・゜✭

ok go off!!!! or somefin it’s time to commit to that regimen. whether that’s eating healthier, taking more time for yourself, or, if you’re like me, trying to practice more self kindness, creating an organized structure/routine is likely to help. so, for example, i’ll take my own life into account: i’ll often think certain thoughts can make me feel bad about myself without me totally realizing it, and lately i’ve been trying to change how i talk to myself. i use a systematic approach, in that i recognize the thought, then force myself to replace it with a positive one, instead. it seems silly at first, but the more that i stick to this method, the more success i’m seeing! this is just my example, but can be applied to your own situation! it’s always tough to start something new, but a month or two in, or maybe even a week, you see improvement. & it’s ok to make mistakes! you may be focusing too much on what you lack, or your shortcomings. there may also be setbacks keeping you from achieving your goals, or maybe you’re convinced that you made the wrong decision.  know that it’s always darkest before the dawn!! you may be in a bad place right now, and if you are, consider how you can make things easier on yourself. instead of letting yourself be a martyr, or feel powerless, do what you know will make you feel better. like that new god forsaken ariana venti song, be your own damn best… friend. it’s wise counsel. both of the readings above this are about the future, but for you, i think this is very much about the present. with all cards facing you except temperance, there is a story unfolding, where you complete some unfinished business, and find peace. the peace part is likely in the future, with it being reversed and all, but the time for action seems imminent, or already happening. i think you probably know what you need to do. whatever those plans are that you’ve been sitting on, make them happen! i just keep getting “declare yourself openly”!!! so do with that what you will.  you may even discover some sort of missing truth, keeping you from seeing things fully. you may also be swept up into the tides of change, and witness all the elements fit seamlessly into place. so hey! enjoy!

(the emperor, 5 of cups, 8 of wands, 10 of swords, temperance reversed)

[turtlesocksv2]

Let's talk Fate

ok for #kpanniversary2024 the first prompt is Fate and boy howdy is that a good one to start a rewatch with. Because from the very beginning, as soon as Kinn and Porsche crossed paths there was only one way it was going to play out. In fact, even before that, Porsche's fate was sealed as soon as he was born and here's why:

Porsche was always going to end up in the Theerapanyakul family one way or another. Nampheung was basically kidnapdopted when she was child by Grandpa T, was raised by him, grew up with Korn and Gun who both end up in love with her (or at least psychosexually obsessed with her). And when she was old enough she got out of there. She married a man and had (what we assume to be) an ordinary life for at least 8 years. But here's the thing: Nampheung never actually got out.

Nampheung was allowed her little housewife cottagecore daydream by Grandpa T. I call it that kind of dismissively, we don't know anything about her life, actually, maybe she had a highpower job, etc etc. but the point is that as soon as Grandpa T decides to call her back home, back to the Theerapanyakul Mafia, she is powerless to stop it. In the flashbacks we see of the moment Porsche's dad died, The things that really sticks out to me are these 3:

1: Gun and Korn both came to visit and in at least one version, they are there at the behest of Grandpa T who wants to see Nampheung.

2: Pat says that they will never go back to that house and that the family is rotten. (which implies that Pat also has a connection to the family, I am a 'Pat was Nampheung's bodyguard and they ran away together' truther and this leads into the last point and perhaps the most significant

3) Porsche was hiding in the cabinets when Korn and Gun are there. Now, I don't know about how your family operates but i'm pretty confident that isn't exactly normal behavior when your family has guests. Like, little kids are usually pretty excited to have company, especially people who grow up to be as extroverted and gregarious as Porsche is. Korn and Gun are obviously unaware in the moment that Porsche is hiding. Pat probably knows because I'm convinced that this is a safety drill they'd run many times. Nampheung and Pat knew that someday, Grandpa T's generosity would run out, or he'd die, and the Theerapanyakuls would come calling again. They were trying so hard to keep Porsche out of that life, but it was never going to happen. If they'd lived, Korn and Gun would show up to darken their doorstep at some point. And since they died...well, how did that turn out, hmmm?

Porsche (and Chay but lmao Korn and Gun don't give a single fuck about Chay so we'll just ignore the baby for now ) ends up in the guardianship of an unreliable gambler under the thumb of loansharks. Porsche ends up in illegal street fights to make money. He is being pushed in the Theerapanyakul's direction. Make no mistake, at some point the loan on his house was going to end up in Theerapanyakul hands, or Chan was going to come up to Porsche after a fight, and that would be that. There is no world in which Korn lost track of his beloved Nampheung's sons, not when he's so obsessed with her he has her locked up in his attic. Gun, at least, has the excuse of thinking Porsche and Chay are dead along with their parents. Korn was just playing the long game.

Is it fair to call it fate when it's being orchestrated by someone? Well, I guess that depends how far back you think the hereditary curse goes.

It was never about Kinn and Porsche at all. Nampheung knew it was always going to end here. She tried to stop it. It didn't work. She was never going to get out. Her sons were never going to get out. And now they're more enmeshed than if she'd never tried at all. Sounds like fate to me.

[pineforestfox]

HAVE SOME OPINIONS ON ZABA:

Long-

Flip:

GREAT SONG, 10/10, I feel like it's actually a rlly good intro to the album. It's intense, probably to make the listener listen to the rest of the album which is smart. "I was in full bloom until I met you, I'm gonna shake my feathers. I'm breaking loose" seems like it's implying abuse/manipulation in some form tbh. "I wanna go back to a face, no more mask" they're tired of having to hide how they feel/of walking on eggshells. They're spreading they're feathers and leaving, breaking loose. Powerful and the music just makes it sm better.

Zaba and Cosmo sheldrake's music have a similar vibe tbh- except Cosmo Sheldrake is Yonkagor abt fish (basically like rlly interested in/has a fish or ocean refrence in most songs/albums)

ALSO LIKE EVERY SINGLE SONG HAS A REFRENCE TO FEATHERED WINGS/BIRDS?

Black mambo:

"Slow down it's a science, he's been waiting to bring you down. Snake eyed, with a sly smile. We can hold you, and shake you child" GIVES ME CHILLS. another great song!! You kinda have to listen to it on full volume at night by yourself for it to hit better than it usually would but OH MY GOD ITS SO GOOD. It's probably referring to drugs, 'its a science [...] Waiting to bring you down [...] Snake eyed with a sly smile' It's a science (makes you feel a certain way), waiting to bring you down (that eventually leads to a downfall) snake eyed, with a sly smile (it's got you. It's got you in it's grasp and is smug about it.) We can hold you, and shake you child (it's got you, it's holding you. You can't leave. It shakes you, shaking someone usually makes them feel dizzy and/or powerless) this song is just wow ngl, rlly good but I can see it getting dismissed by someone if not listening to it in the right conditions

Something about most Zaba songs is that they aren't exactly a 'casual listen' most of the time, the meanings are so deep and complex that it feels like a crime to take lightly (for me)

OH ALSO, if you listen to the full album in succession, until you've listened to the songs separately/listened multiple times you might not know where one song ends and another begins. It's very good at blending the songs together

Pools:

Not as much to say about this song, it was one of the first Zaba songs I listened to though. I like the song, alot. I have however seen people's theories on the meaning and kinda agree kinda disagree. It definitely seems to be about a good/loving relationship gone wrong, perhaps due to the singer only smiling because he wants to. I feel the line "open to a world of noise" IN. MY. SOUL. A world of noise is very accurate, but I feel it probably has some deep meaning and I'm taking it too literal. "I smile because I want to, I smile because you want to" probably means that he's smiling because he knows his partner expects it, maybe he's decieving his partner with his voluntary smile somehow

Gooey:

I gotta say, I liked it alot more the first time I listened to it. I relate to the "I can't take this place, no I can't take this place, I just wanna go where I can get some space" alot, it's how I feel VERY often. The song sounds like overstimulation. Perhaps they're drunk? Idk, but for me it's more like this being is sensory overload and is struggling to cope with having to do this. "Truth be told, I've been here I've done this all before" they're fresh out of the womb, and already overwhelm feels familiar. They're probably in constant stress or going to develop some form of anxiety if it continues. "I say 'I told you so' but you just gonna cry" (foreshadowing) They said "I told you so" they predicted whatever happened to the one who's crying (anxiety, overthinking about the future). Anyways singer is upset and overwhelmed as soon as they set foot into the world. There's probably more/alot deeper meanings than this but I feel one of the messages is: the world sucks.

Walla Walla:

THIS SONG. ITS ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITES. Ok first off, it starts with "I'm a little naked man" WHICH IS A REFRENCE TO GOOEY BECAUSE THAT ONE STARTS WITH "-my naked fool, fresh out of the icky gooey womb" SO THIS SONG IS A FOLLOW-UP TO GOOEY. Which is so yes because it's the next song in the album after it. Also "I'm a little naked man, I saw you there looking sad" it's the '-but you just gonna cry' person!! (I picture them as a young girl for some reason so I'll probably refer to them as a she) So naked man then goes "honey, honey, it's alright" and THEN proceeds to say "-these creatures are alive".. creatures. Which is another interesting thing because THIS WHOLE SONG sounds like a threat. A warning. There's danger. There's danger, we're in the jungle and there's threats everywhere. These creatures are alive. Alive and will get you if you cry too loud. Then he says "I clap my hands, and they're gone into the night" probably a lie, just trying to reassure/try to make the young girl feel better. The whole song's vibe is anxiety/stress inducing. Personally I've gotten STOMACHACHES and HEADACHES listening /info. It's a good song and definitely one of the best in the album imo. It's such a jungle vibe. THEN. THE BIT TOWARDS THE END. MY FAVOURITE BIT OF THE SONG. So the final chorus is playing, the music is more textured, alot more sounds and layers. All while saying "Take my hand" 16 times one after the other. Then there's an AWESOME instrumental, which just sounds like naked man had grabbed young girl's hand and is now running. Running from danger. Because there is danger everywhere. Take my hand, you will not survive. And in the instrumental you've got noises of wild theriform animals, in a threatening way. You are prey, run. And then he says take my hand 16 more times, in an almost pleading voice. A desperate voice. And the song is just a masterpiece. You have to have listened to it to understand what I'm saying but it's genuinely incredible. Again, not really a casual listen.

Intruxx:

Not much about this, again. It's just music. But the MUSIC is actually incredible. Throughout the song you can hear 'wa-walla, Walla walla' repeated over and over. It's another jungle vibe and I think it's after the events of Walla Walla (clearly). It very much sounds like an escape. I'm not sure, you'd had to listen to it to understand. It's definitely a transition song, but imo it's a very good one.

Anyways I'm ending it here I wanna scroll more

[anton-the-cock]

wrote a reply but then decided that i do not want to engage with people butt i've already wrote two paragraphs, so I'll post it here separately

Context:

Reply:

Not really, though. Right-wing influencer will humiliate men (really, they'll just dig their claws into insecurities that are already there, like beauty products ads for women) but then offer a solution which is, of course, the product they're selling + fascism. Leftists will humiliate men ("grow up") and then give such general advice that no one is capable of following it. "Find a useful role in a society" is unclear and difficult. "Treat women like people" implies that the young man is at fault for his predicament and have been an asshole his entire life (he might have been but it's tough to admit everything is your fault). "Women suck and only want alphas" creates an understandable world where young man is either powerless (he can't change women's nature or become alpha) which frees him of the burden of responsibility, or has an easy solution ("Buy my shit to remove soy from your blood"). It also affirms that he is not at fault, and all people desperately want to hear it

The major difference isn't that men like to be humiliated (really, both sides humiliate men quite a lot), but the solution they provide them with. The general advice vs something they can actually believe in and follow (even if it is extremely unproductive and only breeds deeper depression that makes them more reliant on the dumbass advice from the right wing influencers)

The thing is, people like the easier way, they like clarity, and they like to blame someone else (capitalism?) Can you dumb it down, be clearer and make a person accept responsibility for their life while staying honest to your leftism?

So, in conclusion, this post was neither a clever comeback nor insightful. It's just a typical "dunking on my opponents", which is like, fine. Enjoy your moral superiority, I don't mind. I am overthinking stupid memes again. I am annoying and hate humor