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accio-victuuri · 7 months

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Sugar Rush : October CPNs

This was an insane month to say the least, I’m not even exaggerating. Things happened that will go down in fandom history. Our detective skills in looking for places and trying to piece a story was tested and the clowning was at it’s peak. I would have to say that by far, this year, it’s this month that generated lots of noise. Both sides were just throwing sweets at us and we can’t even keep up.

It also proved once more the charm of turtle cpns and why context, history and time is important to fully enjoy a candy:

“The charm of turtle candy is that it is incomplete. It is not a one-time solution. You feel suspicious at the beginning, but you are more sure later, and then at some unknown moment in the future, you suddenly get it. The correct answer, everything forms a closed loop, it's so cool”

• YH poster for WYB is from a BJYX fansite

• On 10/1, there has been some talk about WYB’s hair hiding beneath his beanie when he arrived at the airport to Paris. People’s guess is that he is blonde. Some people are connecting it to the blonde character in the XZS vlog.

People are free to interpret this however they want, as a candy, it appears to ZZ giving us a clue as to WYB dyeing his hair. Personally tho, this person is a member of GG’s staff & his friend who also takes part in putting out the amazing materials we get. People particularly remembered one of them had blonde hair during MFW. Anyway, I understand why people are so happy about this & interpreting it the way they do and go ahead and it this if you want 🍭

It also doesn’t help that the character kinda looks like WYB in Paris which is some next level coincidence. I can’t even with this fandom.

• I’m adding this beautiful analysis of Pie @potteresque-ire about the Mid Autumn festival photos posted by our boys. It’s technically from last month but i already published it before I read this meta. It just gives more weight to the meaning of it aside from how it matches 🌙

• Mengniu exhibit with zz and wyb standees

• Camera/Leica CPN : This has actually become everyone’s favorite candy of the year. It started out so simple and almost like a galaxy brain sort of clowning but both sides ended up “confirming” what we speculated. I have talked about this at length and in different parts below :

Part One / Part Two / Part Three / Part Four / Part Five

10/6, WYB continues to show off his camera. Almost all the photos in the set released by YBO, he is holding it, and there are falling cameras on Weibo in that post!!!! 📸

There is also this CPN on what WYB is taking a photo of and with people using google earth and comparing, they found out it’s the number 23. What a beautiful number. He really loves it! ♥️

• Same place, different times. This is so bittersweet to me. One day, they will get that Romantic Paris getaway together 🖤

• XZ 1005 birthday CPNs : one // two 🎂

• A photography studio shared a shot of GG for his bday and the kadian is 18:23. This same company also released a bday photo for WYB’s. They have worked with the boys a couple of time.

• The same description of something being like a film

• Glasswork art piece from France that could have been a gift and souvenir for GG

• Camping site and it’s connection to WYB selfie - At this point, there’s been so many “evidence” collected by bxgs and the most accurate date is really 8/14-8/15 that this “celebration” was done. There are also posts from people who visited the place and a motorcycle “parade” took place, so we know it’s a popular place to ride your moto. It’s one of the “services” they provide and looks like something that WYB took advantage of.

• Is one of the photographers yibo? 📸

• GG’s rope necklace and it’s meaning

• XZS birthday video taking some inspiration from a queer themed short film “we are animals”

• The camping trip was a team building of XZS and YBO?

• Both of them so sexy 🔥🔥🔥🔥

• 10/12 ZSWW rumor house & fake story content 🤍

• WYB’s 10/13 Selfie : part one / part two

• A galaxy brain cpn of XZS 10/13 post’s caption

• On 10/16, XZ released a tribute song which is government sponsored of course. In the past months, the go-to person we usually see singing for these causes is WYB and now it’s XZ. This is not exactly CPN, but i like the way that they are both people seen as positive influences and may be used to sing for certain events. Maybe one day they can do a duet? LOL.

• This one is so funny, there is an interview in a Taiwan TV show i guess. and the question was, “Talk about the general interests of gay men in Taiwan” ; the person answering is also gay and he said it’s : fitness, mountain climbing, raising cats, and Shiba Inu. 😂😂😂😂

LOL. Why does it remind us of two people? It’s so specific. Who have always wanted to raise both a car and a dog (shiba inu) and is currently loving fitness and mountain climbing. They might as well add camping on there 🤪🤪🤪

I don’t really believe in stereotypes and that there is a certain “checklist” that makes you gay or whatever— your interests are personal and what you enjoy. maybe you will be influenced by your environment but just do what you want. Tho I understand why this was so amusing to c-turtles cause they immediately thought of ZZ & WYB when they saw this.

• Even holding the camera is the same 😂✌🏼like a true photographer. Not acting all cute and using a camera to “pose” but actually using it.

• Updated mole signature by XZS

• XZS video x Bottled Joy Parallel. 🫶🏼 ; and the fact that Bobo’s is by Bottled Joy, a brand who is known to be BJYX bias ( allegedly ) . Tho this was most likely filmed before that XZS video. A happy coincidence. && This is the renewal we have been waiting for.

• Luoyang Tourism video uses a BGM of a song by ZZ

• BJYX and Skydiving 🪂

• 130 fake rumors compilation

• Wuzhen Day 3 Yibo shirt CPN ⛳️

=======

See you all next month for another round up! 💛

Previous Posts: Jan-June 2023 / July / August / September

#yizhan #bjyx #there is no science here i’m just clowning like i always do

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astheswarmitcalls · 5 months

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PART 2: THE SWARM TOUR

This is the second part of my 4-part analysis of MCR5, the Masterpost for which can be found here. Link to previous/next parts found at the bottom of the post. If there's something I missed, or you'd like to add your own spin/elaborate on something I brushed over, by all means I'd love to hear it!!

So in this section we’re going to talk about the recurring motifs on the merchandise and the set design. I’d love to talk about some of the things my sweet little girlfriend Gerard Way said on tour, but there were over 70 shows and there is no way I’d be able to get everything. The other variables are a lot easier to follow.

MERCH:

There’s merch that takes inspiration from previous albums, and merch that is inherently tied to The Foundations of Decay and this new age of My Chemical Romance. I’ll be talking exclusively about the latter.

We have recurring words of ‘swarm’ and ‘decay’, the fly motif, and that almost-military-earthy-olive green.

Decay is obvious reference to The Foundations of Decay. It’s likely this could refer to the health of MCR dissolving in the days leading up to their break up in a meta sense, but seeing as we’re under the assumption this track will also feature in MCR5, it would have narrative ties too. Decay can be synonymous with ‘deteriorate’ ‘collapse’ or ‘corrode’; the set of the tour itself is a collapsed, decimated cityscape. The use of decay is, however, in reference to organic matter that is decomposing, the chemical elements of it breaking down and being fed back into the earth. Decay also brings forth imagery of zombies, of vampires, of resurrection. Rebirth is already established to be a key theme of MCR5.

Swarm or allusions to swarms are littered throughout The Foundations of Decay, but more outright usage of the motif is within the tour marketing/merchandise. As I’ve just been horrified to learn, the cover/video for The Foundations of Decay features this awful, black, writhing swarm of flies. Fucking disgusting. Anyways, the tour itself has been referred to as the ‘Swarm’ Tour, and the word appears frequently alongside the fly iconography. What has MCR done? Decayed and rotted. What are we doing? Crowding and consuming that decay like a swarm of flies. WE are the Swarm!!! Gerard has talked about how rockstars ‘get eaten alive,’ but everything up until this point has been talking about the swarm allusion in a meta sense. I absolutely adore the whole aesthetic of this tour; the rot and decay surrounded by swarms of flies and vermin and post-nuclear landscapes.

Earlier I brought up themes of sensationalism of tragedy, femininity and the intersection of the two. Tragedies like 9/11 are replayed in the public eye repeatedly. And more than 20 years after, people will use 9/11 to justify religious and ethnic discrimination. I promise I’m not losing the plot here. This discussion is relevant to the aforementioned themes. Topics/events such as 9/11, Chernobyl and serial killers again and again are revived in the public eye. Not always to learn from these events but because humans are fascinated by tragedy and misfortune.

What’s even more fascinating than tragedy to the public sphere are tragic women. The dichotomy of femininity and darkness that exists with individuals such as Princess Diana, Jackie Kennedy or Gypsie Rose make their stories appealing to a wide audience. The way society treats these women teeters on the edge of learned acknowledgment to ravenous obsession. Their images and lives are resurrected again and again for our consumption. These attitudes towards tragedy and tragic women marry beautifully into the swarm imagery; hoarding, gross consumers that cling to tragedy like flies on a carcass.

This isn’t the only argument I have for this theme that may seem left-of-field, but as we’re going to get into with Part 3, there is A Lot to talk about.

The concept albums Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge and The Black Parade had largely monochromatic colour schemes. The explosion of colour that came with Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys marked a tonal shift and fit within the ethos of the concept album to be loud, to live unapologetically, not just the aesthetics of The Zones. Featured on the marketing, merchandise and wardrobe, green appears to be the defining colour for the Swarm tour.

The specific shade of green is a warmer, yet desaturated shade that invokes militaristic imagery. That dull, earthy green is commonly used for military uniform and vehicles. Once again, MCR is feeding us allusions to military and war.

Green as a colour is heavily associated with health and nature. The desaturated green present with the ‘Swarm’ iconography speaks to a decay of health and nature. Instead of affirming interpretations of life flourishing, we’re reminded of rotting and wilting vegetation. Zombies, who embody reanimation and decay, are often depicted with green skin. The Egyptian God Osiris, who lords over the dead, is depicted with green skin having been deceased and reanimated within the ancient Egyptian mythology. I’m not necessarily stating Egyptian mythology was an inspiration for MCR, simply pointing out green as a recurring colour in stories of reanimation.

Likewise, vampires were used as metaphor and point of reference for aesthetic in My Chem’s past. Red, black, white and greys appear frequently within depictions of vampires, with red and black featuring prominently in the wardrobes/art/merchandise of both TCFSR and TBP. MCR’s albums, mainly IBYMBYBMYL and TBP, allude to vampires. Even the draculoids within the Killjoys universe, share that same colour scheme of red, white, and black, despite not being actual vampires. Vampire iconography in the swarm tour was present, along with other ghoulish representations i.e. skeletons, bats, Gerard’s makeup, the setlists.

Is MCR moving away from vampires and onto zombies? Probably not. I don’t think Mr. Way wants to let go of his gothic bloodsuckers, but the ethos of zombies is much more aligned with the themes of The Foundations of Decay and MCR5. In ‘Vampires Will Never Hurt You’ the vampiric metaphor stood for addiction. The song was about the early stages of Gerard’s alcoholism, written in perspective of this character questioning if the listener would be able to do what is necessary, to stake their heart. ‘The Sharpest Lives’ likewise features many allusions to both drugs and vampires. If within MCR’s discography, vampires are used as a metaphor for addiction, would it be farfetched to say more zombie iconography would stand as a metaphor for rebirth? Being brought back not the same you once were, but as a new creature. One that rips itself from the ground and pilots its decrepit husk in grotesque, staggered movements, fuelled by instinct. Zombies as a recurring motif for MCR5 may present as a stretch but the symbols of ‘swarm’, ‘decay’ and flies marries well into the metaphor.

SET DESIGN:

MCR is no stranger to theatrics. At every show, they begin with The Foundations of Decay, the sheet drops, and the backdrop is revealed; a destitute city scape, buildings collapsed, and the streets trashed with debris. The billboard features a dead rat playing into these motifs of decay, swarm/vermin. The text in neon above it is an area code for New Jersey.

On a larger scale, this level of destruction to an urban area is reminiscent of a war zone. It’s not the same sort of warzone that’s present in Danger Days, barren and destitute. This looks post-nuclear. Anti-war sentiment appears as a backdrop to The Foundations of Decay, as well as the actual Swarm tour. As stated before, decay can appear synonymous with ‘collapse’ ‘rubble’ or ‘dissolution.’ What does this destruction, this decay breed? Vermin. Swarms of insects and rats that flourish in the presence of death. There’s also something to be said about MCR staging their return, their rebirth, on a set of rubble. It reads loudly and clearly ‘we are not the old MCR. We are reanimating from the debris. We are reborn from the foundations of decay.’ Also it just looks cool as fuck.

(Sidenote, how is it possible I write 3 full paragraphs about the colour green and barely two for the set design?)

<<< PREVIOUS PART | NEXT PART >>>

#mcr #my chemical romance #mcr5 #mcr5 theory #mcr5 is real #I am not tech wizard but I think I totally killed it with the hyperlinks ngl

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arbitrarygreay · 2 months

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I would love to hear more Berryz vs C-ute meta if you're interested! I started out as a Momusu fan and dabbled in Berryz but C-ute felt way, way too young for me at first so I mostly ignored them. By the end of their careers though, Berryz sometimes felt like they were miserable performing while C-ute just got better and better. I've never seen anyone seriously ruminate on this though.

Thanks for the ask!

The thing to know about the era is the industry context. MM is the obvious case, starting in the late 90s when there were some pretty big girl groups (Speed, Zone, Folder5), and of course the Golden Age was called that for good reason.

(Huh, weird, now only Wikipedia lists MM's single sales in table format.) But if you look at the singles sales numbers, they've already fallen back down to Morning Coffee/Furusato level sales by 2003. This is why when you read the ancient fan forum archives (o7) the people who are all around for Golden Age have a grudge against 5th and 6th gens, and the taken-for-granted assumption of management's incomptence. So, H!P is already in a decline by this time (not that H!P broadly was ever as successful as MM in this era), but Tsunku is on a total roll musically, so it can be hard to notice.

And outside of H!P, the idol market (for girls, anyways, Johnny's is still trucking along as usual) is pretty bleak. Avex makes a few attempts every now and then (with dream, BRIGHT, and SweetS), but none of them really take off. For reference, AKB48 starts in December of 2005. I have treasured fan forum memories where Maeda Atsuko was "the one who looks like Kamei Eri". They won't get any real traction (especially sales-wise) until 2008, at which point they spearhead the Idol Sengoku Jidai.

This is the environment in which the H!P Kids are formed and have their early careers. H!P in decline but in denial about it and so throwing about some money they probably didn't make back their money on (very notably, the Sports Festivals actually going so far as to rent out Dome arenas). ZYX, Aa!, and early Berikyuu are receiving god-tier music, Berryz skips doing indies and is doing hall tours right off the bat. (Idols won't really get into livehouses until years later thanks to Idol Sengoku Jidai.)

At the same time, there are some signs. Most notably, the similarities between Berryz and Melon Kinenbi. Sure, I just called early Berryz music god-tier, but there are also quite a few songs and singles in those first three albums are now forgotten deep cuts, aren't they? Even the good ones! At the time, people could definitely predict that Kofuku Kangei would get lost, but the ever catchy Piriri to Yukou? More than that, there is the easy sense that this music is already deeply uncool. Those MKB songs are outright cringe now, especially in the visuals. This is why MKB eventually had to re-pivot to that rocker energy (to the point of mosh pits and even crowd surfing at some of their lives). Berryz, however, were never able to do that. To the end, their music retains a composition style harkening to this mid-00s Tsunku pop, even their dance tracks like Want! or Dakishimete Dakishimete. His last hurrah of the unabashed cheesiness that took Love Machine straight to the top and Koi No Dance Site to peak MM's sales. Pata did a series of posts where he complained about Tsunku's intrusions into Buono's otherwise blessedly Tsunku-free run of singles.

Kobushi, of course, also never recovered sales-wise from their scandal parade and exodus of members. However, because the members of Kobushi grew up in the social media age, as well as after H!P had gone through true industry dark ages, the members reacted to the shrinking by upping the sass and DGAF that make for great clips, Jojo Gundan able to engage with them on improv comedy.

Berryz, meanwhile, kind of had a chemistry problem. They were friendly enough. A newbie like me found their early making-of footage compelling. But they could not really carry a non-scripted segment. Again, maybe a newbie might find their DMs sweet, but the moment you switch to another group, you can see the difference when the interactions have snap and rhythm. Wota joke about Yurina's inability to tell anecdotes. There's a very real reason that only Momochi was able to break out on TV, and even Momochi's schtick feels more forced than the attitude the 48G was bringing to the table, honed by late night variety willing to be really mean to them. Maasa and Chinami are getting pretty good at DGAF, but it says something that they seem to get better mileage when interacting with their juniors (like 5nin J=J or 2nd gen S/mileage) than their own group.

So yeah, by 2007 (around Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba) Berryz can tell that it is not going to happen for them. I guess given that they started their careers so early, they really didn't know yet what they could possibly do outside of the industry yet, so they all just stuck around because why not? And they broke up when enough of them had found post-Berryz prospects.

Honestly, I can't give you an answer as to why C-ute succeeded. They were why I thought Kobushi's scandal parade and member exodus would actually benefit them, but I was never really into C-ute's music. Their songs were also pretty unabashedly Tsunku cheese? Someone I met through SNSD fandom really liked e.g. The Middle Management, but didn't seem to get any deeper into H!P. Anyways, some kind of magic happened, with Chisato and Nakki embracing late blooms intersecting with being able to snag onto the Idol Sengoku Jidai momentum with with a will. Who knows? Love is timing, after all.

#berryz koubou #ocute #hello! project #whoops I accidentally a word vomit #I miss writing idol meta #category: idols

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thestaredown · 1 year

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Jughead Jones and the Creation of the Multiverse

Or hey I can be meta too... ( Excerpt)

If the multiverse is Jugheads fault because he wrote it, then this is how it could have happened.

Want the idea without the story go here. Otherwise enjoy Jugheads misadventures in publishing.

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This used to be a one-man operation.

It started innocently enough as many things do. He hit a rush of luck, got published young, had a runaway best seller with the notoriously harsh and scary devoted YA crowd. They were hooked…write a sequel they said, keep the momentum. You’re a cute kid who wrote an epic love story, they’ll eat up anything new from that universe.

Easier said than done.

One does not explain to a room of highly invested suits that your fictional story isn’t so much fictional as it is fictionalized and based on a true story; pretty sure those words are a one-way ticket to an endless parade of talk shows and uncomfortable fan interactions. No thanks.

Also, we did a ton of illegal shit.

Getting published was exciting and stressful, in a sleep deprived caffeine addled state some things fell through the cracks.

Turning nonfiction into a teen love story required some major changes. He may have had some fun with the place holder names while still drafting but he’s not mad that the Archie facsimile stayed Richard, an appropriately old school name shortened to Richie and if you're mad you can call him Dick...that one was perfect as is.

Admittedly it’s his fault they didn’t get replaced in the final edit, final approval was given while he was incredibly sleep deprived and though the names were picked out they were never replaced. He found out when Betty flipped through the very first copy and by then, there was no going back.

Jug wasn’t the main character supposed to be named Charlotte? This still says Beth. Juggie you told Sweet Pea naming him Butter Cup was a joke…

Seeing Betty laugh at the final product with the barely veiled names was worth it though. Needless to say, Butter Cup was not amused.

What followed was a runaway best seller and more attention than he had ever wanted. When that happens people want more apparently. He’d been using his life as direct inspiration for years , his book held a fictional version of a very real love story, they wanted more and he had nothing.

Want to know what happens when your life is insane for years and you manage to leave your hellscape of a hometown?

As it turns out… not a lot.

Enter writers block.

#Jugheads adventures in publishing #bughead #in spirit cause i say so #but also a reading of the how and why these seasons are what they are #no the names are not the same as in the show im aware #and it is by design #this is not my forte but im having fun out here

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a-mahoroa-blog · 1 year

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in which you are CROWNED

Fruitlessly you tear at your arms. You cannot escape. You cannot escape.

---and, well.

No one is here to help you.

Love bears no fruit; hatred is your destiny; and this prison is your mind itself. You watch from a glassy mirror as your body parades itself around as you, as ‘you’ fight against your friends. The spell clips Bandana Dee’s side, and you cannot close your eyes or your ears because you are formless. The wince is worse than a scream.

But who were you, really? If even your friend from childhood beloved one the one who saved you closest ally and journey’s partner could not save you. If you sacrificed yourself for his foolish wish, what does that make you?

It digs into your flesh. You cannot get it off of your head. Your darkest, deepest wishes are laid bare in front of your friends. Meta Knight will never trust you again, and Dedede probably won’t either. Magolor... will feel too guilty over your fate and distance himself, or he’ll give you something that won’t really make you feel better. Because that’s how the two of you were raised; transactions and money keep the world afloat, in the end. Bandana Dee and Kirby might forgive you, but with the fight dragging on, you’re seriously doubting even that.

You can only watch as you, the puppet, are pitted against your friends. One divine cut of a blade that cleaves the heavens that sears your flesh like agony. One rocket-propelled hammer swing into your torso that sends you reeling, flames chasing after the blow. One spear stab into your eye. You will only have one.

It is still better than the horrors of your home. The wastes, the ash on your tongue, because even if you and he did not come from Halcandra you spent your formative years there after breaking free of that man. Of course you would think of it. The bartering, the deals, the false smiles, and he learned them better than you ever did because your heart was soft and your smiles sweet. Sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice all you are for him because what can you do for he who kept you alive?

You’ll keep him alive too. You’re good at that. Why is he crying? Why is he crying? Help me.

Your hand, when you reach out to him, is impaled by dark spikes from below.

#magolor x reader

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terumimi-your-snek-fren · 2 years

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I posted 2,194 times in 2022

That's 2,126 more posts than 2021!

144 posts created (7%)

2,050 posts reblogged (93%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@kirbyofthestars

@softichill

@miketon

@bizzybi

@makerofmadness

I tagged 848 of my posts in 2022

#pokemon - 40 posts

#kirby - 21 posts

#youtube - 19 posts

#snakey asks - 16 posts

#pokemon legends arceus - 15 posts

#mimi's writing corner - 13 posts

#pla - 12 posts

#kirby and the forgotten land - 11 posts

#blazblue - 11 posts

#auxy morons - 10 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#jesse we need to get together soon and get some rest and feel better soon and be careful and stay safe and stay safe and stay safe and sand

My Top Posts in 2022:

i apologize to all of my not-set it off fan followers, once march 11th hits that is likely all i will be posting about for at least a month

57 notes - Posted March 2, 2022

It is obvious to me and many others that i have a favorite villain archetype

73 notes - Posted July 23, 2022

Coneby my beloved

101 notes - Posted February 9, 2022

So i just say a youtube comment that is actually GENIUS for meta knight and his character

Ok so you ever realize how recently Meta Knight's battle theme from super star was phased out as a meta knight theme in favor of My Friend and the Setting Sun?

Its because MFATSS represent's Meta Knight's growth and how he no longer wishes to conquer Dream Land, erasing it's calm lifestyle, instead replacing it with a passion for power and strength.

I mean, think about it. In what games has the super star battle theme played during a meta knight fight?

Super Star i mentioned already, this was him at his lowest moment. However it plays in 3 other games.

It plays in Epic Yarn as he's controlled by Yin Yarn, in Planet Robobot when he's being mind controlled (since he's Mecha Knight at the time), and in Star Allies during his and Parallel Meta Knight's fights during Soul Melter/Soul Melter EX. All of these times, he's being corrupted.

You could make an argument for elements of it being in Sword of the Surviving Guardian, but i feel like that represents where he came from. How much hes grown to be friends with Kirby and caring about protecting the people of Dream Land.

WHY DO EDGELORDS KEEP GETTING WRITTEN WELL I SWEAR

103 notes - Posted May 1, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Hi can i talk about how hisuian typhlosion is cool outside of its fire, typing, and infernal parade? I wanna talk about its lore

According to the pokedex, it is, "Said to purify lost, forsaken souls with its flames and guide them to the afterlife."

HE'S A SWEET LITTLE GRIM REAPER BOI PREPARING PEOPLE FOR THE AFTERLIFE! YOU LOVE TO SEE IT!

1,718 notes - Posted February 1, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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dogbearinggifts · 5 years

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This week, I finally listened to Danger Days all the way through.

I first listened to it when I was just getting into MCR a few years ago. Like a lot of people, I found them during a dark time, a time when the raw agony and fury of The Black Parade and Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge was exactly what I needed. I’d listen to “Famous Last Words” and “Disenchanted” when I felt like I couldn’t carry on, and they gave me just enough to keep going. I sang along to “The Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You” and “Hang ‘Em High,” and it felt cathartic in a way I don’t think I can properly describe. I went into Danger Days expecting more of the same and found nothing of the sort. Disappointed, I turned it off four songs in and went back to Parade.

I gave it another try this week, and honestly? It’s a good album. Musically, it’s fantastic. The sound is very different from Parade, but Parade’s sound was very different from Three Cheers. MCR challenged themselves with each new album, pushing new boundaries in terms of sound and style, and Danger Days was no exception. Like those two albums, it tells a story and tells it well. A strong sense of character and worldbuilding comes through each song, just as it did on Three Cheers and Parade. There’s nothing disappointing about it from a technical perspective, so why did I turn it off while I listened to other albums on repeat?

Honestly, I think it’s because I wasn’t ready for Danger Days back then. Like Parade and Three Cheers, Danger Days pulls us into a desperate situation and a hostile world. But unlike the protagonists of those albums, the Killjoys laugh at the monsters they find. They giggle at the ghosties, to borrow from Pinkie Pie. They fight back through wild rebellion, through chaos, and through a refusal to take the villains seriously.

And when I first listened to Danger Days, I wasn’t ready to do that. I was still coming to terms with an abusive childhood, working through the helpless anger each new memory brought to the surface. I was still trying not to kill myself. I wasn’t ready to hear “Sing it out for the ones that’ll hate your guts” when “I am not afraid to keep on living” was still a revolutionary thought.

I think that’s the thing with Danger Days: There are monsters. There are villains, and there is darkness. But the Killjoys can give that darkness a grin and a middle finger, and they invite us to do the same. The darkness on Parade and Three Cheers is too close for that. It’s not the sort that can be beaten back with a laugh and a well-timed stick of dynamite; it’s the sort that suffocates sound and blows out candles. These aren’t ghosties the protagonists are fighting; they’re ghouls, and they will destroy you as soon as look at you. Parade and Three Cheers acknowledge that. They say that, yeah, sometimes you can’t giggle at the ghosties. Sometimes you can’t triumph. Sometimes, all you can do is endure and hope you’re still there when it’s over.

Danger Days isn’t a disappointing album, yet I’m not angry at myself for being disappointed by it. It’s fun. It’s manic energy, it’s chaotic pleasure, it’s a party at the end of the world. But you can’t enjoy a party when you’re bleeding.

And fortunately for me, the party was still waiting when I’d recovered enough to enjoy it.

#my chemical romance #mcr #gerard way #frank iero #ray toro #mikey way #three cheers for sweet revenge #the black parade #danger days #suicide mention #suicide tw #sing #famous last words #disenchanted #the jetset life is gonna kill you #hang em high #thoughts #meta #long post

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mxlxdroit · 7 years

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interjectory mini rant about mcr in general/album rankings (kind of)

heeeeeeeeeeeey i forgot to say but! i think this is important

TL;DR i like mcr a lot, my favorite album switches between three cheers, black parade, and danger days, i’m not very into bullets. i find the way mcr’s sound, look, personas, and type of stories they told changed over time interesting. some reasons why i like three cheers and black parade (i might go full meta rant about them sometime in the future *shifty eyes*). right now, i’d rank them dd, tcfsr, tbp, and then ybmybibyml

first i haven’t ever listened to bullets all the way through at any point..... yikes. i don’t like it much; its sound is too far removed from what i normally listen to and like for me enjoy listening to at this point, and i’m not familiar enough with any of the songs to have something (like a melody or some cool lyrics) to latch onto to help me get into it. (sadly, a lot of gerard’s vocals on that particular album are.. hard for me to listen to) as someone who has had the entire mcr catalogue available to me for the entire time i’ve been more than vaguely aware of their existence, i knew their later work before i listened to any of their slightly-earlier stuff, and i like the better production value and sound of their later music. so bullets hasn’t ever been my favorite mcr album. maybe someday if i’m willing to put in the effort i'll come to love it! hopefully :)

three cheers took a while (again, different sound/vibe from what i’m used to) but OH WOW it’s gothy and emotional and has some of the most vivid imagery of any of the albums (seriously, “and they’re never gonna get me, like a bullet through a flock of doves,” “hallelujah, lock and load,” actually the entirety of thank you for the venom, “in the middle of a gunfight, in the center of a restaurant, they say ‘come with your arms raised high,’“ ok also all of you know what they do to guys like us in prison, i’m sure there’s more). the energy of the whole album is nearly relentless in its aggression and snarling vulnerability, and has killer guitar parts (cough cough thank you for the venom), especially from frank. it’s a theatrical album, though in a different way from the black parade; it is more aggressive, a lot gorier, and takes place in an fast-paced present moment. gerard’s vocals are at some of their snarliest (and there’s the dramatic emo whisper at the beginning of helena. can’t get over that one i’m sorry) and most frantic, but it suits the character and subject matter. his technique improves a lot as well! that’s one of my favorite things to track throughout his singing career

the black parade is ofc the best-known and most critically acclaimed mcr album, as well as being a lot of people’s favorite. i have times when it’s my fav and i’ll listen and marvel at the emotions and storytelling and the way the storyline weaves throughout the whole album. tbp is the tightest concept album mcr has made, given that it focuses on a single character and the story of his life and death and that (in my opinion) only one song, teenagers, isn’t part of the storyline (even ‘blood’ is even though it’s kind of a gag track). oh, the bombast, the guitar solos, and the campy, melodramatic moments that balance out and add to the emotional depth and darkness of the rest of the subject matter! along with being the most streamlined conceptual album, this was also the most rigid era persona-wise. for every album cycle there was a new look- bullets was just... the dudes, revenge was kinda punk-y vampires, danger days was post-world-takeover desert survivors, and the black parade, of course, saw the replacement of my chemical romance with an entirely new band, the black parade. this was their fullest immersion in persona, i think, which allowed them to explore more new ideas and sounds. it also shows a general trend of mcr presenting themselves as different people, or at least emphasizing different parts of themselves. i could talk about their stage presence/actions vs in interviews/generally not-on-stage times, but other people have better meta about it and it’s an.. interesting topic i don’t rly wanna get into right here

A Thing: they could have stopped after tbp. it was kind of the plan (gerard talked about it in an interview that’s easy to find). the first three albums have a clear progression musically and thematically, and tbp would be going out with a bang. but nope, it wasn’t the end, and i’m glad of that BECAUSE danger days is one of my favorite albums and that’s why i’m writing even more freakishly long meta posts about it

wow i said this was a mini rant this is not a mini rant this is an essay cripes

#long post #no kidding mate #meta #my meta #mcr #my chemical romance #you brought me your bullets i brought you my love #bullets #three cheers for sweet revenge #three cheers #the black parade #danger days #danger days the true lives of the fabulous killjoys #WOWEE what have i wrought upon this world #music analysis #i mean.. it is

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biromanticbooknook · 3 years

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My Most Ambitious Crossover

I got bored by posting only my second gen Amazon AU, so I’ll get back to that tomorrow, but enjoy this one-shot about Chloe and Marinette creating their own trip instead of their class trip in the meantime. Can’t have you all thinking I’m a one-trick pony, can I?

“-and that’s why we think you shouldn’t go on the trip this year.” Mlle. Bustier tried to look apologetic, but it was as much her idea as the students. Between Marinette refusing to set an example and Chloe associating with her, neither of them deserved to go.

“Oh, thank goodness. I was afraid I would have to get my daddy to donate 30% of the funds like he does every year.”

“I’m just glad I don’t have to take 60% of the trip funds out of my commission profits. That will give me a much bigger budget for fabric and accessories.” Everyone blanched at the statements of the 2 girls. They were saying that they paid for 90% of the trip every year, but that couldn’t be right. They worked so hard on fundraisers every year, they must be lying about how much they contribute.

Marinette just ignored them, turning to her seatmate. “Do you think that our other friends would want to go on a trip with us? Most classes take their trips during May, so we could leave at the beginning of June and take the entire summer.”

“Nice thinking, Maribug. With fewer people, prices go down and we can afford more bang for our buck.” They walk out of the classroom, discussing who to ask and when.

The class just made a big mistake.

-----

By the time the weekend rolled around, Marinette and Chloe had their group list finalized. The people going on their trip were themselves, Luka, Kagami, Aurore, Mireille, and Marc. They got together and started brainstorming fundraisers.

Marinette started. “There are the given examples; you know, car wash, bake sale, raffle. What else?”

“We could host a show.” Luka suggested.

“Like an exhibition?” Marinette asked. “We could have you perform, Kagami do a fencing demonstration, and I could do a small fashion show, using Chloe and Marc as models. Aurore and Mireille could be our MCs.”

“To capitalize on money-making, we could sell tickets, food and drink, and merch for Luka’s solo career as well as commission spots for our resident designer.”

“That’s good.” Marinette starts scribbling in the shared notebook.

“At Le Grande Paris, we could host parties. I know days when the grand ballroom is open. We could host an auction, sell lessons and creations and stuff. We could also host a masquerade ball that we sell tickets for. We could charge for food and drink. The pools are open for private reservation quite often, we could have parties there too.” Chloe takes the notebook and starts writing down her ideas, mapping out all the resources needed while muttering.

“We could also host a carnival or a gaming tournament in the ballroom.” Kagami looked thoughtful. “I’ve never actually been to one.”

Chloe added that to the list. “Should we do anything else?”

“We could start a go-fund-me. Artists and writers do it all the time to get their creations off the ground.” Marc murmured.

“That would be great. What’s our goal for this entire endeavor?”

“Our goal, Maribug, is €45,000. That should cover travel, boarding, tours, food, and souvenirs. Whatever we don’t spend gets redistributed to the group.” Chloe supplies.

“Then that should be it. Nice job, guys!”

“My, what a whirlwind of a planning session. I hope nothing rains on our parade. I wonder weather Mlle. Bustier’s class is doing this well.” Aurore beams at them.

“Mm-hmm.” Mireille agrees with Aurore.

“Probably not. Our classmates couldn’t pour water out of a boot with instructions on the heel. They’ll just listen to Lila that the boot will empty by itself through the toe because ‘I worked on patenting this boot’, then they’ll get mad at the boot for not doing it.” Chloe chuckles dryly.

“Be nice.” Marinette reprimands half-heartedly.

-----

Chloe immediately filed the paperwork with the school board so they could go on their trip with no safety or legal concerns. She recruited Mme. Mendeleiev and M. D'Argencourt to be their chaperones, who were more than happy to go on an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles, Star City, Central City, Metropolis, Gotham, New York City, and Tokyo.

They had their first fundraiser at the end of September, a pool party at Le Grande Paris. Even Mlle. Bustier’s class attended, though they didn’t know who had set it up, only that Luka was performing. They hadn’t even started their planning yet. The group made €3,041.

The next was a car wash in the middle of October. It was cool enough for a car wash to be pleasant while being warm enough that everyone was still out and about. They earned €2,632. Bustier's class was getting ice cream and listening to Lila brag.

They then had an All Hallow’s Eve bake sale, complete with candy decoration reminiscent of the American holiday. They earned €1,800.

During November, they held a carnival, with a full fall theme. It was wildly popular with families from all over Paris, earning them €6,483. It was around this time that Mlle. Bustier’s class held a bake sale, and earned €1,594. They celebrated.

Throughout the holiday season, they took advantage of peoples’ spirit. They held a raffle throughout the 12 Days of Christmas, while also holding a bake sale the day before winter break. Overall, they earned €10,749.

Over winter break, Chloe bought plane tickets and reserved tours and hotels, so all that was left was to get money for the tours and food. They were over halfway to their goal.

During January, they rented a theater, and held their exhibition. They had a crowd of fencing enthusiasts, rock music lovers, and fashion followers. They made €5,830.

They held a date auction and a masquerade to celebrate Valentine’s Day. It was amazing, and they earned €7,284.

They had checked their go-fund-me, and had found that €10,000 was there, putting them €2,819 over their goal. They were ecstatic!

They still held the gaming tournament at the end of April, but let it be free for everyone to enjoy as their celebration of reaching their goal.

-----

Mlle. Butsier’s class had made €7,000 over their 3 fundraisers, and they were pretty proud of themselves. No doubt they would be going somewhere much better than whatever Maribrat and Chloe have planned. Once the girls walked into the classroom, the class started to brag.

“We’ve finished fundraising!”

Marinette smiled and decided to be nice to them. “Cool. Where are you going?”

“We are going to New York City.”

Chloe was not as kind. “Oh, so are we! It was so hard to raise the €45,000 needed for our trip, but we did it. It was so euphoric to meet our goal. How much did you guys raise?”

“We made €7,000.” The smiles slowly slipped off the faces of the class. “What do you mean the €45,000 needed?”

“Well, we needed to cover food, travel, boarding, and tours, and that was just for the 7 of us. I can’t imagine what the budget would’ve been like for an entire class.” Her smile got an edge, like a lioness who knew she had cornered her prey.

Her classmates blanched. “What was our budget, Alya?” Rose looked towards their new class representative, hoping that she had an answer.

“We never had one.”

“Well, at least you filed the paperwork right?”

“What paperwork?”

Marinette responded this time. “The paperwork needed to go on a trip. You were supposed to submit it to the school board for approval of safety and legality. It was on page 17 of the packet I gave you at the beginning of the year. Didn’t you read it, Alya?”

“I-I-no. Lila said that was just extra work that you had given me to throw me off my game. She said you didn’t actually need to do all of that.”

“I didn’t know that Lila had more experience being a class representative than me and Marinette, the only 2 people who have ever been class representative here.” Chloe’s voice became as sharp and sweet as her smile. “Well, have fun with your trip. Marinette and I have to do last-minute checks on our arrangements.”

The class looked at the people that had carried them the previous years, and realized how much they relied on the girls. Lila was cursing herself for pushing away the only people who actually did anything in this class.

-----

The class ended up going to Disneyland Paris, and tried their best to look as upbeat as possible on their social medias. Meanwhile, The group was having the time of their lives.

They stayed in LA for 2 weeks, visiting movie sets and meeting actors. They spent another week just going on everything at Disneyland and California Adventure.

They then spent a week in Star City, touring Queen Industries and having a meet and greet with Oliver Queen and his ward, Roy Harper, who seemed to enjoy Aurore’s outgoing personality. They even saw the vigilantes.

They spent another 2 weeks in Central City, touring STAR Labs and watching the rogues try to fight the Flash family. It was the most meta-filled city in the world, and They toured a forensics lab with Bart Allen. Chloe seemed grimly pleased with seeing the bodies. She might’ve been projecting certain people onto them, not that she would ever admit it.

2 weeks in Metropolis was really fun. They toured the Daily Planet with Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Mireille was amazed by what you could do to report without having to be in front of a screen. They made a scavenger hunt of how many Supers they could find, and they found 2 different superboys. Lex Corp also gave them a tour, although it was more professional than the tour of the Daily Planet.

They spent 1 week in Gotham. They toured Wayne Enterprises and stayed out of the Bats’ way. Luka got the phone number of Tim Drake. Marinette enjoyed the inspiration that the gothic architecture brought her. There wasn’t much of a nightlife scene, considering only fools stay out after dark in Gotham.

Their 1 week in New York City was hectic. The Avengers were all at the tower when they were touring with Pepper Potts by Chloe’s request. Chloe might’ve been unofficially adopted by Tony Stark when she stood up to them and made them ‘cease their bullshit’. The Black Widow also took a liking to the girl. They also ran into these weird teens muttering about monsters when they were waiting for the elevator at the Empire State Building.

2 weeks in Tokyo. Their last stop. They visited the prestigious Ouran Academy, the host club getting Marc to come out of their shell by constantly helping boost his self-esteem. Chloe enjoyed talking business and finances with Kyoya Ootori. Kagami led them all in a traditional tea ceremony, before they all stormed the streets to try the unfamiliar street food.

Marinette ended up being unofficially adopted by 3 heroes, 2 rogues, and 5 billionaires. She was happy getting to spend 7 weeks on the road with only her closest friends.

The class was incredibly jealous of the trip their classmates took. They hoped next year they could go on a trip like that as well, but they had missed their shot.

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hellsbellschime · 3 years

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Ok, so I’ve always noticed some of the racism on TVD , most notably the treatment of Marcel and Emily, and the founders day parade episode (which, as a Virginian I have to say that the episode made me low-key ashamed when I re-watched it years later). But it took me a while to catch onto the racism on Bonnie‘s character. I was wondering if you have done a meta about it and could link me to it, or if you could do one?

Well it only took me like a year but here ya go!

youtube

Despite the fact that The Vampire Diaries is a show that was ostensibly created for girls and young women, the show undeniably seems to lack a certain level of respect or basic interest in its female characters. And while every single significant female character demonstrates that misogynistic point of view in one way or another, one of the most unique, distinct, and apparent instances of The Vampire Diaries' sexism is on peak display with one of it's leading female characters, Bonnie Bennett.

Bonnie obviously occupies a particularly interesting role in the series because she's the only black leading character, and it's also hard to miss that The Vampire Diaries universe has a pretty apparent issue with it's non-white characters as well.

The race problem on TVD expresses itself in a few different, extremely blatant ways. The most obvious issue with people of color on The Vampire Diaries is that those who are actually PoC within the narrative itself are typically pushed to the sidelines and relegated to supporting players at best, but there is also an issue with presenting PoC performers who are white-passing as white characters.

None of the PoC characters in The Vampire Diaries get very good treatment, but the series seems to be exceptionally problematic when it comes to its presentation of black characters. While black people arguably get more representation than any other non-white characters in this fictional world, they are almost all outrageously attractive, extremely light-skinned, and conveniently lacking in any emotional needs or inner life that needs to be addressed within the narrative, seemingly designed to show up, perform whatever service is necessary, and once again fade into the background if not just be killed off entirely.

This is an issue with every black character in the series, but given that Bonnie is the most significant and prominent in the series, it comes as no surprise that she was affected the most intensely by these biases. It's one thing to be a black character, it's one thing to be a female character, but being a black female character in the TVD universe is exceptionally crippling. But how exactly did the misogynoir of The Vampire Diaries completely neutralize Bonnie Bennett as a character?

Bonnie was mistreated, dismissed, and outright ignored in many big and small ways throughout the course of the show. But, a lot of that treatment can be pretty easily sorted into a few categorizations. The Vampire Diaries went through a pretty seismic shift from the start of the show to the end, but it has always been a series that falls primarily into two genres, the supernatural thriller genre and the romance genre.

The show pretty clearly transformed from a show that was firstly a supernatural story with a romantic subgenre into an almost entirely romantic story with a supernatural backdrop, but it's safe to say that the vast majority of the plotlines were either focused on magic or love. And, it's not particularly difficult to see how Bonnie was forcibly excluded from a predominant storyline in each genre, even when it made absolutely no sense.

Bonnie was a completely inexperienced witch at the start of TVD, so her cluelessness and powerlessness made a certain amount of sense at that point. But by the end of season 2 at the very latest, it seems fully established that she is one of the most powerful living witches in the world, and for the bulk of the series it is plainly acknowledged that she is one of the most powerful witches who ever lived. Which is exactly why Bonnie's position in the narrative is baffling.

In quite a few instances, Bonnie's magical abilities seem to be somewhat inconsistent, at least in the sense that, if she can solve some of the biggest problems that the Mystic Falls gang is confronted with, then it's very odd that she can't solve the others. And while plenty of characters in TVD are occasionally used as plot devices rather than characters, Bonnie seems to be the one who is specifically designed to show up, fix what needs fixing, and then become set dressing once she's no longer necessary as the mystical solution to every unsolvable issue.

And this is actually a significant problem with the witches at large, but of course is most recognizable with Bonnie because she is the most prominent witch. While not all witches are women of color, it seems like they are far more represented in that faction of the magical world than in any other. So then, it's interesting that the witches are presented as servants of nature who are meant to selflessly restore order to the world without actually using their abilities for their own personal gain.

Of course there are plenty of witches who appear to use their powers for themselves, but still, it's incredibly meaningful that the lone black main character in the series is constantly sacrificing herself for the sake of the otherwise entirely white cast of characters. It's even more meaningful that she seems to willingly put herself in the line of fire every time, and it's also extremely telling that she suffers and even dies without complaint for the sake of other people.

And while TVD has never been the kind of show to linger on emotional moments for too long, Bonnie seems to stick out like a sore thumb in this circumstance as well. Most of the main and even supporting characters have moments where their pain is acknowledged and at least has a second to breathe, but there are quite a few situations where Bonnie should be upset but isn't, or where her emotional journey as a character literally takes place off screen.

This lack of acknowledgment and nearly complete omission of an internal emotional life that doesn't involve sacrificing herself for her friends only further makes Bonnie feel like a plot device instead of a character. And, while no character needs a romantic relationship to make their character complete, it is incredibly relevant that, on a series that was built largely on a foundation of romance and arguably became a completely romantically driven show by its end, only one of the female leads was pretty much never presented as a viable love interest.

Nearly every character is either threatened or charmed into doing what someone else wants them to at some point during The Vampire Diaries, however, Bonnie's charm-to-threaten ratio seems to lean very heavily in favor of threatening. That in itself wouldn't necessarily be a huge issue, but it seems to punish Bonnie in a way that is so severe that it's completely illogical.

Trying to intimidate Elena or Caroline, people who at best have the strength of a baby vampire and at worst are as powerful as a normal human, makes sense. But trying to strongarm the most powerful witch in the world instead of just convincing her to do what you ask seems like an incredibly dangerous and completely baffling decision.

And yet, that is how Bonnie is forced to do nearly everything that she doesn't want to do in eight seasons of the series. By the end of season 2, TVD has canonically confirmed that Bonnie is powerful enough to destroy Klaus Mikaelson, and yet people like Klaus, Katherine, and even vampires as young as Damon get Bonnie to do things by simply bullying or even assaulting her into doing it. And what does Bonnie typically do in response? Absolutely nothing.

At a certain point, the consistent contrast between Bonnie's mystical strength and the way that people treat her in order to use that strength becomes a pretty gaping plot hole. And while it's not unheard of for someone to try to sweet talk Bonnie into joining their team, it is almost always done by a character who is far less powerful than she is and who is completely irrelevant to the narrative at large.

In contrast to characters like Elena and Caroline, the distinction between them becomes even more obvious. Perhaps a thin argument could be made that because Elena is a doppelganger that makes her a tad more unique, but when one of the most powerful creatures on the planet was wrapped around Caroline's finger, it really begs the question, why wasn't anyone ever as invested or even obsessed with Bonnie as they were with the other two female leads on the series?

After all, Elena's love was consistently treated as if it was the greatest prize that anyone could possibly win, and the two male leads were completely obsessed with her and willing to do anything they could to try to win her over. And despite the fact that Elena was at the center of the love triangle that was a significant driving force behind the story for the entire series, she still managed to score a few love interests that weren't Salvatores throughout the show's eight seasons as well.

And, while Caroline was actually treated as more of the reject love interest in comparison to the unattainable Elena, her record with romance is also incredibly varied. Even though she was portrayed at best as the consolation prize and at worst the abuse victim, she did have some sort of romantic relationship with the two male leads in the show. Or at least, that is how The Vampire Diaries chose to portray it.

In addition to her horrorshow with Damon and her incredibly brief marriage with Stefan, Caroline is also a love interest for Klaus, Matt, Tyler, and disgustingly, Alaric. Arguably the only main male character who doesn't serve as Caroline's love interest or potential love interest at any point is Jeremy.

Although this laundry list of love interests can be partially excused by the fact that Caroline is characterized as someone who wants to date a lot, the contrast bet0ween characters like Caroline and Elena and characters like Bonnie is astonishing.

Over a nearly decade-long run, Bonnie's only legitimate leading men are Jeremy, Elena's kid brother who Bonnie will willingly die for but who also prefers a literal dead person over her at one point, and Enzo, her epic love romance that comes about at the very end of the series in a relationship that almost entirely develops off-screen.

Of course, female characters do not need love interests to validate their characterization or very existence, however in an environment where every single barely significant supporting character seems to get at least two love interests, it's incredibly telling that Bonnie Bennett gets two important love stories in eight seasons of storytelling.

It seems even more relevant that the show seemingly went out of its way to sidestep almost any and all opportunities for romance in Bonnie's character arc. Whether it was Kol, Kai, or Damon Salvatore, there were quite a few instances where there was a clear and easy route to develop a love interest for Bonnie in a way that made sense and had a pretty solid amount of audience support, and yet the series always went out of its way to avoid it.

In stark contrast, Caroline is still seen as a viable option for a burgeoning love story when she's pregnant, and Elena is an acceptable love interest when she's literally unconscious. And yet, in a series that began with romance as its secondary genre and that evolved into a romance series with a supernatural backdrop, Bonnie is supposedly not as appealing of a love interest as Elena and Caroline regardless of any circumstances, no matter how insane.

If these issues existed in a vacuum then they might be excusable, but considering how poorly The Vampire Diaries treated its female characters and black characters, it's pretty much impossible to avoid the reality that Bonnie Bennett's entire character arc was likely hamstrung by the fact that she was a black girl.

In any reasonable circumstances, Bonnie would have arguably been at the center of every single supernatural storyline, and she logically would have been a far more appealing love interest to any powerful characters in the series. But instead she spent the vast majority of her screentime with her inner characterization ignored, her personal development unexplored, and serving as little more than a glorified deus ex machina who didn't even want her friends to bother mourning her when she literally sacrificed her life for them.

Representation was always an issue in The Vampire Diaries universe, and unfortunately it seems like Bonnie was the definition of their token black character. Although the series had eight entire years to course correct and had many seasons where they were desperate for new ideas and decent character development, the racism and misogyny of the series seemingly prevented them from ever tapping into the enormous untapped potential of someone who should have been one of their flagship lead characters.

#bonnie bennett #anti tvd #anti the vampire diaries #misogynoir #racism #sexism #misogyny #tvd #the vampire diaries #bonnie bennett meta #anti tvd meta #tvd meta #meta #my videos

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gallavictorious · 4 years

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Given the growing gentrification of the South Side, sooner or later someone – a magaine, website, whatever – will probably want to write a LGTB+ guide to the neighborhood; what's good, where it might be unsafe to be out and proud, etc. So, a small bunch of brave twenty-somethings hop on the L and starts hitting up the local pubs and bars, and soon enough they find themselves in The Alibi Room.

It's afternoon, probably, so the place isn't packed, but there's a few regulars lounging in their usual spots, having their usual beverages. None of the intrepid explorers are Cole levels of eye-catching, more's the pity, but they've all made efforts to be obviously gay – they're here to gauge how well that is received, after all. A little pride pin, maybe, stuff like that. Please understand that I don't actually know enough about the US and the South Side to determine if this type of excursion would ever happen and whether it'd be suicidally stupid or maybe just classist and condescending if so. Either way, and for the purposes of this meta ficlet, a small group of LGTB+ peeps walk into a bar –

Tommy and Kermit stare a little, probably, but likely no more than they'd stare at any outside intruders. Kev says, ”hey, guys, what can I get you,” and the group starts to relax a little because while the place seems to be a proper shithole, homophobic aggression doesn't seem to be amongst its many questionable qualities. So they order drinks and don't make fools out of themselves by asking for anything fancy and it's all pretty chill. One of them braves the bathroom, and instantly regrets it. Kev is his usual friendly self and asks if they live around here and, when he learns that they do not, what brought them? They're happen enough to tell him and he gets all enthusiastic both about being gay in general (blowjobs! sandwiches! oh, kev... ) and about being gay in his bar (we love gays here, we have a strict policy against harrassement of gays, and of women, we're not even the rapiest bar in Chicago anymore) and he's kinda clueless, but it's oddly sweet, you know?

Enter Mickey, who does a little thing with his face when he sees the group: ”Jesus. This a fucking Pride parade?”

He's not actually being that nasty about it, just a little curious and probably suspicious of what looks like fucking hipsters, but it's Mickey so to anyone who doesn't know him it sounds nasty as fuck. Also, has has a certain presence, you know, and those tattoos, and our group of gay explorers are starting to think that maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all.

”Hey, Mickey,” Kev calls quite happily as he immediately moves to pour a beer for his one-time business partner. ”This is Jacob and his friends, they have this websited called Out and about, and they're writing this article about gay friendly bars on the South Side.”

Uh-huh. Mickey knew it. Fucking hipster bullshit. He snorts into his beer. ”Yeah? The fuck they're doing here then?”

Kevin looks appropriately hurt. ”We're gay friendly.”

”Fuck you being gay friendly. I almost got killed coming out in this shithole.”

”That's – ” Kevin throws a panicked look at our gay explorers, who are sitting there staring at Mickey, wide-eyed and confused and desperately trying to parse what they'd just heard. This rough-looking, foul-mouthed South Side thug is gay? ”It was his dad,” Kev tries to explain. ”It was a family thing, nothing to do with the bar. Terry doesn't even come here anymore.”

That much is true. He hasn't, not since just after the wedding, when he walked in alone only to spot Ian and Mickey having a quiet date night in one of the booths and the whole place fell into deep silence as Mickey and Terry locked eyes. Ian's hand found Mickey's arm, grounding him, holding him back. Seconds were added to seconds and you could have heard a pin drop. Then, a good number of the patrons climbed to their feet and stood just facing Terry, and Kev said ”sorry, man, looks like the place is full right now. Come back another night, maybe?” and Terry's glare could have killed but he just said ”I don't drink where they let in fucking faggots” and left. Maybe the Alibi Room is gay friendly, or maybe it's just ready to – once in a great while – step up for one of their own.

The gay explorers never get to hear this story. (What business is it of theirs anyway?) Ian walks in, and he smiles a little curiously when he sees the pin-adorned strangers, but doesn't say anything as he takes the seat next to Mickey and leans in for a quick peck: ”Hey.”

”Hey,” Mickey says, perfectly content to completely forget about any and all gays that aren't his husband. ”How's work?”

But before Ian has the chance to reply, one of the group speaks up, a little shyly, a little awestruck. ”Uh. I'm sorry. Are you... are you gay Jesus?”

Ian starts, unsure how to respond to that, but Mickey has no such qualms. ”No, he fucking ain't your gay Jesus,” he snaps, standing and grabbing Ian by the hand. ”C'mon, Gallagher, let's get out of here. Smell of rainbows and fucking soy lattes making me sick.”

This doesn't strike Ian as a horrible idea so he doesn't protest, even as he shoots our gay explorers a vaguely apologetic look. They exit, pursued by neither bear nor cub.

Kev turns to the somewhat stunned group, plastering a wide smile on his face: ”So. Another round?”

#i'd apologize for this nonsense #but i'm not actually sorry #maybe a little sorry for calling the alibi a shithole #but it IS #i mean love it but it IS #i'm absolutely the moron who'd make a fool out of myself by asking for craft beer btw #so if i appear to make fun about clueless people slumming it #i'm really only making fun of myself #also wondering what the group end up writing about the alibi?#'beer and food is shitty by the bartender is really nice and kind of hot #all patrons except the gay ones seem pretty friendly'?#gallavich #kevin ball #terry milkovich #tw: slurs #tw: homophobia #ficlet meta #my stuff

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everything-laito · 4 years

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Laito Sakamaki and His Relationships with the Sakamaki Family: an Anthology (more like biggo rant)

DaYUM; I’ve accidentally let these pile up in my ask box, so I will answer all of these in one post… Prepare for a huuuuge rant under the cut! Also thank you so much @hotline-to-hell, you’re so lovely and supportive as usual, and thanks sm for contributing, same goes for you, anons!! Let’s break this up into parts tho… and start with the biggest one yet: Laito and Ayato’s relationship.

I swear this is like an anthology,,,,, biggo rant under the cut!

Laito’s relationships with Ayato

I regularly call Ayato and Laito “double trouble.” This is because they’re usually found as a pair when some ultra-harassing is being planned. Despite Ayato sometimes visibly being uncomfortable as a result of Laito’s antics, he’s the one that gets along with him the most. The reason why Ayato has resentment for Laito seems to be that Laito wouldn’t help Ayato when they were kids; and Laito would be a bystander. Ayato was also a bystander in the Laito situation too. A very heartfelt moment occurs at the end of Ayato and Laito’s VS CD: [9/28/21: UPDATED TRANSLATION; THIS ONE’S MORE CORRECT]

Laito: You see, I often thought about why I was the person I was. Or why I couldn’t be like you or Kanato-kun instead? That’s why I hate you…I loathe how you feign ignorance when you actually know exactly what’s going on. And above all…I’m envious of how you can be so honest and upright about everything. …I know I can never be like that. I’ve been ruined by that woman. I’m not hiding my feelings either. They’ve simply been erased from within me. …Haha. Ayato: I hate you too. You’re never honest…I mean, if only you had asked for my help at some point, I would haveーーI knew you were putting up a tough facade the whole time. …However, as much as I admired you for your strength, it also pissed me off at the same time. I couldn’t forgive you.

(First of all this confirms that Laito didn’t like what Cordelia did to him; it was forced emotion on this end, thus creating a facade. I think I went over this in my Hilde analysis a little bit through the context of Hilde’s situation). Laito feels like he is permanently soiled and cannot move past this situation, and that’s terrible. However I should do a separate analysis on this drama CD. (I was going to put this in another analysis I think but then took it out last minute)

Second of all, I believe that what Ayato means by that Laito’s “not honest” is that he knows Laito has a facade [with updated translation: this is confirmed]. Aka having a facade does not make you honest. I mean, he’s known Laito throughout his whole life; and Ayato is decently observant. He also obviously hangs around with Laito more often than his other brothers, (and vise versa) so it makes sense that Ayato would know something was up. He just has a vendetta against Laito because Laito would avoid conflict [UPDATED:] and the fact that Laito didn’t come to him.

----------------UPDATED ANALYSIS 9/28/21----------------

The fact that Ayato sees Laito being strong is,,,,, so sweet and very accurate. Laito is defnitely strong and Ayato being like “if only you’d ask for my help”––GOD THIS BREAKS MY HEART AAAAA but Laito wasn’t honest with Ayato especially when they were kids because Laito probably didn’t know how to vocalize what was happening between him and Cordelia. And on top of that, there was no emotional stability in the triplet’s lives, so Laito felt like he needed to take it upon himself in order to to try his best to protect Ayato and Kanato. Obviously, this made Ayato feel bad because he wanted Laito to come to him too, and be there for Laito like how Laito was there for him. Sure Laito couldn’t do much when they were children, but he tried his best with what he was able to do. Ayato can’t forgive Laito for doing this to himself and pushing all his emotions down just so he could be there for Ayato and Kanato. It makes sense why Ayato was pissed off by this, yet grateful at the same time.

And Laito being absolutely self aware with his own lack of honesty just,,,, gives me the feels. But Laito calling out Ayato for feigning ignorance also makes sense too. Ayato knew about the whole Cordelia thing with Laito, and yet never reached out with that. I mean, I’m not sure what Ayato could have done at that point since it happened when they were older (at least the first time Cordelia sexually abused him––I know things happened when Laito was a child but I think he was more groomed as a kid in my opinion and from my deductions) and Ayato and Laito were drifting at this point.

Ok now that’s my updated part of this analysis, this was a pretty old one and I just had new thoughts and found a better translation.

---------------------------UPDATE END-------------------

Remember the whole thing I said in Laito and Shin’s VERSUS CD analysis was that Laito hates conflict and runs from his problems. It’s probably a defense mechanism of his but it’s honestly done more harm than solve it. This caused Ayato to kind of be stronger for himself, since he couldn’t get that strength from Laito. So that’s really sad, and answers the question whether or not any of his brothers know about his mask. But I believe it might just be Ayato, and I will get to that in a minute. It also answers Laito and Ayato’s love/hate relationship.

I think that Ayato is more scared of Laito in the sense that he’s concerned about what’s he’s become. Like Ayato is always down to clown with Laito, and then Laito says some really weird shit sometimes that makes Ayato be like “oh god why”. I know I mentioned this but it is something to emphasize. I do think that Ayato knows that Laito is calculating, cunning, and manipulative as all hell. I don’t think he’s scared of him, or else why would he choose to hang out with Laito? Laito has nothing to gain by forcing Ayato to clown with him. Ayato usually doesn’t let Laito mess around with him if Ayato’s already got it going with another person; in this case, Yui. Their interactions within Vandead Carnival and Lunatic Parade is more like “omg Laito don’t embarrass me in front of Yui” (which,,, Laito does, and tells Yui that he’s so superstitious that he sleeps with a belly warmer lol just so Ayato can exchange something embarrassing too). I’d say they have the most “brotherly” relationship out of all the Sakamakis (rivals Subaru’s and Shuu’s relationship but that’s really an unspoken one).

Despite them being closer than the rest, that doesn’t mean they’re the closest pair. Laito still feels the need to prove himself that he doesn’t have his emotional problems in front of Ayato still, which is also probably why it drives Ayato away. Ayato can’t comfort Laito usually considering his facade builds a wall. And it’s hard to get to someone’s heart when it’s reinforced with steel, basically. So yes, he still wears his facade around Ayato; considering it only seems that they hang out when they’re horny and want some fun lol. I haven’t seen another instance where they do, or at least that’s the most common one.

Laito’s relationship with Kanato

I finished Kanato’s HDB route a while back, and I just gotta say,,,, man,,,,, wow,,,,, that was quite the doozy. As for him and Laito? It’s quite hard to tell, but, Laito is still there for Kanato. Sure Laito’s there when Ayato harasses him and calls him “hysteric” but Laito never insults him. There’s even a point where Laito plays a “big brother” role and gives Kanato advice:

Laito: Fufu~ Kanato-kun, shall I give you a little warning? Kanato: I don’t need such a thing. Laito: Don’t say that and just listen~ …If you take your sweet time, she’ll get snatched away from underneath your eyes, you know? Kanato: …

Sure it’s kinda…. morbid advice, but it is advice that helps Kanato regardless. And Kanato takes it! He listened to Laito! It’s obvious that Kanato is really annoyed by Laito (which gives me a reason why he doesn’t know about Laito’s situation with Cordelia on top of Laito’s facade) and doesn’t want anything to do with him (or Ayato, for that matter). I believe he says at one point in his route how he was isolated from the other siblings, mainly due to Cordelia. However, since Kanato listened to Laito despite him saying “I don’t need such a thing” kinda implies some kind of respect for Laito. He might know that Laito is calculating and smart in that manner. But do I think that he caught on to Laito wearing a facade all the time? Nah, he cares about himself too much and also just does his own stuff most of the time.

This quote I’m adding also happens in Kanato’s route; it doesn’t add much but I did laugh a little reading this:

Ayato: Does she like Kanato that much? That’s impossible. She’s heading down a path of despair for sure. Laito: Fufu…That’s something you could say about any one of us though~ Ayato: …Che.

It’s just a well crafted meta joke from Laito; he says it in such a cheerful way but man, that’s sad.

That’s about it for Laito and Kanato; I don’t think Laito says much about Kanato and vise versa. They really stay out of each others’ business, mainly because Kanato isolates himself out of spite, really.

---------------------------------INTERMISSION------------------------------------

Before I move onto the other ones, just a little shoutout to my inspiration for this blog: @/akai-anemone

I read her analyses on Laito about five years ago, and unfortunately, she has stopped. But, she has some really good stuff and I definitely recommend checking it out. Here’s some big bro Laito moments she’s brought up too:

https://akai-anemone.tumblr.com/post/68549708275/heres-one-of-my-favorite-big-bro-laito-moments

https://akai-anemone.tumblr.com/post/68539626117/on-the-subject-of-the-relationship-between-the

https://akai-anemone.tumblr.com/post/65005954447/narihira-ayato-tells-laito-that-hes-building-a

https://akai-anemone.tumblr.com/post/64621970821/big-bro-laito

Please check her out!! She’s so lovely and although she’s not active anymore, I want to pay tribute to her too. I really hope I can be a good successor of her’s for the DL/Laito community.

------------------------------INTERMISSION END---------------------------------

Laito’s relationship with Subaru

Honestly probably one of my favorite Sakamaki brother dynamics aside from Ayato and Laito. If you haven’t heard of the Laito vs Subaru, here it is for your listening pleasure (LINK). It’s probably one of my favorite fanservicey CDs, because Laito really just is getting the most out of the situation.

Laito and Subaru are quite the dynamic duo. Subaru doesn’t have an affinity for Laito and man, it shows. He’s always telling Laito to shut up, and similarly to his other brothers, he’s always like “wtf” when Laito says something wack. Laito’s absolutely entertained by this though, and since he’s older than Subaru, he definitely uses it to his advantage to mess with him. Since Subaru’s your “tsundere” part of the group (more than Ayato), and easily read more than Ayato is, Laito has so much fun teasing him and calling him out in front of Yui. Here’s one of my favorite interactions from the CD:

L: Ehe~.. I’ll be taking those words as a compliment. Your jealousy is really a pleasant thing to me, ahaha. S: Ah?! JEALOUSY?! L: Oh? Aren’t you jealous? Extremely? Ufu, the reason Subaru-kun is so annoyed is that.. S: Fuck that! There’s no way it’s that! Don’t make me laugh!! It’s not like I… to this girl… L: Mm, tsk tsk tsk. Subaru-kun isn’t very honest, is he. What I said is the truth. You’re– S: SHUT UP! *breaks something* L: Woah! Geez… when I hit the nail on the head every time I’d like it if you didn’t break the things around us. Look, bitch-chan is also scared, isn’t she? Am I right?

Laito, the perceptive motherfucker (,,,,dark joke im sorry), is back at it again, but terrorizing Subaru (and indirectly terrorizing the infrastructure of the house lol). I think it’s another brotherly moment of him to kind of make Subaru realize his feelings too. I don’t know too much about Subaru (although his MB route made me cry lol) but I do know that he’s just a fiercely independent guy that also kinda self isolated himself similarly to Kanato; but doesn’t nearly have as much built up hatred to his siblings.

Here’s some more Laito messing with Subaru quotes from that CD. Mainly because I find it so entertaining.

L: Uwa.. Subaru-kun is scary~ dragging along a senseless girl by her hair. S: SHUT UP PERVERT!.. Right now as you wish.. I’ll make this girl crumble… everything is working out like you desired, right? L: Ufu, really? I did it! In that case, why don’t I stay here and watch your excellent ideas slowly and carefully?

Laito: Fufufu~ You just don’t understand the depths of love yet, Subaru-kun~ Laito: …Well then, Bitch-chan…Doesn’t seem like anyone will come and save us any time soon, so let’s have lots and lots more fun, okay? Haahn…Mm… Subaru: The fuck’s the ‘depths of love’!? I don’t care if I don’t understand that crap. I’ll love you…in my own way. So brace yourself, okay? …Mmh!

That’s so damn rich coming from Laito. This is just Laito’s version of a “haha virgin” joke (which I don’t think Subaru is lol). However, it seems that Laito considers Subaru “pure,” similar in Ayato’s fashion. Maybe this statement is a little jealous quip at that. Who knows!

Laito’s relationship with Reiji

Laito and Reiji…. Man, this is an entertaining relationship. They’re seemingly opposites: agent of chaos and agent of order. (However, Subaru is more physically chaotic lol). Although Laito does kind of fill the “big bro” position for most of his brothers, Reiji is definitely more of a “parental” figure. Laito knows how to get under Reiji’s skin and just does it for fun. I just find it really entertaining. Sure I’m not the biggest Reiji fan like I’ve said before, but wow I love their interactions. Reiji can be a buzzkill for Laito, which certainly annoys him as well. Their relationships in the tokuten CDs are my favorite; especially when Kou and Laito pester Reiji to make them food. However, Reiji treats Laito like a nuisance as well, especially during his MB out when a desperate Laito comes to Reiji begging for help. Reiji’s extremely blunt in that situation and basically is like “why don’t you just kill her” and doesn’t attempt to comfort Laito when he’s crying when Yui kills herself in MB. I feel like Reiji is a nice foil for Laito’s character in their interactions, especially during that scene:

Reiji: Oh… …Are you crying? Laito: Eh, this… …is what you call tears? Reiji: The water that flows from the eyes are tears. Laito: Why am I crying for? Reiji: … … Are you happy or sad, it can be either. Laito: I’m… … Reiji: Well, please leave quickly and carry the corpse out with you. Laito: It’s cold… …I’m shedding so many tears, why are they coming out so fast… … Reiji: … … It would be the result of which you invited.

They don’t interact often, and when they do, it’s either entertaining or meaningful, it seems. At least in my opinion.

Laito’s relationship with Shuu

Now this one’s interesting. Exaggerated “pervert” vs actual pervert. Putting it out there, I don’t think Shuu’s a closet pervert as most say; he’s just quiet in general, but his perverse remarks are incredibly obvious. These two don’t interact often (although Shuu interacts with his brothers less than Kanato) but WOW can they freaking duet!! I love their song Camouflage. But, that aside, their reactions are limited to Shuu making quips at Laito; either telling him to shut up or like “wtf Laito” (similarly to his other brothers). My favorite scene of them both is when Shuu calls Laito a “wannabe pervert”.

Laito: Haha. Shu, isn’t it unusual for you to feel uneasy? Are you jealous? Fufu… … Shu: Bothersome… …I’m in a bad mood now. My music is spoiled because of your useless chattering. … … As for the concept of jealousy, it’s impossible for me to express… …you imitated pervert. Laito: … … Do you want to be killed? Shu: Hmph… …whatever you like?

This sets Laito off a bit, and Shuu definitely knows what he’s doing. Laito’s even taken aback, given his pause and the lack of a retort. It’s uncertain to see if Shuu actually knows what’s up with Laito or not, but I do think that Shuu is more perceptive than what he lets on. This also just reinforces the fact that Laito wants to meticulously build his character/facade as the perverted type, and doesn’t want it to be broken down; which is why he gets mad at Shuu.

Well that’s all of Laito’s relationships with his brothers! Now onto the bigger picture.

Laito’s overall relationship with the Sakamakis and their implications + conclusions

This one’s gonna be a bit all over the place, so I apologize for that.

Have you ever noticed that Laito doesn’t resort to name calling like the rest of his brothers? Even Reiji, the more “””refined””” brother calls Shuu a good for nothing. He only resorts to name-calling women. This, I find very intriguing. He usually has more indirect comments at his brothers, but they’re not nearly as malicious as the others. Or they’re insightful or just him teasing them; I don’t believe he has malicious intent towards his brothers like he says he does. Unless if he says he does; Laito doesn’t get actually LEGIT mad that easily.

Also, yes, Laito does keep his mask on around his siblings. He’s just not as pervy when Yui’s not there because,,,, Yui’s not there, or if she’s not the topic of the conversation (or any woman for that matter), he has no reason to be pervy unless if something comes up. He always feels the need to be pervy though; Shuu straight up calls him a “wannabe pervert,” since Laito heavily exerts it to the point where it’s probably a joke.

However, there’s something that’s been bothering me. I did mention it in this (https://everything-laito.tumblr.com/post/624910343406256128/impromptu-analysis-more-of-this-coming-soon) analysis, but TLDR; Nobody interacts with you or Laito in Laito’s HDB route. I could even say the same with his MB route, but that highlights his rivalry with Kou. In HDB, there is rarely any interaction with other brothers or even implied interaction with them. Subaru doesn’t even show up in the entirety of Laito’s route from what I can remember. In Kanato’s route, (which Kanato is the most overtly possessive/yandere of them all imo) Laito and Ayato still interact with him when you’re around, or even when he’s not around. But nobody dares to interact with you in Laito’s route much when you’re alone. Its bone chilling isolation. If there is interaction with the other brothers, it’s very limited and very quick. They’re very careful about what they say to you, when Laito’s around or not. They know he’s always watching, and we know he’s always watching.

But, Kanato’s the one that spits out death threats all the time and is definitely like “Yui’s mine” in his route. But, it seems that he’s not much of a threat to the other brothers; and like I mentioned, Laito even gives him advice, which he listens to. However, nobody dares to get under Laito’s radar, because it seems that he can turn into an actual threat to the others. I mean, Laito probably has killed as many people as Kanato, if not more. Laito is no stranger to killing in cold blood. He’s killed so many suitors under Cordelia. This is beyond the other brothers being disgusted with Laito’s actions. This is the other brothers not wanting to mess with Pandora’s Box.

Sure, we know that Laito dislikes outward violence, but he’s a master at manipulation and gaslighting, and doing stuff sneakily. They don’t know what to expect because of his mask being on at all times; they can’t get an efficient read on him, and even if they were “plotting” something against him or wanting to take Yui, they couldn’t. He has eyes everywhere. So instead, the other brothers avoid him in the sacrificial bride situation. He’s a force to be reckoned with, and they seem to know that he’s smarter than what he lets on.

Well, if you’re still here, thanks for reading as always! So sorry this has been so delayed! (And Hotline, I will get to your other part of your ask in another post, I didn’t forget about it!!)

Hope you all are doing well!

-Corn

#Laito sakamaki #sakamaki laito #analysis #dl #dialovers #dialover #diabolik lovers #raito sakamaki #sakamaki raito #hotline-to-hell #anonymous #anon

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