#trust me I'm well aware that these thoughts about the characters and the series are atypical of what the vast majority of fans think
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JJK 261 ANALYSIS: What happened, how, why Yuuta made the choice he did, and a discussion of tragedy & major themes of JJK
MAJOR spoilers below the cut so please read at your risk.
i wanted to dissect what happened a bit, and address a few points i saw floating around since the leaks dropped. of course, these are all my interpretations, so feel free to disagree, i just had a lot of thoughts floating around that i wanted to put out for discussion.
I. Gojo was never coming back
first of all, i don't know how you guys expected him to survive bisection. i said this earlier in the day as my justification for why i didn't think gojo was coming back, prior to leaks, and i don't think i can say it any better now.
and this is just my interpretation of reverse curse technique, but if anything, yuuta in this chapter supports my theory. in the scene where he's on shoko's table and arata nitta says that he's used rct to keep the wounds from getting worse, but it might be too late for yuuta to recover. in that case, gojo wasn't coming back from being sliced in half. it's just not possible.
additionally, and this is another thing that i've said for a long time. he says right in episode 6 (i forgot the chapter) that his dream is to reset the jujutsu world raise up a generation of strong students that work together. that is why he became a teacher. this very clearly comes from his relationship with suguru, and it's one of gojo's clearest motivations from the beginning.
the problem is, in order to achieve this, he has to die. so long as satoru gojo is alive, he will have to carry the burden of being the strongest alone. his students won't have to work together, because gojo will just take care of everything. this is already in the works, with how many people have come together to stand against sukuna. if gojo lived and defeated sukuna on his own, this wouldn't have happened, and bringing him back would, again, reduce the need for his students work together.
unfortunately, gojo has been doomed by the narrative from the start, and his primary goal as a character basically requires his death to be realized in its entirety.
II. They're not heroes, they're jujutsu sorcerers.
yeah, i'm stealing megumi's line because it's true. he literally said it twice for a reason, and then yuuta said a repackaged version of it in this chapter ("we're about to fight history's strongest jujutsu sorcerer. if we can win by throwing away our humanity, we shouldn't even be arguing about this").
trust, all the characters are well aware of the ethical issues with taking gojo's body after he's dead, both with what it means for gojo, and with what it means for yuuta. but this isn't a story about heroism, this isn't a story about the power of friendship. if it was, yuuji would have saved junpei all the way back at the beginning of the series. it was pretty clear from the start that this wasn't going to be the typical shounen manga like that.
in fact, expecting it to be is unrealistic. it's unrealistic in real life too, if i'm being so honest. everyone wants to think they'd take the moral high road in this type of situation, but the reality is, when you're fighting tooth and nail against an opponent that is fighting dirty, you have to fight dirty too if you want to win, and i think that's what yuuta is trying to point out in this chapter.
this happens in real life wars which im not gonna get into examples because i dont want to start that kind of discourse, but like...it's so great to be idealistic and hope that virtue will triumph simply because it is virtuous, but i think if you take a look around, you'll realize it's true that good people do not get what they deserve simply because they're good (that's so megumi of me to say...). or if you think of it like a board game, if a player is cheating, it is infinitely harder to win without cheating yourself.
maybe this is a bit pessimistic of me to say, but you will not win a dirty fight without getting dirty yourself, and i think it's pretty clear that sukuna fights dirty.
additionally, it's shitty to see gojo be weaponized, and i understand that, but it plays into the themes about strength in jjk, which i will get into.
III. This was not an "ass pull."
i don't really have much to say to this. did you think yuuta wouldn't take kenjaku's technique? plus, kenjaku being eaten by rika is probably the only surefire way to ensure that they're dead and won't just hop to another body. i've already said why gojo wouldn't come back, but it makes sense that if yuuta were to copy kenjaku's technique, who else would he body hop into, if not gojo? there's already narrative evidence to support this action, from the guidelines of yuuta's technique, kenjaku's technique, and gojo's technique, to the character of yuuta okkotsu, which i want to do an analysis in a separate post for him, so i won't get into that right now.
idk...to me, all the threads connect, plus i felt like yuuta's return was foreshadowed pretty heavily in 259 & 260, with the mention of yuuta's plan that yuuji couldn't know, and then on the last page of 260, the comparison of sukuna and yuuta, so for me, i always thought that it was not actually gojo, but yuuta at the end of 260.
IV. Themes of JJK: The burden of being "the strongest," or even just strong
even many jjk fans see gojo as "the strongest," and nothing more, doing exactly what the narrative sets up as one of the chief problems of jjk. a lot of gojo's actions are spurred on by the burden he feels from being the strongest modern sorcerer. his entire character is built around this problem of the responsibility and burden that falls on someone who's considered to be "the best" at anything.
in fact, this is also a driving point for geto too, and the conflicts geto and gojo come into with each other, as well as geto's inevitable fall from grace. it all comes from this issue that's at the core of jujutsu society. gojo recognizes that, and, as i mentioned, that is why he became a teacher. so that no young sorcerers will feel the burden of being the strongest alone.
the problem is this is easier said than done. after gojo dies, this burden gets passed down to yuuta, and he feels that immense pressure, which is why he decides to do what he does. he says "haven’t we been pushing the burden of being a monster onto gojo-sensei alone? if gojo-sensei is gone, then who else will be the monster? If no one intends to become one, then I will!" and i think this really powerful evidence of the pressure and burden of being the strongest, and i think the word monster is really important here. the burden pushes people to be something they're not, a shadow of their true self.
it distorts morality, like with geto. it isolates people, like with gojo. it forces people to go to unspeakable lengths to uphold their burden, like with yuuta. it leads people with immense power to doubt themselves, like with megumi. it leads people to feel like a cog in the machine, not a human, like with yuuji.
this is sooo so important and a key theme of jjk, and this chapter in particular, and the driving force behind yuuta's actions.
V. Themes in JJK: Loneliness and Isolation
this one has, in my opinion, a bigger role in the story overall than just in this chapter.
as i mentioned before, gojo is lonely. the only person who could understand him was geto, and he turned away from him, and then died. he seems like a silly guy or whatever, but it's just a mask.
but geto also felt alone and isolated, and that's why he turned away. between gojo and geto, neither of them were able to put share the burden of carrying their strength alone, and it's what kept them apart and made their relationship so tragic.
arguably, and though he would never admit it, sukuna is also lonely, though it's buried deep within him and something he will likely never acknowledge, despite it, and his lack of understanding of love (arguably a symptom of his loneliness), are major reasons for the way he acts.
yuuta, though supported by maki, inumaki, and panda in a way that the previously mentioned characters are not, is still isolated. he alone carries the burden of his strength. he was also alone his whole life after rika died, and then again when he was shipped off to africa, away from his friends (yeah he had miguel, maybe i'm missing something, but i dont see them having that type of relationship.
not only that, but yuuta recognizes gojo's loneliness, and reaches out to tell him not to try to stand by himself once again, and gojo admits that's something he can't do, the reason being his relationship with geto.
even further, yuuji and megumi, the parallel to satosugu, are both deeply lonely, except for when they have each other. i mentioned in this analysis that the reason megumi can't just get up and keep going is because he's alone and has been for over a month. i want to get into this more in my next point.
VI. Where I think (hope) this leads for JJK
a satisfying ending for jjk, in my opinion, would be the resolution to this loneliness and burden of strength issue that has been present throughout the narrative. something like yuuji being able to save megumi and them being able to correct what went wrong with satosugu in their own relationship.
personally would like to see satosugu reach the ending they should have had through the itafushi parallels - let them save each other! but i do know gege said only one of them (the trio + gojo) will die, or only one will live....that was years ago maybe he changed his mind :D
we all want to see yuuji take down sukuna himself, but i think it would be a great resolution to see everyone take down sukuna as a team. no one person is alone, no one person has the burden of the strongest. i know i said this wasn't a "power of friendship" manga, and i stand by that, but i think this would be the perfect ending. yuuta throws his humanity away to do what he did in 261 because he felt like it was the only choice and it was something he alone could do, but yuuji represents unwavering humanity (literally his name), and i think to preserve that, they all need to share that burden. let them realize they need each other.
this is what gojo died for, and this is what he lived for. this is why he became a teacher in the first place- to raise a generation that can be strong together, that can support one another.
VII. "It's poorly written torture porn!" "There's no point if there's no happy ending!" etc
i said this in a separate post but tragedies have existed in literature since the 6th century BCE, 2600 years ago. many of the most popular stories throughout history have been tragedies, for example, orpheus & eurydice, romeo & juliet, even things like the fault in our stars and the titanic movie. here's a quick explanation of what it means for a story to be a tragedy (yeah it's from wikipedia but they want me to pay to access the original source and im not doing that for a jjk analysis)
one of things i like most about this definition is the use of the word "catharsis," which is to say that the expression of strong emotions is a way of bringing about renewal and relief. in literature, it's used to say that with the arousal and following release of negative emotions relieves suppressed emotions for the viewer. im not gonna get too personal with it, but i know i've experienced this with jjk.
additionally all of the aforementioned tragedies, they have a message, no matter how sad they are. orpheus & eurydice inspires perseverance and faith in the gods. even something like titanic has messages about everlasting love that overcomes all boundaries. jjk has its message too, and it's long underway. we just have to wait for it to reach its conclusion.
it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when we only get one chapter a week, and the fact that the pain is so dragged out is a bit tiring, i'll admit. but that doesn't mean it's bad. having negative emotions stirred by a story doesn't mean bad writing. i mean, i would hope you feel sad. i would hope you feel angry. i would be concerned if you didn't. but given that jjk is a tragedy, that just indicates good writing. especially these last two chapters, i've felt moved in a way nothing else has done for me in a long time.
as always, these are just my thoughts!!! im happy to hear from anyone what they think :D
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𝖧𝖺𝗎𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖵𝗈𝗐𝗌 (𝖸𝖺𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖯𝗋𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖬𝖾𝗀𝗎𝗆𝗂 𝗑 𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋)
ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖, ℕ𝕖𝕔𝕜𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕖
MINOR DO NOT INTERACT SERIES TW: Violence, Sexual themes, major character death,tba
previous chapter
"Nobara, what am I looking at?" you laughed, staring at the carefully laid black gown on your bed.
"I don't know but it's awful" Nobara replied, staring at the dress's lack of detail, and poor stitching. "Megumi is expecting me to wear this. Tonight. In front of his entire family," you added, standing next to Nobara as you both looked at the dress.
"Well, Megumi is going to just see you in the dress I personally picked out for you" Nobara smiled, walking towards your wooden closet, and dramatically opening the doors. There was one of the most beautiful corset dress you've ever seen, elegantly dangling on the coat hanger, basically begging you to wear it.
"Judging by your silence, I'm going to assume that the dress that I have so gracefully blessed you has left you speechless. However, if you could say something it probably would be 'Nobara Kugisaki is the best lady in waiting ever and she has the nicest hair in this castle." Nobara mimicked, a grin on her lips.
"It's perfect" you uttered, tracing your finger on the hem of the dress. "Thank you, Nobara" you added.
"I know. I'm great" Nobara laughed, crossing her arms.
"Well, I'll trust that you can get changed by yourself because I also intend to look my best if I'm going to meet blood thirsty conquers " Nobara added, patting your shoulder as she walked passed you.
---
You were tightening the corset of your dress, looking at yourself through your bedroom's vanity as Megumi walked through your door- not bothering to knock, pausing in this track, scanning your outfit.
"You're not wearing the dress I picked out" he uttered, eyes narrowing. "Well, I thought I would wear something nice when I'm meeting my future in-laws" You replied, a passive-aggressive smile across your lips. Megumi huffed, blowing a strand of dark hair off his forehead, "Let me tighten that for you, you're taking forever."
"You don't have to" you replied but it was pointless, Megumi was already behind you, so close to you that you could feel his breath hit the nape of your neck. His fingers trace your corset before wrapping the ribbons around his digits and gently pulling them.
He wrapped his palm around your waist, slowly spinning you to face him, "the dress is...alright. I suppose" he mumbled.
"Well unlike you, I understand women's fashion" you teased causing Megumi to roll his eyes. "I don't care what you wear or even how you look like. Honestly, it'll all be about the way your actions that matter to me. All the dresses I've assigned you were meant for mere comfort, not fashion" he added.
God, of course, a guy like Megumi doesn't care about looks- He's already naturally beautiful.
"What happened to your hand, Y/n." Megumi huffed, his voice snapping you out of your thoughts, his eyes widening as his attention was caught by your bandaged hand.
"N-nothing" you replied, trying to laugh his worries away, hiding your palm behind your back. "It's not nothing. I'm your fiancé. You can't hide these types of things from me" Megumi mumbled, gently holding your bandaged palm, tracing his thumb on it.
"Sorry," you replied, unsure what you were apologizing for. "Did someone do this to you? Was it one of the twins?" Megumi asked, slightly panicked, aware that his family could be quite... impulsive sometimes. "No-no, this was all me. I picked up a shard of glass by mistake" you replied, trying to wave him off. Megumi sighed, shaking his head, "god, please be more careful next time."
"I usually am" you mumbled, unsure why Megumi is such a concern when he almost fed you to wolves...Maybe because he thought someone else hurt you?
"Tonight is going to be one of the most important dinners you'll ever have. That's why I want you to let me do all the speaking for you" Megumi advised.
"So, you want me to shut up and just eat dinner. That sounds unreasonable, doesn't it?" you asked, eyes narrowing. "Well- If you put it that way of course it sounds bad" Megumi muttered, an irritated expression on his face.
"Well is there anyone I'm 'allowed' to talk to" you replied. Megumi took a moment to think, "Am I not enough conversationalist to entertain you, Y/n?" Megumi questioned causing you to roll your eyes.
As the night approached, you found yourself at the birthday dinner you had been dreading all day, a chair filled with members of the Zenin clan, each one of them looking more rugged than the first.
And of course- you're 'fresh meat' so you'll be their subject of interest tonight. There was a person that made you sick to your stomach, a certain blonde hair, ear pierced, brown-eyed Zenin member. Also known as Naoya Zenin.
"Y/n, how are you liking living in the Zenin manor," Naoya asked, sitting across from you on the long wooden detailed dining table, his head resting on his palm.
"She's getting used to it" Megumi answered for you, blue eyes narrowing at Naoya. "I think she can answer for herself. There's no reason to be quiet, I mean we're going to be family soon, right?" Naoya laughed. Megumi directed his glare at you, giving you a subtle nod to speak.
"I'm still learning what things are like in this family" you uttered.
Naoya clapped his hands, "I suppose us, Zenins, is a bit different from... Wherever you came from" Naoya laughed.
"My father told me that you and Megumi were arranged, is this correct?" Naoya questioned, leaning over the table.
"Yes, my father agreed to Mr. L/n's proposal" Megumi answered for you again, his tone stern.
Naoya clicked his tongue, "You should be lucky, Toji agreed. Y/n here is quite the looker" Naoya chuckled to himself, knowing that he's overstepping boundaries.
Megumi rolled his eyes at the comment, "that's a bold statement to say to her fiance" Megumi replied.
"What? It's not like you actually love her" Naoya blurted.
"We're Zenins. We don't fall in love" Naoya added.
Megumi went silent, unable to argue with Naoya's logic causing a big smirk to lay on Naoya's lips.
"So, when will you be giving us the next Zenin child?" Naoya asked, shamelessly.
"Excuse me." you laughed as a response.
The rest of the night was quite...unpleasant, filled with constant nagging and a drunk Toji who tried to find someone to gamble with.
As you try to laugh off a somewhat controversial joke made by Naoya, from the corner of your eye you spot Megumi slipping away to the balcony. You excused yourself from a disappointed Naoya- only letting you go because you promised you'd 'consider' letting him give you a speech at your wedding.
"Megumi" you called out, pushing the window's curtain aside as you stepped onto the balcony, the midnight sky illuminated the stars, a soft breeze brushing against the branches of the forest, Megumi's back pressed against the balcony's railing, his eyes closed as if he's trying to regain his composure from that awful dinner.
"It's cold out here, you should go back inside" Megumi uttered, his eyes remaining closed, admiring the breeze pushing his hair off his face.
"Probably...but I wanted to give you your gift first" you responded, opening your purse to pull out a tiny silver gift box.
Megumi sighed, reluctantly taking your gift into his hand, "You didn't have to get me anything, honestly I don't care about my birth-" Megumi paused, his pupils dilating as he unboxed the chain, holding the piece of jewelry up.
"Where did you get this" he asked.
"In a box store in the cellar. I figured the 'F' stood for Fushiguro. So I polished it for your birthday gift" you lied, praying Toji's story was believable.
"It's not mine. It's my mother's" Megumi confessed, putting the chain back into its box.
"I-it is? Sorry, I- I seriously had no idea" you apologized, feeling guilty about reminding someone about their dead mother...on their birthday.
"No. Don't be. It's a lovely gift. Thank you." Megumi responded, his lips subtly turning into a sweet smile.
"If you don't mind me asking...why do you go by Fushiguro- and not Zenin?" you questioned.
Megumi sighed, "My father took my mother's last name. When I was four- the old assholes in there asked me if I wanted to go by Zenin or Fushiguro like my dad. I picked Fushiguro, I don't know why- maybe to honor my mom or something. Never really got the chance to know her" Megumi answered.
"Because of the trials," you uttered, remembering Maki saying something about Megumi's mother not exactly...passing her tests.
"It wasn't fair. Those bastards forced her to take the trials the week after she gave birth to me. Didn't even let her body recover" Megumi huffed, closing his eyes and imagining his poor mother having to go through god knows what right after the pain of labor.
"I'm sorry" you replied. "Don't be it's not your fault" Megumi added.
Megumi slowly approached you, the silence being filled with his footsteps, standing in front of you.
"I want you to wear this" he uttered, leaning over to wrap his mother's golden chain around your neck. "But it's supposed to be your gift" you argued, holding the 'F' shaped pendant in your hand.
"A much better gift is seeing my wife wear something so dear to me" Megumi mumbled, stepping back to admire you with the lovely piece of jewelry.
"Besides, I think the word Fushiguro suits you. "
"Nobara, what am I looking at?" you laughed, staring at the carefully laid black gown on your bed.
"I don't know but it's awful" Nobara replied, staring at the dress's lack of detail, and poor stitching. "Megumi is expecting me to wear this. Tonight. In front of his entire family," you added, standing next to Nobara as you both looked at the dress.
"Well, Megumi is going to just see you in the dress I personally picked out for you" Nobara smiled, walking towards your wooden closet, and dramatically opening the doors. There was one of the most beautiful corset dress you've ever seen, elegantly dangling on the coat hanger, basically begging you to wear it.
"Judging by your silence, I'm going to assume that the dress that I have so gracefully blessed you has left you speechless. However, if you could say something it probably would be 'Nobara Kugisaki is the best lady in waiting ever and she has the nicest hair in this castle." Nobara mimicked, a grin on her lips.
"It's perfect" you uttered, tracing your finger on the hem of the dress. "Thank you, Nobara" you added.
"I know. I'm great" Nobara laughed, crossing her arms.
"Well, I'll trust that you can get changed by yourself because I also intend to look my best if I'm going to meet blood thirsty conquers " Nobara added, patting your shoulder as she walked passed you.
---
You were tightening the corset of your dress, looking at yourself through your bedroom's vanity as Megumi walked through your door- not bothering to knock, pausing in this track, scanning your outfit.
"You're not wearing the dress I picked out" he uttered, eyes narrowing. "Well, I thought I would wear something nice when I'm meeting my future in-laws" You replied, a passive-aggressive smile across your lips. Megumi huffed, blowing a strand of dark hair off his forehead, "Let me tighten that for you, you're taking forever."
"You don't have to" you replied but it was pointless, Megumi was already behind you, so close to you that you could feel his breath hit the nape of your neck. His fingers trace your corset before wrapping the ribbons around his digits and gently pulling them.
He wrapped his palm around your waist, slowly spinning you to face him, "the dress is...alright. I suppose" he mumbled.
"Well unlike you, I understand women's fashion" you teased causing Megumi to roll his eyes. "I don't care what you wear or even how you look like. Honestly, it'll all be about the way your actions that matter to me. All the dresses I've assigned you were meant for mere comfort, not fashion" he added.
God, of course, a guy like Megumi doesn't care about looks- He's already naturally beautiful.
"What happened to your hand, Y/n." Megumi huffed, his voice snapping you out of your thoughts, his eyes widening as his attention was caught by your bandaged hand.
"N-nothing" you replied, trying to laugh his worries away, hiding your palm behind your back. "It's not nothing. I'm your fiancé. You can't hide these types of things from me" Megumi mumbled, gently holding your bandaged palm, tracing his thumb on it.
"Sorry," you replied, unsure what you were apologizing for. "Did someone do this to you? Was it one of the twins?" Megumi asked, slightly panicked, aware that his family could be quite... impulsive sometimes. "No-no, this was all me. I picked up a shard of glass by mistake" you replied, trying to wave him off. Megumi sighed, shaking his head, "god, please be more careful next time."
"I usually am" you mumbled, unsure why Megumi is such a concern when he almost fed you to wolves...Maybe because he thought someone else hurt you?
"Tonight is going to be one of the most important dinners you'll ever have. That's why I want you to let me do all the speaking for you" Megumi advised.
"So, you want me to shut up and just eat dinner. That sounds unreasonable, doesn't it?" you asked, eyes narrowing. "Well- If you put it that way of course it sounds bad" Megumi muttered, an irritated expression on his face.
"Well is there anyone I'm 'allowed' to talk to" you replied. Megumi took a moment to think, "Am I not enough conversationalist to entertain you, Y/n?" Megumi questioned causing you to roll your eyes.
As the night approached, you found yourself at the birthday dinner you had been dreading all day, a chair filled with members of the Zenin clan, each one of them looking more rugged than the first.
And of course- you're 'fresh meat' so you'll be their subject of interest tonight. There was a person that made you sick to your stomach, a certain blonde hair, ear pierced, brown-eyed Zenin member. Also known as Naoya Zenin.
"Y/n, how are you liking living in the Zenin manor," Naoya asked, sitting across from you on the long wooden detailed dining table, his head resting on his palm.
"She's getting used to it" Megumi answered for you, blue eyes narrowing at Naoya. "I think she can answer for herself. There's no reason to be quiet, I mean we're going to be family soon, right?" Naoya laughed. Megumi directed his glare at you, giving you a subtle nod to speak.
"I'm still learning what things are like in this family" you uttered.
Naoya clapped his hands, "I suppose us, Zenins, is a bit different from... Wherever you came from" Naoya laughed.
"My father told me that you and Megumi were arranged, is this correct?" Naoya questioned, leaning over the table.
"Yes, my father agreed to Mr. L/n's proposal" Megumi answered for you again, his tone stern.
Naoya clicked his tongue, "You should be lucky, Toji agreed. Y/n here is quite the looker" Naoya chuckled to himself, knowing that he's overstepping boundaries.
Megumi rolled his eyes at the comment, "that's a bold statement to say to her fiance" Megumi replied.
"What? It's not like you actually love her" Naoya blurted.
"We're Zenins. We don't fall in love" Naoya added.
Megumi went silent, unable to argue with Naoya's logic causing a big smirk to lay on Naoya's lips.
"So, when will you be giving us the next Zenin child?" Naoya asked, shamelessly.
"Excuse me." you laughed as a response.
The rest of the night was quite...unpleasant, filled with constant nagging and a drunk Toji who tried to find someone to gamble with.
As you try to laugh off a somewhat controversial joke made by Naoya, from the corner of your eye you spot Megumi slipping away to the balcony. You excused yourself from a disappointed Naoya- only letting you go because you promised you'd 'consider' letting him give you a speech at your wedding.
"Megumi" you called out, pushing the window's curtain aside as you stepped onto the balcony, the midnight sky illuminated the stars, a soft breeze brushing against the branches of the forest, Megumi's back pressed against the balcony's railing, his eyes closed as if he's trying to regain his composure from that awful dinner.
"It's cold out here, you should go back inside" Megumi uttered, his eyes remaining closed, admiring the breeze pushing his hair off his face.
"Probably...but I wanted to give you your gift first" you responded, opening your purse to pull out a tiny silver gift box.
Megumi sighed, reluctantly taking your gift into his hand, "You didn't have to get me anything, honestly I don't care about my birth-" Megumi paused, his pupils dilating as he unboxed the chain, holding the piece of jewelry up.
"Where did you get this" he asked.
"In a box store in the cellar. I figured the 'F' stood for Fushiguro. So I polished it for your birthday gift" you lied, praying Toji's story was believable.
"It's not mine. It's my mother's" Megumi confessed, putting the chain back into its box.
"I-it is? Sorry, I- I seriously had no idea" you apologized, feeling guilty about reminding someone about their dead mother...on their birthday.
"No. Don't be. It's a lovely gift. Thank you." Megumi responded, his lips subtly turning into a sweet smile.
"If you don't mind me asking...why do you go by Fushiguro- and not Zenin?" you questioned.
Megumi sighed, "My father took my mother's last name. When I was four- the old assholes in there asked me if I wanted to go by Zenin or Fushiguro like my dad. I picked Fushiguro, I don't know why- maybe to honor my mom or something. Never really got the chance to know her" Megumi answered.
"Because of the trials," you uttered, remembering Maki saying something about Megumi's mother not exactly...passing her tests.
"It wasn't fair. Those bastards forced her to take the trials the week after she gave birth to me. Didn't even let her body recover" Megumi huffed, closing his eyes and imagining his poor mother having to go through god knows what right after the pain of labor.
"I'm sorry" you replied. "Don't be it's not your fault" Megumi added.
Megumi slowly approached you, the silence being filled with his footsteps, standing in front of you.
"I want you to wear this" he uttered, leaning over to wrap his mother's golden chain around your neck. "But it's supposed to be your gift" you argued, holding the 'F' shaped pendant in your hand.
"A much better gift is seeing my wife wear something so dear to me" Megumi mumbled, stepping back to admire you with the lovely piece of jewelry.
"Besides, I think the word Fushiguro suits you. "
Next chapter
#yandere x reader#fushiguro megumi x reader#jjk megumi#jjk x reader#megumi fushiguro#megumi x reader#yandere jjk#prince megumi x reader#yandere jjk x reader#yandere megumi#naoya zenin#jujutsu kaisen x reader
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"You are. Every Inch. The fantasy."
I always thought men like this only exist in fiction but it turns out I was wrong, real men like this exist too and I'm thrilled about it 🙈 This needs a part 2 and I fully intend to give it one!
This belongs to the 'Shit He Said' series, and let me tell you, he's got it backwards.
Pairing: Professor!Bucky x Female Reader
Word Count: 4.3K
Warnings: Age gap (Bucky is in his early 40's, reader is in her 20's), semi-public, professor/student, sex toys, praise kink, degradation, pet names, multiple orgasms, consensual forced orgasms, I talk way too much about trusts and equitable maxims
Summary: Your professor finds a way to distract you during class.
Minors, do not interact.
You’d never been a ‘front row’ kind of gal. Not that there was anything wrong with sitting in the front row. Nothing at all.
You tend to prefer the safety of rows four to six and the comfort that comes from knowing that you're close enough to avoid straining your eyes when trying to read the screen but not so close that you're always going to be picked on when no one volunteered an answer.
Rows four to six were a safe zone. They kept you far enough away from the chatter at the back of the room and close enough to the front that you often found your lecturers would recognise you in the corridor and offer a polite smile.
You’d found your sweet spot and it hadn’t failed you yet.
It didn’t hurt that the lecturer that took your Thursday afternoon classes was incredibly easy to look at. He was always clean shaven and he had a voice as slow and sweet as warm honey. In fact, you often wondered why he’d went into teaching in the first place. With a voice like that, he’d make a killing recording audiobooks. His hair was dark but scattered with greys and it seemed to have a natural, very loose wave that held its shape nicely. He’d aged incredibly well, proving that your 40’s have the potential to be exceptionally kind to you, just as his seem to be to him.
He came off calm. He dripped composure but he had a passion for teaching that he couldn’t have hidden if he tried.
But perhaps the most attractive aspect of his character was the fact that he pushed you. He knew you were capable of more. He coaxed some of the more difficult concepts out with you in class because he knew you were able and willing to develop your own understanding. He didn’t let you dwell in comfort for too long before asking more of you, expecting you to be more and while it left you a little on edge, it was electrifying, testing the boundaries of your own capability.
He had, in many ways, found a favourite in you. He found himself invested in your learning, keen to aid your professional development and supplement your understanding.
But tension builds, as tension does. There’s nothing wrong with letting it, after all. Playful debate back and forth inside the lecture hall turns into a more sustained conceptual analysis after hours. Your one-to-one sessions move out of the classroom and into the bar and eventually, to his bed and then his kitchen the following morning while you’re wearing one of his t-shirts and cooking breakfast.
It’s an interesting arrangement, to say the least and you’re acutely aware that no one can know about this, for both your sake and his. You know exactly the kind of speculation that would float around if people knew. They’d assume you get some kind of advantage from sleeping with your professor; that you’re only doing it for the grades. It’s difficult and ultimately pointless to try to nail down which of you are benefitting most from the scenario, nor does it help to think of only one of you as a “beneficiary”. You’re both benefitting from great sex and there really doesn’t need to be more to it than that.
“Wave of madness. I got you a present last night.” His message flashing up on your phone screen has the edges of your lips curling into a little smile. You’re not used to someone getting you gifts. It’s not unwelcome by any means, but you absolutely want some more details.
“Oh? You didn’t need to!” Your thumbs feel like they’re flying over the keyboard and a slight anxiety settles in your chest while you’re waiting on a response.
“I know I didn’t need to but I wanted to. I got a matching one for myself.” That doesn’t really clear anything up. In fact, it only raises more questions. You’re reminded for a second of your brother, his girlfriend and their matching crocs. Somehow you can’t imagine that’s what Bucky has bought for you both.
“Hang around after class on Thursday. I just hope the box is discreet when it arrives.” Your heart thumps just a little harder. This sounds far too exciting already.
“So that’s how the requirements of the common intention constructive trust were upheld by the House of Lords when they overruled the Court of Appeal’s decision Stack v Dowden.” You never thought you could possibly care so much about what happens when an unmarried couple separates and only one of them is a legal owner of their home.
7 pages of notes later, your brain was buzzing pleasantly, watching your Professor pack up his things while explaining the work for your seminar on Monday. You didn’t pay it much attention; there was very little point given that you had completed the prep work already anyway.
“Actually, Mr Barnes, I wanted to ask you something if you have a moment?” You quizzed, noticing that his face gave nothing at all away. He was as stoic as ever.
You always had a question so no one noticed anything strange about the fact you tended to wait behind after class. “How would you align the Supreme Court ruling in Jones v Kernott with the House of Lords’ decision in Stack?”
It wasn’t a difficult question. The cases were fundamentally very similar so the answer boiled down to a simple comparison of the basics. You just needed something to ask him while everyone filtered out.
“Interesting question.” Bucky smiled, looking up from his satchel to see how many people were still left in the hall before you could drop the act. It isn’t an interesting question; he’s just awfully polite. “How do you think the two rulings align?”
“Well, it makes sense that they both hinge on the fact the courts don’t have to impute the parties’ intentions. The parties’ intentions are clear in the very strict separation of assets and finances so it makes it easier to consider their respective contributions to the home. No matter what the parties allege, consideration of the fact their contributions to the home were different is a sensible starting point.”
You’ve answered your own question and he knows you know it. Ultimately, the rulings, while slightly different, do align.
The coy smirk on his lips makes excitement bloom in your chest once more.
“Good girl.” He coos, just as the heavy wooden door clicks shut at the very back of the room. “I’m proud of you.” Oh, that hits hard. Your blood thrums through your body and you’re not entirely sure how he always knows exactly what to say.
“Thank you.” Your voice is a soft squeak and barely any more than that.
He seems pleased by the effect he’s had on you and it doesn’t take him long to cross the space between his desk and the front row of the tiered seats.
He doesn’t waste any time, cupping the back of your neck in one huge hand, pulling you towards him into a searing kiss. He tastes faintly of the flat white he brought to class this afternoon and his lips are so soft and gentle, despite their urgency.
“I can’t hang around today. I have the faculty board meeting now and an event this evening.” He sounds disappointed; you are too but it’s not the end of the world. You’ll see him next week, if not sooner but you find you build your hopes up all week, almost just living for your Thursday nights with him.
“That’s okay. Enjoy the board.” You tease and he can’t help but laugh. No one has ever enjoyed those meetings in the history of their existence.
“You know where I’d rather be.” He reminds you, stroking your cheekbone with his thumb, barely able to tear his eyes off your lips. It’s a soft moment. Just a slight devolution from the passion a few seconds earlier but there’s no sense letting him go to the faculty board meeting half hard. Any arousal would be stifled in minutes and that would be a terrible waste.
“There’s always next week!” You remind him, your voice bright in spite of the disappointment that you won’t get to spend time with him tonight.
“You’re right. But that reminds me, I got you a little something. Charge it up. Play around with it. But bring it to class next week and come early.” He steps back to his desk, pulling a little brown cardboard box from his satchel before dropping it into your open bag.
“Whatever you say, Sir.” You tease, unable to help yourself but you know he needs to go. At this rate, he’s going to be late.
“You.” He whispers before pressing his lips to yours. “Are dangerous.” His lips are so inviting, it’s hard to stop. “And you know it.”
You can’t help but smirk to yourself. He makes you feel powerful and desired and it’s incredibly attractive.
“You need to go.” You remind him, capturing his lips just once more. You’ve hardly even let yourself touch him because you know if you do, you’ll not want to let him leave.
“I do. I’ll talk to you later.” He doesn’t give into the temptation of one more kiss and it’s probably for the best. Instead, he scoops up his satchel, securing it over his shoulder, heading up the stairs with you. He holds the door for you like always, going your separate ways without a second glance now that you’re back in public.
Oh.
Oh.
Well.
Thank God the box was discrete.
Inside the brown cardboard, you find a second box that’s ever so slightly smaller.
The picture on the front tells you everything you need to know before you’ve even read the words “Bluetooth Adjustable Dual Vibrator”.
You’ve seen these before; the range of toys that can be controlled from an app on your phone but you’re rather excited when your head reminds you that it probably won’t be your phone that Bucky has in mind to control the toy.
The box is quickly discarded in favour of putting the toy on the charger while you read through the instruction manual. You didn’t expect to be so heavy. It’s not heavy in a bad way though; it feels sturdy. While adjustable, it holds its shape nicely and for a second, you’re just not entirely sure what shape you’ll need it to be.
Once the charging light goes out, you click the bottom button once, following the instructions to set it up. You download the app; you connect the toy and you start exploring the features with the toy in your hand.
You can sync it to music, you can control both vibrating elements separately, you can play with different pulse settings or you can make your own, the app has its own chat function, you can send voice notes or videos and then delete them. This thing. Does. Everything. But that’s when you notice the option to sync up more than one toy at once so they can be controlled together. Turning yours up would simultaneously turn the second toy up and you can’t help but feel entirely thrilled at that thought.
The following Thursday can’t come soon enough but the evenings pass a lot quicker when you have a fun new way to keep yourself entertained.
You’ve managed to find the perfect angle, one that lets the toy sit comfortably, pressed to the sweet spot inside you while the other component is pressed to your clit and you’re pleasantly surprised by just how mind-blowing this thing is.
The fact that this is really a dream come true isn’t lost on you while you walk onto campus. Each year, your professor gets a new class and you’re certain that in the years he’s been teaching, plenty of beautiful young women must’ve wanted him. You’ve seen for yourself how other girls talk to him, looking up at him through thick lashes, their hands clasped neatly behind their back. You can’t fault them. You’re just not sure how he’s never given in before now.
You press the classroom door open, slipping inside and closing it behind you.
“Well? How is it?” You hardly have the door closed before you hear Bucky’s voice from the front of the hall, setting up his presentation on the computer, ensuring it’s projected onto the screen.
“How is what?” You tease, feigning innocence, descending the steps to your usual seat in the fourth row.
“How is the vibrator I bought you?” He doesn’t waiver in the slightest and even the fact he’s so blunt about it sends a pleasant tingle down your spine.
“I’ll give you a full review once I’ve tried all the settings but I can tell you it’s been perfect so far.” He looks satisfied with that answer and there’s nothing you want to do more than please him in that moment.
“Did you bring it with you?” He has a mischievous look in his eyes, watching you pull the little black drawstring bag from your backpack.
“We can set it up when we get back to yours and I’ll show you just how good it is.” Your suggestion doesn’t seem unreasonable but the corner of his lips tug into the tiniest smirk and for a second you worry you’ve said something stupid.
“Actually, I was thinking we could try it out now.” He’s studying your face and when he doesn’t notice any evident discomfort, he leads you by the hand down to his desk at the front of the room, encouraging you to hop up onto it and you’re more than happy to.
“We don’t have a whole lot of time.” His lips are on your neck, kissing gently down the right side while he cups the other side in his hand. This is dangerous. It’s so easy to lose track of time like this and taking it slow isn’t a luxury you have in that moment. His face is so soft, you note he must’ve shaved that morning and you’re infinitely grateful because you hate how stubble makes your skin break out.
“We’ll have more than enough time.” His warm hand lands on your bare knee, under the skirt of your dress, pressing your legs apart while his mouth continues its sinful trail down your skin. “Class lasts a couple of hours. I’d say that’s long enough.”
Fuck. He’s serious.
Alarm bells should be ringing in your brain but they’re dampened by the overwhelming feeling of his mouth on your skin and his hand trailing slowly up the inside of your thigh.
“Buck, we can’t. That’s such a bad idea.” Is it really? The words are past your lips because you know that’s the response you’re supposed to give. You’re not allowed to want this the way you do.
“Is it, sweetheart? Why? You don’t think you can keep up while I’m distracting you? Maybe you aren’t just as bright as I thought.” It’d be a blow to your ego if you weren’t acutely aware he’s only looking to get a rise from of you.
“No, I wouldn’t want the standard of teaching to slip while you’re distracted.” You roll your hips forward against his hand between your legs, letting him feel what just a few minutes of him kissing your neck does to you.
“Let me worry about that. I want you to focus on answering my questions like a good girl.” He scoops you up with his hands under your ass, carrying you the few short steps back to edge of the desk in front of the fourth row. He sets you down on the desk, kneeling in front of you while he kisses from your ankle, up your calve to your knee and then over the couple more inches to the hem of your skirt.
He slips his phone from his pocket, opening the toy app and connecting his phone in just a few seconds before returning his phone to his pocket.
You watch as he turns the toy over in his hands a couple of times. The vibrant pink certainly draws your attention, not that there’s anywhere else you would rather look anyway. Not even when he’s slipping your panties down your legs, tucking them into his pocket.
“If you really need me to stop, drop your pen.” He looks sincere and you appreciate it but you’re almost certain you won’t need a way out.
The tip of his index finger trails gently between your soaked folds and you couldn’t miss the gentle wet sounds if you had tried. “Are you going to be a slut for me?” Oh, that’s a sharp turn. “You do realise I’m going to make you cum in a room full of your classmates. Not just once. I want you cumming over and over until you wish you could stop. And then I’m going to keep going.” He presses the fingertip to your clit, rubbing slowly up and down, watching your face while you melt into the pleasure. “You’re just going to be a good girl and take everything I give you. You know why?” You shake your head, barely able to look at him. “Because if you make a sound, everyone in the room will know what a slut you are.”
Your breath catches in your throat, acutely aware that he’s right. This is the sluttiest thing you’ve ever even thought of doing and for just a second you wonder if this man is ruining you. He probably is. You’ll absolutely let him keep doing it though.
He wants to coax you to your first orgasm right there on the desk. He wants to sink two of those long, beautiful fingers inside you and gently curl them, exactly how he knows you like but there just isn’t enough time. Later though, if you can handle it.
“You are.” He whispers, spreading your legs wider, giving himself full access to your sex. “Every inch.” He kisses the side of your knee, placing the bulbous head of the toy to your entrance, letting it glide inside you. “The fantasy.”
You gasp at the feeling of the toy, finally sitting comfortably, right where you need it.
He’s got it all wrong and you’re not even sure that he knows it. So many other girls fawn over this man, whether he realises it or not. He mustn’t know how desired he is; or how many young women would kill to be in your shoes at this very moment, being nothing short of worshipped by a frustratingly attractive, intelligent older man.
He hums contentedly as he stands up, offering you a gentle kiss before making his way back to the front of the hall to his computer. The other students should be arriving any second, not that you’ve even really been thinking about that.
You make yourself busy, pulling your notebook out of your bag, along with your little pencil case, lining a couple of pens up on the desk while the rest of the students start to trickle in, taking their usual seats.
Everything is going smoothly, in fact, you almost question whether Bucky has got so wrapped up in his lecture about equitable maxims that he’s forgotten about the toy altogether.
The first half hour passes quickly and while the topic is interesting, it’s hard to relax, knowing that he could disrupt your train of thought at any point.
The arousal he’s built up in you doesn’t subside either. You’re always reminded that the toy is there, despite how interested you are in his explanation of equitable maxims.
You’re about 35 minutes in before you feel the first hint of a buzz inside you and it’s so surprising, it almost makes you squeak. You faintly register that it’s only the internal element that he’s brought to life and you’re more than fine with that.
Heat blossoms through your chest and while it feels good, it’s not nearly enough. You don’t want to need more. Not when you know you can’t beg him for it so instead, you avoid his gaze, focusing on your notes and not on the man at the front of the room who’s eyes are almost entirely trained on you.
A further half hour passes before you feel any kind of change, just as you were beginning to squirm in your seat.
The clitoral element buzzes to life, quickly followed by the internal element turning up. Your thighs clench together, pleasure radiating through you and you find yourself grinding against the seat beneath you to press the toy exactly where you need it. Your hand stalls on the page, your train of thought abandoned because even at only half it’s strength, this toy is incredible.
“So now that we’ve looked at the defining characteristics of equitable maxims, what do you think the problems are?” Bucky hasn’t looked at you since he turned the toy up and you’re beyond glad. You know this question is coming to you though. He’d warned you.
You glance up from your page to find you’re right. He’s now right looking at you, waiting for an answer and he looks so incredibly smug, it makes you shiver. He knows you’re getting off on this but so is he. You’re no better than each other.
“You could argue maxims are outdated.” You provide the answer but that’s not enough. The vibration inside you gets just a little stronger and that’s when you see his phone in his hand, his thumb sliding across the screen, controlling the strength of the toy.
“Good. What else?” He’s relentless. Fuck.
The increased sensation leaves your mind blank. You can’t cum now. You can’t. Not with everyone watching. “Um, they’re too old to be relevant?” You’ve never sounded so unsure.
“You’ve said that already.” Shit, you did. “What’s the biggest potential flaw with that system?” This is embarrassing now. You should know this. You do know this. The toy inside you, getting incrementally more intense doesn’t help you gain clarity of thought though.
“The… Discretionary power maxims afford to judges.” That answer pleased him.
“Very good.” He nods, slowly making his way to the other side of the classroom, taking the attention off you. You notice his thumb sliding methodically up and down on his phone screen while he explains that maxims don’t offer the same rigidity as legislation, but you truly can’t find it in yourself to care. He’s giving your body what it needs and no matter how your head tells you to stop, you can’t hold back no matter how hard you try.
You look down at the desk, trying to keep your hand subtly clasped over your own mouth, muffling any sounds that threaten to escape your lips. Your body flutters around the toy, pleasure almost making you feel dizzy as you cum while holding your breath. You want to roll your hips. You want to take and take until you don't need more but you know you can't.
Once your high has subsided, you find yourself very quickly given over to overstimulation when the toy doesn’t stop. There’s no escape from the feeling that’s now becoming almost too intense to bear in the very best way.
“But on the other hand, how could it be argued that these flaws have been overcome?” His voice rings through the classroom and you realise that if no one answers, the question is coming to you, as it always does.
Sure enough, after a moment or two of painful silence, your professor has made his way back to your side of the room, stopping in front of you once more, waiting expectantly.
“Case law.” That’s all you can manage. You bring yourself to look up, meeting his stare and for the first time since your orgasm and he can see your desperation. He can almost feel your need, just from the look on your face. He’s seen you like this before, overwhelmed by the pleasure you’re receiving but not willing to tap out. You’re enjoying it. You’re allowed to. But he’s far from done.
“What about it?” He almost feels guilty for how much he’s picked on you during this class and he makes a mental note to make it up to you later.
The toy is at full intensity now and you can’t bring yourself to focus. You can’t think of anything except the gentle buzzing that you’re certain only you can hear, the feeling of the inside of your thighs that are now slick with arousal and the unstoppable, building orgasm that’s about to take hold of you.
“The body of case law now prevents any gaps. And case law sets binding precedent so modern judges have very little discretion.” You could’ve developed your thinking but not today.
“100%. That’s exactly right.” He looks proud and part of you almost thinks that's what was really enough to tip you over the edge into blinding pleasure once more.
Again, he walks away, over to the other side of the room to draw attention away from you. Your orgasm makes your thighs shake and if that soft whimper came from you, you’re sure it wasn’t loud enough for anyone else to hear. It’s electric; the thrill of doing something you know you absolutely shouldn’t and it only makes this even more intense. You’re almost not sure you’ve ever cum this hard before but this isn’t the time to try to recall past experiences. Right now, he’s turned the toy down, rushing through the last three powerpoint slides while explaining the work for Monday and you’ve never been more glad to have a class wrap up early.
#bucky barnes smut#Bucky Barnes x reader#professor!bucky#Bucky Barnes x reader smut#bucky barnes#bucky#marvel smut#marvel fanfic#marvel imagines#marvel fic#marvel x reader#bucky x reader#bucky imagine#bucky smut#bucky fic#james buchanan barnes#bucky x female reader#bucky x y/n#bucky x you#Bucky Barnes x you#bucky barnes fanfiction#bucky barnes series#bucky barnes x female reader#I recognise that trusts are incredibly boring and not hot in the slightest#but equity & trusts was my favourite area of law so when I get a chance to talk about it I'm going to take it#the section on the CICT was essentially a summary of chapter 3 of my dissertation#big love to my dissertation supervisor#could I also encourage you to get ready for my transition from a 'champagne problems' girly to a 'midnight rain' girly#that album is INCREDIBLE#I thought about ‘dress’ while I was writing this though if anyone’s interested
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A public apology to Never Let Me Go's Chopper:
Sir, I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry that I mistook you for every other side character in a BL series who is jealous of the lead, manipulative to get what he wants, controlled by his father, and disingenuous to everyone. That's not you! You could NEVER! You're in a league with To Sir, With Love's Yang, and both of you will go into the BL Hall of Fame.
Just so you know how sincere I am about this apology, let me recount the ways I wrongly accused you of being an undercover red flag when you are actually the biggest green flag in these BL streets. Full disclosure - I misjudged you a lot.
You looked at Nueng at the conference and hesitated to follow your father when he left. 1a) You're always worried about your cousin and 1b) from the beginning have shown you don't align with your father's beliefs.
1a. When you found out Ben, who you knew couldn't reciprocate Nueng's feelings due to his homophobic father, was speaking to Nueng, you directly asked Ben what he wanted from your cousin.
Because you care about your cousin, and you want to actually spend time with him.
You let him know that even though your parents are beefing, you still love him.
You are genuinely happy to see him.
And when he asked you about Ben and why you are no longer friends (since the 10th grade *sob*), you warned him that Ben is distant, but encouraged both him and Ben to pursue their attraction AND asked follow-up questions on separate occasions because YOU CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE even if it kills you.
And that is why Nueng trusts only you unlike your father.
1b. You told your father from the beginning that you didn't want what he was offering nor did you cave to his expectations.
You also told him you weren't competing with your cousin because, once again, you actually love Nueng and don't resent him .
You looked away when your father wanted you to watch him punish someone.
You picked up the photo of Tanya and Nueng when your father threw it, and you directly asked him AND scolded him for ordering the hits.
I know you know how to use a gun, and I know you can aim very well. If you kill your father, I will light every candle and pray that you only know good sex for the rest of your life, that your bed is always the perfect temperature, and that your earrings never snag your clothing. Amen.
2. You have always been kind especially to Palm and Ben. You immediately went to Palm and made friends with him, speaking casually, and told him if he needed help, to ask you.
When you saw Palm at Nueng's house, you were happy to see him, and spoke to him. When you realized you offended him by telling him he didn't have to act like a servant in front of you, you quickly apologized.
You were also quick to apologize to Ben when you knew your words hurt him.
When you found out about the incident at school, you went to Ben and comforted him. You even grabbed his hands in public, looked him in the eyes, and told him he wasn't to blame (for being the victim of a public outing).
I truly thought YOU were behind this, but once again, you are the BEST BOY and put Kimlock Holmes to shame by solving the case. However, you stopped Ben from hurting Aun, and I think you even felt bad for Aun when you found out his reasoning for doing it.
You have shown that you don't condone violence but are willing to do what is necessary for the people you love (*whispers* please kill your dad) and will literally kick someone's ass.
4. You are aware you are gay.
I know this seems wild that I misjudged you for this mostly since this is a BL series, so everyone is queer until proven otherwise, but Chopper, you KNOW who you are. You aren't holding on to a secret. You aren't pining over Ben from a distance. No! You told him in the 10th GRADE that you liked him.
And when he rejected you, you kept your distance, but still encouraged him to find happiness with someone else because you want the people you love to be happy even if it was with each other.
You also complimented Palm on his body because, baby, YOU ARE A GAY MAN WITH EYES!
I can't apologize enough for not believing in you even when you showed me exactly who you were time and time again. You may be okay that Ben rejected you, but know that Ben now realizes the sun and the moon reside in your eyes.
The way he looked at you while you took the time to carefully go through your skincare routine when you said you weren't his type told everyone that this boy wants Nueng to come home safe, but he wants YOU to come to his home and make him feel safe.
Chopper, I love you. I don't even care that you are into cryptocurrency. Baby, your game is so fire, that you could tell me to shut up, and I do it. That's how much I love you.
If you pull a switcheroo in the final act, I'll forgive you. If you die in the final act, I will never speak of this show again. If you kill your father, I will never stop speaking about this show.
Stay kind. Stay sincere. Stay a confident gay.
And kill your father.
#Amen#Never Let Me Go#I'm a Chopper apologist first and a person second#Baby can do no wrong#Chopper is going in the BL Hall of Fame#Please don't turn in the last act#Stay Gold#Chopper x Ben#Chopper x Nueng#Chopper x Palm#Kill your father!
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Hello! I was a big fan of the series a while a go and it is lovely to see that you are back. I'm terribly sorry that other anons put you through a lot with the voting aspect of the game. Absolutely no one deserves death threats for a story that they are bringing to us for free. However, I am not going to lie, I always feel a bit worried when a fandom majority vote is what has long lasting effects on character life/death. It was ok when it was everyone voting with an equal effect. Now there will be a wealth gap to vote. Only people that pay can contribute. And at least where I'm from wealth looks a certain kind of way.
Since you have characters that are in a minority it feels... Bad. Maybe I'm projecting how racist and transphobic my home country is on the vote for this game. I also don't want you to feel like this is an attack on you because that is not my intent at all! I love the diversity in the love interests and it was what brought me to the game initially. I am worried that if you do a majority vote on Patreon that characters that aren't white/cis will face a harsher vote. Trans lives are in danger and I was not surprised when a nonbinary character died first. I was part of the fandom and people treated them very grossly (it actually made me step away for a bit as well). There were many options but the vocally out and proud person got the boot first. What I'm saying is I trust you more than your Patreon supporters. If the people can't all vote as one, due to the actions of some terrible people, then maybe we shouldn't vote at all
anon, i totally understand your concerns because i absolutely shared them. to be completely honest with you, i had totally misjudged which characters i thought were popular or not and watching the three non binary cast members struggle through that first vote felt Bad. my personal disappointment about ellis being the character to receive the least votes in the vote contributed in no small part to the twist in chapter 3 and their revised arc (which was Not planned when i set out writing body count hahaha). howeverrrrrr, i did learn a lot from the process.
my main motivator behind making the vote patreon exclusive was that the voters would be genuinely invested in the game and that the polling would be much harder to game or manipulate. selfishly, i also think it will reduce a certain amount of the absolute barrage of wild anons from the first time around haha!
in addition to that, though, i think its important that i reaffirm what i have said from the start: i am acutely aware that in interactive fiction in general and particularly on tumblr there is a strong preference for white male characters, and i am not here to write some kind of gross POC/women/nb slasher. as much as i want the audience to have a say in the direction the story takes, i ultimately have final say on what happens in the story that i am writing.
the main way that i intend to have oversight of the voting process is by who appears on the polls in the first place; the first poll was the last time the whole cast will be available for a vote at the same time. since ellis, one of three NB cast members, was the first character to die, i've said that neither of the other NB cast members will appear on future polls. if it's women and POC suffering in the next vote, then i'll be applying similar logic. if that means we get towards the end and we need a white boy only poll then so be it!
that said, if people cannot behave then i will simply take away their toys. although i consider the voting mechanic to be one of the things that makes body count unique and fun, i'm absolutely not above doing away with it if there are Shenanigans that spoil it, ya know?
anyway, i hope that assuages some of your concerns! sorry for another giant wall of text wow i simply cannot answer a question concisely atm
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chapter 134 thoughts!
My immediate first thought going into this chapter and seeing how it picks up from last week's cliffhanger is that while I thought last week that this conflict served as an excellent character beat for both Ruby and Kana, I feel less positively about it as the catalyst for long term RubyKana conflict. Maybe that's hypocritical because I like the similar AquKana conflict back during the LoveNow aftermath and this is basically just a roided up version of that but… IDK, I guess it helped that the AquKana conflict is very clearly a romcom style miscommunication and it ends up leading to one of my all time favourite and funniest character moments for Aqua, this… isn't that. In general I really hate the old tried conflict trope of "Character A betrays or is otherwise cruel to Character B For Their Own Good and refuses to communicate about it" so this was kind of irritating to see…
It also really doesn't help that Kana is going SO above and beyond in being cruel to Ruby here in comparison to the AquKana conflict where her short-sighted lashing out was being mostly played for laughs but still came back to bite her. There's just something a bit excessive in how deliberately and pointedly cold and mean to Ruby Kana is shown being here and I guess it just feels a bit icky to me though I obviously can't make a proper call on all this til we see its conclusion.
I also have to question like… why is everyone around them just letting this happen lol. Memcho not intervening I can at least make sense of because she's been shown to be feeling off her game and a bit out of her element so I could see all that combining to make her uncertain of what to do but… uh, is Miyako not paying any attention? Admittedly the timeframe here is a little vague so we don't know exactly how long this has been going on but it's been happening at least long enough for Ruby to be going to school and fretting about it to her friends. So the idea of Miyako either being unaware of this or not intervening in this is really baffling to me??? Especially off the back of chapters 124 and 126 making a point of how badly Miyako wants to reach out to Aqua and Ruby and support them as their mother - the only way I can justify this to myself is if Miyako somehow doesn't know this was going on but how would she not know??? Like, we see Gotanda and his assistants fretting over Ruby crying after her scenes! If they're well aware something is wrong, why not Miyako? She's Aqua and Ruby's manager! This is a Strawberry Productions produced movie! We've seen her on set before! Is she just… not here now that it would be inconvenient for the plot?
(The answer to that is 'yes')
Uh all that up there does make it sound like I disliked either this or last chapter but I actually really loved them both for reasons we'll get into soon! I think they're both strong individual chapters and as points in RubyKana's shared arc I actually do really like this conflict, what it says about them both and where it seems to be taking them. There are just a lot of small, piled up contrivances pushing this conflict along and I think they annoyed me so much BECAUSE I otherwise think this is some really tasty character work for both girls and I'm otherwise enjoying it.
My bitching aside, I do really like the talk that follows this. I've been revisiting a lot of the earlier material recently via friends re-reading or giving the series a try for the first time so I've been back in that space of Ruby being particularly starstruck with Frill. It's sweet to see their present day dynamic where Ruby is fully comfortable with Frill just as her friend and trusts her enough to share her worries with her.
aw hey minami we thought you were dead
This entire scene really got my brain gears whirring and I can't help but speculate a little about its placement. At first I was just nodding along, thinking this was just Industry Exposition as usual but… isn't this odd? We don't see how Ruby phrases this question so maybe she was vague but from an authorial standpoint, why is Akasaka having Frill talk about love instead of dislike or hostility, which is what is actually going on between Ruby and Kana? Reading over that scene again and again, I can't help but wonder… is this supposed to be taken as some commentary on what's going on between Ruby and Aqua? Is Ruby developing confusedly romantic feelings for him purely because of their 'playing the roles', so to speak, of Sarina and Gorou? After all, the only other similar 'showmances', so to speak, that this could be referring to are AquKana and AquAka, neither of which quite fit the bill, especially when Frill talks about immediately snapping out of those feelings once the show is over — which didn't happen in the least for either pairing. Is this a hint of something to do with Ruby's feelings? Am I reading too much into this??? I mean, I almost definitely am, but I do that every week so…
Hopping over to Kana, the scene between her and Memcho itches my brain less mostly just because it's reiterating things communicated last week. I've said all I'll say about it feeling weird to me that Mem isn't making a move to intervene here but I do like the talk she and Kana have about their human jealousy towards Ruby. Honestly, I have a lot of respect for their being able to push it aside for so long because… honestly, none of what Kana said is wrong!
The second generation of B-Komachi exists for Ruby. Strawberry Productions got back into the idol business entirely so Ruby would have a group to be part of. Kana and Mem were recruited so Ruby would have unitmates to perform with. It doesn't revolve around her to the extent the previous generation did Ai, but in a very real sense Kana is correct when she identifies herself and Memcho as 'extras' for B-Komachi, who exist for Ruby's sake. Not only that but Ruby honestly treated them really badly while she was in black hoshigan mode! Yes, we as readers know what was going on in her head and why but think about how all that probably seemed to Kana and Mem who had no idea: From their POV, what happened was that they broke into mainstream success at last and Ruby immediately left them in the dust, prioritizing her own growth and success in a way that had a very real impact on the fan response the two of them got while they were busting their asses and trying their best to keep B-Komachi going in her absence. I don't think they would be wrong to feel honestly kind of used and hurt!
Obviously this isn't me saying that Ruby is a bad person or that she deserves to have Kana snap at her like that or whatever but… I dunno! It just feels good to have Mem and Kana finally address those feelings and admit to them without it compromising their genuine love and care for Ruby, which is one one of the main ways that the current gen of B-Komachi has surpassed the previous one. Kana especially touches on something I discussed last week in that I think her half of this shared RubyKana arc is going to be about confronting and besting her 'inner Nino', so to speak. Like Nino, she has those same tangled up feelings of admiration and envy, but Kana is capable of confronting them and identifying them. Most importantly, she loves Ruby enough to not let them take her over completely.
ANYWAY FORGET ALL THE REST OF THIS STUFF BECAUSE THIS WAS SECRETLY AN AI POST THIS WHOLE TIME MFS!!!!!!!! oh god this chapter review is already so long and now it's about to get even longer.
Anyone who's read any of my OnK meta before will probably know that I have always stood by one thing that I won't compromise on: Hoshino Ai was just a normal girl. She was a normal girl who suffered abuse and neglect and hated herself as a result, who was exploited by the entertainment industry because she was pretty and vulnerable, who didn't understand people but spent every waking moment of her too-short life reaching out so she could try and love them. The idea of Ai being fundamentally mysterious or unknowable, that the so called 'real Ai' had some horrible dark secret or that the supposedly 'true' Ai really was as horrible as Ai thought herself to be have never resonated with me. The 'real me' that is so horrible that Ai can only speak of her with black stars is nothing more than the flawed, hurting, abused human behind Ai of B-Komachi. I've said this all along and yet there's always been a little part of me worried that Akasaka was going to pull a fast one and betray that idea and rupture the heart of this character I've come to love so much.
To that end — I cannot tell you how insanely fucking cathartic the ending of this chapter was. To have Ruby at last come face to face with her mother as a human being and recognize her for who she really is. That this key final puzzle piece of the real Ai is centered on her pain and her loneliness and her raw humanity, that Ruby describes her as just a normal girl who was always crying and in pain… I genuinely don't have words to say how incredible it felt to finally, FINALLY have someone recognize Ai's suffering. And not just anyone, but one of Ai's children, one of the people she loved more than anything else in the world.
The imagery and framing here is so insanely powerful. Ai taking the place of Ruby's reflection, the look of weary, resigned pain on her face. How small Ai is when Ruby sees her. The barrier of the glass between them; even now in this moment of understanding, the unbreechable barrier of Ai's death keeps Ruby from truly reaching her. It almost feels skeuomorphic in how literal the visualization of this moment of connection and empathy is. Ruby literally sees herself in Ai — she sees Ai in herself. It's pure empathy made as real and tangible as it gets. At long, long last, someone has squinted past the blinding light cast by Ai of B-Komachi and seen Hoshino Ai alone in the shadows where she's been this whole time.
Break next week…! That was to be expected — Jump Festa 2024 will be taking place next weekend and there will be a OnK panel with the seiyuu for Ai, Aqua, Kana and Akane in attendance. We're confirmed to be getting some season 2 news as well, so there's that to look forward to!
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Final Thoughts on GO S2
I'm probably gonna pull back on discussing S2, at least publicly, after this. I did actually like a lot of the season, but it's triggering some of my religious trauma and also the fandom is already stressing me out. So here, let's have some final thoughts.
First and foremost: I am not a Gaiman simp. I've read a decent amount of his work: comics, short stories, essays, and novels. Aside from Good Omens, I've liked Coraline and The Graveyard Book the best by far, whereas American Gods just. Did Not Connect with me, even though it's should have, given the stuff I tend to enjoy.
However. Regardless of whether I like a given work (or even like how he adapted it, a la parts of The Sandman TV series), he is a veteran writer who has proven that he does, actually, know how to write a story with consistent characters.
Beyond that, I do actually believe that he's trying to do right by Pratchett, and loves and respects the story and characters they created together. He's generally shown up as an ally to a variety of social causes, and directly and respectfully responds to fans on Tumblr. While no saint, I feel that there is cause to give the benefit of the doubt that things will resolve satisfyingly in S3, and that there is Intention about some of the things in S2.
This, of course, does not absolve it of being "bad," but even here I think we need to articulate better the different types of "bad" that people are reacting to. There seems to roughly be three camps here: 1) People who thought it was "bad" because of how it ended, with the breakup and a lot of unresolved plot threads; 2) People who thought it was "bad" because it struggled on a technical level with its set, lighting, directorial choices, editing, etc; 3) People who thought it was "bad" because they felt the characterization was significantly off and that the internal logic of the series had been violated.
With regards to Point One, the only solution is to Wait and See. Judgement should be reserved until the story is properly finished--easier said than done, especially considering the current media landscape, and the number of series or franchises that fail to live up to their promises.
Point Two isn't something I understand well enough to contribute meaningfully, except that I suspect the pandemic affected this aspect the most and am willing to give it a bit more mercy. That aside, I for the most part I don't find it bad so much as not as good as S1. Except for the parts with epilepsy warnings, surely there could've been a better way to do that.
Point Three... that's the stumbling block for me, and I find it interesting that most of the folks who struggle with this point in particular are long time fans of the book.
I trust that instinct.
There are two different directions to go from here. The first is the assumption that these problems are a result of ego, carelessness, or lack of skill from the showrunners/writers/director. It's cynical but not unjustified. The second is the belief that the breaks in lore or characterization were intentional, building towards a much grander conspiracy. Of course, even in this case I don't think it forgives the lack of signposting that would indicate that this is a choice rather than an accident. It just makes it feel clumsy and poorly constructed, a major risk on a show that hasn't had its third season confirmed.*
However, regardless, it still feels salvageable. I've enjoyed reading a lot of meta on all this, and I've pulled some things from others (particularly That Theory by @ariaste), but I don't really want to put forth a single, defined theory myself. Instead, here's some questions I've got, why those questions are important (to me, at least). Actual theorizing comes after, and anybody who snidely mentions Sherlock in the comments or tags is going to get auto-blocked. Like seriously, I'm aware that some stuff is a stretch, but it's fun??? To theorize????? And I'm here for me and my peace of mind rather than trying to argue a point.
*I have some suspicions here, particularly with Gaiman stating that the decision from Amazon would come much faster than The Sandman's second season (which was four months). I don't know enough though to say if that's actually significant.
Questions
Who the fuck is telling this story?
This is the most important piece, in my opinion. There's this assumption when reading books (or research papers, newspapers, etc...) that the narrator who is writing the words is a non-presence, Neutral and objective. That's not the case, and an important part of literature critique is figuring out who the narrator is, and what their goals are. Oftentimes, the narrator and the author are the same person, but with Pratchett's work, particularly on Good Omens and Discworld, the Narrator was its own unique character.
This is why people struggle adapting Discworld to live action--that medium requires a Reason for having a Narrator, and especially in the age of method acting that's often considered immersion-breaking. Good Omens worked so well because they not only kept the Narrator, but they made Her God.
This added some really interesting new dimensions, such as the scene where Crowley speaks to God about his fall and the destruction of humanity. He doesn't receive an answer, but we're watching from God's perspective, so we as the audience know that She's listening.
Another advantage of making God the Narrator is that it justifies all the goofy little asides we get into the lives of minor characters (i.e. Leslie the Mailman), without losing focus. It helps the world feel like it’s full of people, rather than characters and plot contrivances, and the theme that individual people and their choices are important. The Narrator is such a central character of Good Omens that without it, the story struggles to stay focused.
It also highlights a key difference in the writing styles of the two authors. Pratchett’s work tends to introduce four or five totally unique plot threads that feel completely disjointed until the last act (if not even later), when it turns into a Chekhov’s Firing Squad. Plot twists around secret identities and backstabbing and schemes are relatively rare, as the omniscient Narrator doesn’t lie about the intentions of people or their actions.
Gaiman’s writing is typically not like that, to my knowledge. He buries characters in misdirection and hints, and you never know the true identity or motives until all the chips are down. It’s a perfectly valid way to approach storytelling, but it makes it jarring to see it in S2. The lack of a Narrator is a huge reason why S2 doesn’t feel like Good Omens to some folks.
My gut feeling is that the decision to shift from the original Narrator was highly intentional. It helps to obscure the thoughts and intentions of people, and it also muddles the insights that we’re supposed to take away. (I would have loved hearing God monologue about what’s going on in Jim’s head. I think it’d do a lot to make him seem less.... obnoxiously stupid.)
More than that, it brings up a reasonable potential plot point of: Where did God go? Why isn’t She present in the story? Even in her early appearance in the Job flashback, she doesn’t sound like the narrator for last season. After the first part of her speech (which Gabriel later quotes), her tone turns casual and condescending, which might line up with her being a bit of an asshole, it doesn’t line up with the whole “dealer of a mysterious card game who is always smiling”).
Also, I don’t think it’s safe to assume that nobody is telling the story either. Just because they’re not making their presence known doesn’t mean they aren’t there, and in a story like Good Omens, that’s concerning.
Wait, where's Satan?
Another person I saw while scrolling the tags pointed out that Satan is nowhere to be seen this season. He's really only mentioned in reference to a bet God made in Job, but then Crowley is the one on the ground causing mischief. There's no Hail Satan among demons (like Hastur and Ligur did at the start of S1).
That's might be because the writers didn't want us to think it was important (a la Hastur), but that feels off. Given that Satan speaks directly through the radio to Crowley in S1, complimenting him on his work, it's safe to say that he was at least aware of and involved in the goings-on in Hell. The fact that he wasn't even an worry for Beelzebub in abandoning their post? Feels weird.
(Also if you know where that post is, I'll happy credit + link)
What is Maggie?
Look, I love cute lesbians in love as much as the next queer, but I don't like Maggie. I don’t think she’s a person. Contextually, she’s a plot device, but I agree with That Essay that she might be an actual Plot Device.
Her characterization is simple and relatively shallow—a bit of an airhead, ray of sunshine that’s supposed to remind you of Aziraphale. When she describes her past to Nina, it’s almost robotic (also, her story implies it was Mr. Fell who first rented to her ancestor, not Mr. Fell’s great-grandfather like Nina implied). Her emotions are over-dramatic and seem to be turned on and off at random (scenes with her crying to Aziraphale about her woes had my “manipulator” senses going off for some reason).
When asked about a song, she not only IDs the song, its singer, and its year, but how and on what it was distributed. (Honestly thought this would’ve been something interesting, because she’s been pretty ditzy so far, it’d be interesting if she had like... an insane memory for music history.) And then she’s the one that sets Aziraphale on his little investigation by giving him the transformed records, while also planting the seed about her love troubles with Nina. Later, her advice to Crowley is... not awful, but feels insincere and a bit too forward, given her own self-proclaimed lack of relationship experience.
I don’t know what she is (a demon, hastur with amnesia in disguise, a literal plot device inserted by the current storyteller, etc...), but there’s something not right with her.
(Also the joke of “who listens to records anymore, it’s so old fashioned” just doesn’t land, lots of people buy records, and I’m saying this as somebody who has worked at a record store before.)
What's going on with Aziraphale?
There’s something Off about Aziraphale, and it’s not his choices at the end of the season. That makes total sense if you read him as somebody with severe religious trauma getting dragged back into the abusive system because other people need him and he’s been promised the ability to change things.
But I do think something is happening to his memory. Nearly all the flashbacks are from Aziraphale’s point of view and retelling, which means that they’re less reliable than God’s version of events in the previous season. Many of them don’t make logistical sense (post-church scene in 1941), depict Crowley as meaner or more sinister than we know he is, or frame events... weirdly. The scene with him trying food for the first time feels Really Bad, especially when the series has previously established that he’s a) prim and proper and b) his interest in food is one of the beautiful things that connect him to humanity, not some kind of gluttonous sin. Also he turns down alcohol.
Their meet-cute at the start of the universe also doesn’t line up with their reactions to each other in Eden, or the fact that knowing each other Before has never come up or been hinted at anywhere ever. I don’t know what’s causing this to happen, only that Aziraphale repeatedly looks pensive when coming out of flashbacks, and Crowley is never there afterwards to corroborate said memories.
His actions also seem pretty inconsistent with what we know of him—i.e. I refuse to believe he would ever mistreat his books, even if they’re just old encyclopedias. Also, he feels a bit too...forceful in trying to get Nina and Maggie to fall in love? I mean, he didn’t exert that much direct influence on even Warlock, when he was actively hoping that the boy would turn out angelic rather than neutral.
I don’t think this removes his agency in that last decision, so much as explains how he was in such a vulnerable place at all. He still needs to apologize and fix things, because he messed up, and even if he hadn’t he still seriously hurt Crowley.
What's going on with Crowley?
There’s something Off about Crowley. The most obvious thing, of course, is his memories. At multiple points in the present day, characters state that they remember him or have met him before, only to be met with confusion. This is especially concerning given that he has a nigh photographic memory for faces (something mentioned in the book when he immediately IDs Mary Loquacious, 11 years after a 30 second conversation).
Overall, he seems to be better known by other supernatural entities this season, in ways that often tie him back to his angelic identity (i.e. saying they fought together in the war, Aziraphale stating he knew the angel he used to be, etc...). This doesn’t feel right, because S1 we see that Hell is largely apathetic towards his schemes, and definitely does not defer to him at any point in any capacity.
Then there’s the issue of his power level. It’s always been speculated that Crowley was a powerful angel prior to falling, when he mentions in S1 his involvement with star making, his seemingly unique ability to freeze time, and creating a pocket universe for Adam before the confrontation with Satan. He also has a tendency of breathing life into inanimate objects, like his plants or car. He also has the regular demonic skillset: miracles that can adjust physical appearance; the ability to change inanimate objects (like paintball guns into real guns); the ability to manifest clothing and similar items; and summon hellfire to his fingertips. This, plus the way he monologues to God with a degree of familiarity rather than reverence seems to indicate that he was Somebody Powerful and Important Before.
But in S2, his skills are significantly expanded upon. The miracle he and Aziraphale summon sets off alarms in heaven and hell, and it’s powerful enough to mask Gabriel from the Archangels. He summons a miniature sun to rain fire on Job, which is way bigger and flashier than anything we’ve seen him summon in S1. (If he needs fire, he alters the course of a dropping bomb, without creating one himself.)
Yet he’s able to cloak his presence so well he goes wholly unnoticed in heaven, or in front of heavenly agents on earth (i.e. the Job flashback). Muriel can’t clock him as a demon, or even as another supernatural being, despite their auras usually being pretty significant, such Aziraphale immediately sensing the archangels when they arrive. He’s able to interfere with files that Muriel claimed required clearance (although I feel like that might just be a snark about Obeying Without Thinking? I would really need a Narrator to know.)
I might be misremembering, but I don’t think we’ve seen angels or demons transmogrify living beings before either. In the book, Crowley brings Aziraphale’s dove back to life after the failed magic show, and occasionally sinks ducks, but he doesn’t alter them? Not even Adam demonstrates that skill in S1. But he has no trouble turning Job’s children into lizards, however temporarily. Boy that would’ve been convenient during the flood. Or when the guard stopped then from getting to the air strip.
I might be misremembering, but I don’t think we’ve seen angels or demons transmogrify living beings before either. In the book, Crowley brings Aziraphale’s dove back to life after the failed magic show, and occasionally sinks ducks, but he doesn’t alter them? Not even Adam demonstrates that skill in S1. But he has no trouble turning Job’s children into lizards, however temporarily. Boy that would’ve been convenient during the flood. Or when the guard stopped then from getting to the air strip.
I don’t have any real issues with his characterization in the present day parts of S2, but there’s something weird happening with Crowley.
Where's all the people?
I really like a lot of the new characters, but how were there only like, 2.5 new humans named in the present day? Flashbacks don’t count bc the humans are all dead and can’t affect the story.
As much as I like Nina, she and Maggie don’t drive the story beyond being an occasional and awkwardly inserted plot contrivance? Both are actively robbed of their agency at several points, forced into situations that they could not have avoided or escaped. I’m not really sure what growth they’re expected to experience other than deciding not to date each other after everything. I literally can’t tell you anything about Nina other than that she remembers her regular’s orders, runs a coffee shop, and has a textbook abusive partner we never see. The only meaningful interactions they have are between those two, or in conversation with Aziraphale and Crowley.
Compare that to S1, where Anathema gets hit by Aziraphale and Crowley, but her primary relationships are with Newt, Adam, and Agnes Nutter (I think that counts as a relationship). We know that she’s got a wealthy family back in Puerto Rico, and that she was literally raised to save the world, and that she isn’t happy under all that pressure. Newt on the other hand is connected to not just Anathema, but Shadwell and Madame Tracy. He never even directly interacts with Aziraphale and Crowley. We know about his hobbies, his struggle to hold down a job, and his almost supernatural ability to destroy any electronics he touches. I don’t necessarily like how their relationship came together, but they were both very, very well fleshed out characters with unique backstories and goals. They weren’t just... waiting around to give Aziraphale and Crowley a new questline.
And while there’s no requirement to include a large cast of human characters that are exerting influence over the story, the lack of it is another aspect that makes this season feel not like Good Omens.
Also, it's just. Really weird to me that the events of S1 aren't really referenced at all? Like, Adam isn't mentioned, nor is Warlock. I don't expect them to keep track of the humans they met on the airfield for 20 minutes, but none of it is ever specifically referenced as far as I can tell, beyond Crowley threatening Gabriel. Like, I get that it's been a few years, but the pair caused a big enough disturbance that you'd expect some kind of ripples in their supernatural communities.
Promised by the Narrative (Obvious Chekhov's guns that I will be legitimately upset over if they do not go off)
A sincere apology from Aziraphale to Crowley that doesn't come with the expectation that Crowley will come back to him, but because he deserves an apology, even if the choices Aziraphale made were done with good intentions. Aziraphale does not expect forgiveness, and is shocked when Crowley grants it without hesitation.
A clear declaration of love from Aziraphale, which can't be rationalized away by either of them.
An "I'm Sorry" dance between Aziraphale and Crowley, but with greater sincerity and gravity. The most important piece is that they end up dancing together, which signifies a mutual apology and dedication to come together.
Since kissing is on the table, I expect an actual joyful, mutual kiss between these two assholes.
A shared cottage in South Downs.
Predictions/Theories (just some fun thoughts I've had)
When Adam declared that Satan was not his father, he didn't make himself not the antichrist, but accidentally crowned his human dad the King of Hell. Nobody knows this, because Adam doesn't have a good measure for "normal" supernatural situations, and Mr. Young because he's so "normal" that he explains away all the magical bullshit that's started going down.
When Adam declared that Satan was not his father, he erased Satan altogether. However, this left a vacuum in both power and reality. The defection of both Gabriel and Beelzebub only widens that crack. In an attempt to Fix things, reality is warping the story. Crowley has become leagues more powerful between S1 and S2, as the narrative is trying to force him into the role of his previous boss. Aziraphale is unknowingly being pulled into a similar version on the Other Side, perhaps to replace Gabriel or perhaps to replace God herself, who has been fairly absent in all this. The alterations to their memories or past have come about to keep the narrative running smoothly.
When the Metatron asks Nina whether anybody has ever asked for death, he was actually referring to Death, the sole remaining rider of the apocalypse.
If Maggie is indeed a Plot Device, it would be a fascinating exploration of Free Will to see her become aware of this (cue existential crisis), and then fall in love with Nina on her own terms, rather than because she was written that way.
Hastur will be back. Somehow.
The reason why S2 focuses so much on the supernatural characters is because S3 will be about how the events in S1 have changed the political landscape of heaven and hell. Angels are questioning their roles, demons are yearning for something more. It's scaring upper administration, and then the two most reliable folks in employment run away to alpha centauri. Recruiting Aziraphale and getting him back in line prevents him from becoming a martyr, control the range of his influence. The series reasserts its theme of choice and agency by highlighting that Aziraphale and Crowley aren't that special, they've just had the chance to live and grow, and that the others have free will too, if they want it.
The reason why they wanted to separate Aziraphale and Crowley, is not to get Aziraphale on his own, but to get Crowley on his own. He literally stopped time and made a pocket universe in front of Satan last season. He's powerful and dangerous and somebody wants to see that reigned in.
Wishlist (stuff I desperately want to see)
Crowley getting an audience with God and an opportunity to ask his questions, only to refuse to do so because he's found his own Answers and he no longer needs hers
Aziraphale and Crowley growing more into their book incarnations. Aziraphale becomes confident in his sense of morality, which he developed the hard way through millennia on earth besides humanity. He slowly learns what it means to be loved, unconditionally, but also is better at asserting and maintaining his boundaries. Crowley, still anxious and unwinding, works through his fear of abandonment, providing him opportunities to be kind and gentle and nurturing--all traits that he's aggressively hid since being a demon.
Hand holding. I know that Gaiman was referring to Ineffable Bureaucracy, but I still feel like we'd benefit from meaningful hand holding, especially since that got cut from the adaptation of the book.
Shifted focus away from the supernatural shenanigans, and back onto the humans that actually drive the story.
Cameos from S1 characters (if not a more substantial appearance).
The Four Other Riders of the Apocalypse.
Cursed Thoughts (why I shouldn't be allowed a social platform)
Ineffable Bureaucracy turns up in season 3 because Beelzebub got Gabriel pregnant somehow.
#good omens#good omens spoilers#good omens season 2#good omens s2#good omens meta#good omens 2 spoilers#good omens 2 theory#good omens 2 analysis#long post#text
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My top villains (from dumb to smart)
Warning: This post is not intended to offend anyone, the author is just sharing his observations
In this post, I decided to make up the top villains of trollhunters from the dumbest to the smartest (as for me, such tops are much more interesting than the placement of characters by strength, because in most cases you already know who will be in first place). The actions of villains from trollhunters only will be evaluated here.
10) Morgana:
Her main problem is that she does using her arsenal of spells on maximum and instead of attacking with shots of magical energy from a safe distance, she creates small energy daggers and goes into close combat, although this makes no sense (it is as if gunmar, fighting with his sword, tried not to hit the opponent with a sharp blade, but tried to hit him with the hilt of the sword). Her second fatal mistake is that she gave Angor freedom and was genuinely surprised when he betrayed her and decided to take revenge for everything she did to him (What prevented her from taking Angor's soul again so that he would not betray her at the most crucial moment?). And can someone explain to me why she didn't kill Merlin at the end of the third season? That is, she just tossed him from side to side, throughout the series she said how she wanted to kill him, and then just left him alive and went to deal with the hunter?
9) Otto:
For some reason, he sincerely believed that Gunmar cared about changelings and that Gunmar would lead them to a bright future. But what a surprise! It turns out Gunmar didn't care about changelings from the beginning, well, yes, he never hid his disdain for them. Someone will call it loyalty, but for me it's dibilism when you betray the current head of the Order of Janus and instead of taking the vacant throne yourself, you kindly waited for the tyrant who eventually used you.
8) Bular:
As for me, Bular is one of the most impulsive characters in the whole series. The most striking example is when in the second series, literally in the middle of the day, in a place where there could be unwanted witnesses, he decided to attack a new hunter and, as expected, was defeated. He also continues to underestimate his opponent, even when Jim killed stalking, it is not surprising that with such disregard for the enemy, he died before all the antagonists.
7) Goblin from the episode about creepslayerz:
He appeared relatively little on the screen compared to other villains, but during this time he, firstly, set Steve and Eli on Jim, and secondly, led the Creepslayerz on a false trail, thereby preventing them from finding out about their plans ahead of time.
6) Gunmar:
My main problem with Gunmar is that without asking for any proof, he believed all the nonsense that the Dictatus told him. I also think that Gunmar should be aware of the technical superiority of people (at least from Strickler's presentation) and that is why, instead of sending changelings to intercept at least a couple of warheads, he arranges their genocide. It's really funny that in the end Morgana needed a changeling to free him, and I'm just wondering what he would have done if Nomura and Strickler hadn't been in town? (I think he would catch a random person on the street and give him free troll language lessons)
5) Nomura:
She doesn't rank higher in the rankings just because she underestimated Jim in the first season. To be honest, I can't remember if she has had similar mistakes before, and compared to previous places, she is much less impulsive.
4) Angor:
As for me, Angor from the first season is a reference villain, almost all of whose actions are thoughtful and balanced decisions, for example, he reasonably did not trust Strickler and his promise that he would let him go as soon as trollhunter will die, so he did not immediately kill Jim, but only intimidated him so that our troll hunter had more reasons to make a deal with Angor and steal infernacopula. Well, the most striking example is that Angor will first study his enemy, and only then go into battle. if they hadn't made a cartoon villain out of him at the end of the first season, who, instead of immediately stabbing his defeated opponent, rolls up a long monologue about how weak our new hunter is without his friends, then in this top you Angor would have stood much higher (but despite this, he is still one of my favorite characters).
3) Usurna:
You might reasonably ask why she stands so high in the top if she supported Gunmar on an equal footing with Otto? To which I will answer that unlike Otto, who was looking forward to the return of the cruel lord, Usurna tried her best not to let Gunmar escape from the dark lands and joined him only when she knew for sure that he had returned, in fact, she simply chose the strongest, and therefore the winning side. And I think it's worth admitting that no matter how mean a bitch she is, she can reasonably reason that by sacrificing a pair of cubs of Kruber, she will thereby delay Gunmar's desire to attack her people for a sufficiently long time, and if the dark lord still falls, she can say that her children were simply kidnapped (which was common at that time (if we recall the background of the creation of changelings) so no matter how you look at it, in any case, it remains a winner.
2) Strickler:
(who could doubt that he would be so high in the ranking) I am still sure that he helped in the liberation of Gunmar only out of fear of Bular, because as soon as Bular fell, Strickler immediately took the vacant throne, leaving Gunmar in the dark lands. Strickler, as well as Angor, will not be the first to rush into battle, he will most likely just shift all the dangerous and dirty work to someone else, since the status allows. Also, he always plans an escape plan if something goes wrong, if he hadn't created a magical connection with Barbara then he wouldn't have had any leverage on Jim and therefore the hunter wouldn't have had any reason to protect Strickler from Angor. He is not in the first place only because instead of hiring a hired sniper who would quickly kill a young hunter and left, no! instead, he awakens an ancient killer who, if he can take the ring, will kill his unfortunate master first thing. Although if he also awakened Angor in order to strengthen his status as the head of the Order, then there are no complaints, but due to the fact that in the series itself Strickler said that he brought Angor only to kill Jim, then alas it was too unjustified a risk
1) Dictatious:
To begin with, he was able to survive in the dark lands for several centuries, so he was also able to become the right hand of Gunmar himself, who clearly respects only the strong, and the Dictatus, to put it mildly, is a so-so warrior. Further, after the Dictatus lost his sight and became virtually useless to Gunmar, he was still able to remain his most trusted subordinate (yes, this whole topic with Morgan's visions looks ridiculous to me, given that the Dictatus had no evidence of the truthfulness of his words, but most importantly, it worked). Also, the Dictatus has never had an insane devotion to Gunmar, he joined him only because otherwise he would not have survived, which is why he so easily switches to the side of the hunter and at the end of the series remains to chill in Toby's house.
#trollhunters#root#tales of arcadia#toa#trollhunters rott#wizards#3below#trollhunters rise of the titans#art#fanart#morgana la fey#trollhunters Otto#trollhunters bular#trollhunters gunmar#toa nomura#toa angor rot#trollhunters strickler#Dictatious#usurna#my top 10
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Okay, I DO NOT want this to come off as hate, because I love this show, have loved this show and will continue to love this show (I have no choice, I'm pack bonded) but... If I can bring up the way that the show feels... Off.
I don't want to say I dislike it, because I haven't really given it a fair chance, and I actually do really like a lot of the new episodes, and I would hate for anyone to see this and think that I have anything but huge amount of respect to the writers, actors and professionals working together, but I just wanted to know if anyone agreed, or is thinking along the same lines as me.
Meta Humour can work, and work really well. Fleabag's strongest storytelling point is the metaphor of a third wall break being her way of 'leaving' her real life, where we as the audience become her confidant, her trusted friend, her escape. Princess Bride has a meta humour that folds into the framing device. The Emperors New Groove uses it for comedy, and ties it to the medium, framing device and the tropes set up by virtue of the genre. Other shows can have throwaway lines with double meanings, one for the characters and one for the audience.
But Doctor Who Excelled in Commiting to the story. The suspension of disbelief, and the sheer illusion of this madman, hidden from us by our own inability to Notice, it was fun. It connected itself to our world with jokes about pop culture and throwaway lines about Merlin and Robin Hood and all these running jokes but...
Doctor Who proves that no matter how ridiculous the premise, a story can be great if you believe in the story you're telling. You can throw cat women in a hospital, have bad CGI mannequins clone a man, create bats that feed off time energy, but it doesn't matter, because if you and the actors are devoted to the world you're building, the audience will have no choice but to love it too.
Even Peter Capaldi has these scenes where he addresses us as an audience, lecturing us, but not only does it set up his career as a lecturer at a university, it has an in universe reason, where he explains that when he's unsure about how to get out of a bind, he retreats within his mind, pretends he's already escaped and he's bragging to Clara. The throwaway line 'I'm nothing without an audience' carries weight because... Well, he does need an audience. This is his own illusion, we're just sneaking a peak. This isn't the actor lifting the curtain a la Oz, this is us being brought into a characters mind.
Missy has a hilarious meta joke where she roleplays as the doctor and introduces the companions as 'Exposition' and 'Comic Relief'. It's targeted at fans, and clearly a shakedown of the tropes and- it works. Because this is a game to Missy, because she doesn't take this seriously, she's playing a role. It makes sense for This character in This context, and it doesn't break the illusion.
But the new series... There's just a plastic feeling to it. I almost feel like they're setting up a Wandavision bit where it's all a TV show. The joke about 'I thought that was Non Diagetic' was hilarious, and I loved it, but the winks and nods to the camera? The overexplanation and overexposition? 'Never seen a TARDIS before?' Lines said to the audience, basically dropping the wall between us. We are not watching the Doctors life, nor are we being brought into his mind. This isn't showing a characters view, or self aware commentary. It's a cheap laugh that doesn't land.
I don't want to hate the show, and I don't! But it's just... Loosing itself. Back when it was help together with duct tape and a prayer, they had to commit, to make up for the penny sets. Is it such a bad thing to miss that?
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Theory of Love Special Ep (Finale) Stray Thoughts
I am curious how I feel about this as the end of the Theory of Love run. I won't recap since we finished the show, but I went back into my own posts and I previously liked this despite having no memory of it.
Okay, as cheesy as it is, I do generally like when follow up outings acknowledge or tease their critics.
Oh that play with the names. I saw that. It's 2020 and we all verse now. (Side note. I do not remember associating this special with COVID lockdowns.)
It's kinda fun when the epilogue content happens before the actual ending. We know that they will get back together to form Hod Production and that they'll succeed.
Special Episode: Stand By Me
Oh, Third. You really had this man sleeping on the floor for multiple nights. Even as someone who wanted him to suffer, you aren't serious.
I'm not surprised Third and Khai ended up working together, and it's definitely good for Third's ego that Khai is being such a simp.
I was curious what hanging out for these guys would look like now that most of them are in committed relationships and Bone is healing from heartache.
Look at that, Khai. Growth. He was in a situation with some girls and made it clear he wasn't available. I will accept the incoming hijinks from this lipstick.
Yes, Khai, why did you lie?
I snorted at the camera guy having better communication with the director or cinematographer than Khai.
Did this girl suck on his neck? Why is he still hiding it? Just tell Third some drunk girl fell on you. Two saw it and Third trusts Two. Bone gets it.
I'm glad Third is aware that he's cute and actively maintaining it. Gun torments me regularly on IG.
I kinda like that Khai is being so ridiculous about this drunk girl situation. We know he's been at this for almost a year trying to prove his loyalty to Third.
This senior taking the graduation photo from them was one of the motorcycle guys in My Ride.
Aww, Bone. Do you think you're better off alone? Talk to me.
Any time someone points with their lips I laugh.
I love this confession in the car. Third is still testing Khai, but at least he knows Khai wasn't stepping out. I like that the resolution is one about how they're both trying to make this work despite the emotional baggage. I like the version of Khai that wants to honor Third.
These two made it four years and produced a movie together. I believe in their relationship if it's still going strong after making a highly successful film.
I am actually so into Khai doing multiple proposals to Third, elevating it each time.
Well, that was lovely.
Updated Verdict: 8.5, Recommended for Fans of Romance Cinema. I spent a lot of time over the last few days thinking about how I would recommend this series going forward. I think it is good on a lot of technical fronts, and there's a lot to like in the BTS: particularly Off using his own clothes to supplement Khai's wardrobe. Still, this show firmly sits right over the awkward line between BL and queerness that makes me uncomfortable with the genre sometimes.
Third's reticence to Khai only makes sense to me in a world where The Knowing occurs, and yet this is mostly a show in the bubble. So much of what's wrong with Third is because he's let the fantasy of romance films cloud his ability to have a mutually beneficial relationship with someone he loves. I do love when romance interrogates itself, and yet it feels like a hugely missed opportunity to discuss how queer people cannot rely on the presumptions of heteronormativity when building relationships with each other.
Moreover, I struggle with Khai's change narrative because I am not entirely certain who it's for. It reminds me of the Mulan problem, where we have a character who defies norms and expectations and it almost feels like the character exists to point to them and say, "You're not them." I have been hurt by guys like Khai, and none of them changed in a way that ever led to reconciliation for me. It's something I struggle with as I watch this, and it makes me wonder what the outcome of presenting this will be or the femmes and the gays who watch this since the Khai's of the world aren't watching.
Still, I will say that this show has incredibly fun structure if you know the major beats of the films used as the title for each episode. I think Off plays a jerk you begrudgingly want to root for really well. I think Mike actually did a really good job in this show and I apologize to Bone for being so pissy three years ago. Gun is beautiful and so easy to empathize with, but I gotta say that Third is not my favorite character of his.
I am glad @lurkingshan burned her coupons to make me revisit this show, and I've enjoyed having @waitmyturtles and @neuroticbookworm to talk about how I was feeling about things along the way. I don't think I love this show the way you three do, but it is a well-executed narrative doing some interesting things with the romance genre. My lingering hangups, and why I can't take it to a 9, have to do with the mixed bag of queerness in this. Third feels like a repressed gay, and Khai has a legit bisexual awakening, but the other cultural context being missing means it never connects for me as a queer narrative.
This is something I'm thinking about a lot as we head into Cooking Crush, because OffGun always leaves me a bit shaky on that front. On paper it's gay, but it never exactly feels gay for me.
Also tagging @twig-tea by request.
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Propaganda for Sergey Razumovsky and Oleg Volkov (Major Grom comics)
I picked "implied" but I'm gonna be straight (haha) with you, if they were officially canon everyone involved in the making of this book would be at least fined out of business. It's from a russian publisher, they're doing their best but they also don't want to go to prison over fictional characters. They're as canon as they can be though, and have been since the 2010s.
Anyway Sergey and Oleg are always together, they're basically a single unit and when they're separated it's almost always because something bad is happening to them. For the entirety of Plague Doctor they act like a married couple. They literally live together in an apartment that only has one bed and fuss over each other and flirt with each other. In Major Grom (their first appearances) Sergey was the villain to Grom's hero, and Oleg was his childhood friend / current head henchman, but after some (a lot) of plot happening they agreed that they're actually equal partners (in a conversation that sounded more romantic than some actual kisses). One of their most important plot points is that Oleg is as important to Sergey as Grom's girlfriend is to Grom. Literally that was on the page. They had a one-shot issue that was about them taking a trip to Mexico, which in comic book imagery pretty much always means a honeymoon. Idk, you tell me if that's implied or canon.
Technically they're murderers / terrorists but the Plague Doctor comic book (their own spin-off! woohoo!) is pretty much all about them raising a younger woman to take up the mantle of the titular vigilante plague doctor because they're retired from that. Which doesn't prevent them from getting into bloody fights, mostly for each other. Sergey loves his knives and Oleg is very proficient with every weapon, and even when they're not physically in the fight they stay together to make sure nothing goes too wrong. After a spousal abduction and spousal rescue arc they now have matching scars. The artists / writers regularity spend a page or two or three just focusing on them fighting in synch. They literally fight back to back many times, because it's more safe and efficient and they trust each other like that. A couple in work in life and in battle.
Also the artist who pretty much defined their entire characters drew a lot of fanart of them, which I'm aware doesn't really count as canon, but. Well.
They sleep in the same bed. When Sergey is working on his computer and worrying too much Oleg makes him a meal. The things Oleg does for Sergey include breaking him out of prison, kidnapping and/or killing people, training someone to be the next Plague Doctor, even dying for him. It looks like a very unbalanced relationship to some other characters but those characters don't really know them. There was an entire arc that was mostly about Sergey being willing and ready to risk everything (his recent comfortable anonymity, his long-term project, even his sanity) to go save Oleg. At a time when he thought Oleg was dead Sergey agreed to let a god take control of him and effectively erase his own existence. It didn't work ultimately but it still happened. Their post-injuries "oh god I thought you were dead I'm so glad you're mostly alright" hug was the most emotional scene in the entire series. They're not doing physical fighting so often in this comic book because while they're main characters the actual protagonist is the girl they're training to be the new Plague Doctor, but they're always working together behind the scenes, and when they do fight it's a feast for the eyes (very violent and bloody). They have different weapons because Sergey just loves knives and Oleg is much more pragmatic so he mostly uses guns when he's at liberty of choosing his weapons, but they work extremely seamlessly together. If the publisher wasn't in Russia they'd be wearing matching wedding bands for years.
3. i think the reason they're not currently wanted by multiple countries is because they're still presumed dead. they're officially criminals, maybe terrorists? sergey began his criminal career by killing the corrupt rich, so then of course the publisher had to make some late changes to the story and his motivations to make him less likable. i don't think they really managed it. he's most people's favorite character from that comic book, i'm pretty sure that's why they gave him a spin-off years later. oleg is an even later addition (actually just an arc or two later), because they needed sergey (the villain) to have someone who would be a parallel to the hero's girlfriend. so they introduced his childhood bff / kinda estranged best friend / worried right hand man to fill that role. they made him a scary mercenary with experience from the special forces and he's ready to kill anyone who needs to die for sergey's plan. sergey can also stop him anywhen too. they weren't really equal in their first arc together, because sergey was going through a lot and his alter didn't like oleg and was always bossing him around, but since then they both went through A Lot More and talked a lot and made things between themselves clearer. they're equal partners, for better and for worse. sergey once killed over a dozen of mercenaries just with a knife and a wire, because someone had kidnapped oleg as a trap for sergey and he knew it and still went there to save oleg. they're fighting for the same things, together, and sometimes it's literal and they go kill people with guns and knives, sometimes separately but more often together.
their canonicity is… it's complicated. i think you'd consider sergey and oleg canon if you consider the guys from good omens to be canon. * like there's no i love yous, no kisses, or maybe just not yet, who knows, but it's still evident that they care so much about each other and only have eyes for each other. except in this case i'd even say they're more canon because there's no yearning or will-they-won't-they anymore, they're just together since their childhood or teenage years, they have no problem talking or touching or holding each other or living together.
*Mod note - This was submitted before season 2 of Good Omens came out.
#coupleganda masterposts#major grom#bubble comics#oleg volkov#sergey razumovsky#serovolk#i HOPE i'm tagging this correctly i do Not know anything abt this franchise#these guys seem great though#congrats on the murders and basically-marriage
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Appreciation Post - Dragon Age: Origins... Zevran Arainai
After my brief appreciation post towards Kaidan Alenko of the ME series, I thought to myself - why not make thorough appreciation posts of my favorite Bioware characters (mainly romances?)
So, we'll start off at the beginning with Dragon Age - DA: Origins, and we'll begin with our devilishly handsome elven rogue, Zevran Arainai. ^.^
[Trigger Warning: mentions of suicidal thoughts/ideation]
Pre-DA: Origins
He did not have an easy life; his father passed, presumably to disease, when he had actually been assassinated by the Antivan Crows all along. After his father's death, before his birth, his mother had passed away shortly after he was born and she'd been forced into prostitution to pay off his father's debts.
Zevran and other elven orphans were raised by sex workers in the brothel that his mother had worked in until he was seven years old - he had learned certain mannerisms and skills that caught the eye of one of the guildmasters within the Antivan Crows - which is how he became Zevran Arainai, since the guildmaster belonged to House of Arainai.
When digging up further information, out of all of the elven orphans purchased, we find out that him and Taliesen were the only ones to survive the excruciating trials that the Antivan Crows had put them through. With time, and with the introduction of another elven orphan, Rinna, they honed their skills and became a deadly trio.
Shortly before DA: Origins
During the third conversation that we have with Zevran, we talk about the most painful mission that he had been involved in - we discover that him, Rinna, and Taliesen were tasked with a mission together. To sum it up, Taliesen had purposely framed Rinna so that Zevran would kill her - he found out that she hadn't betrayed them and expressed her affection towards Zevran with her dying breath, to which he had initially mocked her and didn't believe her.
He had realized that not only had she not betrayed his trust, but that he also had fallen for her and it was too late since he had murdered her - all for the sake that he had grown "soft," in Taliesen's words.
Zevran had accepted the task to murder the Grey Warden [the player] as he knew that such a skilled fighter who was deemed a nuisance to a regent wouldn't go down so easily and that he would accept this as not only penance, but his way of death.
He willingly accepted the mission with the hope that he would be killed. Zevran was suicidal and knew that he would have no chance of escape - he subtly mentions that had he survived, he would take matters into his own hands.
Romancing Zevran
Now, I will personally admit that when I first started playing DA: Origins, I mainly romanced Alistair and only once, did I romance Leliana.
Although I highly recommend their romances because of their depth and backgrounds, I will admit that when I first played I was in the mid-to later half of my teenage years. (so, think 16 - 18 years old).
Now that I'm reaching my mid-20s, I've come to appreciate and love the depth, background, and the romance that your character experiences with Zevran.
We all witness the flirtatious tendencies and advances, however, when you turn him down - he will back off. With his line of work and likely stuff that he was forced to do, he's well aware when such advances are not wanted and he respects that.
He's nicknamed as the "Master of Seduction," but there are surely moments where he's tasked with pleasing a target and he's subjected to harsh/cruel treatment. He also witnessed such behavior since he was raised in a brothel as a child and was around men and women who were likely treated as lesser-beings only for the pleasure of those who paid.
Zevran is aware that everyone has boundaries and lines not to cross and when he realizes that he's drawn to close, he will quickly rectify and make sure to never cross it again.
However, when you are direct with him and reciprocate that his advances are wanted, then he'll keep playing up the persona of seduction. Also - with how his personality is and depending on how open-minded your character is, if he suggests something that's not wanted, then he won't bring up the idea again. (example: the mention of a threesome with warden/zevran/isabela, or even warden/zevran/leliana).
Now, a lot of people knock on him for the initial encounter and if you have him in your party shortly after - he can't pick locks. Not unless you branch out the skill for him.
However, the intention as to why he lied was clear to me from the get-go...
Survival.
Now, you may also be wondering is that if he was feeling so suicidal and accepted the idea of death at the Warden's hands... why would he lie to survive?
When you talk with him [if you didn't instantly kill him and woke him up], you insinuate that you have more pressing matters to deal with than a bastard who betrayed his king and a possible civil war... You have a 5th Blight to stop and they're merely an obstacle of achieving victory over a national threat that could become international.
Now, he doesn't blatantly say so in the beginning other than the fact that he'd be acting upon the whim of a deadly sex god(dess), but we can read between the lines that this could be a means of redemption for him.
So yeah - Zevran Arainai is such a complex character pouring with depth, but some people simply write him off as a "flirtatious assassin," but that's simply because they don't bother to delve deeper into his background or, even his romance!
So yeah - this is expressing massive appreciation for Zevran Arainai as well as how meaningful his romance can be. I highly suggest that others give his romance a try, at least once! ^.^
#dragon age origins#dragon age#dragon age zevran#zevran arainai#appreciation post#appreciation post for zevran#appreciation posts by ash
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To my readers <3
TL;DR: I am old. I write old. My heart is squishy. Thank you for reading.
Always and forever, I want to thank you for reading my fic. I thought it might be fun to discuss it a little while I'm in between chapters. The beginning of this semester at university has taken much of my attention with a rhetorical analysis for English class, writing assignments for philosophy, Geography homework, and a digital media class that has readings and projects due every week. So my plate is a little more full than last semester. heh
In order to relieve my frustration at not being able to throw all my effort and attention into this next arc in my story, I thought it could be fun to share some of my musings here.
So I'm an elder millennial. I started writing fanfiction when I was 12 years old, when the only way to find it was on FTP servers in the early days of the internet. I was precocious and managed to get the attention of an English teacher who thought I was older, due to the nature of my writing (don't get me wrong, it was still juvenile, but I guess she saw potential in me?). Suffice to say, she was surprised to learn my young age. But I gained a mentor who gave me a lot of pointers and did exercises with me to practice dialogue and descriptions. I kept up writing up until my 20s, when life happened and other things gained my interest.
I was surprised at myself when I was inspired to start writing again, starting with the Astarion origin story (which, I stress, would really need some reworking as it is far from perfect). I found the character very captivating and ripe for exploration and study. Yet, the landscape of fanfiction has changed a lot since I last attempted it. I had no idea what a 'drabble' was, and realize that most people are interested in short-form, easily digestible works. And here I am, devising an entire epic and canon continuation with the caveat being to treat it as if it could be a published novel or series. My writing style is, I suppose you could say, classical?
In searching for fanfiction to read about this character, I found many of them focused on very specific things (vampirism, trauma, sex, et al). I was disappointed that many of them were in second person and present tense, both styles that I was wholly unaccustomed to reading. We all have preferences, and I completely respect that. I wanted to read novel-style work, and was found wanting (though if you have recommendations, I would love to explore them). So, as one does, if you can't find it - write it yourself! And I did. The story I'm crafting is the one I wanted to read, and I'm grateful that there are others who do as well.
I'm not after big numbers, truth be told, and I'm quite overjoyed when I get a kudos here and there, and especially when I see 'unreviewed comment' pop up. It's an unexpected delight, every single time. :)
So, why did I make him blind? How cruel, right? Well, there's a few reasons for it. He is a vain character, though I imagine that had tamed somewhat towards the epilogue of the game. He has trust issues. He has issues with seeing value in himself. As a character study, I thought this unique aspect might be interesting to explore in a character like Astarion. I wanted him to learn the value of insight, patience, and overcoming challenges in a new way that is not often explored. I also wanted to bring some awareness to disability in general. I researched the hell out of the subject, trying to impart the wisdom I gained through the writing. For instance, the 'Blindfolded Masquerade'? Yeah, don't do that. That's not a good way to foster empathy, and is actually somewhat belittling of the character's condition. A point that, I feel, was made rather clear by Astarion's response to it.
Writing a blind character is a challenge. I have to try to remember how to write descriptions from the perspective of someone bereft of sight, and focus only on touch, sound, and scent (not always with success, mind you). A blind character in a D&D setting, too, has unique aspects that can be inserted - from the mystical to the mundane. They can still have a high Passive Perception, but limited to sound, touch, and scent. Astarion has a dexterity score of 17 - that hasn't changed. In a medieval high fantasy setting like Forgotten Realms, this can be utilized in interesting and nuanced ways.
I made him too soft, maybe? Well, perhaps. But characters grow and change depending on circumstances. Astarion can be soft, and still be funny. I have a squishy heart, personally. I like soft Astarion. Someone else recently mentioned how his 'mask' fell away during the Graveyard Scene, and you see the real person behind the acerbic wit and irreverence. I understand masking all too well. Recently, I was diagnosed with autism (and no one was surprised, really). Imagine going through most of your life thinking you're the weirdo no one wants to be around, and you constantly hide yourself by pretending to be someone else - for decades. Trauma can do this too, so addressing that aspect of his character is important to me. He is soft now because people change, especially in light of challenges, experiences, and when someone shows them kindness and empathy.
I have been enjoying how my version of this character has evolved, and for those of you reading my story, I thank you for sharing in this same delight.
In conclusion, I wanted to assure you that the next couple chapters are being crafted with care. There is a plan being devised, plans being thwarted, and perhaps an interesting cameo to look forward to. I deeply appreciate your continued interest. Your support means the world to me. Thank you for sharing in this adventure with our beloved (former) vampire spawn arcane trickster rogue, Astarion Ancunín.
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Marathoned through what I can find of season 2, here's my thoughts so far:
Nichelle is a queen, an icon, literally the first total drama character to show self-improvement and character growth without being an antagonist. Can't wait to see her continue to show up everyone, though I wish we got to see her form actual friendships instead of just girlbossing 24/7.
Mkulia is more canon than literally all of the relationships. They're so fun to watch as antagonists, and I can't wait to see where the cheating arc goes. The fact that they've shared confessions since they formed their alliance? The lesbians are eating good this season. Also Julia in particular is just really well written and voice acted? She sounds like an actual teenager her age. It's 👌 chefs kiss.
Speaking of the cheating arc, the rift between Bowie and Raj because of the team's under-the-table methods is such an on-the-nose way to play it. The "boyfriend kisser" arc of World Tour handled a literal cheating scandal super poorly, but this season is handling its' 'cheating' scandal really well in terms of how it dissolves trust in a relationship. Can't wait for Bowie's guilt to reach it's apex, we never know what he'll do when it does.
Raj really does see the best in Bowie, unfortunately his glasses are a little too rose-tinted to see that Bowie is more than happy to continue enabling Julia and MK, so long as they keep winning. I'm not sure if this will lead to a breakup or a heart-to-heart, honestly this series could go either way, but it isn't called Total Drama for no reason. Keeping my fingers crossed that it'll work out.
Another relationship I unfortunately saw coming from a mile off is RipAxel, though I can't say I'm upset about it. A lot of people saw Axel as queer, myself included, and Ripper is, well, Ripper. But they had a season one Duncney vibe going on in Axel's brief run last season. Something about the misogynistic guys (Ripper called himself an alpha at one point?) and the competitive latinas 🤷♀️.
Their actual dynamic this season is different enough from what I thought it'd be that it's refreshing. I guess it works in a very Roger and Jessica Rabbit type of way (if Jessica Rabbit was a butch teenager), and if you're third eye is opened enough to see it as yuri it's a win. (The poetry scene was really sweet, in a way.)
Prialeb came out of nowhere though. For a character who was essentially a Justin clone last season, I really do like the direction Caleb's character is going in. He's got that competitive mindset, and is trying to flatter Priya into an alliance by being friendly/flirty, but the narrative doesn't really make it clear if he's aware that he's manipulating her Alejandro style or if he really is just oblivious enough to see his approach as platonic/friendly. Holding out for some aro or ace (or aroace 🤭) representation with Caleb if they go with the second narriative, but the "only ever had one girlfriend" line hints more towards him being gay than ace.
I'm predicting Priya's foil being her crush of Caleb. It's gonna lead to her elimination. I love the fact that that, despite being hypercompetent thanks to her upbringing, she's terrible with things like relationships and feelings.
I'm super happy that Emma and Chase ended things again. They're terrible for each other. Also, Emma was way less likable this season? IDK if that's just me. Chase was never likable but he's at least funny to watch, especially when he's taking Ls.
Lauren's antagonist arc is brewing at Playa Des Losers (if that's still a thing?) so she's definitely coming back in the merge Izzy style. That, or she'll pull an Ezekiel and sneak back onto the island.
Millie's brief character arc about learning not to take advantage of people was cute, if undeveloped, but I can't say I liked her this season. Damien didn't deserve what she did, but he did need the reality check it gave him. And some therapy to help his fear of everything- the guy's an anxious wreak, and it's not so much endearing as it is pitiful to watch.
Wayne and Raj are my two beautiful sons who deserve the world. Zee has been delightful as always. No need for elaboration.
Chris is delightful this season. All of his lines are great, and what little we see of Chef is golden too. Good job to the writing team for our favourite geriatric couple.
My only real gripe with this season, which has been more and more apparent since season 1 back in 2007, is that the characters don't really feel like they're in a summer camp. Back in the OG island we had character interactions and dynamics outside of challenges that helped set the tone of the series; it felt like they really were teenagers at a summer camp, the challenges and eliminations came second to the character plotlines.
Whereas now, most of every episode is based in the challenge itself. Every elimination is based around something that character does during a challenge. Most meaningful interactions happen during a challenge. It feels more like a gameshow than the reality tv it's supposed to imitate. The only non-competition based conflict we get to watch is Emma and Chase's thing, which is more akin to influencers beefing than two teenagers at a camp having a rocky relationship (see: Duncney S1, Gwent S2 briefly, whatever happened with Gwourtney). I wish we got to see more of the character as they are, than the characters while they're actively in a challenge.
#long post#total drama#td2023#thoughtless posting#ophe rambling#kinda drafty in here (posts from the drafts)
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having finished watching the bear in the early hours of the morning, i have some thoughts rattling around in my head that i need to jot down because they keep distracting me from work, lmao. spoilers under the cut
→ i had fun! it was emotional! it was stressful! i was entertained and then i had to suppress the feelings of familial relatability brought up in ep. 6!
→ MARCUS!!! TINA!!! NAT!!! EBRA!!! RICHIEEEEEEE!!!!! All going through their own shit, changing, emotional, relentless, scared, nervous. I especially loved Richie this season and he had a speech in ep. 1 that broke my heart ("I'm 45, I've been here a long time, you feel me? I mean, you know what the fuck you're doing, you know. You love all this shit. It's fun for you. I don't have that. I'm afraid imma wake up and you guys are all just gonna cut—just drop this ass.")
→ Sydney, light of my life. Her fierce ambition, so obvious and strong in S1, got tempered by doubt and distrust in her partner, by the gradual recognition that she is doing so much, too much, by herself. I don’t think it bodes well that the last shots we get of her, she’s ralphing after opening night service—after an intense kitchen set-up that tests her limits and shows who she can and cannot trust. (Giving Carmy in NY, throwing up before service vibes). And honestly? I wouldn't be mad if she really, really starts doubting her partnership with Carmy and just dips.
→ Anyway, I came back to add that Sydney, despite her doubts and not-unfounded fears, is such a positive source for those around her. We saw it in S1, when she gave Marcus a confidence boost, when Tina sought her approval after initially being very hesitant about her. And that faith in others just increased in this season, and god, to be around someone like that, who lifts others up no matter what, is so rare. I love her so much. (And her carrying around that book the whole season! Just holding onto courage and confidence, letting it shape her leadership.)
→ I'm so happy Natalie wasn’t relegated to glimpses this time around. She's present and focused and involved in dismantling her family’s trauma and history, and I love that for her. I also love her and Syd's relationship (them almost being synchronised in saying Carmy Problem) and her interactions with Fak, lmao.
→ Tina at culinary school! Tina with reservations about her place but thriving and finding inspiration. There's a moment where some of the people in her class all go out, and they invite her, and when she meets them at the bar, they've all got a nasty judgemental face (it's def an age thing) but then she EATS THEM UP at karaoke with a beautiful song in English & Spanish, TINA TE ADORO.
→ I immediately re-watched Marcus's episode and I want a spin-off series where he stages at different world-renowned bakeries and lives his best patissier life.
→ That Variety piece that said Carmy was the least interesting character in this show was RIGHT ("It’s no coincidence that these weaker points tend to involve Carmy, a character perfectly rendered by White who’s still the least interesting part of his own show.")
→ Speaking of: the romance between Carmy and Claire (which we all unfortunately saw happening after the trailer, and is fucking annoying, and yes part of it is because I love Syd & Carmy together, but also because the showrunners pledged no romance in the show which would have been fine, too) is BORING. So boring. I know Claire is going to get a lot of hate and honestly, it's barely fair because she's just not developed as a character at all. Beyond being someone Carmy knew in his past, and who is now stealing his time and energy away from the restaurant, there's not much to her. She's written with so little dimension, and exists purely to be Carmy's lil girlfriend and it's disappointing. She could have at least been fucking interesting.
→ Carmy's so angry around the time of the opening, and he projects it onto everyone else, and it's really his own fault that he's not aware of what's happening in the restaurant.
→ Okay so another thing—Sydney talks about how much she wants a Michelin star, how it’ll make The Bear a true destination spot. And rudely, Carmy goes, “you really want one of these bullshit stars?” to which Syd says yes, I really do, and this fucking dickhead tells her: “you’re gonna to have to care about everything, more than anything” AND HE STILL LET HER DOWN!!!!!!!! The more I think about it, the more upset I get.
→ Also, Michael doesn't haunt the narrative the way he did last season—his presence is so faint. There's moments, of course, but it just feels like something is missing or off. I had expected some sort of sentiment to come to the surface towards the end of the season at least, some sense of acknowledgement that maybe he would have loved The Bear, or hated it, or something, from literally anyone—Carmy, Nat, Richie, someone—but nope, nothing besides the cannoli.
→ Episode 6, man. Episode fucking six. Natalie Berzatto, you deserve peace.
→ Anyway, overall there’s a sort of bite missing in this season. The looming threat of Cicero has been softened a lot and yes, obviously internal workings at The Bear are the new obstacles but it doesn’t feel quite the same. Maybe it's a lack of tension, or a lack of anxiety? I don't know how else to explain it.
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I love "the monster in the hull" fic so much and I'm excited for updates!!
Every Emily and Billie interaction are golden and your writing is really pleasant to read; it makes me soo happy!
More focus on Billie in fan content is always great <3
I really adore how you write her, it feels so thought out in the best way
Also not sure how to say it right but i like that you address the way Emily lived before the coup *especially* through Billie's eyes...DH2 really lacked it, sadly (i won't comment on how Arkane handled monarchy & consequences but i hope that what I've said makes at least some sense)
Aaaa <3 thank you so much! It's really lovely getting comments about my work & I never quite know what to say or how to properly express my gratitude, but it means a lot!
Re: "the way Emily lived before the coup" I agree - that makes perfect sense and it's SO fascinating to me, and it was something I really wanted to tackle! I hope you don't mind me having a ramble about this on your ask?
Emily's privileges & her maturity arc are something I've been thinking about a lot with regards to the fic but also broadly :D
Emily's privileges
*grits teeth* Monarchy/politics aside, *unclenches jaw*
I think the game made an interesting choice (/genuine) by drawing attention to Emily's privilege & her struggle with the pressures of leadership. Both Sokolov & Meagan comment on it, and Emily herself makes comments (paraphrase: "I can feel my perspective shifting") but it's a shame there was no follow through. You can FEEL the critique of the Empire in the bones of the story but... it's swept under the rug.
Maturity arc?
The clueless comments from Emily feels like they could be part of a maturity arc, rather than a critique of power/privilege. BUT. A maturity arc is... a choice... for Emily, specifically for a female videogame protagonist.
She's been reigning 14 years by the events of Dishonored 2! Even if a lot of that time she was too young to be taking the reigns, still, she's not new to it, and you would think that Corvo was keeping her grounded. There was no comparable arc for Corvo - his failures in his own game was being framed by forces far larger than he, and trusting when he should not. As another comparison, Daud was slipping, yes, but he was slipping in a noir film antihero way - ie. becoming better as a person - and that was well explored.
By adding the 'Emily is a bad Empress' hints but then never going into detail, and you end up with a woman whose character is scrutinised from an unfair angle by the audience (contrast with Corvo). It feels like the weight of having any privileges, within the context of the Dishonored series, is borne entirely by Emily Kaldwin. But as you rightly say, it's not handled well, so the audience just associates the concept of privilege with her (derogatory).
It brings to mind the Boyle sisters - compared to other marks in the game, in Dishonored 1, their only crime was being manipulated by the Regent, but they were dealt arguably the worst punishment the series really offers. Harsh, right? It's not like other characters don't also have wealth & political power & could be abused. Maybe Emily's ongoing clueless comments is an attempt from the writers to be self-aware (knowing that disempowerment is a running theme but Emily is well-off), but that self-awareness only shoots Emily in the foot.
It's a running theme I have in monster in the hull - I want to kind of explore that like, yeah, Emily never really chose this life for herself, same as the Outsider. That doesn't *negate* her privileges, but informs them. It would be like viewing the Outsider primarily as a victim (as DotO kinda suggests), when realistically he's still the master of his own fate (and everyone elses, same as Emily).
What Dishonored 2 did well
There is an aspect in which the game did follow through, but it's easy to overlook: the importance of recurring characters like Lucia Pastor. Dishonored 2's ending spends a decent amount of time highlighting the new Serkonan advisors ("the city's wisest citizens survived" as the Outsider narrates) and blames them for bringing about peace & prosperity.
A generous read would be that the game acknowledges that Emily the Just & Clever learns that her perspective & intelligence alone was not nearly enough to bring about the change her Empire needs to thrive. This insight gained from her time in Karnaca was what shaped her, and giving more power & more voice to the wise people she rules over, was what ultimately earned her the titles Just & Clever. But... that wasn't really surfaced, hey.
Glad you mentioned because Emily's indifference as a leader is a detail that I love, particularly in the context of her own material/political privileges... even though I know it's why people don't like her. In saying that, the overall picture frustrates me!
Let me know your thoughts this is an interesting topic, love this game :)
#dishonored#dishonored 2#emily kaldwin#thank you skemford i love seeing you in my feed!#this made me so happy to receive!!#sorry for hijacking your post. i had some thoughts or maybe the thoughts had me#i have a bunch of things i want to respond to in my notifications but this ask hijacked my brain#me writing an accidental essay in response. realising its a wall of text. uhhhhh adding some headings and a keepreading to this
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