#he's like. not alive right either so it'd be hard to pin him down anyway | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fakecrfan · 3 years

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[Martin + Tapes] bro, what's the Eye gonna do when it figures out that Martin's gonna die of old age some day? I feel like it'd either A. "Oh shit!!! — wait, we got the Archivist all marked up? Good, great," and Jon would recite the ritual out of nowhere or B. Find a different way to preserve him a la book of the trapped dead or the coffin

Okay I could see this going one of three ways.

1: The Eye does have that realization, panics, and ends the world so that it can keep Martin and friends alive as one big happy polycule for the rest of eternity (until the End shows up and awkwardly clears its throat, at least). Or Surely Martin will be happy about it. Eventually. Any day now he’ll stop crying.

I am leaning away from this. Not because I don’t love it, but because I already wrote a whole thing about Martin being courted by the Eye in the apocalypse, and I don’t want to repeat myself too much. Plus I feel like the fanfic Beloved has already accomplished this sort of guilded cage angst better than I could, with Jon as the object, so I’d recommend anyone who wants to see more of this sort of thing to just go and read that and maybe wheedle @inklingofadream into giving us more of that sweet sweet Beholding/Jon content :D

2: The Eye doesn’t have the foresight to realize that Martin is going to Die Someday. Even after multiple kidnapping and death scares. Once the immediate threat of death is out of sight the Eye, like a distractible toddler, forgets completely about it in favor of going 😍 Martin! Martin, Martin, Martin!

And so Martin one day gets to slip away quietly in his sleep because the Eye is too much of a dumbass to prepare for future eventualities. The Web consoles its poor dumb sibling and tries not to laugh too hard.

3: My favorite one for this scenario: as you said, the Eye keeps Martin alive some other way. Not the book of trapped dead, I think, except as a last resort. Just--the situation goes on and Martin’s sanity gets whittled away. And then one day, (some time after Melanie has managed to quit?) he says something like “You guys are gonna make me go grey. You’re gonna drive me to an early grave.”

Jon looks at him unblinkingly. “No er won’t,” he says. “We won’t let you die. At all.”

And then Martin realizes that he hasn’t aged. That people have mistaken him for 19 for years. That he hasn’t gotten a single new spot on his skin since he got a job at the Institute.

Martin tries to blind himself, then.

(cw: attempted suicide, self injury, non-consensual restraint, denial of bodily autonomy, attempted manipulation, and slight (?) non-consensual body modification of the ‘‘protective, not allowed to be Injured” variety.)

Martin is pinned down before he can get his hands on a sharp object. But by now he’s gotten a lot better at playing them. So instead of trying to fight he just goes limp, forces all thoughts of escaping or dying out of his mind and looks up at Jon with the biggest eyes and goes Oh, you guys are right, thank you for stopping me. I’m not going to blind myself, that would be awful! Can you let me go now?🥺

“Eh, I don’t know,” Sasha says. “He’s opening his eyes a fraction wider the way he does when he’s trying to manipulate us.”

😅 Whaaaat, no. Definitely not! I was just scared for a second. Anyway, my arms are all itchy are you going to hold me down forever? 😭 That’s so mean you guys are so cruel sometimes! 🥺

“Well,” Tim says uncomfortably. “It would be really mean to hold him down too long...”

Martin gives the most Convincing lip wibble and starts to tear up, and then they let him go. He doesn’t make an immediate move to reach for something sharp, and lets them all hug him and hugs them back even! 🤗 Yay!

The next time, Martin gets close enough that he actually slices his temple before they wrestle the awl away.

This time they actually tie him down to a chair while they pace around and try to figure out what to do. Martin schools his expression and thoughts into the perfect picture of remorse, even sheds a few tears and says he’s so sorry. The others are still too antsy to let him go so easily this time.

“But we can’t just tie him down forever,” Tim insists again. “It isn’t like that one fantasy he had back when he was 21 and he got really into yugioh abridged series fanfiction!”

Martin’s eye twitches a little at being reminded of that.

“Yes but we can’t let him blind himself and die either!” Sasha says. “That’s even worse! Remember: death--bad!”

Sasha points to a chart she made with various arguments about how death is the Worst. Points on it include “likelihood all Martin thoughts will stop after death: 100%” and “Research shows that after being dead no one can feel happy, because the part of the brain that makes the happy chemicals shuts off.” The others nod solemnly.

“We can’t let him go until we can be certain--”

“But he’s gotten too good at controlling his thoughts for us to ever be certain all of the time,” Jon says, distressed. “And he’s upset. He doesn’t like this. He’s going to cry.”

Martin is about to genuinely cry, but he also starts to play it up once they notice.

They keep arguing until Martin starts to doze off a bit. When they wake him up and tell him that they’ve come to a decision, he expects to be love bombed for a few days while they try to Convince him how wonderful it would be to live forever with them. He gets ready to play along, to (pretend to) open up about his fears and accept reassurance, to--

Goggles?

“So you can’t blind yourself when they’re on,” Elias, who came down at some point, says with a smug grin. (He’s the one who came up with the idea, so course he’s decided it’s Genius.)

“Oh,” Martin says. “Yeah, sure! That makes--sense?”

He looks at the goggles. He expects to find a lock or something on them, but no. Just regular motorcycle goggles. Kind of cool looking, because of course they’ve been selected according to his taste.

He bats away a thought about how easy it will be to just take them off. None of them seems to have noticed, so he lets out a sigh of relief.

“Excellent,” Elias says, smugly. “Will you do the honors then, Jon?”

Martin is about to protest he can put them on himself once they untie him. But Jon nervously steps forward and puts them on himself before he can. And that’s fine, they’re gonna let him go once he’s got them on so he can deal with that. They slip on comfortably, and Jon holds them there longer than he strictly has to.

“Right,” Martin says. “On now. Can you let--”

Then, he feels the goggles melt into his face.

It’s not painful. Not exactly. The point isn’t to torture him, after all. But he feels them burrowing into his skin and fuse into the bones on his face and it’s wrong, it’s wrong. He screams. He thrashes.

“Hold him tighter,” Elias instructs.

Martin can hear Jon make a distressed sob through the white hot terror that makes all of Martin’s senses turn to static. He feels more hands grab onto his head to quell his thrashing--probably Tim, he’s got a stronger hold than Sasha. Soon he can’t even move his head, just sob as he feels the things welded into his skull.

They do let him go afterwards, as promised. Martin’s out of his mind then. No thoughts, just get them off. He claws at his face and violently bangs his head against the walls and the floors.

“Don’t stop him,” Elias tells the others when they cry and reach out to stop him. “This is how he will understand.”

Because nothing will crack the goggles. They’re supernaturally reinforced. Martin beats that realization into himself, and then crumples on the floor breathless. The others swarm around him then. They hold his hands and gently stroke his hair.

“It’s okay.” Tim. That’s Tim. “We’re here with you.”

“It’s going to be so much better now.” Definitely Sasha. “Just think about all of the things you’ll get to see over the next century!”

“I’m sorry.” That’s Jon. Choked up and barely able to get the words out. “Martin--”

“We love you.”

Martin can’t tell who says that one, but it makes him snap and scream until he’s frothing at the mouth with rage. Because he’s finally too spent to stop himself from shouting all of the things he’s been keeping in.

No you don’t! No you don’t!

#Anonymous #martin + tapes #s1 evil eye polycule

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thejustmaiden · 4 years

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Jaken = Rin's Dad?

Okay, is this how a daughter treats their so-called father?

Most definitely not.

Rin and Jaken's relationship clearly screams of your typical sibling rivalry punctuated with cute and silly moments of playful bickering.

Yes, Jaken may technically be her main provider, but that doesn't necessarily equate to him being more of a father than Sesshomaru. If anything, he demonstrates more of a brotherly love towards her. As we all know, parents (which Sesshomaru embodies more based on real life patterns and parallels) will leave their older more capable children in charge of looking after their younger brothers and sisters. In this case, that would mean making Jaken responsible for watching over Rin and protecting her if need be. Ah-Un offers protection, too. Think of it as Jaken as the big brother and Ah-Un as the family dog who are babysitting while Sesshomaru as the parent of the household is away at work or taking care of business. I mean, they literally fit that description to a tee and I'm dying at the accuracy of it all! 🤣👌

[Quick! Someone write up a modern au where Sesshomaru finally gets out to have a nice date night but everything goes wrong in the most spectacular way. Like maybe Rin and Jaken catch a ride on Ah-Un to go spy!]

I recently revisited some episodes from The Final Act, and I couldn't believe how many moments like this there were where Rin got after Jaken or when she would "put him in his place" so to speak. Obviously, all of it is mostly harmless. I was only surprised by how often it occurred, not to mention how Jaken would just stand there and take it. Towards a supposed father figure, Rin's behavior is downright unacceptable. There's a certain level of respect a child is expected to show their parents/guardians, and that's just not what I'm witnessing here between them. Like at all.

Rather their dynamic has the nature of some sibling relationships like I mentioned above. So I really wish fans would stop pretending otherwise, because based on what we know of father-daughter relationships- healthy ones at least- they don't appear anything like what Jaken and Rin have. If you could please provide me other examples of where we've seen similar portrayals in fiction or in real life, then perhaps I can get on board.

Look, that doesn't have to mean that because Jaken isn't her father then Sesshomaru must be. They can both be her caretakers without necessarily filling that traditional father role. I'm just saying that if we're going to start assigning titles to characters, let's make sure we are accurate and truthful in our assessments. If you're going to label anyone Rin's dad, then it needs to be Sesshomaru. Jaken doesn't have precedence over him in terms of fatherly attributes, that just wouldn't make sense.

After all, this isn't about what you want to see, this is about what Rin very likely sees. It's safe to assume that she views Sesshomaru more like a father than she does Jaken. She knows she's safe with him (broadly speaking lol) and that he'll come for her no matter what. That sense of security and comfort is what a child seeks and what they should always feel in a parent's presence. She trusts and even idolizes him, just as a young and innocent child tends to do with their parents. At that age, parents are perfect and could do no wrong in their child's eyes. Idk about you, but this describes perfectly how Rin is around Sesshomaru.

Rin adores him and will follow him anywhere- yes, even into danger! That's what the innocence and unconditional love of a child will bring them to do if necessary. Fortunately, at the end of The Final Act we learn Sesshomaru takes Kaede's advice when he realizes that leaving Rin with her in the village is in her best interests. That way she'd be able to lead a more normal and safer life alongside other humans. Remember, Sessrin shippers, that doesn't mean he wasn't still a part of her life and didn't witness her become a young woman over the years right before his very eyes. Therefore, if they eventually do become romantically involved, then most if not all of those gifts had intimate and seductive intentions and it essentially constitutes as child grooming.

I understand from a Sessrin shipper's point of view why it'd be so much easier to claim Jaken as the father. In doing so, they diminish Sesshomaru's role in her upbringing. By refusing to acknowledge the real role he had in helping raise Rin (short periods can be crucial and impressionable too esp. in a child's early years so yes they did assist in raising her not only Kaede), these shippers are better able to justify how their filial-like relationship evolved into a romantic one. So yeah, I get it, if I were a Sessrin shipper I'd probably do the same. It's one of the more plausible arguments available to them, after all. "Let's pin Jaken as the father to fend off antis!" is the best chance they've got, but even so, it's still not good enough. But if you insist Jaken is indeed like a father to Rin, then Sesshomaru is most certainly one too. Who says she can't have two fathers anyway?

The thing is however much you want to deny or downplay what Sesshomaru truly means to Rin and vice versa, nothing will ever change or hide the truth of the matter. Please, stop acting like they're only traveling companions and nothing more. Some of y'all even go so far as to say that they're like strangers. Knowing potentially little about a person is not equal to a lack of love and affection. Making big assumptions such as this to defend your ship is actually doing you more harm than good. Let me elaborate.

According to your reasoning, if that's all Rin ever was to him was a companion and Sesshomaru had no real attachment to her, then what precisely is the basis of your ship? Recall that Adult!Rin doesn't exist yet, thus we have no real idea what she will be like or if she's even alive. So how can you make comments like that but then go on later to say "they have such a unique and unbreakable bond" or "only Rin can be the mother because she's the only human he ever cared for" if all that time spent traveling together didn't amount to much in the first place like you claimed to believe beforehand? Do you see how your rationalizing is confusing?

Contrary to what some of you may think, I'm not just saying all this because I'm an anti and I'm obligated to disagree with you, or whatever other excuse you want to tell yourself. Believe it or not, I'm attempting to give as unbiased and objective of an analysis I can based on widely accepted interpretations of family dynamics, development, and any history we know of.

Of course I respect that at times fans will perceive things differently since that's bound to happen. What's hard for me to wrap my head around however is the unwillingness of some fans- not exclusively Sessrin shippers- to apply basic common sense and sound judgment to their observations and deductions.

Looking at all our facts, then taking the small handful of scenes Sesshomaru and Rin do share together into account, one can logically conclude that their dynamic is akin to one found in a typical parent-child relationship. If you still fail to recognize Sesshomaru as a parent to Rin, then that's fine too. In the end, that won't really change the fact that he'd still take on a role resembling an adult figure overseeing a young child's care and protection. Be it as a vassal, guardian, what have you. Plus, nobody is saying here that Sesshomaru doesn't make mistakes regarding Rin's general well-being, but so do all parents. Overall, I think the majority of us agree that Rin is in good hands. Whether it's in his direct company or in his occasional supervision from his frequent visits to the village.

In other words, it doesn't really matter what exact title you assign him in relation to Rin, as the distribution of power is all inherently the same with any and all adult-child relationships. That bond never changes once you've established it either, seeing as it's a special kind of connection one can only form with a child and a child alone.

I was a teacher for a few years, and speaking from personal experience, you don't need to be a parent, per se, to take on a role of authority in a child's life. I know without a doubt that I could never and will never view any of those kids I taught in a sexual/romantic light later down the road; yes, not even once they become grown-ups who are independent and more than capable of making their own decisions. Those of you who disagree are usually missing the whole point though, because we're not trying to dictate what Adult!Rin can and cannot do like many tend to accuse of us doing. This isn't a question of taking away from her autonomy nor does it fall under "purity culture," which is why people shouldn't continue jumping to these outrageous conclusions and really listen for a change. You're deflecting from the real issue here when you choose to misinterpret what we're saying by ignoring the problem we're actually referring to. You cannot present a valid counter-argument if you persist in twisting our words.

Bottom line: once these kids become old enough to pursue a sexual/romantic relationship, of course they have that right if they're ready. All we're trying to say is you guys ought to stop pushing forward this it's-completely-normal-to-want-to-bang-your-adoptive-dad-since-you're-an-adult-and-can-do-as-you-please agenda and not expect backlash. Ship it if you want, but please stop acting like their romance would be the epitome of a pure and healthy relationship.

Sesshomaru may not wear his heart on his sleeve, but it's foolish to presume he didn't actually care about Rin during their whole time together just because he didn't openly express his feelings until the very end. Surely everybody can comprehend that people handle and process their emotions differently. The way Sesshomaru chooses to is completely valid for the most part, so let's cut him some slack regarding this already.

What I'm trying to get at is that any child whose life you played an influential role in will always be a kid in a lot ways to you even when they're old and wrinkly. Just as they will always picture you as the loved one who guided and protected them when they were most vulnerable and couldn't always fend for themselves. Can't we relate this to children we know personally and apply it accordingly?

Finally, I want to end on this note. Could you kindly take a look at these two images below for a second?

The reason I ask is because of something I recently read that's relevant to the topic. There was this pro-sessrin tweet I saw that stated Rin trying to take care of Sesshomaru when they first met is what a mom would do for a child, which in their opinion, translates to Rin being more like a mother than a daughter if anything.

First off: are you freaking kidding me????

Seriously, so now children aren't allowed to tend to their sick or injured parents?! Parents are apparently superhuman and shouldn't be offered a helping hand from a child, even if they mean well and want to help their parent who's in pain?? Now this Twitter user was mostly being a smartass, but at the same time, it was evident they genuinely thought they offered a valid enough point that warranted no further explanation or clarification.

Secondly, by saying this Sessrin fans don't seem to realize that in actuality they're contradicting themselves and proving the point we've been trying to make all along. Glancing at the first picture and moving down to the second, the role of the one being cared for and the caretaker is reversed. So then by their own logic, Sesshomaru IS in fact like a father to Rin.

What it comes down to is the names you give to the roles these characters play aren't as crucial as the dynamic they share. The specific characteristics of that dynamic are what define the importance of said role, not so much the name in the role itself. So real father or not, Sesshomaru and Rin clearly mean a lot to each other. Close relationships are defined and solidified by the devotion and belonging they have to one another, not solely by the duration of time spent together and their proximity.

Well, that's a wrap! I hope you guys got something outta this blog, and that you enjoyed or found some portions of it interesting. I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject from this fandom, but only engage in conversation if you plan to be respectful. Thank you!

#inuyasha #hanyo no yashahime #sesshomaru #rin #jaken #anti sessrin #child grooming #family dynamics #parent child relationship

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