Mostly about Laios tbh (Spoiler-y for Anime watchers btw)
also this is gonna be super personal and rambly so uhhhhhh, yeah!
So during my read through of Dungeon Meshi, I couldn't stop thinking about how much I related to Laios. Initially I chocked it up to being a guy with a particular and intense interest and some kind of mutual undiagnosed Autism, plus the stellar writing and art of Ryoko Kui just making me really vibe with the guy
And then I get fucking hit with this in Chapter 88:
(Also that's not the full panel this manga has INCREDIBLE panel work, like seriously.)
Laios notes more than once that he doesn't get other people, he spent most of his early years with either his sister or with pets and his attempts to go out into the world were met with him feeling out of place with other people, all of which seemed like they got something that he didn't, forcing him to drift from place to place until he became an adventurer. He says he would simply be happier as a monster, or at least surrounded by them. After all, a monster doesn't need to worry about looking like an idiot, or accidentally insulting his friends, or being too into stuff. He sees his sister turn into a half-dragon and while he is worried about her, and he openly says he wishes it was him. And while that's played off for comedy, finding out that, yeah, Laios was alienated and was ostracized and would probably find solace in the idea of not being human anymore makes it all make way more sense.
And sans the "Destroy humanity" stuff, I totally get it! Every character I've ever latched on to, every character I've ever invented (even Atticus to some extent) has had the caveat on not being 100% a person. I've been doing that since I was a kid, imaging characters that are just that little but inhuman.
I have, and frequently do, feel alienated in the ways Laios talks about being in the manga! I have also been in positions where I realize I know nothing about the people I'm meant to be friends with, or that I have been making a fool of myself in front of the ones I do have! That if I simply wasn't a person, then I wouldn't have to feel alienated, or stressed, or lonely, or whatever ever again. There have been plenty of times that I had thoughts exactly like Laios', and there's something really weird about having that instinct reflected back at me.
And Laios doesn't get "better". He never stops being kinda absent-minded, never stops being either too close or too distant, never stops being obsessed with the thing he's obsessed with. (to both tragic and hilarious effect come the ending of the manga) He rejects the idea of becoming a monster, thanks to his friends and the experience of sharing meals with others, but that instinct and mental thing never goes away.
He doesn't stop being weird.
And my point is that it feels weird and kinda nice? To see a character who thinks and feels similarly to me, and not have him be some kind of sociopath. And maybe I'm misinterpreting him, but that's what he means to me, I guess.
What I love most about Gandalf big naturals is how much it eases my chest dysphoria. I can sleep without a shirt on now because of Gandalf Big Naturals. Knowing that the artist made the original image while recovering from top surgery and said the image was like a final parting gift from their boobs makes me feel even better about the image's effect on me. Men with big naturals makes me feel much more good about my body than those old posts on here that were like "trans men! Some men have pecs!!! So don't feel dysphoric <3". It's much more meaningful to see a hairy, bearded man with a huge H cup rack not letting his tits get in the way of his masculinity.
Most of all, Gandalf Big Naturals helped me love my body the way it is instead of hating something that's a part of me. Of course I still want top surgery but the fact that I can live with my own big naturals until then without wanting to guillotine them off is really important.
⚔ An immortal is dead and you're holding the murder weapon. ⚔
Sunset Phoenix is an action/mystery comic about an immortal kingpin and her criminal spy who were framed for the murder of a rival, and are trying to find the real killer before time runs out and the city succumbs to war.
Also I made it and worked hard on it and I think you should check it out because it's cool :)
What do you mean I’m a bit late for Janus’ big day? Of course not, how could you say such a thing! I definitely didn’t forget all about it in my absence and only get reminded in the incorrect quotes video live chat; that’s not like me at all ;]
Anyways I decided to dress our sassy snake in some different outfits I think he’d like. He seems like the type to get all dolled up on his birthday and it goes with Thomas posting pics in outfits inspired by the sides on their appreciation days!
you know i used to think it was weird how sora and roxas have such different personalities for supposedly being 'the same person' but after playing a few games i sort of realized that they do have similar personalities, because roxas acts how sora does when he's under extreme stress.
compare roxas to sora in, say, kh1. that's where a lot of peoples idea of sora's personality comes from. sora is generally very upbeat and optimistic in that game. not very similar to roxas, right?
but let's switch the game and talk about a game where sora is ABSOLUTELY GOING THROUGH IT. chain of memories.
sora's resting state is melancholy in com. he only ever cheers up in short bursts, usually when he's joking around with friends. just like roxas.
he's quick to anger, and tends to lash out at the organization members. best example of this is when larxene makes him 'remember' namine, and he swings at her repeatedly, even after she's gone. he only stops when jiminy is able to snap him out of it.
you know what scene that resembles?
sora, while a bit more on the angry side and less sad, continues to act like this in kh2 when he's in stressful situations. (he also has a tendancy to insult people which, while it's not very related to the point, is very funny and sora saying 'gonna cry?' to xigbar is great.) i cant comment any further than that about kh2 off the top of my head.
so, roxas acts like sora does when he's stressed, right? but why is roxas always acting like that? to which i say, he isnt!
he only ever acts like that when he's also in fucked up and stressful situations, which happens to be a CONSTANT in his life. but when he's hanging out with axel and xion, a decidedly NOT stressful situation, he's a lot more like sora. he's teasing his friends and insulting his coworkers and joking around and acting like a normal kid. not really important, but unless i misremembered some sora lines which is VERY possible, both roxas and sora respond to friendly insults with "oh thanks!" a lot. just a funny little detail that felt relevant.
the biggest differences between roxas and sora boil down to environment and... i dont know how to put it besides volume? roxas is very quiet and tends to keep most of his thoughts to himself, while sora is very loud and expressive in comparison.
there is one other huge difference i noticed, which is less character based and more story. sora wanted to get off destiny islands and explore with his friends, but roxas just wanted routine. sora wants adventure, and roxas wants things to stay the same, for days where he gets off work and eats ice cream with his friends to last forever, to keep having conversations about nothing and watching the sunset. roxas wants normalcy, sora wants excitement. it's just interesting seeing their contrast.
not sure if this is very well said or anything i just wanted to talk about my boys