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#the fact that they're expected to act as the responsible one or the leader
mincognito-rambles · 6 months
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please tell me its not just me
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kingsandbastardz · 14 days
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Tumblr ate the anon ask I was responding to so I'm gonna paraphrase it here:
what do mean llh gave di feisheng to fang duobing? the letter totally said something else
Yes, it did - but I didn't feel I could comment too deeply on it when it's been retranslated and people who are far more literate than I am have analyzed the contents already. -- The letter itself seems pretty straight forward.
However, what I wanted to focus on was analyzing unspoken social dynamics - so I'm gonna get in depth into my reasoning for my interpretation. And admittedly in previous posts I was playing fast and glib with my responses (they were just insomnia-fueled thoughts I typed real fast) so I wasn't really in depth or anything. Anyway~~~ That means it's time for me to get long winded.
So! First thing - this is the scene: The letter was written from Li Xiangyi and addressed in its entirety to Di Feisheng. However, when it was delivered the fisherman asked for both DFS and FDB. It was then read outloud by either the fisherman or FDB -- I assume read out loud, and loudly, because DFS never left his position by the rocks and emoted his distress at the contents. That means everyone there also was privy to the letter contents.
The letter itself is straight forward. It's addressed from LXY telling DFS that he regretfully can't make the duel and that he respects him both as a martial artist and as a person, and if he wishes, he can go to FDB who has inherited his skills and shows great promise, etc.
The thing IS - I firmly believe that this is not a message meant just for DFS.
Both LLH and DFS code switch between their non-leader selves vs Li-Menzhu and Di-Mengzhu. It's easiest to see based on what they're wearing. Li Xiangyi when he's dressed in the Sigu Sect uniform. Or the Styx flower hand-off scene where he calls him Di-mengzhu (not Lao Di or A-Fei or whatever else) likely as a reaction to his official regalia/red uniform which means DFS was showing up in an official capacity. Both of them know very well the importance of a certain.... how to say.... drama? They're both leaders and they were also very performative in their roles as leaders. They both expected that massive peanut gallery that showed up to witness the fight - the one filled with members of various sects, including Sigu Sect leadership -- because dfs was likely the one announcing it.
Imo - aside from the need to express the full weight of what he felt, part of the reason LLH was so formal in his letter is expectation that there would be other people there - influential people. The very people DFS and FDB would have to deal with in the future alone. FDB would be ok but he's largely unknown to the rest of jianghu and therefore his story is still malleable. DFS is known, but infamous and his narrative is as much of a trap as LXY's was. And now he no longer has the benefit of a sect to act as a buffer.
LLH's last act as LXY was not to save Yun Biqiu but to carve a new path open in the world for DFS and FDB:
Expresses that he bears deep emotion and the greatest and deepest respect for DFS despite a reputation of them being enemies
Informs everyone that DFS is not seeking dominion or 'the throne' but rather, is going the fighter-scholar path of studying and testing martial skill -- aka, this is message from one sect leader to all the others present. Spread the word, this man is NOT gunning for your power. None of you have reason to take him down.
Establishes FDB as his one and only successor - while also stating clearly it's entirely up to FDB to decide whether to continue down this path or not
Creates a pathway for DFS and FDB to maintain their connection with each other - and in fact lets everyone else know that there is a pre-established, legacy relationship between DFS and LLH that FDB will be inheriting.
Gently asks DFS to keep an eye on FDB's development - iterating that if dfs is the one asking, then FDB may make the decision to continue to train - aka help him see his full potential whatever his decision is.
At the same time, he silently wishes FDB to maintain connections with/keep an eye on DFS. In another reply I kinda went on about this: imagine a scenario where your friend's mom pulls both of you in front of her. And the whole time is telling your friend that they need to do, expectations, a list of goals, etc. The entire time she's only focused on your friend - but there is this silent implication that you, as the witness, is expected to act a reminder or even an enforcer if your friend isn't listening. If things go wrong, you're expected to go in there and help them to do the thing they were asked to do. This is the unspoken message I'm getting for FDB. Even though his name wasn't mentioned in the letter, it was explicitly delivered to both him and dfs. He's standing right there while an imaginary LLH talks to DFS. So if after all this, dfs disappears without another word = fdb can feel emboldened to go after him, knocking on doors until he answers. Should he decide to do so.
Entreaty - "These are LXY's (my) last wishes. Please respect my memory after my death."
Conclusion: LLH's last actions were to create a space where both DFS and FDB can make their own decision on their path in the world, without the weight of all those other people in jianghu influencing them.
Note: I also believe that on dfs' side, his clothing choices point toward his plans to publicly step down and leave the martial path with Li Lianhua. But llh sucker-punched him and left him standing on some rocks like a widow waiting for her husband who's lost at sea. They were technically on the same page, but it somehow went wrong because... well. Unfortunately that's DFS' narrative. He never quite reaches his goal without the hero either hindering or helping him. The entire drama was LLH being that karma busting fulcrum for him. But now, should he wish it, it'll be FDB's turn to step up and do the same.
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probablyhuntersmom · 1 year
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Me, dishing out short metas about the Lions in the year of our lord 2023? More likely than you think.
I revisited some scenes and fondly see some common threads as to why Red selected Alfor, Keith and Lance. The official handbook (that lines up with the era of the show before the Head of Story, Tim Hedrick, was too boxed in and disallowed from following the story bible he put together) says determination and instinct on top of skill are key traits to pilot this most temperamental, most unpredictable and most unstable out of all five Lions. She's the speed demon of the team.
Alfor followed his instincts about researching quintessence to defy Zarkon twice. We know that Keith is fine with defying anyone, even Shiro at the end of the day if he has to. In my opinion, Lance's learning point was not caring what others thought of him and stop trying to do the "cool" thing. Defying that insecurity about self and thus being able to defy others in situations: wherein he would previously not be able to make that difficult decision. In early S3 he manages to be unflustered and stable to redirect Keith towards calm leadership.
So it's about making tough calls and sticking with the consequences, something shared with being in the position of Black Paladin. In fact, Red and her pilot has had to step in to lead and redirect the leader (Black) a few times. A failsafe if you will, to step in and take the reigns if needed.
She is second-in-command but she's also the wild card Lion. While by default she is unpredictable, she is the untameable one - more so than Black, I'd say - which is in a way what's most consistent in her, and is the most predictable thing about her. She'd expect any of her pilots to also have principles strong enough to defy upper command if such an act may actually be needed for the benefit of the team.
Which is interesting because..these qualities makes her not so different from her supposed polar opposite, Yellow, who is responsible for making the team morale as unshakeable as possible - "[the Yellow Paladin's] heart must be mighty" - plus civilian search-and-rescue. A consistency in principles and morals even if it is a high price to stick to them.
(While for Blue and Green, they're opposites in the sense that Blue requires spontaneity, while Green requires meticulous observation. Where they are similar is they are crucial in gathering intel. Blue's sonar ability, Green's cloaking ability)
You may need Red for offense but also defense for the team i.e. she pushes another Lion to safety twice in the show: Keith supporting Shiro in the S1 finale, Lance sparing Allura damage in S6 (which was good, since she has her Altean healing ability for herself and also others).
I really really would've wanted to see Alfor using the Rail Gun though. I wanted to see what would piss him off enough or make him scared enough to activate it. In all his screentime he never truly lost his composure (Allura is mostly like that too, she clearly gets it from him) but that one weapon requires a huge burst of unforced passionate emotion to activate: much like how a war cry works. Fitting for the Fire element she is matched to and the guardian spirit of.
Alfor is an alchemist and more cerebral which is so different from his two successors are like. His fire burned differently but he was definitely passionate.
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dinosquad-central · 9 months
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Okay, longer post about a headcanon that is completely integral to my enjoyment of Dino Squad. (Largely copy/pasted from my rant on the Discord server)
I think Caruso might actually be very smart. Genuinely, classically, academically smart.
I know that sounds like a crackpot theory, but hear me out!
He's in the same science class as Rodger (the guy who's explicitly stated to be the smartest kid in school), as well as Fiona (who's also clearly very intelligent), Buzz (maybe not top marks, but since it appears to be a biology class, and Buzz is especially interested in animals it makes sense he'd be in a more advanced bio-class). Max may not be a genius, but most schools require members of the school sports teams to maintain a certain GPA, and he’s on the football team, so he can't be a complete idiot either.
And Caruso is in the same class as them and therefore it's implied that he's at the same level as them in that subject! Because of this, and the fact that the classroom is a lecture hall and not a regular classroom, I also headcanon that it's an AP bio class, or at least honors.
Plus! When Caruso told his parents he was dinosaur, their one insistence was that he not neglect his studies meaning A) his family cares about his education and B) he probably gets at least relatively good grades already.
AND! It's shown in the show that Caruso regularly and *easily* manipulates his friends into doing his homework for him (episode: “who let the dog out”). He also manipulated others during the show, including a TV producer or show host, I can’t remember which (episode: “Zoom in on Zoom” I think). You can't be that deliberately manipulative and a complete idiot like Caruso appears to be.
ALSO Caruso has a line of beauty products which he both invented, and markets/sells himself (episode: “Scents and Scents Ability”), meaning he must also have a small company/business that he personally runs, and the quality of his products are good enough to have a whole spa treatment devoted exclusively to them, which is named after him/his product, meaning the products themselves must be well known and trusted enough to attract customers. This demonstrates that Caruso has some level of skill with chemistry and botany (iirc he made herbal moisturizers but it's been a while, so that detail may be wrong). In addition to that he must have a good sense for business, finance, and marketing.
But wait! There's more! When they were trapped in a cage with seemingly no way out, it was Caruso who came up with the plan to use misdirection and social engineering to trick Veloci into not only letting them go, but also donating a sizeable amount to a local charity as hush money (episode: who let the dog out”). It wasn’t genius Rodger, or leader Max, or competent female character Fiona, it was Caruso, “the dumb one”. This indicates that he can also think on his feet and come up with quick solutions to difficult problems.
Furthermore! A lot of highly intelligent people learn to act like they're stupid because when people know how smart you are, they have high expectations of you, and that's stressful to the point of traumatizing sometimes. There's also an interesting type of stigma around intelligence where people tend to think you're pompous or unapproachable when you're highly intelligent and become intimidated or resentful, which, since Caruso highly values his popularity, would be extremely distasteful to him. Given his fixation with fame and popularity, I don't think it's a stretch at all to think he'd dumb himself down, even around his friends, to avoid that stigma.
So yeah, there you have it. That’s all the reasons (that’s I can think of at the moment, anyway) why I believe Caruso is a big fat liar pretending to be an idiot so he doesn’t have to be responsible for anything. I hope I’ve managed to convince you all because I am 100% committed to this theory lol.
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Can you explain in detail how Hinazumi are the perfect catalysts for each other's character developments?
//Ok, so I really just mean this in a context outside of DR2, because the actual potential is never really explored. The number of canonical interactions outside of the FTE's that Hajime and Mahiru have is actually fairly minimal, but here's how I see it.
//If you don't take this post at face value...that's fine, I don't expect you to. I'm just explaining how things look from my perspective on things.
//From Mahiru's perspective, her own problems originate from the fact that she grew up pretty lonely and has a very skewed idea about how people are supposed to act based on their gender. The reason why she's so harsh towards most guys is because she sets very high expectations for how they're supposed to act; usually to be tough and to protect girls, and she thinks that men and women need to have some sort of symbiotic relationship. But this is a VERY problematic mindset due to the things it makes Mahiru say and do. She snaps at boys for even the smallest slight and berates them, meanwhile she would probably let Hiyoko get away with murder, and never calls her out when she's horrible, even towards people like Mikan.
//This is different with Hajime. In Mahiru's Free Time Events it's pretty clear that whether you see it as romantic or not (Mahiru DOES confess to Hajime at the end of her island mode, but putting that aside) Hajime describes how he feels "not a single atom of awkwardness" at the suggestion that they would carry on their relationship after leaving the island, and Mahiru promises to give him her old camera, something that matters to her a lot based on the dialogue.
//In a post-DR2 setting, Hajime is the one guy who I think can calmly give Mahiru a reality check and berate her on her own unfortunate quirks the same way she does to most people, WITHOUT earning her wrath. Mahiru trusts Hajime, as shown in the FTE's, and it's not the same kind of forced trust in others that Danganronpa does normally where it's just through the power of friendship. They're hesitant to call each other "friends" at first because of Mahiru's high-strung look at the world, but the fact that in spite of that and how she initially sees Hajime as unreliable, she still puts her faith in him, trusting him with things like her camera and Nagito's food. And the reason is because she thinks he IS reliable, she just doesn't outright say it.
//So in that manner, Hajime is a good catalyst for Mahiru to sort of...simmer down and face herself, to figure out what's wrong with her and what she can improve. Especially when Hajime had to do that to literally save all their lives at the end of DR2. I think she would be inspired by that.
//Then there's how it is from Hajime's perspective, which actually takes a lot of this ^^^ into account.
//By all intents and purposes, besides Nagito (which even then is debatable) Mahiru is the closest thing to a "normal" person in Danganronpa 2. Her talent as a Photographer is brought up a lot, but aside from that and her own ideals, she's just a really normal girl who relates to Hajime in a lot of ways. So in that regard, I can see them being close initially.
//Hajime's big issue post DR2 is having to cope with the enormous weight that he bears on his shoulders. Not only is he now the de facto leader of a group of ex-terrorists, and holds himself responsible for their actions, but he has so much trauma to cope with. Including, but not limited to, Chiaki's death, his actions in causing the tragedy, having been the one to corrupt the program in the first place, and also being primarily responsible in the goal to redeeming his squad, as well as the fact that he now has infinite Ultimate talents, can do anything, and now needs to figure out what he's going to do about THAT.
//Hajime signed himself up for all of this and he's more than willing to live with his choices, but he feels he has to basically having to cope with the belief that he's one of the biggest piece of shit guys in the world, and is also a veritable god. Two things that Mahiru KNOWS he's not.
//As I said already, Mahiru TRUSTS Hajime for the kind of person he is naturally; a guy that she can depend on. So when Hajime thinks he's not worth it, or when he thinks he's a problem, it then becomes Mahiru's job to be there for him and remind him that this really isn't the case.
//I don't think I really point this out enough, but there's one very important thing about Hajime and Izuru that sets them apart. Both of them have infinite Ultimate Talents, and because of it, struggle to find excitement in anything they do in their lives, because everything just comes naturally to them. But Hajime has been able to overcome this problem, and it's for one key reason: He's doing it with his FRIENDS.
//We can kind of see this in the current arc with Izuru's own brand of character development now that he's in control of Hajime's body. Hope's Peak erased Hajime's personality from the ground up to remove any emotional weaknesses that his personality would have, leaving Izuru as a blank slate. But now that Hajime's gone, Izuru is spending time with the likes of Chiaki, Akane and Mahiru, and he's actually DEVELOPED as a result. He smiles when he's with Chiaki, he enjoys spending time with her, and he's very charitable towards the others even though he sticks with a stone face. He's becoming less of a force and more of a PERSON thanks to spending quality time with Hajime's friends.
//Hajime has lifelong friends by his side, and the Remnants are so close they're basically a family. Isolation is his WEAKNESS. Without his friends or some sort of companion by his side, Hajime is just left with that boring reality that he's good at everything and there's no excitement or joy in his life. The source of that excitement comes from doing things TOGETHER with the people he cares about.
//And Mahiru KNOWS this, since her ideals about men and women that Hajime would help her work out of comes from that same isolation. Growing up, her mother was mostly absent due to being a war photographer and out of the country all the time, her father didn't really take care of the house, her, or himself, and her only good friend growing up prior to Hope's Peak was Sato. She's also, supposedly, been cut off from a lot of people because of her talents as a photographer, even though she herself is a fairly normal person.
//Mahiru knows what it's like be lonely, and she knows what it's like to be seen for your talent and nothing else. She's probably the ONLY one who understands Hajime's specific circumstances of having so much pressure on him and not feeling like he can share it, and that's not a fate that she would wish on him. Which is why she's the perfect person to help him through it.
//Honestly, it feels stupid that I ever thought anyone other than Mahiru could be Hajime's girlfriend for this specific series.
-Mod
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intersexfairy · 7 months
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bro they're slitting children's throats in the street. you can say fuck israel with your chest and still think this is a stupid-ass failed revolution that will only result in the full obliteration of the gaza strip.
all they've done is kill a shitload of civilians and triggered a fascist leader into full-scale destruction mode.
this is a genuine tragedy for both sides. fuck you.
im sorry did i ever say i liked the fact civilians are dead? if you got that from me simply telling people not to demonize Palestinians and remember the full picture... that says a lot more about you than it does about me.
i just understand that this is the result of decades of genocide and so i direct my upset at the people who are ultimately responsible (the State of Israel and people acting on its behalf). and i'd like to center the people most grievly affected (Palestinians). people on "both sides" may be being harmed, but in terms of Palestine vs. State of Israel, this is by no means a "both sides are wrong" matter.
i am not Palestinian so i will leave criticism of Hamas to them, since they're 1000% more apt to do so than i. also if you're angry less bc of who's being harmed and more bc you expect no one to be harmed in resistance to genocide you... you're a little lost here.
i am only going to say this once BTW, any further attempts like this are only going to result in a block.
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veliseraptor · 1 year
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Please tell me all the reasons xxc and nmj wouldn't get along, I'd love to hear that as a rant
I kept meaning to get back to this one and then forgetting and then going "oh I should answer that" and then going "but I don't want to be too bitchy" and then - and anyway that's why this took me like two months to answer.
basing this more on novel canon than cql, because that's where I tend to see the comparison being made more often, I think because they're more directly in contact in one specific scene.
so I think why people say this is basically because they see nie mingjue's "xue yang must be punished/killed" and xiao xingchen's "xue yang must be punished/killed" and also look at nie mingjue's relationship to jin guangyao and xiao xingchen's relationship to xue yang and go "oh so they're morally aligned and are parallel to each other :)" and that's just! not true!
for one thing, and I think this is something that gets lost a lot - xiao xingchen does not live within the hierarchy and structure of cultivation society at large, and is in fact not a huge fan of it. he and song lan are actively trying to do their own thing! that is part of xiao xingchen's problem specifically - he walks into great sect politics with the expectation of justice and runs headlong into, well, politics. and a big part of that is that he doesn't have a whole lot of respect for power if he sees that power as unjust or acting badly: despite pressure from the Jin, "neither coaxing nor coercion had budged Xiao Xingchen."
I think then people look at nie mingjue's showing up and arguing for the same and take those two things as equivalent, but they really aren't, because while nie mingjue is younger than jin guangshan and therefore owes him respect in that sense, he is also a sect leader and approaching from a far more equal position, which is why he can get away with actively threatening violence in a way that xiao xingchen...couldn't. nie mingjue has power, even if it ends up not working for him; xiao xingchen doesn't.
furthermore, I think another important distinction between the two of them is around the question of violence. specifically in the scene around xue yang's initial trial (ish), the distinction between xiao xingchen's bringing xue yang back to jinlintai to ask for him to be punished (by the sect whose responsibility he is), versus nie mingjue's attempt at direct personal execution, including an attack on jin guangyao when he doesn't get his way. again, some of this is likely based on power dynamics (nie mingjue, again, is closer to equal status and therefore has more allowance to step into jin guangshan's affairs), but I think some of it is a difference in approach, too, and inclination. I think it's also notable that (at least in translation) xiao xingchen doesn't specifically say that xue yang should die ("severely punished" is the phrase), as opposed to nie mingjue going for outright beheading.
so I think presenting them as similar/aligned in this scene, basically, is overselling it.
it's not that I think they would hate each other, or anything. I just don't think they'd be friends, or particularly see each other as allies. xiao xingchen occupies a space outside of the social order; nie mingjue, I would argue, is deeply wedded to the social order as it stands. xiao xingchen has a loose sense of the importance of traditional hierarchies of power; nie mingjue is very much embedded in those hierarchies of power and believes in upholding them.
furthermore, looking at the nie mingjue/jin guangyao dynamic versus the xiao xingchen/xue yang dynamic, I think the idea that they're narrative parallels really falls apart. nie mingjue is jin guangyao's superior officer and continues to perceive himself as an authority over jin guangyao; it is his job to correct his behavior and discipline him as he sees fit. xue yang is a criminal that xiao xingchen apprehends, and xue yang turns around and takes revenge on him for interfering. the latter are much closer to equals, at least in the way they perceive each other, and xue yang's revenge on xiao xingchen is considerably less motivated by self-preservation.
they're just not similar except in terms of very specifically both having the opinion "xue yang must be punished" and being willing to push against jin guangshan to do something about it, which isn't a lot to build on for a relationship of any kind, and I have a hard time seeing them vibe personalitywise.
boy this got long. you did ask for a rant though so I guess you got one? climbing down off my soapbox now and going back to my yi city cave where I belong.
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justmenoworries · 1 year
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Volume 9 Rewrite Idea, I Guess? (Part 1)
This isn't really a rewrite per se, but just an idea I had to improve Volume 9 a bit.
What if, instead of reuniting the girls anticlimactically in the first episode, they're separated for about half of the volume? The Volume already established that the Ever After has a mind of its own, kind of.
What if the Ever After keeps RWBY separated on purpose? Not for any malicious reasons, but because it acts as a sort of Sink-or-Swim mentor? It "senses" that the girls need to take a good look at themselves. Over their past adventures, they've become intensely self-righteous and stunted in their emotional development, keeping them from being the heroes they could be. And them just constantly affirming to each other that they haven't done anything wrong isn't helping. So the Ever After prevents them from reuniting at first. Before it allows them to find each other again, they'll first have to actually work through their issues, actually acknowledge their mistakes and grow.
(Also, because this volume is supposed to be RWBY-focused, Jaune actually makes it out of the portal realm and doesn't fall.)
(You can find part 2 here.)
And to support them in that endeavor, the Ever After "gives" them companions in the form of its natives, who will sort of lead them toward that conclusion. Think the Train Denizens in Infinity Train.
Ruby is paired up with Little, an idealistic mouse who grew up in a harsh environment, in a society that was centered around survival. Despite having been dealt such a bad hand in life, Little remains optimistic and continues to see the good and wondrous in their homeland. In fact, it's their dream to travel the land and see things no mouse ever had before, which makes them sort of an outlier in their gruff and hardened village. Ruby, seeing some of her old self in Little, begrudgingly decides to grant their request to join her. As their journey goes on, Ruby finds herself growing more and more annoyed with Little's perpetual cheerfulness and (as she sees it) naiveté. Eventually, Ruby snaps at Little, telling them that the world isn't as wondrous as they think. The real world is cruel and cold and all it does is take. Much to her surprise, her outburst doesn't push Little away. Instead, Little just looks at her funny for a few seconds, then asks: "Did it take... something from you?" And that finally gets Ruby to break out of her repression and burst into tears. She vents to Little about everything that happened to her and how she tries so hard to help, but only ever seems to make things worse. Little is unsure of what to say, so they just sit by Ruby's side to provide her a metaphorical shoulder to cry on and get it all out. Little then says that they don't one hundred percent understand everything Ruby's been telling them, but it does sound like Ruby was "trying to be big". Ruby is confused by Little's choice of words, and Little explains that when they were a young child, they once attempted to harvest a huge piece of cheese all by themselves. But by that point they weren't tall or strong enough to get it out on their own and instead ended up tearing the cheese apart and hurting themself. Costing their village valuable food and some additional hands. The village leader scolded them for trying to do a job for grown-ups, "trying to be big". Ruby begins to understand what Little is getting at. She thought that she could handle the whole Salem-thing her way and that it was somehow her responsibility, when it really wasn't. She might be a Huntress, but she's still a child, who was only recently informed about Ozpin's and Salem's secret war. No one should expect, let alone ask her to just take over and miraculously solve a conflict that other adults, like Summer, Qrow, Ironwood and Ozpin, have struggled with for years. Including herself. Because she tried to tackle a problem that was just too big for her and, really, the entirety of Team RWBY, by stubbornly forcing everyone to go along with her plan and her plan alone, Atlas ended up paying for it and the staff and lamp might or might not be in Cinder's and therefor Salem's hands. Being able to lay out her issues this way helps Ruby a bit with working through them. She apologizes to Little for snapping at them and just assuming she knew better than them, even making a tiny self-deprecating joke that she seems to be doing that a lot lately. Little accepts the apology with a smile. Ruby then resolves that, once she finds the rest of her team and they return to Remnant, she'll make an effort to actually share the burden, so that something like Atlas will never happen again.
Weiss is paired up with the Curious Cat, a mysterious feline whose favorite hobby is asking a billion questions at once. Weiss quickly gets impatient with how easily distracted the Cat is, but since they're her only chance to find her way around the Ever After, Weiss deicdes to humor them, if only reluctantly. As they travel, the Cat asks a dozen questions about Remnant and Weiss herself, all of which Weiss answers rather unenthusiastically. Somehow the conversation shifts to Atlas, which dampens Weiss' mood even more. It gets worse when the topic of family comes up and the Cat, being really fond of dramatic stories, demands to know all about Weiss' different family members. This finally causes Weiss to snap, yelling at the Cat that this isn't important. The Cat innocently asks: "Family isn't important? Huh. I had quite the different impression." This causes Weiss to stop in her tracks, realizing what she just said, if unintentionally. She tries to backpedal that of course family is important. The Cat says "But just now, you said they were not." Weiss: "No, I didn't mean--! Not them, I just--" She sighs, slumping a little. She tells the Cat that things between her and her family are complicated, but of course that doesn't mean that Weiss doesn't care about them. She begins to talk about them, starting with her admiration for her big sister Winter and her grandfather Nicholas. She begins to stumble when talking about Willow and Whitley and finally goes quiet when mentioning Jacques. The Cat picks up on her discomfort and asks what's wrong. Weiss, after some hesitation, tells the Cat that her father was not a good man. He was arrogant and thought himself above others. He would discard anyone he couldn't use and just assume he knew what was best for the Schnee family. The Curious Cat agrees that Jacques sounds like a thoroughly unpleasant man. Then their face scrunches up in confusion and they ask: "Though there is one thing I'm.. curious about. If you dislike this man so much, why do you imitate him?" Weiss is baffled by this statement. Flustered, she tells the Cat that she is nothing like Jacques. She left her family and became a Huntress specifically so she'd never become the kind of person Jacques was and to repair the damage his actions have done to the Schnee family name. The Curious Cat points out, not unfriendly, that every negative trait of Jacques' Weiss has pointed out, she has herself demonstrated during their travel. She was rude and callous to them, until she realized the Cat could help her find her way. She acted like answering the Cat's questions was a nuisance and beneath her. And just a few minutes ago, she was yelling about how family was not important right now. And when she talked about Whitley and Willow, she was dismissive and almost apathetic, like the two of them didn't really matter. Weiss' face becomes more and more horrified as the Cat talks. She realizes the Cat is completely right. In her desperate effort to distance herself from her father, she not only pushed the rest of her family away too, she also adopted more and more of his mindset, without even realizing it. Weiss is at a loss for a long moment. Here she thought she'd left her Ice Queen days behind her, but really, she hasn't changed at all. When she tells the Curious Cat as much, the Cat simply tells her: "So change now. Times change and so do we when it's time for us to change. Don't you?" Weiss gives the Cat a smile and agrees. They continue walking and Weiss asks the cat if there is anything else they want to know.
((This going to be continued in a part 2, since apparently text posts have a word-limit of 4092. Who knew.))
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bellincurl · 11 months
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omg hey donny,please give us some higurashi thoughts? i saw your post about he/she mion
I like higurashi sooooo much....such a normal amount. I've been trying to play chunks of the vns and I'm up to Chapter 4 now. General thoughts are this is such a unique way to present a complex multifaceted story. I'm aslo deeply seen and gripped by the way things like silly banter, paranoia and delusion is written it feels very very cared for and natural, esp as someone who's also super scattered and prone to that kinda thinking. music owns. I love playing iwth the old sprites because I think they're so deeply charming. um. I don't know I just really like it, I definitely want to replay prior chapters to build up my own idea on the mystery. I'd also love to see if I can get the og voice acting to go with the steam chapters because I know the performances add a lot to it.
anyway Mion is so transgendery to me but in a complicated way and also like. Accounting for me not having absorbed the full range of chapters yet & also acknowledging any reading of her gender is gonna be skewed bc I don't have the personal insight on rural japanese kids and gender expectations lmao, also especially for Higurashi bc the specific culture of it would probably cultivate its own views on gender and obviously being a girl in each of the main families, since there are specific roles associated with them. I think what I really like about it on a personal level is that it feels like she jokes about being less feminine, or being an old man or wishing she was born a boy as some kind of defense mechanism more than something people actually ascribed to her. Cause she is definitely feminine and cares about femininity, it's just that she's also really assertive, has a lot of responsibility on her to take up leader positions both in her family and socially (Which is an extension of the family position). Yknow, hard not to compare her with Shion but obviously Shion is super feminine and is kinda taken as the ideal girl apart from the fact she's like hilariously cruel LMAO. Shion didn't have that kind of responsibility and has gotten to be more frivolous and a bit less rural living bc she gets to be in the bigger city/town.
I'm a big fan of trans readings that are messy where it is like, oh socialization and trauma and maybe my own seperate feelings on transness are all merging together and I can't really tell where one starts and where one ends. Very much how I am, she's not necessarily associated with being a boy because she's responsible, bc her family is matriarchal, she's totally inline for behavior there. So then she's boyish for being a joker but not enough for other characters to regularly drag her for it, she's still insanely competent and driven for a kid, and we know that her being jovial is also a front of a sort. But I think what makes it feel transgendery is that it feels her joking about being a boy is a purposeful thing she's clinging to because it makes her happy, the same way being rowdy and fun with the club is. Equal parts something she does think about, equal parts a bit defensive because she doesn't feel like she can be seen as a regular girl with no burdens. Ultimately she's just doing her best within a box like all the other characters are. So basically I think she's a little transmasc but I don't think she'd have the space to unpack it within the main like. Loops, I've seen so far. It'd be very like in another time and place if things worked out and she had the weight taken off her back. Literally <3
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mim526 · 1 year
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The Devaluing
It's been a few days now and the news of official Sussex prince/princess titles has settled in.
King Charles is understood to have agreed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children should use their royal titles before the release of Prince Harry's blistering memoir Spare. Hello! magazine claimed the discussion between the monarch and his second son about whether Archie Harrison and Lilibet Diana would use their titles of Prince and Princess was undertaken in late 2022. In January, the world learned more in-depth about the fractured relationship between the Duke, the Firm and his family as he opened up in Spare.
I've considered the longer game King Charles may be undertaking (summarized excellently in an HG Tudor podcast). I've thought alot about Sussex/BRF&Britain interaction, the Coronation, etc. People, myself included, are not blind to the tightrope the BRF walks to keep on the right side of public opinion (not racist, etc.) and not push Harry completely away or destabilize him in some way, etc.
My original reactions after mulling things over remain, and I've worked a few things out in my own mind as an outsider. If I had to pick one word/thing to describe what underlies everything about the Sussexes actions and BRF/Britain reactions, what really bothers people, I think it would be devaluation.
Devaluation = To diminish the value of. Debasing. Depreciating. Cheapening.
---> H&M Trashed BRF/Britain
FACT: There can be no doubt Harry and Meghan have devalued the BRF and monarchy. The public smearing started when they did not get the attention they wanted or felt they deserved and left the UK in 2019 and continues.
---> Charles Participates in the Devaluing by not addressing it & Giving Honor(s)
When you give honors to the progeny of individuals who smear you, your life's work, your country not once but repeatedly, you participate in their devaluing of you. This is what so upset the public about Sussex children's titles: not only have the Sussexes devalued with few and minor consequences, they've been honored for it.
They act without honor and give no honor/respect but expect honor and favour be given to them...and what the Sussexes want, the Sussexes get with a few exceptions. UK Government required 28 days notice to provide adequate security for Harry. Does anyone think he gave it when he showed up without previous press comment for this week's preliminary court hearing in lawsuit he/others filed?
---> When We Think it's Worthy of Respect, We Require It
One of the central hallmarks of King Charles III in his interactions with the people of the UK and Commonwealth is appreciation and respect for the diversity of its people. Yet by allowing his son to repeatedly demean the BRF and the UK with near impunity, he is sending a message that neither the BRF or the people in the nation for which he is head of state are worthy of respect.
---> Family or Monarchy, the Correct Response to Devaluing Is the Same
Whatever the long game, it's secondary to the primary issue. Never complain, never explain is good in most cases but where the survival of the monarchy is at stake the monarch must take action...as the leader, not a supplicant anxious not to offend. Whether the devaluing is directed toward family or monarchy: the correct response to it remains the same. You do not allow it to occur without public comment and without visible, real consequences**. Responding to every defamatory word is not necessary; most things a single public statement or visible action will suffice with the rest of the consequences occurring behind the scenes. The important thing is that for every defamation there will be a consequence, count on it.
Same for the coronation: whether it's a father wanting his son to attend or a prince at a major state event, you as monarch and father set the guidelines and they're either followed or no attendance. IT'S CALLED LEADERSHIP. You do not negotiate with individuals who do not act in good faith, whose actions demean you and who mean to destroy what you hold dear...which includes freedom of speech and a free press BTW.
"Justice must not only be seen to be done but has to be seen to be believed." ~ J. B. Morton
**Consequences are for preservation of both monarchy and son. Monarchy is jeopardized when a royal so high in line of succession devalues it unchallenged by the monarchy's head, and lack of consequences through the years for Harry is self evident now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Equally important to addressing devaluing behavior is recognizing those who appreciate and act honorably. Forget worrying about floating PR trial balloons and racism accusations...they're coming whatever you do because that's the way victim narrative wokies roll. Merit is the name of the game; just do the right thing. More expressions of pride and affirmation from a father/king for the son who chose and continues to choose duty and honor come to mind...maybe at least one for every rotten act/word from Hank & Skank (h/t Real Housewives Recaps channel on YT).
Recently two individuals who enhance, upgrade, appreciate, boost -- the exact opposite of devaluing -- were honored:
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Edward and Sophie, Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh (March 10, 2023)
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norangeyyy · 3 years
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Late Night HCs
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Bucci Gang Edition
TW: nothing too extreme, just a little bit of hurt/comfort stuff sprinkled right here and there.
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Bruno Bucciarati
► Bucciarati typically doesn't stay up late at night, he has work and would squeeze all the amount of sleep he can get on his free time.
► Unless he has a lot of things in mind.
► It doesn't matter whether it's a work-related problem, his past, a random thought, or just generally his worries about his future. It will keep him up.
► He'll definitely need someone to be an outlet but if no one's available, he'll just stare at the night sky and distract himself with the moving clouds or finish some of his work until he's too tired to think of anything.
► If you happen to be in the same situation and same place that night though, then make sure that you take care of the trust he has for you when he was at most vulnerable and he will do same with you.
► I personally headcannon Bucciarati to be the type to like those kind of conversations since i highly doubt that he has been so vulnerable in front of anyone besides Abbachio ever since he joined the mafia.
► And even then, he's mostly the one who lifts the spirits up and not the other way around since he's the leader.
► So expect to hear things and words you wouldn't expect to come from the Bucciarati you see everyday come spilling out of his mouth, it'll be a lot.
► Pat his back or better yet, give him a hug and brush his hair while doing so. He needs it a lot since he hasn't really got one after his family fell apart.
► "I feel so much better now, thank you. I'll make sure not to forget about this night. "
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Leone Abbachio
► The night owl of the gang.
► Staying up until 3AM is nothing new to this man, hell, he could even go on a whole day without sleep if he has a lot of things that's bothering him.
► He's the opposite of Bucciarati, he prefers to shoulder his intrusive thoughts alone. It'd take some great amount of effort and trust to make him talk and let it out.
► What he does during those times is either using his stand to replay certain memories that could either worsen his guilt or put him at ease, or just drink until he passes out but most of the time, he does both.
► He could also be listening to some music while he does so but if he's feeling guilty for making Bucciarati concerned about his frequent drinking, then he'll just listen to music and hope that he'll fall asleep and not just keep his eyes closed until the sun rises.
► It works, kind of, but even without alcohol driving him to sleep, he'll always be tired. His sleeping schedule is seriously messed up because he never really cared about it in the first place.
► Would sometimes go out for a walk. Leone is fond of the city's peacefulness when everyone is asleep, with the only thing keeping him accompany is the cold air and the dim light of the lampposts.
► Secretly still has his police uniform and would occasionally take it out just to stare at it or talk to it in a not-so-kind of way as he sees his younger self in it.
► Gets dragged in whatever shit Narancia and the others are up to if he gets spotted. Mostly it's just for a movie night behind Bucciarati's back but Abbachio knows better and expects the unexpected when it comes to the gang.
► Knows what everyone does in late night if they're still up and has seen a lot of ungodly sights.
► Whether it be seeing a sleepy Mista and the pistols chanting a weird prayer to a bowl of cereals or Fugo being dragged out of his room by Narancia, Leone knows it.
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Pannacotta Fugo
► Just like Bucciarati, Fugo rarely stays up late at night and if he does, it's usually just because he's busy.
► Fugo has hobbies like painting and reading, everyone in the gang knows that. It's just that he gets carried way too far sometimes and loses track of time.
► Who could blame him though when the book he's reading is just too interesting or the painting he's currently working on is almost done, right?
► On extremely rare occasions where something unpleasant enough to keep Fugo up at night happens, he'll bundle himself in his fluffy blanket like a butterfly in its cocoon.
► He always does this back when he's still living with his parents, it makes him feel safe from anything that's haunting him.
► And if it's neither his hobbies or problems that's keeping him up, he'll just hear Narancia whispering outside his door or Mista throwing pebbles at his window.
► For the first few times the duo did this, Fugo was still able to resist until he just can't anymore knowing that they wouldn't leave him alone all night.
► "Well, this isn't so bad. "
► He says as he enthusiastically tosses a popcorn into his mouth with his eyes glued all over the lit screen of the TV.
► Movie nights, along with sneaking out to go the nearest convenience store, became a common thing between the Torture Dance Trio™ ever since then.
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Narancia Ghirga
► The type to wake up in the middle of the night and think "Hmm... Everyone's asleep, let's commit robbery tonight!"
► Fugo's sleep paralysis demon.
► Would literally not hesitate to steal chocolate bars with Mista and probably does 3AM challenges with him too.
► Never runs out of ideas to keep himself up at night and is the one who comes up with everything but what he does still depends on his mood.
► If Narancia's feeling a little too lazy then he'll just sleep and most of the time, with music keeping him accompany. But unlike Abbachio, he purposely doesn't wear headphones just to annoy Fugo whose room is right next to his.
► If he's feeling like it, he'll straight up just invite the others to watch a movie or play videogames even though Bruno has already made it clear not to use the TV after 11PM.
► But just as he likes staying up at night doing crazy things with the boys, he also uses his energy left and free time to self-study, as surprising that may sound.
► He may hate reading but he takes advantage of the fact that his brain is much active at night and he doesn't want to depend on Fugo too much. After all, he dreams on going back to school and he's more than willing to be capable enough to do so alone and pass without the other teen's help.
► Will cuddle anything that's near him while he studies but if you give him a plushie, it'll be instantly his favorite and he would definitely use it as a study buddy.
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Guido Mista
► Alright, let's be honest here, this dude wouldn't even stay up if it weren't for his bros.
► 5 seconds lying on the bed and he's already knocked out for a good 10 hours if there's no work he has to do for the day. Make it 8 at weekdays thanks to his mafia-related responsibilities.
► He sleeps like a log so only a combination of shaking him up awake with Fugo and Narancia can make him rise from what seems like a two year coma but is really just a normal tuesday night.
► Will pretty much join Narancia at anything he does but since his last three brain cells are obviously still as half asleep as him, he won't be able to remember that much the next day.
► And once he's out of the room and is already sitting on the couch with the guys, Mista's the type to fall asleep halfway through the movie.
► You can't blame him though, it's 12AM and it seems that Fugo got to choose what movie they'll watch since Narancia already got to choose the other night.
► Unless they're playing videogames or are going out then he won't be acting like a slow ass PVZ zombie with a fried brain. Actually, he'll be hella active if that's the case.
► Active at grabbing every snack each second, that is.
► Actually, it's the pistols who does that but oh well, it's not like Mista's innocent too.
► "I swear it's not me who ate all of our groceries for this month! Right, guys?! It's the pistols! "
► And that, everyone, is how Guido blew their little rendezvous without even trying.
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Giorno Giovanna
► There's not much to be said about this boy since just like Mista, Giorno goes to bed early as he makes sure he still gets the proper amount of sleep.
► He already has a lot of things to deal with at day so of course, by the end of it, he'll be exhausted.
► Nights before exams are excluded because although he may seem like he skips class sometimes, Giorno still knows his priorities.
► Only when he became the head of the mafia did he really started to lose sleep as great power comes with great responsibilities.
► It took a LONG time for Giorno to adjust to a lot of things cause come on, he maybe resilient but he's still a 15 year old teen.
► Not only does he have towers after towers of work but i like to imagine that he still continued his education and used some of the things he learns in class in the mafia, specifically in classes like history or geography class since as a boss, he has to know every nook and cranny of Italy.
► Not to mention that emergencies happen and he always has to be ready to give out orders, even if it means being woken up at 1AM.
► God, help this child because all the things mentioned above are just an understatement of what happens on the first few months of being in charge of Passione.
► "So this is why Diavolo looks like he's about to explode whenever something goes wrong huh. "
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space-blue · 2 years
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@11quillen11 Replying to you in a new thread so we don't lose 30 subs angry at the walls of text. This is a continuation of this post.
Eeeh, don't ever apologize for misunderstanding tone on the internet. It's common enough, and it's really at the source of our problems here. I wasn't trying to be particularly clear. When I do a real meta post I try to spell out my meaning far more than with this little joke-piece. See, when I was saying "Hot take, Heimerdinger is the one to blame for Jinx, not Silco." I was being facetious. I didn't expect people to interpret it to mean Silco bears zero responsibility for Jinx becomes, because that's a completely untenable opinion. I do think Heimer is the great "evil" of the show, though he's not evil himself, he definitely feels like a hidden boss antagonist. Regarding your points :
He and the other chembarons got richer but there is no indication that things got better for anyone else. In fact, when Vi goes to her old home with Caitlyn - the place where the lowest of the low go to hide - she says there didn't use to be so many people there.
There are indications :
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Yes, Vi used to live in the lowest pit, in a single home without any other poor households/shacks around. I find this depiction so deeply strange tbh but let's not get into it. We're shown a very vague amount of Shimmer addicts. A couple dozens maybe. It's so deeply vague. We also hear Ekko's accusations, but we're shown a thriving Zaun in a montage (see my stills), and no one makes any comments about Zaun being poorer. The fact Silco's drug created more addicts is truly a given, but it doesn't mean anything for Zaun economically. You can hate what he does with shimmer, but the results of that drug being in the streets doesn't imply greater economic meaning (it could, I mean the show doesn't make it obvious, I'm not counting the half dozen addicts we glimpse as meaning anything in a city of presumably million of people). We are *shown* however that the city has grown. We're shown shop neon signs, pure air stations, casinos, tattoo parlours and people in bling. We're shown thriving businesses and wealth. All the shop keepers introduced in Act I are still in business. The district around the Last drop is more open and illuminated. The place has changed a lot. Construction isn't cheap. I think all the clues point towards the fact that Zaun is doing just fine under Silco, even if by his own words, Piltover is leaving them farther and father behind.
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vs.
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>> because this drug is also a weapon, it means danger is always around the corner I don't understand what example of that you see in canon. I think you're also being wildly unfair here : Zaun always had chemtech? There are people with green chem powered augments everywhere. Chemtech is a deep part of Zaun's lore and what the chembarons were all about before Silco came around with his shimmer. You're projecting a lot on canon, I think, just because (2) people is shown to power weapons with shimmer (Silco's dudes in suits and Sevika's arm). They're the number 1 and number 2 of shimmer business. No one else is shown to use it that way. Even the new game character Renata Glasc and her pink chems is supposedly not using shimmer but chems "so refined" they become pink lmao. Sevika is a danger around the corner, but like, she's always been one. I also don't understand how any of the above has anything to do with the Jinx issue. Silco is the leader bullying the chembarons around, but if he weren't there, the chembarons still would be. Zaun would still suck. Whether it would suck more or less imo doesn't change much regarding Jinx. Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that Silco decided that to save Zaun, he needed to spread a highly addictive, highly dangerous substance around, which would make him and a small group of chembarons very wealthy and grant them near complete control over the Undercity, and that's specifically what I'm saying he didn't have to do. You do realise that the plan he hints at in Act I is much more brutal and yet concise and reasonable, and is entirely ruined by Powder? There has to be some sweet irony here. But like, I just can't engage with that argument. Of course he had to. Because he could, instead of rebuilding plan A all over again, he went for plan B. Of course he did, because it's his character. I don't understand the benefit of saying he didn't have to. Nobody has to. But they do, because the plot demands it. He didn't have to sounds like the start of a what if fanfic to me, I just can't answer anything to that. It's not like we're talking about a real person with real agency. Silco has to because it's who his writers made him. And literally Silco is the character with the most agency in the show. He has good reasons behind all of his actions. The plan he makes is unpalatable, clearly, but it's sound, and it was soooo close to working, only to be Jinxed a second time. I don't exactly agree on your take on Silco's actions, but again it's neither here nor there. IDK why we're discussing Silco's motivations on shimmer in relationship with Jinx, even after having cleared up everything else. I think Ekko and the Firelights are an example of that. I don't believe that violence is inherently wrong, but I think that the way Silco wields it and uses it is counterproductive and, yes, wrong. And I think that's the issue. I'm not trying to accuse you of anything here mind you, but it certainly feels like your personal distaste for his choices and actions gets in the way by creating a bit of a bias. Not like it impairs your judgement or anything, you make your points very clearly, but I think that's probably what helped you misunderstand my original post and do a Silco focused reply when I was not talking about him at all. Basically bringing Silco into the conversation in order to put some blame on him, because I was seemingly absolving him or making him sound like a victim. I am also irked by the side of fandom that tries to put all the blame on him or see him as a villain and a manipulator and bad father only (not what I think you're doing, again, clarifying). I usually don't engage with that, because at this stage it's like we saw different shows and there's no helping it. I do appreciate civil disagreements online though, so I'm enjoying this conversation. I'm French and arguments get my blood singing lol Back to your quote, I think we'll have to agree to disagree. I'm mostly pro Silco *despite* the shimmer. Mostly, I'm annoyed with the show's wild inconsistency with
Shimmer. On one hand we're shown that shimmer is "bad" because there are addicts with tumours, and because Ekko says so. But on the other hand another supposedly good character (Babette) lies to Vi by omission and acts like yeah, Silco was so terrible heh... While people smoke shimmer in her brothel.
Then we're also shown that Silco uses shimmer on himself as medication, Sevika uses it with no visible adverse effect to boost herself. Those are the top people who have to know all the dirty deets about shimmer and they're still using reasonably. So what gives?
Worse : apparently shimmer is one drop of something short of a wonder drug that can insta cure a massive 5cm deep aggravated stab wound to the guts.
So which is it? I dislike how shimmer is made into a plot device, saving Vi's ass one second and being a tool to make Silco' into a dickbag the next. People also consume it without any visible side effect but the shinny eyes, but when Silco feeds the addicts they transform fully. That leads me to believe that he came out with the *old* version of shimmer.
This is full H/C territory, but I basically feel like the new drug on the street is just the newest refined version of shimmer. The raw version from act I had massive side effects, and the people with tumors are all early addicts who abused that first gen shimmer. The new versions are safer, and I have fully adopted the hc that shimmer itself isn't addictive (hence why Sevika and Silco use it), but the sensation of *power* it gives (and the actual boost), definitely *can* be addictive, particularly among the weak (like Huck), who can't get enough of it. Silco, Sevika... They don't lose their mind over a boost in power, it's something they already have.
Anyway, I'm fully rambling. None of this is to excuse Silco btw, it's just to share the framework in which I work my fics and prefer to visualise shimmer, because the show is so inconsistent and wild.
No one on Silco's team ever gets a chance to explain what shimmer is for, besides act I Silco explaining his plan to Vander (now moot).
There are no true "white" heroes in this show, and I wouldn't take Vi's word. She's a maaaassssiiiiive Silco hater, to the point she rats out her fucking sister to the COUNCIL of Piltover to try and throw Silco under the bus. How can you take anything she says at face value (you can't, imo)
As for Powder, of course she was already a fucked up child with a lot of issues.
So we agreed.
I just don't think that her becoming Jinx was inevitable.
And yet : Vi slaps her, calls her a Jinx and leaves. Marcus captures her. Would she have not become a version of "Jinx" on her own even if Silco didn't take her in?
if she had stayed in their care, she would not have become the criminal that she is.
My friend, Powder was a criminal within the first 10min of Arcane. I'm pretty sure that breaking into a private workshop is breaking and entering, then stealing, then blowing up the building (Piltover's pov, it'd be charges against her). Her being a "criminal" in the eyes of Piltover is literally the show's inciting incident.
She would have continued on that path regardless. She might not have become as extreme a Jinx. Maybe she wouldn't be so cruel, maybe she'd have to curb her sadism, sure. She'd be unlikely to get access to all the funds Silco grants her, certainly.
But that's just arguing about degrees of Jinx here.
And I also never said that Jinx was inevitable. I said "There is no ideal situation in which Powder would have grown into a perfect little mew mew". Case in point, she's *already* not that by the start of act I.
There's no saving her from herself, her past 11 years of life, it's trauma, her mental illness, and from Zaun itself.
Yes, Silco is not sole responsible for what she became, but I do think that he played the biggest part in it.
So we only disagree in a matter of degrees. Jinx herself says Vi played the largest role in making her who she is. Vi and her absence, I think. Jinx is a flawed narrator, of course, but it does her a disservice not to listen to her words carefully.
If you consider, Jinx has never gone on a killing spree like this before. Clearly killing enemy gang members is "fine" but wantonly killing enforcers isn't, nor the subsequent violence.
And what triggers it all? Seeing a girl like Vi. Then seeing Vi returned.
Literally the reason Jinx crumples mentally is just Vi. She's been holding it together all these years and goes haywire as soon as Vi re-enters the picture.
Yes she is who she is thanks to Silco, but also Mylo and Claggor and their ghosts, Vi (and her own admitted ghost), Zaun and its systemic unfairness, etc.
It's a mix of things, and one of the people wearing a lot of blame is also Jinx herself. You can't absolve her of all her attitudes. She seems sane enough when she's being a sadist and abuser in many of her scenes. Plenty of people have shit lives in this universe (Cue, Ekko), and don't become monsters on par with Jinx.
Anyyyyyyway, I'm very sorry for the breathless ramble, guess I'm enjoying myself too much and it's also 1am. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the conclusion is that :
I don't like people mewmewifying Jinx and placing all blame for her actions on Silco
You don't like people mewmewifying Silco and placing all the blame elsewhere
We both agree the blame goes around, you just think it's like 80% Silco's fault and I'm like 40%.
Correct?
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ravysu · 3 years
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Sannin headcanons and thoughts
The last thing I would like to post for the sannin week. It is still 24.04 here! :D @sannin-central
This is long. Spoiler alert. Mostly Orochimaru, some Tsunade, a little of Jiraiya (because his story is pretty clear and spoken and idk what I can add). Also I recommend to read this meta about Orochimaru, it has influenced me a lot and has some good points. Sorry for any posible grammar mistakes. Also I really should put here a lot of references to the manga or anime but it was something that was piling up for a year and I'm soooooooo lazy. After all, those are just headcanons. Also: Im not excusing Oro's bad stuff here, Im trying to understand the reasons.
Ive already posted some hcs, here, here and here.
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1. First if all, the chronology pic of sannin lifetime based on the info i found on naruto wiki and also some statements about wars from this post. It was tough considering what a mess naruto’s chronology is.
2. Sannin story shows what it cost to be a legend. They're like Team 7 but more realistic. Tsunade literally carried the war but left with nothing and developed a ptsd and have problems to just live on. Also anger control issues. I think she can be pretty bossy and stubborn which is not always nice. Jiraiya is the hero of the day but also very idealistic and can ignore some important details in the real word whether its the fight (he always injured during flashbacks maybe because each time he took too much to handle and on the one hand it's heroistic but on the other is a mistake that can lead your team to situations like in that Iwa cave) or your friends issues (I bet he saw what's going on but thought it's fine until Oro actually got red handed and left). He lives in his world and may have problems to get out to see it through someone else's shoes. As for Orochimaru, it seems like he was a normal guy for 20+ years (I mean, he didn't do crazy criminal shit and had something good in him and it was stated somewhere that it was his teammates influence. It is obvious they considered him as a friend, I don't thinks it was for nothing) but we mostly know his darkest side. Despite being a moster he is a human that have empathy and some ordinary human traits (man just decorates every bit of an environment he is in lol).
3. Tsunade was the leader of team Hiruzen.
4. Tsunade sometimes hit Jiraiya for some stupid things he did or said but never touches Orochimaru even if he did something same. Jiraiya complained about it once and almost got another hit.
5. Jiraiya had problematic parents that didn't care about him much and a lot of time he was wandering in the streets.
6. Judging by the look of Oro bangs and hair, he sometimes cut it off. A stress relief huh? And the fact that he doesn't do it now in Boruto..
7. It was shown that Tsunade and Orochimaru was acknowledged before they become a team. Maybe they did just before, or maybe some longer time before. I prefer the second option and hc that they met because both had no real friends - Orochimaru seemed weird and scary for everyone and Tsunade was Senju so everyone wanted to hang out with her but didn't really care. They weren't seen as what they were - people put the labels on them. But they didn't care about each other's labels and actually saw each other in true lights.
8. Tsunade knew it was an accident and it's not right but still she blamed Orochimaru for Nawaki's death for some time. It was something that seriously damaged their friendship and the team. Orochimaru was mad but also guilty, after all, he was responsible at least as a shinobi since Nawaki was under his watch. So he started to act cold and emotionless and was trying to distance himself from his teammates.
9. Jiraiya was in Ame while Dan died.
10. The whole his orphans mission was a bit irresponsible tbh. They already fought Hanzo and as he stated the conflict between Konoha and Ame is going to an end with Konoha's win. It's weird to stay here for three years in the middle of the war while there were other lands to fight. He left his teammates for some idea. Maybe that caused another crack in their team friendship.
11. If Tsunade would have find a way to live on with her trauma and follow the will of fire and stuff it would affect Orochimaru as well just as her grief affected him. It's like he would get an example that you can live on with this pain. So death isn't above human capability and we are not just the slaves of mortality (sounds stupid but i dont know how else to describe sorry). But as we know what he actually saw is that it broke her crucially to the point she couldnt be herself again. And so the death is above everything.
12. Oro wasn’t just acting as a cold pragmatic bitch in that cave but also tried to save Tsunade. Jiraiya knew it and that’s why he showed this sign to him like "I see what youre doing here" and that stunned Oro because he would prefer to look rather like a cold pragmatic bitch hehe
13. Just a thought. People in the village probably treated Oro as a foreigner or just wouldnt accept him because he looked so differently and had a weird attitude. That's why he sometimes didn't feel that Konoha is his home. After the wars where people were treated as means and tools, even the children, he himself developed this view on people - he dehumanized them and used as the means to his goals, just as his village did. Funny thing some people were straightly dehumanizing him too like Ibiki thought that he was a demon (tho he was a child). And he probably weren't the only one. Anyways the point is that it's logical that Orochimaru don't care about anybody but some few people, he's the product of his era. He's like Naruto that would chose the hatred way. But naruto had some good and understanding people around him and.. Orochimaru had them too, but match how Iruka treated Naruto and this Hiruzen's "I sAw tHe mAliCe in This cHiLd fRoM tHe BegGinNinG". And oro didn't even have a big ass evil fox in him. sry i hate hiruzen
ANYWAYS the moral of the story is not "go criminal if they hurt you" but always treat people like people. Waving my hand to Kant.
14. The reason why Orochimaru didn't pick some good morals to stick with through the hard times no matter what (like, idk, Jiraiya or Naruto) is because 1) I think he is/was pretty depending on people around him 2) the war fucked him and his friends up too much (Nawaki incident + Tsunade) 3) twisted addictions (though I don't think he's that sadistic, we never saw him torturing randoms just for fun, it was always some science experimental shit. He tends to get fun out of cruelty only when it's personal) that maybe developed as a way to sublimate anger and sadness caused by his parents loss (that's what they share with sasuke - unlicke naruto, they knew their parents and it's other kind of pain. Sasuke developed a revenge issue and Orochimaru - cruelty pleasure which... is kinda the same but less epic and more occasional lol).
15. Speaking of that, Orochimaru cared for Sasuke because he saw himself in him.
16. Oro hold grudges against Hiruzen for not choosing him to be Hokage not only because he was ambitious and/or egoistic, but also because Hiruzen was some kind of a father figure for him and his approval was important tho i doubt he was aware of that. He also probably could tell that Hiruzen was suspicios about him when he was a child and that led to many conflicts and was hurting as well.
17. Tsunade knew things weren't pretty with Orochimaru after the wars but she never expected them to be this bad. During the week that she was given in her arc she thought not only about how much she wants to see Nawaki and Dan again despite how wrong would it be but also was trying to bury all the good memories she had left of Orochimaru so it would be easier to kill him.
18. She poisoned Jiraiya exactly because she knew he would not let her do it. Jiraiya was always hesitant to kill and inclined to forgiveness, while Tsunade, as mentioned by Orochimaru, could be merciless (so much so that he was not surprised when Kabuto suggested that she wanted to use Jira for Edo Tensei).
19. That was one of her traits that scared Jiraiya and fascinated Orochimaru.
20. Remember how Oro grabbed Jiraiya's neck when the latter was trying to cover with hair jutsu? On the snake, in Tsnade's arc. Orochimaru could have easily kill Jiraiya by pulling the sword out of the mouth (arteries are right there) but he didn't. As well as he could kill Tsunade when she was still shaking - just aim for the neck or the heart. Instead, he just injured her lung and kicked her which is not a big deal for the kind of shinoby like her at all.. Also he helped Anko not accidentally kill herself but it would be way much profitable to let her do it. "Orochimaru has no feelings".
21. The reason he suddenly wanted to kill Tsunade instead of forcing her to heal his arms as it was planned (which is weird since it will not going to get him heals and he kinda said that he wouldn't want to kill her just minutes ago) is that not only she refused to help him (he thought he could work it out) but she also prefered the village over him (from his point of view). Out if everyone she was the closest to being able to understand him since the village caused her painful losses too but nevertheless she agreed to be on it's side.
22. He wasn't fighting her back in the end partly because he thought he deserved that. Somewhere deep inside hahah.
23. Tsunade got a fear to develop deep bonds so they probably weren't very close with Shizune (also the way she knocked her down in this hotel.. oh).
24. Orochimaru will be here when she'll die.
25. Orochimaru's eng dub to Tsunade: "I often wondered what it would be like to ring that pretty neck yours". No comments.
26. Orochimaru is either bi/pan or ace. Anything or nothing lmao
27. Hiruzen knew about at least some of the Oro’s illegal experiments and was okay just as he was okay with the Foundation all the time. Because it’s useful. Then he has discovered he went too far OR he knew everything and oro just became too inconvenient because of his methods. The way Orochimaru tells Sasuke about reasons they are well treated as the criminals is based on in his experience with Hiruzen.
28. As you may know the lyrics in Orochimaru’s music theme goes “don’t talk with the silence of the heart”. It was taken from one Indian song that also had lines like “don’t question life too much”, ”pain arose somewhere in the chest”, “don’t speak to the wounds of the heart”. Though I’m not sure 100% because I was translating it with some hindi dictionary with like zero knowledge of hindi
29. I like to think that this “silence of the heart” theme and the fact that he called his village a hidden sound village are somehow connected. The hidden sound is the possible explanation of all things waiting to be listened to but the truth is silent and you know it deep in your heart and it bothers you. The world is silent just like the life is meaningless but people can only hear. *Sigh* anyways
30. Orochimaru’s journey is the one about accepting death. When he saw Karin released her chains while was trying to get to Sasuke he understood that the death is a part of human’s strength.
Can’t wait to feel that everything I wrote is wrong or not enough or stupid and obvious lol. Anyways, it’s something that I wanted to share until I move to some other fandom.
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What are three core traits of the first six deities as characters? Such as being too strict or too forgiving, having their heads on the clouds, etc
Arrow
Smug superiority — Arrow is the most openly powerful of the Deities, and debatably their "leader". Knowledge is the core of human existence, after all. He knows how important he is, and he doesn't hesitate to make sure everyone remembers that.
All-consuming awareness — In terms of facts, there's next to nothing that Arrow doesn't know. But knowledge comes with consequences, and there are things he wishes he could get out of his head. Or at the very least, have a moment of clarity and peace.
Fear of failure — Seeing himself as the most important means that there's never room to make a mistake. For all he acts like he thinks he's perfect, Arrow's inner turmoil is frantic and dangerous. He can't stand making mistakes when everyone's eyes are on him.
Cadence
The need to be loved — Cadence's domain is almost universally adored. No one can say they hate art in every form, meaning that she's by far the most adored and accepted of the Deities. And she wants to stay that way. Being seen as good is important to her.
Intentional harmlessness — In line with that, Cadence tries to paint herself as safe. Even though she can only communicate with the Vessels, she still tries to make a good impression on them. They're the only humans she can connect with, after all.
Fondness for humans — All of the Deities long to be closer to humanity, but Cadence is the most outspoken about it. Since she's so loved, she has nothing to lose by openly desiring the connection they're all missing. She doesn't try to hide it at all.
Legend
Guilt for what he is — As a Deity of war, Legend feels a lot of responsibility for how humans hurt each other. He's formed from their desires, which means that, beyond his capabilities in battle and strategy, he's filled with humans' regret in the aftermath.
Devotion to his duty — And yet, he takes what he does very seriously. Whether he likes it or not, he is what he is. Wars are better fought all-out and ended quickly. No matter how small the conflict, he'd rather see it be fast and brutal than drawn out.
Dislike of pointless things — Representing human ambition to its fullest extent, Legend can't stand things that exist without reason. Violence is a part of life, but it should be done for a reason, and with full awareness of the consequences that will follow.
Revel
Self-destructive impulses — For reasons he can't explain, Revel is drawn to getting himself hurt. He naturally becomes the object of people's lust, and through his ability to visit dreams, he lives out violent fantasies as the subject of human abuse.
Need for attention — All of the Deities have a connection with humanity, but Revel is consumed by loneliness easier than most. Because he can reach out easier, the more twisted attention he gets, the more he has to have. He feels empty without it.
Vicious levels of cynicism — And yet, Revel also has no faith in the humans he worships. He's seen the most brutal sides of human fantasy and desire, and with that being all he's ever experienced, he doesn't have a concept of what their kindness is.
Caliber
Belief in coming out ahead — While many would expect Caliber's domain to include fairness, it most definitely doesn't. She believes in personal gain above all else, with more of a focus on creating beneficial deals than being compassionate to others.
Adherence to codes — However, once a promise or contract is made, she expects it to be followed to the letter. Going back on your word or lying in a promise are quick ways to get on her bad side, no matter what reason you're doing it for.
Strict routines — Caliber likes clear, steady patterns and sticking to them. Sudden or forcible change unnerves her, especially when she can't control it. When she wants to stay with something, being forced to alter her path is endlessly frustrating.
Kindred
Devotion to fairness — Despite the common perception of her as ruthless and violent, Kindred firmly believes in keeping things fair. That may mean a brutal punishment in some cases, but she detests the idea of harming someone who doesn't deserve it.
Seclusion from others — As part of her very nature, she doesn't get along well with others. Even beyond the poor impressions people get from her, she struggles to get along with others, especially because of how she expects to always be judged and alone.
Vengeful nature — While Kindred may be fair, she doesn't hesitate to enact swift and cruel revenge on those who have earned it. She firmly believes that sin should always be found out, and she dislikes letting go of a grudge or knowledge of wrongdoing.
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mellometal · 3 years
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Is it time to tear ANOTHER Dhar Mann video to shreds? YOU BET.
I've been sitting on this one for a bit because I wanted to make sure I talk about this tactfully. The subject of parents abandoning their disabled children is a very touchy one.
Parents abandoning their disabled children simply for being disabled is way too common. Like, I understand that not everyone has the resources to care for a disabled child (which is why you reach out for help, and why people like me, who work with disabled people, exist), but it doesn't mean you just walk out of their life. There are exceptions, like if you truly didn't want children or something like that, but just flat-out walking out of your kid's life BECAUSE they're disabled is fucked up.
I know someone personally whose biological mother abandoned her when she was born. Why? Because she's disabled. Physically, and mentally, to a point. I work with this woman on a daily basis. I don't really know WHY exactly her biological mother abandoned her, but I do know that her being disabled was part of it. It's sad. It doesn't affect her, thankfully. I'm happy that she's got her biological dad, her brother, and another maternal figure in her life, at least.
ANYWAYS. Before we get to the topic at hand, I need to put an obligatory trigger warning, like I do with EVERY Dhar Mann post:
This post will be talking about parents abandoning their disabled children simply for being disabled, treating disabilities like they're tragedies (in this case, we're talking about autism...again), divorce, and some SPICY ableist bullshit from an allistic (nonautistic) PIECE OF SHIT.
If any of this triggers you or makes you uncomfortable in any way, you don't have to read this post. This isn't worth putting yourself in a bad state mentally. I would never ask for any of you to put yourselves in that position all for a post. Put your mental health and well-being first. Consume media that sparks joy for you.
As far as my response goes, it's definitely more calm than normal. Funny....since this video is about autism spectrum disorder again. (Third time's the charm, huh, Dhar Mann? NOT.)
LET'S FUCKING GET IT.
The video starts off with these two parents (Gwen and Allen) in a psychologist's office. The psychologist tells the parents that their son (Chance) is autistic, and she tries to explain what autism is to the parents, but Allen cuts her off. Why? Because he teaches at a prestigious university, so he AUTOMATICALLY knows what autism is from that fact alone.
Um, excuse me? Just because you're a teacher at a prestigious university, it doesn't mean you're an expert in everything. It doesn't make you an expert in ASD or anything like that. Unless you SPECIALIZE in that area. Even then, shut the fuck up. The people who know about being autistic are AUTISTIC PEOPLE THEMSELVES! SHOCKER.
Hey, Dhar Mann! QUIT WITH THE VIDEOS ABOUT AUTISTIC LITTLE WHITE BOYS AND YOUNG WHITE AUTISTIC CISHET MEN! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF IT. It's annoying, ignorant, and it feels like you're doing this on purpose at this point to piss people off. If you're so uninformed about autism in women and girls, FUCKING ASK AUTISTIC WOMEN AND GIRLS! DO BETTER RESEARCH THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE AUTISM SPEAKS. The Autism Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and the Autistic Women and Nonbinary People Network (AWN) are great organizations to go to for any kind of research on ASD in women and girls. STOP GOING OFF OF THE BRAINS OF AUTISTIC WHITE BOYS AND AUTISTIC WHITE MEN.
I don't feel I need to go too deep into the fact that autistic women, autistic girls, autistic nonbinary people, autistic BIPOC, autistic AAPI, autistic LGBT people, autistic teenagers, and autistic adults exist. Y'all already know.
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Gwen asks the psychologist if that means Chance isn't healthy. (I understand not knowing about autism, but don't treat it like it's a terminal illness. Please.) The psychologist tells her that Chance is fine, but he just learns differently and might need more support compared to his peers.
Yeah, autism can affect how you learn about certain things (limited and repetitive patterns), but there are other disabilities that can affect learning as well. Like how dyslexia can affect your ability to read, dyspraxia can affect your ability to do math, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can affect your ability to focus or on impulse control. Autism affects how your brain is developed, it affects you socially, behaviorally, and how you communicate.
Allen is upset, says that he can't have a son "with a learning disability" (ASD is a neurological disability, not necessarily a learning disability), and treats Chance like he's stupid for being autistic. Gwen tells her husband that autism doesn't make you any less intelligent, WHICH IS SO FUCKING TRUE. ABSOLUTE FACTS. I was totally with her until she began that little monologue with "Just because a person HAS autism". SAY "JUST BECAUSE A PERSON'S AUTISTIC" INSTEAD! IT'S NOT HARD. PERSON FIRST LANGUAGE ISN'T WHAT EVERY DISABLED PERSON PREFERS. Allen says that "they could have another kid" and "put Chance up for adoption". Gwen obviously wasn't down with that. Allen gives his wife an ultimatum that it's either HIM or their son Chance. Gwen says that she can't choose between the two, but she will stand by her autistic son. Allen gets up and leaves the office, saying he wants a divorce.
Years pass by, Gwen is single and taking care of her autistic son Chance, and Allen has a new life with a ✨perfect son✨ (Samuel). He never mentions the son HE abandoned (Chance). He's completely forgotten about Gwen and Chance. (YOU OWE SO MUCH CHILD SUPPORT, ALLEN.)
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Hey, Allen, how much do you wanna bet that your ✨perfect son✨ Samuel is autistic too?
There's the SATs, they're announcing a winner, and guess who it is? IT'S OBVIOUSLY CHANCE, OF COURSE. He's got the highest score in the country, with Samuel in second place. Allen is PISSED.
Chance gives a speech about how his mom really helped him, he struggled with autism, how Allen LITERALLY ABANDONED HIM, and THE CROWD GOES FUCKING WILD. Samuel, instead of being a sore loser, APPLAUDS FOR CHANCE. Stay humble, Sam.
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My thoughts on the video? If you cannot tell by my tone throughout this post, IT WAS DOG SHIT. This video was insensitive to the true reality of parents abandoning their disabled children just because they're disabled. What do I expect from Dhar Mann at this point?
Here's my response to his video below. Don't worry, I will fully type out my response soon for anyone who cannot read the screenshots easily. It's a lot easier for me to do that on the desktop site than it is for me to do it on my phone.
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For anyone who can’t read my response, I’m typing it out for you. Like I said, it’s easier for me to type it out on the desktop site than it is for me to type it out on my phone. It’s a real royal pain in the ass. But because I’m trying to make my posts easier to read for people, I’m doing this anyway. /lighthearted
First, second, and third screenshots (broken up into paragraphs):
Hey, listen, I appreciate the message you’re trying to go for, but can you please stop putting autistic people into a box? Can you stop treating being autistic like it’s a tragedy? Not every single autistic person is a little white boy in elementary school who’s considered “wild and unruly” or “super quiet and makes no friends”, nor are they a young white cishet man who’s a super genius or is how Chris Chan was before she came out as trans. (For anyone who doesn’t know about Chris Chan, there are many documentaries people have made on YouTube, and I highly recommend Geno Samuel’s docuseries, if you’re really interested in learning about Chris Chan.)
Autistic women, girls, nonbinary people, BIPOC, APPI, LGBT people, teenagers, and adults all exist too. 
It’s very apparent now that you get your resources from Autism $peaks, a hate group that spends the vast majority of their money on funding eugenics instead of helping autistic people like they claim, claims that only little white boys and young white cishet men are autistic and ignores all other autistic people who don’t fit that description, have no autistic people on their leader board or on any board for that matter, have members who have actually fantasized about k1lling their autistic children, treat autism like it’s a tragedy or a disease someone can catch (completely false), act like autism should be cured (there is no cure, and ABA therapy is a total shit show in itself), and treats autistic people like they’re broken and need to be fixed. Also, not every autistic person is a Super Genius(tm). That’s so demeaning to autistic people who aren’t seen as intelligent in any way. I’m autistic and seen as smart; however, there are subjects I’m stronger in than others.
If you can’t handle the possibility of having autistic children, or just disabled children in general, DON’T HAVE CHILDREN. If you can’t handle working with or alongside disabled people, including autistic people, maybe find a different profession. Even if you do that, you’ll never get away from disabled people. Disabled people aren’t a disease. We’re human beings just like neurotypical and able-bodied people.
Fourth and fifth screenshots (broken up into paragraphs): 
I would highly suggest getting resources from reputable organizations for ASD, such as the Autism Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and the Autistic Women and Nonbinary People Network (AWN). Talk to any autistic person who isn’t a little white boy or a young white cishet man. 
Instead of using the puzzle piece, which is a symbol that many autistic people, myself included, are offended by (because of Autism $peaks and other organizations before them using it, plus it symbolizes that only autistic children exist and that we’re “missing a piece” like we’re broken), use the rainbow infinity sign (for all neurodivergent people) or the red and gold infinity sign (just for autistic people). Instead of “lighting it up blue”, light it up red or gold. Do both if you want. 
I’m actually really sick and tired of seeing just autistic little white boys and young autistic white cishet men being represented in the media, and y’all manage to fuck that up too. 
Before anyone mentions Sia’s movie “Music”, that’s also very poor representation of autistic girls. Besides, the actress who played the autistic girl isn’t even autistic. She MOCKED autistic people. I know she’s a kid, but that’s still super fucked up. I hope she’s able to turn that around. 
If anyone would like to discuss this topic with me or ask any questions, feel free to. I’ll answer as best as I can. Thank you and have a good night.
Before I get attacked for mentioning Chris Chan in my response, I bring up Chris Chan because allistic people think that every autistic person is like her (especially before she came out as trans). That person is part of why I wasn't open about being autistic or talking about my diagnosis until this year. I didn't want to be grouped up with Chris Chan because I do have very similar interests to her, I've been seen as cringey for having said interests, and just the way Chris treated autistic people who were formerly diagnosed with A$p3rg3r$ $yndr0m3 (like I was) really made me feel even more alienated.
Also, S1a supports A$ (Autism $p3aks). She's not a very good person to support. Some of her music is good, but her as a person....no. Her movie "Music" was gross, from what I've read about it and seen pictures of.
If you've read this far, thank you so much!
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nexyra · 3 years
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RWBY Analysis - Ozpin & Ruby, on the concept of leadership
In her song "Burned out", Dodie sings of her fans, how they look up to her and how uneasy that realization made her. For everyone is at the end of the day just as human as their neighbour; and having the hopes and expectations of others put upon you when you're just as lost as them can be a frightening thing. And this... made me think of Ruby & Ozpin.
On the subject of leadership, Ozpin tells Ruby the following : “Being a team leader isn't just a title you carry into battle, but a badge you wear constantly. If you are not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you?”
While I love this quote, I also have to analyze the drawbacks of this mentality and how they align with both Ozpin and Ruby. At the time, Ruby is a newly appointed leader and unsure of this reality. Ozpin's counsel give her the confidence needed to step up as a leader and take her duties more seriously, which in return appeases Weiss' and make their team all the more balanced. It is, in that context, good advice. A good leader should strive to lead by example and work hard to be worthy of the respect others give them, both in and outside of battle.
However there is one aspect that I find much more complex and that is... what does it mean to "always perform at your absolute best" and to have others follow you ? Note the use of follow, people letting you lead alone as opposed to "standing by your side" or a similar expression. It showcases in my opinion one of the biggest problem of Ozpin's leadership, but one that I feel has been inadvertently repeated by Ruby's.
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To cultivate hope and lies
When it comes to Ozpin's lies, I am of the firm belief that he had good intentions. Soo if you think he's the scorn of this earth, this might be a good time to tap out :D Now, this said I have a lot to say on the subject but I'll keep this short to stay on track (& make another unrelated post to develop my thoughts.)
In my opinion, at the core of his lies stand different beliefs. And on the subject of leadership, I think one stands out in particular and aligns with the advice he gave Ruby : the need to perform at your best to give others a reason to follow you.
Ozpin is the reincarnation of a centuries-old wizard and the headmaster of a school : what is one aspect almost every character agrees on upon meeting him ? "Oh, he's wise. He's knowledgeable. He has the answers. He has his shit together. He can tell us what to do."
Inherently, Ozpin's existence inspires respect and reassure. Just like to a child, a parent is all-knowing and unbreakable, Ozpin's status automatically give others the assumption that he knows what he's doing. And this, in my opinion, is one of the core problems of his leadership.
May it be with his inner circle, with RWBY, with ANYONE really; as soon as Ozpin reveals himself there are unspoken expectations that will chain him. He has the knowledge, he was here when it all began, he's the one calling the shots so he HAS to know exactly what to do. In that situation, breaking down and revealing to everyone how lost Ozpin is, how out of his depth... is unconceivable. And this is where Ozpin's conception of leadership becomes a problem as well. If you always perform "at your best" then you keep your doubts to yourself, you hide your sorrows and you put on a brave face. There are expectations in place that Ozpin wants (needs even) to meet. And thus the hopes of others and Ozpin's desire to fulfill them feed one another, as a perfect recipe for disaster. Because the more time Ozpin spends acting as if everything is under control, the more the expectations pile up... And coming clean about his humanity, the fact that he's just as powerless as the rest of them, becomes impossible.
And in that sense, breaking down the pedestal Ozpin had been put on was probably one of the best thing to do for his own mental health (though the method lacked a bit of compassion in my opinion xD)
The other part that somehow causes problem is how RELIANT on him his inner circle is. Despite their apparent friendship, Ozpin is the clear leader and as soon as he's out of comission, everything falls apart. Ironwood is the only one to call out Oz but in the end still wishes for the wizard to tell him what to do in period of stress. Qrow plays spy and takes order but doesn't seem really interested in stading at Ozpin's side as an equal. Glynda is stern but still defers to him etc...
All of them FOLLOW Ozpin but are just a few steps off from standing at his side. And this is something I see reflected in Ruby.
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Following optimism up until it fails you
In Vol6, as secrets and lies are brought to the light, the loss of Hope that Ozpin feared so deeply happens. Is it worth it ? What are we even going to do with an immortal foe ? Maybe we should just go home. In that situation, Ruby is the simple soul who manages to keep her optimism, stand tall and say "No. We are taking the lamp to Atlas." And from then on her position as a leader and a bacon of light is reaffirmed. As Jaune put it in V4 "You gave us the courage to follow you."
Now is that, in itself, a problem ? Of course not. In fact I loved seeing Ruby come into herself and take the lead in Vol6. The problem in truth comes after, from the ramifications. From Vol6 onward, Ozpin has essentially been rid of his leader position and Ruby inherited it. And on a surface level sure, they are pretty different. Ruby is certainly closer to her partners : they're a family and they care about each other.
However, she is still clearly put at the lead. The others relied on Ruby's optimism and resilience to get to Atlas, and continue to do so. Setting foot in Ironwood's office, Blake tells Ruby "We'll follow your lead". They trust her, and whatever Ruby does... goes. They lie to Ironwood and Yang expresses some hesitations but eventually rally to Ruby's decision. And I emphasize this again : it is Ruby's decision. They did not pre-emptively discuss this as a group and then let Ruby be the spoke-person. Yang herself in Vol8 criticizes not their actions but Ruby's choices. Ruby calls the shots, Ruby is responsible for what happens, Ruby is their beacon of hope... Ruby is the new Ozpin.
Ruby has to be optimistic, and make the decisions and take risks because she's the leader. When Ruby leaves the room to break down, conversation & strategy stalls : the others don't take the lead. When things go south, it's Ruby's choices that led them here. Ever since Ruby has left Beacon, the only person who consistently encouraged Ruby to express the BAD, to share the negative has been Oscar. Even her silver eyes ask her to focus on only the happy memories to go off without a hitch ! The others comfort, they smile, they trust, they love even. But they don't want depressed Ruby finally grieving, they don't want honest "I don't know what to do" : they try to bring back confident and optimistic "we're gonna try" Ruby Rose. They want their earnest and happy but ultimately perfect leader that gives them reason to follow. In the end, even if they deeply care for her and have no shortage of warm coated reassurances for the teen, they still chain her down with their expectations. Ruby is NOT built for this. And I don't even say that in the "why is a kid calling the shots" sense, but "why is a kid put in a position where she's RESPONSIBLE for calling the shots ?"
Ruby is the youngest of the group apart from Oscar. The others should not rely on her this much to function. Blake telling Ruby that she looks up to her and that they'll follow her lead is admittedly sweet, but still builds up the pressure weighing her down. Blake calling out for Ruby's help when the teen has just been crashed to the ground by the Hound isn't even sweet anymore. They're all supposed to be equals. Blake is just as capable as Ruby. Calling out to your mind-controlled friend to bring them back from the edge is good. Calling out to your 17-old sister who's been beaten up because you need her to fight isn't.
They need to recognize that Ruby should not hold up the place alone. Because yes, they love her. But at the end of the day, Ruby is still the one bearing the weight of their decisions... Alone, even surrounded.
✦ ✦ BURNED OUT - DODIE ✦ ✦
He was certain; So was I There was comfort in her sighs
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Dreams and ideas should not be the same thing You waited, smiling for this?
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Oh, she'd want it, if she knew She could take it, I thought too Be careful, be cautious but you just wished harder You waited, smiling for this?
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"But they love you!" Over and over, "they love you!" Thousands and thousands of eyes just like mine Aching to find who they are
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"Oh, they love you!" Oh, you can feel how they love you ! Coated and warm but that's all they can do Words only get through if they're sharp
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Oh, how fitting For one so fake Make me a fairy Whatever it takes
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And just like a tale my dream was a scam You waited, smiling for this?
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I am burnt out I smell of smoke It seeps through her cracks and so I start to choke Sentences sit in her mouth that are templated You waited, smiling for this?
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Oh, maybe I'll talk about it... (maybe I'll talk about it) I can just talk about it... (I can just talk about it) I'll never talk about it... (I'll never talk about it) No, I cannot talk about it...
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Don't build hope on something broken I am not cartoon. Cry for help, I am not joking I might just leave soon
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