#the gremlin's analysis

[pollyanna-nana]

Louie isn’t evil.

Or: what Pikmin 4 tells us about his character.

BIG WARNING FOR PIKMIN 4 SPOILERS! (and the rest of the series)

———

I want to preface this by saying that I am in no way trying to be the end-all, be-all of character interpretations, but Pikmin 4 to me, at least, confirms the suspicions I’ve had since playing Pikmin 2 and 3 all those years ago that Louie ISN’T secretly evil, or possessed, or whatever else. He’s just… Louie. And I think that’s interesting in and of itself.

1. Olimar himself vouches for him, and clearly doesn’t think he’s a bad person.

Say what you will, but I’m inclined to think Olimar is a decent judge of character. Clearly he’s worked with Louie for enough time to see that while he’s not very good at his job, he’s not intentionally so— at least not in a malevolent way (will get more into this later). He also wants you to forgive him for Olimar’s sake, which can be read as self-sacrificing (as Olimar is known to be) but I also think hints at the soft spot he has for Louie.

It's also worth noting that he states during a end-of-day conversation that he told Louie that, since he's a new employee, he should do everything Olimar does... including throw castaways into the onion. Interesting that Louie took this so literally, but it does provide an explanation for why he kidnapped the Koppaites beyond "he's evil and crazy".

2. He really, REALLY loves his grandma.

Like, wow. He talks about her SO MUCH both in his Piklopedia entries and also elsewhere in the game. It's interesting. Worth noting is that he never mentions any other family members- unlike Olimar, who talks about his wife and each of his children independently. I've said this before, but the content of a lot of these entries implies to me that Louie was mainly raised by his grandma, likely since birth. And given some of her emails in Pikmin 2, assuming they're also canon to Pikmin 4's timeline... Well, Louie certainly had an interesting upbringing. But he clearly loves her all the same.

3. He has a mischievous streak and tends to do things on impulse.

This was already fairly obvious from the previous games, but I think it's worth noting that this game confirms that he's... would immature be the right word? In any regard, he doesn't seem to see himself as a "grown-up"- when in all likelihood he is. Personally, as a 22-year-old, I find that pretty relatable as I often think of myself as younger when in reality I am by all definitions an adult. This, along with his grandma still being around, makes it pretty much certain that Louie is a lot younger than Olimar and the president, likely in his early to mid twenties. Being a bit of a goofball isn't really out of the ordinary, all things considered.

THAT BEING SAID, he's clearly capable of practicing self-restraint when he wants to. What he says here about the red Pikmin is pretty significant, since we know he's willing to eat just about anything- but clearly he has some reservations about creatures that are friendly and helpful. Which leads to...

4. He loves dogs and fluffy things.

Same. But he doesn't even consider eating Moss, Oatchi or the Ancient Sirehound, showing that his creature-eating habits stop at things he recognizes as useful. He clearly also holds affection for things that are soft and fuzzy, and says as much.

5. He is so autism.

He plays with fidget toys. He loves certain textures and sounds. This guy is stimming all over PNF-404!!! I think this also lends some explanation for why his behavior is what it is- things like taking Olimar's suggestion to do as he does super literally even after crashing on an alien planet, his hyperfixation on cooking and tendency not to communicate and incorrectly interpret situations (thinking the Koppaites are kidnappers in 3, running away from you in 4). He could even be low or no empathy as well, explaining why it takes a hot minute to get him to understand why people are upset with him about something.

Interestingly this game also makes it clear that Louie wants to live on the planet, or at least thought he did while you were chasing him down, which makes a lot of sense when you consider that he doesn't really seem to fit in back on Hocotate. I, too, wish to run away to an alien world with all of the things that I like and no other people, so I get you, Louie.

6. He hates his boss and his job, and the golden pikpik carrot incident was likely premeditated.

This probably looks bad, but honestly? As a fellow work-hating anti-capitalist schmuck I get it. The president is for all intents and purposes a huge asshole, from sending Olimar straight back to the planet after selling his ship to not caring that Louie got left behind, just wanting to find the rest of the treasures. I doubt he is very kind to his employees, and doesn't seem very good at running the business. Definitely a funny character, but if he were my boss I would absolutely want to punt him into the sun.

From some other entries he clearly wants to sell certain things to accrue money, but it's for things like getting better kitchen tools and following his dream to have his own cooking show. Clearly being a freight driver isn't what Louie actually wants to do with his life, and he could not give less of a shit about what happens to the company. Very short-sighted on his part, but also again, yeah I get you Louie.

7. He... doesn't like the color red for some reason.

Honestly, I'm not even really sure what to make of this. Is it because it reminds him of the Hocotate ship? Or does he just not like the color? Would be very interesting considering that it's Olimar's signature color. Perhaps that's at least part of why he attacks you in Pikmin 2- though that's speculation for another day.

Also funny to me is his comments on the black-colored treasures. We know blue is his favorite color, but I guess he's also a bit of a goth at heart. Lol.

In conclusion.

I think Louie isn't written or intended to be evil, and Pikmin 4's portrayal of him was intentionally written to confirm this. He's just, as some have said, an agent of chaos, but that doesn't make him a bad person. Just an autistic 20-something working a shitty job he doesn't care about, who loves his grandma and has a mischievous streak and a hyperfixation on food. At least from what I can interpret, ymmv!

#polly speaks #pikmin #pikmin 4 spoilers #pikmin spoilers #pikmin 4 #pikmin 2 #pikmin 3 #louie pikmin #olimar pikmin #character analysis #I guess #I dunno I mostly just wanted to put all this shit together in my brain but I guess other people can see it too haha #This is a non exhaustive list btw I just had a limit to how many images I wanted to wrangle but maybe I'll add on to this in the future #for now uh. Enjoy my weird rambling about the pikmin gremlin

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

I think for all the discussions we have of "everyone hears the jokes and the piano; after that, they stop listening" surrounding Louis, we tend to still simplify his connection to the piano.

Yes, it's very cute that he sings Clementine a little song when they first meet, and it's very cute that he plays a little prank on her while "tuning" the piano. It's super cute that they carve their initials into the piano and Clementine carves a heart around them. It's mega cute that he names his song he wrote after her when she confesses her feelings. Louis playing Don't Be Afraid at the party is, in my opinion, one of the best moments in all of TFS.

But here's the thing: That piano is Louis' heart.

I don't mean to go all metaphorical on you, but I'm dead serious—the piano is Louis' heart, and when you think about his arc and his romance route with that in mind...?

That piano is his one comfort in a world where the dead walk. It's been with him from the beginning of the outbreak. We know from his backstory that Louis wanted to take singing lessons so he could be a real musician, and his father denying him of that was what set him off to be a "vindictive fuckhead." Louis never got those singing lessons, and it's a very real possibility that Louis taught himself how to play.

Sure, others could've taught him; we know Minerva was musically talented, perhaps she showed him a thing or two. But learning piano, or any instrument, is brutal even with professional guidance. It takes hours of practice until numbness wears fingertips raw; dedication to memorize every key and finger placement to make music pleasing to the ear; self-discipline to keep going through every fumble, every failure, every single cruel thought of self-doubt; intelligence and a creative ear to write his own songs.

And yet, it's severely under-appreciated by everyone. It's annoying. It's distracting. It's unimportant. It's an excuse for Louis to mess around and not do any real work. He doesn't have any actual talent. The music and the piano are brushed off, unheard.

Yet, Louis keeps playing. He keeps singing. He keeps making jokes.

Creating music, the one thing he wanted so badly as a kid that he destroyed his parents marriage, was possibly the greatest comfort he had... a welcome distraction to disassociate from the horror and death happening around him.

It's bittersweet, like a purpling bruise that you can't stop pressing on; it hurts, but there's something else below the pain. The piano is out of tune and it's something that brings him joy... but will always act as a constant reminder of who he was and what he did, why he's at Ericson to begin with.

We first meet him while he's playing; Louis' heart is exposed, but is it really? Is he playing to his true potential? Louis hides behind the mask of a charming, charismatic goof. It's what is expected of him, so he plays a silly song intended to poke and prod at Clementine, to gauge a reaction. That's something we see him do at multiple points in episode one. In fact, we can consider a majority of episode one to be like the song he's playing when we meet him; it's mostly cheery or fast-paced.

Louis is able to soothe AJ with his "alluring" music after the kid bit Ruby is an indication that the two of them will share a bond. Louis is a natural at communicating and bonding with the younger kids [another talent that's overlooked] so it's interesting that he praises AJ for being a natural at piano, as well.

But the song stutters just a bit when Louis and Clementine are in the woods together, though; "There's only one guarantee: this moment. That's the only you got, only thing any of us got. Might as well enjoy it." ...Only for Louis to compose himself and send her away.

It's only when Clementine has a gun in her face, held by Marlon, that the music isn't fun anymore; it's rainfall and thunder and the words "I thought you were more than that" sung through the wind in a melody only Louis can hear.

Then Marlon's dead. The song is over, and reality has arrived.

I've talked at length about Louis in ep2 and his vote in the past. It's one of the most compelling things about Louis' arc and romantic route. It's a tragic mistake driven by trauma and guilt. It's people simultaneously telling him to shut up and telling him to be angrier than he is. Telling him to stop burying his head in the sand when he's never been more aware of everything happening. It's AJ peering up at him with pleading eyes that Louis can't stand to look at. It's Clementine wrapping his heartstrings around her fingers and tugging just enough to hurt, but not break.

Louis missed Clementine. He says as much when Clementine admits she missed him first. I don't even know where to begin with that! I can think of no other way to describe it other than they are half agony, half hope over this... and if you get that reference, you get a gold star. I just- the ache, the tension, the conflicting feelings of finally having a quiet moment to talk but Louis not being ready yet.

Y'know how someone carved "you suck at playing" in the side of the piano? It's something you might not initially notice while playing the game, just as Louis' insecurities aren't apparent at first.. but they're carved in him; never fully healed, still scabbed and bleeding... Until Clementine offers him a bandage.

She won't clean the wound for him, but she'll be there. She'll help him figure out how to do it himself so he can heal. She'll listen to him, not belittle his feelings or pain. She'll make an effort to know his keys and notes and practice playing his song until she understands.

When Clementine chooses him to spend time with him, it's a mirror of their first time meeting... but this time, Louis plays something real: a song he wrote, one that I believe he crafted during the two week time skip... a song he wrote with Clementine on his mind, for better or worse.

If the piano is Louis' heart, he literally asks her to sit there and try to tune it, which ends up being a joke but I say she's already tuned your heart, my guy. It's there before them, changed in the warm candlelight. He plays for her and opens up about how no one actually listens, but Clementine did.

And remember, this is the night of the raid. They don't know it's coming, but they know it'll be soon. Louis understands that he could very well die, so what does he do? He carves his initial into the one thing he's always had, and he asks Clementine to do the same.

I'm sorry, how are we NOT more feral about this? Prior to this scene, the only thing we see carved into the piano, into Louis' heart, is an insult. This thing that Louis cares so deeply about, this instrument that's become so intertwined with who he is... he wants to leave his mark on it just in case he dies. A reminder that it was his and he belonged to it just as much. Something so important, and he asks Clementine to carve herself into his heart where no matter what, they will be immortalized together in this moment.

And when Clementine carves a heart around their initials? Yes, his reaction is very cute and that's great... but she's not ashamed of him, or her feelings for him. She wants everyone who looks upon his heart to know that. She tells him how she feels and Louis is so giddy, and warm, and he names the song after her and I am going to start biting anything that moves, I can't-

Oh, and let's discuss the party scene in episode three, shall we? Y'know, where the heart covered initials are on full display? Where Louis tells the story of why he was sent to Ericson to everyone?

Louis is so... vulnerable. Sincere. Ashamed of what he did. This is the exposed nerve, the one he was so afraid of showing Clementine but there it is... and she doesn't reject him. Sure, she can say it's fucked up if you choose to, but she doesn't break up with him over it.

Also the fact that everyone sitting around him finally listens when he's at his most unshielded only for Tenn to ask him to play Don't Be Afraid for them after...? How do you not see the connection? Are you trying to make me cry? In that moment, Louis' heart was heard and appreciated and beautiful and strong and-

Listen. I am fine. I'm so normal about this. And fine. I'm fine.

But I also have to add that during the walk in episode four, if you let Louis choose what to add to the imaginary house, he picks a brand new piano because he wants a new heart to reflect the confidence and growth Clementine helped him achieve and because he loves her and AJ so much that wants the new heart to not just be his but also theirs and I am so fine with this, okay.

#twdg #twdg clouis #twdg clementine #twdg louis #clouis #long post #happy valentine's day y'all i got you a totally normal louis/clouis analysis #i initially got you flowers but then i ate them sorry #real talk though I started out normal and slowly descended into unhinged waters while writing this... I don't know how it happened #years later and clouis still pierces my soul i am half agony half hope tell me not that i am too late- #I'm fine okay it's only louis asking clementine to carve herself into his soul it's fine #i can already hear 'it's not that deep bro' like i dunno try getting out of the shallow end and learn to swim you coward #2024 is the year cj goes full gremlin. no self-control. writes whatever bullshit her very normal mind comes up with. #apologies in advance for my bullshit skskskss

[benjingle]

MHA SPOILERS GRGRGRG 403

I think it's fair to say that Bakugou has One For All right now.

I mean, look at his eyes from the movie. (Heroes Rising)

Yeah.

All spiky and shit. His eyes only look like that here in this scene.

Well,

Here too.

Plus, there's this,

They're all holding some sort of glowing thing? Bakugou has it, Midoriya has it, and All Might has it. It's really hard to deny that that's ofa.

So, the cards are important too. I haven't done too much of an analysis on those yet but I think the cards have something to do with ofa? Idk

Anyways,

Bakugou absolutely has one for all right now, and this fight is going to be fucking sick???

Brings up a thought though, what if Izuku and Katsuki end up sharing ofa? It would make the power more manageable for Izuku and would insanely increase Katsuki's quirk and fighting ability.

It'd be a cool idea but it would make him too overpowered. Who knows though.

(Disclaimer - I know it's been pointed out already by some people, I just wanted to ramble about it)

#mha 403 #bnha 403 #mha spoilers #mha manga spoilers #bakugou #bakugou katsuki #katsuki bakugou #one for all #bkdk #bakudeku #i dont ship them BUT those tags are for people who interprete it this way!! #mha #bnha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #analysis #smelly gremlin writing

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

Daisy & Mavis?

Or maybe Sir Handel & Peter Sam?

Ooooh, Sir Handel and Peter Sam have a fascinating dynamic. However, I don't really have much to say that others haven't already said, and probably said better. To the degree that I'm tempted to talk about their Trauma Responses, I have another ask about Sir Handel & Skarloey, so I think I'll fold these thoughts into that post.

So, Daisy and Mavis — love 'em — only wish they got more screen time!

("Screen" time. Do they ever have a significant interaction in the television series? I really want to be told if they do.)

Actually they only have one page in RWS where they exchange a word. But it's such a good page. Posting it here for the uninitiated:

Look at this mess. Look at this absolutely perfect bitchfest. There are a total of zero brain cells in this conversation. Venting to your work bestie and and letting loose your inner mean girl. A classic RWS dynamic! It's just the diesel (& the female) version of the Thomas and Percy relationship: They make each other worse.

But, they need each other.

But, they make each other worse...!

Despite their lack of screentime following this, you cannot convince me that these two don't remain peas in a pod, just like 1 and 6 after 6 is transferred to the branch line.

I do think it's rather sad that Mavis is holed up in the quarry. :( There's a real bummer of a line when she appears in a later Christopher story...

"Besides, she sometimes finds it dull up at the Quarry with no one to talk to but trucks." I know it's realistic, but I want better for her. LET 👏 HER 👏 OUT 👏

Once smartphones became a thing, I like to imagine that they videocalled from the quarry to the carriage shed every night. (Annie, Clarabel, and Henrietta are very understanding about this when the call lasts half an hour. If ever the workers try to indulge Daisy and Mavis with a longer call, however, the coaches start murmuring...)

One great thing about this convo is that it's the first time I feel like I'm really, genuinely looking at lasting steam/diesel coexistence on Sodor's 'big railway.' Coz this is a target Awdry has been trying to hit for at least a dozen books now, yeah? Due mostly to his publishers' pressures, he's been trying to have beloved diesel characters while keeping his 1920-cosplay steam railway too, and this is where I think he finally hits the target. Daisy's first appearance was hamstrung because the turning point where she changes her haughty new-engine attitude and where the others accept her despite all the shit she's already pulled is off-screen, we're just told "they're friends now" and have to be all "right. sure." Probably because he got negative feedback on his Daisy hash, Awdry played it suuuuper safe with BoCo and Bear — less so Bear, but that's another post; for now I will just say that in contrast to Daisy they are presented as very clean-as-a-whistle, and their acceptance by the railway is made so much of that it doesn't feel natural, they both feel like one-offs. But then, ahhh. Now we've got Mavis, and Awdry has the bright idea to let her talk to Daisy, and BANG. Now we're here. This doesn't feel Informed, or starch-and-stiff, or tokenistic. You read this and you're like oh, yeah. Even the sleepiest branch line on this railway is now part dieselised. They're acting like characters! Everybody is acting like squabbling coworkers! It's like sinking at last into a warm relaxing soak. Ahhhhh. Here's the good stuff.

Because they don't need to be Representatives of dieselkind? They can just kinda suck for a moment, without being villains? When TVS subs out Daisy for Diesel, it automatically gives this conversation a sinister air. He's the devil on Mavis's shoulder. But in the original, there's nothing sinister here; it's homey. They're just venting to each other. Their behavior is kinda crappy, but also very normal and recognisable. New work besties fr. They are both three drinks in.

Daisy: He said what to you? Omg babe. I cannot believe that old garden shed said that to youuu.

Mavis: Right?????

Daisy: raising a glass Anything steam engines do, we diesels can do BETTER!

Mavis: hauling herself a bit unsteadily to her feet so that her gesticulation can be its most dramatic and sweeping You are RIGHT and you should SAY IT!

(Narrator: mildly ... Daisy was not right and, being probably the most specialised and least versatile engine then on her railway, she definitely should not have been saying it.)

(Above: The quintessential moment. Mavis & Daisy are commiserating/carping, and Annie & Clarabel are trying so hard to not hear their shit.)

Now, I've always had a question here...

Did Toby really say that only steam engines can shunt trucks?

The text indicates only that he was annoyed that she kept re-arranging things, they had a tiff, she rejected his input and left.

Then again, the text doesn't reveal that Percy calls Mavis's shunting "a ---- ------ ------ mess!", so, y'know. We get the minimum detail necessary in these stories. ;)

We never see Toby express any such sentiment about diesel engines. I'm inclined to think he never said this — and I suspect we're not supposed to believe he said this, only that Mavis is in stroppy teen mode and exaggerating and embellishing her grievances to the point where she's straight-up making shit up.

Still, I'm not sure. Usually in the RWS if a character is lying they are slyly or explicitly called out for it in the nearby text and this time the claim is just... sitting here.

Ultimately, I don't think he ever said that to her, but (considering how salty everyone on the Ffarquhar line can get: some have quicker fuses than others but they're all so provoke-able) I don't think Mavis just made this up completely. If she were making up stories from whole cloth, that would be... well, that would be 'Devious' Diesel behavior! I suspect, however, that Toby and Percy (comparing notes on her shunting) are at least thinking it, or have said it to each other, and Mavis has picked up on these vibes. All of which would be incredibly realistic.

Anyway, I bring this up because the answer does color my read of this conversation a little. If Mavis is completely making up attitudes that Toby never dreamed of having, and Daisy just eats it up and eggs her on, that makes this conversation somehow even 10x messier (and somehow I'm still rooting for their friendship). If this is a sentiment that is real or implied when Mavis or Daisy annoy the other Ffarquhar engines (and they can both be annoying, no question) then the bond between these two characters, with their very different personalities, just becomes even more 'understandable.'

Anyway, about those differences. Mainly, Daisy is ultimately very conventional. (This reminds me I have a nearly-finished essay about Daisy lying around somewhere. For now...) Mavis is the original, creative one, the mover-and-shaker. All Daisy's initial behaviors, as Hazel observed recently, are things we've seen from proud new engines before! She wants lots of attention, she boasts, she tries her damnedest to get out of work that she thinks is beneath her. What Mavis wants is to improve things, to have more responsibility, to get to stretch her wheels. Furthermore, Daisy by nature is keen to avoid work that's too heavy (she's a railcar with limited pulling power, so, you know, understandable); Mavis doesn't mind work — she just doesn't like being told how to do it, and she doesn't like being bored!

A point where they can be contrasted is in how they accept Toby's help and friendship at the end of their initial... "arcs." (All right, Daisy's "arc" is ended so clumsily that you can barely call it that, but you get me.) I'm not saying Mavis is devious or calculating, but for her Toby's offer of friendship is just as important as a pathway to her getting out of the quarry sometimes as it is for his forgiveness. It is her ticket out. For Daisy, Toby's offer of friendship was important because she wants friends, now she's making a friend yay!! — and I think that was pretty much it. Daisy just wants positive attention; that's what all her 'modern and right-up-to-date' stuff was about, but that failed to get her the positive attention she wanted and it turned out that being a team player did, so she had little trouble re-orienting herself. She resisted the pressure of everyone on the platform for her first train because she clung to the memory of her friend the fitter, but I don't think she's one to resist peer pressure in general, and as time passed and the Ffarquhar line residents became her peers, it was completely inevitable that she start to conform to their ways.

So (although, again, annoyingly — we aren't shown) I reckon that Daisy panicked after Percy's accident when she realized that she would be in trouble too (all right, someone probably had to point it out to her). And so for the first time she pitches in and does some hard work. Toby can't help but own "you did well to get all your half cleared, Daisy" and Daisy's entire system lights up because compliment, baby!!! That's all she ever wanted. She's Toby's man now (so to speak).

I can also easily imagine that, in trying to get adjusted to Mavis, Toby remembered how thing went last time. He must have tried from the first to tell himself, through slightly gritted teeth, "Just find something to compliment the new engine on, just anything. Helps build trust." But he was stymied twice over. 1) She keeps re-arranging the trucks in some crazy-ass unapproved way and he can't find ANYTHING nice to say! 2) It wouldn't have worked, anyway. Mavis wouldn't have been satisfied with just some friendly attention. Mavis wants to do. shit.

Mavis is bright — possibly has little common sense, but she's bright. I do wonder sometimes if her shunting arrangements are actually bad, or if they're just different and Toby and Percy can't adjust. (The text does own that due to the siding arrangements it's inefficient to put the trucks where Toby expects them. She probably does optimize things — from her point of view, anyhow.) Either way, though, here is an active and creative mind at work. Plus, her ploy to slo-o-owly expand her pathway down the line in "Toby's Tightrope" shows long-term planning, which is hardly something we've ever seen any vehicle do! So yeah, she's well above-average bright for an engine.

Hilariously, in Their Own Scene she is easily impressed by Daisy's lofty confidence (another classic RWS dynamic — it's giving Duncan staring amazed at James's boasting), but she's also super young, hasn't been Toby-fied yet, and in short I expect that as the years go by Mavis is likely to see Daisy as less of a role model and more of a crony/partner-in-crime. Daisy might instigate things sometimes — but she needs Mavis and Mavis's bright ideas before she really makes much headway! And I expect Mavis is often the instigator anyway. In her literary-device role of Second Coming of Thomas (Dieselised Flavour), she probably continues to want all sorts of things that engines aren't supposed to pine for (silly stick-in-the-muds!) Daisy is quite content to grumble but put up. Mavis will find a way to make stuff happen.

(Which is the only explanation we're going to get for how Mavis is at large on every quarry and some not-remotely-a-quarry sets on the island, come TVS!)

That was a light rap on the TVS there, but not a very hard knock; at least TVS insisted (in spite of all logic) on using her character for stuff. Christopher lets me down, personally, by finding so little for Mavis to do — and never having her and Daisy interact! I want more of this shit so badly.

However, in the Author's Note of Thomas Comes Home, Daisy apparently has a bee in her bonnet about fans who think the series has no female engines and is like 'me and Mavis tho!!!!!!' Which... I like seeing Daisy mention Mavis. That's all. It assures me that they’re still a duo (although I prefer Wilbert's interpretation that they bond over being The Two Diesels On This Line vs. Christopher's implication that their bond is being The Two Girls On This Line).

#i want them to have more adventures in making things 'better' (worse) #like the lucy and ethel of the ffarquhar maybe? #(i haven't actually seen i love lucy... this is just osmosis) #i would also be all right seeing them kiss #highly acceptable #just give me more daisy & mavis content. please. #d1+fqc #great ask! #thank you #chatter #ttte daisy #ttte mavis #ttte toby #wilbert awdry really said 'someone on the ffarquhar needs to civilize these headstrong young half-feral engines' #' ... and it ain't gonna be thomas lmfao' #i think he's WRONG to discount thomas and percy but i think it's very funny that his attitude is just 'they're toby's problem coz no one #else is qualified' #'thomas and percy are out there causing wrecks and playing dress up and being chaos gremlins themselves' #ttte analysis #ttte headcanon #also 'no one to talk to but the trucks' IS big 'i was desolate. all alone in the empty manor. me and a staff of eighteen servants.' energy #the SOLITUDE mwahaha #... but yeah i get it #get 👏 her 👏 out 👏

[missingexaltation]

Before Season 4, Eddie was a tentatively harmless) little shit and you can't tell me any different. Wayne's aware of his shenanigans but he's happy to let Eddie make his mistakes and face the consequences himself. (he was the same at his age)

He can hotwire a car. Sure he said he dad taught him as a kid, but to do it so smoothly and confidently under pressure? That boy's done a lot of joyriding, idk what to tell you.

He's a dealer. Chances are he's been arrested for it and talked his way out of it at least once. I'd bet he knows the law to the letter so that he can get away with more than he should. That boy has the gift of the gab, and it's not usually worth the headache dealing with him.

He's living in the trailer park with his uncle so I'm guessing he's poor as shit. I'd also bet that he's a bit of a petty thief. Nothing from people, but from bigger businesses? You betcha. He'll take that t shirt or ring or candy and shove it in his pockets. He'd pay if he had the cash, but he just doesn't.

He's also pretty good with people. (In canon anyway.) If a jock shoves him in the hallway, Eddie's conveniently in the next class flirting with their girlfriend. Weirdly enough, damn successfully. Want a guy to leave you alone? Befriend their girl. 'Johnny just leave him alone'. Etc. (Sometimes he charms too much and he ends up when their number and a very hush hush hookup. Bonus, but his lips are sealed if asked.)

He's not above abusing the prices of his drugs either. Some jumped up rich boy comes to him at a party, half drunk? Getting charged thrice the price at least. Supply and demand. He has the supply AND makes the demands. It's not his fault they're not up for negotiating, and he feels zero guilt. (The ladies usually get discounts though, he's not made of stone.)

Steve, Nancy and Robin are appalled when they find this out post-Vecna. They're all well behaved when they're not saving the world, but Eddie's been arrested. He has a criminal record.

(If Steve gets all hot under the collar when Eddie brings up something he's done that's mildly illegal then no he doesn't, shut the hell up).

#Eddie Munson #He's a grotty little gremlin boy that only behaves when Wayne steps in #he seems like the kinda guy that's living his best life by making the most of what he's got #the freedom of getting away with absolutely everything until suddenly he's on the run for being a serial killer...oops #i love the idea of Eddie hotwiring the cars of jocks that threaten him...like 'watch yo girl watch yo ride...he coming for them' #he's definitely had run ins with Hopper...but he turns on the waterworks and gets let go...the grubby lil manipulator #Eddie Munson character analysis #stranger things fic ideas #stranger things au

[rose-tinted-vision]

Ego Jinpachi: Who is he?

no really, who is he?

As usual, manga spoilers ahead!

[edit: this was posted before chapter 204]

All we know about this man is

He was hired by Anri Teieri "create Japan's No.1 striker" out of the 300 boys in Blue Lock, and that's all that his contract consists of.

The JFA clearly does not approve of his methods and wants him to fail.

The above point probably has something to do with what he said about him being "banned from the world of football" if they fail. What he said has been bothering me like an itch tbh.

He even reiterated his point and said that he will "vanish", as if it was so simple. How will he do it? Why is he so willing to do it? Does he really trust in his intellect so much that he is willing to bet his future on it?

Again, relating to the above point, Ego clearly cares for Japan's football (a point which, I think, is often overlooked. Or just not spoken about much).

This next line is interesting. It implies that he had dietary restrictions at some point in his life, which I previously assumed meant that he was a professional football player too, then realised that it doesn't make sense. If he were a professional football player too at least one boy out of the 300 would have recognised him, right?

Anri Teieri trusts him enough to go along with his whims (why???)

Also, he must have had done Something in the past to catch Anri's attention, for her to trust him enough with the funds from the JFA, and to vouch for him against the reporters and JFA heads.

I sincerely hope that Kaneshiro sensei gives us at least some of his backstory in the future, because literally all we know about Ego is that he likes his ramen.

#has anyone talked about this before? #bc his sussy lines have been lurking at the back of my mind #for quite some time now #or maybe he's just a really dramatic dood #who knows #kaneshiro sensei knows #pls sensei im begging you i need to know who this gremlin is #ego jinpachi #blue lock #bllk #blue lock analysis #anri teieri

[vpgoldenrod]

Crowley still tries to help Elspeth get some money for her hard work by suggesting Mr. Dalrymple make dentures from the teeth of the body Aziraphale destroyed. Really shows how well he’s mastered the art of masking his good deeds under the guise of evil.

#the most skilled chaos gremlin #good omens #aziraphale #crowley #good omens 2 #good omens analysis #amazon prime video #live tumbling

[hyperfixatedoncrimminalminds]

Emily Prentiss x Sister Reader

I need more Emily requests

Request: All I can think of is Emily having a chaos gremlin of a little sister. Everyone already knows her. Emily brings her in, and said sister gets everyone else to help her prank Emily. If Tara could also be mentioned in some fashion, that'd be great!

Reader is 12

Third person pov...

Y/N Prentiss is the little sister of SSA Agent Emily Prentiss and she is a prankster and a certified chaotic Gremlin, the little 12 year old loves pranking her sister with Emily's team.

She even gets the Grumpy Unit chief Aaron Hotchner to join in on a couple of her Pranks.

It was one of those boring days at the FBI academy for the team they weren't on  any cases and had lots of paperwork to do, Spencer was working digitally at his desk and was flying through the paperwork as he enjoyed it.

Behind him Derek and Emily were sat giggling loudly like children as they kept throwing rolled up pieces of paper at the poor man.

The laughter increased as they kept hitting their mark, Spencers head, the genius was non the wiser as a pile of paper was forming around him at their many failed attempts.

From the side JJ and Penelope sit and watch as Spencer doesn't realise, then a recognisable person walks through the elevator and into the bullpen.

"Hey guys!" Exclaims the girl they all love Y/N Prentiss, Penelope and JJ laugh when the girl is tackled by her older sister, Emily throws away her paper and pulls Y/N in for an one arm hug.

"Hey lil sis" she said as her sister laughs "hey Em" laughs Y/N as she struggles to get out of Emily's hold, she is the  rescued by Morgan who fireman carries to 12 year old away from her sister.

Emily gasps dramatically "how dare you Derek Morgan  stealing my own sister from me!" She exclaimed as Derek puts Y/N down, the giggling 12 year old manages to evade her sister and runs up the ramp to Rossi and Hotches offices.

Woth Emily hot on her tail she knocks quickly and loudly on Hotches door and ducks when he opens it, her sister isn't so lucky.

Emily had jumped into a Crouch just before the sneaking gremlin knocked on her bosses door, Hotch doesn't even question Emily as she freezes infront of his door, he then sees the source of the laughter outside his door.

"Hello again Y/N, having fun annoying your Sister?" He asks hsut about hiding a smile of his own, the 12 year old smiles innocently at the man "of course Hotch" she said before running to the safety of Penelope and JJ.

They all watch as an embarrassed Agent Prentiss stalk back to her desk after getting a look from her boss, Y/N smirks as she perches on Spencers desk.

The man had stopped writing once he heard the common behind him. "That was fun right Spence" she said to the genius who nods. "Everything is fun with you Y/N" he says before going back go paperwork rolling his eyes when he finally notices the growing pile of rolled up balls of paper around him.

"So why are you here Y/N?" Asks Penelope, the girl turns around and in a whisper says "I'm here to pull as many pranks on Emmy as possible this week"  as she pulls away a smirk makes its way on both woman's faces. "Can we help."  Asks JJ earning a nod from the girl.

'This will be fun' thought the 12 year old to herself.

It was 9am time to start the longest prank war ever, Y/N first goes to Penelope to get her help. "Hey pen, can you print copies saying 'this ___ is now voice activated please say ___' says the evil 12 year old making the tech analysis laugh gleefully.

"Of course my love I will" she says before getting to work on Y/N first prank. 'Because Emmy is getting on in her old age, I thought prankjng her woth pretending everything is voice activated will be hilarious' Y/N giggle evilly as Penelope finishes of printing them out for her.

Soon her prank is set in motion, Y/N,watches as Emily falls for her first prank, the woman was making coffee when she sees one of Y/N voice activated paper.

"This coffee maker is now voice activated just say what drink you want" she mutters, she the puts her cup underneath the depenser, Y/N covers her mouth with laugher as her sister actually says what the paper says to say.

The Agent gets weird looks at she talks go the coffee maker, while her Grelim sister dies of laugher in the corner, Y/N manages to get away and plans her next prank.

The next prank Y/N involves Rossi as he is the best cook, saod man is now staring at Y/N as if she had a second head. "You want me to do what for your prank?" He asks making Y/N sigh.

"All I want is brussel sprouts to be covered in chocolate ans then put in a box so Emmy will think they are chocolate and eat them simple, please Rossi!" Begs the teen.

Rossi easily gives in  what even he's a softy for the young girl. "Fine" he sighs as the girl cheers.

The next day Emily finds a box of chocolates on her desk, surprised she opens it ans picks one out, Y/N is spinning around in Spencers chair and has the best seat. Just as a Emily bites into the 'chocolate' she instantly spits it back out coughing loudly.

"What the fuck!" She exclaims not noticing her sister ans the others watching with knowing eyes.

Time for the next prank.

Y/N corners JJ is her office, "I need your help. You know when Emily leaves for lunch don't you?" She asks the Blonde, JJ nods her head looking suspiciously at the teen.

"What time does Emmy take her lunch break?" She asks. "Is this for another prank?" "Yes" "then fine, she takes it at 12pm everyday and is gone for 15 minutes, now tell me" Says the blonde.

Y/N excitedly tells the blonde what she's going to do. "Okay so it involves bread and lots of it"

Later that same day Emily leaves at lunch Y/N gets to work, with the help of JJ  the two open and dump out two loafs of bread into Emily desk and in all the draws nothing is left unbreaded.

Y/N is laughing uncontrollably at the face Emily will make, "quick she will be back soon" Yells JJ and the two make themselves look innocent before Emily walks back in and goes to ber desk.

"What the fuck" she yells as piles of bread is in every one of her draws and on top of her desk. In JJs office the two are laughter uncontrollably as they hear Emily's yell from the bullpen.

Y/N next accomplice is Spencer. The man is busy at his desk before Y/N appears scaring the daylight put of him. "Hello Y/N" he says not liking thr evil grin on the girls face. "Heyy spence, just wondering how many sticky notes would you need to cover a car?" She asks making the genius roll his eyes.

"Another prank for Prentiss?" He asks earning a nod from the girl. "Fine, about 5,000 sticky notes, do you need help?" He asks making the girl jump up from his desk and start dragging him away from the building.

For the next couple hours to two work together to cover Emily car in sticky notes, some how the arw done before the day is over so they wait until Emily comes down to the parking lot.

Hours later Emily arrives to her car, the black haired woman just laughs when she sees her car. "Seriously!" She exclaims as Y/N and Spencer high five each other prank complete.

Next one Y/N hunts down Derek. She easily finds him and corners him, "Hey can you distract Emmy for me it's for a prank" she says, Derek is to happy not to help her.

As Derek distracts Emily, Y/N goes into action and grabs a piece of paper and writes on it before grabbing lots of tape and begins taping it to the bottom on Emily's mouse.

When Derek finishes distracting Emily he goes back go his desk woth Y/N at his side, the two watch as Emily tries to use her mouse but finds that she can't, the black haired woman get annoyed with it and turns it around only to find a piece of paper taped to the sensor with 'Ha ha ha ha ha' written all over it.

Pissed off she throws the mouse away. Derek discreetly high fives the trouble maker next to him, Y/N watches Hotches office "now for the Boss" she mutters.

For the last prank Y/N knocks on Hotches office and walks in when he calls. "Still pranking your Sister Y/N, what do you need me to do?" He asks getting straight to it.

Y/N smirks. "All you need to do I'd be yourself but not" she says mysteriously making Hotch raise his eyebrow at the girl he was expecting something more evil.

Throughout the day Hotch would just appear and ask Emily random questions about her cases making the woman paranoid at every movement. But thr end of the day the whole team was having way to much fun messing with Emily.

When Y/Ns alast day arrived she gathered the team in the bullpen. "Well its been fun but I have to go Mother is expecting me back" she says rolling her eyes but then looks at Emily. "I've had the best fun this week guys, thanks for helping out" she says making Emily glare at her.

"It was you who's been messing with me all week, you even got my team involved!" Exclaims Emily making a grab for Y/N who hides behind the closes perosm who happens to be a woman Tara Lewis who was new to the team.

While Emily was distracted Y/N made her get away. Tara looks at thw team "Your repretation proceeds you" Says the Dr as the team laugh and fill her in on what she missed.

The end!

Hoped you like this oneshot, this was fun to write, as usual sorry for the grammar and Spelling mistakes

Request are open!

Word count: 1783

#criminal minds #fanfic #behavioural analysis unit #x child reader #fluff and comfort #oneshot #x sister reader #emily prentiss #emily prentiss x sister reader #prank #chaotic little gremlin

[parachutingkitten]

Awhile ago you answered a ask about if you support the lgbt community and your general response was “I do but it doesn’t line up with my religion”. Do you still feel this way?

See, I'm a bit conflicted here, because that ask was like, what? 6 years ago now? Like from when I very first joined tumblr as a child? So if you know about that ask, and have been following my blog that long, I hope that answer would be abundantly clear by now, but I'll just assume you stumbled across it at random... somehow.

I am extremely pro LGBTQ+. I am part of the LGTBQ+ community. I have since that first post discovered the asexual label and found it incredibly beneficial in understanding myself. I think all the letters in the acronym absolutely belong there, and deserve all the, if we're being real, basic human decencies they're asking and fighting for. I'd like my blog to be a safe space for everyone in the community, and I try my best to accommodate.

That being said, I am also LDS. How I parse my progressive views with being a part of, frankly, any Christian institution, most of which have historically been quite the opposite of progressive is something extremely personal to me, and which has been an in depth discovery process I am still on to this day, and which I'm not sure will ever really end. If you're genuinely interested in my personal religious wrestles, I'd be happy to talk in a more private forum, over dms, something like that, but as far as what you need to know to follow my ninjago blog um... I don't think it's super relevant.

I'm on ninjago tumblr. If I were in any way not pro LGBTQ+ I would have had to leave a long time ago. Have you seen how ridiculously queer everyone is around here?

Cole is gay, Geo is enby, Kai is bi, Sora is trans, and all the nindroids are very, very ace. A good day to you all.

#i've said it before #but a lot of my views align ridiculously well with CJ the X #who is an art obsessed queer christian gremlin with some great long form videos to listen to on repeat until you die #if you're interested in religious tinted media analysis #check them out #asks #thanks anon!

[fluffypotatey]

hiiiiiii thinking abt how mei was super uncomfortable with the idea of mk visiting her house and all of the "normal kid stuff" she wasn't allowed to do and how she and mk share a lot of traits but only the ones that mei's parents wouldn't have approved of. mks literally like. the parts of her she doesnt want to bring home

HEYO! forgive me, i was asleep then had to get to class. also, i wanted to give myself time to actually talk about this because yeah

*pulls you down* listen, listen to me, until 1x03, MK had never even been inside Mei's house. he even states how he "always wanted to see inside Mei's Secret Dragon House," and Mei housesitting the place is the perfect opportunity for him to see what lies inside. AND! if you notice!!!

SHE IS SHOWN TO BE VERY UNCOMFY AT MK JUST SPECULATING WHAT "SECRETS" ARE HIDING IN THERE. INVITING MK WOULD BE THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT HER PARENTS ASKED HER TO DO!

but MK is so curious and he's her best friend and he might also just sneak in without her knowing.....so maybe she'll indulge him. housesitting is a lot better with friends than on your own.

anyway, if we go further into the episode, we see a Mei that is very different to our chaotic and confident gal. she's closed-in, cautious, nervous. unlike before, Mei is the one warning others not to touch things, to be careful, and to stay put. in previous episodes, we see her goofing off and being a little gremlin with MK while Pigsy blows a fuse over their antics.

not here though. this is her home. her clan's home. her clan's home full of ancestral heirlooms that she's been told all her lie to keep away from and not touch. respect your family and family tree is very important in Chinese culture (and many other Asian cultures but we're focusing just on one). even the language has different forms of formalities with addressing people (whether in the business environment, home, or school). but this is a very general observation, and i'm sure there are others who can talk about this a lot better.

however, Mei's family is very important to her character, so i will be discussing how it relates to her and her own decisions. on her own, Mei is very free-spirited and is more of a "punch first ask questions later" kind of person. when it comes to her family though, Mei is a lot more toned down and thinks first before acting. she is very aware of the priceless artifacts kept in her home (which is one factor on why she is nervous about inviting MK), and watching how she went about her home was like she was walking on eggshells. she doesn't want to upset and disappoint her parents.

additionally, Mei comes from a very well-off family. she is a part of the Western Sea Dragon clan. her ancestor is Ao Lie, the dragon-horse of the JTTW companions. why am i telling you things you already know? because it shows that Mei's family comes with a lot of history and recognition ("ancient noble dragons," as Mei had said). and with that, comes with the clan wanting to appear respectable in front of others. with such a high status, it is best to look the part, no?

however, Mei isn't really someone who fits into that noble lady box, right? she's outspoken, she's rowdy, she's impulsive. Mei even admit that as a kid she wished to do "normal girl stuff," stuff that wouldn't work out when your house is more of a museum than a home. i'm sure she did try to fit into that box for the good of her parents, but at some point, you come to the realization that that box will never fit you. Mei will never be perfectly noble or have the noble decorum that comes with her upbringing. she will never fit that ideal her parents raised her on (this is an assumption but also, it feels like a given?)

MK is the exact opposite of what Mei was taught to be proper. he is rowdy, likes to have fun, play video games, "roughs and tumble," and be impulsive. he is someone Mei definitely saw as the part of her she could never show her parents. how could they ever accept the side of her that does not care for strict decorum and keeping a house as a museum.

read this excerpt from her mom:

"We may not always see eye to eye, and your friends are...em, unique than we expected. But you are a part of this family, and it is part of you."

ignoring the incredibly sweet ending T^T the mother admits that Mei and her parents do have issues agreeing on what's best for Mei. there is love very clearly shown for between Mei and her parents, but there is still that distance between them. Mei is not the daughter they expected, and they don't always approve of her choices (her friends for example). so, we can figure that Mei is absolutely nervous about how her parents will feel about MK and whether that means they would stop loving her if she ever let down her walls in front of them completely.

#rewatched this episode just for you <3 #where is this energy for my midterm essay T^T #i am once again only capitalizing names and proper nouns bc i am lazy and it's more fun #me at the beginning: this will be a short couple of comments. i will not ramble into a long meta commentary #me as i screenshot 2 scenes from the desired episode: this will still STAY a short response. i will not succumb to the meta gremlins #me at the end: .....fuck #lmk #lego monkie kid #lmk mei #lmk long xiaojiao #lmk analysis #lmk meta #asks

[my-name-is-bunnyfoxy]

Okay I need to be working on the next TMNTTOBER prompt and I doubt my audience even knows or likes Gremlins but I wanna talk for a hot moment-

Mohawk has been one of my favorite gremlin characters and I love him to bits. But after getting introduced to Claw and seeing some wonder if Claw would have reincarnated into Stripe who then reincarnated to Mohawk would it mean if they are actually women but no one bothered to ask if that is the case.

I took a closer look at Mohawk and was kind of surprised to see how he or she had rather... feminine features. Stripe's design looks more masculine and to me I have a hard time seeing feminine features on him. But with Mohawk there are some I really wanna point out.

This is a close up and his full design. Compared to the other gremlins, he has a more slimmer sort of body to them. Something similar to Greta. Also to me I always thought Mohawk had some form of tits- His ears are curved in a way Claw's ears are as well.

for reference sake so you can see.

Mohawk also seems to have black lips that could come off as black lipstick of sorts. Then there are his eyes. The marking make it look like eyeliner of sorts that are then shaped into eyelashes. His spikes also similar to Claw make it look like eyelashes as well if you look at it from another view. Then there is his voice. Which honestly sounds more high pitched in my opinion.

Sadly these are the only good videos I was able to download because I hate my life. Also Mohawk mostly makes weird ass noises rather then speaking often times like the rest of the gremlins. As a mogwai his voice was pretty high pitched, as a gremlin it is also somewhat still there. But I'd say it's more gargly and raspier, it sounds like Claw's voice. Also he is such a pussy in that last clip such a crybaby 🙄

Maybe I'm looking too hard into it but I am honestly thriving with the idea that Stripe and Mohawk were being total girlbosses the whole time XD (Disclaimer you aren't actually a girlboss if you torture, bully or abuse someone or try to cause chaos and destruction to people)

Thank you for coming to my ted talk, have a nice day.

#gremlins #gremlins 2 #gremlins mohawk #gremlins claw #gremlins analysis #analysis #bunny talks #foxy talks #bunnyfoxy talks #character analysis #character design #character design analysis

[ineffably-human]

Okay but it's not actually a sexy wish, though, not at first. Every time he uses his penis he has to think of Guillermo and everything Guillermo has done for him. Everything, like twelve years of often degrading and humiliating tasks from as far back as when Guillermo was 19 years old and Nandor thought of him like a son.

And every time he uses it he thinks of this, like does his dick stop working as soon as he tries to think of anything else? Does he need to run the entire gamut in his head? So Marwa's sitting there very patiently while his brain plays a very extensive montage that runs everywhere from corpse disposal to 'Gizmo, try out the dildos' to the whole 'heart guard' thing?

What it does mean is that Nandor gets a tailor-made 'falling in love' montage in his freaking head at least once before he gets the wish reversed. That he associates Guillermo and Guillermo's acts of service with sex and sexuality. And that could make him strongly reassess his priorities.

Also it means we'd better see a slew of E-rated fics dealing with this, I'm just saying.

#the amount of analysis i'm giving to a dick wish that may or may not actually be written as a plot device... #this is who i am you knew what i was when you followed me #fandom: wwdits #what we do in the shadows #otp: nandermo #wwdits spoilers #i am a meta gremlin #.

[paper-cities]

But how obsessed are we talking here?

Uhhm. Basically I've known them for like a month and I would die for them. Does this answer the question

#i have a hoodie w them on it + my gf keeps saying it looks like something a mom would buy her 12yr old son at walmart. i love it to death #uhhh ive been reading fic and lots n lots of analysis on them!!! #i watched 2011 and am in the middle of 1999 rn #like im not even completely consummed by hxh necessarily im more so drowning in Killua. #i need this lil guy to get a HUG and some warm MILK #also trans icon Alluka my beloved?? i expected to be annoyed w her for some reason but actually #a+++++ #i fuckin love how they did bisky too. o is that a potential love interest? PSYCH thats a 50yr old #anyways i plan on drawing killugon so so so much if my dumb brain/body will allow #i need more merch!!!!!!!! I NEED MERCH #i NEED TO MAKE STICKERS i think. maube that would cure me (<--- gremlin w all the diseases)

[crossguild]

always thinking about the institution-level antagonists in the world of OP, because from our perspective they're the marines, and they're the nobility, but even among the marines there's kobymeppo(among others!), and among the celestial dragons there's mjosgard, and among the minor nobility there was sabo, and every one of them is a character who saw a system of harm and oppression and drew a line where they decided that they wouldn't participate in harming innocent people

and it's a world where pirates rampage almost unchecked, so it's not like the strawhat crew represents the average pirate, most of whom are definitely plundering and murdering. it's been said ad nauseum that one of OP's core themes is that people aren't defined by their affiliation

koby exists so we'll look at akainu and go 'wtf is wrong with you', donquixote mjosgard exists so the audience can look at doffy and go 'it didn't have to be this way!!!'

the way oda brings back arc villains to join luffy when their goals just happen to align is also just, fucking fantastic, because it's not even sending the message that redemption is possible (buggy and crocodile have not become better people in the slightest!! i'd argue they both got significantly WORSE) but more like. 'yeah you hate this motherfucker, but he's on your side on this so you might as well work together'

this is not the most complex analysis or anything, i'm just basking in my LITTLE GUYS being back in the story and how well it ties into the pattern that oda's established, while still being a huge surprise somehow!!

#anyway the w359 gang would super vibe with one piece imo #one piece #i am trying 2 get into the habit of reading OP critically because. ive been reading since i was a lil kid #im not built to be media literate about OP LMAO #im built to love it!!!! #but i think it also deserves nuanced analysis that isnt just me going WOW!!! ONE PIECE IS CRAZY GOOD THIS WEEK! #props to anyone who can guess who my little guys are. my rotten little gremlins.

[littlepurplewakiya]

I'm rewatching the Shogun Steel lost episodes and I just... The more I think about how much and how agressively Kira is constantly preaching about "the absolute power" and how he is "the strongest blader in history " (my God I cringe even typing this), the more it feels like he doesn't even actually believe that and is, in a way, just trying to convince himself of it(?)

I mean sure, there's the thing with the generic over-confident arrogant villain trope, but after a while it just kinda comes across as so...i don't know, forced i guess(?), and there's only so many times he can say it before it all starts reading as him being incredibly insecure.

And I noticed that he (mostly) only started doing that after he gets his ass kicked by Zero - which was likely the first time he's lost a battle in years. It was quite a drop from the top, so naturally he would be shaken after that. Better get myself a stronger toy and start rambling about what a poggchamp I am, amirite~? Right?

Like, this especially shines through during the last battle; yes, while he's having the upper hand he's acting high and mighty again (while still parotting about power) but the second the battle isn't in his favour anymore he kinda starts losing it emoionally. And in the end he seems downright desperate because this already fragile idea, along with confidence (and probably a large amount of self-worth) is falling appart the further he keeps pushing it...

#beyblade zero g #kira hayama #i don't fckin know #is this a headcanon a character analysis or non-sensical 4 am rambling? or all 3 in that order?? #who cares #Kira talk!! #a person just does NOT talk about how great they are at a thing unless they are INCREDIBLY APPALINGLY insecure #*shakes him* kira pls #I wanna wack him on the head rn but I also want to wrap him in a blanket because man... #that's fucked up #and I KNOW that it most likely Isn't that deep and he's writen like this bc 'eww a power-hungry evil gremlin' and nothing more but #it's MY hyperfixation and I get to overanalyse *cough*project on*cough* him #I've been having a lot of feelings about Kira recently so excuse me while I scream into the void

[advestager]

I feel like saying Josuke doesn't have any daddy issues whatsoever isn't entirely fair (I've seen some fic and comics go further into how he and his mom might have been treated due to the circumstances of his birth that were pretty compelling) but people who act like he grew up without any father figure are definitely off base imo. Every single adaptation and extra material have always had a focus on his close relationship with his grandpa for a reason!

see, that's precisely the thing. it is literally impossible to be a grown up human without having internalised some sort of illogical Feeling about oneself or the world – but fandom as a whole tends to just assign arbitrary ones to characters based on stereotypes rather than what they actually are like.

i do think josuke feels some sort of way about his lack of a father growing up, but that's as inevitable as joseph himself (or giorno, or jolyne, or even jonathan) having feelings about his own dad, and yet somehow jorge's absence does not get brought up despite joseph and josuke's fairly similar upbringings. the fact is that most of western fandom tends to view the JJBA characters through a (white, usa-centric) lens that simply does not lend itself to a fair or accurate reading when most of the cast is either POC or from an entirely different cultural background. that's why i'm so resistant to label josuke as having 'daddy issues'; the term means something entirely different to me than it seems to do to most of the fandom, based on all the fic, comics, and discussions i've seen (and had) about the topic. it's not exactly like the organised crime aspect of VA, but it fills me with a similar kind of frustration. i don't think one needs a degree in cultural studies or history or whatnot to enjoy a silly series about people punching each other with slutty soul-ghosts, but it's exhausting to see the same thoughtless, very specifically westernised takes being regurgitated over and over as Absolute Truth until the characters are so flanderised they seem nothing as much as a caricature of their original versions. i love transformative works as much as any other fan creator, but i also happen to like the source material. it is infinitely more interesting to me to think about what kind of relationship josuke might have to his heritage as a mixed-race person, or his identity as the son of a single mother or the obviously cherished and spoilt child of a family such as his own (especially in a place and period like canon's late-90s/early 00's japan), than to hear yet another iteration of 'haha, josuke has daddy issues' where the person saying it has no intention of analysing that premise beyond the puddle-depth obvious.

at barely sixteen years old, even as interested in high-end fashion (and as very much part of a working class family who could definitely use the nest egg) as he is, josuke's immediate reaction to being told his missing father is incredibly rich and wants to take care of him is to say that it's not necessary, and he's fine as he is. sixteen. i worked as a teacher with kids as young as a year old and people as old as mid-seventies; that kind of ease of mind is one-in-a-million and not something you'll find on someone who fits fandom's definition of 'daddy issues'. he's not angry at joseph, he's not grasping for money, he hardly even wants to find out more about the missing part of his origins. his only thought is to wish he wouldn't be the reason other people were hurt, and to protect his mother once there is a risk she might find out and be distressed about it. his entire morality system is (from what i remember of canon) mostly based around the question What Would Grandpa Do?, with some leeway allowed for the temper he clearly got from tomoko and for the fact that he is, again, a big and slightly spoilt sixteen year old.

so yeah. it might not sound fair to say he doesn't have daddy issues, but i don't think the terms fandom's operating under are fair to start with, so i'd rather recuse myself (and my interpretation of the character) from it all til we're playing the same game. the sandbox's wide and wild, and the block and mute buttons are there for a reason, so i'll just stay in my corner writing about higashikatas wielding their feelings like sledgehammers til my mum says it's time to go home.

#tl;dr: everyone's absolutely entitled to their opinion! i just happen to find the most common one the equivalent of soap-flavoured cilantro #i definitely agree with the part about his rship with his grandfather! it's a whole thing in my own writing for them #it's just 'daddy issues' has become shorthand for a combination of takes i quite dislike the past few years #so yeah. i'll just... Not. if y'all don't mind #(i do think Other characters have daddy issues in the traditional sense. and even in the popular modern sense. but not josuke particularly) #anyway i hope this doesn't read as confrontational as i fear it sounds bc that was. so not my intention orz #ty for the ask!!!! i really love discussing character analysis i'm just rly tired rn so i probably sound super Debate Team Mode haha #ps ryohei was 100000% josuke's favourite person in the world growing up and he's still tomoko's special baby gremlin at age 50 pass it on #josuke higashikata #jojo #the funny thing abt my fic is i'm really at ease abt posting my shippy stuff bc it's just like. treating myself to sth nice #and then sharing with everyone as a bonus #but the stuff where i actually talk abt familial and platonic rships for my faves lives in eternal development hell bc i just LOVE it #and never feel like it's perfect enough to share. it's never complete because it's always evolving #which is why i once wrote a novel allegedly about detectives in love but in reality about 100kish of family/friendship character analysis #meaning there was no way this ask could've ever been answered succinctly lol #ask tag #joji.txt #joosk #anonymous