#they're such an interesting reference point when discussing other groups

[sy-on-boy]

My 2 cents on the plot / thematic relevance of Ch 95

This is not about advancing Plot B or showing Anya's school life (which is still true but has been discussed), but rather the overall theme of education and war. There was an excellent post about how Eden is at the frontline of the cold war and it is subtly shown through the innocent lens of the first graders (I can't find it now, would link it if I could). And I think that perfectly applies to Ch 95.

Quick recap on some references about education/students/war throughout the series (that I remember at the moment):

Sylvia gravely condemning the Berlint University Student Terrorists during the Doggy Crisis arc (Ch 20) and saying "did you learn nothing about war at your university?"

Henderson talking about his experience as a history teacher (Ch 27.5, Short Mission 4) and quote: "Yes, well, I have always maintained that there is nothing to be learned from the memorization of time lines. From the grand efforts with which our forefathers crafted society to the foolish notions that sent them racing to war, to not study the human element at history's root is to not understand history at all"

Note that Damian's best subject has been established to be history, and his family (father) has been involved in war, at least Donovan was PM during most of the war (established by Melinda in Ch 91). Donovan is also a graduated Imperial Scholar (Ch 64).

The Red Circus group started out as a peaceful student demonstration "advocating for peace and quality" (Ch 72) and "speaking out to protect the weakest members of our society". And Billy Squire said, "We were a respectable movement that fought for our cause with respectable means. It was the state that turned violent against us. So I'm not taking criticism from a member of the establishment (referring to Henderson, an educator). I'm gonna see to it that they reap what they've sown." Billy's daughter Biddy was killed by the state at a protest.

Less of a point, but Becky is the daughter of the CEO of a major military manufacturer. Despite their very likely involvement in military conflicts because they sell arms, the Blackbell cohort has been depicted positively so far: Becky being a kind, wonderful friend to Anya, Becky's father doting on her, and Martha again being kind and dignified (and also being an ex-soldier and acquainted with Henderson).

Eden Academy is a major setting for SxF and the themes of politics, education, and war are embedded in it. The students involved in protests/groups are older (the university students, Billy's daughter), but the political implications remain even among the youngest of the students— the first graders.

Hence, Ch 95. When mere first graders are shown to fight to gain connections, which can be political as pointed out by Henderson: "In the world of politics, dances serve as major social events". But of course, they are kids, so they see it more playfully and innocently, especially Becky with her shipper lens on.

Of course, there is also the aspect of getting to know other people better out of interest (the boys asking Anya and Becky to dance because they were impressed after the bus hijacking). But as people have mentioned, nobody mentions this to Damian despite him being equally involved in saving the class (all three of them got a star). The girls aren't interested in Damian as a person, they're interested in him as an asset because of his family and their power.

And I can see the teachers trying to diffuse the tension and create camaraderie with their friendly competition. To me, this reads as the teachers fully realizing "the battlefield of political maneuvering", and they want to remind the kids to have fun, to show good sportsmanship, to unite the kids, to operate as a class and be friendly with one another, and overall make it more lighthearted. It's nice to see the classes work together and get excited / win as a unit, especially compared to the more "individual" bits of fighting for a dance partner later.

We get a bit of comparison between Bill and Damian, with Bill showing good sportsmanship while Damian scoffs at him. But Damian ends up becoming ultra competitive and telling his classmates to not screw it up.

Like the Dodgeball chapter, Damian is clumsily attempting to lead the class by doing good in his quiz, while getting stressed and yelling at his peers when they don't succeed like he did. So he's not really a good leader. Like how him being good at history does not necessarily mean he is good at being peaceful (Short Mission 4 ends with Henderson staring in exasperation at Damian + Anya bickering with each other). But obviously, he is merely a child, and he is naturally immature.

At first Loid is all for advancing Plan B and analysed Anya's suitors in a rational (reductionist?) way by ranking them in terms of gaining intelligence, but he remembers this is just a dance, Anya is a kid, and she should do whatever she wants. Loid (and the adults) are very aware of the political side of the gala, but ultimately they want the kids to have fun and not worry / worry less about politics.

Because they're kids! They'll grow up and learn more and be politically active later, but right now, they're just kids. Kids who don't know much about the world but are eager to make the world a better place.

In the end, we get a panel of Anya and Loid "teaming up" to win Damian's hand for Plan B / world peace. The Damian-Anya dynamic is cushioned with the silly crushy feelings, but underneath it, Operation Strix continues to be a core motivation.

I find it interesting that Endo chooses to focus on the first graders and their innocent view of the world / politics. It's embedded everywhere and especially in a prominent school like Eden, but the kids don't really realise it / realise the severity of it. Heirs and heiresses are educated at Eden and grow up to have incredible influence and the power to shape the world. Our protagonist's best friend comes from a family that manufactures arms. Henderson mentions the importance of learning history to avoid making the same mistakes (ie. war).

So Ch 95 is a cute prom chapter. But I think it also helps to show the themes underneath the fun, bubbly interactions.

#spy x family spoilers #spy x family #spy x family manga #sxf analysis #meta #idk #what do i tag #long post

[viviennevermillion]

they're all here because of you

notes: just me bleeding my chronic loneliness and estrangement from people into the malleus x reader oneshot. also the frozen references may have been a little too obvious but at this point you can't tell me this man isn't canonically at least a little bit inspired by elsa.

synopsis: the birthday party at night raven college wasn't quite what malleus had hoped it'd be. luckily you were there to cheer him up.

contains: malleus draconia x gn!reader, hurt/comfort

warnings: angst, themes of loneliness

dark content creators and consumers dni

"They're all here because of you", Lilia had told him with a smile on his face as the students gathered at Diasomnia for his birthday celebration, "look at how many people came to celebrate you even though we're all from different lands and have different ways of life. Isn't this school just a curious place?" Malleus had smiled at the words of the older dragon fae. Indeed, he had been looking forward to another birthday at Night Raven College, especially in his third year when he had talked to more people and experienced more of human life than ever before. He felt honored that the humans had come to celebrate him. That he didn't have to eat the cake alone this time or stare out of the window, wondering if everyone was having fun with the festivities in the village below the castle; while he had to stay inside asking himself what it would be like to join them.

Few had been brave enough to walk up directly to him and wish him a happy birthday. But they're all here because of me, Malleus reminded himself, they're here to celebrate my birthday. If he hadn't come to Night Raven College, there'd be no reason to celebrate his birthday after all.

He observed the humans from a distance; watched as they shared the cake that had been ordered specifically for the birthday celebration. It looked like it would be finished in no time. More than half of it was already gone and Malleus looked pleased. He had overheard several people commenting on how the cake was delicious and he himself found it quite enjoyable. He sat at a table near the window with his own plate in front of him. Sebek sat with him and complimented him but Malleus didn't really listen. Sebek didn't seem to notice nor mind.

Malleus saw how some of the humans took out their phone and took pictures of themselves with the other guests, celebrating and having fun together. He pulled his own phone out of his pocket only to notice it was broken again. When did that even happen this time?, he sighed. He'd have to get a new one sometime soon and find someone to explain Magicam to him, so he could be in the photos and participate in interacting with his classmates online. Malleus thought back to the Halloween week and the "Draconia challenge". That didn't count, right? He felt more like a commodity or a tourist attraction at the time. Was this what being in photos with others was supposed to feel like? Was this how all of them felt too?

They didn't seem unhappy. In fact, a lot of them seemed to have a great deal of fun at his birthday. They had hugged their friends and told each other stories of their latest and most interesting memories. The countries they had seen during their holidays and the parties they had been to recently. They also discussed their plans together for the coming weekends. Malleus smiled. It sounded like a lot of fun.

But the lingering feeling of sadness in his heart stayed. They were all here because of him and yet, as soon as they'd leave the dorm lounge, that too would come to pass. Lilia, Silver and Sebek had been the only ones on this day to hold a longer conversation with him. Most had congratulated him and then moved on to stick to their own groups that they'd share his cake with and celebrate his birthday with. And Malleus was watching. That's all he really did, were he honest with himself.

He remembered the beginning of the school year when he had told you that he quite enjoyed the solitude. Maybe he just really found his own company to be the best he had; liked to stroll through abandoned ruins and ponder the ways of the world in silence. Or maybe, if he truly listened to the voice in his heart for just a moment; instead of pushing it away in hopes to never hear from it again; he'd find that that was not the truth. That sometimes he preferred solitude because it hurt less than this. It was what he was used to and it caused him less pain than the idea of being surrounded by people and alone despite it all.

Had people really come to celebrate his birthday? Or did they simply receive the invitation and felt like celebrating something, anything?

He observed as his human guests giggled about something he didn't understand and put a party hat on one of their friends; teasing them about it. And then he looked at his little table, with his half-finished slice of cake and Sebek rambling on endlessly about how powerful and great he was. He wondered if Sebek had noticed that no one else had sat at their table for the entirety of the celebration. At least he seemed content with it...

Malleus possessed all the power most wizards could wish for, yet he only ever seemed to lose. He felt like he had been born and put on a pedestal to look at and gather around. Like a statue on a busy plaza built to bring a community together but never really meant to be a part of it. Time passed him by like a fleeting shadow and all that remained in the aftermath of inevitable change were ruins. Perhaps that's why he found such comfort in them. They were what would still be here for him when all else faded. When the laughter in the halls had long since stopped to echo, the lights had gone out and the mortal souls that brought life to its corridors, painted the pictures on the walls and grew the vibrant gardens outside had left this world forever; ruins were all that remained. How he wished he'd be able to change along with the world. But time left him behind; always leaving his little world stagnant before he'd one day find it in ruins too.

Maybe things would change once he was king. Or maybe people would always fear Malleus. And Malleus would always fear he'd remain nothing but a statue. Influencing the world but never truly living in it the way everyone around him would.

He was tied to humanity by a cruel string of fate. He'd isolate himself to forget about his pain and forget about all he lacked but once he noticed his retainers were the only ones who'd come looking for him, he'd always crawl back for another try, hoping this time it'd be different. Maybe this time he'd make the friends everyone told him were something he should never miss out on; that this time he'd take the photos he'd look back on for years to come with a smile on his face and celebrate the birthdays that finally truly made him feel valuable for anything but being born as a prince with an insane amount of magic power.

He saw the snow falling outside and got up to excuse himself. This was getting out of hand. Malleus stepped onto the balcony, resting his arms on the balustrade as the soft and cold snowflakes got caught on his horns and in his hair and some of them mixed with the tears running down his cheeks. He knew he needed to get this under control. It wasn't befitting of a prince to cry at his birthday party. Or make it snow outside. He'd only cause trouble for everyone else and ruin the celebration for them. They were all here because of him, at least officially, and he had to treat his guests with the proper respect. He had to put them first and hope that while focusing on making this experience the most enjoyable one for them, he'd distract himself from his own feelings for a while.

"Were you planning to make an ice skating rink for everyone?", he heard a joking voice behind him, one he immediately recognized, "I'm sorry I'm late. Got held up by Crewel after class..." Your voice was soft and you took his hand in yours. You were observant, immediately noticing that he wasn't feeling too well. Seeing the tears on his face just confirmed that. You reached your hand out to cup his cheeks and gently wipe the tears away. "Hey, what's the matter?", you asked with a worried expression on your face, hugging Malleus gently. You could tell how distressed he was from the way he clung to you like you were the lifeline he was so desperately hoping for while drowning in a sea of solitude.

"I apologize", Malleus began, taking your hand in his again, "it's unbecoming of the host of a birthday party to just leave his guests alone like this. Let alone the future king of Briar Valley." You shook your head, squeezing his hand gently. "Your feelings matter too, you know?"

Malleus couldn't help but chuckle. Even Lilia would have tried to convince him to go back to the party and give it another try. You were the only one who made him feel like he really could show his feelings around you. That he could forget about being Crown Prince Malleus Draconia for a moment and just be someone you held dear and talked to about gargoyles and all the curious phenomenons of human society. He looked up to notice the snow had stopped. Or rather, it was frozen in mid-air, as if the storm had quieted down and what was left of it were glistening fragments frozen in time. He looked at your face and the smile you wore made him smile as well. Most were terrified of his magic, yet you reached out to it unafraid and with a sense of curiosity and wonder. You fished some of the ice crystals out of the air and examined them in your hands.

They were melting on your skin and you touched his neck in a fruitless attempt to tease him with your cold hands. Malleus chuckled but quickly returned to his own world where it was mostly him and his thoughts. "Did anyone notice?", he sighed, looking back into the Diasomnia dorm lounge with a longing expression. "I mean Lilia, Silver and Sebek-" "I get it", you recognized the pouting expression on his face. You sighed.

"Do you still want to be here?"

Malleus didn't hesitate; the words leaving his mouth almost like an automated response. "It's my birthday party and my guests-" "Malleus, be honest", you retorted and linked your fingers with his, signaling that you'd be fine with whatever he'd tell you. He hesitated for a while before a quiet "no" left his lips.

"Would you like to take a walk and look at the gargoyles around campus again? Or we could go to the village and browse that antique shop you like. I heard they got new stuff recently", you suggested, still smiling at him softly. Was this really okay?

You reassured him that no one would be mad at him for taking some time to do what felt right for him at the moment. He pulled you into his arms again and whispered a quiet thank you.

About an hour later the two of you were sitting on a bench near the beach of Sage's Island, sharing a big ice cream cup. Malleus loved to listen to your voice as you answered whatever questions he had for you. He had come to this school unsure of what there was left to learn for him, yet you taught him so much about the world in so little time. You were honest and had no issue explaining things to him in great detail, to make sure he really understood what you were talking about. He loved how enthusiastic you were about sharing your world with him. You always seemed so excited whenever he was unfamiliar with something you liked and you were able to show him.

He remembered how alone he had felt among the guests of his birthday celebration. How he felt like the world had been grey and dull in this moment; as he was forced to watch the people around him live each moment like it was the greatest yet. And then you had entered the dorm and brought color to his world. All the guests were there to celebrate his birthday yet he felt like today you were the only one who really saw him. Who pulled him out of his overthinking and told him it was okay to take a break. You pressed a kiss to his forehead and wished him a happy birthday after finishing the ice cream cup; putting it aside and resting your head on his shoulder. And for now, that was more than enough. Malleus chuckled and watched the sun set with a smile, holding your hand tightly in his.

On days like these he felt like a statue. Made to contribute something to this world while never truly being part of it as it changed and grew with every passing second. And you....you were the one person who'd stop by every day to place flowers down in front of it; who'd stay here for a while, content no matter if you were surrounded by others or if it was just you and him. You had dried his tears and soothed the ache in his heart and he knew you'd continue to do so, doing nothing but spending your time with him because you loved him. Because you saw him and you loved what you saw.

He found it curious how when he'd feel lost, just the fact that you took his hand and talked to him made all the difference for a moment. He leaned his head against yours as he watched the stars appear on the skies. He had power and status and today, on his birthday, he had received plenty of gifts from the other students. But ironically, the greatest gift he had today was you. And you promised to be there for the days, months and years to come.

#twisted wonderland #malleus x reader #malleus draconia x you #malleus draconia x reader #malleus draconia #malleus draconia fluff #twisted wonderland fluff #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader

[elkian]

Rereading The Murderbot Diaries now that I have System Collapse and once again struck by how Murderbot reads expression.

As an ND person myself who sees a lot of overlap with it at times, it's very interesting to me. I've repeatedly had issues where the expressions I was making or interpreting did not match other people's ideas, and my mother has never in my whole life correctly deduced my tone of voice. Not once. I think one reason I'm drawn (haha) to animated and stylized mediums is because stylistic representations of people have to have expressions that scan immediately to as much of the audience as possible.

(Thinking about that bit where Murderbot comments on humans not knowing what they're trying to express when they're in Real Life and not actors on a soap opera set.)

Anyways, it makes sense that Murderbot might have some skill at interpreting expressions and microexpressions and so on. Those are viable and valuable security skills, after all. But it strikes me how accurate it seems to be at doing so. Since the series is almost entirely in Murderbot's perspective, it's less likely to mention being wrong, but it regularly confidently refers to expressions by the emotion it inferred from them.

As someone who is not good at this, it's very interesting to me when I have a lot of traits overlapping with MB. (It's also worth discussing how ND folk, and specifically autistic people, are often pigeonholed to the point that expressing Uncommon Autistic Traits makes people believe you aren't autistic.) Murderbot talks a lot about not liking people or being interested in strange humans, but it often contradicts itself without realizing. I think one reason it claims not to care about humans is because it's often been in positions where its clients could be harmed incidentally or intentionally and it would not be allowed to intercede due to Capitalism Hell, or malice/indifference from the top.

It says it has to do what humans tell it, and that's technically true, but there's a further power dynamic within groups; the boss has all the power and, presumably, the highest level of management in a group has the authority to order SecUnits to do things against their actual design - fighting other SecUnits, ignoring safety protocol in order to save money, and leaving bleeding humans unattended to go pick up equipment are all canonical examples that Murderbot provides us. I wouldn't be at all surprised if killing or harming less influential members of the group in question were totally common and viable.

This is all to mean that it isn't emotionally safe to care about humans, because even if it does its tasks completely successfully, they might be at risk due to the negligence inherent in the system. But Murderbot spends half a dozen books trying and failing Not To Care, so it just refuses to acknowledge that it does care for a long time.

Anyways, I don't have any pithy conclusions, I just find it super interesting that MB talks about having a hard time understanding humans, and ART canonically has difficulty processing human emotional contexts when not familiar with the relevant situations, and yet Murderbot, canonically, is often successful at reading emotion in the expressions of the people around it and itself in recordings. It's not a trait given to many ND characters, particularly autistic or autistic-analogue ones, and it adds some fun texture to the storytelling.

#elk text #tmd #the murderbot diaries #murderbot #secunit #do not clown on this post

[beemovieerotica]

Yoo, your post about the whole controversy around jk Rowling being something not that wide spread outside internet really reasonated with me. I'm openly trans at work + Jewish (and I assume you might know about the Harry Potter game controversy), and one colleague (who I get along well with enough to call my friend) really really loves Harry Potter and keep trying to excitedly talk about it with me... Despite me telling her I am not comfortable about that media. She keep insisting on removing the work from its author because it was her childhood and so important to her.

I just... How do you navigate it when it happens to you? I could really use some reference or perspective overall!

No pressure to answer, I realize it might be controversial subject that may bait I'll faith engagement so I totally understand if you don't respond

oh I'm happy to respond, no yeah when I posted about me blocking anons baiting for discourse I mean I frequently get single sentence asks like "do you support ______" and that's...someone not interested in actually talking to me, but instead doing a witchhunt "are you a Good Person or a Bad Person" to a stranger on the internet. like if someone asked "do you support jk rowling" no context no other discussion, it's weird, it's impersonal, it's not how I want to talk to people (and anyone who has followed me for any length of time would know the answer anyway?)

but yeah sorry getting to your question, that's really difficult to reverse out of that situation if you've already expressed past interest in it...with my coworkers who like hp I'll do a very obviously polite-but-not-part-of-the-group "oh that's fun!" when they talk about it e.g. dressing up as hp for halloween, and I guess I consistently give off enough of an impression of never having cared about it, which is WILD because yeah it used to be my life. so they don't try to get any deeper into it than surface level mentions with me.

but if you've already breached the whole topic of jkr herself...AND they're not responding to explicit requests to steer away the topic...? they fundamentally don't respect your boundaries regardless of the subject matter. like remove hp from the equation and if my coworker said they don't like talking about pirates of the caribbean for even the vaguest reason on earth and I continued to try to engage with them about it, through their discomfort, then it's not really about whether something can ever be redeemed as media or not, they just don't respect boundaries.

at that point that's really shitty if she's in your workspace but she's a kind enough person about everything else to be considered a friend...but if she IS a friend, then you should be able to literally say "sorry I need to step away, this isn't a topic I want to get into" when she brings it up and then. physically step away. like make the boundary an actual physical thing that gets enforced if she doesn't respect your wishes. it SHOULD start to click for her then, because maybe at this point she's learned subconsciously "oh, my friend will talk about my favorite thing with me if I ease them into it, and I can make them get over their discomfort, because they're still here talking to me, aren't they?"

be polite, verbalize the boundary, and physically walk away to enforce the boundary and do something else. you don't have to burn bridges that you don't want to burn, AND you don't have to put up with behavior you don't like!

#ask #anti hp

[chaikachi]

I think we can possibly get rg crumbs with Neo teasing Ruby as Oscar even more🙏 let's pray for the crumbs 🙏 it's been 84 years 🥹

I literally JUST wrote an analysis of this and threw it on twitter like 2 days ago. I had been meaning to put it on my personal blog but you, dear anono, have given me incentive to put it here instead.

The Interesting Pattern of People Using Oscar Against Ruby

This kicks off primarily in v7, which makes sense since Oscar and Ruby are thrown into conflict as early as episode 2. The conflict is a result of Ruby lying to Ironwood in an attempt to protect him and the rest of their team... But it's clear from the start not everyone agrees with that decision.

Of those that don't agree, the loudest seem to be Oscar and Yang. The latter of which - who is our first example - chooses to bring it up with Ruby in front of their whole team when they're on their first mission with the Ace Ops. Except Yang doesn't just voice her own thoughts or feelings, she makes a point to to ask Ruby how Oscar feels about it. Which was not the fairest way to go about it if you ask me. Especially seeing how Ruby reacted. It's also VERY INTERESTING how that scene directly parallels what it transitions into: Oscar posing those same concerns to her. Except unlike Yang, he found Ruby when she was alone so they didn't have an audience to witness their conflict.

From there, we have a slightly more subtle example: Ironwood. And by 'subtle' i just mean he doesn't say it as directly with his words or actions as the other examples we're discussing here. We do know that their conflict for this volume is centered on their disagreement of what to do with Ironwood... and the show reminds us of that by constantly framing the two separated by him.

Whether it was Ironwood's intention or not, he did manage to drive a wedge between the two of them. And while this conflict does keep them apart for a while... it doesn't work as well as it could have. The first example of this is in episode 7 where Oscar and Ironwood are having their talk near the winter vault.

Ironwood: Do you believe in me? Oscar: I do believe in you. But not only you.

It is very clear Oscar is talking about the other leader in this situation: Ruby. Showing that despite their disagreement, he still does stand by and respect Ruby's decision. Even in this photo, while they are still separated by Ironwood, they are agreeing with each other about what to do:

That scene is then directly followed by the infamous "Schnee Manor Fumble" where the the two finally agree to tell Ironwood the truth and regain some trust in each other.

And as much as I would love to analyze this scene in even more depth, it will have to wait for another post.

For now the next example: Cinder

In V8 when she sabotages their portal plan, it's literally the first thing she says and I still don't know why. Cinder saw the vision of them making this plan, but it was a group endeavor. And the only things we saw Oscar say were the technicalities of how Atlas would fall when using the staff... So what exactly was she referring to? and why did she mention his name specifically?

And then last, but certainly not least: Neo.

We saw this back when the v9 teaser clip first dropped however long ago and it was a topic of BIG DEBATE. Many argued there was no significance behind why she chose Oscar of all people to turn into... but I have to disagree.

In tandem with all these other examples, there is a narrative pattern formed of people specifically using Oscar as a way to twist the knife at Ruby. Yang, Cinder, and - depending on if you view his contribution as intentional or not - Ironwood. Which makes Neo the 3rd or 4th person to do this.

Neo has a vendetta against Ruby. We know this. We know that Yang was an easy choice to hurt her because they're sisters. We know Penny is a good choice because they're close friends and Ruby already lost her once. But Oscar? Why Oscar?

Why did she pick him first? And why did she specifically use a mirage of him when he's covered in bruises and burn marks when she has seen him cleaned up multiple times? To that I have two answers.

The first: because she was there at the Schnee manor and saw them interact in the entryway.

And what she saw convinced her that the two of them were close. Close enough that using Oscar's face against Ruby - especially one battered and bruised - would be an easy way to hurt her.

I'm not trying to use this argument to say that Ruby has feelings for Oscar. I think in canon she is largely too preoccupied with the weight of the world on her shoulders to think about that right now. But we DO know that Oscar feels some type of way about her.

And that even if it's not established in canon as romantic yet, Ruby and Oscar are close. That they do have a relationship built on mutual trust, respect, and understanding for being in similar situations. As clearly displayed in show as well as backed up by Miles in this cameo.

But at the end of the day, there is a very strong emphasis on her connection to Oscar since his debut, which characters within the narrative are noticing! (just look at Nora's face here)

But that brings me to my 2nd point as to why Neo chose the characters she did: Because the writers wanted us to see that.

Animation is expensive and so much meticulous detail and intent goes into everything that we see. They wouldn't have just chosen those characters arbitrarily. They chose those three characters on purpose and I think it largely has to do with how those characters relate to Ruby's arc for Volume 9. So lets go down the list in more detail:

Yang

Once again, it is a bit self explanatory. Her and Ruby are sisters with unresolved conflict that has been building for a while now. Some of it from their upbringing, but a lot of the more recent struggles being Yang's habit of calling Ruby out or disagreeing with her in front of groups of people. It was mentioned at the start of this post, but there are two other examples that come to mind. The beginning of v8 and more recently, v9e3.

In the first, she is arguing with Ruby in front of a room full of people and they all get to see her leadership called into question. The second, we see Ruby's patience around this habit starting to wear thin. I'm not trying to say Yang is wrong to express these things, but the way she goes about them is often not very considerate of Ruby's feelings. Especially her feelings tied to leadership, which is a big theme for this volume.

As mentioned in the v9 trailer, someone says "You seem to be carrying a rather large burden". However, we can see very clearly Ruby's not carrying it well at all and that she is well on her way to breaking under that pressure. A pressure and insecurity that Yang has unfortunately contributed to even when she's trying her very best to be supportive.

Two brief side notes:

Blake and Qrow are also guilty of hurting Ruby in this way unintentionally, but I don't want to touch on them in this post so it will have to wait for another meta

VERY INTERESTING that right before this shot, Yang says "My plan for mantle didn't work out either... but we got Oscar back". Which is a very nice callback to the last time she brought him up to Ruby at the beginning of v7.

But back on track to the next illusion Neo uses:

Penny

We know this one is a big one. The two have always been very close and Ruby is quite protective of her in light of having already lost her once. We saw Ruby admit to this for the first (and pretty much only) time on screen when speaking with Oscar in the Dojo during v5. (yet another scene I would like to dissect more in detail in a later post)

Ruby: When Beacon fell, I lost two of my friends. Penny Polendina and Pyrrha Nikos. (...) Ruby: Pyrrha... Penny. I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt. That I didn't think about them every day since I lost them.

We also see Ruby passes out when she hears that Penny didn't survive the fall. Then later she gives a eulogy of sorts over the sword that she got from Jinxy. So this plot around Ruby's grief towards Penny is going to be very prevalent this volume.

And lastly:

Oscar

Why him when he didn't fall with them? Well, because we already had a parallel setup between him and Ruby in relation to "The Girl Who Fell Through The World".

Oscar: She brushed off her bumps and bruises, for nothing hurt worse than the loneliness in her chest. Oz: I recognize that. The Girl Who Fell Through the World. Oscar: I shouldn't be surprised you're so familiar with fairytales. Oz: I've lived through my share of them. How are you holding up? Oscar: I thought the idea of falling through Remnant into a new world was... exciting. I never understood why she was so sad when she finally made it back home. But now it makes more sense. Oz: She wasn't the same girl anymore.

Oscar relates because of how he was thrown into this adventure and how it's changed him... and the same can be said for Ruby. Except instead of the call to adventure choosing her, she chose the path herself and then fell into that fairytale first hand. Literally. Into an arc that seems to be telling her that in order for her to grow, survive, and to rise up from the fall she just had: she needs to change. Just like Alyx did. Just like Oscar did.

Unkown Voice: What if you could leave Ruby Rose behind? Shed like an old coat. What might happen... if you don't?

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that's all i've got rn. there are so many crumbs i have built myself a damn loaf of bread, my friends. and i have very few doubts that Neo won't try and use a mirage of Oscar against Ruby again. if you got to the end, thank you for reading and let me know if you'd like to see more of this stuff or if you'd prefer I keep it on my non-art blog @gatheringkeepsakes. Until then... RG CANON OKAY BYE.

#thank you for the ask! sorry for writing a literal essay in response :D #rwby #ruby rose #oscar pine #rosegarden #rwby v9 #rwby v9 spoilers #rwby meta #rwby analysis #ask #asks #anon #anono #chainalysis

[screemnch]

The Pathologic Russian and English analysis: Bachelor Daniil Dankovsky

So uhhh.... Turns out my priorities aren't as messed up as I thought, which is why it took me a whole month just to finish this thing. Let's cover some basics shall we? The approximate structure will, depending on the length of this analysis, go as follows: I’m gonna tackle Patho Classic and the three healers from each other’s perspective, look at shared dialogue options and then talk about all the other important NPCs and how they interact with the playable characters. Since Patho 2 only has the Haruspex run, we’re gonna move through that a lot faster in a similar fashion, and then we’ll look over Marble Nest.

What I’m going to be focusing on: there’s a huge amount of dialogue between all the characters in the story, and I couldn’t possibly note down all the differences at once. I will mainly be trying to relay the “voice” of the character that is present in the original Russian version and noting the biggest differences. If there are also pieces of dialogue that shine a different light on a few story aspects, I will point these out too. Mainly I will talk about how the characters in these interactions seem to treat each other (which will be difficult, since opinions of characters change frequently in this game), note interesting mannerisms and sometimes quote the fun differences and try and fail to explain why the use of this specific idiom is funny in this context. Sooooo yeah.

The Bachelor

The Bachelor in the other characters’ campaigns is, as we all know, a drastically different character. Before I dive nose deep, I’m gonna establish what kind of impression we have of our English Bachelor, so we can compare and contrast things easily.

Daniil in the English version is, as we all know, a prickly prick. He speaks in a usually rather conceited manner, gets irritated with people easily and likes to throw in latin phrases at random points. He sees himself as smarter than everyone else which then in turn leads to him being manipulated by most people that he meets. He’s having a no good, very bad week and he will let people know about it. In the Haruspex campaign the “asshole” part of his character seems to be a bit diminished, and when watching him interact with Artemy, I almost saw something similar to… Respect? He even appeals to Artemy’s knowledge of the kin, as opposed to his own Capital beliefs, when asking him to save the Polyhedron. In the Changeling campaign the Bachelor’s prickly prick factor is ramped up to a hundred. He’s arrogant, talks down to Clara while also being heavily dependent on her and does his best to seem unaffected by all the shit hitting the fan.

Overall, he does give off an impression of a capital dandy that’s in way over his head in both campaigns, and has a very distinct voice and mannerisms. Partially I’d attribute that to the fact that the speech quirk of “randomly starts speaking latin like a pretentious asshole” was a rather easy thing to translate. So, what do we get when we meet the Bachelor in Russian?

As the Haruspex: Before I even discuss the tone, I want to set a little groundwork - although it might be something people already know if they're that deep into learning about an obscure Russian game. And that is - the use of “you” in the Russian language. Similar to German, we have two versions: formal and informal. 

The formal version - “вы” (vy - phonetics are difficult) - is used in Russian when referring to strangers, figures of authority, people older than you, people whom you respect, as well as a group of people.

The informal version - “ты” (ty - once again, phonetics are stupid) - is used when speaking to a friend, someone younger than you (like a child), someone you have no respect for, or someone you’re familiar with. Also family, even if they’re older. This being said, for 90% of the time in the Haruspex campaign, the Bachelor uses the informal “you” when speaking to Artemy. More on that as we get into the nitty gritty.

Dankovsky’s tone throughout this campaign is separated into 2 groups - before and after you receive a letter with his list of Bound, where he decides to dedicate himself to the Kain's cause and to saving the Polyhedron. I’m not sure if that is clearly visible in the English version - reading them side by side has blurred a lot of things for me, but it’s quite apparent in the Russian version. 

In terms of consistent mannerisms, there is one detail that I think doesn’t shine as well in English as it does in Russian. You’d think that our bachelor of medicine would speak in a very formal tone, using big boy words and scientific terms only. You would be wrong.

The Bachelor speaks in very “deliberate” sentences. It’s like he is trying to get all the possible clarifications out of the way, before getting to the point of the sentence. That doesn’t make him sound formal or anything. He uses diminutives and “rough” words every now and then, and doesn’t overcomplicate his sentences too much.When I say rough words, I don’t mean cussing, per se. In fact, other than the equivalent of “damn” (which literally translates into something like “imp”) Daniil doesn’t swear at all. Even when he calls the Haruspex a bastard in English, in Russian it’s a lot softer and more akin to “scoundrel.” Rough words, I guess, would be more like… “Lower-class” slang terms. I say lower-class because for a long time many words in Russia were considered to be unacceptable, since they were, or at least were reminiscent of, prison talk. The closest example I can think of in English is the way one person might say “making love” and another one might say “screwing.” Except in Russian, there are “rough” words for eating, going somewhere, etc. And the Bachelor, even though you’d expect him to be a high-strung formal ass, is very liberal with those words. This goes into contrast with what we get in the English version, where he seems to mostly use very formal language, except for a few moments of frustration.

In the first half of the Haruspex campaign, Daniil speaks in an overall warmer tone, starting out with what seems to be boundless enthusiasm. It’s only slightly mitigated by the frustration towards the townspeople. In English he sounds like he’s only frustrated, but in Russian it sounds like he’s frustrated because of how much he wants to help. He expresses a lot of his frustration by riddling his speech with tiny connector words, as if rushing the other person to respond. It’s like if there were a bunch of different alternatives to the word “then,” and you’d see him being like “Well tell me then, what, then, is this thing?” This creates an appearance of impatience, desperation, and helplessness. Which is what I imagine the player would feel at that time in the Bachelor run. Anyways, now onto the fun little details.

Everyone’s beloved “far be it from me to call myself a person of mystical inclinations...” line is, for the most part, pretty accurate. The biggest difference, from what I found, is in the first sentence itself. In Russian, it’s simply “Yes… Mystical feelings/sensations are alien/foreign to me.” Everything else is pretty much the same. Though, tone wise, the sheer presence of an informal “you” makes it a lot more personal. Instead of someone talking about an odd, otherworldly and foreboding feeling, the tone is more of a person bitterly commenting on an unfortunate and cruel burden that they realise they share with another person.

Day 2 and it’s main quest have a fun little detail that I will talk about later when we discuss formalities a little more, but for now I will simply note that throughout all of Day 2, the Bachelor speaks to Burakh using the formal version of “you” (and being addressed informally right back). But also, in one of the dialogues that happens during that quest Artemy says “I’m beginning to like you, oynon” the Russian version instead has “I’m liking you more and more, oynon” which is a fun detail that I think some people may appreciate.After examining the samples, you can ask the Bachelor what he is working on now. In his reply he says he’s looking for the sources of the outbreak and needs hard evidence. In the Russian text, he specifically says he needs evidence of himself being right. In the rest of his dialogues he seems rather open-minded to unorthodox practices, as much as he sneers at them, but in this particular case he seems focused specifically on being correct, rather than right. Not too empirical of him, smh.

I found this difference absolutely hilarious. I imagine the main reason that this line was translated the way it was is because they wanted to maintain the tone of suspicion coming from the Bachelor. In a more literal translation (and keep in mind, this all has a bunch of little words strewn in to pad out the sentences) Dankovsky says something more like “And what sort of specimen is that?” except it’s not “specimen” it’s “subject” which in Russian can point to a person, and it’s very difficult to convey the absolute snark that comes with this question. Imagine a suburban mother in a polka dot apron and red glasses, as she stares down a dead bird that her child has brought in from the backyard. There’s suspicion, a hint of disgust, and a demand to know why this is being brought to their attention. That being said, I don’t know if there was a better way to translate this. Maybe “Who the hell is that?” is the best way to convey this. I just wanted to point out how starkly different it is in Russian.

Interesting difference here: in the English version the Bachelor says “Your father was a natural.” Here, the specific word used usually refers to a gemstone, something extremely valuable. A literal translation of the word would be “self-born.”

Additionally, Dankovsky seems to speak very fondly of Rubin throughout the campaign. Like, it’s something that’s present in the English version, I guess, but in Russian it genuinely seems that the two share a strong bond. There is a lot more warmth when talking about his expertise, and a lot more concern and sadness, when it's implied that he might be in danger.

Two things about this. 1: The whole “half-dead” thing is absolutely hilarious in Russian. Essentially the word that he uses can be loosely likened to smth like “half-corpselings” with the use of diminutives, as if the bacteria were a bunch of tiny little guys that were about to die. More to my argument that the Bachelor doesn’t sound professional, just very deliberate. Secondly, the whole “Oh yes, I would very much like to have a serious talk with Rubin” makes it sound like he’s an angry parent whose kid is absolutely in trouble. In Russian, he sounds like he’s talking about meeting up with a college buddy, or as if the desire to ask for someone else’s assistance is a sudden urge. That comes specifically from the word he uses - охота (okhóta). The primary meaning of this word is “a hunt.” But it can also mean a desire, or want to do something, often paired with the fact that it’s something that you can’t or won’t do at the moment.

Fucking this. I was so flabbergasted by this line when I came across it, because the entire Haruspex campaign these two get along really well. And then this happens, and it suddenly sounds like the Bachelor is spitefully making fun of Burakh for not finding something that they both believe is impossible to find. Like, it was so mean and petty and out of the blue, it immediately paints an image of someone who lashes out the moment they have to admit defeat - which is not something the Bachelor has been doing so far. In the original Russian dialogue? “Yes, after everything you were unable to find this creature.” Or something to that effect. I’m translating the vibes here to my best ability. Oddly enough, this is one of the instances in which the Bachelor uses the informal version of “you” again. It’s not mockery. This is Daniil drawing the line of all that he could accomplish, but also all the things he tried to help realise, all the people he supported, before he is executed (at least he thinks he will be). He mentions being unable to look in the eye of everyone he failed earlier in the conversation, referring to his colleagues at Thanatica, but at the same time - at this point he’s already insisted that he wants himself and Burakh to collaborate and sees their separate goals as one. Artemy’s unfortunate conclusion is one he feels partially responsible for. The meaning and vibe of the sentence goddamn changes near everything about this interaction! It goes from spiteful gloating of a cornered, near dead man, trying to find solace in another person’s failings, to instead something more akin to… Regret? Pity? Empathy? That’s it, Marble Nest, I’m coming for your “oooh, Bachelor Dankovsky has no heart” bullshit.

That being said, after the Inquisitor’s appearance, the tone that Daniil takes on shifts drastically. I wasn’t able to find or remember when he sends his letter about the Bound, but I’m pretty sure it all happens around the same time. And the main idea of that is - the Bachelor has his own agenda now. He’s found out about what happened to Thanatica and is now dead set on preserving the only other miracle he knows of - the Polyhedron. And, maybe I’m getting a little to interpret-y here, but seeing as the Haruspex can help lead to that goal of his, the Bachelor then starts giving Burakh the same treatment that the Kains have been giving him. 

His tone becomes a lot more familiar, a lot more personal. He constantly brings up the things that he’s done for Artemy and the looming threat of the town getting shelled. Oh, and I’m pretty sure around that time he also starts calling him by his first name. He does his best to act like he really cares about what the “udurgh” can be, while pushing his own idea, and condemning Aglaya for doing the same. He also doesn’t use those little exasperated and rushed filler words in his speech, despite the situation being arguably a lot worse. I remember seeing some of that even in the English version, but I don’t know if it’s the fact that I got to see all the dialogue, or that some Russian words just hit different, but it’s a lot more apparent when looking at it now.

Now here’s a moment where I’m a bit lost as to what translation I prefer. I want all these characters to get along in a universe where they’re nice and kind to each other, but that’s simply not Pathologic. Besides, if I’m sticking to my interpretation, I should really be telling y’all that the Russian version is more effective. Because in Russian, dude literally says “I’m sorry if you thought I was condescending” or something to that extent that would imply that him being an ass is simply Burakh’s own misinterpretation. But hey, this is also the conversation in which he decided to “play unfair” and pressure Artemy into speaking to the Foreman in his stead, so it’s not like this changes much. Maybe being manipulated for what, a whole week now, has finally gotten to him, or he’s just gotten familiar enough to use such tactics - interpret it how you will.

More fun differences - when asking the Bachelor about how to get into the Polyhedron, he will mention Maria and Khan getting into a spat and not being on good terms. In Russian, he refers to her as “my Maria” which he hasn’t done before or since (at least between these two).

That’s all I’ve got about the campaign as it is, but I’ve also promised a little tangent about formality and so here it is. Throughout the entire campaign, there are only a few instances in which the Bachelor addresses the Haruspex using the formal version of “you.” Those instances are: 1 - when asking him about his inheritance. 2 - when talking about chimaeras and how they don’t exist before heading off to face the Inquisitor. And 3 - when you’re speaking to him late at night. Instances in which he’s either asking you to leave him alone, or offering to use his own bed to rest in. My theory is that the Bachelor - as far as I’ve read in his interactions with Burakh - switches to a formal tone (with people who he’d usually speak to informally) if he is uncomfortable. Consider: he uses the formal version of “you” when speaking to Artemy about his inheritance - because that’s a really awkward topic. He needs to get crucial information from Isidor’s notes asap, but the person he has to speak to about them is the man’s grieving son, who’s still being blamed for his death. Awkward as hell. Next instance? He thinks he’s about to be offed by the inquisitor and is (at least in my interpretation) expressing a degree of guilt for the failures of someone who’s at the very least an acquaintance at this point. Very uncomfortable, especially for someone with an ego as big as the Bitchelor’s. And lastly - late at night, tired out of his mind, having to either turn away a guest, or offer them his own bed. Both awkward and uncomfortable things to do, for a city boy. Now, this is, of course just from what I can see of Daniil in the Haruspex route, my conclusions might change drastically when I get through the other interactions, but it's still a fun difference.

And I would say that about wraps it up for the Bachelor in the Haruspex run. The biggest differences have been mainly the fact that he is a lot less formal than his English counterpart, the interesting insights that come with addressing your fellow doctor formally, and the very precise moment where Daniil’s kind and determined attitude turns to that of a manipulative snake.

On a quick tangent here about that, actually - in both the English and Russian version, you can very much engage in a way that allows Burakh to catch on to the Bitchelor’s tricks, and even start lying back to him, when you’re trying to gain access to the Polyhedron. But there is a certain bitterness present in these interactions that I’m not sure is well conveyed. Maybe it’s in the way Artemy himself speaks like an old soul, a fairytale wiseman, that makes these interactions that much more saddening. It’s especially visible in the dialogue where he tells Dankovsky that they’re dolls - it’s sad in the English version, but god if it isn’t absolutely tragic in Russian. And weirdly enough, I feel like a little bit more of that could have been conveyed if people opted for the clunkier but more literal translation? Like what I imagine the old translation was, that everyone complained so much about. Like, if the line “They don’t love us, but they way.” was instead. “We aren’t loved, by the way.” I think it’s a bit more personal, a bit more sad, and doesn’t have the “they” in it, which I feel makes it a little more… Potent. In fact, for most of that dialogue, the “they” is omitted in Russian, because grammar and all, except for the moments where Burakh explicitly mentions the children. And I like that more, I think. It’s not about what the powers that be are doing in the sandbox. It’s about how their dolls feel. How they’ve been stuck into this situation and how they aren’t loved. Even the line of “I hope my side wins” is different, instead it’s more like “I hope I’m won with” as if these characters were a means to an end and they are!! They are a means to an end! They’re dolls!! It’s a lot. This is already long enough and I have the Changeling to deal with. However, as this turned out to be a lot longer than anticipated, I will have to give that it's own post as well. Feedback, question or recommendations on how to format this better are always appreciated)

#pathologic #pathologic classic hd #мор утопия #ramblings #daniil dankovsky #artemy burakh #the document in which i wrote this is already 11 pages long

[bnhaobservation]

How the Todorokis call each other (Part 3)

So this is the continuation of Part 1 & Part 2.

Here I focus on stuff I couldn't fit in the previous parts and that often, more than being how the Todorokis call each other are about how they are called by other people or how they call other people.

This part is a much less comprehensive guide as otherwise we would have gone on and on and on endlessly, listing the various interactions the Todorokis has with other characters, so I only picked up the ones I thought were more meaningful.

WE NEED PLURALS!

Plural is often not used in Japanese but it’s not like it doesn’t exist. To make it, the most common way is to add to a noun a plural suffix, which can be translated as something like “X and the others” or “X and the group of which X is a part of” thougn since those are long sentences which don't sound really well in English, more often than not translators prefer to find a plural noun that can replace the whole thing.

-tachi (達/たち) & -ra (等/ち)

'-tachi' (達/たち) is very common, pretty neutral in terms of formality and it’s super flexible to the point you can add it to pronouns, people’s names, and even non-human things that you want to personify.

'-ra' (等/ち) is reasonably neutral and flexible in terms of formality, but it’s more on the casual side compared to ‘-tachi’, so it’s often associated with friendliness and/or disrespect. For this reason, it generally isn’t used for people who are of a higher social status than the speaker. It’s usually written in hiragana and with first-person pronouns, can be used to express the feeling of unity with the people you’re including in “we.”

Those two are the most recurring ways in which the Todoroki pluralize words. Enji waves between the two, in the early parts of the story and when his kids were younger he used '-ra' to talk about them, then he switched on the more polite '-tachi'.

While again, since they're family and his kids (and therefore socially considered below him) using '-ra' is fine, it's interesting how he starts switching to '-tachi' first in an internal monologue, then openly when speaking with them. Since Enji wants to project a certain image of himself it can be that the '-ra' that he used early on was due to this and when he felt more willing to show his apprecciation and respect for his family he switched openly to '-tachi'. Of course it can also just be he uses '-ra' because he's not talking with them but about them, and so he feels it's okay to be less formal. Do your pick.

The rest of the family favour ‘-tachi’, although Natsuo in chap 187 to refer to himself his mother and sister uses '-ra', in this case likely to imply closeness and familiarity more than a lack of respect.

Tōya who also favor ‘-tachi’ when he’s using ‘ore’ or talking about his family members (for his grandparents even uses '-tachi' written in kanji), does some interesting exceptions when he’s not talking about it. For example he tends to refer to the Heroes as ‘omae-ra’ (chap 74-82) clearly wanting to be rude but he also uses it for Ujiko and All for One (and in this case he's probably trying to be less rude than with the Heroes as he uses 'anta-ra').

However, when he uses ‘boku’ in his speech to the nation, he uses ‘boku-ra’ to refer to himself and the league, likely in an effort to sound humble and therefore more polite.

Another notable exception he does is when he talks with Himiko in chap 341. Even though, as said before, he generally uses ‘ore-tachi’ (and does so in that discussion as well) there’s a moment in which he uses ‘ore-ra’ when he says the world can’t catch the two of them, in a way that’s probably meant to imply closeness between him and Himiko as that talk is also the one in which he’ll call her by her full name (which he never did before).

-domo (共)

'-domo' implies speaker is of higher status than those referred to. The Todorokis don’t use it for their family members, I’ve mentioned it merely because Dabi when talking to the Vanguard action squad called them all ‘IKARE yarō-domo’ (イカレ野郎共 “Crazy guys”), reminding them he's the boss and they're hierarchically below him.

Wareware (我々 “we”)

This is the more formal and common way of saying "we" or "us", in fact it is often used in written Japanese, in formal speeches or in official documents. It is also used in situations where the speaker wants to emphasize the collective identity of the group they are referring to. Enji uses it when he talks of himself and the other Heroes in chap 317.

Kyodai (兄弟 “siblings”)

Literally this words means “big brother younger brother”and a plural for ‘sibling’ and can works to include both males and females siblings… however I’ve been told it implies the siblings in questions have to be older and younger than the person they’re related to. This means it wouldn’t work for Tōya, whose siblings are all younger than him, or Shōto, whose siblings are all older than him. Take this with a grain of salt though.

In the story is only used by Natsuo who, in chap 187, calls Tōya and Shōto his ‘kyodai’.

RANDOM EXTRA WORDS USED TO CALL THE TODOROKIS OR USED IN RELATION TO THEM

Todoroki Enji (轟 炎司) aka FLAME HERO: ENDEAVOR (フレイムヒーロー エンデヴァー Flame Hero Endeavor) previously Nenshō-kei HERO “ENDEAVOR” (燃焼系ヒーロー「エンデヴァー」 Combustion Hero ‘Endeavor’)

Quirk: 'HELLFLAME' (ヘルフレイム "Hell flame")

In chap 3 Enji isn't called 'FLAME HERO' but 'Nenshō-kei HERO'. Likely Horikoshi decided to retcon this later on.

In the character presentation for Vol. 30, which is the famous volume which contains "Dabi's Dance" Enji is represented as a gorilla, and the word gorilla is repeated triece as a reference to how 'Todoroki' is written repeating for three times this kanji 車 which means "car" so that as 'todoroku' (轟く) is supposed to mean "to make a big roaring sound", which I guess you can obtain with 3 cars...

GORILLAGORILLAGORILLA (Todorokimoku Enjika) (ゴリラゴリラゴリラ (轟目 炎司科) "Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla (Todorokimoku Enjika)")

Since the Butsudan in which Enji's father is enshrined is in Enji's house (it's the same in which Tōya is enshrined), Enji was likely a 'chōnan' (長男 "first son") as taking care of the Butsudan in which his father is enshrined is one of the duties of the firstborn.

Enji's sidekicks usually calls Enji just 'Endeavor' not boss or something like that. The only exception I could find is in chap 349 when Kidō says he's here because he wants to follow Endeavor's order and, although the kanji says 'Endeavor' the reading given is 'ano ossan' (あのおっさん "that middle age man").

'Ossan' isn't a polite word, so it's either used to refer to an old man in a cozy, friendly way, or in a rude, derogatory way. Do your pick though, since Kidō says he's there for Endeavor he's likely not being derogatory.

His agency though, is named after him 'Edeavor Jimusho' (エンデヴァー事務所 "Endeavor Agency") and his sidekicks go by the collective name of 'Honō no SIDEKICKS' (炎のサイドキッカーズ "Flame's Sidekicks/Sidekicks of the flame"), their name likely inspired by how he's the flame hero.

Due to his work he's called 'HERO' (ヒーロー) or 'PRO HERO' (プロヒーロー).

Other Heroes call him 'Endeavor' (and he calls them by their Hero name), except for Gran Torino who, in chap 55, calls him 'Todoroki'. Always in chap 55 Enji calls Gran Torino ‘gorōjin’ (ご老人 “honored elder”).

'Go' is another way to read the kanji 御 (the other way being 'o', remember when I said the 'o' added in front of nouns added them a layer of politeness?) while ‘rōjin’ (老人) means "old man". ‘Gorōjin’ which is a bit archaic, as it’s mainly used in samurai dramas.

Nezu calls Enji 'Todoroki-kun' (as Enji had been one of his students) while Enji calls him 'kōchō' (校長 "principal").

During the manga we don't really get interactions between Enji and Recovery Girl but in "School Briefs" they seem to go on a Hero name basis, him calling her 'Recovery Girl' and she calling him 'Endeavor'.

Todoroki Rei (轟 冷) née Himura Rei (氷叢 冷)

Quirk: 'Hyōketsu' (氷結 "Frost")

It's actually unsure if this is Rei's Quirk true name. The idea it could be comes from the fact Enji said there were no traces of it in Tōya. All we know for sure is it was an ice type Quirk.

Rei is no more an Himura. When a woman get married in Japan she is striken out of the 'koseki' (戸籍 "family register") of her previous family and gives up on her previous surname so Rei stopped being an Himura after her 'kosei kon' (個性婚 "Quirk marriage").

Still I thought it was worth to mention the Himuras were a 'meika’ (名家) which can be translated as “noble/distinguished family” with a ‘yuisho aru iegara’ (由緒ある家柄) which can be translated “with a prestigious/with a long history social standing/lineage”.

Rei is part of the Himura ‘honke’ (本家 “main household”) literally “source house”. An ‘honke’ is characterized by a patrilocal residence and patrilineal primogeniture and is part of the system of family branching that establishes a multiplied structure to create familial relationships.

The ‘tōshu’ (当主 “family head”) of the Himuras belongs to the main family and is basically the person who has inherited the headship of the family and therefore rules over all the Himura ‘shizoku’ (氏族 “clan”), which are a group of families that are related to each other. This means he has authority over their wife and the rest of the family members and the duty to protect them as well as the right to disown those who violate his wishes. Basically, disobey him and you can be literally kicked out of the family. They also had authority over the family’s customs and rituals and are responsible for the management of the family property and the family business... and is the one who decided of Rei's marriage. Likely he was either Rei's father or grandfather.

In the past the Himura family head was a 'shōya' (庄屋 "village head"), or, more exactly was a person who, during the Edo period (1603-1868), was in charge of the village affairs under the direction of the magistrate and worked as the leader of the village. The term was used predominantly in the Kansai regions (other regions used other names), so we can assume the Himura were originally from that region.

Since the Himura main family ends with Rei's marriage out of the family Rei likely had no male brothers and, possibly was the 'chōjo' (長女 "first daughter") or, if she had a sister, she also was given away in marriage to someone who wasn't an Himura and therefore couldn't carry on the family name.

Todoroki Tōya (轟 燈矢) aka Dabi (荼毘 “Cremation”)

Quirk: 'Sōen' (蒼炎 "Blueflame")

Dabi's Villain name is generally translated as "cremation" but it might be more than just a reference to his power.

It might be a reference to the phrase 'dabi ni fusu' (荼毘に付す "to cremate") which is not really a sentence people use in daily life (in daily life is more common to hear people using 'Kasō' (火葬) to talk about cremation) but that is used in Buddhist funerals. 'Dabi', whose kanji mean 'da' (荼) "suffering"/"harm" and 'bi' (毘) "help" so that it gives a sense of helping from suffering and harm is supposedly an ateji (a word in which either the readings of the individual kanji do not match the reading of the word, or the meanings of the individual kanji do not match the meaning of the word), and it's supposedly derived from 'jhāpita', a word in Pāli, the language of Theravāda Buddhism, which means “was burnt, was set fire to”. This sentence is used only to refer to the process of cremation of the body of the deceased and not to the part related to remembering the deceased at a funeral or moving to a crematorium. It fits with how Tōya's body was assumed to have been cremated by his own flames in that incident and Tōya believes his family has forgotten him.

There's more.

A Japanese proverb says 'Ryūtō Dabi' (竜頭蛇尾 lit. "Dragon Head Snake tail") which means "promising beginning, disappointing end" symbolically referring to the possibility of anticlimax in life, and especially in endeavors. For example one focus so much on achieving a goal that it becomes all-consuming, larger-than-life in importance and value or, one might indeed achieve his great goal, but fail to plan for "what comes next", creating a kind of anti-climax. Horikoshi was aware of this possible connection to Dabi's Villain name as he drew Dabi as a snake in the character presentation for Vol. 30, which is the famous volume which contains "Dabi's Dance". The whole 'Ryūtō Dabi' reference might be referring to Endeavor's efforts to get a masterpiece that would surpass All Might, destroying his family in the process and causing Dabi to return the favour by destroying Endeavor as a Hero, but it can be seen as a reference to Dabi as well as he too has an all consuming goal and no plan for after he'll reach it (as he plans to die).

Dabi Hebi (Damoku Bika) (ダビヘビ (荼目 毘科) Dabi Snake (Damoku Bika))

As said before Tōya's Quirk originally should have been named differently as his flames weren't blue. However, after Geten called his Quirk as such that was acknowledged as its official name. As it turned out Tōya has also some ice Quirk, his Quirk's name migh be changed again.

In the Todoroki family he is the 'chōnan' (長男 "first son"), which, socially, makes him the most "high ranking" child, with a long list of duties he's expected to fulfill also connected to this. Among them there's also to inherit his father's job (and therefore become a Hero). Note that nowadays those duties have a lot less weight that in the past (so that they're more just social expectations that outright duties) but they still exist.

Tōya refers to himself as the 'chōnan' of Endeavor's family when talking to the nation.

Once he becomes a 'VILLAIN' (敵 "Villain") and joins the 'VILLAIN rengō' (敵連合 "League of Villains") he becomes the 'BOSS' (ボス "boss") of the 'Kaibyaku Kōdō Tai' (開闢行動隊 "Vanguard Action Squad") which in chap 73 he defines as a ‘keiken hōfuna shōsū seiei’ (経験豊富な少数精鋭 “small group of experienced elites”).

Later, when they merge with the 'inō kaihō-gun' (異能解放軍 "Meta Liberation Army") and become the 'chōjō kaihō sensen' (超常解放戦線 "Paranormal Liberation Front") Tōya becomes a 'taichō' (隊長 "commanding officer") of the 'Kaibyaku kōdō yūgeki rentai "VIOLET"' (開闢行動遊撃連隊"VIOLET" "vanguard action guerrilla regiment "violet"").

If Tōya said Shigaraki was ‘kisyoku wariI’/‘kisyoku WARII’ (気色悪イ/気色ワリイ literally “bad charm”, actually “creepy”), and the fact the second time he says 'warii' it's all in katakana works to underline it, in chap 67/68, the Villains he considered recruiting blamed him for having a ‘kimochi wariI kao’ (気持悪イ顔 litterally "bad feeling face", actually "creepy/disgusting face").

In the league everyone calls him 'Dabi' except Himiko who first calls him 'Dabi-kun' and then, post reveal, 'Tōya-kun'. All for One also calls him 'Tōya-kun'.

Although at the beginning Tōya called Shigaraki merely 'Shigaraki' he referred to him as the 'BOSS' (ボス "boss") when he talks with Hawks but, in other circumstances preferred to call him ‘LEADER’ (リーダー "leader")... though he does so in a way that feels more mocking than anything else since, when he does so, he tends to discuss Shigaraki's orders.

As for the other members, he calls Twice 'Twice' (and, despite Twice being Twice I couldn't find a time in which he called him 'ikare') and Mr. Compress just 'Mr.' (same as Himiko while the others prefer 'Compress'). He once called Spinner ‘tokage’ (トカゲ “lizard”) (chap 160) and didn't seem to understand why Spinner took offence to it (canonically in chap 370 and 371 is said that Heteromorph discrimination is something that exists only in the countryside so city heteromorphs like Kōda and Tokoyami as well as city kids like the ones in class 1 A live unaware of it so Tōya, being a city boy same as Shōto, might be unaware of it), while in chap 220 he asks him if he's a ‘karappo no COSPLAY yarō’ (空っぽのコスプレ野郎 “empty cosplayer guy”), likely referring to how Spinner dressed up in a way that mimic Stain but admitted to be empty inside.

If he uses "you" with them, he goes for 'omae'.

With Himiko, as said in the past posts, he is generally more rude, calling her 'ikare (onna/yarō)', 'baka' and using 'temeE' instead than 'omae', the two of them bitching often until in chap 341 he finally calls her 'Toga Himiko' (トガヒミコ) all in kanji as that's Himiko's Villain name and refers to the two of them as 'ore-ra' before going back to use 'temeE' and 'ore-tachi'.

The only person he's somewhat polite is Garaki Kyūdai, whom he calls 'Ujiko-san' as the latter introduced himself to him as "Ujiko Daruma" and for which he uses 'anta' when he has to say "you".

As for the Nōmu, he calls the first ‘Ore shiyō no kaibutsu’ 俺仕様の怪物 “The monster of specificated for me”) and ‘neho-hyan’ (ネホヒャンッ) but he likely meant ‘neko-chan’ (ネコチャン “kitty”) and it was just the radio transmitter which made his words sound weird. In chap 350 though he refers to the Nōmu as ‘shikabane’ (屍 “corpse/dead body that has been abandoned and not buried therefore isn’t shown proper respect”).

I said 'ikare' is kind of a popular word in the Todoroki family but All Might uses something different to refer to Dabi, calling him 'kyōki no otoko Dabi' (狂気の男荼毘 "insane man Dabi") in chap 335.

'Kyōki' (狂気 "Insanity") is a common noun that refers to a mental state that deviates from normal, but it is also sometimes used as an arbitrary label by those who use it and that nowadays is commonly used in contexts such as unusual crimes. It's used for something extremely abnormal, for someone whose behavior deviates strongly from normally accepted social norms.

'Ikare' (イカレ/いかれ) instead is a slang term whose origin is the verb 'iku' (行く "to go") as if to imply the mind is gone.

I guess in contest this makes All Might sound more formal/polite than if he had used 'ikare' but I might be wrong.

Skeptic in chap 363 calls Tōya 'FATHCOM' (ファザコン), which is the short for 'FATHER COMPLEX' (ファザーコンプレックス "father complex"), a rude reference to Tōya's obsession with Enji.

Something else that might be of interest is that when Tōya says he's searching for new members in chap 220 he calls them 'nakama' (仲間 "company/fellow/colleague/associate/comrade/mate/friend/partner") and keeps on using 'nakama' when saying Twice wanted to protect his companions, but when he asks Mr. Compress where the rest of the league is in chap 273 he calls them 'renchū' (連中 "colleagues/company").

The difference between the two words is that 'nakama' is generally used to imply a level of friendship while 'renchū' isn't... though I guess although he said 'nakama' Tōya had no plans to make friends with the new recruits, while when he says 'renchū' he's trying very hard to keep up his image of person who didn't care about anyone and has no friends. Though this is just me.

Todoroki Fuyumi (轟 冬美)

Quirk: 'Hyōketsu' (氷結 "Frost")

It's actually unsure if this is Fuyumi's Quirk true name. The idea it could be comes from the fact it's assumed it's Rei's Quirk's name and that Fuyumi also inherited it, but Fuyumi's Quirk, despite being an ice type Quirk might be slightly different from her mother's and have a different name.

In the Todoroki family she is the 'chōjo' (長女 "first daughter").

In chap 105 Fuyumi explains she is a ''Shōgakkō de sensei' (小学校で先生 "Elementary school teacher") and therefore she's called just 'sensei' or 'Todoroki sensei' by her students.

'Sensei' (先生 lit. "born first") is an honorific which shows respect used for anyone who’s in a position to teach something (in this case it can be translated as “teacher”) or has mastered an art form or some other skill (in this case you can translate it as “master”) or to address other professionals or people of authority, such as clergy, accountants, lawyers, physicians and politicians. All for One is called 'sensei' by Garaki and Shiragaki, but so are the teachers at U.A.

Todoroki Natsuo (轟 夏雄)

Quirk: 'Hyōketsu' (氷結 "Frost")

It's actually unsure if this is Natsuo's Quirk true name. The idea it could be comes from the fact it's assumed it's Rei's Quirk's name and that Natsuo also inherited it, but Natsuo's Quirk, despite being an ice type Quirk might be slightly different from her mother's and have a different name.

In the Todoroki family he is the 'jinan' (次男 "second son")

Natsuo is a 'daigakusei' (大学生 "university student") who's studing 'Iryō fukushi' (医療福祉 "medical wellfare").

'Iryō fukushi' is a general term for businesses that provide services related to medical care, health and hygiene, social insurance, and social welfare and nursing care. Occupations include medical assistance, inspection, nursing care and rehabilitation, all of which require specialized qualifications and specialized knowledge.

Todoroki Shōto (轟 焦凍) aka SHŌTO (ショート)

Quirk: 'Hanrei Hannen' (半冷半燃 "Half-Cold Half-Hot")

In the character presentation for Vol. 30, which is the famous volume which contains "Dabi's Dance" Shōto is represented as a cat.

SHŌTOCAT (Todorokimoku Shōtoka) (ショートキャット (轟目 焦凍科) "Shōtocat (Todorokimoku Shōtoka)")

I'm not sure why Shōto ended up represented as a cat but it's sure is ironic considering how Tōya called his first Nōmu ‘neko-chan’ (ネコチャン “kitty”). Maybe the Todorokis are just cat people.

In the Todoroki family he is the 'Sannan' (三男 "third son") and in chap 349 Tōya refers to him as such when talking to himself.

Shōto is currently a 'kōkōsei' (高校生 "high school student") at 'U.A. Kōkō' (雄英高校 "U.A. high school") though people usually refers to him using just as 'gakusei' (学生 "student").

When he was a 'chūgakusei' (中学生 "middle school student") he attended at 'Corusan Chūgakkō' (凝こる山中学校 "Corusan Middle School").

As Shōto is a recurring character probably everyone knows how he addresses to others and how others address to him but I still listed some thing I thought worth being pointed out.

As said before, Shōto calls all his classmates just by their surname, Midoriya (and many others of his classmates) calls him 'Todoroki-kun' while Bakugō has a nice list of insulting nicknames for him, starting with 'kōri no yatsu' (氷の奴) when he thought he only had one Quirk (Chap 11), evolving into 'hanbun yarō’ (半分野郎 lit. “half part guy/half bastard”) when he discovered he had two (Chap 42), until he finally also calls him just 'Todoroki' (Chap 166)... though he's not afraid to define him 'zako' (雑魚 "small fry") (Chap 204) or use other nicknames.

Occasionally Shōto gets nicknames that are based on wordplays that involve a word and the last part of his surname, like how Sero in chap 195 calls Shōto 'Shokiroki-kun' (初期ろき君), a word play between 'shoki' (初期) "early/initial" and 'Todoroki' in a nick that references how he was in the past or how when Bakugō sees the illusionary Shōto Camie created in chap 166 he calls him 'maboroki-kun' (マボロキくん) a word play between 'maboroshi' (幻/まぼろし "illusion") and 'Todoroki'.

All Might calls Shōto 'Todoroki shōnen' (轟少年 "Todoroki boy") while Aizawa calls him just 'Todoroki'. Shōto, same as the other students, calls Aizawa 'sensei' (先生) or 'Aizawa sensei'.

Yoarashi Inasa calls Shōto just 'Todoroki'.

In chap 163 Utsushimi Camie calls him 'Chō ī otoko' (ちょーいい男 "super good looking guy") and 'ikemen' (イケメン), a word of recent creation in which 'ike' (イケ) comes from 'Iketeru' (イケてる) which roughly translates to "cool", "good" where 'men' (メン) can stand both for the English word "men" but also for the Japanese word 'men' (面) which means "face".

Ashido Mina too referred to Shōto as an 'ikemen' in chap 130.

Gang Orca calls him and the other students who're attempting to get a license 'fun' (糞 "poop"). Masegaki elementary students called him 'gochinko' (ゴチンコ "five wienies") (Chap 164-389).

During his 'Shokuba taiken' (職場体験 "work experience") and, later, during his 'HERO INTERN' (ヒーローインターン "hero internship"), Shōto will always go at Endeavor agency where his father's sidecks call him 'Shōto-kun' (ショートくん) (Chap 245), therefore using his Hero name... though sometimes they call him 'Shōto-kun' (焦凍くん) (chap 363) as well... even though it's hardly noticeable when they call him one or the other as they sound the same. As for Shōto he calls Burnin just 'Burnin' (chap 349) but calls Onimā 'Onimā-san' in chap 363

Himura ? (氷叢 ?) aka Geten (外 (げ) 典 (てん))

Quirk: Hyōsō (氷操 "Ice Ply")

Supposedly Geten is a Villain name since Re-Destro called his underlings using their Villain names. We don't know his true name, just that he's part of the Himura but, differently from Rei, he comes from a ‘bunke’ (分家 literally “part house”) “branch households”/“branch family”. A ‘bunke’ is created when a child who is not the first born is allowed to form a family of his own. Said family though will remain subservient to the main family (so the main family still keeps control of things) and usually will remain to live close to it.

Geten calls Re-Destro 'Saikō shidō-sha' (最高指導者 "supreme leader") in chap 228 while in chap 238 he uses just 'Re-Destro' and 'anata' with him while Re-Destro calls him 'Geten' and uses 'kimi' with him. Geten is also a 'taichō' (隊長 "commanding officer") of the 'Kaibyaku kōdō yūgeki rentai "VIOLET"' (開闢行動遊撃連隊"VIOLET" "vanguard action guerrilla regiment "violet"").

CONTINUE IN THE NEXT PART!

#boku no hero academia #Todoroki Shouto #Todoroki Touya #Todoroki Enji #Todoroki Natsuo #Todoroki Fuyumi #Todoroki Rei

[heartbeatbookclub]

There's a lot of ambiguity present in DDLC, and although + does elaborate on a lot of it, it presents some new ambiguity, too. I've already discussed the Protagonist and his entire existence, but I think something people don't even really think about is Natsuki's home life.

In case that doesn't make it obvious, CW: this mini-essay is going to talk a lot about abuse. Take care of yourselves.

Within the original Doki Doki Literature Club, there's an inherent uncertainty in the actual degree to which Monika is personally manipulating the other girls. It's somewhat unclear whether or not Monika is directly manufacturing unappealing traits to give to everyone else, or if she's just exaggerating problems that were already there to the point of catastrophe. In other words, it's unclear as to exactly how much of the game from its outset was something which would happen naturally, or an element of Monika's manipulation.

I think that Plus simultaneously plays into this ambiguity and clarifies a lot of it. There are definitely gray areas left, but the Side Stories in particular answer a lot of questions.

I think what the Side Stories are intent on doing is showcasing all of the girls as characters independent of any potential 4th wall/Monika meddling, and it answers a lot of questions regarding the true depth of each of the girls independent of that manipulation. This includes Monika, actually, and I think what it displays is that Monika's manipulation is far reaching, but she worked with material which was already there.

I've already discussed how the Protagonist is implied to exist within the Side Stories, but vitally, the Side Stories indicate the raw personality (and problems, motivations, etc) of every one of the girls. This includes Monika, and I think makes for a very interesting character study for how Monika became who she is in the main game. That's something I played with a good bit in Coil, if you haven't read it. Monika isn't aware she's being watched and in fact isn't aware of any of the nature of her reality, and thusly puts significantly more of who she actually is as a flawed person on display.

I'm digressing, but only a little bit. Something else this clarifies is the question I asked earlier regarding whether or not Monika was explicitly adding negative traits to the other girls, though it isn't an exact answer: Sayori does have a lot of the same mental health issues displayed in the main game, though clearly not to the same degree. Yuri clearly demonstrates a more obsessive personality, but it's in more of an autistic hyperfixation "I am incredibly passionate about my interests and will talk about them for hours if you don't shut me up" kind of way. I think there's definitely still some factors which are up in the air about Yuri (knives...that's all I'll say), but I think it's clear to see the basis of what was done to her here.

And Natsuki is, well...still pretty ambiguous.

I should be clear; Natsuki's raw personality is still very readily apparent here, and it does do a great deal of exploration of her character, showcasing the real depth of who she is and why she acts the way she does, but there is one critical question which isn't explicitly referred to.

The obvious thing you're thinking of, probably because I mentioned it at the start. Any reference to Natsuki's home life is absent, and it was all I could think about throughout the entirety of her story.

What it's instead "replaced" by in this instance is bullying from a toxic group of mean girls esque "friends". I put replaced in quotes because they are clearly what the emphasis is placed on in lieu of an explicitly bad home life, but I'm not sure I'd call them a one to one replacement. (I put friends in quotes, because...well.)

To be more specific, I'm not sure they're a replacement at all. I think what they are is more a suggestion of deeper issues Natsuki has.

I think Natsuki's behavior and overall attitude when talking about her other friends is very telling with regards to how she views relationships in general. Her immediate knee-jerk reaction whenever anyone says anything negative about them is to, in the first place, minimize anything they did or said as "just playing around", or "making fun of something stupid". Her next response is to immediately place the blame on herself for being so sensitive.

The way she immediately seeks to dismiss and push off any attempts to address any issues with how her friends treat her is heart-wrenching, and constantly blaming herself for responding poorly is doubly so. I think it's also behavior we'd commonly expect of people undergoing abuse, and I'll be frank in saying that I think that her relationship with these people isn't just toxic, it's outright emotionally abusive.

But being in one destructive relationship doesn't necessarily mean she's in another, does it? What is it about this entire situation in particular that leads me to believe there's something deeper here?

It's maybe a little bit of a stretch, but follow me here.

I think Natsuki demonstrates that she is attached to these people, despite their actions toward her. Her immediate defense of their actions, the particular way she chooses to defend them, and her intense fear to even the prospect of cutting them off tell me she doesn't want to let them go. Even further, I'd say her immediate response being to defend them when others attack them is multifaceted, and I think that one of those facets is that someone pointing out how her friends shouldn't treat her that way is probably giving voice to a feeling Natsuki herself has. I think one of the reasons she's so quick to defend them is in order to suppress her own urge to say something.

But why is she so hesitant to say something in the first place?

She doesn't want them to leave her.

This is something which, on the surface, might sound a little strange, but I think more than anything else, greater than any fear of the abuse she might endure at the hands of these heartless weirdos, is a crippling fear of being alone.

There are various things I think underline this trait, big and small (I mean, she outright brings it up when she talks about cutting them off), but I think her entire attitude regarding her friends is representative of someone who desperately wants attention from someone, anyone, whether positive or not. The reason she places all of the blame on herself and defends all of their actions is because she thinks if she brings it up at all, they won't want to hang out with her anymore. She's the problem, because she can't bring herself to put up with it, but she doesn't want them to leave her.

And I think that this, in conjunction with a lot of other elements to her personality, indicate that Natsuki likely doesn't have a very kind home life, either.

I think the biggest thing that illustrates this to me is her sheer willingness to treat the entire situation as normal. To everybody else looking at Natsuki's situation from the outside, particularly as she describes and defends a variety of their actions, it's blatantly obvious what's happening, and Natsuki finds herself confused not only over how other people respond, but how she herself feels.

The amount of time she spends excusing the emotional torment they put her through, and her constant insistence that this is normal, and that she's perfectly fine, she just needs to grow a thicker skin, demonstrate to me that Natsuki doesn't really have a good concept of what "normal" is. I don't think this is all just a conscious denial of reality; I think she genuinely has trouble understanding what's wrong with the situation, beyond that they're acting mean towards her.

"It's just the way things are!"

"I'm the only one who ever has a problem with it."

I think her ready ability to normalize this kind of abuse speaks volumes to how she views relationships in general. I think this is indicative that she doesn't have many good models for what a "normal", healthy relationship would be.

I think that a lot of Natsuki's broader personality, particularly in how she responds to the situation with her friends, and Monika and Sayori's attempts to connect with her, is a pretty fair indication that she doesn't really have a good space outside of her interactions with people at school.

I'm, rather ironically, finding it increasingly difficult to really express everything which showcases it to me in a way which all fits together nicely, but I think if nothing else, that's the point I really want to drive home. It really seems to me based on the way that Natsuki acts that at the very least, she doesn't have a good, safe space at home.

If she did, she would have a much better point of reference for all of this, and I don't think she would be so quick to trap herself in this situation. I think that a big reason she turns to the Literature Club and is so insistent on trying to be friends with everybody in it, despite herself, despite all of the problems and conflicts they have, is because she's desperately searching for a safe place where she can just be herself.

I think she constantly feels like she needs to be on the defensive--in my opinion, a big part of why she finds it so hard to just be nice, outside of something simple like baking for other people, is because her only experience is other people being mean to her, and needing to make a biting comment back. I think that's also why it's so difficult for her to accept others being kind to her: She is so used to just shutting out other people and ignoring them because they're mean to her, that when someone is nice to her, despite her desire to accept it and return it in kind, she instinctively snaps at it, because if she lets anyone in, if she shows any sign of vulnerability, someone will hurt her. Maybe she'll have to admit that the other things people said hurt her, too.

It's like a feral kitten instinctively clawing and biting at the hand of someone just trying to pet it. It's so unusual to them that someone could touch them for any reason other than to hurt them that they feel the need to strike first, until they eventually realize there's nothing to be afraid of.

I think that all of this, in conjunction with how everything else in the Side Stories is presented in reference to the original game, suggest that Natsuki likely doesn't have a very good situation at home.

I think it's vitally important to acknowledge that most people's perception of Natsuki's home life, if it's at all fleshed out, is based on fanon, not canon, similarly to how this whole analysis is really just fan theorizing, and not necessarily 100% accurate. While there are certainly some things explicitly said in the main game, we don't know all of the particulars which go into her home life, and I think this is another example of intentional gaps left by canon that I talked about in my blurb on the Protagonist.

In this case, from what we're able to glean about Natsuki's home, her father is the main parental figure in her life (At the very least, there is no mention of her mother {to my knowledge, it's been a while since I played it}), and from Act 1, he's implied to be extremely strict. Details here are actually one of the reasons I assume this to be correct, because explicitly, Natsuki keeps her manga collection in the clubroom because she doesn't want her dad to find it. In Act 2, this is pushed even further, which is where we get a certain famous line about him physically abusing her, but of course, it's more likely that this is Monika's doing.

I think it's virtually impossible to get an actual understanding of Natsuki's home situation in the Side Stories, because...well, they don't bring it up, but I think it's safe to say that there is reason to believe it's not good. I think it isn't as bad as it is in Act 2, but judging by how things play out in Natsuki's story across the Side Stories...well, let's just say I'm glad she has the Literature Club.

I think excluding any mention of this is probably intentional too, and not because it's an intentional gap being left. I think it would be incredibly out of character based on what we've seen of Natsuki here for her to bring it up at all, both because of her warped sense of normal, and because she wouldn't want everybody around her worrying about it.

This is a subject for fanfiction, I think. Is that foreshadowing? Who knows.

#cw: abuse #i think i should've spent more time emphasizing how Yuri and Natsuki are reflections of each other like how Monika and Sayori are #but i just really wanted to talk about this #when I say 'this is all i could think about' i meant it #my biggest initial thought watching them was 'natsuki's ability to so easily justify this abuse makes me think it's not her first time' #the impressions i get here are fucking BLEAK #i don't necessarily think i'm an expert on this or on abuse so i guess i'm open to further discussion of this #but i just got the vibes yknow? #doki doki literature club #ddlc #musings #ddlc natsuki

[hms-no-fun]

i remember a while back you saying in one of these asks that you didnt find classpects that interesting as a writing tool (or something similar, i don’t remember the exact wording) but you seem to be referring to them significantly more since then, both textally in godfeels and when you’ve discussed the work like in these asks - has anything changed in your perspective on them?

astute observation!

so, i don't find classpects particularly interesting as a writing tool. i'm not a big fan of mapping out a character beforehand, engaging in that sort of reverse personality quiz process of defining their wants, their needs, their astrological sign, etc. no hate to anyone who does, but for me it's far more interesting to just let the character decide that stuff for themselves. it's the same process of discovery i apply to the rest of godfeels, which is admittedly a sort of insane way to work and probably shouldn't be taken as an example.

so that's a very specific definition of "writing tool" that maybe isn't what other people are thinking of. i can get didactic about these things because i don't like writing advice or things that seem like writing advice if you squint.

you're right though that classpects are more at the front of my mind than they used to be. part of it is just that classpects are about to be a lot more actively relevant to the narrative (albeit not in the way you would expect), so i've obviously been thinking about them more. which, you know, those thoughts do naturally generate fiction activity which shapes how i intend to write future chapters-- in that sense, are classpects not a useful "writing tool" for me? i dunno.

it's not even that i find them more meaningful structurally. i think giving someone a title and then building their character around it is a great way to come up with wooden characters. in the case of the upsilon kids (who you will be meeting very soon), their classpects emerged through writing a bunch of little test scenes. i'd put them in a room together and give them something to react to. i really want to avoid conventional group dynamics with this crew, so i always pushed them to behave in messy ways. and over time it became apparent that what makes them work is their seeming incompatibility, which i shouldn't say much more about until you've actually got some material to draw your own conclusions from. but the point is, it wasn't until i got a good handle on each kid's vibe that i assigned them their classpects, and i assigned them in a way that was deliberately "underwhelming" or seemingly a bad fit. i did this because i don't like the narratological determinism that can arise when you give a character a title they like too much.

i don't like giving writing advice but i highly encourage young writers out there to not be afraid of writing unusable scenes. it helps to be able to think of the writing in the early planning stages as, in some sense, disposable. because the prose isn't the point-- it's getting to the characters as you understand them. there's so many scenes i've written that will not make it into godfeels proper without significant alteration if at all! and look, i know how it is when you feel like you can barely write, so every word you manage to get on the page is precious and needs to be preserved towards the Final Product. sometimes that's correct! precious things always emerge in this process. but it's nowhere near as many as you think, and the hard lesson is understanding the difference between precious and enjoyable. just because you enjoy the thing doesn't make it right for the story. even pretty trash belongs in the bin eventually.

but again, it isn't wasted work. the words aren't the goal, they're just a happy accident. the real work happens in your head.

uh shit anyway so for instance Dana Straten's classpect is Knight of Mind. i must admit she's an outlier among the upsilons in that i picked her classpect in the gf3 prologue with an understanding of her character that was vastly different from who she would end up becoming. back then all i knew about the upsilons was they'd be Dana, Jade's as-yet unnamed daughter, and two others. for a long time, once Julia came in and really breathed life into Dana, i was convinced that Knight of Mind was just wrong. it was a bad choice for her, it didn't make sense, she should have been something else that had cooler power implications and i should just retcon it to something better before anybody notices. this worry resulted in a lot of conversations with my collaborators, ultimately concluding that it was more fun to just play with the hand i'd unwittingly dealt us. so we took the Dana we felt and asked her what Knight of Mind meant to her, figuratively speaking. wrote some scenes, had more conversations. Julia and i have spent a LOT of time discussing Dana's whole situation.

the thing about this is that i don't think our idea of her changed all that much between when she came into her own in like march/april 2021 and when she properly entered the story in summer 2022 (god it feels like that gap should be a lot longer, but i double checked and it's right). much of what we already implicitly understood about Dana remained true. but through our discussions and test scenes, we were able to define those truths in some really useful ways. it was through this process that we textually solidified Dana as someone who doesn't have cool powers, at least not flashy ones anyway. Dana's weapon is her mind-- the ability to use her razor sharp clarity of perception to act on many different forms of knowledge at once. she's not a mind control person, she's not a seeing all eventualities person, she's just a really smart punch person. Knight of Mind, it turns out, was perfect for her, because she doesn't need it. and that realization was very much why i tried to create a similar dynamic with the rest of the upsilons.

so again we ask, does that not make classpects a useful "writing tool" for me? again i answer, i dunno. i don't really care. it's just the process to me. all of it is just the process.

maybe that points to why i was so free with referring to Rose in short as Seer of Mind in that ask. having reached the endpoint of Rose's role in this story, i finally understand what Seer of Light means for her (in godfeels, at any rate). it's that she saw the truth of how the narrative was changing and accepted that it wasn't for her. as in, she saw the light at the end of the tunnel and chose to walk towards it. it's become a shorthand for Rose, you see? i say "Seer of Light" the way i say the name of a friend who was really more of an acquaintance realistically speaking, like we only hung out a couple times a few years ago, but we hit it off so well every time that i was always like "man, i wish we could hang out all the time, we'd be great friends" but just, for one reason or another, it never quite lined up for that to happen. the name of a beloved missed connection, perhaps...

i guess, basically, to put a bow on this: i try not to think about classpects until the character in question is real enough in my mind that they define it rather than the other way around. once again i have no idea if this makes any kind of sense procedurally or if i'm just making my life harder by being stubborn. but then again, the only writing advice any writer can ever give you is how to write the things they already wrote, so

#sarahposts #godfeels #homestuck #rose lalonde #classpects #classpect analysis #seer of light #knight of mind #dana straten #writing advice #i hate writing advice #yet i give it anyway #sarah zedig the hypocrite supreme #of course there's nothing i'd rather be #except maybe financially stable enough to be able to work on godfeels full time #that'd be pretty cool i think

[mr-entj]

Hi Mr. ENTJ. As a guy who's always in meetings solving problems, how do you develop mental stamina to stay "on it" all day? Do you have advice on how to do it even without a passionate interest in the topic or problem you're trying to brainstorm with other people? Thank you for your time!

I do it through a few ways:

I'm extremely protective of my time both in and out of work: I actively cut and reduce as many meetings as possible. Meetings are stamina vampires and motivation killers, they're only used for discussions that require rapid back and forth exchanges of ideas or debates when teams can't agree on something and need to drive alignment. All other communications like status updates, one-off questions, newsletters, data readouts, etc. should be through Slack or e-mails.

I don't attend meetings where:

I have no perspective/opinion/expertise to share with the group to solve a problem.

The outcome of the decision has no impact on me, my team, my product.

I can find the same information somewhere else (an internal document, email, message, etc.).

The fewer meetings, the more mental stamina saved.

2. I write more than I talk. I'm big on clear documentation because it allows for organization of thoughts, the addition of visuals (graphs, charts, wireframes) for clarity of perspective, and the creation of a paper trail for future reference. In my role as a Product Manager, that's typically a 1-pager or PRD draft to summarize the problem statement, add supporting data, and outline risks and/or recommendations. I send this out before we meet so people can react to it and add their ideas/questions/concerns so that once we meet we already have 75% of the discussion done before the meeting.

If I don't have a 1-pager, then at the bare minimum, I always have a few bullet points outlining the questions to answer from the meeting. Never show up at a meeting or brainstorming session without anything prepared beforehand.

The shorter the meetings, the more mental stamina saved.

3. I leverage frameworks and solutions from comparable cases. Don't reinvent the wheel-- find solutions to similar problems, distill them into frameworks, and start from there. It'll cut down on the pre-discussions, discussions, re-discussions, and back and forth if we start 10 miles ahead of the starting line. A lot of time existing solutions aren't perfect fits, but they can be adapted to fix similar problems.

The less redundant work, the more mental stamina saved.

4. I lean on the expertise of the people around me. The one constant in my career is that I avoid working with stupid people. Period. Everywhere I've worked, I've optimized for being around very intelligent people and I've aimed for companies that have extremely high hiring bars. Break the problem into smaller pieces and distribute them to people whose skills are best matched. You shouldn't be in a room brainstorming the solution to all the problems-- only the ones you're best equipped to solve. There's that saying: "many hands make light work." Loop in other experts so it expedites the process.

The lower the intellectual burden, the more mental stamina saved.

5. I follow the impact. Don't just focus on the uninteresting topic/problem, trace its impact to the very end and see with your own eyes the fruits of your labor. I remember back when I was in global strategy being assigned to a process improvement project in Asia. I flew out to Singapore to optimize some processes which was a mind-numbingly boring exercise of designing process flows, launching internal tools, and training agents. However, the impact of the work was that people who were affected by dangerous situations during their international travels were able to be quickly rescued and made financially whole again. Reviewing charts and graphs isn't fun, but I would've lost sight of its importance if I didn't follow the impact.

The higher the personal fulfillment, the more mental stamina saved.

... And sometimes there is no meaningful impact to the work that you're doing, in which case, optimize for speed and efficiency to get it done as quickly and as painlessly as possible (see #1-4 above). If you find yourself repeatedly working on problems you have no interest in or flat out hate-- you need to find another place to work or an entirely different career.

#meetings #work #career #careers #job #motivation #stamina #mental stamina #brainstorming #teamwork #faq

[garbagequeer]

pisses me off that the books vs fanfiction thing is seen as books=quality fic=bad that has ppl who like fanfic being like well fic is like books bc it's good sometimes. which is so not the point fanfiction and publishing refers to different social spheres of production w their own dynamic values goals groups interests etc etc. which is why they're separate and i always find it so like mean to fanfiction which is what it is and has its own practice and spaces to say well but you see it's like this other thing. i mean why does something made by people for fun for free as a means to discuss and interact with a different sphere of fiction and to offer a different space to publishing and televised etc etc work that does not at all follow its logic have to try to pass itself as the more legitimate work. cant you just say yeah i read fanfiction. sometimes dean and cas fuck in the ass in there. which means something to me and many people. and has pissed off television executives for over a decade -> 😁. like it's just its own independent field and that's not bad that's good that allows it to exist as fanfiction as we know it and it is not desirable for it to assimilate into another type of thing. it's as annoying as when people try to advertise books by tropes that look like ao3 tags. also if when a fic is good it means it's like a book then by that logic a book that is bad equals fanfiction. but it doesn't work that way does it. it's good actually to have things that are different from each other. seriously

#field theory 🤣 #point on this diagram the position of publishing and fic im relation to economic power #point on this graph to what degree book success and fic success are more related to social or or economic capital #explain briefly what barriers exist to enter publishing vs fanfiction #on my desk by midnight #thing

[archivalofsins]

So, a friend of mine suprisingly asked me if they could spend the night today. I said yes and we talked about Double. They're the second person in my group of friends since high school not interested or involved heavily with Milgram.

Heads up for those uninterested and those who may not like hearing opinions on certain fandom topics from those not involved. Or basically just anything not in support of the three idea.

Because we were mostly discussing that situation and Kazui in jest. Since I know the idea means a lot to some people, I'm giving a heads up.

This isn't a dig at anyone or other theories by the way it's just a funny convo I had with a friend about Milgram I wanted to share.

This is just a heads up for those who may be bothered by that sort of thing.

Just to prove I'm not just bullshiting about having a friend in this instance and attempting to start trouble-

Okay with that out of the way-

While hanging out I told my friend about the two or three debate going on in the fandom. Because as I've stated it before it irked me for personal reasons and I've literally been talking about it with everyone I know.

This was their immediate response-

Friend: Milgram fans when they hear just the two of us be like-

*Starts playing this over my tv*

Me: Fuck no, but seriously, that's it-

Immediately asks for her to send me a cut version of that instead of the full video we were watching. Then told them this comparison is even more apt because it's referred to as the RGB theory due to the colors.

Friend: *uses legal name* You can't be serious?

Have they ever thought green is a complimentary color to red, and that's why it's being used so much?

My friend was a traditional visual arts major in our high school and has a better memory of technical terminology and color theory than me. So, she very easily recalled this knowledge while I was like huh forgot about that.

Then explained the use of green and red over the course of Milgram and it being related to the innocent or guilty verdicts. Then showing them other songs that use the colors prominently.

Friend: Okay, yeah. Couldn't they be using the color more in response to their verdicts then? Like she's using green a lot because she was innocent (in reference to Mu) and he's using red because he was guilty (in reference to Futa). I mean that kid used every color under the rainbow (in regards to Amane).

All the while still showing clear confusion as to why this is being highlighted here and nowhere else.

We also talked about what Kazui did because she went if that's how they use red and green then what about him pointing to Kazui's very blue thumbnail. Then said wait no don't play it I remember the song snippet and his first one when you played them to me. I liked neither.

Me explaining what I think his crime is and her going damn I really didn't think about his crime because again his songs sucked. Told her he's Innocent and she went good for him I guess it does get better.

Then when I thought about it-

I was like that's an interesting angle I hadn't even considered. I only thought about it on the level of subconsciously trying to have the audience vote a certain way. Not about why the prisoners may personally use it. I hadn't even really thought about why the song extraction machine would even use those colors while extracting their thoughts at all until that exact moment.

The colors are mostly synonymous with the Milgram institution in the framing of innocent or guilty. So, when the characters view themselves as being guilty or innocent the song extraction machine could be interpreting those instances as those colors to allude to how the prisoners view their own actions. Subtly implying that they feel more guilty or less about it.

This would mean the reason there was so much red in MeMe could be because Mikoto did feel incredibly guilty about what had transpired. Not because they were trying to frame him more negatively. It would also explain why even when using green in Double, it's done in a harsher way than with the others as though attempting to vilify him more than less.

It was an interesting thing to think about.

Literally continuing the first don't hug me I'm scared video they found to illustrate their point-

Friend: In a week they're gonna be like this-

Me: No, no, you don't understand they already are! If it's not two, it seems like anything goes.

Friend: I- ah- ugh.

Just sitting on my couch holding her arms out in confusion at this fucking point.

Me: Yeah, this isn't even a mindset specific to this fandom either. I've talked to another friend about it. Someone who doesn't even interact with this series, and they just said,

"Oof that again, I hate that for you." It was that and other things that made me realize that this sort of treatment is apparently common when it comes to a low number of alters.

Friend: Don't you know *my legal name* it's either three or ten. Any more or less than that and of course you're fucking lying for attention and deserve to be scrutinized. It makes perfect sense. Three minimum ten max nothing above or below.

Starts playing an English cover of the Gumi song "Ten Faces" over my television.

Me: Okay after all that what do you think?

Friend: What do I think? I think ya'll need Jesus. And I'm an atheist. So, that's saying a lot.

Ultimately it was a funny exchange that really made me go. Okay, so this is wild. I can seriously stop doubting myself and thinking I'm going insane. It took several discussions with multiple personal friends and one of them randomly deciding hey I want to spend the night for me to go okay I'm not losing my fucking mind.

So, friendly reminder to back away when needed and take breaks when things are getting overwhelming. Because the world isn't fandom and people don't usually behave in such a critical way towards others fictional or real existing in a way different from themselves.

Most people tend to recognize life is a very varied experience and don't make assumptions based on others immutable characteristics. A very comforting thing to remember given how I was feeling earlier this week in regards to this which some people know about and others do not.

#gunsli rambles

[thedaytheworldburned]

'Chasing That Feeling' MV First Reactions

Guys, I'm reacting. The blog isn't dead. I'm just also going to the Wild Kpop Fest in Sydney, so had to get ready for that. It was fun and I enjoyed seeing all three groups, but especially New (ahem, bias altert, ahem).

But let's have a look.

First, this MV pretty obviously follows on from 'Good Boy Gone Bad,' 'Sugar Rush Ride' and so on. It also has what I interpret as some nice Magic Island references, but I may be completely wrong (as always). So let's get into it!

I feel like this ray of light depositing TXT on Earth is a pretty obvious representation of them being expelled from Magic Island. It shows how violently they have been expelled after abusing their power, and it conveys how they, like Gfriend and unlike BTS, were born on the island, as such, and thus are basically supernatural non-human beings.

Also, the rubble and water are reminiscent of 'GBGB' and the Japanese MV for 'Sugar Rush Ride' - instantly visually connecting this storyline to the heartbreak and insanity one which those MVs discussed.

And, of course, we have the continuation of the star and the number 5 - there are 5 tunnels leading out of this hole, 5 colours in the light, 5 lights they chase, 5 points on the star, and so on.

There's also a nice contrast with the idea of angels coming down from the sky, and TXT being dressed in black - reminiscent of when they went crazy and were decidedly not angellic, despite being supernatural.

This is also emphasised by the fact that they are styled with tattoos.

Also, as always, TXT's choreographies are great.

Don't ask me to colour analyse the colours of light each membr chases - it would take far more time and research than I have today to do that in depth, and is thus better suited for a proper MV analysis. The most I can say so far is - Kai is gold - since he is the 'angel', Gyu has been associated with green before, especially in the webtoon through plants, and Yeonjun gets the other side of the cat - blue and green, thus he gets green.

A lot of this MV is them further abusing their powers, since they clearly didn't learn their lesson. Also - note that there are a lot of cars featured in this MV - cars being something we have seen in Magic Island arcs before, and which is generally a symbol of transit - as TXT are continuing their journey.

Interestingly, only Gyu, Yeonjun, and Taehyun seem to actually attain their power in this MV - Kai and Soobin are just constantly chasing it. We know Kai is in an internal battle, so it makes sense why he chases. Soobin is also being held back by doubts and the glass box the cat put him in. Yeonjun, Taehyun, and Gyu are all very firm in their beliefs - whatever those might be, and whether they're good or evil - so they can grab that power and feeling since they know how.

Trains are back - another way to get to Magic Island. They also emphasise the sense of danger in this MV.

Also, are you wondering why no one - except for the people Yeonjun LITERALLY RAN INTO are reacting to them in this MV? I'll discuss that more later.

I also think this scene is the best visual representation of the longing and desire they feel in the MV - Soobin reaching forward for power, for love, for literally everything he could ever want, but forced ackwards by the momentum of the train and his own doubts.

Like, look at this face!

Also - note that the tattoos on his neck look a little like the branches/veins V had on his neck during 'ON' era - a coincidence? Idk, but it's interesting.

So here we see that Taehyun has his power, and, like the rest of them, he is wonderfully misusing it.

Same with Gyu - although in a far more dangerous way.

Yeonjun too.

I'm not entirely sure if this is supposed to be Kai having his power or just grabbing a lift to try and catch up to it - but since there's no golden light, I'll assume he doesn't have the power.

I don't think this has any point other than to show how he's cool, how he's using his power, and possibly associating him with Gyu considering the light is green.

Star time again!

They've unified - making them more powerful, as expected. But interestingly, in this explosion, I only really see the red and blue, and, by proxy, purple. Was there a reason for this? Soobin, Taehyun, Yeonjun - generally but not always portrayed as good - vs Gyu (who smothered Taehyun) and Kai (who has a demon inside him)? Maybe I'm completely wrong.

So the Dr Strange stuff going on here is interesting because it shows that their abuse of their powers is literally breaking the universe/breaking reality. It also made me think that they were moving between dimensions - you know, since it's the mirror dimension. Which brings me back to people ignoring them and the light falling from the sky - it's possible that they have been shoved into another dimension, either by their own volition or because of the harm they did to Magic Island. This is a nice use of visual shortcut and also offers a potential explanation for why they are suddenly in some random city in America or England - I thought it was London but my knowledge of these places is almost nonexistent so please forgive me for not knowing.

I also find it interesting that they suddenly snap back to reality.

And also an odd shot to end on. The only thing we would think we would get from this is seeing the boys leave, but we also see the cars, the people walking, and the buildings. I have no doubt there is hidden meaning or are hidden detailsl, but the only thing I can really point to is that it reminds me of 'My Fair Lady,' and that the steam rising up could be considered the damage left over from the world knitting itself back together after going all mirror-dimension.

So that's the end of the MV!

I love the choreography, as always, but that is best analysed in a different video. Interestingly, I think it does little (compared to their other choreos) to tell the story, and instead is just cool and portrays the mood of the song.

Let's talk about the lyrics for a moment.

We've of course got the mandatory mentions of the night and moonlight, and of the highs of being in a 'loving' relationship.

The 'thief that keeps on stealing' is interesting, because there's the obvious meaning of 'stealing my heart,' but also the implied meaning of stealing power etc.

Then of course, the idea of miracles. Lightning is also often associated with a dangerous form of love (See Romeo and Juliet for what is probably the oldest example of that). And the kalidescope and butterflies are of course related to the butterfly effect and the fracturing of the world through the mirror univserse/dimension.

And that's pretty much it. A nice simple set of lyrics for a short little song.

Conclusions

It follows on from the previous MVs and storyline. Although slightly different themes are explored in each MV, they seem to be very obsessed with the 'high' phase of the relationship, rather than, you know, the fallout and the healing from it. Maybe they're serially dating toxic people. Psychologically that would make sense. Storyline-wise? Not so much.

That said, they probably like keeping the romance for the title tracks since that sells well, and keeping the funky mind-bending curse stuff for award shows and bside MVs, since the fans love that, and it makes jaws drop in award show season. In fact, they released this basically just in time for award show season - was that for a reason? Or is that a conspiracy theory of mine?

As a matter of interest, this (generic title tracks and crazy bsides) is something that exists in the whole industry but ESPECIALLY in HYBE.

#txt #tomorrow x together #txt theories #mv analysis #the name chapter #tnc #the name chapter: freefall #chasing that feeling

[thestobingirlie]

I saw that post about r/nance supposedly not being a betrayal to Steve and sent a follow up ask that brought up that they're breakup wasn't exactly amicable and they were like "I don't think their breakup was any messier than an average high schooler. They dated for a while and weren't good for each other so the relationship ended and Steve just wants Robin to be happy

They also acknowledged their high school experience involved a friend group that dated around with each other and that some people's perspectives might be different to theirs if they had worse experiences with that, despite their initial post implying that people who "hone in" on r/nance are lesbiphobic but whatever

They're tags said that being a Nancy and Steve fan allowed them to view their relationship "critically" which is a funny wording, because they were expressing annoyance at people actually criticizing it

Their initial tags also said "bro code doesn't exist when you and your ex are clearly not meant to be in a relationship"

Like, grl what are you talking about???

I also tried to address their point that if they both had a crush on the same person like vickie I think they could discuss it and either both decide to hold off or let the crush choose (like troy and abed did in that valentines day episode) but I think they thought I was referring to r/nance, kind of agreeing with them, so that was annoying

anyone trying to say stancy had a normal high school break up is insane. what the actual fuck did they have going on during high school?

it’s not that they ‘weren’t good together’, stancy broke up because while at first nancy liked the way steve hid from his trauma, and she was happy to act normally, it eventually started getting to her. she blamed the both of them for her best friends death and wanted to get justice, while steve was too afraid of being killed to do so. nancy also has a fear of being alone after barb’s death, which led her to dating steve despite not feeling about him as strongly as he did her. they finally broke up because steve realised she had feelings for another man (but didn’t realise she and jonathan had actually already slept together), and knew that they couldn’t go back to way they had been acting before.

if they’ve experienced any of that, they need therapy. because this is not normal. it’s pretty drenched in trauma and misery.

and yeah, steve wants robin to happy, with her canon crush vickie. not his ex, with whom he had a pretty explosive breakup that lasted days. and who he still has feelings for.

yeah, it’s kinda funny that they implied anyone that doesn’t like r//nance is lesbophobic when there are different lesbian ships in the fandom. (it actually kinda pisses me off that so much of that side of the fandom seems to think they’re special; if you don’t like r//nance you’re lesbophobic, if you don’t like nancy you’re a misogynist. get a grip, and please look outside your immediate vicinity, there are other female characters!)

i honestly think if you hate stancy and refuse to engage with their actual relationship, to the point that you ignore scenes and try to overwrite them and impose your own feelings onto the characters, you will never be able to understand their characters. that relationship is a core part of who those characters are. and trying to dismiss it as high school drama is getting rid of large swathes of character for both characters.

bro code absolutely still exists even when the two people shouldn’t have been in that relationship? like what? and even if we ignore that bro code, bros before hoes baby. robin is Never putting nancy before steve and steve wouldn’t put his love interest before robin either.

and yeah, if they had a crush on the same person, they’d figure it out. but i think their figuring it out is absolutely just, “wow that girl’s hot. nice! same taste in women.” *highfive*

#steve harrington #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #anti ronance #stranger things #asks #anon

[jellybeanium124]

I don't know who you were talking about so I could be wrong, but I think that those "people who talk about Ed stans like they're a problem" most likely are not referring to all the people who like/love Ed but specifically to those you talk about in the post that in order to discredit Izzy at all costs they only see him as someone who exists to further Ed and Stede's character development. Apart from that, this way to see "non protagonist" characters sadden me… If they weren't also important why do Jenkins spent time on Jim's story, on Lucius and the others? Just to fill and make the episodes longer?? D:

I disagree with people who think "ed stans" are a problem in the fandom, especially when people think they're an equivalent problem to the canyon. no they're not. there is at least one guy on """my side""" of things that I find really annoying, and I've definitely seen takes from other people out in the open (aka not in the canyon) that I don't like. but you cannot call the issues equal.

first of all, I've never seen "ed stans" the way izzy people talk about them. granted, I don't go into the tags. I can't say I've seen everything. but like, if you have 2 groups, and the 2 groups don't like each other, they tend to exaggerate and make up shit about the other group to continue the antagonizing relationship. ngl I've seen it on """my side""" too. I have seen some canyon takes first-hand. I'll occasionally scroll down their blogs out of curiosity. there's varying levels of canyon-ness. and people on """my side""" have sometimes exaggerated things or made it out to be that everyone in the canyon thinks this versus it just being one dumb fuck's take. we see the canyon as a monolith but it really isn't, same way we aren't a monolith. anyways, long story short, you cannot call these two groups equally bad because of the canyon's obvious racism problem. this was just a long-winded way of getting to the fact that izzy stans and the canyon have a racism problem.

I'm not saying """my side""" is perfect, nor am I the person to discuss that in depth because I am not a person of color. I'm just saying that the canyon is continuing to perpetuate racist tropes in fic and art after literal years of fans of color discussing how these things are racist. stede and/or izzy having to teach ed how to bathe/take care of his hair immediately comes to mind, for example. writing ed as uniquely violent, and responding to feeling threatened with gratuitous violence instead of hiding and curling up into a ball. continuing to reference slavery in their fics.

why don't "ed stans" talk about how ed did bad shit more? because the canyon won't shut the fuck up about it! I think having a frank and productive discussion surrounding ed's actions in 2x01-2x02, as well as a bit of 1x10 is impossible in any sort of public space, and could only happen in a private discord server. I don't think there's anyone who seriously believes ed did nothing he had to apologize for. he did do horrible things. he did have to earn the crew's trust back. the show did really, really rush through it due to The Shortening. but we don't talk about it because we're too busy trying to counter canyon takes.

I do agree with you on that last bit. I am not inclined to view any sentient character in any story merely as a plot device for the protagonist(s). it's just not a method of literary analysis that I particularly jive with. symbolism is cool, and obviously it should be discussed, but at the end of the day, I view characters as people within their own universe, not objects within their own universe, regardless of their importance to the narrative. take jack, for example. one of the most plot-devicey characters in the show. but I still prefer to, and find it more interesting to, see him as a person within the world of the show rather, than a plot device puppet. my point with the post was I see people arguing that izzy's side-characterness makes him less of a person inside the world of the show than stede and ed, but never ever apply that line of thinking to any other side character, and I find it reactionary and hypocritical. now, if you view all the side characters as plot devices, then you're being consistent, and while I don't agree with you, I don't particularly care, and I think that's fine.

[hupla222]

Bad Future AU

It's time again to discuss one of my many different aus because I just love them. This one I have dubbed "Bad Future". It is set in an alternate timeline of Sinnoh. Everything is different and no one is exactly the same as they were before. Everyone has a new role. And in this post I'd like to talk about the main players. I may make a separate post about all the side characters later because, trust me, everyone has a new story to tell. If you want to know more about this au feel free to ask! I love answering questions!

First up is the main character, Lucas. Lucas was raised by his father and Rowan in Sandgem Town alongside Rowan's adoptive son, Sean. At some point Rowan was killed by a mysterious man named Hood and soon after Lucas's father disappeared as well. Now all Lucas wants is to protect the only family he has left in Sean. And he aims to become the strongest trainer in the region to do it. He comes across as cold and uncaring but he wants the best for everyone deep down. Against Sean's advice, he seeks vengeance on Hood for what he has done to the region, instilling so much fear in everyone. His first partner is a Turtwig.

Next comes Lucas's best friend, Barry. Barry is quite the shy and nervous trainer. He is a bit impatient as well, often rushing away from danger without thinking. Sean smoothed out his hair and he hasn't had the courage to change it. He isn't sure of himself and his own strength after even his own dad disappeared due to Hood's influence. He wants to support Lucas in anyway that he can but he's not a very strong trainer. His main goal is to rescue all of the people that Hood has taken, if they're even still alive that is. He also wants to be a great trainer despite his fears. His first partner is Chimchar.

This is Dawn. She is a trainer from Twinleaf Town and a friend of Barry's. She's a kind hearted, cheerful person and wants to see the people she cares about smile, especially Lucas. While not a battler, she still aims to create the best team she can for the sake of performance. He goal is to bring joy back to the region that has been terrified by Hood. She's very supportive of Barry and often helps him train. Her first partner is Piplup.

Sean, or as he's known in our timeline, Saturn is this au's professor. As a child he was taken in by Rowan and raised as his son. Rowan did his best to instill kindness in the boy and Sean eventually grew in interest in Pokémon research. Years before the main story, Rowan was killed by Hood, leaving Sean to care for Lucas on his own. He also took it upon himself to continue Rowan's research. He's still the same underhanded, conniving person we know, just looking out for the good of Sinnoh instead of just himself. He gives the partner Pokémon to Lucas, Barry, and Dawn for reasons unknown to them. He also ends up travelling with the group at Lucas's insistence. His goal is to put a stop to Hood once and for all. He has been doing much research on the man as a result.

The villain of the au, Hood, both wearing his skull and not. This twisted version of Roark came to be when his father was killed during a cave in. He ran away from home and stumbled on plates that allowed him to view into other timelines. This drove him to madness to the point where he is barely recognizable. He wished to summon the creation trio so that he can rewrite the timeline into the "proper" timeline, aka the one we are all familiar with. To do this he has been kidnapping researchers and forcing them to help him. If they refuse they are disposed of. Death means nothing to him. After all, it won't matter anymore when the timeline is fixed. The skull he wears he refers to as "father" although it definitely does not belong to Byron. Currently, he wants the help of Sean and has been tracking him for some time.

Finally, for now, is Hood's right hand woman, Cynthia. Cynthia was contacted by Hood years ago, right after the death of Rowan. After hearing him out, she decided that he was right and that she would help him with his goals. She then retired as league champion and went around researching the creation trio. She spends most of her time curbing Hood's madness, maintaining as much of his sanity as she can. While she is sad that she had to betray her friends, she thinks that she is doing what is best for everyone.

#pokemon #pokemon diamond and pearl #pokemon platinum #pokemon au #pokemon lucas #turtwig #pokemon barry #chimchar #pokemon dawn #piplup #pokemon saturn #pokemon roark #pokemon cynthia #cynthia #dialga #palkia #giratina #pokemon byron #This one has been brewing for a while #And I'm so excited to share it #Probably the most work I've put into an au so far #Literally everyone has changed #Bad Future AU #alternate timeline