#we get so many shows and movies where characters tend to react to things like a shitty childhood for example the exact same way

[fluffypotatey]

heyyy isnt it wild how when characters say that mk "literally never listens" that is Also a case of unreliable narration. mk listens a lot actually!! he listens to macaque's "you don't use a weapon, you ARE the weapon" monologue in 1x09. he listens to mac again in shadow play (since he was able to quote back the "then be a warrior!" bit). actually now that i think of it there are a lot lot lot of times when mk deliberately echoes someone else's dialogue and clearly he had to have been listening to them and internalizing it bc otherwise he wouldnt be able to repeat it (things like "chose the wrong successor," "to pain," and "harbinger of chaos" come to mind). the thing is tho that mk usually tends to listen to + internalize things that hurt him or otherwise confirm his own fears. so its actually worse in the long run for him!! :D

imagine you are MK. most of your life before this whole story began was you working under Pigsy, your boss/dad, and hanging out with Mei, your best friend in the world.

constantly, you will have Pigsy screaming up a storm about employee etiquette and how MK should clock in on time and “if you ever come to work late again, i’ll fire you!” or you have Tang telling you beautiful stories in exchange for free food because every tale he spins is magical and adventurous. or you have Mei who is a little bit like the little devil on your shoulder egging you on to another game or arcade or movie or outing because both of you never truly had a friend until you met each other and never know when to end your time hanging out.

and we see this in the second episode of season 1, where MK feels pulled in every direction with his job, spending time with Mei, helping out Sandy, and training with the Monkey King. EVEN BY S1 HE IS AT THE END OF HIS ROPE!!! And did anybody truly notice????? DID THEY????

and yeah, Pigsy, Mei, and Minky King are the big contenders for telling MK he isn’t listening, and honestly MK does have a problem with understanding the intent and meaning behind what his friends are saying as he’ll only take in the superficial. however, when it comes to the most stressful and dire times, MK is all ears.

he absolutely understood LBD’s words when she put him and his self worth down, he understood Macky’s ire and vitriol (and was able to piece together that most of Macky’s words are a shield), he understood SWK’s aversion for allowing MK and the gang’s help with finding the rings because of their mortality

here is my assumption of what MK is learning from the people around him (bc my personal headcanon is that MK learns and understands how to behave and react from the people in his circle):

he’s learning that his friends’ needs are more important than his own

he has learned that a lot of his worries are meaningless because they typically get brushed off

in addition to that, he learned that if he has any issues, it would be better to keep them to himself because it truly is no big deal and will find some resolution eventually

he learns that nobody is fully certain he can do things on his own

he learns that many people (the villains) believe he’s someone they can mold into their own

MK is internalizing a lot of shit. and we see a snippet of that behavior I think in s3 where he bemoans about not being good enough for SWK and Pigsy’s is like “woah, wait a minute….did that asshole really say that to you???”

and the thing is, Wukong didn’t say that nor would he ever intend to say something that would make MK think little about himself; however, Wukong has his own issue of never elaborating on shit, so while he may have said “listen, bud, this journey is super dangerous and life threatening, and you’re still mortal so it would be best if you stayed here” what MK heard was “since you’re still a weak mortal, this mission isn’t cut out for you”

and yeah it just eloquently shows how MK internalizes the worst of people’s words (hey, like mentor like student, am I right? 👀) which is why it is so easy for the antagonists to creep into his head (LBD, Mac, Azure, Ink!MK, possibly PIF???)

but yeah, what you said, bestie

#my voice is gone T^T #caput #anyway #love when characters internalize their issues and words others have said about them #MK needs to talk it out #will he? idk #lmk #lmk mk #lmk qi xiaotian #asks

[krikeymate]

The conflicting feelings tara had after sam left would be very interesting to look deeper into, in my opinion, if my sibling left me w/ a very toxic alcoholic mother, no matter the reason, i dont think id forgive them as fast as tara did (that could just be that ive never had a great relationship w/ my sibling though, whereas tara did) but i feel like even if tara forgave her, there would still be lasting conflicting feelings about sam (which they did show in scream 6, but i feel like it could've been deeper than that), i feel like something like that is something you don't just get over, and it tends to end in resentment, cause why could you leave when i couldnt? Or why did you get to reconstruct your life piece by piece when i was stuck in a toxic home? Those tend to be the most common reactions to abandonment like that, and just knowing why sam left wouldnt remove all the years tara spent wondering what she couldve done, what wouldve made sam stay. I do quite like the path they took in 6, where they did kind of show the resentment/anger tara had for sam, but i wish there was more to it. They kind of passed it off as 'oh, taras drunk. Theres not much behind it' and dropped it for the rest of the movie when they could've done so much more. Like i said, if my sibling ever did what sam did, even after they came back into my life i would constantly have conflicting thoughts of 'i hate them' to 'i love them' and back and forth, and i hope they show atleast a bit more of taras abandonment issues if they make another movie, because i feel like it would be really interesting to get more stuff about her character and reactions.

I would like to add that this is partially based off how i would react to my sibling doing that, which in itself could make my perspective on this completely different cause ive got like 10 scenarios i can think of off the top of my head that would make me 100% biased about how i would react to stuff. But it is also based off some human behavior stuff i already knew

I think there's too many individual factors involved to generalise the situation. At the end of the day, there's so many people who wouldn't forgive their sibling in this situation, but there's so many who would.

Personally, I've never forgiven my brother for the nerve to be born in the first place.

I think this is all part of what makes Tara a much more fascinating character to take apart and reconstruct, because I know Sam, I can see why she does the things she does, I know her motivations, her fears, what makes her tick. We just don't have that information for Tara. Sam's story starts the moment she finds that diary, and we know what happens after that. But it feels like Tara's story starts the moment she is born, and we don't see any of it, any of the formative stuff. We only see the aftermath. By that I mean, what defines their characters and their personalities. It's really interesting actually, because obviously we don't actually see a young Sam either, and yet we've been given so much more context to who she is and why.

In 5, she's overwhelmed by her sister's return to her life - an event she thought would never happen. She never thought she would see her sister again. She clearly begins to work through her feelings about Sam returning between 5 and 6, however I don't read the way she reacts to Sam in 6 as actually being upset with Sam at all.

I think Tara has forgiven Sam. For everything. I think, as we see at the end of 6, she realises she would rather have her sister in her life than not, and to do so, she has to let go. Of her anger, of her fears, of her facade of a normal life.

She learns in 5 that Sam leaving was never her fault, that there was nothing she could have done to help her or change what happened. She learns that Sam left because she thought it was the only way to protect her, from herself. Tara forgives her for that. Sam clearly then makes up for lost time, and does so in a way that unfortunately Tara can't quite fully appreciate because it's conflicting with her trauma and her attempt to ignore the fact she died. Something she can't do because it's also what brings her sister back to her. Sam uproots her life once again and does so to make one with her sister, she's dedicated to her, she builds her new life around her. It's all an act of worship, and Tara knows that. She digs into it when she's drunk and arguing with Sam. But that argument isn't really about Sam and Tara's feelings about her. It's about Tara trying to pretend everything is fine, when she's not fine.

#/mp #ask box #iheartthreedaysgrace #Scream #Sam Carpenter #Tara Carpenter #-the girls

[heloflor]

Probably my hottest Mario take: I might actually like the 1986 Anime Movie more than the 2023 Movie. Yes the 2023 one is a better movie overall while the 86 Anime didn’t age well and is filled with plot conveniences and random things happening just because, along with the bad animation, questionable voice acting, weird soundtrack and sound design, but idk I still really like it.

It’s just that there’s something very charming about that movie. It came out a single year after the first Super Mario Bros, back when there was little to no lore about the Mushroom Kingdom, and it really shows in the way enemies are used and random characters exist but also you can tell they made an effort with the little they had. It’s like watching the very beginning of the franchise, way before it became the phenomenon it is today, and there’s something about it I really like.

I’m also fascinated by the way Peach and Bowser were written in it. This was the first time these two were given a personality past “evil bad guy” and “damsel in distress”. And not only are they both great in the little screentime they have, but these new personality traits, given one single year after the creation of those characters, remain to this day their personality, albeit with a few small tweaks (Bowser being a dad becoming a huge part of his character, Peach losing her temper in most versions). Kinda funny how these two are the biggest highlight of the movie despite only being in it for like 5 minutes, but still, love what was done with them.

And when it comes to comparing it to the 2023 Movie, I actually find it hilarious how many similarities the two have, including having the exact same skeleton for their story. It’s been 37 years yet Nintendo is still writing the same thing, I love it (more on the comparison here).

Oh yeah and because I just know there are some people who will go “the hell you like about this movie?!”, here’s an actual list!

- Literally everything about the intro is great once you get past the weirdness of the Mushroom people coming out the TV. We get Mario playing the Famicom, Peach managing to defend herself for a while before getting overwhelmed, Mario being hilariously chill about all of this, Mario more than willing to fight Bowser until he sees just how enormous Bowser is and gets intimidated, the back and forth between Peach and Mario hiding behind each other, that moment where Bowser gets rid of Mario with one finger and then smiles about it followed by a beat and then Peach starts throwing furniture at him, the Game Over screen, Luigi reacting like you’d expect. Just. Everything about this scene is great!

- The wooden title cards look amazing. It’s a small thing, but I love the “fairytale” vibe it gives the movie. And now that I think about it, that might also be why I’m being so nice with this movie, since fairytales do tend to be small stories with little going on and not always making sense, making it easier to forgive its flaws.

- The shop scene is also very solid in showing us who Mario and Luigi are as people and how they play off of each-other. On that note, I like their dynamic. It’s a bit of the usual bickering siblings who would still do anything for each other, but it works.

- The meeting with the wizard guy is also solid with the way Mario and Luigi react to things. It’s a bit of an exposition dump, but you can tell they try to make it entertaining. Plus, it works for how simplistic the story is (yes I’m giving this movie a lot of slack).

- The travel montages...yeah I’m gonna be honest with this one, it sucks. I do like how they use them to show the different power-ups they get, but it’s still very boring and I skip them when watching the movie. Except for the last one on the airship, that one is pleasant.

- Luigi tripping on mushrooms. Do I even need to say more? But yeah that whole sequence with the paratroopa is nice (once you get past the fact that a turtle made a bunch of birds). And I like how clever Mario gets to save himself and Luigi from the babies.

- I’m not one to care about people drawing smut of cartoon characters, but the internet is sleeping on those Toads. That’d actually be hilarious if the main takeaway the fandom had of this movie were to be the Toad girls. And on an unrelated note, their designs is more original than the Toads we get now!

- The whole sequence with the Piranha plants and the Lakitu honestly bores me and drags on a bit. The Piranhas might also be the worst animated part of this whole thing. I do like how much of a selfish bitch the Lakitu is though. Idk, that’s a fun character in their shittiness.

- The scene in the cavern is fine. I like how the Hammer Bros is used as that intimidating guard, and we get to see Luigi be the one to solve the issue this time around! On that note, I love that Luigi’s love for money isn’t only for jokes but is at times used as a plot point (him later on flooding the castle and finding Mario’s star). Mario’s daydream is also pretty cute.

- I probably watched that scene between Peach and Bowser a dozen times since I re-discovered this movie this year. I adore the way they are characterized, especially in the context of this being the first time they’ve been written this way. Bonus points for Bowser who has no rights being as adorable as he is in this. Ultimately this scene doesn’t really advance the story, but I still love that we got some insight on who these two are at such an early stage of the franchise’s existence.

- The underwater scene is also a slug to go through, though it’s interesting to see how they used the Cheep Cheep. Also Mario dressing up as a ballerina while the dog references that one queer music star is a yes.

- I find the third act of this movie to be honestly solid. Sure there are some contrivances with the fire platforms room and the water somehow destroying the castle, but I still like it. Granted it might be due to how much screentime Bowser gets here. Speaking of which, it’s actually surprising that Bowser turns down Peach when she promises to marry him if he lets Mario alone, with Bowser refusing because he knows Mario might be trouble since he already ate two of the power-ups. This is probably top five smartest things Bowser has done in the entire franchise. This isn’t an insult to Games Bowser btw, I fucking love this dumbass, and he is kind of a dumbass when interacting with Peach in this movie as well!

- While the ending is hated for a reason and I do find it dumb as well, it’s still incredibly sweet how Mario accepts it and wishes happiness on Peach.

So overall, is the 86 Anime good? Ehh, not really. But if you’re able to get past all the weird shit going on, it’s very charming as a piece of Mario history, and it’s especially funny to see all the small things that end up becoming a core part of the franchise. And because of that, I can’t help but like it more than the 2023 Movie, even if the 2023 one is an overall better movie (I’d give the 86 Anime a 4,5/10 and the 2023 one a 6/10 in terms of movie quality; but in terms of enjoyment the 86 Anime is above the 2023 Movie for me)

#Super Mario #The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach #Mario '86 Anime #Mario Anime #Flor talks #I love how everytime I bring up this movie I talk about it like it was common knowledge that it exists #granted it's bc I saw it as a kid on yt #and is basically assuming that long-time Mario fans also used to go around seeing fan animations #and accidentally stumbling on an official movie along the way #long post

[coffeebanana]

15 Questions 15 Mutuals

Thanks for the tag @ladyofthenoodle and @kasienda

1. Are you named after anyone?

No, although my middle name is a family name.

2. When was the last time you cried?

I think a few weeks ago? I watched "Everything, Everywhere, All at Once" and KJBSDFKBJD. Like that movie is such a fun mix of WTF is even going on craziness and contemplating the point of existence and exploring complicated family feelings and the end is weirdly heartwarming--particularly the interactions between the mother and daughter, which is what really got me. And I was watching with one of my best friends and like right after the movie ended he was like "if we were rocks you'd be the googly eyes"--which makes no sense if you haven't seen the movie but that made me cry again because kajdfbksjbf it was so oddly sweet. (Though that was a mixture of hysterical laughter and crying ajsdjfsvjhv in a good way though!)

3. Do you have kids?

nope. maybe one day if i ever get my life together LOL

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

idk if it's a lot?? though i'm probably single-handedly responsible for teaching my brother sarcasm (he's 7 years younger than me so when he was learning would have been right as i was entering those peak sarcasm years LOL)

sarcasm is still deeply engrained in me though, and i nowadays when i use it i definitely pay more attention to how people react to it (ie whether they picked up on it) because i tend to deliver it in a very matter-of-fact voice. like, one of my favourite stupid sarcastic comments to make is whenever something weird weather-wise happens i'll be "but thank god climate change is fake, right?" and KJABFDKSJBD i've gotten some WEIRD LOOKS saying that one around ppl who don't know me that well and then i have to explain myself 😭

5. What sports do you play/have played?

i used to figure skate!! my mom was a coach when i was growing up, so i would joke that i lived part-time at the ice rink. it was kind of inevitable 😂. but i was never good at the jumps. i prefered ice dance or synchronized skating (think synchronized swimming but on the ice)

and i also used to play hockey!? very different environment LOL and my hockey teammates would sometimes tease me for showing up to a game in a dress after skating practice on days i had both but it was all in good fun

now...now i really SHOULD do something kajsdkbfsj

6. What’s the first thing you notice about someone?

i...really have no idea.

7. What’s your eye color?

hazel? i think?

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

happy endings. scary movies don't really freak me out but i guess i just find them sort of...low-reward? i'm not a movie person to begin with because it's hard for me to get invested in the characters in such a short amount of time. with horror movies that's even harder because they're all about shock value instead of getting to know the characters

9. Any special talents?

i am very very good at puns. does that count? 😂

10. Where were you born?

canada. on the west coast

11. What are your hobbies?

when i have energy/motivation i really enjoy cooking (or baking, but with baking i have to actually measure ingredients and with cooking i just sort of go with the flow). my new apartment is going to have space for a dishwasher--which really is the most exciting thing in my life right now--so i'm hoping that motivates me to cook more!!

12. Do you have pets?

yes!!! i have a ginger cat and her name is Curie (namesake Marie Curie because i'm a proud little nerd like that). I love her she's so stupid and has tried to eat plastic TOO MANY TIMES but every morning and night she will curl up on my chest when i'm in bed and she's just a precious bean

13. How tall are you?

5'5.5 (166cm). but i would have been taller if my spine had known how to grow straight 😔

14. Favorite subject in school?

science!! i had the same science teacher in high school from grades 8-10 (aka the only teacher in the french immersion department who was really qualified to teach it 😂) and i ADORED HER. from day one i was hooked--like she even made syllabus day fun. so i owe my love of science in part to her, really.

in university i realized i liked chemistry best amongst the sciences, so that was my major. and my favourite class i ever took was intro to quantum chemistry (which is really just quantum physics but the math was geared more towards what us chemistry students were familiar with)

15. Dream job?

okay, avoiding the typical "i do not dream of labour" answer...i really don't know. which is a problem. like i genuinely have no idea what i could do long-term that would actually make me happy and i just hope i figure it out at some point akjsdkfsjbd ... I feel like I was not supposed to leave paragraph responses for some of these but akjfkdsjbgd i can admit i like to talk about myself, okay? Anyways! I think I can find 15 mutuals who as far as i know haven't been tagged yet.

@ck2k18, @wackus-bonkus-maximus, @redundant-lava, @maridotnet, @celestialtitania, @talkstoself, @saiikavon, @sunfoxfic, @rosiesared, @mexicancat-girl, @tiredfloridianbutverygay, @fortuna-et-cataclysmos, @zenniaphoenix, @eggothemusicalwaffle, @bocadelicate

#tag game #about me

[winns-stuff]

LO RANT:

Okay I’m sorry that I’m saying this now but that chapter was so boring. It didn’t bring anything new just more Persades moments, and all of it would’ve been swell if the the Underworld didn’t JUST come out of a damn sleep coma. Like honestly, we don’t even see the citizens wake up or anything and the state of the Underworld before was literally so run down and apocalyptic looking how did we go from that major problem to fucking Persades?? I have so many questions and no answers at all.

First of all, Hades and Persephone just skipping to the “oh wow now that we’re together we’re getting married and she’ll be queen” thing is super fucking weird because right before the whole exile thing they said that after the trials they would go on dates and stuff, I know they’re supposed to be soulmates and stuff but what the hell is a soulmate if you know dog shit about them? Does Hades even know Persephone’s style? Does Persephone know anything about Hades besides his damn trauma because of all their trauma dumping? Have they ever even had a conversation, like a real normal conversation with each other that didn’t include flirting. I’m so sick of their relationship honestly, it reminds me of those hallmark christmas movies where the main characters were just all over each other, but the thing with those stories is that they were bearable and entertaining and they had fun dynamics. What the hell is even their dynamic anyways?? Let’s get into that. We know Persephone is supposed to be the pure virgin naive girl who makes the powerful underworld boss king with thousands of years of experience and so much “respect” for his peers fall down on his knees and care for her because she’s going to make such an amazing wonderful wife. We get it, but that dynamic can only do so much and it’s so boring to watch it unfold. There’s no real tension because whenever it is some potential brought up it caves in and completely crumbles and the whole thing is just boring. I personally enjoy the romantic tropes of kind people meeting scary looking people or people who are considered “monstrous” or “mean” because (when done right) the relationship can become more balanced and flourished depending on how their personalities clash, I know Persades has that but it just doesn’t have the same passion.. It’s almost soulless.

Secondly, I’m gonna pick apart two lines that irked the hell out of me. When Persephone was being tended to by Hera and the others (how the fuck did they even get there that fast might I add) she says something in the lines of “should I seduce him?” WTF. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, this is the shit I’m talking about like I said before what is a soulmate even if you’re not even sure you know the person well enough? What is a soulmate when you have no beyond the surface information about them? I say this because I’m just in awe that she’s so confused about how Hades would react to her and she’s not even sure how she would approach him. Like I know they’ve been apart for 10 years but after Zeus explained what happened with Leuce she should be able to understand that Hades still wants her, also why the hell would that even be her first idea anyways because if she knows so much about Hades and if they’re truly soulmates she should be able to know exactly the things he cherishes and stuff to get him interested like she shouldn’t have to question it if she actually knows. But also why would you even need to seduce him? Why does she need to flirt and show off to him inappropriately to get him interested in the first place? If Hades loves Persephone no matter what she should be able to just walk into a room and he’d be amazed. I don’t know why Rachel even added that in it was so weird, and why is that literally every woman’s first (seems like only) choice to impress men in this comic? I’ve seen way too many goddesses and nymphs having to seduce and strip half naked to even get the gaze of most gods they’re after which I think is absolute bullshit and just very insulting that that’s basically their only choice. Last point is just something I’ve noticed, didn’t she think like that 10 years ago too? Why is her ideas of relationships still like her 19 year old self when she’s literally 30 now? She’s been exposed to Hades for long enough (says the comic) so she should be aware that the relationship doesn’t need seducing unless that’s literally the only thing they have going on, the only thing that kept them so into each other in the first place, lust and seduction not even love or romance or a true connection with each other.

Another thing is about the queens being there. What the hell are they even doing there? Why did they just mysteriously pop up out of nowhere? And just for Persephone?? Hera barely woke up from her damn coma she should be with her family members and her children, spending time with them after losing so many moments and being with her children after they had to watch her suffer in her coma in their own fucking house! Same with Amphitrite, she barely just got Poseidon back after endlessly worrying about him in their own realms! Since when did Persephone and Hades become the most important people on the damn planet? They’ve never been there for any other major points in their lives like when Persephone went into that protective vine thing where she grew trees and such in the Underworld, or when Hades was at the trial and lost Persephone or when Persephone chased Minthe down and turned her into a plant! Only now have they just miraculously came to “support them” and I think it was just.. Weird, the whole chapter was so out of place and rushing to get back to the “romance” that it didn’t actually feel genuine. It’s weird that the Queens had to become servants for Persephone and she wasn’t even crowned yet, I bet they didn’t do that for Minthe when Hades was thinking about engaging to her.

Another thing is about Persephone’s hands. Wow that’s so sad that you were doing your job like you have been for quite literally your whole life and your hands started hurting while your mom was literally a mortal for 10 years with wounds opening up. I’m so sad for you Persephone and that’s terrible that mean old Zeus would put you through that. Boo- fucking- hoo, big woop. I need Persephone to be a little tougher, I’m not saying I hate how sensitive she is because I am too I’m literally one of the most emotional people you’ll ever meet, but you cannot praise Persephone being so badass and so “terrifying” (yes I’m making fun of Hades’ compliment and I’m being very biased) when she shows none of those traits. That’s like saying someone is so kind and nurturing when they spit on homeless people and kick babies, you see how that doesn’t make sense? Now listen I would’ve agreed with Hades if this was S1 Persephone we were talking about because she was actually interesting and she did have her intimidating moments, but this Persephone is so far from that and I don’t even think we can say she’s the same person. She doesn’t strike fear in anyones heart nor is she dreadful, she is not terrifying at all nor is she intimidating because the comic never allows her to be that. Persephone can’t be terrifying because of the way Rachel writes her, she’s just the perfect obedient uwu smol wife that everyone wants to get with and everyone’s jealous of, you can’t possibly be an uwu wife and be terrifying at the same time! That’s never happened before! (this is sarcasm by the way). But yeah I’m just tired of the comic constantly telling us things about Persephone rather than showing us, just because Hades says she’s terrifying we’re supposed to believe it even though she’d literally be cornered and threatened by a fly? Okay.

My last point I wanna make is that lousy scene where they got mad at Zeus for walking in. First of all, stop being so damn dramatic do you really think Zeus is going to send Persephone back now even though he could’ve when he first arrived in the Underworld? Like come on if he really wanted to she would’ve been gone you just want to have a damn villain for the season or whatever. Second of all, the man literally sacrificed himself for Persephone she was almost a Kronos snack if he didn’t step in because we all know Persephone can’t do shit when it comes to combat other than standing and crying so someone had to take the fall for her yet again. It’s pathetic at this point how they continue to make Zeus seem so evil when he’s literally the only one who fixed his own problem and obviously let everything go. If Zeus was upset he would’ve barged into Hades’ house, not calmly walk in without saying a word body language is key people. Anyways, I really do feel like this was just an attempt to show us how “loving” and “protective” Hades is because he shielded Persephone from something nonthreatening, and now we’re supposed to sweep all of his terrible behaviors and traits under the rug and swoon at him being so possessive and impulsive. Bravo, that’s the sort of man that should be out on the streets and getting a therapist aka Persephone.

Anyways, that’s the end of this rant. I told myself I would do this in the morning but I just couldn’t sleep without speaking my opinion on it, I’ve been holding it in for so long and trying my hardest not to think about it but I just couldn’t wait any longer. So I’m sorry if this rant is a little longer than my other ones I am just genuinely annoyed and irritated at this chapter, if you read this far I applaud you because I wouldn’t. But anyways as I always say this rant is meaningless and I’m just speaking my thoughts into existence, these points are just my opinions not facts at all and if you agree or disagree with me are both fine. In no way shape or form is this a dig at the fandom or fans of Lore Olympus, this is honestly just at the webtoon itself but if you enjoy it this isn’t to shame or insult you because that would just be uncalled for and hilariously dumb. We all like different things and no one should be called out for liking something (unless it’s harmful than you have every right to call it out) but yeah, just wanted to say that like I do any time there’s a rant.

#lo critical #anti lore olympus #anti lo

[earthsickwithoutyou]

Calvaire, 2004 - ★½ (contains spoilers)

This review may contain spoilers.

Eh. This movie, for me, was mostly wasted potential. The first thing that throws me off is this movie being referenced as part of New French Extremity. It's nowhere near extreme enough to have its title bandied about with the likes of Inside, Frontier(s) and Martyrs, hence setting up false expectations.

So where does this perception of extremity come from? I suspect it's simply because many viewers are so unused to seeing a man put in some of the roles/situations in this film. We're used to seeing a woman subjected to such torment and abuse. But when it happens to women in horror films, it's a lot worse than this! If it's a dude, suddenly this is on par with NFE just for subverting gender roles?

The protagonist makes no sense as a character, setting up the dull, shapeless screenplay (use of mysteriousness/unanswered questions doesn't work at all, nor does it seem calculated; it's like the movie isn't finished).

Calvaire goes out of its way to establish Marc as this adorably sweet man with musical ambitions but not much success, who puts on cheesy but fun concerts at nursing homes. He seems to enjoy bringing happiness to the lonely residents.

Then this whole side of his personality is instantly dropped, never to return, what, five, ten minutes into the movie? Because a confused and infatuated senior lady makes an overly handsy pass at him. Her emotional distress and innocence of meaning harm are so clear, yet he chooses to not respond in any way except to move slightly away from her. Weird. Most people in this unpleasant but understandable situation would probably have some sort of verbal response, not a cold shut-down. You'd either be upset or apologetically reject the person, or say something quick and hopefully comforting before leaving the room. He also sits there listening blankly/numbly as she insults herself in the most wretched terms. What is this guy's deal?

FF to him leaving the nursing home, where a nurse (described in one review as "slightly younger" than the senior lady from earlier, hahahaha she's much younger, but a little older than Marc.). This is hardly a disgraceful move on the nurse's part, except that she won't let it go and becomes a creepy stalker. What vibe is Marc giving off that he can't peel women off him?

I do concur that the meaning here is to show us how women are treated IRL / in other horror films, but happening to a man, as it foreshadows and gives context to what happens next. Sure, but Marc is so lifeless, free from personality or reacting in any way human to these seduction attempts that it's too easy to feel bad for the women and not care about him. A pattern that sadly continues, even as Marc's aggressors become male.

Someone with no personality and silent, smug, lack of verbal answer to situations where most people would certainly have something to say does not ride around in a funky van with his own name on it or wear a damn cape to perform Tom Jones-esque numbers at an elderly home. It does not occur. IRL or movies.

I digress, so moving on. Marc heads off to the next gig. Question, is he going a different way than he came? Asking because suddenly the depressing but fairly realistic world of the movie changes into a hellish, dark, frightening forest a la In the Company of Wolves. Where tf IS he? Why is there this village, not that far away from society at all, yet isolated and ignored as it festers in horror? UH.

Marc's van breaks down because of course it does. I tend to tolerate this worn-out trope because follow-up is usually a lot more satisfying. Here, all we get is boring or depressing.

Case in point: the man who wanders the woods throughout the movie, delusional and heartbroken, crying and looking for his lost dog. I have read some reviews claiming to find the character to be comic relief. Hell no, he's depressing AF. Except for the one, best part of the movie when he tells Marc to shut up, the first time they meet ("I meant be silent with your mouth!"). So this character gets the gold metal for causing an emotional reaction from me that was engaging. But there are no more such moments of dry humor from him, imo, because he's too desperate and messed up, which just isn't funny.

Marc, dumb enough to drive down an abandoned rural road at night in a beat-up van that already barely started when he left the comparatively innocuous problems back at the nursing home, adds to his display of stupidity by FOLLOWING THE MENTALLY UNHINGED, CREEPY MAN TO THE "INN" IN AN EVEN MORE ISOLATED LOCATION AND LEAVING HIS VAN BEHIND. From this point on, I have little pity to spare him. He passively lets all of this shit happen to him while later crying and whining about it. My brother in Christ, you're a *disgrace* of a final girl (any final girl would have been more suspicious, guarded and defensive during the titular Ordeal). No one would put themselves in this position among obviously unstable and dangerous characters. the FUCK.

So, after following the mentally unhinged, creepy man to the "inn" in an even more isolated location and leaving his van behind, Marc decides to follow a "friendly" (obviously eerie and untrustworthy) fellow named Bartel into his house (not even being used as an inn anymore. It's literally just this man's house, anything could fucking be in there. WHO DOES THIS

Moreover, he very passively sits back and does very little aside from look bored and vaguely annoyed, allowing Bartel (not a mechanic) to work on his van "as a favor." Sure, that's normal. And wicked smart as far as the well-being of the van, too. WHY Marc WHY.

The audience watches in some sort of "NO, REALLY?" sarcastic stupor as the second Marc leaves on a walk, Bartel gets into the van, goes through all his shit, and acts like creepy stalker volume 2. The much, much worse version. Wow, what a shock, you mean Bartel is a bad guy??

Marc goes on a nice lil' stroll with no expression on his face, as he does. He encounters a barn with something happening inside that is so disgusting (w/ regard to animal treatment) that it is angering and took me right out of the movie. I can watch almost anything happen to an adult human, but leave animals and children alone, jesus. A terrible scene.

You'd think that after witnessing such depraved, sick, awful behavior, Marc would freak the fuck out. He'd either burst in and try to save the animal, or he'd call the villagers out on their misdeeds instinctively, well-advised or not. That's human. Or he'd run for the hills, possibly screaming. He'd definitely get out of this community immediately after. But he goes back to Bartel, does not say a word about the incident or even show any reaction, so what was the point, btw, and then he lets Bartel transparently trick him into staying another night. 🤣

Bartel cooks Marc another free meal, which apparently is palatable and not poisoned. Marc does his "I exist, I guess" routine while Bartel tells a super pathetic and yup, shocker, depressing story of how his partner Gloria abandoned him and his life fell apart.

By now, Idk who would give a fuck about Marc, who responds insensitively once again while letting himself get more entangled in the plans of a sub-Norman-Bates-level villain. Bartel ends up being the more sympathetic character, because at least he has a personality, his motives are clear, and his insanity is tragic. It doesn't justify his horrible actions, but again, we understand it, it has some meaning. Who listens to a man telling such a story and then has next to nothing to say, not even "man that sucks, I'm so sorry to hear." ?

On we go to Bartel getting Marc to sing for him after dinner. Marc half-asses it but sings a pretty catchy song and has a nice voice. The movie immediately goes back to being boring and predictable thereafter.

The next day, Marc figures out (after being in this house for one night, a full day and a second night, not to mention the crazy stuff in the woods) that Bartel is lying to him, taking his belongings, and keeping him there under false pretenses of helping. Like no fucking DUH, Marc!!

In passing, I add that they cast a big, strong-looking, young actor as Marc, so every time Bartel, who's smaller, older, and unstable, overpowers the protagonist, I was taken out of the movie again. Nothing feels real, even for movie-world and suspension of disbelief or allegory, you have to have some basic core elements that anchor the story or it goes adrift, like my attention and regard.

The big twist gets revealed and this could have been dived into with some real shockers and mined for the deep psychological and social messages within. Instead, it's sort of taped onto the movie like a store-brand Christmas bow on a gift box full of meh.

Let's have a look at Marc's ordeal: 1) he gets himself into a situation no one would ever get themselves into because it's so dumbass, it physically hurts to watch, 2) as soon as Bartel wants him to "be" Gloria, Marc fights and sobs like a toddler whose parent turned off Dora. Wait now. I get that "in a moment of trauma you never know how anyone would react" but this goes on a while. Marc never just...plays along? And gets Bartel vulnerable before taking him out? Which would be...easy....??!! The family in Funny Games were winners of the Hunger Games compared to this shit right here.

3) he has to wear an ugly dress, boohoo PLEASE, 4) Bartel ties him up with rope, like not zipties or handcuffs but rope. There are likely any number of sharp objects around, but Marc has better things to do like, 5) screeching like a banshee while Bartel shaves his head, hold still buddy, why would you choose this time to flail and resist while the villain has a razor on your head??

Because the movie makes nothing clear and nothing has any sense to it, I genuinely can't tell how badly Bartel wounded him in this scene, nor are we told. Just left to guess because there's some amount of blood there. If this man had been cut deeply in this area, no way is he not getting an infection or possibly just dying long before the rest of the movie's events unfold.

Anyway, if Bartel does anything worse to this point, aside from cuddling (wait for him to fall asleep, kick the shit out of him?? Etc?), we're not shown. I can't judge the severity of the abuse if we are not explicitly told what it is, thus I do not care.

Bartel goes into town a while later and we get to see that the whole community is male, no explanation, and they are all really freaky dancers with equally fucked up taste in music. Supposed to be funny, and lots of people find it to be. Felt tonally dissonant to me, and/or just boring because no one has a personality and we don't know what or why anything happens.

Right so Christmas, Marc tries to escape while once again acting as if his situation is much more confining and difficult to get out of than it is. The worst thing we've seen to this point is the consequence for this, crucifixion in Bartel's barn. Marc made more noise when his head got shaved.

This was all avoidable at every step of the way.

The surface-level exploration of fascinating themes plods along, a bunch more sick and depressing small moments occur, followed by a scene in which it appears that Marc is to suffer a horrific attack, also of the sort which women are usually victimized by in these films. But only one of the whole gang of villagers seemingly penetrates Marc, and doesn't finish before Marc miraculously escapes again. From the crowd of lunatics who plan to you-know-what him. OKAY.

Not that I wanted any of that to happen to anyone ever, but this is about the movie having a point or not.

That's why this movie is not NFE. You cannot go half in on putting the male character through what women in horror movies suffer. You can't make it easier on him ffs, it negates the point or at least ruins the intensity!

Blah blah blah, the villagers off Bartel, then chase Marc real slowly through the Evil Forest. They are so painfully bad at pursuit that the women of Yellowjackets would have enough shishkabobs to last the whole winter just from this gaggle of idiots.

A Deep Moment occurs right at the end, where the movie finally decides to momentarily dip its toes in the psychological meaning/message of the story. Then guess what? IT ENDS. It cuts off right when it got good again for the first time in about an hour and fifteen minutes.

I realize lots of horror fans adore this movie and I don't begrudge anyone their love for what they love. In fact, I'm happy for you if you highly enjoyed the movie. However, for me this was simply such a frustrating watch that I couldn't NOT go off afterwards. UGH. Goddamn. 😒

from Letterboxd - Virginia Mae https://ift.tt/Rib2IYL

#letterboxd reviews #my film reviews

[mypsychxdeliclove]

messy blurb rant

I really hate how tiktok seems to know what I like and dislike and tends to push bullshit to my fyp all the time. Now, because of that I'm gonna do a quick little rant because I am so annoyed.

First of all, a majority of BLs have an age restriction at the beginning of the show for a reason. Not every show is for all age groups. That being said, if you're a minor and the show says that it's for 18+ yet you choose to ignore that blatant warning, stop complaining when the show gets into content meant for older audiences. I think one thing people forget is that these restrictions aren't just for sex. They also include warnings about content that might be in the show: drugs, suicide, sexual assault, etc. You might be comfortable with watching a sex scene here and there but if you're not comfortable with certain topics that are depicted then stop watching the show. No one is gonna force you to continue a show if it makes you that uncomfortable and if you do want to continue for whatever reason, skip the parts that make you uncomfortable. When I watched History 4, I skipped all the scenes with the brothers because I didn't like them and their relationship made me feel icky for various reasons. So, I skipped their scenes as much as I could. It's not that hard. Don't force yourself to consume content that makes you uncomfortable and especially don't hate on others for enjoying the content that you can't handle.

I cannot believe that I saw a tiktok the other day of a fourteen year old complaining about how adults were telling them not to watch Kinnporsche (which is rated 21+). There were over 200+ on that video and all of them were minors outing themselves as ignoring the warnings and watching the show anyway. Yet the creator of that video then posted another video after a recent video complaining about a sexual assault scene in the drama. From reading those comments, it dawned on me that those kids, despite all the warnings that they have been given, believed that adults were trying to push them away from the show because it was a gay love story or because there was a little sex scene in the show. No, we warned you to keep away from the show because of how dark and heavy it is. I don't know why people see that it's a show based around a mafia and think it's gonna be a cute and happy little love story. It's dark and it's very triggering with some very cruel things happening to multiple characters. Those that have read the books have been warning about the contents of this story since the show was announced yet it seems a lot of people have been ignoring them.

Is there an issue where there are a lot of scenes in BL dramas are depicting something morally wrong such as a scene of sexual assault where it's brushed off? Yes. But I think people forget this isn't JUST a BL issue but this is an issue that is spanned across all shows and movies. Is it still wrong? Yes, I just think it's weird that people are only calling out these actions when it comes to BLs when there is a lot of other media that needs to be called out as well.

I also think it's weird that people only focus on those bad scenes that depict scenes of sexual assault as something sensual or something to just brush off yet they completely ignore how these shows portray how sexual assault affects someone. One example of this is Tharntype, the show you either love or hate. In the first season of the show there were two characters that had been sexually assaulted and they both acted and reacted to things differently but both showed extremely valid responses to their assault. It highlighted that there isn't a blueprint on how a victim should react after their assault and how different people react differently after an assault. Yet the only thing people want to point out is that one shower scene when there are so many points in the show for discussion about sexual assault and toxic relationships/behaviors.

#thai bl #bl series #kinnporche the series #tharntypetheseries

[crazycoke-addict]

I believe that this is Gales or a new character. Many people have been guessing whose shrine is this and a lot say that it's Stu, Kirby and many more. It does make sense that it has to be someone who lives in woodsbro. However Scream 2 and 3 takes place outside of Woodbro.

First of all, It can't be kirby's because while yes, Kirby is a fan of the stab movie. She was more fans of the fictional movies rather than the real life crime itself. The stab movie tends to dramatised things and we only see three scenes in which all of them come from the 1st. If you watch the stab scene where Sidney and Billy are reacting after Billy got out in the school scene. Both the scream and the stab scenes, they are wearing different clothes.

I understand that in Scream 5, when they are watching the first stab, they showed the scene where Randy lectures everyone about how to survive a horror movie, both stab and scream Randy are wearing the same clothing. However Scream 5 can't get the facts right when it comes to the stab franchise itself. They said that Sidney has been in every movie except the recent one, even though Scream 4 says that after the third, Sidney sues them to stop exploiting her. Than if you go back and watch Scream 4, you'll notice there after stab 7 and later on, it's revealed that Stab 8 is a requel in Scream 5. But Wes says that his mother was a character in the film.

Anyways, if it was Kirby she would be most likely to collect Stab shrines rather than the real-life. I also don't think it's Stu because I don't believe that he's alive as many people want to believe. Most of the stuff like Olivia's bloody shirt has to come from the evidence box. Because Scream 6 takes place in NY. The only person we know that was in NY and even lives there is Gale Weathers herself. Gale was married to Dewey who was a cop and not to mention that Gale has survived all the events that happened. Gale probably collecting this stuff from the evidence box and she could even paid someone from the police department to get them. Another person is also cop whose has more access to the evidence box.

I understand why you wouldn't believe that it would be Gale because in the end, Gale says she going to stopped writing about the killers. Meaning that she would have 2 more robes dedicated to Amber and Richie. So, I get that part. Whoever it is, it has be someone who has access to evidence department, lives in new York or even woodsbro for Scream 1, 4 and 5. But if this is Gale's, the question is why? Why would Gale collect these things? You could say it's too remember what she's been through but also because she was driven by success as well.

#scream #gale weathers #ghostface

[michals]

for whatever problems you have with the show you have to give it one giant bonus: there are 7 very unique, distinct characters at the center of it and they have specific, very personal reasons for being the way they are and it’s those distinct personalities clashing with each other that makes such a great show

#it's in this way this show reminds me of dirk gently #it doesn't give us cookie cutter characters and basic rote motivations and contrivances #they are all unique and have distinct reasons for being the way they are #ESPECIALLY INTERESTING!!! #considering they all have the same basic upbringing #that 7 people had the same childhood (for the most part) actually approach the world in 7 different ways??? #that's so cool! #we get so many shows and movies where characters tend to react to things like a shitty childhood for example the exact same way #but that's just not realistic #for a show about people with super powers #that they are all given different points of views and different emotions about a shared thing is very important #to me anyway #i just love the acknowledgement that people don't experience the same things and don't feel the same way and they have every right #luther #.tua

[makeste]

some follow-up thoughts on BnHA 285

1. “at that moment...”

you guys. I still can’t get over this. just -- guys. this is Kacchan telling the story.

he’s not the first character to narrate, mind you. characters like Twice, Tomura, Ochako, and Kirishima have all narrated in the past. but it’s always been past-tense narration of their own flashbacks, or else present-tense narration explaining their thoughts (e.g. Twice in chapter 115). Kacchan himself has done present-tense POV narration before. but this isn’t that. this is past-tense narration of an event that’s happening now. this is the future Kacchan narrating the present day Kacchan’s story.

has any other character done that, aside from Deku himself?? am I just crazy overreacting here, lol. idk but either way it’s cool.

2. “...there were no thoughts in my head.”

there was a post yesterday talking about Kacchan’s big moment at the end of this chapter being a little disappointing because of it being an automatic “my body moved on its own” save on Kacchan’s part. the argument was basically that it made the moment less meaningful because of it being a subconscious thing rather than a conscious decision on Katsuki’s part.

but I disagree! for me the “my body moved on its own” is actually way more impactful. and rather than describing it as “subconscious”, I think the word that fits better in this case is instinct. first of all, even though he says there were no thoughts in his head, we know that’s not exactly true, as we can see for ourselves the images that were flashing through his mind. I’m just gonna list them out:

“I’ll even surpass All Might and become the best hero out there.”

“why was it me who put an end to All Might?”

“I made a pledge! I will achieve absolute victory, every time! we’re taking this 4-0, no casualties! the strong don’t settle for anything less!”

“I’m not gonna lose... I can’t afford to stay a loser!”

��you... you looked like you needed saving.”

thoughts about what it means to be a hero. what it used to mean to him, and what it means to him now. thoughts about rescuing others. about saving to win. thoughts about his failures. thoughts about him and Deku. and last but certainly not least, vivid memories of a moment when he needed someone to save him, and Deku was there.

he has these thoughts, but he’s not aware of himself having them. it happens too fast for him to be able to process. but all the same, his body isn’t just moving here of its own accord. it’s simply that in this instance, it’s not thought that’s driving him, but emotion. at the risk of sounding INCREDIBLY CORNY, it’s not his head that makes the decision, but his heart.

and that’s why it’s so meaningful to me. in this moment, it’s not conscious thought that’s driving him, but emotion, instinct, will. he sees the attack, sees that it will hit Deku, and he just reacts. something at the core of him screams that he can’t let it happen, and he just moves. and to me that’s even more powerful than him consciously doing the math and making the sacrifice play (though I’m not saying I wouldn’t have enjoyed that as well). specifically because it’s a moment where he doesn’t have a chance to think or analyze or panic or doubt. it’s a moment that shows us who he is when you strip all that away from him. he doesn’t have time to get in his own head; he doesn’t have time to feel any fear; he doesn’t have time to think about himself at all. he takes himself out of the equation. he sees that Deku needs saving. and the rest is pure instinct. it’s the most heroic he has ever been.

3. “even if One for All is a cursed power... at the same time, it’s...”

I was wondering what was up with this part, lol. Caleb’s translation makes it much clearer; to Katsuki, OFA is both a blessing and a curse right now. the “cursed” part is becoming more and more obvious with each new chapter. it’s putting Deku in danger; it’s made him a target; it’s destroying his body; and there are other, darker and more dangerous factors also at play that Katsuki doesn’t even know about but fears nonetheless. I honestly feel like he’s been anxious about all of this ever since he learned Deku and All Might’s secret. it’s been on the back of his mind for months now.

but at the same time, OFA is what brought him and Deku back together. sorry, am I getting cheesy again lol. BUT IT’S TRUE THOUGH. All Might’s quirk gave Deku the chance to compete with Katsuki on equal footing for the first time. it forced Katsuki to acknowledge him. and both he and Deku have grown so much on so many levels over the course of this past year, and all of it stems back to Deku receiving this quirk.

and just... fucking look at these flashbacks, though.

unless I’m reading this completely wrong, the gist of this scene is that Katsuki is grateful for OFA because it’s what lifted Deku up and allowed him to try and achieve his dream. the scenes of Katsuki bullying Deku and burning his notebook are contrasted with the scenes of Deku standing up to him and vowing that he won’t be his punching bag anymore. Deku before OFA, contrasted with Deku after. I get the sense that Katsuki feels a lot of gratitude for fate stepping in and working to undo his mistakes before he himself could finally get his act together and start atoning for them as well.

and then that last page is really interesting, because it’s like the “blessing” and “curse” parts of OFA all together in a single image. Deku is going all out against Tomura, giving everything he has, ready to sacrifice himself if that’s what it takes. there’s so much strength there (even though he looks completely insane lmao), but at the same time it’s literally killing him. mixed feelings, for sure.

4. “Katsuki Bakugou: Rising”

last but not least! so there’s quite a bit of discussion going on about what exactly a “rising” chapter actually consists of, lol. Momo is the only other character who’s had one before (at least if you don’t count the movies, and the movie spin-offs). so it’s hard to say for sure with such a small sample size, but if I had to guess, I’d say the “rising” chapters are about characters coming into their own as heroes. Momo’s chapter was all about her letting go of her insecurities and starting to believe in herself. and this chapter was all about Katsuki letting go of both his fear and his pride, and just getting the job done.

in the span of a single chapter, he lets go of every single thing that’s ever held him back. I felt like we really got a glimpse of the hero he can -- and hopefully will, if future!Kacchan the Narrator is anything to go by -- become. he was amazing. he took charge; he came up with a plan that absolutely would have worked if Tomura wasn’t LITERALLY FUCKING UNKILLABLE LULZ; and when that failed, he didn’t hesitate to make the sacrifice play. Bakugou fucking Katsuki, He of Zero Rescue Points, made the fucking sacrifice play. do you even know how much I love that you guys. I love it so, so much.

but of course, when you make the sacrifice play it tends to have the not-so-surprising side effect of getting you ALL FUCKED UP afterwards. so perhaps a less ideal outcome than he would have hoped. but he still did good. and he stopped Deku from getting murdered, and so now hopefully Deku and Shouto can mount some sort of aggrieved revenge counterattack to do their fallen friend justice. time for my other two sons to get to work! maybe Shouto can make Deku some new arms out of ice.

#bnha 285 #bakugou katsuki #midoriya izuku #bakudeku #bnha meta #bakugou meta #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha

[canadachild9]

I want to take a moment to talk about a certain trope in relation to “Luca.” One that appears in a lot of family films and romantic comedies and tends to be viewed with annoyance due to how frequently it pops up. That is the second/third-act breakup. Alternatively - as TV Tropes describes it - the plot-mandated friendship failure. The latter tends to appear a lot more in family films than the former does, but both are appropriate given the... ahem... subtext in “Luca.”

The main problem people have with these tropes is how predictable they are. More often than not, if the film focuses on two or more characters and shows them gradually start to get along or fall in love, you can bet there will come a point where there’s a misunderstanding or a plot device that forces them to split up. But of course it won’t last and they’ll reunite just in time for the climax. It’s been done to death and most viewers are sick of it, me included.

The plot-mandated friendship failure, unsurprisingly, appears in “Luca.” However, what’s interesting about it is that it is predictable and unpredictable at the same time. Let me explain.

Before the movie was released, it was easy to predict that this trope would be used. Pixar is no stranger to it (”Ratatouille”, “A Bug’s Life”, “Coco,” etc.) and the concept of “Luca” - a movie focusing on friendship and love (be it platonic or romantic, depending on the viewer’s interpretation) - all but states that this plot device would occur.

So we know that Luca and Alberto are gonna get into a fight at some point and split up. We’re all waiting for it to happen. And it does; near the third act, obviously. And yet... we were still shocked by it. Why? We saw it coming, so why did we all react in shock when we otherwise would have groaned at how overused this trope is?

Because it was a natural progression. And that is where its unpredictability comes in.

I have watched several live reactions/commentaries and one or two reviews of this movie and something they all had in common was their reaction to the betrayal scene. When Luca shouted “Sea monster!”, they all gasped. Miguel and Héctor arguing over the former’s lies didn’t elicit any gasps, Atta angrily telling Flik “I want you to leave, and this time don’t come back” didn’t generate a shocked response, but Luca outing his best friend as a feared monster rather than stand by him left us speechless.

The reason this breakup/friendship failure works and a lot of others don’t is because we were expecting it, but not like this. I’m pretty sure most of us speculated that their split would be under different circumstances and have a different outcome. Like the two boys get into a fight (which they do in the movie) and go their separate ways in a huff before reconciling later. Did any of us predict that this trope would be used the way it did? My guess is no.

As for the “natural progression” I mentioned? Well, throughout the course of the second act, we see Luca being enamoured with learning about the world. The stars, the solar system, and so many other things Giulia talks about. He starts to feel conflicted: should he stick to his and Alberto’s original plan, or take a different path and go to school to learn even more than what Giulia has been teaching him?

It all comes to a head when Alberto’s fear of losing Luca takes over his better judgement and Luca is adamant on following Giulia to school. Alberto reveals himself as a creature that all of Portorosso is afraid of. In this moment, Luca must make a choice.

He does. And it surprises not just Alberto, but also the audience because of how harsh it is. In a moment of impulsiveness - not unlike Alberto’s decision to reveal his secret - Luca throws his friend under the bus. This is what ultimately drives the two apart for a while.

And you know what? It makes sense! This is the rare case where the plot-mandated friendship failure actually works! Everything in the second act has been building to this heartbreaking and shocking moment!

“Luca” subverts a lot of other tropes, too. The “two boys fight over the one girl in the group” crap isn’t present and the “intimidating father with a prejudice” thing is played differently. However, this particular trope is one I wanted to shed some light on due to how organic it managed to come across. Kudos to the writers!

#Luca #Pixar Luca #Pixar #tropes #luca paguro #alberto scorfano #giulia marcovaldo #analysis #i didn't mean for this post to be so long #I just had a lot to say

[olderthannetfic]

Ah, I do see your points, anon. I'm not going to post all your asks publicly because if you really feel that unsafe, it's probably best not to have a bigass chunk of your text for people to analyze and try to guess your identity from. I think one of the best points you made is about how close to home it hits when the non-fave is not only your fave but is similar to you in some way like demographic. You're not wrong for having those emotions. I do wonder if they make it hard to see how some other people feel similarly embattled on other axes.

TBH, I think one of the big problems here is that the large aggregate patterns you're talking about are racist, but most individual fics and fans are not really the problem. It's hard to know how to talk about this or who to tell to "fix" it when we're looking at free, hobbyist art.

A lot of people's tastes are certainly formed by shitty society, but once they're formed, they don't change fast if at all. Asking someone to rewrite their libido is a big ask, yet tumblr does it all the time as though it's as simple as snapping your fingers.

This leaves me with the sense that a lot of tumblr is... like... the political lesbians of porn fic or something: desire is not real, only choosing based on logic and politics. Or maybe people are so asexual that they just don't understand the lizard brain's "YES!" at some porn things and complete indifference to others?

I don't think it's great if great swaths of people feel like bottom!Nicky is super hot and top!Nicky fundamentally isn't, but I also don't think they can necessarily just turn it off like flipping a switch.

(If someone reading this doesn't like their current tastes and wants to attempt to alter them, I do think it's possible. What you should do is line up a large slate of media that prominently features characters of the ethnicity or whatever that you don't find hot/interesting. These should be leads whose emotional development drives the plot and is supposed to be central to the audience's enjoyment of the media. Watch/read/etc. this media all the time. All. The. Time. Try out many pieces because you won't like every character or every show, and we're looking for genuine enjoyment, not the fandom equivalent of a pity fuck. Spend enough time on this, and your unconscious sense of who's hot and interesting will eventually shift somewhat. This is a project you should expect to take a few years.)

But I digress.

The one tweet thing is a very toxic pattern. If TOG fandom is doing that, guys, please try to be more conscious of holding the actors of color to a higher standard (or the women or whomever). I know this often comes from a place of paying more attention to our own and wanting to set a good standard, but the effect is that minorities can't fuck up ever while white dudes get infinite passes.

Okay, on to the fic thing... Gotta say, my instant reaction to that description is "Ooh!"--as it would be for the same scenario with the characters reversed. (Ships who start out trying to kill each other are my favorite! x1000 if they're resurrecting style immortals and they literally do.) I can see how it would feel like slamming into a brick wall if you aren't kinky in just the right way and you didn't know it was coming though.

Part of why I react so strongly to a lot of discourse that runs along these lines is that I am a naturally extremely kinky person. It's not so much about what I do (which as a deeply lazy person in a long distance relationship is essentially nothing), but it's absolutely how I'm wired.

And I can tell you that my quotidian experience in fandom is sharing something I don't even realize is a big deal only to have someone I like, respect, and trust react in horror and tell me that it's triggering and awful and should not be allowed in fandom spaces because it makes "people" unsafe. It's such an instant, kneejerk reaction they don't even realize I was sharing it because it spoke to the very core of me. Lesson learned, friend. Lesson learned.

That sounds a bit off topic, I know, but bear with me: The point of that anecdote is that it's pretty common for me to get people trying to raise my awareness of things I have already thought deeply about while denying my essential humanity and not even realizing. As a kinky person who likes to make my fave the top (and generally a conflicted sadist), this constant request to explain and justify is exhausting.

I doubt most of the top!Joe fans have this precise problem simply because people who make their fave the top are much less common in fandom than people who make their fave the bottom, but I see a similar pattern with fans who are just fundamentally wired for rape fantasies (one of the most common fantasies that exists) vs. fans who just don't get rape fantasies at all. Or substitute your BDSM/kinky/messed up fantasy trope of choice. Covertly radical feminist attitudes towards kink and power are on the rise in fandom, and as a naturally kinky person, boy do I notice it!

I know that it feels like crucial activism to share these insights about why the ratio of top!Joe is hurtful, and the pain you feel is real. But it's also the case that it's a big ask to want people to listen. (Not me. Obviously, I routinely choose to engage with discourse. I mean overall.) The reason for that is that you're only seeing a fraction of what they do or who they are, and you don't know how many previous people they've listened to how many previous times. It's a very different situation from someone whose job is making some major TV series or movie or something. That person does, in my opinion, owe you some amount of listening.

Now, I'm not saying no top Joe fan was ever a jerk. I'll bet they were. There's a tendency to be rude and to publicly air your schadenfreude when you feel like everyone has been yelling at you. What I am saying is that a lot of the problem here boils down to conflicting needs, and that means there isn't a good solution. It's a situation where people are genuinely hurt, but I don't necessarily agree that other people have harmed them.

I like that you did an actual count of the explicit fics, btw. It's good to look at the real numbers. I see too little of that in these situations. My off the cuff reaction is that 2/3 to 1/3 is not a bad ratio at all compared to many fandoms, but yeah, it definitely shows a strong trend, and that can be painful. (I have a fandom where I think there's maybe like 1 bottom so-and-so fic in the entire zine era fandom. One. It's pretty extreme.)

I guess my thinking here overall is: What is the practical solution? What are we hoping to gain? What is reasonable to ask of people?

And it can't be "Well, if they would just listen..." That's just a sneaky way of saying "If you haven't done it my way, it's because you haven't listened to me yet."

So the question I would ask of people is this:

What does a non-racist fic where Joe tops look like?

What does a non-racist sex pollen, dubcon, or even noncon fic where Joe tops look like?

And if you say the latter is impossible... well... sadists exist everywhere in the world. So do doms. So do people who prefer to top in a purely physical sense. People with rape fantasies where they're the rapist exist (people who are not actually rapists, I mean). None of this is restricted to any one group. We can't categorically say fic like that about Joe is coming from a place of racism without denying the fundamental humanity of kinky MENA people who'd want to make Joe like themselves or like their ideal partner. (Yes, I agree this won't be the majority of fic writers writing top!Joe, but this is a place to start for figuring out what the better version would look like.)

IDK, maybe you're that kinkster yourself, but your asks gave me the vibe that you don't really get the drive towards those darker kinds of fics and what might be motivating it besides stereotypes and shittiness.

If we can answer these kinds of questions, we can better critique the way people write what they write without telling them all of their taste is bad and they should just stop writing. Even if we think the latter is true, it isn't going to get us anywhere. Figuring out how to make Joe more multidimensional in the fic they already want to write or finding very specific wording that should be avoided might actually work.

Beyond that, the actions I think are productive would be running prompt fests, exchanges, or other events for bottom!Joe or for top!Joe where he's the main character and the fics are required to be from his POV. Themed collections and recs lists are great. (I've seen a bit of this going around in TOG fandom in the past, and that's an excellent approach! Keep it up!) Positive actions tend to work better here. Make more of what you want. Promote what you want to see.

I don't mean this in some fluffy magical thinking way: you aren't going to change that ratio radically just by the power of positivity. But I've seen this kind of thing play out in many, many fandoms, and going after the people who write what you don't like, even in a well-intentioned effort to educate and even in a polite, kind way doesn't do much. A few people feel guilty. A few feel defensive. A lot ignore you. The overall fic doesn't change. It's not a good use of your limited time and energy.

I'm off to look up that fic to see what I think of it in practice, but I'm going to post this before tumblr manages to eat it.

[obeiii-mee]

Hey! Sorry to bother you with a second ask but i thought this one would be cool. Fluffy headcanons of the demon brothers watching scary movies with MC??? Somewhere MC gets scared, and some where they don't? Thanks again!! :)

It’s no bother!! I love getting requests from you guys! The more, the merrier. I sort of hc that the brothers and MC do have movie night every week or so and with them being demons, they tend to levitate towards the horror genre. Thank you for sending this, this is really cute :)))

Without further ado—-

————————————

The Brothers watching Scary movies with MC:

Lucifer:

-Haha mf already knows how this is going to end

-He warned you, he really did

-The horror movies DevilDom has to offer are nothing, and I mean nothing, like the ones from the human world

-I’m not going to go into detail but imagine Two Girls One Cup, in a less kinky and more gorey way (then times that by 10)

-But you were adamant into giving it a go and he literally could not deny you in that moment

-Because you were giving him the puppy eyes

-That’s like, the finishing blow you use every time to get your way with him and as far as you know it’s the only one that works so-

-He expected your reaction to the last second

-You were traumatised for lack of a better word and you were basically watching the whole film through the cracks between your fingers

-Seeing you in that state was like a punch in the gut but he couldn’t stop himself from throwing in a subtle ‘I told you so’

-“I told you watching something like this before bed is a bad idea, MC.”

-He might be a bit condescending and judgemental at first, but he’s probably going to baby you a bit for the rest of the night

-Because he feels bad he allowed you to watch it in the first place

-HAHAHAHA SOFT LUCIFER HAS BEEN SUMMONED, USE HIM WISELY

-He will start muttering words of comfort to you later because he’s certain you’re going to have trouble sleeping

-Because of that one time, he’s very hesitant to let you watch another horror film anytime soon

-But he will relent eventually (especially if you want to watch a human horror film as those are technically less extreme)

-If it makes you happy, he will go through with it, even if he has to let you cling onto him for the rest of the day

-Besides, the way you cuddle into him while you’re watching a horror film is very cute and endearing to him

Mammon:

-Ah yes, the most effective method of waking up the entire House of Lamentation at 3:00 am

-Mammon screaming his own vocal cords out in his room as he tries to get through his human’s favourite horror movie without dying of a heart attack

-It was his idea because he’s definitely the type to go: “Yeah let’s do this, it will be fun. Don’t get too scared alright MC? The Great Mammon will be here to protect ya.”

-And then ten minutes in, he’s basically in your lap

-Half an hour in, he turned himself into a demon burrito with his blankets

-You were enjoying the movie, laughing at the stupid sound effects and poor quality while Mammon next to you has wrapped himself in like two dozen blankets and pillows

-“Mammon you’re going to overheat.”

-“Don’t be silly human, I’m a demon who lives in hell. I can take high temperatures the same way I can take this damn movie!”

-He doesn’t take either of them well

-Mammon and the horror genre don’t mix well together to begin with

-So even if you might enjoy horror, he doesn’t react well to it at all

-And he’ll be low-key relieved if you tell him you guys don’t have to watch any sort of horror film for your date night

-“Well I guess if you don’t want to, then we don’t have to. Can’t make my human do something they’re uncomfortable with eh?”

-But if you do watch a scary movie with him, be sure to show any sort of physical affection to him as often as possible

-You don’t have to say anything, just hold his hand or let him put his head in your lap or something

-It might stop him from screeching like a female sloth in heat

-The last time that happened, his brothers weren’t too pleased with him

-They about to recreate the horror film scenes onto him, bring the popcorn have fun

Levi:

-For some reason, I feel like he doesn’t get scared easily while watching stuff

-I mean, after decades of obsessively watching animes with brutal character deaths (like Attack on Titan style) and grotesque horror games that are pretty nasty even to demons, let alone humans;

-A horror film, from the human world or even DevilDom, doesn’t do much for him

-It will have to have very good psychological horror in it if you want the hairs on his arms to stand up in anticipation

-Tension is a big deal for him and he will immediately shut off the TV if there are any cheap jump scares

-But, if you manage to find just the right thing for him?

-You’ll both be hiding under the bed in no time under the bathtub more like

-Hell, if the film you’re watching is that good, he might even be holding onto you for dear life without realising it and getting flustered about it

-For weeks afterwards, any sound that is remotely similar to one from that movie will probably send both of you into panic

-You came to his room one night because you’ve had a nightmare about the stupid film and legitimately thought there was a fucking demon serial killer in your room

-So you wanted to stay in his

-“But what if there is a serial killer in your room and now you just led it to me MC????”

-It’s all jokes, there’s no question he would lock both of you in his room and then stay there with you wide awake until dawn

-You’re his best friend after all, he would have to be completely heartless to leave you on your own! (Besides Levi is terrifying when he wants to be)

-One time you were sleeping over and the sound of fumbling woke you tf up

-And Levi immediately turned into his demon form, like he was ready to throw hands with this fictional murderer that supposedly sneaked into his room

-“DON’T WORRY MC, I’LL PROTECT YOU!”

-“Ah never mind, it’s just Mammon breaking into your room again to steal your Ruri-Cham figurines and sell them on Akuzon.”

-“Oh OK.”

-“.....”

-“WAIT MAMMON WTF YOU FUCKING SCUMBAG, GET OUT OF MY ROOM-“

-I’m playing Minecraft

Satan:

-Believe it or not, Satan doesn’t care much about horror movies

-Don’t get me wrong, he loves watching his brothers shit their pants out of fear in the middle of one while he silently smirks to himself because watching other people suffer brings him euphoria

-Especially if someone actually manages to find a film that is excellent enough to spook Lucifer, because then he will be cackLING

-But, overall, he watches a lot of shows revolved around drama and crime

-That’s his thing

-However, he won’t turn you down if you’re up to watching a scary movie with him

-Any time spent with you is valuable time seeing as it won’t be long before his brothers start hogging you again like the cockblockers they are

-He is honestly surprised to find out you seem to be rather amused by those sort of movies

-So, even if it’s not inherently something he does on the regular, he would definitely watch a scary film with you if you enjoy them that much

-But in exchange, he makes you promise to read with him until bedtime rolls around (imagine Lucifer having a fucking curfew for his brothers and you lmao)

-So for the rest of night you guys just read together, ya know, like sappy romantics

-Tbh, this man will do almost anything with you as long as both of you are having fun

-He knows it’s not likely, but he insists on sleeping in the same room that night just in case you have nightmares and he needs to comfort you

- :)

-Satan is a gentleman. Idk how many people that don’t play OM expected to hear this

Asmo:

-Why would you want to watch a movie when you could be watching him???

-I mean, you would rather watch all that gory stuff on the TV than his beautiful face?

-He may get salty over a fucking movie tbh

-Horror films aren’t something he generally looks for while trying to pick a movie to watch

-He can definitely handle them better than Mammon but it’s not something he takes great pleasure in watching

-But the first time he ever sits down with you to watch one, he’s very intrigued to see your reactions

-You started feeling the sensation of absolute dread creep in at the very beginning and you were trying your best to act like you weren’t getting affected by what you saw on the screen

-But you were

-You went from “I’m grown ass adult, I can watch a fucking horror movie, no problem.”

-To “Welp, not enough of a grown ass adult for this-“

-And Asmo thought the way you tried to hide your nervousness was very mesmerising in a way

-He was planning on flirting with you during the movie anyway, but now that you were pressing himself against him?

-Oh boy, Oh boy

-“Darling if you wanted to touch me, you could’ve just said so. Making the excuse of watching a movie is unnecessary.”

-Nightmares? What nightmares? You won’t have time to have nightmares ;)

-haHAHA funny inappropriate joke

-It’s Asmo, it’s mandatory to have at least one of those added in here

Beel:

-Beel will show up if there’s food and that’s that

-He doesn’t care what type of movie is playing on the TV as long as he has a bucket of popcorn next to him at all times

-Horror films aren’t something he can’t handle, he’s a demon like the rest of his brothers and he is used to...violent deaths and such

-He doesn’t get scared but there are times where he gets attached to the characters

-Especially movies with actual good and not cringeworthy dialogue

-Therefore, when they die, he gets sad even if they’re just fictional and their death had no real impact

-He also thinks that the way you can watch these things without flinching is impressive

-I mean, he can watch it and so can his brothers because they are demons

-They’ve done worse things than the things you see in horror films

-But you’re a human! So it’s weird to see you watch a person get repeatedly slammed against a wall until their neck snaps without batting an eyelid

-Overall, he does not have an opinion on scary movies

-He gets a bit emotional when a character he really liked dies

-But other than that, he’s just focused on eating

-And occasionally patting your head affectionately

Belphie:

-He doesn’t really like horror films because there’s a lot of screaming and tense music and he’s just trying to nap in your lap (rhyme)

-He doesn’t really need sound effects like that in the background while he’s trying to sleep

-But one day he was like “Hey, what if I show my favourite human this particular scary film?”

-And he did

-And he’s internally dying and feeling guilty and yet so flustered because of you

-It’s like you suddenly turn into this very fidgety and anxious mess and he thinks you just look....cute

-At some point you were getting overwhelmed and sprung up on your feet to turn the lights on

-And he just grabbbed your wrists, pulled you down next to him and let you press your head against his chest

-As mentioned, he’s a little shit and will tease you for being such a scaredy cat

-“That was the most predictable jumpscare and you still flinched, wth is wrong with you lmao.”

-But at the same time....

-“Relax. It’s just a horror movie. You’ll be fine. Besides, I’m here. Like I would let something bad happen to you.”

-That’s sweet, even if the tone of voice may not imply it because he’s such a brat-

-He actually really likes holding you for once, because usually he’s the little spoon

-He’s still a bit of a sadist so I imagine him sitting there and watching this while giggling to himself

-Isn’t he the cutest, laughing at other people’s misery and their never ending suffering?🥺🥺🥺 UwU

-Ah well, at least he has the decency to spoil with affection afterwards and make sure you have no nightmares that night

-You know, as payback for the horrific shit he made you watch with no warning

————————————

OK, I think I made a decent job of this even though it took longer than it actually was meant to. Thank you for reading though. I’ve got so many requests to go through and I’ve been feeling motivated lately so yeah!

See you soon

Al~

#obey me #obey me imagines #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me leviathan #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me satan #watching scary movies #obey me shall we date #☂️ demon brothers #⭐️ requests #🌸 comfort #💳 mammon supremacy #I love him I’m sorry

[jjuzoir]

Homare Arisugawa General HCS

request: “Hi Sora! I never see any art/writing for my boy Homare from A3! (Maybe because his dialogue is so ridiculous.) Would you mind writing something for him?” from tlali

a/n: ahhh i don’t think i’ve ever taken so long in a request jdjdndnd but i just wanted to make it right because i love homare so much❕ he deserves everything and more i just HDHSJJA we need more homare love 🤬 his dialogue is hilarious and i feel like we need to appreciate his style more no more homare slander 🙅

word count: 1667

- He smells like earl gray tea. No one knows why since he uses unscented soaps, he says it’s probably because he spends most of his time drinking or around tea.

- He’s very particular about his hair, he uses very specific shampoos and conditioners that he will absolutely not share or change unless he notices his hair needs it. Talking about his hair, it’s naturally kind of dry so he uses a lot of hydrating products which leaves him with the softest, most fluffy hair ever. It’s like touching a cloud.

- One of his favorite gifts given to him is a tie given to him as a birthday gift by his members. Everyone pitched it, including Izumi, and Azuma picked it out. It’s black, much like his everyday tie, but it’s got a small embroidered snowflake.

- He’s got three main pairs of glasses; his everyday ones he keeps at hand when he goes out, his at home ones which are (according to him) less flattering, and his driving ones. Keep in mind he can’t drive, he doesn’t even own a car.

- He can speak french and latin, and he’s super loud about it too. He’ll sometimes slip in french phrases and no one will understand other than Chikage and it’s just a mess - Muku is always so amazed that he knows two other languages too and probably asks him to teach him sometime.

- Definitely has the prettiest handwriting when it comes to the roman alphabet, he writes in ink and with fancy pens that cost more than Banri’s tuition.

- Absolutely has a bunch of business cards printed out, each with its own quote made by him. Sakyo thought it was such a waste printing them until he realized that no matter how many Homare took when he went to run errands he always gave them all, to whom? No one knows.

- He’s very well respected in the literary community, which still shocks pretty much everyone. He gets stopped often by fans or people who’ve read his work, it happens at least once a day and Izumi really doesn’t… she doesn’t understand, poor girl.

- He’s not that good with phone calls, he’s not bad but he definitely prefers texting or just talking face to face. To him there’s just a certain level of discontent he doesn’t like that doesn’t exist in other mediums.

- His favorite shows are either comedies or heavy hitting detective shows, there is no inbetween. You’ll walk in on him watching a sitcom leave the room and walk in on a serial killer chase down.

- About his love for detective shows, his favorite pastime is trying to solve the mysteries with the main character. He’ll rewatch the episode so many times to try and pick up clues, he’ll take notes and come to a conclusion and he loves the feeling of getting it right.

- In the same spirit as the statement above, absolutely got Tsumugi and Sakyo hooked on some of his favorites and they hang out to talk about the latest episodes and the overarching mystery. The conversations can tend to get kind of heavy very quick, more than once Muku thought they were investigating a real crime and almost fainted.

- He looks like he’s probably allergic to wool sweaters, they make his skin itch and he always needs to use a shirt underneath them - so he tends to buy those expensive anti-allergic ones that need to be washed in a very specific way that could probably pay Tsuzuru’s whole college debt and it takes a lot of restraint from the playwright not to steal one and sell in the black market.

- Talking about Tsuzuru, he often gives him writing advice. Said advice tends to be very useful, like keeping a pen and notebook on him in case anything comes to mind during the day or writing daily to help ease him into a style, etc. Homare genuinely wants him to bloom into a writer and is willing to beta-read anything Minagi needs, be it a script or a sleep deprived rambling about the gay subtext in Nocturnity.

- Arisugawa sets himself reading goals each month, he likes to read at least one book. He prefers poetry books or classic english literature, but he also likes to read romance books or really bizarre dystopian novels.

- Has read more books than most people in the company and can give very detailed recommendations if you give him like a day.

- Sings operas in the shower, unless stopped he will keep going until the second act. Surprisingly good falsetto, but one time Tenma thought it was a Banshee for a second and almost cried into Juza’s chest.

- He’s not only an overly emotional drunk but also a loud drunk, he’s already quite loud but when he’s downed half a bottle of wine and a shot of vodka he’s louder than the Summer Troupe combined. Because of this, Izumi tends to restrict his alcohol intake when they’re at the dorm.

- I can see him being very big into musicals, not all musicals but a very specific niche; classic horror novels turned into musicals. He’s a very big fan of both the German and Korean versions of Dracula, his favorite song is probably “Zu Ende” or the Korean version of “It’s Over”. He also likes the Frankenstein musical too, but overall he finds Junsu’s Dracula more interesting thus his preference.

- He will talk your ear off if you mention any musical though, be it a classic like Phantom or something newer like Heathers.

- A very big fan of Ghibli movies, he told me so himself today. He really likes Spirited Away though, it’s a movie he’s watched so many times but he’s still completely enamoured by it; he probably has made the Winter Troupe watch it at least once and Hisoka definitely knows the beginning of the movie by heart now.

- Homare is also really good at drawing, not like Kazunari but he’s probably the second best. He learned by analyzing and looking at artists he admired and picking up on their techniques. A true Renaissance Man™️.

- I feel like he’d also have a bunch of skills that are kind of, useless? He can probably carve wood and make candles, he also took a course in glass blowing probably. Arisugawa just wants to try everything at least once, his motto is probably to explore and learn as much as possible, not just about art but the world (he can be surprisingly smart if you have a dictionary at hand).

- Very observant, just in general. Which can be both good and bad, it’s good because it helps him understand the situation in ways others might not but it leads to him to sometimes overthinking things and behaving in manners which may annoy or hurt others.

- He also has a hard time trying to react to social cues, as seen in game, with certain people. While he’s worked it out with the Winter troupe and the Mankai company he still struggles when it comes to new people.

- Will make little tunes he sings in the shower that kind of become a little daily song, each day there’s a new one he’ll hum.

- He also canonly makes music and he makes contemporary electro-pop, you cannot change my mind. He probably also mixes opera and classical music into his tunes, which can go from 1 minute to 10, so you end up with a very cool mix of orchestra and techno-pop - it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but he’s probably got his own niche group.

- Now, into more romantic HCs...

- He’s a good flirt, a very good flirt. They may sound weird looking back at it, but his pickup lines work and they work well.

- He knows when to stop pursuing someone too. He senses even a bit of discomfort and he’s backing away, won’t ask anything. Very big on consent and unless stated absolutely explicitly he’ll keep his distance.

- A true gentleman, please - he’ll never let his dates pay, always open the doors for them, will even do the “walk on the inside of the sidewalk” when he’s walking you home.

- His favorite dates tend to be ones where you get to know more about each other, not always necessarily by talking though. Being able to go into a bookstore and look at the books, seeing the ones you pick, what you pick at a cafe or restaurant, it all helps him draw a better picture of who you are and he likes to think it helps you get to know him better too.

- He’s very in tune with his S/O’s feelings but is afraid of overstepping any boundaries which may lead to some miscommunication at the beginning of the relationship. But it’s workable and it wouldn’t be that big an issue in the long run as long as his partner is willing to help him understand them.

- Not big on PDA, thinks certain things should remain inside - not to say he wouldn’t talk for hours about his partner to anyone who listens but things like kissing or hugs tend to be behind closed doors. He’s okay with hand holding and maybe a kiss on the cheek though!

- Likes wearing matching outfits with his S/O, thinks it shows how they’re “one in spirit, heart, and mind” and will not stop pointing it out to the point even married couples feel single as they hear him ramble on about the subtle coordination in your color schemes to create a perfect contrast.

- Notices the smallest things like how much sugar you like in your drinks, the telltale signs of when you’re lying or uncomfortable, how you act when you’re too cold or too hot, and learns it by heart.

- Homare is also the kind of boyfriend who’d confront the waiter if they get your order wrong, he’s not ashamed of it either.

- He kind of just wants to make sure you’re doing well and happy, he’s a gentleman.

- Damn… I love him so much

#—🎀 a3! #a3! #a3 #act! addict! actors! #act addict actors #homare arisugawa #homare arisugawa x reader #a3 homare #a3! homare #a3 homare x reader #a3! homare x reader #a3! x reader #a3 x reader #a3! fanfiction #arisugawa x reader #winter troupe #—✒️ sora’s scripts

[vaalthus]

Remthalas Theory/Sort of Analysis: The All-Seeing Idiot God, The Dreaming Chaos, The Path of Omniscience. Oh and like potential Lore Spoilers maybe.

With the conclusion of the Reckoning War, and having bared witnessed to Remthalas’ actions, I believe we have a better idea of what our aquatic Dreamfarer desires and intends not only for themselves but for the inhabitants of Lore as well.

We already know that Remthalas believes that the only way to achieve freedom, to dream, is to not be shackled. To not live out the dreams or whims of others. Unfortunately, this boils down to the lesson Remthalas got out of the idea is that people should not tie themselves down by basic laws or morals people tend to follow. Otherwise, the endless possibilities provided by true freedom are not possible.

This a concept that he has clearly taken to his very core given how angrily or impulsively he’ll react should he feel someone is ordering him around or someone else shirking their freedom in his point of view as demonstrated when he rebuked Notha twice for commanding him and when he killed Mr. Nameless/Twinkles.

So that’s it then, right? Remthalas is just an anarchist drunk on freedom? Wanting all of Lore to break their shackles and live out their own dreams never minding once of those around them, right? Well yes, but there is I think a bit more going on here.

I found a few things concerning about Remthalas in our fight with either Notha or Uaanta. One, is that he found the Avatars more interesting in their reduced orb state. Secondly, he didn’t appear to want to destroy them. Thirdly, is that regardless of who we chose to side with, Rem finds us interesting either way. Fourth, and most concerning is that he only found Uaanta truly fascinating if she merged with the Avatars. Lastly, and most revealing was his desire to see all the events unfold regardless of what the outcome was and then simply bounce when a conclusion was reached.

The reason why I find him being able to see Uaanta as a truly fascinating player in this conflict is to be some cause for concern is that being ‘interesting’ to Remthalas seems to, at first, amount to being someone that can bring about his idea of freedom, freedom from the balance the Avatars imposed. Characters like the Hero and I imagine Notha when he first met her and was introduced to her ideology. However, if this is the case, why find Uaanta interesting? She after all plans to shepherd away the very entities responsible for the very concept that resulted in his abandonment and have shackled so many others and their dreams. Why find someone who still intends to be devoted to the Avatars to be a person of interest then? Are they not still choosing to wear their shackles? To ignore their own dreams in the favor of the dreams of others.

 The answer I think is simple. In the end, it was just less about Remthalas serving his ultimate plan and Remthalas wanting a show. Remthalas has always long been aware of our capacity to come out on top over our opponents, including his own fellow members. Why would he suspect there was any possibility we would lose to our dear friend or even Notha? He didn’t because he knew we would win, but how can he enjoy the play if all the actors aren’t putting in effort for their roles. After all, are you satisfied by the just the ending of a movie or the passionate performances that it took to get there?

You see I believe Remthalas revealed what he plans for us and Lore all the way back when we first met in the Ex Somniis Fabula or The Story of Dreams quest. In his introduction, Remthalas posits the question of whether he’d be able to alter reality if the entities only referred to as “They” dreamed instead of just slumbering. With quite the determined, if not a bit demented, expression on his face I might add. There’s also one other feature to this and it’s the fact that Remthalas points out that we’re in his dream, or perhaps more accurately his dream space, and that it’s basically just a blank white box. (There are also the blue glowing circles on his robes that could symbolize having multiple eyes to see which are only visible when he’s in his dream form, but it could also just represent Kathool’s eyes so who knows) This is ultimately his domain and by the looks of it he can bring anyone into it and determine what is experienced within this tiny space. What the viewer sees could amount to anything but what they ultimately stand is just the box, the blank canvas. Here, Remthalas controls reality, what goes on in the ‘bigger picture’ so to speak. Here, Remthalas is as close to a god as anyone else that can control their own dreams.

 What I’m getting at here is that Remthalas doesn’t just want freedom he wants to see possibilities and the process it takes to getting to an outcome. What he wants is to dream and for everyone else to be the actors in his never-ending play of entertainment. To see the big picture change from one point to the other. These are details that I think were touched on when he mentioned that he enjoyed the dreams of children because of their ability to imagine possibilities to fill in gaps left behind by a world they are still very new to. Or when he appeared genuinely disheartened at the idea that he was not at rest. Or when he finds dreams to be not interesting enough when pointing out that Voyna can only ever dream of dragons due to her trauma with them. Or even when we fought him in the dream to save Sally and he noted that our dream was “Fierce, but one dimensional” Or the rather basic nature, in comparison to whatever else he wanted to show us, of Notha’s backstory and memories.

 What he wants is for Lore to be his dream. To fit all of existence in that little box of his and to watch things go wild. Which is why I called him ‘Idiot God’ because if true then Remthalas is basically trying to become Azathoth, the Blind-Idiot God from the Lovecraftian Mythos who created the entire universe in that series by simply dreaming, and who will kill it if he ever wakes up. A character/concept I still believe was being referenced when Remthalas asked what would happen if “they” woke up and questioned if the world would stop existing if “they” did. However, unlike Azathoth, Remthalas intends to be aware of all that happens when he finally dreams.

Azathoth is not the only eldritch god that Rem appears to share similarities with and to be honest it the one that makes him perhaps the most untrustworthy. The god I’m referring to of course is Nyarlathotep: The Crawling Chaos, The Dweller in Darkness, The Haunter of the Dark. These are just a few titles of Nyarlathotep, but I believe they would fit Remthalas for the similarities they share with the Outer God. For one thing is how both Remthalas and Nyarlathotep communicate through dreams to any of their unaware victims and pass on information that might shatter their world view. Furthermore, much like Nyarlathotep, Remthalas seems take more enjoyment in the dreams of others being messed with in a way that is typically nightmarish in nature. The most important similarity here of course is that both entities are more driven by spreading chaos and madness through people as opposed to their utter annihilation like other eldritch gods such as Cthulu. The reason for this is because in the case of both characters, I believe in Rem’s case anyway, their enemies isn’t so much other people but rather boredom, in addition to their own stagnation.

An interesting contrast I just thought about between them however is how Nyarlathotep and Remthalas spread chaos. As mentioned, Nyarlathotep does so through dreams by revealing, in typical Lovecraftian cosmic horror fashion, how utterly pointless the lives of his victims are in the face of the sheer overwhelming forces at play in the infinite and unknown universe and how they should just succumb to madness and/or become one of his followers, to amuse himself. Remthalas kind of does something similar when he suggests that morals and the lives people are currently living don’t hold much weight in the face of the grander schemes and roles of the Avatars. 

However, unlike Nyarla, Remthalas would do this so that others cast off their rules, still to amuse himself with the chaos that would thrive from that but in his view, they’d be getting something out of it. A sort of “You and everything you’ve known don’t matter so succumb to despair and madness and entertain me” vs “You and everything you’ve known don’t really matter so do what you want and entertain me” Chaos vs Chaos but different philosophies on how to get it.

The connections that can be drawn to other well known eldritch entities does make me wonder if when we see Remthalas next he might be trying to elevate his power on the material plane to that of the Primordials (Kathool, Uthuluc (probably not Uthuluc out of all of them to be honest), The Witness, Sciuridaehotep, the latter of which is just a Nyarlathotep reference) or is somehow going to get them involved in some way when his plans really start to get under way. If he does somehow involve Kathool in what he intends to pull off I imagine we might see Aquella again given that she’s supposed to overwatch his bedtime and I think it would fit to have a water take on another that was devoted to Kathool. I’d suspect she, or potentially another water elf, could reveal more of in-depth info on Remthalas’ servitude to the Avatars and later Kathool.

This brings us to the question of course of how exactly Rem plans to pull this all off. Obviously, we fit into those plans. However, with what just happened with the Avatars now being out of the picture and Myalos also being out of commission, what’s the next step? Where does he take us from there? The answer goes back to those “They” entities being referenced. Remthalas has brought them up, but he wasn’t the only one I believe. Celeritas mentioned them once when Sinnoncence made his move. I believe, I’m certain, that our dear Big Daddy named dropped them for us a long time ago. 

The one and only Aequilibria, the true gods of existence who are said to be slumbering even now. How Remthalas intends on exerting power over these beings is unknowable, but it would appear the best time to do so before they awake once more.

Which brings us to the Hero and the interest Rem has taken in them. It is clear the main reason that Remthalas has taken an interest in us is because of how capable we were in comparison to Uaanta at the time he was scouting us both out. We are an invested tool…and yet. I cannot help but wonder if Remthalas continued engrossment of us isn’t just because he knows we’ll be useful to his plans but also because Remthalas is straight up looking for a plus one when his plan would be theoretically completed. He did offer us to see where the currents of existence could take us.

  After all, why look at and enjoy multiple paintings in a vacuum or go to the movies by yourself when you can have someone watch it all with you. Then again, as I mentioned earlier, he could simply be viewing us as just another tool to pull off his plans and that is join the others later once everything falls in place

All of what I stated is more speculation than anything but if any of it’s true then we are in for a ride.

#dragonfable #Remthalas #primordials #Aequilibria #Watch everything I just said be uber wrong #Blind idiot God #Crawling Chaos #Lovecraft parallels #Was MrNameless trapping everyone in a tiny dimension he controlled foreshadowing to what Remthalas plans? #Dreamfarer #The never ending dream #If Remthalas does attempt to use the Aequilibria then perhaps we won't even see him again for awhile. #The eyes Mason what do they mean!?!?!?!? #It's made of fear and nightmares y'all #What if Remthalas tries to do his thing and Sciuridaehotep straight up tells him No #Boom crisis averted #Remthalas is our villian #But he couldn't care at all about using Draco #What forces are at work here #More to a prophecy #He refuses to respect Lock and Key because they can not entertain his dreams #Tools can only follow a patter in his eyes #And that's boring #Same thing with Myalos #Uaanta did something new #Aquella return? #The dreams were dark #df lore #df spoilers #I am now imagining Remthalas sitting on a couch and watching people run around screaming through a window because he moved a stone

[youwontlikethisblog]

Don Hermes: A Deep Dive

Hello, back from the grave(briefly)

I know I said I would be taking a break from posting analysis of the episodes and scenes but I've been thinking about this for weeks and I can't get it out of my head so might as well write a post dedicated to Don Hermes.

In order to really understand this character, once more, we have to look at the dynamics, culture, era, and context of cause and effect of this character, his motives, reasons, and effects not only that affect him but effect Betty.

In this post I will be discussing the following:

Actions don't tend to only affect those who cause and those who are direct receivers of said actions; contrary they are a domino effect.

We have to look at the consequences of daughters who grow up with and without a father.

As I've mentioned before in order to write good characters you have to understand your characters. It's not a maybe, a possibility, or a perhaps in the choices your characters make, it is a 100% understanding of the choices your characters make.

Domino Effect:

Feelings and emotions are something that contribute a lot in the way we behave, react, and deal with things, if we didn't have emotions than it would be a warning to seek professional help.

What does this have to do with a fictional character?

The lure of watching TV is that it's meant to be mindless, numbly, and just something to fry your brain so you can escape reality. Unless you set out to watch a real life event made to movie based on facts or a documentary you expect that everything you watch is meant to not make you think. It's the appealing factor of watching TV instead of reading. With reading you're more aware of the dilemas, action, cause and effect, as well as see the world through the main character's eyes.

It's sort of a manual that guides you right through this story you've jumped in to see. You become the main character and see the world just as they see it. However with TV, that's not something you truthfully get[to experience] and the reason being is that even when there is a main character being the voice of guidance like in books, you really get to see the main character for what they are. You aren't vividly in the main character's train of thought like in reading, you're only watching it, not living it, so small details in movies and tv shows can be greatly missed, unless if you're like me, who obsesses over small tiny details, than you aren't going to pick up on it right away, or maybe never.

We know one film snobs who think certain movies are the epidemy of art and commentary of society norms and that mundane movies and tv shows based on clichés are boring and braindead excuses that only people who can't think watch, yuck.

Suspenseful, detective, crime, and thriller movies have an advantage, you as the viewer, know that something is up and that the character's can't be trusted, even the main character, so you as the viewer, make the extra effort to pay attention to small details. It becomes a conscious effort, just like reading.

When you're reading you make the conscious effort to pay attention to detail because you know that in order to really enjoy the book you must immerse yourself into that world. I've seen memes where people say: When you're reading and you're the director, the producer, wardrobe/set designer, and main actor on set so you have to cut the scene, go back and re-read a sentence until you imagine it just right.

When you're watching TV all of that is done for you. It's why many times when novels, trilogies, or books are turned into movies we're left disappointed because it's not what we imagined.

What does all of this have to do with domino effect and Don Hermes you ask?

Well simply put: he's a character that is just as wonderfully written as the rest that people just lump with a bad father and I am here to clear his name.

To watch Yo Soy Betty, La Fea and really understand the moral of the story you have to pay attention to detail because it gives a broader understanding of the characters, moral, and overall the point of the story we're being told.

These details if ignored, distort the story we are hearing. It gives it a false narrative and takes away the reality that Fernando Gaitan was writing and that's another thing; YSBLF is based on the logic of that world and it closely if not, is a mirroring or resemblance to our real world and the commentary of FG on it.

In Latine America men are raised to be mentally, emotionally, and physically strong and that they are stronger in all those aspects to that of women. The consequence of this is that it builds a culture of machismo where the translation that men and women are different means that women are lesser than men, in that culture and that women need men to live and cater to men.

ma·chis·mo/mäˈCHēzmō/

noun strong or aggressive masculine pride. "the exaggerated machismo displayed in the tango"

Machismo is deeply imbedded in Latine American culture and taught to boys as they grow up. Nowadays that's changing and the idea of men being machistas and that being acceptable is being challenged but we're not talking about nowadays, we're talking about the past.

YSBLF came out in 1999, Betty is roughly around 23-25 when the novela starts, her father and mother are much older than her(DUH)and very old school however a bit open minded in some things. In Betty's birthday episode the way Don Hermes was dressed and the music he selected gives an understanding that he most likely was born in the late 40's or 50's and that he lived long enough in those decades to see the consequences of war, the importance of being ethical and having a good moral compass, idealizing "Simpler" times and so forth.

He is very old fashioned in the understanding that what makes a well rounded person is the family they have and how much of a reflection it is of their parents that their child is a good person. However, idealistically speaking, he goes against the grain of what a machista is, therefore he isn't a machista.

Now you may ask: "But he constantly yells at Betty and her mom!" and yes, he is a crappy husband, but we're not talking about that, just yet.

Don Hermes pushed his daughter to study, and in a field were women aren't really welcomed, especially in Latin America in the 90's(especially if you're "ugly"), constantly told her she didn't need to depend on anyone, that she didn't need a job, especially work in a place where they humiliated her, because he'd always take care of her, however, he always encouraged her to be hard working and put all her degrees to work.

That goes against the core believe that machistas have.

Now that we know he isn't a machista, let's take a look at another part of his character.

Don Hermes is very old school with the way women compose themselves. He looks down upon Betty's friends because they have "libertinaje" meaning they live a immodest lifestyle. Divorced, single mothers, separated, out without her husband, drunkards', loud, dressed in tight clothing, and "looking fervently" for a man. All things he believes women shouldn't be.

Why is that?

Understanding the domino effect is important here because this is something that Don Hermes has tried to shield Betty from, from a young age.

Wikipedia: Domino effect: A domino effect or chain reaction is the cumulative effect produced when one event sets off a chain of similar events. The term is best known as a mechanical effect and is used as an analogy to a falling row of dominoes

In the late 70's and 80's the world faced the epidemic of AIDS, at that time there wasn't a broad understanding of what AIDS was and how you got it however, it was something, that to this day, is understood to be a desease one gets from unprotected sex , multiple sex partners and a wild social life.

Yeah I know, what does this have to do with anything?

Imagine hearing in the news that globally, a desease that affects both women and men, particularly, from what I've read, AIDS was more prominent in the years of 1993-1997 in Colombia, AIDS was at it's highest rate of infection, in your country, that doesn't have enough research or treatment, is affecting the younger population. Nowadays we understand that men are at a higher risk of AIDS than women. However this type of information wasn't so openly out there in the past.

So in conclusion: There's a sexually transmitted deseas with no cure, no real understanding of how you can get it, and people who have a "Wild and free" life seem to be the most affected: My daughter will not be influenced by people to live a "wild and free" life at the risk of dying.

Yeah Don Hermes was also old school and believed that women who had relations outside of wedlock were not pristine and a bad reflection of moral teaching.

However and I will get to this later on in this post, you have to understand your character's fears and worries.

I'm trying to paint a picture here, of an example that is not at all factual in the show but just to give an understanding of what could have caused this man to be so overly protective of his daughter. If you grew up with old school traditions and teachings, with a daughter that was bullied for simply existing, in a world that didn't accept your child as is, that lives in a country where drug wars, civil wars, and epidemics of deseases with no cure are prevalent, would you not be an over bearing parent?

The domino effect of the world that Don Hermes grew up in and watched his daughter grow up in affected him to be over bearing, over protective, and a strict father.

Lets not forget that to Don Hermes Betty was his most precious possession and that he strongly believed that the best inheritance a father could leave their child was good moral conduct, modest, and ethical example.

He wanted his daughter to stay inside his house, where he could keep an eye on her, because he wanted to keep her safe and protect her from the world. Were his methods not the best? Yeah.

Due to this over protectiveness of his, Betty grew up shield from the real world and naïve to an extent, of the dangers of it and how deprived men can be. This does have a domino effect in Betty's life-when it comes to being social.

Was he at fault for his daughter's low self-esteem and self worth?

No and you can catch these hands if you think otherwise.

Lets now jump into the subject of understanding of:

What are the Consequences of growing up with and without a father for a girl?

When we get flashbacks of Betty's childhood her dad is very present in those flashbacks, overbearingly so. In the first topic we understood why he was overbearing, the reasons why, and what the domino effect of his life experience had on him as a father, however in this section we're still dealing with the domino effect of his parenting methods, but it isn't the main focus.

In the Armando post where I briefly talked about the subject of a parents roles in their child's development I said something along the lines of how children are a reflection of their environment and that parents are a huge part of their child's development.

Betty as well is a reflection of her environment and the role her parents had in her life.

We love Betty, she's sweet, caring, kind, loving, "innocent", always trying to see the good in people, and intelligent.

Father figures are an extremely important role both for their sons and daughters but especially in the role of their daughter's self-esteem.

Self-esteem isn't only based on your looks, it's a broader understanding of you and what you are as a reflection of how you feel about it all, if that makes sense.

Studies show that girls who grow up without a father tend to have more problematic relationships, low self-esteem, low self-worth, battle addiction, depression, suicide, eating disorders, etc.

Though Betty does have low self-esteem and absolutely no self-worth, she doesn't have it as a result of having an absent father and like I said in the Armando post: an absent parent doesn't always mean that the parent isn't physically there. It can mean a parent who isn't there for the emotional and mental growth and development of their child, however obviously some parents aren't there for all three things.

"Fathers provide their daughters with a masculine example. They teach their children about respect and boundaries and help put daughters at ease with other men throughout their lives. [...] So if she didn't grow up with a proper example, she will have less insight and she'll be more likely to go for a man that will replicate the abandonment of her father."

— Caitlin Marvaso, AMFT, a grief counselor and therapist in Oakland, CA

source: https://wehavekids.com/family-relationships/When-Daddy-Dont-Love-Their-Daughters-What-Happens-to-Women-Whose-Fathers-Werent-There-for-Them#:~:text=To%20summarize%2C%20depression%2C%20suicide%2C,effects%20of%20an%20absent%20father.

Has Don Hermes been an emotionally/mentally absent father?

Again the flashbacks we get don't point to that. In fact it's a father who is present, in mostly every flashback, and one who takes the lead of it. Betty often talks about him with endearment and even names him as her most precious possession, which mirrors Don Hermes sentiment towards her. He is her pride.

He constantly is seen being protective of her and while not the most emotional guy, he showers her with positive attention and reaffirming her worth by reminding her that she is well educated, academically educated, has good moral and ethical standing, and should be respected because she is deserving of it, not only because of all the above but because she is his daughter, his pride and joy.

So then, what are the consequences of having a present father, who is both mentally and emotionally present in a girls life?

For one self-esteem and self worth are a lot higher, expectations of men and long lasting relationships with them are healthier, they are not afraid to set boundaries, self-respect, lower chances of risky behavior etc.

Speaking from experience of being a daddy's girl: a father's role is extremely important to building healthy relationships with not only men but people in general(I was gonna make a personal experience joke but it was outta pocket). My father taught me how to read, draw, write, count, and how to cry it out. There wasn't a bad day in school that I didn't go to my dad to cry and vent and he'd always gift me something afterwards be it a fancy eraser or a doll. My father in some ways reminds me of Don Hermes so my opinion could be a bit personal lol.

Authoritative parenting style is the best style of parenting because it is both teaching of moral conduct and consequences as well as catering to the emotional and mental needs of your child while still teaching them natural consequences and how to rightfully deal with problems.

Don Hermes has that style of parenting. He often sets rules, expectations, boundaries, and goals for Betty. He encourages her and is there to celebrate her and there to hold her hand when she fails.

Ironically enough, writing this post I realized that Armando has daddy issues, like I knew he had parental problems and how they shaped him but It hadn't hit me how deeply affected he was because of his father's absence :(

I bring Armando up right now because even though he isn't a girl he is the perfect example in the show of a child who grew up without a father's love while Betty is the perfect example of someone who did.

Why do I say all of this?

This brings us to the third and the final topic of this post:

You Have To Understand Your Characters:

What does this mean?

In order to write a four dimensional character you have to know them, like you would a friend or family member, through and through. I'm more likely giving too much credit to FG as Don Hermes was a secondary character, albeit one of the most important secondary characters, so it's likely he didn't really sit there and think about this mans childhood, how it affected him in raising a child, how he met Julia his wife, how he reacted when he found out he was going to be a father; in reality he probably based Don Hermes's parental and loving qualities around his own personal experience as a father and tried to understand where Don Hermes was coming from but again I don't know FG lol or seen any of his interviews, except for one, regarding YSBLF.

Personally how I go about writing and fleshing out my OC's is that I interview them. I come up with the concept of my character, you know the basics, goals, ambitions, fears, insecurities, description and so forth and then I go about asking them personal questions, from there on I go and think of their most traumatic experiences and how that shaped them, their best memory, do they have siblings? If they do how close? Are they close to their parents? What is their family life like? Lastly, after I understand these characters backstory I ask myself: What is the purpose of this character in this story? Do they play a vital role? Could I take them out and the story would keep going as if nothing or would it move the story?

When you understand your characters you understand why they behave a certain way. Being a writer who knows their characters pretty well makes writing the story in it of itself pretty easy because you understand where they are coming from. You understand the purpose of their words, why they stand the way they do. You understand in completion what makes the character themselves and in order to do that you must be well versed in their behavior.

What does this have to do with Don Hermes?

Simple: Don Hermes isn't a one dimensional, two dimensional, or even a three dimensional character. He is 4D.

What is his fear? That his daughter suffers.

What is his motivation? Being a good example to his daughter, leaving her with the best inheritance.

What is his ambition? To be a good member of society who upholds principal and ethical actions despite that not achieving riches.

What is his goal? To be a good father who sets a good example for his daughter so she may follow in his footsteps.

These are the basics. They give us a basic understanding of Don Hermes, right?

Now the final questions are:

If he is a good father why is Betty insecure? and how is it possible that his overbearing parenting style didn't negatively impact Betty?

When I write my analysis of scenes/episodes and focus on body language I always remind y'all that context is key. It is for absolutely everything in life.

By solely blaming Don Hermes for all of Betty's problems in reality you're taking away the responsibility that society has and plays the role of, in a young person's life.

What do I mean by this? And what does this have to do with understanding your character?

Well we're about to talk about my dear and sweet Betty and this is a part of her character I've been dying to talk about!

I, again, can speak on experience. As mentioned above, I grew up with a present father in my life. I am a daddy's girl. However I too grew up insecure.

Society has a lot to do with it.

Just like Betty, my father was over protective of me as a child. He wouldn't let me handle anything dangerous, would constantly tell me that people in the world had bad intentions and most importantly after a good cry he'd kiss my cheeks and tell me that he loved me very much and then shower me with surprise toys or crafting supplies.

Betty's dad was the exact same. When we get the flashback of him pulling her towards the house so she wouldn't play with the neighborhood kids he tells her: "That's why I bought you all your toys, so you can have fun. The devil is a pig, remember that." the meaning behind that wasn't only to tell Betty she'd be tempted to do something bad in reality he used it as telling her "The world is a terrible place with terrible people who will hurt you."

side note: I want to make it canon(now that I know what that means) that Don Hermes had a Corn collection. This doesn't really have anything to do with this post except it's about Don Hermes but that one day when he was telling Betty that she had her own kind of beauty and that men liked exotic beauty, after she left he told Julia that he was well versed because he kept up with the times and that's why he had that collection[of magazines] in their room, so he could keep up with modern days.

He knew the kids in the neighborhood bullied Betty, they didn't involve her in their games and he heard the whispers from parents around the neighborhood as well so in his own way, in his own terms, he protected Betty from rejection by taking the burden of being the one who prohibited her from mingling with the outside world, however the damage was there because in school Betty still had to deal with those rats.

In one of the first episodes, when Roman asked Betty to go out, Betty, giving the benefit of the doubt, agreed to go out however Don Hermes didn't want her to go out with Roman and Co. for two reasons: Betty could do better than him and his loser friends and to protect her from rejection. However the reason I bring this up is because Betty mentioned that Don Hermes took her out of public school and placed her in a convent when her friends started to get boyfriends. (I only saw the final episode, I skipped all the way to the end, so that I could be prepared to deal with the emotional pain of their breakup but I still haven't seen the second part, anyway)Don Hermes mentioned that he always wanted his daughter to be pristine(a virginia) and that he raised her to know that the most integral part of her was the center of her family.

For one I mentioned the AIDS epidemic for two reasons: that it would be a motive for him to be so, extremely, sheltering of Betty in regards of her socializing with people who could lead her down a path that could affect her in her health as well as ruin their moral and ethic standing(we see the way he scorned her when she was offered the commission). Not to mention that parents in countries that have a lot of conflict are often very strict in regards of their child's social life in fear that they could wind up dead, drug addict, delinquent, victim of human trafficking, and other things on the likes. I recently found this out while doing some research of El Salvador's music scene(there's some really good bands out there but bc of the conflict younger generations aren't active in the scene back there due to parents restrictions out of fear.). So while Don Hermes is old school in regards of his daughter maintaining her virginal status because it reflect good on their family and she is in god's grace, as well that keeping her away from people who could corroded those principals he's instilled in her, he also has other motives as to keep her on a short social leash. This reason and the one mentioned above in regard of trying to save her from suffering rejection and this is what I'll stress out in the following.

Both socially for their reputation, her mental, physical, and emotional protection, Don Hermes doesn't let Betty out of the house with anyone unless it's Nicolas because Don Hermes has practically watched him grow and in some way he's also been like a father figure to Nicolas. We understand where he's coming from now.

The reason I brought up what the effects of growing up with and without a present father in a girl's life is because we need to really understand the root of Betty's self-esteem and self-worth issues and to debunk the idea that Don Hermes is behind all of that we need to see and understand how a character with fatherless daughter disorder would be written and presented by understanding the effects of the child into adulthood. Seeing as Don Hermes was an active father of Betty's life in all three aspects of: Physically being present, emotionally, and mentally as well, which means he set up a good example of being a man, which is also a reason why Betty is attracted to Armando's personality because it is a love she knows, which doesn't cause her to be as afraid of him(I've explained this in previous post but I can't remember right now what they're titled, sorry.) So not only are we told from Betty's own words that her father is her most precious possession we also have facts to prove why that is and how much Don Hermes loves Betty and in his own way tries to protect her and shield her from danger and pain.

I'll answer why she's insecure in a bit.

Now in regards for understand characters, which brings this whole post full circle is very easy: Even if there wasn't a backstory written for a character, simply by understanding the basics of your character you can make a compelling character that is 4D, all by making his goals, fears, motives, ambitions, and desires realistic and it leaves just enough room for the reader to interpret and understand what the meaning of that character is for the story and the purpose it serves. That alone allows us to determine whether the character is good, worthy of redemption, and the lesson they are trying to teach us.

I rave about Armando, Mario, and even Marcela's(tho her not too much) and Betty's complexities but Don Hermes is a character who deserves to be defended! He is a good father who loves his daughter greatly.

Which is why we get such a contrast with Roberto. Roberto wasn't an emotionally or mentally present father in Armando's life. His love was always conditional. The day that both fathers find out about their children's borderline illegal business activities they both react so differently. Don Hermes decided that while he won't act like he approves or is okay with what Betty has done that he'll show face for her and that he'll make her deal with the consequences, however, that among all of that, she will always have a shoulder to cry on and lean her head on. While Roberto tells his son, who is in the brink of tears(I'll talk about that scene in due time cause boooooiii I gotta a lot to say!) that he never wants to speak to him again and basically that he's dead to him and walks out of the meeting room, he doesn't even tell him: What you did is bad and you have to face and deal with the consequences on your own but I still love you. Nah homes legit just said "Bye ur ded 2 meh."

Fernando knew his characters and their moral standing as well as purpose for the story and that alone is what separates these fathers and allows us as viewers to interpret their lives outside of the big screen(ikik he didn't expect it to be such a huge thing but let me boost this dead man's ego, too soon?).

And for the closing argument:

Betty's insecurities were not in part or any part, due to to her father. Who had an authoritative parent style —y'all should look those up if you want a further understanding of parental styles and what roles they have in the development of their child. While yes her social awkwardness is a consequence and domino effect of Don Hermes short leash, it is not fully and completely his fault.

They are in part and completely due to society and their treatment of her and that's the moral of showing a loving father and an insecure daughter.

Society rejected Betty for simply existing, without giving her the chance to be herself, to give love. Society taunted, teased, bullied, traumatized, and abused her and for what? To show power over her? To take out their own insecurities onto her? No matter how much her father could love her, how much he told her she was beautiful in her own way, who adored her and encouraged her to achieve her goals and set high expectations for herself, it was never enough because the outside world hated her for simply and only breathing!

Trying to blame Don Hermes, trying to point the finger to him is rejecting and neglecting the vitality of Fernando's commentary on society and the way it treats women, especially women who are not the status quo. Betty is only treated well, respected, and not made fun of by society when she no longer is "ugly" while she is still the same person within that she was from that start(more confident and sure of herself as a professional and a woman) society doesn't care, now she's pretty and it isn't until then that they think and believe she is deserving of human decency.

That's the whole point! That's the whole reason of Betty's role in the novela! The purpose of her character! That while she was ugly she was still so kind, loving, pure, and trying to see the good in others, despite the trauma she's faced in life. Society still deems to dehumanize her and cause her harm and it isn't until AFTER she has a physical transformation that they decide to treat her like a human!(I'm not directly talking about Marce, Patty, or Hugo and especially Daniel but rather society outside of Eco Moda.). The commentary of how society prefers mean, rude, selfish, and arrogant beautiful people rather that good, kind, loving, and selfless "ugly" people and if that moral of the story, which is the biggest reason of the story existing, doesn't translate to you, what are you doing?

Her lack of knowledge of men while is also a domino effect of her father's over protectiveness it also and in part the trauma of it, is because of society. Little girls who grew up being teased, bullied constantly over our looks that grow into teen and women hood still being bullied over our looks makes us feel un-womanly and undesired that even the small gesture of affection makes us believe that maybe we are worthy, not of love, but attention not only as women but human, is damaging! Again, dismissing this and blaming Don Hermes ignores the issues that society has and it takes away our responsibility and accountability in this issue.

I rest my case!

Don Hermes is a good father who is not to blame for Betty's insecurities or self-worth issues!

Husband... he isn't the best one.

I'd need to make a part two for that part of his character and right now I'm beat, sleep deprived again and my head and neck hurt as well as my back.

Again ignore any grammar mistakes.

Til next time! :)

[EDIT: There is so many obvious examples in the novela that prove how loving Don Hermes is towards Betty that I didn't mention in the post. Understanding the culture, the era, and his dynamic was a lot more important imo to talk about so it could explain his irrational behavior and the process of writing a character. It's a lot of research and really important to be able to have well written characters. If any of you would like to comment an instant in which Don Hermes showed how much he loved Betty, feel free to comment it :)]

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