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rewritingcanon · 7 months

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i’ve seen relationship therapists and psychologists analyse hermione and ron’s relationship and conclude that they wouldn’t work out in the long run. they’ve argued for hermione to be with harry, krum, even DRACO (don’t understand how a counsellor can vow for canon dramione but alright) as an alternative partner for hermione since ron is “too insecure” to be with her and match her intelligent prowess or what have you.

i seriously don’t understand this sentiment. ron and hermione genuinely seem (almost) perfect to me, maybe not in the movies (a common denominator of people who don’t like romione is that they always cite evidence from the movies, since the films took a lot away from ron’s character and his growth), but definitely in the books.

looking at ron’s insecurities, a lot of people dredge his inferiority complex up to toxic masculinity primarily, when it was more explored how it was an effect of his home life (not gonna argue toxic masculinity wasn’t a factor, they’re teenagers in the 90s written by a pretty misogynistic woman so…). he was the youngest son out of how many children? all of his older brothers were brilliant in some way. bill was an extremely gifted spellcaster, charlie was gifted with magical beasts, percy’s academic score was unmatched, and fred and george (despite their trouble) were entrepreneurial inventor-geniuses. ron, on the other hand, was quite literally born a disappointment to his mother, who conceived him specifically because she wanted a daughter, whilst ginny was born her favourite (though, even then, ginny was gifted at quidditch). ron was mediocre in every sense of the word, and his two best friends were harry (one of the most famous wizards) and hermione (the smartest witch of her age yada yada). and i’ve seen people argue that harry was more welcomed by molly into the weasley household than ron ever was. this isn’t even mentioning the amount of bullshit he copped for being poor (people always downplay the blow to confidence being in poverty can have on a person who is constantly surrounded by people who not only have more, but look down on him for simply being unlucky as to not have what they do).

so yeah, ron was an envious kid, but he was that way not because he was an evil patriarchal conception but because he was lowkey neglected. and even then he was overall an extremely devoted and loyal friend to both harry and hermione, because he did genuinely love them.

there were many moments of ron standing up for hermione that was cut from the films, not as a guy who was romantically interested in her, but as a friend. ron arguing with snape for making hermione cry is one of my fav scenes in the books ru kidding me, and in the movies he AGREED with snape RU KIDDING ME. not to mention how ron was a sobbing violent mess when hermione was getting tortured in the last book, whereas he wasn’t nearly as bothered in the films. and the films cut out harry being a dick to ron about his familial concerns (in dh), so when ron left it seemed like a random dickish move over his jealousy towards harry and hermione’s relationship.

there’s also a million moments where they minimised ron’s usefulness in the books for comedic purposes (forbidden forest with aragog, troll scene, devils snare scene) so ron seems dumber than he is. like, he’s actually smart and a really good spellcaster…. in the books.

so simply by stating this most of the arguments against romione become void. “he’s too stupid/weak for her” simply not true. “he’s a terrible friend who doesn’t stand up for her” also not true. “he’s too insecure to have made a move on her,” yes, but given the context i don’t think people would freak on about ron’s upbringing, i think many would be more understanding, especially considering his growth. even if he wasn’t insecure, hermione is beyond incredible and is bound to make anyone nervous when pursuing her (not an excuse for ron to act like a dick, but it does explain a lot where the movies don’t). “they argue too much” they bump heads, none of the arguments they have are actually super damning, with the exception of ron leaving in deathly hallows.

maybe i’ve covered everything (excluding the abhorrent amount of classism that clouds people’s judgments around how they view ron when harping about how hermione deserves better? hopefully).

now, i know people won’t like me mentioning the cursed child, but i’m going to considering we actually get an insight of their life as a longterm married couple there. a lot of ron stans hated how ron was the only character that wasn’t doing something incredible. harry was head of the aurors, ginny was a famous quidditch player retired to a famous journalist, neville was a hogwarts professor, hermione was quite literally minister on magic. and ron…. ran the joke shop with george.

and i think this was almost the perfect route to go down for ron. because he was average, and was perfectly fine with just being average. hello?? that speaks leagues of growth for his character. he’s supportive of hermione’s work, he grounds her when she gets too caught up in being the literal president of wizarding society, and he still viciously defends her, minister or not. in fact, he’s proud to simply be known as hermione’s husband because he doesn’t feel the need to prove to anyone else his worth. the people he loves most know his worth, hermione never downplays or underestimates him, they are complete equals in the relationship in every single way that matters. they kept ron’s best qualities whilst making him seem more of a healed person. they work so well as a married couple without it seeming like mischaracterisation (not to mention the cursed child literally shows how those two are in love in every reality, so there quite literally can’t be a better partner for hermione or ron according to canon).

so i really don’t understand how professional relationship counsellors can go online and denounce it. probs because they only watched the movies, but it’s 2023 and ron stans should not STILL be fighting for their lives trying to defend him from people who simply don’t consume media with as much depth (which is fine, but one should clarify if they’re talking about the movies because i’ve seen people state they’re talking about the hp BOOKS when it’s simply just…. the films). anyways. romione on top, thanks to coming to my ted talk.

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pinkysberg · 1 year

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whenever people slutshame abigail and the response is "dutch/bill/javier was lying" i kind of cringe. bc while i acknowledge that could be true and i recognize they were saying things to get under john's skin, like...why would it ultimately matter either way. lets say they're not lying and they did all have her, now what? i prefer the stance of "they all had her." "and??" what of it? who cares? john sure doesnt, why do you? i think the immediate jump to deny it doesn't help as much as we think when it comes to slutshaming. abigail doesn't need to be a sexual puritan to deserve respect.

#because like. lets say she slept w every man in that camp and then some #ok???#i don't see shame in that and neither should you when it's 1. not shameful and 2. something she was doing to survive #the denial rly only adds to the shame i don't know #like ok of course they did thats literally why she was there in the first place #thinky #(btw that's my spam tag so if u ever don't wanna read my think pieces u can block the tag)#abigail roberts #abigail marston #rdr2

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accio-victuuri · 3 months

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an analysis : Xiao Zhan + The Moon & Sixpence 🌖

as usual with xzs videos like the one just released, you can make an entire thesis into the possible meanings of every chapter and frame. add it’s relation to xz and if you’re a pro, go deep into the techniques they used in shooting and editing. this one tho is centered around the theme of “the moon and sixpence” which is a book xz recommended before. I saw a few articles linking this to the elements on the vlog and so i looked into it.

i have lightly talked about some elements from the vlog yesterday but focused more on the quotes that appeared and the music chosen.

it’s been years since he mentioned this book and he didn’t even say that it’s his all-time-favorite. for example, the van gogh elements, we expect that already to be a recurring theme. as well as the moon, but this one has another connection to it. i am honestly curious where his headspace is at, and why, in this specific point in time he felt so close to the message of that book or some parts of it.

let me start with a synopsis and the book is available on googlebooks if you wanna try it out like i did. 🔖

with the plot alone, you can get a sense of why he would like it. at the time he read it, he was not yet the superstar xiao zhan that we know now. and this is why i guess he related to it more now. especially the sacrifices he has to make for the path he has chosen. this was evident in his GQ cover story interview where he compares himself to his other friends and how they have normal lives. the books is written in the first person POV of narrator who is looking into the stockbroker turned artist Charles Strickland. you get to see the thoughts of the narrator and how he views the main character of his story. the way i see it, the narrator is “Xiao Zhan the person” and how he sees “Xiao Zhan the public personality”. this concept of two sides to him was opened up in his esquire cover story and i can’t help but think it relates to this story.

i will be heavily quoting passages from the book that attracted me and i personally thought relates to xz. this is my personal interpretation only.

The greatness of Charles Strickland was authentic. It may be that you do not like his art, but at all events you can hardly refuse it the tribute of your interest. He disturbs and arrests.

the story starts of with this line and well isn’t this one way to describe xiao zhan? he has always been described as authentic and the “real deal” as far as idols and actors go. not many people are expected to like him or be part of his fan club and chase him — however, one thing is clear: he disturbs and arrests. his popularity is something that is unheard of and many artist and companies try to replicate. he is a disturbance to the norm in c-ent and why he is a constant target. it’s his biggest asset and liability. something like MFW and stepping out of his home is also expected to attract all kinds of attention. He is aware of that.

“His faults are accepted as the necessary complement to his merits. It is still possible to discuss his place in art, and the adulation of his admirers is perhaps no less capricious than the disparagement of his detractors; but one thing can never be doubtful, and that is that he had genius. To my mind the most interesting thing in art is the personality of the artist; and if that is singular, I am willing to excuse a thousand faults.”

this is in the POV of the narrator, describing the artist he is writing a book about, Charles Strickland. the message of this quote is similar to the one i mentioned above. xz is not perfect and people, specifically his fans should accept that. it’s what makes him more real. through his wins and losses, he is still xiao zhan.

“It is a salutary discipline to consider the vast number of books that are written, the fair hopes with which their authors see them published, and the fate which awaits them. What chance is there that any book will make its way among that multitude? And the successful books are but the successes of a season. Heaven knows what pains the author has been at, what bitter experiences he has endured and what heartache suffered, to give some chance reader a few hours’ relaxation or to while away the tedium of a journey. And if I may judge from the reviews, many of these books are well and carefully written; much thought has gone to their composition; to some even has been given the anxious labour of a lifetime. The moral I draw is that the writer should seek his reward in the pleasure of his work and in release from the burden of his thoughts; and, indifferent to aught else, care nothing for praise or censure, failure or success.”

this next passage makes me think of the projects he has done and what it must feel like for him. there are a lot of dramas/movies that come out every year and what we repeatedly hear from xz is that he only wishes to bring good works. something people will enjoy and appreciate— never mind the popularity that comes with it. he just finished filming a big project LOCH which i can only imagine is so stressful to him. and now is working on another historical drama.

he is someone who immerses himself in the character and once it’s done, it must be a huge weight off his shoulder. like what is said — seek reward in the pleasure of work and in release from the burden of his thoughts.

“Then, what in God’s name have you left her for?’

‘I want to paint.’

I looked at him for quite a long time. I did not understand. I thought he was mad. It must be remembered that I was very young, and I looked upon him as a middle-aged man. I forgot everything but my own amazement.

‘But you’re forty.’

‘That’s what made me think it was high time to begin.’

i think this one is pretty self explanatory, how he started in the entertainment circle a little bit later in his life. compared to his peers. but the answer was simple to him as it was with Strickland, in his case, “i want to sing.”

‘I tell you I’ve got to paint. I can’t help myself. When a man falls into the water it doesn’t matter how he swims, well or badly: he’s got to get out or else he’ll drown.”

this message seems similar to the one quoted on the vlog about about the rivers and small streams. in this one, it emphasizes how one should not be afraid to take the small step of “swimming badly” in hopes that someday they will wade the waters more efficiently.

“But here was a man who sincerely did not mind what people thought of him, and so convention had no hold on him; he was like a wrestler whose body is oiled; you could not get a grip on him”

If there was something in this book the describes XZ so perfectly — it is this one. I think he is not devoid of over thinking about what people say or being a people pleaser. but in recent times, i am seeing a change in him and how he is more calm. a freedom in the way he speaks, the truths he is no longer holding back. he is not afraid to be different anymore.

which led to that GUCCI outfit. LOL! 🤣🤣🤣

‘Look here, if everyone acted like you, the world couldn’t go on.’

‘That’s a damned silly thing to say. Everyone doesn’t want to act like me. The great majority are perfectly content to do the ordinary thing.”

so true. a great majority wouldn’t and couldn’t do what he does. just looking at the chapters in the vlog, from going to a distant place and dealing with the MGW chaos. after that, being only afforded a small time to decompress and sit. to enjoy the sunset. that’s what his life is.

“I don’t pretend to be a great painter’, he said. ‘I’m not a Michael Angelo, no, but I have something. I sell. I bring romance into the homes of all sorts of people. Do you know, they buy my pictures not only in Holland, but in Norway and Sweden and Denmark? It’s mostly merchants who buy them, and rich tradesmen. You can’t imagine what the winters are like in those countries, so long and dark and cold. They like to think that Italy is like my pictures. That’s what they expect. That’s what I expected Italy to be before I came here.”

i would guess this is how he sees his work. he never claimed to be the best, you can see that with how he always mentions wanting to be better. he wants to give the people a positive view of life. which i can clearly see from the vlogs even, makes you wanna go where he visited.

“A man’s work reveals him. In social intercourse he gives you the surface that he wishes the world to accept, and you can only gain a true knowledge of him by inferences from little actions, of which he is unconscious, and from fleeting expressions, which cross his face unknown to him. Sometimes people carry to such perfection the mask they have assumed that in due course they actually become the person they seem.”

another one that i think describes xz. his little actions that we see reveal his true self —- the gentle, funny and dorky xiao zhan which is a contrast to the character he sometimes has to portray. it’s when we talk about his duality, the way he was posing and “game face on” for GUCCI but when he did the interview you can see the dorky xiao zhan 😂

there are times that xiao zhan merges some of the qualities of his celebrity side and i think it’s perfectly person. it is a huge part of his life, and the way i see it, his experiences only make him a better person.

“I have an idea that some men are born out of their due place. Accident has cast them amid certain surroundings, but they have always a nostalgia for a home they know not. They are strangers in their birthplace, and the leafy lanes they have known from childhood or the populous streets in which they have played, remain but a place of passage.

They may spend their whole lives aliens among their kindred and remain aloof among the only scenes they have ever known.

Perhaps it is this sense of strangeness that sends men far and wide in the search for something permanent, to which they may attach themselves. Perhaps some deep-rooted atavism urges the wanderer back to lands which his ancestors left in the dim beginnings of history.

Sometimes a man hits upon a place to which he mysteriously feels that he belongs.

Here is the home he sought, and he will settle amid scenes that he has never seen before, among men he has never known, as though they were familiar to him from his birth.

Here at last he finds rest.”

read that again. it’s a lovely way to put into words what i imagine is something that not only xz goes through. we know what kind of environment and country he lives in, i’m not trying to get political but you get the point. being a celebrity or public personality like him is vastly different from how it is with the rest of the world. i have always admired how he handles it all with grace, how he he willingly accepts the responsibility and burden of being who he is. and that’s why i was also surprised by his answer when asked about a parallel world and he answers about a superpower where he can make it possible to have no disputes in the world. being in that place, with lots of people around, from different parts of the world probably made him think more about this topic. aside from eating pizza and being his usual beautiful self, he was thinking about some serious issues too.

chapter 1 was about going to a distant place but not really, there was something in that place and experience that feels like a home he longs for.

alternate explanation, this can also mean him living his life as a graphic designer, and then spreading his wings into a different industry — being the place he has sought. but considering the time this was released and where he is now at life, i’m thinking it’s more of the former.

so busy yearning for the moon that he never saw the sixpence at his feet. 🪙

this imagery at the end of the vlog + the coin he holds + the quote fits so well together. the way i see it, XZ is doing both. he appreciates the moon, he looks up to it but he doesn’t miss to see and hold the sixpence. it’s why he is holding on to it, in some, it was even rolling on it’s own towards him. and it’s not just the proverbial sixpence. he is seeing and appreciating his surroundings —- the egg he ate, laundry, bike etc.

as a fan, this is actually comforting to me. the book itself is not the happiest, which makes sense cause xz prefers melodramatic to downright tragic stories. but it shows a realistic view of what some goes through to pursue their dreams. it’s not as glamorous as what we see on tv or the internet. but the end of the vlog, shows that xz is keeping a balance. he is not just busy looking up at the moon— he is also living his life.

-END.

I first knew about the connection of the vlog to the book via 辉夜姬不叽 and i got hooked into writing something about it and reading the source material. i also liked @resonancewitness interpretation of the vlog, particularly the lines in starry starry night.

#xiao zhan #halfway through making this i thought about why i made it in the first place lol i just got so fixated #reading the book was lowkey therapeutic for me cause it has some good passages about love too ^^#i can’t believe xz made me read book lol thank you xiao laoshi 🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️#i absolutely love the intellectual hipster side of xz never change please

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sysig · 10 months

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Take care of him (Patreon)

#Doodles #Wander Over Yonder #Commander Peepers #Watchdogs #Lord Hater #Wander #He's very important don't you know ♪#I may or may not have been reading sickfics where the Watchdogs take care of Peepers in his moment of weakness hehe #The Watchdogs really swing between brutally competent and hilariously frivolous they have no middle slider haha #I really like them <3 They're such a cute bunch!#Never getting over all the Watchdogs all stuffed into that one carnival ride on Bingleborp lol #So many eyes and all single-seeing there's just something Very about them hm ♪#I can't decide which I like more - the Watchdogs kinda just putting up with Peepers or actually admiring him #I can have both since there's so many! A Peepers fanclub? Haha ♫#I don't think he'd be comfortable with it tho - at times his actions make me wonder if he even considers himself a Watchdog #He does a lot of bullying and gets bullied in return - The Cartoon as an example of the latter haha #He truly is more competent than the average foot soldier which is y'know - why he's a Commander in the first place lol #But to the point of comedy (and yes of course I know it's a comedy show lol) - the divide is very stark! He feels very separated #I like that about him :) He has visual differences and spacial differences - his own room - and competence and just ah! He's interesting!#He rises to meet his desires!! I like him very much ♪♫#More on the sickfic train lol a bit of a role reversal - a careful Hater and a lackadaisical Wander haha #Peepers is so small and breakable in Hater's arms! Treat him gently! Whereas he's barely smaller than Wander lol #Maybe they went out drinking together and he needed to return him to his room haha - so many identical doors #Normally he'd know but it's funnier to drag him around lol #The usual sleepy doodle <3 Gotta do it haha #A couple silly ones - I wanted to try the X eye shape but I didn't want it to stick haha though they do use it when they fall down sometimes #Almost X-shaped when he squints really hard! How cute haha

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anneapocalypse · 1 year

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"Write for yourself" and "Comments are good" are not mutually exclusive ideas.

"Comments are good" is true! They are good! We like them! It's nice to leave them and it's nice to read them.

"Write for yourself" is how you get through the draft knowing that feedback is not (and it never is) guaranteed.

#people get so up in arms about this #i assume because they think 'write for yourself' means you shouldn't want comments #which isn't true #it's fine and normal to want feedback #to hope that people read your work and that you can have a connection with them #that's all good #it's just not ENOUGH imo to motivate your when you're struggling #it can't be JUST for the comments #there has to be another reason you're writing #why you keep going even when it's hard or you're stuck #that's where 'write for yourself' comes in #there's a reason you started writing in the first place #don't lose sight of that #writing

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raycatz · 1 month

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I'm not including a situation where someone might be injured because in that case I'm thinking the bed goes to them by default or they are nominated for it. anyone who wants to be chatty goes to join the living room floor gang.

What are your thoughts and headcanons? Do you have thoughts on how the boys tend to approach assigning beds in inns? Who do the chain choose to sleep near when camping and why? What are their dynamics like when settling down for the night and getting ready for the day?

In "Mirror Vs Open Closet Door: Fight!" by Gintrinsic (here) Four refers to the chain's decision on how to split up between inn rooms as the "Link-per-room ratio" which I find very funny. He, Sky, and Time also talk about their thought process behind why they do or don't want to sleep in a room with some of the others which I find fun and interesting.

So! If you have thoughts and want to share them! *gestures to the post!*

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #alrighty! now for my answers-#for the ranch question I think it varies which is why I'm asking in a poll. What do you think happens most often though?#each answer is a fun scenario so it's difficult to choose #but I think they'd try to act politely around Malon and Time for the first couple visits with straws or rock paper scissors #or showing generosity by offering the bed to someone else. (I bet Malon saying they're charming is quite the incentive #for more possible compliments. The chain as a whole would want to prove her right xD )#Once they're more comfortable in the house though I can totally see Wind and Legend making a mad dash for it while Wars yells after them xD #Wind probably ends up sharing with Four a lot since they're the littles #or Wind snuggles in with Wars Legend Wild etc #Wild and Twi/Wolfie have claimed the spot on the floor by the fireplace.#For inn rooms / castle rooms / camping - I tend to group them by how they're grouped a lot already #but a lil mixed up #Time - Sky - Wars are the good rest trio. they want a good night's rest please let them get their beauty sleep. often joined by Four #Wars goes between this group and wherever Legend is depending on how chatty he is that night.#Twi - Wild - Hyrule are snuggle/proximity buddies #Legend is attached to Hyrule's hip or sets up near Warriors to gossip and gripe. I can also see him setting up near Wild #in the eye of the storm as it were or just an interesting place to be. Wild and Hyrule can get to chatting about everything and anything #so if Legend wants background noise (Hyrule and Wild podcast omg)-#or a conversation he can be half a part of and jump in and out of while getting ready for the night or in the mornings-#this is a good place to be. add Wind and things get a bit more chaotic.#Wind gravitates to Wars and Legend too when curious and chatty. He gravitates towards Time when he wants something calmer.#Four tends to be near Sky or Twi or to Legend's group for the same reasons #I can see Four and Twi having a little book club going during downtimes where they talk about what they're reading. Sky likes to listen. <3 #Wind thinks they're nerds but so is he and he can't resist a good story so he orbits and sometimes settles in and peppers questions.#it's funny that Time Sky and Wars want to sleep the most but Legend follows Wars to chat (and ends up bringing people with him xD )#there could be some conflict there oooo #Twi is by Time #it's almost a circle but with clusters of sleeping bags near on top of each other and filling the gaps

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raayllum · 5 months

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2x06 / 2x07

+ Bonus:

#tdp #the dragon prince #rayllum #parallels #the royal family of katolis #2x05 #2x06 #theme: exchange #TO ME #listen idk why i thought reading richard siken poems was a good idea but 'the repeated image of the lover destroyed'#Got to me #mine #tragic trio #s2 #arc 1 #tag ramble #i think a lot about callum Seeing rayla repeat his mother's history in 2x07 #(down to the framing parallels between rayllum & harrai outlined in the first half of the post)#and he can't/won't let her do it so. he lays Himself down instead #he takes his mother's own place in the narrative in order to try and spare rayla from having it #also bonus #the one who ruined me; i did it myself #so he like takes it on but also like. warps it in the exact manner that viren warped it #bc callum takes her place but does so with dark magic #whereas dark magic Led to her death and viren used her death for it #also the like. fleeing a dangerous dragon vs trying to save a wounded dragon #varrai's not my thing but if that's ur ship more than feel free to reblog with it

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hanazawat · 1 year

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thinking about how cool, calm, and collected teru was always a front to begin with. it became a reality he had to adapt to in order to survive.

the reality teru has before meeting mob is this: he lives on his own, he asked to live alone, no one has visited his apartment, his parents live overseas, he believes himself to be the only natural born psychic there is, he has been targeted by a terrorist group trying to kidnap him and brainwash him into being a manufactured esper soldier, all the other espers he has met have been claw grunts

the has lead teru to believe he is the main character of this world. he is arrogant, egotistical, thinks he is better than others due to his powers, and uses his powers to get his way without ever revealing he is an esper. this has gained him popularity status and morphed his perception of the world and himself

from the second he meets mob his world is flipped on its head

first off, teru is shocked to see mob is a natural

[ID: two screenshots of teru. in the first he says “are you a natural” in the second : “there’s another like me?” /END ID]

he wants to ask mob questions about it! (and im mad we never get to know what they are!) but his fight or flight kicks in. the only espers he’s met up until this point have tried to attack him. he does the only thing he knows and he needs to establish that he is more powerful than mob. in the episode prior, he tells the body improvement club that people always underestimate him.

[ID: first screenshot is of a stormy sky. teru says: “society always underestimates me…” second and third screenshots he is standing in front of the body improvement club saying: “fools who don’t try to look beneath the surface…that’s why you’re so easy to control.” /END ID]

i’m still not entirely sure what this is in reference to. who in society? just being a kid in the world? the fact people dont expect him to be a powerful esper? in context it refers to strength and size, so that perhaps? he mentions fools that are easy to control…so it could be his classmates?

earlier he says

[ID: screenshots of text teru says. “Those pieces of trash lying around here are the symbols of my authority within my life at school. And now that you’ve shattered that, you’ve basically thrown mud in my face.” /END ID]

first of all, wonderful foreshadowing here. second, teru is acting cool and calm during this altercation. he sees what he’s up against. a group of big burly guys, but commoners nonetheless. he can take them down with ease and he does.

then enters mob, who teru hadn’t noticed, saying that he shouldn’t use his powers on other people. immediately, the suave and cool guy we’ve seen teru been up until this point is SHOCKED.

which returns us to my first point. teru goes into fight or flight mode. all the other espers he’s encountered in the past, he’s had to fight. he needs to prove he is better than them in order to establish him being the best.

so, he tries to get mob to fight him. and we know how that goes, mob refuses. he knows it’s wrong to use your psychic powers against other people because it can lead to others getting hurt. this only makes teru angry. why isn’t this other guy trying to fight back, isn’t he on the same page? if he was here for a reason, he would be fighting. but no, mobs reaction is to become friends…which teru rejects.

teru sees this as a mockery of his powers. why would anyone want to work on bettering other parts of themselves? his powers made him special. they gave him attention and the life that he wants. why would someone who also has that gift refuse to use them? someone who appears weak and got himself tied up by his lackeys…why is he refusing to fight? this is making teru angrier and angrier. he’s going to go after mob with his full power to prove he is the best!

and then this guy says:

[ID: screenshot of teru in his fighting stance with mob in the background. mob says: “If it wasn’t me, you could hurt someone.” /END ID]

and teru loses it

[ID: close-up shot of teru. he says: “quit underestimating my powers!” /END ID]

teru’s not looking to rationalize or listen to what mob has to say. he wants to fight so he’s going to do what he can’t to get mob to fight back, constantly pushing him more and more, until oops, he gets ochimusha’d. and of course his ego and appearance is all he has, so vanity pushes him from making fighting threats to killing intent

and then mob has a moment of clarity, we all know the scene. “I just realized why you hold such animosity toward me. you don’t like me because we’re the same.”

and mob hits the nail on the head. without psychic powers, teru has no confidence in himself. his ego is built on them alone. take them away and he has nothing. no more standing out. he’s scared of that realization, that without his powers he is just a lonely, average person.

all of this is right, but, what mob doesn’t know is that he’s adding salt (ha) to teru’s wounds he also is afraid of confronting. mob doesn’t know teru’s circumstances, he’s rightfully calling him out but, teru is a terribly lonely child. he even admits in a quote above that his authority (as a powerful esper) only extends to his life at school. what about outside of school? does teru’s ego and confidence remain where he doesn’t have authority and power?

when teru is choking mob out, flashes of the perfect life he made for himself appear before shattering (told you it was foreshadowing). we see him doing well on tests, getting praise from classmates and teachers, doing well in sports, getting cookies and being asked out from girls at his school…all school-related activities. there is one exception. one thing that was only shown in the manga: teru’s mom

[ID: manga panel of Teru’s mom. “I’m proud of my son, Teruki.” she says.]

when we know nothing about teru, this just seems like another line of praise teru has gotten to fuel his ego. but we do know things about teru that makes this…questionable. this is the only appearance we ever get from teru’s parents in the entire series. teru lives alone without his parents, parents that work overseas. he’s been living alone for a few years now and even before then his parents weren’t around often. he’s 14. those parents don’t visit him often and he’s left alone during school vacations. vacations where he doesn’t know how to relax. teru has also been attacked by a terrorist organization. he knows this organization brainwashes child espers into becoming part of a manufactured esper army. he knows this because he overheard it while fighting an adult esper who was trying to kidnap him.

i would be hard pressed to argue it’s not implied that teru’s behavior is a result of coping with neglect and trauma. just cover up all those issues with the idea you were put on this earth to be the main character. you aren’t weird or lonely, you’re special and powerful. your powers make you confident because they’re cool! the things you do with them make people like and pay attention to you. but don’t let them know you have super powers, it’s just your natural charm.

it’s weird how the majority of praise teru gets comes from school, but he has never invited classmates, or anyone for that matter, over to his apartment.

[ID: manga panel of a outside shot of teru’s apartment. teru says: “this is my apartment. you’re my first visitor, by the way. dimple-kun told me everything.”]

there’s some sort of metaphor here with teru’s apartment, but i can’t put my finger on it. it’s just curious how how teru breaks from being told he’s nothing and lonely without his powers. but his apartment is a place away from school where he’ll be alone with no need to show off. he would get no attention at home either. why was mob your first visitor to an apartment you’ve had since the start of middle school. you are the most popular student at your school as a 2nd year student. you said you don’t know what to do with yourself in the summer…why don’t you have any real friends?

why was mob the first one?

teru you’ve said so much with the things you haven’t said.

if teru is so afraid of admitting he’s lonely, why does he say this when mob passes out/teru thinking he killed him?

[ID: screenshot of mob passed out on the floor. teru says: “wait! don’t leave me behind!” offscreen. /END ID]

also why does he mention this beforehand?

[ID: screenshot of teru being punched in the face by mob. he says “people can’t change that easily” /END ID]

perhaps he is projecting. perhaps he is afraid to change…seeing how his hands are wrapped around another boy’s neck that tried to befriend him. someone that noticed he was lonely and that he had put up a front this whole time. that the praise he gets is superficial and he has no true friends. maybe he is afraid of being himself because being yourself means confronting that loneliness.

[ID: four panels of the manga. first one is teru walking away from mob’s passed out body. it says: “kageyama shigeo vs hanazawa teruki. the first encounter between two espers has ended in a tie. the second panel shows a storm cloud with rain falling. it says: “teru couldn’t surpass mob’s psychic power. mob couldn’t protect himself perfectly either.” third panel shows teru looking down pensively. it says: “both refused to back down from their principles, the result is…there is no winner…only a feeling of emptiness remained in their chests…” the forth panel has no narration. teru faces the viewer, away from mob’s body. he looks past the viewer, he’s eyes narrowed. /END ID]

what do you think he’s thinking here?

#I want to study teru like a microorganism #his character is so important to me based on implications alone #it’s so interesting to see how he acts before his behavior 180 #since we know bits of his backstory that could imply some behaviors he has #and the fact he struggles with these behaviors #while he thinks he does a complete change he admits working towards being a better person has been hard #but has he visited why he acted that why in the first place?#anyway read backdraft #mp100 #hanazawa teruki #teruki hanazawa #mp100 meta #☀️.txt

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