#yeah even you griffith

[13eyond13]

love it when a character that's hard to read intuitively for you has like a dedicated fandom interpreter who can just glance at their blank face in a panel and then give you a 3k word essay on their innermost thoughts & desires & fears and neatly tie it back into the themes & whatnot as if it's the most obvious thing in the world

#im talking about griffith btw #guts i feel i get intuitively - maybe because i have some personality traits in common with him #and we get more about his life concretely told to us in canon. so he is a bit easier to pin down as a character and feel attached to for me #but whenever i was reading the manga i just kept wanting more insight about griffith's actions and feelings #like ok yeah its fun to have mysterious antagonists and suspense /tension etc but its also fun to feel like you deeply understand them too #and i felt like that was a bit missing from him for me in canon #so reading about him in analysis and fics is the most fun for me rn #he always felt kinda half unreal to me- which maybe was the point of him - but i wanted a bit more about his childhood or something? #and wished we had more stuff explicitly from his pov in the story to read or explanation about his transformation or wtv #and now he's so much more closed off to me even than he was in the golden age. i keep waiting for him to explain stuff and he does not #ANYWAYS all this rambling to say some people out there are very good at interpreting him and making his like. insecurities #more obvious to me bc i didnt really get that side of him from canon intuitively well #also im really enjoying reading the first few berserk fics ive read #there may not be a ton of them out there but there is def writing talent in the fandom #i'll share some recs once i'm done sifting through most of what's out there to read #also (not to tie everything back to death note but it IS my home fandom after all) #i feel griffith is obvs the more light-like character here and L maybe a bit guts-like? but unlike berserk in death note #light is the one you get to know best and L is the mysterious / unreal one you don't get a lot of concrete insight into #and in the DN fandom I can read the more mysterious character intuitively but had to warm up to the less mysterious one instead #and the mystery of L makes sense to me and doesnt bug me as much due to like - he HAS to hide a lot about himself or else he will die lol #so some similarities there but also some opposite feels as well #berserk spoilers #p

[cherry-pop-soda]

okay but does anyone listen to bronski beat and does anyone GET IT. they released an album, completely unashamedly gay, in the 80s, during the AIDS crisis, during a time of insanely rampant homophobia and over the top conservatism. they released an album with the age of consent for homosexual activity in every european country listed on the sleeve and the phone number for a legal advice hotline for queer people etched into the grooves of the vinyl. they released an album with the opening track dedicated to a hate crime victim, featuring vocals from an openly gay choir. they released an album with songs about homophobic violence, the dangers of following the bible too closely, about leaving behind everything you know and starting over, about homophobic family and homophobic bullying. they wrote about being gay and being proud of it and knowing that there is nothing wrong with who you are. in the face of all the hatred going on in the 80s they released an album that was in-your-face gay and fuck-you queer, and i love them for it.

(see original tags for a lot more commentary)

#bronski beat #for reference : the album is The Age Of Consent #the man the opening track “Why ?” was dedicated to was Drew Griffiths (who according to wikipedia was a #playwright who was victim to a homophobic murder in 1984) #and the choir was The Pink Singers (an openly gay men’s choir in London) #and like yeah. i know this very much centers gay men HOWEVER . considering everything like the time period and #how songs that would’ve been lesbian (see: Voices Carry by Til Tuesday) being basically straight-washed. and also how rampant homophobia wa #(so getting anything even a little gay released was hard bc it was likely to get smashed down by record stores and companies and #radio stations and music reviewers. and us ones particularly ) #in this case i don’t care whatsoever and besides they did something absolutely monumental for the whole community if you ask me #as a lesbian i am literally so grateful that this exists and i wasn’t even alive at the time. even now it makes me feel seen. #i cant even imagine what it would’ve been like for a queer kid in the 80s to hear that and maybe know they weren’t alone #so in conclusion: bronski beat i love you forever and jimmy somerville i love you forever

[beevean]

I have not heard it myself, but apparently in one of the recent Bumblecasts Ian Flynn did a Sonadow-inspired one for Pride Month, and in that one he allegedly said Sonadow would work in Sonic canon without either character needing to change in personality. But honestly... I truly cannot envision that? I cannot imagine the relationship they would have is in any way healthy, and though unhealthy romances can definitely be interesting (and is not something the franchise shies away from, such as with Erazor Djinn and Shahra), I don't think that is really something that fits the idea of a Pride Month-inspired podcast and also generally what Flynn could have been imagining. Sonic and Shadow definitely seem to respect each other in current games, but I simply cannot envision them having a loving and warm relationship that's built on mutual trust and happiness to be with each other without making either party heavily OOC.

I know of that Bumblekast, but I haven't watched it. Reading the questions caused me enough mental damage :^)

(also I sincerely doubt that Flynn gives a single shit about Sonadow, which makes the purpose of that episode kinda sus to me)

This is what Flynn said:

There would have to be an understood vulnerability to Shadow, he would have to open up to a degree that makes him more accessible at a personal level, and it doesn't take much. We've seen hints of it throughout his appearances, it would just need to become established. And that I think is all you really need to build that bridge, because Sonic is casual and accepting enough as he is, and he's going to allow Shadow to be who he is (which is kind of prickly and standoffish), as you would have the occasional moment where Shadow lets his guard down and is more empathetic or emotionally available; but otherwise they would both play it fairly cool and aloof, I think.

Basically, I suppose that Sonadow shippers agree with the very premise that Shadow would show vulnerability to Sonic. I don't really agree, at least, not to the degree where romantic love would blossom. Shadow feels the most "vulnerable" (although I'd just say open) to Rouge, IMO.

Ships can be of different kinds. Not all ships are inherently healthy, and rival ships tend to be built more on UST, obsession, "only I can defeat you", or "even with our divergences we are inseparable". This is why I don't feel Sonadow: the two simply... don't care about each other to this degree. But most Sonadow shippers seem to believe that the two would have a happy domestic life, and to that I can only say lol. Sorry :P

(and this is canon Sonadow. I've seen how Flynn writes Sonadow. If peak romance is Sonic guilttripping Shadow over being brainwashed by Gerald and Shadow saying that Sonic deserved to be infected with a terrifying virus, I'd rather be single :V)

#sonic the hedgehog #anti sonadow #i guess #when i think of a great rival ship my first thought goes to kazumaji #i love those two and i love how strongly they feel for each other #especially majima for kiryu #kiwami 1 is an experience lmao #but even in yakuza 1 original majima is a piece of work #i don't ship guts and griffith but many people do and yeah no wonder if you see how *special* guts is to griffith #those are just two examples on the top of my head

[fionnaskyborn]

one day when i am not busy dying on the inside and out i will write an honest-to-god essay about how people are, for the lack of a better descriptor but simultaneously for the lack of a more perfect one, too edgy about five.

#like yeah five is an edgy game and the darkest in the series and gloomier than all of its predecessors but. i lack the words for it now but #there are important little moments in five where light shines through the carpet haphazardly thrown over a pile of garbage that oft get #ignored in favor of pushing the agenda that everyone in five is filth down to the core and that's just not true #i just- deeeeeeep sigh. people are so shallow sometimes man #this is how we get those characters that do not resemble the original in the slightest that either take one trait of the given character an #then bloat and exagerrate it until the character is a caricature of themselves OR projections of what the people would like these character #to BE in order to... be able to wrap their heads around them and their motivations more easily‚ i guess?? #i don't know it feels to me like people just don't want to bother with the intricacies of complex characters and that's how the wood plank #versions of characters get created and then passed around ad infinitum #sweet grouchy baby boy who never did anything wrong ever. man who is either an innocent little big guy or satan himself. guy who is #objectively one of the most flawed individuals in the series being worshipped as a hero (griffith syndrome). guy who is either depicted as #an obnoxious playboy who only cares about getting laid and having as much skin exposed as possible at all times or the most vile man on #planet earth while being neither. the fucking. masochist cyborg thing. i'm gonna explode #oh and if you point out that there needs to be depth to any analysis of these characters if you are to do them justice you end up with a #gaggle of people saying oh yeah of course everyone in here is awful and they all have pig hearts #and i'm just wondering why this is the default conclusion most come to and not‚ you know‚ the thought that complexity does not inherently #imply rottenness but rather that even in the most horrible of situations you can find something good #i'm not the happiest or the most fortunate of individuals but i still refuse to believe in the idea of inherent evil that's being sold for #cheaper than a copy paper pack these days #but that has nothing to do with this my point is if you're trying to do media analysis you've got to look beyond... i don't have a word for #this... i guess you could call them fanmade stereotypes? no that's not it‚ my point is that people need to open their eyes to how complex #motivations and circumstances and human connection are and face that complexity head on instead of rubbing the story with sandpaper until #it's satisfiable to them #logs

[bthump]

Do you think that so many berserk fans glaze guts to such an extend that they overlook griffiths feelings ? is the hate griffith receives like a trend hopper thing (on the sense of "Oh everyone hates him now I hate him too) or may it even be that majority of the berserk fans are homophobic?

My guess is the fandom's rampant Griffith hate is due to a combination of factors, including homophobia and peer pressure lol. I wouldn't say it's solely homophobia, especially since the gay stuff in Berserk is subtext - but it can't be denied that it plays a role. I mean that just becomes obvious when you see how so many straight fans talk about Griffith.

But yeah a lot of it is also because so much of fandom hates Griffith and, a lot of people are influenced by general opinion when it comes to forming their own thoughts on a story. Like I'm sure plenty of people start out torn about Griffith or maybe somewhat sympathetic, then they see someone authoritatively describing Griffith as evil and manipulative from the start and everyone in a forum like Skull Knight or Reddit agreeing, and they figure it must be true without really considering the evidence themselves. Considering how often I've seen that happen in real time (eg someone suggesting Griffith cares about Guts because he risked his life for him, getting the 'he only wants to control Guts' explanation, and just agreeing rather than pushing back) I definitely think it's another big factor.

Then there's differing audience expectations between cultures. I don't want to comment on this too in depth because I'm not here for cultural studies and I'm not qualified for that, but I think a reader who's more influenced by, eg, Hollywood tropes, might be more inclined to see Griffith as evil all along because human Griffith hits a lot of Hollywood villain traits (gender nonconforming, introduced antagonistically, opposed to the established social order, ambitious, etc), so despite the narrative not framing him as evil at all, people still see him as evil because of the associated tropes.

And finally black and white moralistic thinking can be blamed for a lot of Griffith hate too. He becomes a villain, therefore for many it's morally easier to believe he was always secretly evil than to believe a "good" person can choose to become evil, or to believe that good and evil are relative and subjective, or useless descriptors entirely. Some people believe good and evil are like, innate personality traits lol, and those people are simply not gonna be able to comprehend Berserk's themes and Griffith as a character, because Berserk takes the opposite stance - that your actions effect and change you rather than reflect your innate "true self."

Anyway yeah, that's my take on the english side of fandom's response to Griffith. Thanks for the ask!

#ask #anonymous #b #theme: fandom

[munson-blurbs]

086: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader Series

Chapter 003: We're the Freaks

Summary: You muster up some courage and devise a plan to help Eddie remember the good parts of his life, while the effects of his alternate dimension adventure begin to sink in.

Warnings: dark themes, mostly canon-compliant (Eddie lives), violence, blood, restraint, amnesia, abduction, mention of shock therapy, drug use, the beginnings of mutual pining hehehe

WC: 4.4k

Divider credit to @saradika

October 31, 1984

Eddie sees you before you can even greet him, lips turning upwards in a shy smile. It’s as though he was hoping you’d be at the party, desperate for the opportunity to talk with you. He stops counting the dollar bills clenched in his left hand and casts his eyes down for a second before looking back at you. 

“Hey, uh, hi. What can I do ya for?” He bites the inside of his cheek in a silent berating. You can practically hear his brain chastising him for such an awkward opening: ‘What can I do ya for?’ Christ, am I Eddie Munson or Andy Griffith? 

You hold out the twenty dollars from Carol. “Can I buy some weed?” If Worst Conversational Skills was an Olympic sport, the two of you could easily win the gold medal. Maybe they’d even create a platinum one for your extraordinary contributions. 

Eddie either doesn’t notice the way you cringe at your own question, or he doesn’t care. He only nods, rifling through his tin box. “You want just the flower or pre-rolled?” When he’s met with no answer, he brings his focus to you again. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” No. Carol didn’t specify what she wanted; last time, he’d only had flower. Was she happy with that? Did she say anything about wishing it was already neatly rolled into a blunt for her to smoke? Your thumbnail tucks itself between your teeth, a nervous habit. You can practically picture her disdain at your potential mistake. And Heather won’t be able to hide her disappointment; not at your wrong decision, but the way you’re squandering your chance at popularity. 

“You sure?” Eddie props one elbow on the counter and gazes directly into your eyes, concern woven into his kind smile. “So you know, it’s not like cutting the wrong wire. Nothing explodes if you choose one over the other.”

Except whatever semblance of a social life you have left. “Totally fine. I’ll go with flower. Thanks.” You show him the crumpled bill again but he waves it off. 

“It’s on me.” He pulls out a baggie and gives it to you, the scent of marijuana pungent even through the plastic. “This is some good shit, too. Kinda makes me mad it’ll be wasted on Carol and Tommy.” He laughs when you freeze, caught in the act. “C’mon, you think I didn’t realize that you only bought from me when you started hanging out with them?” He crosses his arms over his chest and leans in slightly, pleased with his discovery. “Do you even smoke?”

You shake your head shamefully, not daring to make eye contact. 

“Do you want to?” This grabs your attention. “With me, not them,” he clarifies. 

“I shouldn’t…my parents would kill me if I come home high,” you start, but he cuts you off. 

“Listen, I’m not trying to pressure you or anything,” he says, latching the locks on the tin box. “Just figured we could hang out or something; y’know, maybe try and figure out how Carol manages to lodge such a huge stick up her ass.”

As if on cue, the person in question shouts your name from across the room, tone thick with impatience. Your middle finger itches to flip her off, but your cowardice wins—as usual. “I gotta get this to her,” you mumble, shoving the money back in your bag. “Thanks again.”

You begin to walk away, but his fingertips gently graze your wrist. An electric current flows between you, a spark that could burn bright if only you’d fan the flame. “Look, I’m not sure why someone as nice as you is hanging out with people like them, but if you ever need a friend—a real friend—just say the word.” The smile he offers this time is not one of amusement, but of empathy. I know what it’s like to mold myself into what people want me to be. “You like to read, right?”

His seemingly random question draws your brows skyward. “Yeah…?”

“Use that,” he juts his chin in the direction of your bag, where you’re storing Carol’s money, “to buy yourself a new book. A hardcover; none of that paperback bullshit.” He punctuates the statement with a wink. The gestures have your stomach in knots; all you want is to take his hand and talk with him for hours, leaving behind the pressures of status quo adherence, but you can’t. 

“Um, hello?” Carol’s screeching voice snaps you back into reality, and you shuffle over to her without formally saying good-bye to Eddie. 

You have eight months left until you graduate and can get as far away from Hawkins as you possibly can. But until that day arrives, you’re stuck playing the game. 

March 31, 1986

“Eighty-six.”

The voice is a whisper, an angel beckoning him towards heaven. 

“Eighty-six!” the voice hisses, urgently this time, much more Lucifer than Gabriel. 

Eddie jerks awake, wincing when the handcuff clangs against the gurney’s metal bar and digs into his wrist. He’s become accustomed to it while he’s awake, but it still catches him off-guard as he rejoins the land of the living. “Jesus H. Christ, what?” he grumbles, expecting the sinister stare of a white-coated man.

Instead, he sees you in the doorway: fear seeping from every pore, but not an ounce of malice in your eyes.

“Oh, hi,” he says sleepily, ease flooding his bones when he realizes he isn’t being subjected to more unpleasant memories or poking and prodding–yet. He uses his free hand to scratch at the stubble forming along his jawline. “055, right?”

You nod, lip firmly tucked between your teeth. His grogginess means that he’s moving at a pace far too slow for your liking, your heartbeat pulsing in your ears. “Yeah, mhm; that’s me.” You check over your shoulder to ensure no one’s coming, then duck into his room. “The doctors are busy with another patient,” you start, omitting that their busy-ness involves electroconvulsive therapy for “non-compliance,” “so we have a few minutes for me to pull a memory, if you want.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he says, softly but enthusiastically. A smile tugs at his lips. “Can you do another one with Dustin? But, like, a less, um, terrible one?” He can still taste his own blood in his mouth when he thinks about it.

“I’ll do my best,” you promise, standing in front of him. He looks naked without his signature wild mane; there’s no longer anything for him to hide behind. How many times had you seen him in class, carelessly running his hands through his hair, his rings getting snagged on a rogue curl? All of it–the jewelry included–is now gone. You can’t even reassure him that it’ll grow back, because the doctors will ensure that it’s kept closely shaved. 

He assumes the same position as he did the previous day, but with one major difference: he extends his hand, an unmistakable attempt to hold yours.

“Oh, um,” you stammer, simply staring at it. “We don’t…you don’t need to do that for this to work,” you supply.

Eddie withdraws, not only his hand, but his body caves in from the rejection. He gives a quick nod, shoulders gently hunched so he takes up less space. 

Immediately, your heart lurches. “I mean, we can if you…if it’ll help you feel better.” If you want to is too loaded a statement to make. “I just wanted you to know that it isn’t, like, required.”

“I know.” 

With those two words, you reach out and take his palm in yours, sweat-slicked despite the lab’s perpetual chill. The rough calluses on his fingertips scratch against your skin as his lifelines merge with your own.You remember comparing with Heather back in fourth grade, sitting on a bench during recess while the other kids played dodgeball or fought over the playground's sole tire swing. She swore that she could read some hidden meaning behind them. You’d always thought it was mumbo-jumbo, that there was no way she could obtain that information from etches in your hand or the direction of your fingerprint swirls. 

When she’d read her own palm, how long did she say she would live? Was it eighteen years, the age she was on that fateful night?

“You okay?” Eddie’s head is cocked slightly as though examining the gears turning within your skull. “I dunno if this hurts you or anything, but we don’t have to do this,” he says. “I’ll get my memories back another way.” 

You shake your head, well-aware that there aren't any other feasible options, especially for happy memories. The scientists only want to see who was with him in the Nether, and from what you’ve gleaned, no part of that experience was pleasant. 

“It’s fine,” you mutter, embarrassed that he has to comfort you. “It doesn’t hurt me. You’re the one who’ll end up with a headache,” you point out. 

“Fair enough.”

You swallow your nerves, heart beating in your ears. If the doctors find you in here unsupervised and without permission…your mind won’t allow you to consider the consequences. Perhaps you’ll be next in line for Ol’ Shocky. “I need you to think about your friend Dustin. Picture him and bring the image to the forefront of your mind. Try not to let your thoughts wander.”

Eddie nods, mouthing Dustin’s name over and over as you delve deep into his brain, using his sole memory—and your memory of that memory—as guidance. 

After what seems like eons, you latch onto one and tug it to the surface triumphantly. You can feel blood trickling down your nose and over your lips, but you do your best to focus on the task at hand. 

Hawkins High’s cafeteria is buzzing with excited conversation, the phrases “I missed you!” and “how was your summer?” and “did you hear about what happened at Starcourt?” seem to be constants. A banner hung up in the entryway reads ‘WELCOME BACK, TIGERS!’, complete with an illustration that some poor art club sap was probably volunteered to paint. 

Eddie keeps his gaze trained on the tile floor, avoiding anyone and anything. He just needs to get to his table, eat lunch, and repeat every day until—

The sound of a lunch tray clattering to the ground, followed by a cacophony of malicious chuckles, grabs his attention. He watches as a group of seniors gather around a table, laughing hysterically. 

“C’mon, seriously?” A kid—Dustin, you both determine from the earlier memory pull—whines at the ruined pizza slice below him. 

“What’s that?” One of them sneers. “I don’t speak Mushmouth.”

Dustin rolls his eyes and flips off the older kid. “You’re lucky Steve graduated already, or he’d kick your ass!” he shouts.

The second boy hides his face as though hoping he won’t be their next victim, but his vulnerability makes him a prime target. Down, down, down falls his lunch, followed by one belonging to a scrawny kid who looks like a poster boy for The Gap. 

Eddie squeezes his eyes shut, wanting to ignore the situation, but his conscience steers him towards the kids. “Show’s over,” he grumbles, using the strength acquired from lugging amps to break it up. He grabs one of the bullies by the collar—a jock, Andy something-or-other, according to his letterman jacket—and snarls, “get the fuck outta here before I tip off your coach to check your piss.” 

Andy just nods, attempting to play it cool, but Eddie can feel him trembling under his grip. He puffs up his chest and walks away, taking his posse with him. 

“Thanks,” Scrawny Kid mumbles, haphazardly brushing chocolate milk residue off his clothes. He refuses to make eye contact, thoroughly humiliated on his first day of high school. 

“Don’t mention it,” Eddie says casually. “Just, uh, it might help your case if you don’t dress like some prep school wannabe.” He grins, and to his delight, the boys smile with him. 

Scrawny Kid shakes his shaggy hair from his eyes. “I’m Mike, and this is Lucas,” he points to the kid who’d tried to make himself invisible, “and Dustin.” The kid branded ‘Mushmouth’ gives a small wave. 

Eddie clicks his tongue. “Weird Al, huh?” he laughs, unable to hide his amusement at Dustin’s choice of t-shirt. “Christ, you three are clueless.” He cocks an inquiring eyebrow. There’s one place he can take them under his wing and keep them safe from the moldy jockstraps known as the Hawkins High basketball team. 

“You little freaks ever play Dungeons and Dragons?”

The sound of approaching footsteps down the hall pulls you from his psyche, and you blink a few times to clear your vision. “Shit, I’m sorry.” You swipe at the blood under your nose, leaving a crimson stain in its wake. “I gotta go, but we can meet up again tomorrow.” You start towards the door, but his uncuffed hand reaches out and grabs your wrist, drawing you back.

“Wait…before you go.” Fear radiates from his deep brown irises. “I know you’ll have to pull more memories–bad ones–for them.” He swallows thickly, trying to stave off tears. “But if they ask you to do it while I’m sleeping, can you wake me up first?” he asks weakly. 

Realization crashes over you; his first returned memory was his near death, watching his friend witness the life draining from his limp body. 

“Yes.” The word is firm, confident, though you’re making a promise you’re unsure you can keep. 

Eddie manages a small smile, but it emanates gratitude, and you return it. You want to stay, to search for every happy moment in his life and allow him to bask in their joy, even if just for a moment. But both of you risk serious punishment if you’re caught, and so you make your escape as inconspicuous as possible.

Eddie lays back, staring at the fluorescent lights until his eyes start to water. Thoughts swirl through his mind, a roller coaster off of its track. In addition to Dustin, there’s Mike and Lucas. And Dustin had mentioned someone named Steve, which rang the faintest of bells. 

It’s a common name, he thinks. Could be anyone. Yet something deep inside nags at him, an instinct that he can’t shake. 

Dustin Lucas Mike Steve. 

Dustin Lucas Mike Steve. 

Dustin Lucas Mike Steve. 

He twists the bed sheet below him until the thin fabric tears with an audible riiiiiip. His life has been reduced to two meager moments: saving three nerds from a jockstrap with an inflated ego, and losing in a battle against some bat-like creatures. Nothing before that, and nothing between. 

The after is right now, imprisoned in this room with no evidence of a crime, let alone anything pinning him as a suspect. 

Dustin Lucas Mike Steve. 

Dustin Lucas Mike Steve. 

Dustin Lucas Mike Steve. 

He wills himself to remember any other details. What was it that he said at the memory’s conclusion? Something about Dungeons and Dragons?

“C’mon,” Eddie mutters, eyelids shut tight in concentration. Maybe it would be better to keep them open, like he does when you’re pulling a memory. Since there’s nowhere else to look, he stares down the broken clock, all three hands frozen in place. 

Dustin Lucas Mike Steve. 

Dustin Lucas Mike Steve. 

Dustin Lucas Mike—

The hour hand ticks forward. 

Eddie shoots up, yanking the cuff along with his body. No, he must be hallucinating. When was the last time he ate something? Or perhaps the ancient batteries had a little kick left in them. 

Something implores him to try it again. 

His eyes lock onto the clock, channeling all of his anger and confusion to move the hand another centimeter. 

There’s a gentle splintering noise, so quiet that he’d be unable to hear it if another person in the room was breathing. It gets louder until the glass frame covering the clock face shatters completely, shards clattering to the floor like rain. 

No battery glitch could explain that. And it couldn’t explain his nosebleed, identical to yours when you utilized your powers. 

He can’t even clean his face before dizziness overtakes him, and it all goes black. 

November 9, 1984

It’s been just over a week since Tina’s Halloween party. The talk of the high school is still Steve and Nancy’s bathroom argument—and subsequent breakup—though new developments about two teachers getting frisky in the staff lounge has taken some of the attention away from them. 

“Hey,” Carol says, leaning against the locker next to yours and obnoxiously popping her bubble gum, “that shit you got from The Freak was pretty good.” She raises her eyebrows in amusement and challenge. “If you can score some more, you and Heather should smoke with us.”

Translation: you’ll get more weed, and if you don’t, I’ll tell Heather that you ruined it for everyone. You can picture the look of disappointment on her face, slumped shoulders and dejected frown screaming, you let me down. 

“Yeah, I’ll see if he still has any,” you mumble, grabbing your history textbook and slamming the door. You spin the lock’s dial and give it a tug to ensure it’s closed, giving Carol the chance to leave. 

She doesn’t. 

“Y’know, maybe it’s because Heather’s been vouching for you,” she starts, blowing another watermelon-scented bubble, “but you’re not as much of a drag as I thought you were.” It’s her version of a compliment, and you hesitantly accept it with a nod. “Anyway, eight o’clock. My place.” She flounces off, probably to find and cling to Tommy, leaving you with a churning gut.

The closest you’ve ever been to smoking weed was getting a contact high at the party. Carol and Tommy hadn’t offered to share, and you didn’t certainly volunteer yourself. If you try and end up coughing like a tuberculosis patient, you’ll never live it down. If you decline to smoke with them, you’ll all but solidify your role as the loser, straight-laced outsider and catapult yourself from their inner circle. And if you don’t show up at all? Heather will never forgive you.

You keep your textbook clutched to your chest, making a beeline for class. Goody two-shoes can’t be late. No, she’ll get there early; maybe place a shiny red apple on the teacher’s desk, and sit patiently with her hands folded. Just like she always has; just like she always will.

You’re so intensely focused that you bump into someone, your head snapping up at the sudden collision. The textbook slips from your grip and hits the ground with a thud. 

“What’s the big rush?”

Eddie. 

You shake your head. “Nothing. Sorry, I should’ve watched where I was going—”

“No worries,” Eddie says with a small laugh, leaning over and picking up the book. He hands it to you and smiles. “See you around?”

Now’s your chance. “Actually, I was hoping we could meet up after school,” you force out the request, not realizing the implication until he cocks his brow. “To buy some more, um…” You look away, unable to finish the sentence in fear that the wrong person will overhear. 

Eddie grins, eyes alight with anticipation. “Yeah, of course,” he replies. “After school, during lunch, even right now, if you want. Got it all in here.” He gives his tin box a proud slap. 

“After school is fine,” you say hurriedly. There’s that one other favor you need; it hides behind your molars and sticks to your tongue. “Would…could you maybe…show me how?” Your cheeks are so hot that your face may as well be ablaze. “Carol asked me to join them, but I’ve never…and I don’t wanna look like a total moron…” Shut up, shut up, shut up. 

His face briefly shifts expressions, something resembling disappointment, though you can’t pinpoint it before his usual shy smile returns. “Sure. Meet me by the picnic benches right after last period.”

“Thanks.” You give your book a squeeze, fingernails digging into the old newspaper you’d repurposed as a book cover. Eddie gives a quick nod before disappearing into the hallway, packed with students. The whole encounter has your head spinning; you’re going to smoke pot in the woods with Eddie Munson. It’s almost distracting enough to make you late to class. 

Almost. You’re not risking detention for this. 

March 31, 1986

Eddie awakens to the pungent odor of vinegar and something sulphuric, rousing him back to consciousness. His eyes water even after Dr. Snell removes the bundle of smelling salts from under his nose.

“086,” the doctor says stoically, fishing a tiny key from his pocket. His unnerving stare never leaves Eddie as he unlocks the cuff and untangles the chain. “I see you’ve been busy.” He gestures towards the pile of broken glass on the floor, lips twitching with the faintest hint of amusement.

“It was an accident,” Eddie mumbles, flexing his wrist and feeling the blood begin to circulate again.

Dr. Snell chuckles, sending a shiver shooting down Eddie’s spine. “Was it?” He leans over; Eddie hates his confidence that he won’t be attacked. All he wants is to wring the man’s neck like a washcloth, but he recalls your advice to earn their trust. He’ll have to remain calm if he ever wants to learn more about Dustin, Mike, Lucas, or Steve; if he ever wants to learn more about himself. 

Eddie nods pathetically. Technically, he’d only been trying to make the hand move again, to see if it was just a fluke, but he’d ended up with a shattered clock instead. “I don’t understand how…”

“Dr. Moseley would like to conduct some tests.” Dr. Snell selects his words carefully. “See what other new skills you’ve acquired during your little adventure.”

“No…” Eddie starts, catching himself before he can protest further. He swallows, throat sore with aridness. “I mean, I don’t think I have any other, um, skills.”

The doctor sneers. “That’s for us to determine, isn’t it?” He tugs on Eddie’s arm, hoisting him from the cot and guiding him down a long, dimly-lit hallway. His torso aches with each step, but when he tries to stop and breathe, Dr. Snell continues pulling him along.

“G-Gimme a sec,” Eddie finally pleads aloud, and the doctor relents with an irritated huff. It’s not from sympathy–Eddie doubts there’s a selfless bone in the man’s ugly body–but likely because he wants to avoid a ripped stitch or another fainting spell. Whatever the reason, he’s grateful for the small break.

The room he’s brought to is white on white; there’s not a stitch of color. He’s seated at a table while doctors attach adhesive-backed electrodes to his temples and forehead, cold and slimy on his skin. 

Salt-and-Pepper—Dr. Moseley, he surmises—approaches him with a thin-lipped smile. “Good afternoon, 086.” But there’s nothing good about it, and Eddie can’t even be sure it’s truly the afternoon. “I heard you had a bit of an incident today, yes?”

The doctor already knows the answer, so Eddie doesn’t bother to lie. “Yes. I, um, made the clock hand move and then broke the glass. With my mind,” he adds, as though there was any confusion about the means in which it occurred. 

“Excellent.” Dr. Moseley shoos the others out of the room, so he and Eddie are alone. As soon as the door closes, he sits in a chair across from his patient, tapping a pen on a clipboard. 

“I’m going to ask you to complete a series of tasks,” he tells him, somehow already marking notes. “Some tasks will be to assess your existing abilities; others will be to strengthen them.” He motions towards a large monitor. “This will detect any changes in brain wave activity with remarkable accuracy.” 

In other words, don’t phone it in. You will be caught. 

Dr. Moseley grabs a rubber ball off of a shelf, rolling it in between his palms before placing it in front of Eddie. “We’ll start off slow; see where you are.” He clears his throat. “Move this ball–using only your mind–as far as you can manage.” 

Eddie nods, clearing every thought except for move. Move move move. He chants it silently, his lips parting but no sound coming out. Maybe if he does this, they’ll be less stringent about memory accession. Maybe you’ll get him to a point where he can begin to connect the dots and remember on his own. Maybe—

“Focus, 086.”

He makes a strangled noise in response. Move move move. Move for Dustin, for Lucas, for—

The ball rolls slightly—not even a full inch—but it’s noticeable enough to draw approval from the doctor. 

“Well done, 086. And on your first try.” God, Eddie would love to smack the smirk clean off of his face. “Let’s continue with our assessment, shall we?”

There’s a memorization task next; apparently, his short-term recall is above average, Dr. Moseley reports. After this, the doctor makes drawings on a notepad that Eddie must decipher without physically looking at them. It’s by far the most difficult of the activities. He harnesses all of his energy trying to determine what is being sketched, but he comes up blank each time. 

“I-I’m sorry,” he stutters, wiping the blood from his nose. “I can’t do it. I want to,” he adds, not wanting his inability to be misconstrued as disobedience, “but I can’t.”

To his utter shock, Dr. Moseley accepts this, likely because the monitor corroborates his admission. “Not yet. But with continued training, you will.” He detaches the electrodes from Eddie’s head snd motions for him to stand with one crooked finger, and Dr. Snell re-enters at the same time. 

“Wait,” Eddie chokes out as the second doctor leads him away, “I noticed something.” He takes a breath, garnering the doctors’ attention. “I was able to break the clock and move the ball when I thought about Dustin—” he stops abruptly, not wanting to give away the secret session you’d had earlier. “I think if 055 finds more memories with them—him—I’ll be able to channel that emotion into doing more tasks.”

The room falls dead silent until Dr. Moseley speaks. “I’ll consider it,” he finally says. 

Not a win but not a loss, Eddie thinks as he shuffles back down the hallway, feet sticking to the tile. But I’m not going down without a fight. No way. 

--

tag list (still open):

@munsonmuses @vintagehellfire @chrissymjstan @munsonology @lady-munson @roadkill-writes @randomreader1999 @babez-a-licious @madelynraemunson @the-unforgivenn @nailbatanddungeon @lokis-army-77 @laurenlokirby @american-idiot-jpg @str4ngergirlw0rld @gnrquinn @katethetank @inourtownofhawkins @rorylover71 @kirisuteg0men @tlclick73 @aysheashea

#eddie munson #eddie stranger things #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson angst #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson smut #stranger things fanfic #fanfic #086

[diegowife]

Guts ( GOLDEN AGE ARC )

Guts As Your Boyfriend SCENARIO

No Warnings

A Bit Yandere ¿

Part 2 ( NOT CONNECTED ): Post-Eclipse

• First of all, his other comrades could gape in disbelief seeing someone like you, kindhearted and gentle, deserve a fierce man like Guts.

• In spite of his intimidating presence, it was difficult for them to accept that he could indeed be your boyfriend as all he does is brandish his sword and ruthlessly slaughter any human that crosses his path on the battlefield.

• PDA is something that Guts despises. Its presence, particularly in public, is something that he would certainly find quite awkward. Unsolicited neck kisses from you are also something that he strongly disapproves of.

• In private, his affectionate nature truly reveals itself. Displaying his profound fondness towards you in the presence of his comrades is not his preference. Nevertheless, it is essential for everyone to be aware that you are exclusively his alone.

• In the forests, the only setting where he feels comfortable showing affection towards you publicly (restricted to just the two of you), he doesn't hesitate to embrace your waist. Occasionally, he enjoys teasing you.

• He also adores clasping your waist and drawing them near.

• In the initial stages of the relationship, the only terms of endearment he utilizes for you exclusively consist of ‘Dumbass’ and ‘Jerk.’ This should come as no unexpected revelation.

• Upon reaching a state of comfort, he consistently addresses you with the customary term while incorporating either ‘Love’ or ‘Babe’ depending on his mood.

• Engaging in his physical touch involves allowing him to place his head on your lap while you delicately run your fingers through his hair. It is also experienced when both of you intimately intertwine your fingers.

• Seeking comfort from your touch is the sole method to alleviate his concerns, which consistently proves effective.

• Before embarking on the mission commanded by Griffith, he adored the gentle and tender quick kisses on your lips.

• “Take care, yeah? I will not be dead, I promise.”

• Other than that, he may display reckless behavior and may not even show concern for offering an apology.

• In every debate, he is swift to lay blame on you and incessantly strives to emerge victorious, even though he is often the one who started the argument.

• Despite his stubborn nature, he refrains from criticizing or belittling you when engaged in an argument. To illustrate this, he does not resort to using derogatory terms such as ‘dumb,’ ‘stupid,’ or ‘fool.’

• “Tch, y'know, I have reached my limit with the nonsense you constantly spew. Don't talk to me again and deal the problems with yourselves this time!”

• However, his words are not intended to be taken seriously; they are simply a dramatic expression because the next day, he would present you with a quantity of fruit collected from a tree and placed in a bucket as an earnest gesture of apology.

• The bestowal of gifts is not a preference for Guts; his offerings consist solely of flowers plucked from the garden or a handcrafted floral crown fashioned only during his leisure moments. Indeed, he does not possess an inclination towards bestowing presents.

• “Dumbass, at least I got a present for you. Why are you even complaining?....”

• In spite of everything, Guts inevitably starts feeling envious when witnessing your increasing intimacy with his allies, especially Griffith. Even though Griffith is Guts' closest companion and depends on him, Guts remains uncertain about allowing you to interact with him.

• Guts becomes aware that both genders exhibit great enthusiasm toward Griffith and regard him with reverence akin to that of a God. Guts has his reasons for discouraging you from spending too much time with Griffith; who can say if you'll end up becoming a devoted fan of Griffith in the future?

• One time, during your conversation with Griffith, Guts unexpectedly approached the two of you and forcefully pushed you aside.

• Noticing Guts becoming sullen and defensive is truly precious. Nevertheless, your genuine displeasure arises due to the fact that you exclusively perceive him as the only person with whom you can communicate.

• “Why the hell are you spending some time with that twink?!!? I'm literally right here!”

• Occasionally, Guts can exhibit rather confusing behavior sometimes. On one occasion, he may display intense passion towards you, while on the following day, he might become perplexed if you attempt to establish more comfortable with him, catching him off guard.

• “Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?” 

• “Why did you try to kiss me?!”

• Exist of having a partner or in a relationship seems to slip his mind, almost as if it disappears from his thoughts. It wouldn't be fair to hold him accountable for this oversight; perhaps it's a result of the immense fatigue he experiences while engaged on battlefields, hindering his ability to grasp his thoughts accurately.

• In addition, Guts held a deep concern for your well-being. Take, for example, how Judeau and Corkus extended an invitation for a shared wine drink. However, Guts swiftly confiscated the bottle, forcefully shattering it on the floor. 

• “Don't you ever dare to accept anything from what my comrades gave you.”

• He strongly advises against you engaging in any potentially dangerous activities without his knowledge. Ultimately, he fears the consequences that may arise, envisioning a situation where you end up succumbing to intoxication, mirroring the experience of his late father.

• “I don't want you to be as pitiful as my old man back in the days....”

• Guts observe his peculiar sense of pride when Y/n is unexpectedly praised for the noticeable growth of his muscles or when he emerges victorious from a duel. He dismissively chuckles, portraying himself as the utmost embodiment of strength, impressing his partner.

• Demonstrating his biceps and measuring himself against others is his preferred method of flaunting his strength, allowing him to observe your entertained response proudly.

• “Me? Strong? Nah, I ain't really that strong. But keep in mind, I'll be the last man standing on a battlefield!”

• When it comes to sharing food, Guts is highly possessive. He refuses to relinquish the final portion of food to anyone else.

• “Nope, get it yourselves....”

• In order to provoke him, the optimal method and most effective tactic is to approach his fellow companions, such as Pippin and Rickert, and engage in the act of food sharing.

• Upon witnessing Pippin and Rickert tenderly feeding you food as if you were a little girl, an intense surge of anger welled up inside him.

• With a firm approach, Guts would seize your wrist, voicing his frustration, “What on earth are you doing!?” It was as if he had conveniently forgotten his own unwillingness to share food with you.

• On the other hand, if he discovered you crying, he observed as you concealed your face within the depths of your knees. An expression of confusion caused his brows to elevate, prompting him to playfully poke your head multiple times.

• “The hell you cryin' for?”

• Regrettably, he failed to acknowledge that his actions simply exacerbated the situation. With a sense of agitation, he clumsily tousles his hair as he finds himself unfamiliar with the task of comforting others.

• Besides, he never had anyone comforting him, so he's obviously shit at it. 

• “Gahh... how do I deal with this...”

• When your head rises, instantly his gaze falls upon your face, where red and swollen eyes meet his sight. Observing you in such a state causes a momentary pause for him; a sense of tranquility overtakes him as he descends and bends down alongside you.

• Witnessing you in such a state inflicts upon him a sensation akin to a sharp blow to the chest. The brewing question in his mind is, what if the fault lies upon his shoulders?

• “Hey, now, I don't like seeing you this way. Tell me exactly what happens.”

• Instead of yelling at him to leave, he anticipates your outburst, yet you continue to sob incessantly.

• Having a lack of aptitude in offering advice, Guts excels in the art of listening. He remains attentive to every expression and release of emotions you convey. Not once did his attentive listening falter, ensuring that your words were never overlooked.

• He'll let you bury your face into his chest and enables you to cry your heart out.

• Therefore, with a heart full of warmth, he will greet you with his most radiant smile while gently patting your head.

• ”Crybaby. Smile; you're adorable when you smile more.”

• In the midst of slumber, Guts will unanticipatedly carry you in a bridal style, gently cradling you in his arms, to an undisclosed destination amidst the woodlands.

• The destination to which he will take you remains uncertain. This gentleman is inclined to lead you up the hills, near the river, or perhaps even closer to the summit of the mountain to instill feelings of fear within you.

• Occasionally, he would drop you off under the tree as you and he sat together, allowing both of you to marvel at the crescent moon illuminating the night sky.

• Throughout the night, a transformation would take place within him, causing him to adopt a gentle demeanor. This shift in behavior can be attributed to the absence of people and the serene night air that envelopes him.

• During cuddle sessions, Guts will softly press his lips against your jawline, all the while gently caressing your cheeks with his thumb. The warmth and comfort of his hugs are undeniable; whenever his tender touch graces your skin, you experience an overwhelming sensation of melting in his presence.

• Murmuring sweet words to you is his habit before dozing off to sleep.

• “Tch, you never fail to steal my heart..”

• “I feel so safe with you; it's embarrassing...”

Thank you so much reading !

#anime #manga #berserk #berserk anime #berserk manga #guts berserk #berserk guts #yandere guts #guts x reader #golden age arc #romantic #fluff #comfort #caring #jealousy #cuddles #ptsd mention #no smut #berserk headcannons #headcanon #guts imagine

[angelltheninth]

Saw you rebloged some Berserk content, this isn't a request but I just wanted to ask, who do you think would eat pussy better out of the main trio (Guts, Casca and Griffith)

Oh yeah I'm not into dark content much (not like it is in Berserk with lots of... well you know, not good things happening) but I have read the manga and I'm 100% a Guts and Casca enjoyer more then Griffith. If you want Griffith you can go over to my girl @dollwrites, there's some Griffith stuff there.

But to answer your question, I think all of them would be good but for different reasons.

Guts because he wants to know you're enjoying yourself and he loves how you moan when he has his tongue pressing against you, or how you try to pull him closer but can't because he simply won't let you just take your pleasure, he wants to make it last for you as long as possible. And he can get pussydrunk real easily too.

Casca because like Guts she wants to make you feel good but she's also a lot more on the "I want you to taste yourself on my lips" kind of person where she will go from your pussy, across your body to your mouth and kiss you when she's done to listen to your adorable noises and hums. Also she's very invested in aftercare but sometimes she can just as easily end up between your legs all over again.

Griffith because for him its about seeing how good you feel when he doesn't even have to use his cock on you. His tongue is more then enough to make you see stars and beg for more, which for him is proof of his control over you and your pleasure. Every time he pulls away you're pushing him back, one orgasm after the next and its still not enough because he's made you addicted to his mouth and tongue.

#berserk x reader #guts x reader #casca x reader #griffith x reader #berserk smut

[where-fading-princesses-live]

i honestly dont know how i feel about Ethan Slater dating Ariana Grande... i guess im a little sad tbh and i dont usually like to pass judgment on people’s relationships or anything like that but the fact that Ethan was a married man...

he literally said on his IG that his ex-wife Lilly Jay was ‘’My best friend. 4 years married, 10 years together. And this is easily the best (and most *bizarre*) year yet.’’ 

this was before he was casted on Wicked. 

ive been following Ethan since his SpongeBob Musical days and I will always be a fan of his work, but i was so happy for him and his girlfriend when they got married and they have a child together... Wicked is a turning point in his career but i also think it was for the worst.

honestly if he didn’t take the part on Wicked i think he and Lilly would’ve still been together...

Hollywood really does ruin the best of us. im not placing the blame on anyone but i dont see this relationship lasting long... most of Ari’s relationships were shortlived and i just dont see this being a long term thing which is sad considering Ethan ruined a perfectly good marriage/ friendship over a pop star who is clearly not a settling down type and a has a track record of dating people on and off and splitting up with people she made previous commitments to. 

yeah idk tbh...

Hollywood hasn’t changed one bit.

you look at stories like Ann-Margret and Elvis Presely having a fling on Viva Las Vegas! even though Presley was married to Priscilla...

EDIT: My bad he wasn’t married to Priscilla yet, but she was living at his Graceland mansion and he promised her marriage. She was absolutely furious when she found out about the affair and that’s why Elvis and Ann-Margret broke up. Elvis almost left Priscilla for Ann-Margret but Ann-Margret felt like Elvis had to fulfill his commitments. Priscilla was barely legal at the time I might add but that’s a topic for another day...

or stories like Andy Griffith having a fling with Aneta Corsaut on The Andy Griffith Show even though he was married and she had a boyfriend with one of the show’s writers...

or Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton having an affair on Cleopatra even though both were married...

most of these relationships ended up in divorce to their current spouses.

and the list goes on.

you think Hollywood would learn by now.

you think people would learn from history but no... the wheel just keeps turning.

im disappointed honestly.

i would be happy for Ethan and Ari if they weren’t promised people but that wasn’t the case and i feel so bad for Lilly...

this makes me less excited for this movie ngl

#personal shit #ethan slater #ariana grande #wicked #wicked film

[terrence-silver]

Oh, I so agree with you about the lack of Terry in promos being... unsatisfying. So many things they're playing with this season were set in motion by Terry. Terry mentioned Kim Sung Young first, who they now have cast. Terry wanted to go to the Sekai Taikai. Terry introduced Kim Da Eun. If they can get Kreese out of prison with a box of Jell-o, no way can they keep Terry in jail for more than three hours. If he can spin heading Dynatox into being a green philantropist, he can doctor this. If Kenny still has a major part to play, well who mentored him?

I could have understood it if they wanted to shift away from the Terry storyline and focus on what the show started as, reclaiming your life through karate. But then, it would have made much more sense to keep Kreese in prison, send Chozen and Da Eun home, and not focus so much on Tang Soo Do. But if they're setting that legacy up as the überthreat, it makes no sense for Terry not to be involved. The Sekai Taikai was his baby, moreso than Cobra Kai, even. Maybe the CK brand has been compromised, but so what? Hearsay. Simply rebrand.

Terry completely revitalised a show that had milked everything out of Johnny-Kreese there was to milk, keeps shying away from consequences with Robby and Miguel and would never give Sam and Tory the gay awakening that drives them. To dump him and keep Chozen and Da Eun around makes no damn sense!

Exactly. Precisely.

Terry Silver is the lifeblood that keeps this show running.

Because what else is there to do with this plot?

A lot of storylines got tragically milked to completion seasons ago.

And I don't think for the life of me Da Eun, who quite literally got flown into the plot during the penultimate mid-season is a strong enough character to be the end all-be all final boss villain. She doesn't have the charisma to pull what Thomas Ian Griffith pulled in TKK3. She was just introduced pretty much last minute and our attachment to her is at best nonexistent to miniscule with her only connection to anything going on in the plot at all is through Kreese, Silver and their mutual history with the sport. In the plot itself, girl even seemed like she was begrudgingly in the States in the first place and had to be talked into staying by Terry. To carry the whole endgame conclusion of this show and well over forty years of lore between the characters as the ultimate bad guy? Yeah, nope. Don't see it. There's just no development there. No meat.

As you said. It makes no damn sense.

And I will be in the minority here, which is entirely alright for me, but I really have an abject allergy for fan concoctions like brining back Julie Pierce in Season 6 or having Chozen and Da Eun have a showdown to fill in plot gaps. Shoehorning in Julie Pierce for a random, out of nowhere cameo when the one attachment she had to the plot was vaguely through a character dead for well over forty years just so she could tutor female character x and y for a short period of time is unnecessary at this late stage and I don't think Chozen and Da Eun warrant enough stakes to suddenly become mortal foes that take up space like that in the last season, but hey, that's just me; like, where are these rivalries even coming from? They met like yesterday. Do you two even know each other's full names!? Like!?

Terry Silver, John Kreese and the Sekai Tekai are sole the points of interest left.

After all, show's called Cobra Kai and they are Cobra Kai.

#funnily enough your post gives me hope #that there's no way tig could be left out #and i thank you for that #cobra kai #cobra kai season 6 #terry silver

[altocat]

Sephiroth: …excuse me you did what?

Griffith: You can’t judge me Mr. “I Want To Destroy The Planet”

Sephiroth: I am doing this for my mom and at least I kill and hate all humans equally. You’re just mean and weird about it.

Griffith: You killed the nicest character in FF7 while she was just VIBIN’ and burnt down some innocent kid’s village even though he thought you were awesome.

Sephiroth: Yeah and I said “Nothing personal, kid” for all of those things but you literally could not get more personal with what you did.

Griffith: Fine. Maybe it was personal, but also…my squad originally said they would sacrifice everything for me anyway? So like? I just gave them a little push. A little nudge in the right direction. A little…special treatment….

Sephiroth: ….

Sephiroth: I’m not gonna lie, man. I don’t even think a mother could love you.

Griffith would have sacrificed his own mother tbh.

#asks #ff7 #ffvii #final fantasy 7 #sephcanons #sephiroth #loling #Berserk #Griffith

[beevean]

It just occurred to me:

People sometimes justify Carmilla’s character claiming that she’s just a victim of trauma by her abuser and the fact that it’s not shown to us nor are we shown Carmilla being vulnerable about it outside of her anger outbursts is supposed to be a good, tactful thing I suppose.

Well…

Remember how we used to joke about Carmilla wanting to be Female Griffith?

Because Griffith essentially has a pretty similar dynamic of suppressing his trauma and only generally mentioning it but does so infinitely better

Reply: wow it’s almost like Griffith is a well written character whose mentality is actually shown! :^)

As tasteless as this may sound... Griffith has probably the most “interesting” sexual trauma of all the characters. Rape in Berserk is usually a man forcing himself on another person, the classic stuff. Guts’ case is slightly different because what broke him wasn’t just being overpowered by a beast of a man: it was the knowledge that his own father sold him out for three silver coins. Betrayed, and lowkey told that he wasn’t even worth a thing. No wonder it shattered his childhood trust.

But Griffith? He gave himself to Lord Gennon. He prostituted himself for money, for what he believed to be a good cause: to use said money to offer better protection to those following him. He was left heartbroken by the death of a boy who just entered the band, and chose to sacrifice his own body and dignity to prevent further senseless losses. He probably deluded himself that he had agency and control all along, as he became a plaything for a perverted noble.

And he tried to rationalize it so hard! That it was nothing more than a transaction, that they both got what they wanted, nothing to worry about.

Yeah, right.

Griffith has always been more emotional than he would have liked :)

And this has impacted him. After this episode, he tried so, so hard to emotionally distance himself from his soldiers. He reasoned that they knew the risks of following him, so if they died, well it’s their fault. Griffith would just keep on following his dream.

... and then Guts eavesdrops on Griffith exposing this mentality to Charlotte. And we know how that ended.

(also, as a plus, he killed Lord Gennon, and not before he got to shatter his twisted love by telling him “no you never mattered to me”. Liar.)

Anyway, this episode matters to Griffith. It shows us more of his depths, show that he was not the perfect paragon his followers saw him as. It also puts Casca in a special position, as she witnessed this breakdown, furthering her character as well.

Carmilla’s “men bad” backstory is told through us by one flashback where she #girlbosses over her abuser and one line of dialogue where The Two Lesbians mention that she has nightmares. Other than that, she’s too shallow for her supposed depths to make me care about her, and she comes off as nothing more than a radfem parody.

#anti netflixvania #berserk #sorry for the fans checking the tag i suppose #i just. i love berserk and griffith is a fascinating villain #carmilla wishes #which is a shame because she could have been like him #but she was written by a sex pest thinking that a radfem antagonist would be hilarious yet appetizing for the twitblr crowd :^)

[deripmaver]

Casca Spits On Your Grave

I was gonna write up a whole long post about what I want Casca's ending to be, what I think is likely based on canon up to now and some of the themes Miura has developed, and look at some endings I've seen people discuss and give my thoughts on them - and then I got lazy LOL.

Plus I realized what I really wanted to discuss is just, as the title suggests, whether I want Casca to have her whole badass revenge arc where she takes out all of the demons and apostles who assaulted her and killed her friends one by one in a show of bloody vengeance, ending with her as Judith beheading Griffith's Holofernes, etc etc etc.

The short answer is yeah duh LOL. Casca goes from a brilliant and capable mercenary commander to a traumatized shell of a person who is terrified of all men, even the ones that she'd known and trusted prior to the Eclipse. In her dreamscape, the horror of what she faced is finally explicitly shown from her point of view - the penis monsters and the feelings of revulsion they produce in her little sprite indicating the terror of repeated assaults and attempted assaults. It's blunt to the point of being over the top but I mean... It gets the point across.

Then, of course, the climactic moment in the corridor of dreams where you see the eclipse rape literally through her eyes. It's incredibly rare to see rape scenes presented that way, in that first person POV, and going from that directly to the image of Casca shattering into pieces makes me tear up even to this day.

Side note lol I probably didn't need to describe the corridor of dreams chapters but I genuinely can't help myself, I love them so much.

In those chapters and the later ones where Casca has her PTSD flashbacks, she remembers all of the beloved memories of the people she loved and is made catatonic again when she remembers she lost them. The corridor of dreams makes it clear that it was Griffith's rape specifically that shattered her. Losing all of the Hawks, being betrayed by Griffith - of course she should get revenge on the monsters that did that to her. One by one she should destroy them, letting them taste just a fraction of what they put her through. Not to mention she was in her regressed state for so long I know I'm not the only one itching for her to fight again.

Here's the "but" though. Or maybe it's more of an "and" idk if any of y'all have done improv LMFAO. Yes and.

I think part of the appeal of rape revenge is that it gives the catharsis of seeing rapists punished violently in a world where they rarely face justice at all. However, what a lot of these movies miss, because this truth is far more uncomfortable and unpalatable, is that the scars of trauma remain even after vengeance is fulfilled. This is especially true if the perpetrator is someone the victim knew, as is the case for Casca. There's the focus on justice and catharsis and violent revenge because in a lot of ways it's easier to stomach that than it is to stomach the how utterly shattering it is to be betrayed so thoroughly.

It's uncomfortable to see Casca the commander reduced to Elaine. It's uncomfortable to see her helpless and terrified and reduced to trembling and sobbing in front of a reborn Griffith as the reader is reminded, just for a moment, of who did this to her. It's uncomfortable that even after her mind is restored that she can't even think of Griffith without going completely catatonic, that she grips Farnese's hand in terror as she sleeps because the trauma is still literal thorns around her heart, continuing to hurt her.

You know what? I think this is objectively good writing. There's no revenge. There's no becoming stronger. There's just grief and betrayal and Casca's broken heart. .........the fact that it took literally 20 years to restore her mind and that Miura included like half a dozen attempted rape scenes of her in her infantilized state is uh, not objectively good writing.

There's a fine line when it comes to writing rape trauma, though, and if Casca stays completely broken and unable to heal that starts leaning into the opposite end of harmful tropes. That's why I do think she should find the strength to fight back and get revenge for herself and her fallen comrades and kill Griffith. However, I can't help but think there's a desire for her to stop appearing so outwardly traumatized and start taking revenge because trauma is uncomfortable to read. Every moment she's on page she reminds you of how deeply Griffith betrayed her. At some point it becomes nearly unbearable.

Miura's grasp of writing trauma is kind of a mixed bag, but one thing he is clearly aware of is how its effects are lingering, and how it informs how someone interacts with the world. This is true in how he writes Guts in the Wounds chapter, and also how he writes Guts after the Eclipse regressing into violence and vengeance because of his trauma. Guts only begins his journey to process the trauma of the Eclipse when he reconnects with Rickert, and then later Casca, and then later accepts companions again. This leads me to believe that this lingering trauma response from Casca isn't an example of him not knowing how to write trauma, or women, but is a deliberate choice and not one I feel the need to critique.

Casca should become a fighter again, and she should start to genuinely heal and, as Miura said, face up to what Griffith and the demons did - but at the end of the day what happened to her is soul-crushing. She should also continue to show the lingering effects of it, and she should get to lean on the communities of women she's cultivated, and she should get to have moments where she's terrified and overwhelmed with trauma - no matter how uncomfortable it is to read. When it comes to depictions of rape and rape trauma, I genuinely think that will be on the whole more holistic than having her just getting revenge.

It'll be really satisfying seeing her kill some apostles though I'm ngl. Hopefully we'll get there eventually LOL

#berserk #berserk meta #casca #casca berserk

[bthump]

Do you think Griffith had agency when deciding to do the eclipse? He was backed into a pretty bad corner

Yes and no, but I don't really think of agency as 'having a free choice between multiple things without any pressure pushing you towards one specific option,' when it comes to discussing fictional characters. I think of agency as part of how a narrative is framed. Does the character make active decisions, or are they passively pushed along by the story and only react to other characters' decisions?

One thing I really like about Griffith's narrative is it feels like he has agency. He's being manipulated, he's been through hell, there's clearly only one option genuinely available to him based on everything we know about his circumstances and his character and his goals and his priorities and his fears and his desires and emotions - but that's why it's a great, well-written moment of choice. Because the factors that go into that choice hinge largely on Griffith's personality and internal life.

He's not driven to choose the sacrifice because Void put a gun to his head and said 'become a demon or die.' It's not even really about a choice between 'become a demon or live the rest of your life in powerless misery.' That's part of it from Griffith's perspective, but it's not an objective fact that he's doomed to misery, and it's not his driving motivation, it's more like the final straw.

He's driven to choose the sacrifice because he's spent a lifetime convincing himself that he needs to justify his existence by achieving a dream, and because his love for Guts ruined his life and he wants to cut that love out of himself, and because he's terrified of living a life of being taken care of, and because he's in the middle of a suicidal breakdown and he sees it as an escape.

It would be boring if the reasons he chose the sacrifice didn't come from strong characterization, but rather from plot circumstances. As a fictional character, he has narrative agency here, and I love it. In theory he could've said no, but we know he never would, because we understand Griffith as a person, and we can see how this set of circumstances play on his character and personality to guarantee he'll choose the sacrifice.

That said, on a watsonian, in-universe level, he doesn't have agency lol because fate exists. Almost no one in Berserk has agency, and so far even the characters who could theoretically go against fate haven't yet, as far as I can tell.

And I guess I'll also say that, again on a watsonian level, using a more irl definition of agency, an outside observer could easily argue he has no agency because of the extreme circumstances of the sacrifice. Like, when gods descend from the heavens after you attempt suicide and tell you you can escape your pain and achieve your life's goal after all and all you have to do is sacrifice a bunch of people who already agreed to potentially die for that goal, plus the guy who you blame for ruining your life, well, it's a pretty coercive circumstance.

But yeah on a narrative level I think the scene works as a satisfying climax to the Golden Age arc because the reason Griffith makes the sacrifice isn't 'he felt like his hands were tied' but rather 'his characterization organically led to this choice.'

Thanks for the ask!

#ask #anonymous #a #b #scene: eclipse #character: griffith #theme: fate

[mikuyuuss]

A Friendly Reminder that Giyuu is Very Attractive in Canon! - an updated post

So I was the one who made the Attractive Giyuu post before, but looking back, it was a mess, and some of the wording was inaccurate, so I reposted it with proper credits to the original poster and better wording. Many thanks to @demonslayedher for helping me look and translate the text on the source material. (which helped me understand these information in a much better light) Anyways, on to the post!

1. It's canon that Giyuu has Strong Eyeliner Game. In the first fanbook, it was said that Gotouge apparently draws him with "thick lashes". The way his eyes are drawn, "the upward curve at the bottom outer edge" is done to make him look more “ikemen” and ikemen means “hot guy”

2. HE IS POPULAR! In the first fanbook and Kimegakuen special, Giyuu got 31 chocolates, the second highest out of the three other popular teachers such as Rengoku and Uzui. Even if Giyuu may not be well liked by some of his peers, it's safe to say he might have many admirers among the students!

3. The fact that he is voiced by Takahiro Sakurai is no coincidence! He is a seiyuu that is very popular for voicing handsome characters (or those marketing to be more attractive, I'm looking at you Reigen) 

Sakurai-san is certainly not limited to handsome characters, he has incredible voice range after all, but the voice he uses for Giyuu tends to be the one he does for "Ikemen" Characters. Some of the "handsome/cool" roles he played includes: Cloud strife, Makishima Shougo,Yamato Kurosawa and Albert Hawke, Griffith from Berserk, Su from Honkai, Merlin from FGO, just to name a few. (He also did a lot of BL roles but we will not get into that)

4. Light Novels, Uzui (indirectly) calls Giyuu handsome. 

In this chapter, Uzui encounters a wild smiling!Giyuu, what he doesn’t know was that this is actually not the true Giyuu but rather, a ghost impersonating him. nonetheless Uzui's POV off handedly mentioned how this cheerful Giyuu looked handsome.

Check out Moko-chan's translations on Wordpress, for full context go check out the third Light Novel: Chapter 5 Kimetsu Academy Tales ～ Night Stroll

5. In the KNY Exhibit “The Legend of Zenitsu”, Zenitsu drew three people that he hated for being close to Nezuko, Brother-in-Law (Tanjiro), Pork Tonkatsu (Inosuke) and the Ugly Side Character TO-MI-O-KA (Giyuu). 

You can check out mimizili's twitter for the pictures, there is a description, and It’s hard to really make it out, but thanks to @demonslayedher what she was able to understand is that The uglier Zenitsu’s drawings were, the more of a “slender pretty type boy” they are in real life, and it’s safe to say Zenitsu’s drawing of Giyuu was the ugliest of the bunch.....

(as for the "slender pretty boy" its worth noting some of the specific words that are used such as "シュッとした/shuttoshita" which is a slang for someone with slender build and "美男" which means “beautiful man" all which heavily alludes to Giyuu in one way or another)

So yeah! Giyuu is canon beautiful, that's it, that's the post.

#kny #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #tomioka giyuu #giyuu tomioka #hashira #uzui tengen #tengen uzui #zenitsu agatsuma #meta #analysis #my post #takahiro sakurai #I got the idea for this post when I saw someone talk about aots eren being canon handsome #and im like yeah time to use my phd in giyology

[alovelyburn]

Random Berserk thought moment:

I was thinking about the answer to that Ask I did earlier, and the symbolism of the child with the broken soldier doll as regards Griffith's innocence, and then I thought...

If that child is symbolically Griffith's innocence, his purity of spirit, etc, then that moment in the Eclipse mindscape sequence where he tells the child he can't bring [the child] with him because the child is already dead has... even more bite. It tells us what he's given up to get as far as he did, and also foreshadows what he's about to give up in order to keep going, and....

The thing is I think a lot about the way the Eclipse/Sacrifices in general are framed. Because the direct rule is that you sacrifice the person or people you most love - people like to debate this because they have a hard time with it I guess, but this seems implicit because when the Count states he could kill anyone except his daughter, they’re straight up like yeah that’s why it has to be her.

It must be "someone important to you, part of your soul... someone so close to you that it’s almost like giving up a part of you.”

This is backed up by say...

 the way Slug Count's wife is referred to as half of himself.

So the rule is, Someone or someones so important to you that they are part of your soul, and losing them is almost like losing part of yourself.

But if you juxtapose that with the mythos of the crimson behelit:

"Whoever possesses this is destined to obtain the world in exchange for (their) own flesh and blood.”

So that contextualizes what is going on there right like you're cutting parts of yourself out, that’s the sacrifice on a metaphorical level - you carve your heart out and so it is replaced by yada yada.

But really, the rules of the sacrifice are almost certainly designed specifically to support Griffith’s character and provide the context for Guts and Griffith’s connection to the reader.

So bearing that in mind, when you contextualize it in Griffith's character specifically, we can see that this is just the most extreme form of what he’s always done: he cuts pieces of himself out and trades them for the tools he needs to keep going. And as a result of that he loses more and more of himself until we arrive at the Eclipse, where he just has nothing left to give. That’s why it happens at that time (or, well, more specifically, that’s why this point is reached at the time when the Eclipse was predestined to occur).

Because he's out of options (including just retiring in relative contentment since the one thing he needs to do that is leaving him again) and he's out of things to trade away from his own body or his own spirit and so he trades out his heart - his metaphorical heart, the people who mean so much to him that losing them is like losing a part of himself, and most significantly the man to whom he is explicitly the other half.

It's like the third night in Rumpelstiltskin - this miller’s daughter ends up in an impossible situation where she has to keep giving away the things she values in order to survive. Then she arrives at the third night, when she’s already given away her ring and her necklace - now all she has left is her child. It’s that kind of moment because like the girl in the story, all he can do is give up that last thing, the one thing he has left, the people who are part of his soul - “his own flesh and blood” - because if he doesn't then everything was for nothing and all the sacrifices he’s already made are meaningless.

...even if his current self is completely empty and evil, which I don’t think he is but lets suppose for a moment... even if he is, the fact that he exists because of all this - because this strong, brilliant, determined and well-intentioned person just gave away more and more pieces of himself until he had nothing left, and then he broke -- makes him tragic anyway.

And the thing is, even though he obtains all this power, he ultimately loses what made him such a magnetic and beloved person in his human life to begin with. He loses that spark that made him the White Hawk. Because yeah, Griffith as he is now has supernatural charisma but its....supernatural.

As a living human, Grifith had the same impact just because of who he was.

#ariel talks about berserk #back to the salt mines