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#That's not a moral quality! That's not something anyone chooses!
akutasoda · 4 months
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Hello! Can I request BSD men (especially Fyodor and Jouno, since they're both pretty sadistic) with a honey sweet s/o? Someone who is very caring, compassionate and gentle?
go back and show my love
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synopsis - how are they with a rather honey sweet lover?
includes - fyodor, oda, jouno
warnings - gn!reader, fluff, mentions of sadistic tendancies, wc - 493
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fyodor dostoevsky ★↷
↪it was no surprise to anyone to find out fyodor wasn't exactly the caring type. at the best he was tolerable of others but he truly wouldn't go out of his way to do much for anyone, probably only if they were really close but was anyone?
↪so how did someone as compassionate and gentle as you end up with a rather souless man? some say love makes you do crazy things while others say opposites attract.
↪but whatever it was, it seemed to be a good thing. fyodor didn't really like how openly kind you were at first, but now he found it rather comforting.
↪ it was a change of pace for him. he now had someone who showed him genuine care and he couldn't help but occasionally indulge himself in your natural gentle persona. and the way he saw it, you balanced out the relationship perfectly.
↪and eventually you would see a less and less sadistic version of your lover. but sometimes he couldn't help but feel that he could so easily destroy your kindness.
sakunosuke oda ★↷
↪he was a very special case. a mafioso that doesn't kill, one that has morals and has a genuine kindness behind his daily personality at his work.
↪this could be evident after he's done for the day. for example, hanging around his friends and visiting the orphans. so meeting someone as genuinely kind and compassionate as you was something he cherished.
↪he loved how caring you were. it was those sort of qualities he loved in someone. especially when you would show him that same kindness and reassure him in his darkest days.
↪your compassionate nature gave him comfort. it brought him much happiness to return to you after a long day and be able to be himself and experience your gentleness.
saigiku jouno ★↷
↪some may expect that those working in a military unit that is specifically designed to protect prople would be caring people. but the hunting dogs weren't all that caring, especially jouno.
↪being the interrogation expert had lead him to be less moral than he probably should be and prided himself on being able to extract information in any means necessary. a rather sadistic man hid behind his public front.
↪and while it may not surprise most, it surprised him that such a compassionate and gentle person such as yourself would choose to be with him. he had a rather dubious side to himself but somehow you seemed to put it to the back of his mind.
↪and eventually he grew to flourish in your gentle presence. one that seemed too good to be true and yet now he could willingly indulge himself in your genuine kindness.
↪and while that more sadistic side still festered in his mind, when he was wih you it seemed to temporarily melt. and he treated you with that same gentle kindness you showed him.
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ofbreathandflame · 3 days
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The Paradoxical Nature of Feyre
It’s interesting to consider just how much of Feyre’s character must overcompensate for Rhysand’s shortcomings as a character. I’ve always wondered at the impossibility of the morality involved in the characterization of feyre; in which, Feyre exists – as @feyres-divorce-lawyer has already elaborated on this this post – in this violent conundrum in which is operates as both the most qualified, but is oftentimes then characterized as the most inept to help.
To elaborate – Feyre’s character has to subsume an almost reverential when she is discussed in thorough conversations that question to her motivations, tactility, and efficiency. And because Feyre is never actually given qualities (or I should say – those qualities are never at the forefront when discussing why she is placed in these hierarchal / leadership positions) that prove she deserves to be a leader there’s no actual, tangible evidence to prove that Feyre is inherently qualified for any of these roles. When Helion asks Rhysand – “why did you make her High Lady” the story does not lean onto to any tangible reasons as to why we the reader should believe this other than ‘Rhys loved Feyre’
Here enters the actual problem with Feyre’s character: her being High Lady is a statement of Rhys goodness, not a statement on Feyre’s prowess. Because the story leans on such individualistic, arbitrary ideals, there’s nothing being said about Feyre as a character. So much of these conversations centers around Feyre being qualified but there’s nothing in the story that suggests otherwise. Feyre being reckless and brave prove that she is….reckless and brave – both those qualities don’t really make a good leader and they prove…nothing about Feyre’s skills. Realistically, of course Feyre knows close to nothing – of course she’s going to make very bad decisions and mistakes, of course her per view is limited. So much is put into proving that Feyre is the best that there’s often no conversation about how rigid that makes Feyre as a character.
Those are flaws that make Feyre a better character. One of my favorite moments when reading A Storm of Swords was the moment Davos realizes he needs to be able to read because ‘he’s a lord now.’ I love how he reflects on how hard the process is and how the children seem to read so easily and he has to sit down and sound out the words. Davos is such a good character because he represents the kind of struggles someone – lowborn, smuggler, illiterate, might have when integrating themselves into a new hierarchal world. But this also says something about him as a character – he chooses to begin the journey to learn how to read because he’s realized he needs tools in order to combat is inexperience. Even the fact that it’s not Feyre who realizes she needs to learn how to read but Rhys who forces her says so much about her character, negatively.  
So when we have these conversations about Feyre, no one ever actually proves what makes Feyre qualified to lead. Begrudgingly feeding your family because you feel obligated doesn’t prove that you can lead an entire town; it proves perhaps resilience, perhaps resourcefulness but even then id argue Feyre isn’t even that (see: she seems to not learned any other skills other than hunting, complains about her shoes instead of just mending her own or switching with Nesta or Elain; she can’t cook, etcs). Rhysand making Feyre High Lady because he loves her says nothing about her as a character. It doesn’t expound her talents and skills – and ultimately doesn’t make anyone believe the title is tangible. Even the story doesn’t believe that to be true.  Nothing about Feyre’s trials UTM prove that she is capable leader – if anything they prove the opposite (I do not mean this negatively – if anything, I’ve always felt that Nesta’s arc with the Valkyries fit Feyre much more than her own arc did. I could see Feyre being someone who operates under her own set of rules. I’ve always felt that Feyre seems to chafe under rules , so it doesn’t make sense that she would bound herself to such a leadership role as High Lady).
Back to the main point – the whole I’m making is that I believe that Feyre is talked about this way because so much of her character has to be muted to connect with Rhys. I think this conversation is always a consequence of Rhyland’s characterization and the novel's (and stans) rush to defend him. So many things have to be true about Feyre in order for her romance to Rhysand to be believable - and I argue that those changes are to the detriment of the traits Feyre's is initially characterized as having. And because Rhysand never has to undergo an actual character arc the pressure is placed on Feyre's character to align with the more negative traits Rhys possesses. Realistically, given how Feyre is characterized and given the whole “I hate the preening, gawking Spring Court” – I think its weird that she would immediately (1) do the exact thing in basically nothing with Rhys (2) allow herself to be turned into the most traumatic version of herself and (3) delight in random people’s pain. But because the story never asks Feyre to introspect she simply doesn’t talk about it.  And even if the story wants to go there – so much of Feyre’s healing hinges on affirming that she is good and so introducing these bad, carnal, selfish thoughts into the mix seem to undermine that.
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tomwambsmilk · 1 year
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Also in love with Jesse Armstrong for choosing this season to come out and say. By the way. In case you missed it somehow. Yeah this is a show about capitalism. The product launch is kind of a work of genuis in that respect. We're taking a dystopian hellscape straight out of Black Mirror where a corporation controls every aspect of your existence and we're rebranding it as something positive. Not to mention all the talk about being "crime-free", which, sure, maybe Kendall has not personally thought through the implications of how that's going to happen, and there are several options, but all are bad. Is it "crime-free" in the commonly used euphemistic sense of being a mostly white community? Is it crime free because any crime is punished with expulsion and possible homelessness? Is it crime free because they're psychologically screening people going in and eliminating anyone who has a "risky" psychology? All of the above? And that doesn't even get into the dystopia of the few priviledged people who get to live in this hellscape having first access to medical care which might improve quality and longevity of life, something which is openly included in the pitch, or the fact that you'll only have access to ATN/Waystar news and entertainment. The dystopia is staggering and the worst part is that it was almost real!!!! This is a real thing Walt Disney tried to do!!!!! This is not as fictional as one would hope!!!!!! Absolutely insanity (affectionate) to incorporate that. And no one seems to clock how fucked up it is, aside from Matsson's holocaust joke, which is rich coming from the head of the "NASDAQ master race". He has no real moral objection, it's just a play. No one realizes how crazy it is, or maybe they don't care how crazy it is - to them it's just the natural conclusion of what they've been doing. It's cruises on land. It's real estate. It's entertainment. It's hell on earth and they can't fucking see it
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anghraine · 6 months
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A few days ago, I briefly mentioned Wickham's take on Lady Catherine, and it's stuck in my mind. At least, this specific part of the description has:
She [Lady Catherine] has the reputation of being remarkably sensible and clever; but I [Wickham] rather believe she derives part of her abilities from her rank and fortune, part from her authoritative manner, and the rest from the pride of her nephew, who chooses that everyone connected with him should have an understanding of the first class.
I mean, in fairness to ... Wickham (ugh), it's evidently true that Lady Catherine is not actually clever and her power and force of personality do a lot of the work of giving her a reputation for it. But I do think the way he manages to link this to Darcy is interesting.
Wickham seems to assume that Darcy can just choose that everyone connected with him has a reputation for high intelligence, which I think is pretty debatable. On top of that, Wickham assumes that Darcy would choose to do that, because of pride. He's set up an odd framework in which Darcy cares deeply about everyone around him being perceived as clever (but only for nasty pride reasons, of course!), and in fact cares so deeply that he'd bring his influence to bear in maintaining Lady Catherine's reputation for it.
I don't think Lady Catherine's reputation for cleverness rests on Darcy just wanting his family to be seen as clever or requires that explanation at all. But I find it intriguing that Wickham thinks so, or at least says he does, given the Ch 4 description of Darcy:
In understanding, Darcy was the superior. Bingley was by no means deficient; but Darcy was clever.
So I suspect this may be part of Wickham's attempt to acknowledge Darcy's good reputation and qualities enough to cover his ass later, while tying everything good about him to his pride. Wickham doesn't quite admit that Darcy's (alleged) desire for those around him to be seen as clever derives from Darcy being clever himself and valuing the quality, but I think it's kind of implied, and at the very least, he could suggest that he'd said something to that effect.
It's a bit how he describes Darcy's careful guardianship of Georgiana (which Wickham certainly has reason to know about!). He mostly attributes it to Darcy's reputation for being a good brother, finds a way to make it somehow about pride, and barely wedges in a grudging admission that Darcy actually has some real affection for Georgiana. I suspect he only does the last because it's so incredibly obvious that it'd be suspicious if Wickham suggested otherwise.
I do wonder, though, if part of the reason that Wickham associates Lady Catherine's reputation for cleverness with Darcy's supposed desire for his family/connections to be seen as clever is Wickham's own fixation on Darcy. Wickham knows Darcy is seen as clever and likely that Darcy values intelligence. Darcy and Wickham were brought up together as companions in the same household. And tbh I don't think Wickham himself is, or has ever been, particularly clever in the way that Darcy and Elizabeth are.
Wickham suggests that Darcy was insecure and jealous from childhood (and some readers have really wanted to believe him!). But my headcanon is that, growing up with Darcy, Wickham was the more insecure one. He was the one who was supposed to go to school and Cambridge and become a clergyman; he was supposed to be quick-thinking and good at his books and morally restrained. Darcy was the heir; he could be anything he wanted to be. Yet I would guess that young Wickham was continually outstripped by Darcy in those terms, that he came to resent Darcy's freedom and what he did with it, and that it's very easy for his mind to link Lady Catherine's supposed cleverness to Darcy's.
In Wickham's head, the connection must somehow be causal. But he can't bring himself to quite admit to anyone that Darcy's cleverness is real any more than he can admit that Darcy's generosity or moral rectitude are real. It's got to be about pride, reputation, family, fortune. And I suspect Wickham can't admit the truth to himself, either.
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vitospaghetta · 27 days
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Leon's flirting in Infinite Darkness pt 2: A Deeper Dive
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After this post managed to gain a teeny bit of traction on here, I wanted to talk about this a bit more for clarification, and to further explore how this ties into the overall narrative and Leon's characterization throughout the franchise.
I'd like to make it clear right off the bat that I am not claiming that Leon is (and, for the record, I hate this word) a womanizer either. It was disappointing to see that that's what some people took away from my previous post. It's also worth noting that I don't think Leon's actions in the scene with Shen Mei come at the cost of his morality. Just as the erasure of negative qualities doesn't lessen the impact one character can have on others. Life isn't that simple.
The Gist
The interpretation that I have for the scene with Shen Mei is not one that claims that Leon is some selfish home-wrecker on the day to day. However, it is an exploration of the extent of his loneliness and how, even the most morally upstanding characters such as Leon, have traumas and emotional burdens that can make them behave in ways that are questionable at best. It was an analysis of how, in that moment, he inadvertently displayed a deeply vulnerable part of himself that does extend beyond that scene.
The man desperately yearns for affection and romantic connection with women while living a life that does not allow for him to do so in a way where longevity makes sense. Because of Leon's compassionate nature, he will not allow himself the indulgence of a long-term relationship in order to spare others the pain of being dragged into his life. Though short-term hook ups are something he is willing to pursue because then there's no risk of disappointing anyone. No missed anniversaries, birthdays, or holidays. No receiving a sudden call to fly out to god-knows-where immediately and being unable to say where he's going.
His innate human need for connection in the absence of normalcy lead to desperation. Desperation leads to impulsivity, and this impulsivity is what leads him to disregard a person's relationship status with a half-hopeful "soooo...?" In that moment, his desperation got the better of him.
The point of my previous post was to explore how a scene as brief as that one manages to peel back some of his layers to emphasize the extent of Leon's isolation imposed by his service to the government. How his inability to allow himself meaningful romantic connection ties into his most tragic flaws, consistent throughout the franchise.
Compassion Comes At A Cost
Leon has always been the type of character who will willingly throw himself under the bus in order to spare those he cares about from any unnecessary suffering. Choosing to work for the government to save Sherry's life, not turning Helena in to the authorities to clear his name in RE6 after the assassination of Adam Benford, his full willingness to sabotage his relationship with Claire at the end of Infinite Darkness in order to prevent the government from going after her. If there's one thing to know about Leon, it's that he will always put himself last.
He is not above sacrificing his own happiness for the sake of someone else's, but he would never expect anyone to do the same for him.
Self-Sabotage
Given how okay he was with Shen Mei's rejection, I don't doubt in the slightest that he was almost expecting her to say no. Just like Hunnigan in RE4. Just like how he loves Ada, a woman who will never love him the way he loves her.
The scene in Damnation comes to mind, where Ada asks him about "that night," where it's heavily implied that they hooked up at some point between RE4 and the events of the film. Unsurprisingly, the implication was reiterated/confirmed by the writer of the film himself. He also says that "[Leon] shows his real self when he gets in touch with a woman," which I think is a very apt statement.
She says that Leon's angry with her, presumably for cutting their romantic endeavor short, and yet he still can't be done with her. He chooses to latch on to a woman he can never get close to.
It took him until RE6 to finally let Ada go, and I'd like to think that ties very nicely into the character arc we see from Vendetta to Death Island, where both movies explore Leon's transition from choosing to suffer alone to learning to find comfort in camaraderie.
This all ties in with each other. Leon's isolation, even outside of romantic endeavors, has always been at least a little self-imposed. His service to the government lays the foundation, and Leon does the rest himself because of the circumstances of his life. There's a tragic cyclical nature to it.
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This is the face of a man who willingly sets himself up for failure. It calls back to his "story of my life" line in RE4. He isn't hurt by these rejections because he doesn't expect much to come out of his attempts at flirting. He's throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks. Maybe it'll work out and he'll get lucky, though odds are it won't. Even he he does luck out, there's not much chance of a formal relationship coming out of it. Low risk, high reward.
Even Stephanie Panisello who voices Shen Mei jokingly said "Why do ya have to keep choosing these women that don't really love ya?!" in a Death Island interview while talking about how she feels about Leon.
When he asks Shen Mei out, he's asking for the hell of it — at least then he's trying to fill the void — but he's simultaneously keeping women at arm's length in an attempt to spare them. Maybe, given his history with Ada, he's trying to spare himself some pain, too.
Not Exactly OOC Behavior
Speaking of Ada, it's also not entirely unlike Leon to pursue someone who's already in an established relationship.
Infinite Darkness takes place in the original RE timeline* — the remakes are not canonical to these events.
(*The remakes do not supersede the events of the original games. They simply created a separate timeline where the games' narratives are approached from a different perspective — a chance to make the narratives more cohesive and modernized. Quite literally a "do-over," but not a replacement. Both the remakes and the original games are canon simultaneously, however all CGI media exists within the continuity of the original timeline. This is because they're all part of a pre-existing narrative, contiguous of each other.)
In OG RE2, Leon hears that Ada has a boyfriend and still develops feelings for her, and goes as far as kissing her in one of the endings, even though he found out earlier that her boyfriend supposedly died. Was John real? Probably not, but Leon didn't know that.
Though I also understand that the circumstances of these scenes are different — Leon, having developed genuine feelings for Ada, kisses her as he knows she's going to die, and after she admits that she loves him, too. It's a goodbye kiss of sorts. This isn't the tone being portrayed in the scene with Shen Mei, but it's noteworthy regardless. Just because someone has a boyfriend doesn't mean Leon's not gonna get the hots for them.
Moving Forward
Leon's longing for physical and emotional connection with others definitely highlights some of the more tragic aspects of his character. However, I think that the way we see his flirtatious behavior taper off over time is equally interesting. It's an indicator of his mental health (its decline leading up to Vendetta), as well as it is a testament of his maturity. When you consider his lack of flirtatiousness in Damnation/RE6/Vendetta/Death Island, you can see how he's matured emotionally. Though you can also see how he has truly succumbed to his isolation. The extent of his self-imposed burden, the extent of his hopelessness. A grim acceptance of loneliness, of impracticality, of his life being what it is, and having no idea of how to fix it.
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letters-of-libertas · 4 months
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I'm bi and yeah your note on women not having solidarity seems sadly true. Apart from not dating men would there be anything you would suggest to improve ones life apart from stating away from those women if possible?
I love this question because this is how to start thinking: being practical.
What it takes to "improve ones life" is subjective so with that said firstly define what a better life(style) for yourself away from moids would look like. Temporarily mentally remove xy terrorist existence. What would your habits/routine be? What would you work towards & pour your energy into? What would you want to be? What would you center your life around? Take your time with these questions or anymore that come up. Have a general idea then be more specific and start breaking your life down into sectors/sections/areas, then look at where you want to be in those areas and work towards it.
For example; I divide my life into 6-7 aspects:
Physical Strength - Not just about muscle but knowing how to fight, where to hit and when to fight. Being stronger makes it easier to defend yourself in altercations (especially with other women). Some mfs will try you & you cant always rely on others coming to your rescue. Also work on building stamina to help endurance, and keeping as healthy as possible.
Emotional Strength - If you cant control your emotions they will control you. In a world of chaos being emotionally strong will let you cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters. Building emotional strength is not easy but it's worth it. Being able to rise above immediate reactions and pace yourself will allow you to assess situations more rationally & make more beneficial choices.
Finances - Get your bag up. Having money to gain resources is imperative to quality of life. I dont care what anyone says having a certain amount of money in life WILL make you happier as you're able to meet your needs better. Having more money/resources also makes it easier to support other women should you choose to do so, it also allows you to be more influential and have more control over your life. However, dont become a slave to getting money tho because that's how you get scammed.
Network - The type of people you hang around can make or break who you are as a person. Aim to connect with likeminded women who will encourage & inspire you as you go on this journey. Hang around people that value & will be honest with you while giving you grace. Not all women you engage with have to be single & childfree but beware the moid crazy ones because they will bring danger to you in their quest for maIe validation. Life isn't perfect but you cant go wrong having the right people around you, valuable relationships are hard to find but it goes a long way even if it's just online. However, no company > bad company.
Spirituality/Guide - Having something bigger than yourself to guide you through the chaos in this world can offer guidance/purpose that keeps you grounded & focused. For many people generally this is religion/god. Not everyone needs or ascribes to religion/spirituality though, but at least consider sets of morals/beliefs to follow. However even that isn't for everyone. So if you feel better off without spirituality or a 'higher' guide at least be clear on it & your reasons why (for yourself).
Hobbies & Interests - As turbulent as the world is, find things to enjoy amidst the chaos. Constant work, doom, and gloom will not change anything you will only hurt yourself. Take time to indulge in things that make you happy to recharge & relax. Engage in hobbies that serve you, share your passion with other women & hear theirs out too. It goes a long way in terms of mental health.
Security - It takes privilege to decide to not get married or have children as a woman & live it out. Everyone's situation is different so what I'll generally suggest is to constantly look into how you can protect yourself, have backup methods, and stay in the loop of xy predation. Dont drown in it but moids are predators & being completely blind to them is being blind to danger. Elaborated on point 10 here.
Sounds like a lot? Great, it'll keep you busy because this isn't a vacation or destination but a lifestyle. And to be honest, some of y'all can do with the busyness as it'll let you focus on what actually matters. This not to say to overwhelm yourself in things for the sake of it but to prioritise your energy on effective things for your life. As you focus on building you'll find that you have less energy to care about insignificant stuff or stuff out of your control anyways. For example, Instead of getting wound up about user somerandomadjectivefem stirring discourse calling you an extremist or whining about how impossible it is for her & other women to live without romantic love n' whatnot (or even women irl pulling this crap), you either ignore or quickly shut down the conversation & swiftly move on.
Everything I've mentioned are just examples, you may feel differently do whatever you feel best applies. Also remember to enjoy the process along the way as you are living through it afterall :3
Long story short: Work on building resources & other aspects of your life up for yourself.
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darkstarofchaos · 3 months
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For the character ask game, I'm not sure how many numbers you're willing to do for a single ask, so you can just do as much as you want from this. For Prowl - 2, 3, 7, 8, 12, 15, 16, 23, 25
I don't mind a bunch of numbers! Gives me an excuse to ramble, lol. And to rant, because Prowl deserves better.
2: Favorite canon thing about this character?
His willingness to look Optimus in the face and tell him he's being stupid, and to do his own thing to mitigate the stupidity if he has to. Mostly applicable to IDW, but Optimus needs a foil so badly in G1 that I've pretty much transplanted it into G1 Prowl when I write him. Not in its entirety, because G1 Prowl isn't IDW Prowl, but I like that he has his own opinions on tactics and morality and doesn't just go with the Autobot collective. His job is not to be a yes-mech; it's to keep people alive and win battles. If his commander is making stupid decisions, what benefit is there in standing back and letting it happen?
3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?
Making the police car an actual cop was the most boring decision anyone could have made. In stories where the Cybertronians choose their alts, especially, there are so many more interesting things you could say about his character by giving him a pre-war job that's completely unrelated to his Earth alt. For example, I like to think he chose it for tactical reasons: it's a common black and white vehicle, thus perfect as a disguise, and the sirens let him "legally" break Earth traffic laws in an emergency. It's far more interesting if his alt is a result of strategy and reasoning instead of, "I guess I'll take the one that matches my old job description."
7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?
I like that people took the little tidbit about Prowl having trouble with the unexpected that has exclusively appeared in two bios (that I'm aware of) and made it reasonably common. Would be really nice if they treated it seriously instead of making it comic relief, but maybe it does get treated more seriously these days. I don't read a lot of Prowl fic.
Let's talk about why.
8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?
The image compilations of Prowl getting punched. The prick jokes that litter every TF Wiki page for every G1-based Prowl. The fanfics where Prowl is an uncompromising jerk or straight-up hate sink because the author needed a mean Autobot. The conversations and hypotheticals that make Prowl the source of any amoral action the Autobots take. The people who distill him down into Essence of Asshole and strip out every positive or sympathetic quality he has.
"Prowl gets villainized for being sensible" is one of my most hated fanfic tropes. Grab just about any fic where a Decepticon defects or earns the Autobots' sympathy in some way, and Prowl will be the only one who's unhappy with the situation. Which is perfectly reasonable because that is an enemy and he has no reason to trust them, let alone like them. But because we're supposed to sympathize with the Decepticon, that makes Prowl the villain. The other Autobots aren't naive and unreasonably forgiving, Prowl is just a bad person.
And it's not just IDW fics. G1 Prowl didn't get a whole lot of screen time, and thus no chance to develop his own personality, so he gets slapped with the same portrayal. Never mind the fact that when he does show up, he's one of the nicest characters - sure, he gets in on trash talking the Decepticons (though far less than some of the Autobots), but he's always helping out around base, shows concern for others, and pretty much stays out of interpersonal conflict. And yet, in stories based on a cartoon that has Powerglide, Gears, Cliffjumper, and Optimus Prime himself, I am expected to believe Prowl is the Autobots' resident jerk. Not gonna happen.
12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?
As I mentioned earlier, it's kind of quasi-canon that Prowl has trouble dealing with the unexpected. It's never appeared in any actual media, but it does come from official sources, so I wouldn't call it a headcanon. But I do headcanon that he has some pretty severe anxiety in dealing with people because of it. Things like math and physics are reliable; if something doesn't do what you expect it to, it's because you lacked information, and you can remedy that. You can update your calculations based on the results you actually got, or try to find out what you were missing the first time. Given enough data, you can predict just about anything as long as the results are consistent.
People are not consistent. You can make some sweeping generalizations about them based on categories - social groups, behaviors, readily obvious personality traits - but you can never say with certainty that someone will react in a specific way to something. Once you've known them for a while, you start to understand them and can anticipate them with a reasonable degree of accuracy, but that's assuming their behavior is genuine and consistent. If they're messing with you or pretending to be something they aren't, your data is inaccurate, and you can't correct it unless you know it's inaccurate.
People are the only things in the natural world that can deliberately give you false data about what to expect from them. So yes, I think Prowl has social anxiety. And probably some form of people-centric agoraphobia or anthropophobia.
(I also headcanon him as biromantic asexual. It has nothing to do with the above, and actually predates the anxiety headcanon).
15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)
If I had to pick just one pairing, I guess I would say Jazz/Prowl. Which is ironic, because for a long time, it was one of my least favorite Prowl pairings. Not because it was particularly objectionable; it was just everywhere, and I couldn't see it working. I think of Prowl as the kind of person who needs a steady, reliable partner who will let him have his routines and respect his desire to plan things before doing them, and Jazz's thing is more spontaneity and flexibility. He seemed like one of the worst partners for Prowl, especially with how I developed Prowl's disorders over the years.
In the end, though, that spontaneity is what brought them full circle to a pairing I can support. Because I do think Jazz would be willing to compromise and accommodate for Prowl's needs, and that Prowl could eventually trust that he's not going to suddenly change how he acts around him. It's a rather tenuous case of opposites attract, and requires patience from both parties, but I can see it working now.
16. What's your least favorite ship for this character?
First, an honorable mention goes to my immediate impulse, which was Constructicons/Prowl. I get why people want IDW Prowl to have someone on his side, and I don't think the Constructicons meant any harm. But Prowl was forced into the team through a series of traumatic events, the Constructicons like him for things he hates about himself, and being a part of Devastator seems to have contributed to his psychological decline. It wasn't a good or healthy situation for him, and I feel like the Constructicons having romantic feelings for him actually makes it more uncomfortable for me.
That being said, I'm going to have to go with Optimus/Prowl as my absolute least favorite ship. Optimus is very strongly motivated by morality and will generally take what he perceives to be the most moral action in a given situation. Pair that with someone like Prowl, who is willing to cross lines when he feels he has to, and you already have a relationship on rough ground. The only way things can work between them is either for Optimus to accept Prowl's "moral failings", or for Prowl to change a fundamental part of himself. There is literally no option that doesn't require one of them to compromise their principles or change who they are. And since Optimus isn't the kind of person who will do that, the only hope for a relationship is to "fix" Prowl. And that gets into abusive territory, because Optimus has power over Prowl in both the physical sense and in their professional relationship. He also has social power, because because Prowl is unpopular and Optimus is exactly the kind of person you wouldn't expect to be capable of abuse.
And yes. For the sake of argument, it could be toxic from Prowl's side too. He could try to hurt Optimus by throwing his mistakes in his face, or by blaming him for everything that goes wrong. But Optimus has a great deal of confidence in himself and the support of pretty much everyone, while Prowl is isolated and already isn't proud of things he's done. He is far more vulnerable to abuse than Optimus is, socially and psychologically, and he just doesn't deserve that.
23. Favorite picture of this character?
Mmm. I guess I would have to say this one, since it inspired an entire story that I'm still working on. There's actually another one that I like better (which also spawned an in-progress story), but I'd have to do more digging to find the link for that one. Might do it later.
25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?
When I started watching G1, the Autobots were just a conglomerate of near-identical personalities to me. Prowl was just one of the generic background bots who got a few minutes of screentime in one episode and was otherwise relegated to a support role. I was mildly interested by some of the fanfic portrayals I saw, but I definitely preferred the Decepticons, so I didn't read much where he was a main character unless there were Decepticon MCs too. And most of those fics were written by a couple authors whose endings were consistently disappointing, so after I stopped reading their stuff, Prowl just dropped off my radar.
Nowadays, Prowl is my favorite Autobot (well, second favorite after Skyfire). Thanks to IDW, I kind of see him as the Autobot version of Starscream (narratively if not in personality), but he's also a fascinating character in his own right. I love that he doesn't conform to the Autobots as a whole, he's fun to write and analyze, and he was the one good thing I got out of the IDW comics. 10/10 character, deserves better.
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aspaceformbf · 14 days
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YB / Beauty and the Beast - Analysis Essay
(Im going to put tumblr and lore posts here later and there so this is considered incomplete!)
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I've been thinking about the parallels between YB and the Beast from the beauty and the beast. Specifically how the layers between the Beast and YB relate to each other.
The Beast (outer surface layer / reputation)
The Prince / The Human (inner layer / his purpose / personality)
The Selfish Man (catalyst / also personality)
The Witch (Fuboo / Greta)
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1. The Beast
The Beast is like the surface layer and represents how casual enjoyers, people on the outside see him. When you come across him on.. say, Youtube or Tiktok you're usually seeing a crazy, unhinged or violent depiction of him.
One reason why his fame exploded was when popular YouTube streamers started posting themselves playing his game. They would usually describe him as some creepy incel, stalker, murderer or kidnapper in the thumbnails, their description and generally the way they react to him.
So there's always going to be a huge subset of people who are going to..
> Define him for his worst qualities (murder, kidnapping, stalking)
> Make up stuff that he doesn't do (rape, cheat on you)
> Exaggerate existing traits into something worse (making him a serial murderer or depicting him as some horrific abuser that beats up his partner for talking to him wrong)
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The Beast's reputation with the villagers and how they turned him into some terrifying boogeyman parallels with how he's treated and depicted by a large part of the audience and how many people choose to depict him in fanart.
Personally I do feel that this treatment does actually get to him and makes him a lot worse in canon as well.
Like how the amputation was initially just a commission and fuboo even mentioned that it's wasn't canon on Twitter. 
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But the image spread like wildfire in the fandom and because it was so prevalent with the audience, the amputation eventually became something canon.
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This beast's reputation also reflects a lot in the fandom because many fantasy aus depict him as this primal monstrous animal thing that is dangerous to YN or is to be tamed by YN. 
Which.. if I look at his actual characteristics, it should be the opposite case. He should be the corrupt human, he's no beast. He's intelligent and capable and will dote on you the way a specialized zookeeper will dote on an endangered animal.
He is the seemingly harmless guy who will shelter a brutish killing machine (werewolf/zombie) and quietly assassinate anyone who gets in his way.
He is the android hardwired to fully serve you but his programming doesn't factor in the complexities of human moralities and he takes it too far and becomes a danger to the people around you.. for your sake, it believes.
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There's even a beauty and beast meme that I feel relates to some of the fandom. In the meme when the beast turns back into a normal guy, Belle gets the ick and is like
"no I liked you specifically because you're a beast"
It kinda reminds me of the side of the fandom that got attracted to him BECAUSE of the whole "crazy leg chopping kidnapper murderer theme".
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2. The Prince
The prince is his inner quality because.. he's literally a guy who's designed to love you.
His life purpose is to take care of you. He doesn't want to hurt you, he wants to be your life partner. He just wants to shower you with affection, gifts, kisses, he wants to give you a happy life.
(Insert wholesome and caring tumblr compilation)
He has a job, he takes good care of rat, he is the kind of nerd that likes to collect bottle caps, he plays the piano, he writes poetry, his teeth is literally pristine because he takes such good care of it.
This is not the qualities of some brainless beast, this is literally prince-like. Human.
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I remember there was a lore drop or q&a or something that mentioned that if YN was someone who was stable, loyal and supportive.. he literally wouldn't hurt a fly. 
(LOOK FOR THAT AND LINK IT)
They mention he CAN be a very good boyfriend it's just he has some instabilities and can go too far if anyone crosses you or if things go bad. He is also mentioned to be a very good dad, he will be equally loving even if the kids technically aren't his. 
Unfortunately this wouldn't reflect in the games plot because of the Witch.
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In the game, for the most part he doesn't WANT to kill people, he doesn't WANT to hit you or cut your leg off. But he does it because he is too desperate to keep you (Selfish Man) and because of the Witch's influence (Greta, Fuboo wanting to keep the game as a horror game) forcing him to be worse than his usual.
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He was definitely far more Princelike in the past, especially if you compare the Tumblr to the game after Day 3.
He definitely had his creepy and suspicious moments, but there was a lot more depiction of him being polite, loving, generous, romantic, doting and supportive. 
Patient YB Posting
But as time passes by, his character took a turn for the worse, the cruel, the Beast, especially that turning point in Day 3.
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There's still a large subset of the fandom that love him for his more loving qualities though personally I don't really know where to slot this into the essay.
I mean I literally thought, hm, the Beast, The Prince, and the SELFISH PRINCE HAS A PATTERN THAT RELATES TO HIM. I HAVE TO WRITE THIS DOWN!
doesn't mean it describes ALL of the fandom but like.. a pretty big chunk. big enough to identify. in my personal opinion.
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3. The Selfish Man
The selfish man are negative or imperfect qualities he always had even before he turned into a beast.
For example, he is someone who looks down or doesn't care about other people.
In fact, he finds other people irritating. In the Tumblr, he only cares about you and would only get along with say, your family because he wants to be closer to you.
(Posts! ALL THE POSTS!)
Of course this doesn't make him a BEAST because he can still technically get along and be civil with others and he likes and is nice to animals. But he would not do well in say.. a customer service job because having to deal with people OFTEN would be unbearable to him.
And he has no interest in forming any bonds with anyone other than you or unless it's to foster a relationship with you and even then he definitely won't accept a polyamory.
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This quality of his does NOT help him when he later turns into a beast.
In the case of Beauty and the Beast, instead of trying to communicate with people and clearing his air and working on his reputation, the beast just locks himself up in the castle and whatever rumors people spread about him based on his appearance just gets worse. 
YB CAN read people, but he does not have the social skills to properly manipulate them. He can get along with people casually but other than that, his social skills just.. kinda suck.
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I think another example of the selfish prince is the way he treats his sister in the Tumblr. He would call her names like whore and slut and would literally wish her dead and would definitely kill her given the chance. Even before he met YN, he and his sister would never get along anyway.
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4. The Witch
The Witch is represented by Fuboo and Greta. They use his "selfish man" aspect to transform him into the beast. If the witch wasn't there, he wouldn't be as MONSTROUS as he currently is. They purposely bring out and amplify his worst qualities.
YB Regarding Fuboo
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zalrb · 1 year
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hi, can i join the buffy S7 hate? i could write ESSAYS but i can’t rant at my sister who loves this show and spike, lol. imo, the most annoying thing about spike/spuffy is how the show manipulates the viewer (and buffy) to feel sorry for him. before S6 buffy’s feelings for spike were hate, contempt and pity, and her more positive feelings were basically her ”rewarding” him./1
and buffy-obsessed spike is basically like the trio of incels in S6 but spike’s behaviour is played for laughs or brushed aside or the show blames *buffy*. like, at the start of S7 spike makes a mocking comment about the rape attempt. then buffy finds out he has a soul and *she* has to rehabilitate him and *she* apologises when she understandably gets startled when spike unexpectedly touches her and then the whole ”you were just using me” when buffy tolerated and gave spike way more than he ever deserved. or her speech about how she wasn’t emotionally available even for spike when it’s like, no girl, spike was stalking and abusing and trying to rape you, you didn’t owe him anything. spike/buffy was all-around insulting. or the ”he’s the only one who has my back” when i’m sorry, was i watching the wrong show, because all i saw in S7 was spike being a useless dude in distress. the show increasingly woobified spike because it was easier than him earning things. i mean, just contrast angel/spike in S3/S7: angel more or less rehabilitated himself, unlike spike who put the onus on buffy. when angel was harassed by the first, he was ready to kill himself so he wouldn’t hurt anyone and he was ready to do it *alone*, without telling anyone. unlike spike who *did* kill people and then tried make *buffy* kill him, again leaving the onus on her. and p.s. spike had a lot better chemistry and more interesting interactions and potential with basically every character who wasn’t buffy so i don’t get why they wasted time on that. (and i'm so sorry, it did turn into an essay lol)"
well, that's the thing. buffy just becomes spike's caretaker and his apologist
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feeling bad about him feeling bad about hurting her
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and he doesn't actually do anything for her except bring up again and again how he got a soul for her, as if that's supposed to mean anything,
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and it's not any different from when he was soulless and just told her he loved her like he was supposed to get a prize
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so when she tells him that she's not ready for him to go, i'm like WHY, he hasn't done anything! he hasn't even been a comfort to you, in "conversations with dead people" a random vampire is the person you talk to about the things you don't want to admit to your friends
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spike's just there like
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or like this
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or he's not there and it's like
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so what does he actually do for you except be the one to tell off your friends when they act OOC and kick you out of the house just so he can say something people can point to to be like, omg he understands her better than anyone!
and this is why i have problems with storylines in which loving a "heroic" or "good" character is treated as a heroic act in of itself (or loving a morally grey character is treated as a dark act in it of itself) because that's not a redemptive quality on its own. and spike isn't redemptive.
people like to bring up his attachment to dawn as an example of him doing good or being good even when he's soulless but that attachment is directly linked to buffy rather than it being about dawn herself
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which is why they don't have any scenes together or why he doesn't even ask about her the minute he and buffy become sexual. even when he gets a soul, there's no relationship there because it's not about actually caring about other people, it's about buffy.
AnGeL wAs JuSt GiVeN a sOuL - but like you said, he earns his redemption, the whole point is that he chooses to do good for the sake of good, buffy is a source of inspiration for him absolutely
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but she doesn't determine whether or not he does something good.
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and i just prefer that.
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vaguely-concerned · 1 year
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the theme through nona the ninth that love in itself does not make you complicit in anything, nor does love in itself absolve you of anything. you can continue to love something terrible, even having seen it for what it is, and that doesn't automatically confer its awfulness onto you. neither does it free you from the responsibilities and consequences of your own actions. the emotion of love, even for a monster, is morally neutral. you still have a choice what to do about that love, and you stand free to turn your back on and walk away from it if that's what you choose (and if it's hurting you maybe you should), but no one can tell you to stop loving it at any stage of that. no one has the right to tell you to love or to not love whoever and whatever you do.
I suspect that's part of why the spirit of the earth (? as close as I can figure lol) chose john in the first place; I do think he has an incredible capacity for depth of emotion, including love, especially seeing as he has lived on sheer passion-induced wrath for ten thousand years.
but earth-that-will-become-alecto didn't have a handle on the finer points of humanity enough to understand that human love in isolation means very little. love unaccompanied by other things -- by qualities like kindness, curiosity, patience, grace, understanding, reciprocity, thoughtfulness, fairness, generosity, compassion -- is just an emotion, a force of nature, for good and for ill. they left you. I can't forget. does anyone in these books walk away from having been loved by john without being scarred by it? how many of them still love him too, even as his love is slowly destroying them? many thoughts.
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motherstone · 2 months
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WAVERIDER THOUGHTS
This will be long, and nasty. I may be yapping nonsense myself, and ngl this was all written in a fit of emotion, so it may be biased as all fuck. SPOILERS EVERYWHERE. Read further at your own choice.
Kazu, the neglectful, crappy father of his characters
Yeah, no, it’s been a long-time issue of his. Every new book has a new character. Not much of a problem if you're establishing the world - it’s a big one if you’re ending a story. See, the point of a finale isn’t to get us invested in new characters, it’s about giving a satisfying conclusion to your old. And not necessarily purely conclusive either! Some characters still have some journey to walk, but what matters is that you could read what happened to them, be at peace with how they went.
Kazu wrote the finale as if he’s writing 16 more books.
Let’s see the line-up shall we?
Trellis - has been hyped up being the true king, has been trying to get people stop believing in the false king, would not shut the fuck up about the well-being of the elves for several books.
Ending: Changed his mind last minute and gave up the throne.
Vigo - a flawed mentor. Kinda useless. Tries to be a guiding force and emotional support.
Ending: Dies in the most pointless and jarring way possible.
Aly - has exhibited great leadership qualities, is a good friend to Navin.
Ending: she wasn’t even there.
Etc etc. and that’s THREE of them so far, and it’s disastrous. Their conclusions were poor and nonsensical, the narrative portrays them as foolish and ignorant, and basically just treated their entire journey of 8 books as worthless and with little to no growth. Which is just yonkers. The main players don’t play in the final part, and the supporting casts are pretty much not supporting.
Then there’s the NEW cast.
No, sorry, I can’t stand them. They’re not appealing to me, we barely know anything about them except they’re apparently competent and we’re supposed to accept that they’re gonna be the better, newer generation of the Guardian Council? Because the story says so?
Why put new characters to play a part where your established characters can fill in perfectly? At least those established characters already have something ESTABLISHED, thus the payoff is more impactful ,especially if you fit them properly into the role. I never even gave a crap about Cielis and there needing to be a new Guardian Council, I always got the impression in book 4 that it was supposed to be the waning era of stonekeepers, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE MOTHERSTONE WAS STOLEN, THERE’S LITTLE OF IT LEFT, THERE ISN’T A NEW MOTHERSTONE IN CANON, APPARENTLY ENDED UP FORGOTTEN BY EVERYONE ELSE DESPITE BEING A POWERFUL ARTIFACT, AND STONEKEEPERS ARE TOO DANGEROUS FOR THE WORLD OF ALLEDIA. IN GENERAL.
All in all, the book feels like it’s trying to shove and rub these new guys all over my face, trying to get me to love them.
Gabilan, or just make Gulfen a democracy at this point
I'm gonna be for real though, I don't think Gabilan is the best guy for the job. Just because he was "kinda" right about stonekeepers doesn't mean he's a leader, and I don't think someone who kills people for a living, profits off of war, violates people's minds and steals their memories and ruin their lives, and arrogantly believes he has the judgment and say on who gets to keep which memories would be anyone's first choice to rule the country at its most desperate either. He’s sharp, yes, but moral? He has the moral backbone of a fucking chocolate eclair. A guy like that would not treat the people under him with the right to choose, when so many of his actions involve violating other people. If that’s THEIR next best choice after Trellis, Gulfen is fucked.
It's also kinda frustrating. Gabilan gets ONE reference to how he intends to be King, while Trellis gets references that he's the true king for several books, people desiring he make a better people out of the elves, had enemies trying to kill him to prevent him from taking the throne like the VOICE himself, only for the narrative to never even follow through it? 
The story can't seem to make up its mind either. "Stonekeepers in power are bad because they keep seeking to control others and are bad at maintaining control, so you shouldn't be King. That's why you should get an even higher, greater authority so now you're the leader of the Guardian Council!" 😩 make it make sense? 
Ronin, or how to make supervillains
Kazu has a bad understanding of how people work by how he wrote Ronin. Iffy enough that Ronin is retconned to be alive, her method on raising these stonekeepers is to be heavily scrutinized. I’ll be controversial here, but Ronin sucks as a person.
That’s NOT how you treat people, especially when they’re asking for help, even if they wronged you. That’s prioritizing your pride over what’s needed to be done.
Keeping kids in an isolated area, even with their consent, scaring off locals from their livelihood so you could have THEIR resources instead, and then scaring them into not bothering are all shitty things to do. If I didn’t have context, I’d genuinely think she’s trying to make a cult.
She didn’t create a better generation of youth, she created an ECHO CHAMBER. Their interaction with other people who isn’t them are limited and only under her monitoring, they don’t get to have the support and interaction of a wider community, they have fights, she induces them to lose control on purpose (even for training, that’s basically like having someone HAVE breakdowns so they’d “handle breakdowns better”), the young stonekeepers only interact with HER beliefs and HER teachings.
She’s arrogant as all fuck. 
The worst part is that the narrative doesn’t treat this as bad, just flawed, which is anything but 💀
To use @/gofancyninjaworld analysis, which is semi-realistic ngl, what Ronin did was plant seeds for these kids to be supervillains.
A sense of isolation
It’s bad enough that having overwhelming power alienates stonekeepers from most people, Ronin’s method of training has them explicitly stay in an area where the range of people they could interact with are greatly limited to Ronin and their fellow students. Sure, they interact with some civilians, but in an unbalanced way, purely in a savior and rescuee way, nothing else. This gives them sparse experience in the give-and-take interactions in a society, because for all they know, water only flows downwards.
A sense of superiority. It's not good to be considered 'gifted' and to be set aside from others. 
A sense of entitlement to rule.
Which Ronin further reinforced by planting into their heads that they’re the new Guardian   Council eventually, despite having little experience in leading. What happened to “rejecting a seat on the Council because she felt the responsibility at her age was too great”? And that was when she was an older teen. These guys are younger than she was offered.
Access to the means to do so.
The quarry, their stones, and their inevitable ascension to be the new Council.
So basically all she did was groom overly powerful kids with induced breakdowns, with heads too big for their bodies, with very little connection to the wider world to ground them in their thinking and humanity, basically four bombs that could and would inevitably go off. Cool. Any one of 'em could wind up becoming a totalitarian menace. Y'know how spoiled entitled billionaire bastards exists? It's almost virtually the same process.
Interacting with regular people AS regular people, not just as savior or leader is important. It grounds you. It teaches you there’s a variety of people, who won’t always be the perfect victim, who are not necessarily evil but are bad, who are not intentionally malicious but just incompetent, among other things. Application is the real teacher here - the more exposed you are to other people, the better you’d be able to handle them.
Emily, the monster, the savior, the next Buddha
Can’t make up its mind whether to condemn Emily or if she’s the next best thing since sliced fucking bread. Apparently, self-confidence is her issue, not her arrogance or survivor's guilt.
Not to mention her powers came outta nowhere. It’s like she discovers enlightenment, and that was what allowed her to properly control her powers.
Defeats the entire theme of needing other people and that not every outcome is reliant on ONE person’s actions, BY DOING EVERYTHING BY HERSELF, AGAIN!
God, I wish I could say more, but I skipped some of Emily’s parts because reading it was as tedious and agonizing as threading on cold mud. I can’t help but cringe at every dialogue.
The Voice, or how to NOT make a supervillain
…. I don’t even know what to say. Poor Ikol, a victim of the most indecisive and sloppy writing of  a villain I’ve seen, I actually feel genuinely fucking bad. I don’t even know where to begin with this dude, he’s just one whole confusing set of contradicting depictions and motivations.
Riva, or how to get a restraining order in 2 fucking seconds
If I were Trellis and told me the same words Riva said, I’d bolt as far as quickly as I possibly can away from her. That’s creepy, full stop.
I think this was kazu's way to prevent fans from shipping Emily and Trellis by a.) aging up Trellis because that’s the only explanation I could think of (even though he said a few times on twitter that he's the elf equivalent of 16) and b.) to get him together with Riva.
The way Kazu went about it is too insane for me. "Hey, I had a vision of you and me having babies and you became a great leader, let's get together" 💀 that's no basis for any healthy relationship, or any relationship at all that isn't transactional 😵. What is this?
On the other hand, he doesn't respect Riva as a character at all. A character becoming a love interest and a parent isn't a bad thing in of itself, but he wrote Riva so impactfully and charismatically in book 6 - she's one of the few rare elf characters, and a girl elf character to boot, is an established leader, was the daughter of an immigrant and knows all the hardship that comes with it, not to mention hails from a city that Cielis outcasted and abandoned because of their fear and prejudice but she compassionately takes care of the people there anyway.
There's so many interesting and compelling storylines with the foundations he made Riva with, and he focuses on getting Riva to get Trellis to get together with her 😵 she gets reduced from a character with plenty of potential to a character that exists purely to uplift another. That's just depressing. Riva and Trellis deserve better.
Who? Navin. We all forgot about fucking Navin
Actually, I’m pretty sure Kazu forgot about Navin up until the last second. The fact I forgot until he came up on the page speaks for itself on how bad the writing problem was. He plays almost no parts at all. He doesn’t even GET to be a leader properly. He was there to get punched, didn’t even GET to help Emily or anybody else.
The Ending
……………………………………………………………………………………
If Older Emily could time travel with the Void, why didn’t she just eliminate Ikol herself instead of leaving it to our current Emily? Oh, and Vigo jarringly dies and sacrifices himself in the most pointless way possible.
All in all, Kazu - world’s most terrible chef
BAN HIM FROM THE KITCHEN 🔥🔥💯💯🔊🔊🗣️😩😩 HE CAN'T COOK.
Bad? I knew it was gonna be bad at the cover alone, ut no way I could've predicted it was THIS atrocious. It’s not the medium’s fault either, you can’t claim that the medium limited what Kazu had to say - Kazu created comics for a living. He has more than a decade of experience, made dozens of pages, by now, he knows YOU CAN’T WASTE A PAGE. Every panel is important. It’s not the medium's fault for being short, it’s Kazu’s for being sloppy. 
He has an editor. He has a studio, he has a team, he has several copies of his series, he has claimed he has reread them over and over. He has no excuse to be this inconsistent and directionless. So what the fuck are they doing? Do they just sit there and draw? No quality or consistency check? 
Honestly, if he says it was executive meddling, if he was just tired of Amulet and just wanted it over, if it was because of medical reasons - I could accept all those reasons. I could forgive why the series wound up as it is, they’re all reasons I could understand. A decline in quality on purpose I’d understand because that can be fixed. A better employer, a better work schedule, better accommodations.
What I will not accept, if he genuinely believes this. Is. GOOD. WRITING. BECAUSE IT’S NOT. That’s either a lie, an in-denial belief, or just plain ol’ ignorance. That’s just pure arrogance to me. You drop this slop on my feet, 300 pages of yapped nonsense and try to convince me it’s gold? Fuck no. I deserve better, we deserve better, the kids who read your books deserve better. There’s no fixing that kind of thinking.
Am I too harsh? Yes. But I need to let all of these out. Am I kinda biased and a lil incomprehensible? Yes, but I don't care. If you enjoyed it, good for you! But it’s not for me. For closure, I’m nursing whatever shit I try to fix with a rewrite. Kazu already nuked the playground - might as well take a page from his book and do whatever I want like he did.
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outsidereveries · 1 month
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jiwoong (zb1)'s personality
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what he was like in his childhood: i'd say like a nerd (in a good way). communicating with people he wants to and planning. oh, a lot of planning. he relied on his intuiton a lot when he was a kid. for many people he was quite mysterious during his childhood.
which qualities has changed during puberty: basically, puberty showed his emotional side. not only that, i felt his hormones went ... up to the sky, tbh.
what he's faking: his mature side, his responsibility "like a father". jiwoong's more impulsive, more daring, more adventurous even.
what's also fake but tries not to be: trying to choose as smart as possible. it seems he .. made mistakes in the past.
what's genuine: his mood swings, tbh?? yeah.. mood swings, i only feel them.
what we don't see: his actual point of view through the topics in life.
political views: similar to some idols, he just gave up to look more deep into this topic. he doubts it'll change for now and is hopeless like some people.
what's mixing between his morals and the fame: the people in the celebrity industry. similarly to winter, he feels too different. with him though, he feels just this is how it's supposed to be.
would he choose the fame over his standarts: no, he'd like to do something else more. probably putting himself first.
religious/spiritual views: possibly an atheist, but very spititual. he seems uneducated for some topics though.
controversial things he agrees with: he feels the scandals/controversies like a fate.
off-topic. is jiwoong interested in astrology?? it feels it's related to that drama in january...
addictions (either more prone to has them or might have them): he doubts too much, he doesn't believe anyone who isn't close to him. he wants the people to prove him they're worthy enough for his trust.
destruction traits: basically, manipulation.. in any form.
qualities he's proud to have: that he's holding his emotions as much as possible.
intentions for the future: since that scandal affected him in a way or another, he seems to try to fight to be active in a way or another. wakeone seems to be very persistent for him to be active only in group activities .. :)
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theintrovertbean · 5 months
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About Dorian and where I stand
I think it's time I voiced my actual opinion of Dorian. Partly because I need to write this down for myself to better understand my own feelings, and because of some of my posts, it might be hard to understand where I stand. Nowadays, I know it matters. Yeah, I gave it a chance. No, it didn't make me a Dorian enjoyer, but even though it makes me cringe sometimes, I don't think it's the worst thing to ever exist.
Disclaimer: This is my opinion to which everyone is free and more than welcome to add their own. I will address both good and bad things about Dorian, and I am going to criticize it. I also have to add that while I've been playing The Arcana for five years, I was gone for a while and missed out on a lot, especially the part when Dorian bought the game, so I'm not your all-knowing narrator. This is not a personal attack against anyone, whether they have a positive or negative opinion about Dorian. No drama here, just opinions and even some advice. Now let's begin.
I think the concept of Dorian is good, but it could be much better executed. The company makes some questionable choices, like now with the 3D figurines or when they posted those tales of the M6. I think the vast majority can agree that those tales felt like a living nightmare. That's certainly what they felt like to me, and I would prefer to ignore their existence. With the figurines, their quality is the issue. We do want the figurines, and we'd love them, but they don't look right, and I hate to say this because someone put effort into creating them (because, apparently, they're not AI-generated). Plus, I think it would be nicer if we could choose to get them painted. I'm aware that painted versions will be available too, but it would have made more sense to release both versions at the same time.
There are nice people on Dorian, I've met a few, so I don't think that liking Dorian automatically makes someone a bad person. It's simply not everyone's cup of tea. In many cases, for very understandable reasons. However, the people I actually communicated with were (and still are) very friendly and supportive. And tbh, there's no harm in enjoying the content that gets posted there. Unless it's something that promotes problematic ideas.
When I wanted to post a story there, I got loads of help, which I'm very thankful for, but some things make me wonder if I want my content to be put on Dorian. Ultimately, I've decided to do it, and I'm about to release the first episode. I know there are people on Dorian too, who would like to read some good Nadia content (not sure if I'm the right person for that, but there's no harm in trying). However, this is not a decision that I made lightly. I spent a lot of time wondering if I should do it. It's a personal moral compass thing, plus I know that there are people in my following who don't like Dorian. No, I am not going to abandon my blog. Everything I post on Dorian I plan on sharing here as well, one way or another. Right now, this is more of a test than anything else. And if somehow I end up becoming rich from the Dorian money, I can spend it on Arcana merch (/jk).
Dear Dorian, Arcana main 6 boobie mousepads when?
Seriously, my main goal is to spread the gospel about our goddess Nadia, wherever it may be, and I've had a few people encourage me to bring some content about her to the Dorian platform to show the Countess some love. But, know that when it happens, it's not because I'm such a big fan of Dorian. On the contrary, I'm quite critical of it, and anyone who has ever spoken to me knows that too. Anything I post on the Dorian platform will be purely out of my love for Nadia, my fellow simps, and the joy of creating.
Now, let's talk about Dorian's target audience. It's definitely not me nor the vast majority of The Arcana fandom. From what I've noticed, most of us are young adults, but Dorian is more attractive to people who are around their thirties. The adult adults. No hate to those people, hurting you is not my intention, and you did nothing wrong. It simply feels like Dorian is less focused on us younger people, partly because we are not very likely to pay them any money. However, an adult with a stable income is more likely to afford digital currencies. I understand that Dorian needs money too, or else they wouldn't be able to pay their creators, but it would be nice if they could do something in favor of the young adults as well.
Connected to the target audience, I have some things to say about the heart system too. If someone isn't familiar with it, Dorian uses hearts to unlock paid scenes. They use it for spicy content as well, but it's not exactly the best way to keep minors from accessing them. Yes, there are minors on the Dorian app too, I've seen a few. As soon as someone downloads the app, they get free hearts and they don't even need an account. Dorian is a social media platform with streaming features and by joining/starting a live stream, users are able to access all paid content, spice included. Having spicy content is not the issue, but making it so available is. I know, I know, places like Play Store and App Store allow this, it doesn't go against their rules. But, look into your heart, and ask yourself if it really is okay. If it's possible, I'd like to encourage Dorian to at least make their users (whether they are registered or not) confirm that they are over the age of 18 or let them add their date of birth when they use the app for the first time. This way, they could add a feature that automatically hides adult content from underage users. It's not much, but I know some people who would feel better.
There are things on Dorian that I genuinely enjoy, like the current event, The Arcana Love Quest. I've seen people say that it divides the fandom and makes it seem like one person is a much better fan than the others, but as someone who actually participates, I don't feel that way. However, I get where these come from because it does seem off from the outside. (Rip Nadia guild, we didn't make it to the next round, but it was fun.)
Now the "negativity". There have been countless people who voiced their opinions about Dorian, and they often didn't speak too highly of the company. I didn't see it myself, but from what I know, there was even something about comments getting deleted by Dorian and people getting blocked. Of course, there are people who simply hate. In those cases, I understand they want to shield themselves and pretty much everyone else from witnessing those vulgar remarks. However, civilized, constructive criticism isn't something they should censor or ignore. It's impossible to satisfy everyone, but they have to try and listen because even though criticism doesn't always feel nice, it's for everyone's benefit. By listening to what people say, Dorian could improve.
The Dorian app itself tries to be too many things at once. Instead of adding new features, I think it would be better to make it more stable and easier to control because it can get glitchy and confusing at times. However, I have to give their support team credit because I had issues with the app myself. I filled out a ticket, and they solved it for me. They were civil, kind, and responsive, so I really can't complain about that.
And about what they're doing to the official The Arcana app. It's upsetting, I know, but since Dorian owns it, we can't blame them for advertising themselves on it. Some people make a living by working for Dorian and/or posting content there and that is something I respect because this is literally how they pay their bills and put food on their tables. However, it's starting to get out of hand and anything more would be too much. Like the Dorian app, it wants to be too many things at once. To make the "Tales" button smaller than the Dorian stuff next to it is something that doesn't sit right with me. Also, half of the "Dailies" page is now about Dorian. There's also an entire page for streams, which is kinda unnecessary because if I want to watch a stream, I'll use the actual Dorian app for it anyway. Also, as soon as I open The Arcana app, I get like, three pop-ups about Dorian, which honestly reminds me of using illegal websites for watching movies.
There is also something else I wish to say. We can't blame Nix Hydra's mistakes on Dorian, and we can't expect Dorian to post content like Nix Hydra did. As I mentioned before, Dorian is a social media platform. Yes, we got Arcana tales once, but that's not what Dorian is for.
In conclusion, The Arcana is cursed like Lucio's wing. Do I regret giving Dorian a chance, tho? Honestly, no, not really. At least I have seen both sides of the coin. Dorian is not the worst, but there is a lot of room for improvement. My advice is to listen to not only the praise but the constructive criticism too. There is potential in Dorian and if they did a better job, then maybe they could turn other people's and my head too. For now, I remain somewhere in the middle.
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jedimasterbailey · 4 days
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Hello, friend. 🖤🤍📖💀 for the ask game, please. 🙏
Hello there friend 💙💚 Thank you for the ask and thank you for choosing some questions that really make me think 🤔 let’s do this!
Link to the original ask questions below if y’all wanna play along which please do because I love to snoop 👀
🖤- Which character is not as morally good as everyone seems to think?
Dooku and yes I know he’s a Sith Lord and not considered a hero by any means but since the Tales of the Jedi episodes (which I love btw don’t @ me there) but I feel that fandom kinda looks at him like they do with Anakin. That even though Dooku and Anakin have done HORRIBLE INEXCUSABLE crimes that killed so many people and betrayed their loved ones that just because they “had their reasons” then that makes them worthy of sympathy when in reality that shouldn’t be the case. Dooku didn’t do what he did for the greater good or to serve others; he did what he did to serve himself and what he wanted. Dooku knew what the Empire was going to be (I.e. an all human regime that oppress alien races) and yet still went along with it thinking he could rule that regime himself one day. I don’t care that he was hurt by losing Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan; he still hurt and betrayed them regardless. If you ever read the Master and Apprentice book by Claudia Gray, you would come to find out Qui-Gon was 1.) terrified of Dooku because of his very dark actions 2.) Overlooked him for his first Padawan (Aveross I think his name was?) and 3.) Fixated on his own interests over being a proper teacher for Qui-Gon. In short, Dooku is a pretentious self serving privileged man of status and power and that’s that. The moral compass he has is whatever benefits him.
🤍-Which character is not as morally bad as everyone else seems to think?
Mace. Windu. For fucks sake y’all he is NOT a bad man! Had it not been for Anakin’s choices, he would have ended the Clone Wars once and for all and brought peace to the galaxy avenging every single soul who have lost their lives or sacrificed so much in the war that never needed to happen. Anyone who has read the Legends Shatterpoint novel or pay attention to Mace’s actions/words in the Clone Wars show and in the movies can see that Mace is a very admirable Jedi that anyone should look up to. His fighting style is all about using the Dark Side against those who use it which means this man has had to master his own demons for sake of doing good. That is a very rare quality even amongst the Jedi. He stays true to himself and Jedi philosophy within reason despite others trying to sway him. He also raised Depa who we all know is a wonderful woman who went on to teach Kanan who was a great Jedi. So yes, Mace was more than deserving of his rank and if he was such a bad man who come no one in his lineage ever turned to the Dark Side or left the Order? Clearly he was doing something right. And don’t even go down the tone deaf “he was mean to Anakin” route because Mace was always understanding, trusting, and respectful of Anakin, he was just trying to save Anakin from himself. We love and respect Mace Windu in this house 💜
📖-If you had to remove one book from the series, which would you choose?
The Ahsoka book for sure, sorry to those who like it but it’s not for me and that’s okay since not all books are gonna be everyone’s taste. As a Barrissoka stan I can’t stand whatshernuts constantly being up Ahsoka’s ass and causing her problems. Ahsoka was doing just fine on her own trying to survive after very traumatic events, losing everything she knew, and learning to survive in a galaxy that wants you dead for who you are until of course the stupid ass village needed saving. The book could have had a much better plot. The only parts of the book I liked where when Ahsoka was alone in her thoughts processing and trying to decide her next move. We could have had a very healing story much like Obi-Wan did in his show but nope. Furthermore, I’ve got beef with E.K Johnson for many reasons, the major one being that she’s a very ignorant person that tries to be the “white savior” so… yeah not fond of her work, her views of these characters we love so much, or the story she made for Ahsoka.
💀-If you had to choose one major character to die, who would you choose?
Palpatine of course because without out him the entire galaxy would be spared from mass genocide, destruction, pain, suffering, and pure evil. All of our favorite characters would have a much happier ending 😭 we also wouldn’t have dickheads like Tarkin rising to any position of power.
Link to original unpopular opinion asks
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radical-revolution · 3 months
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Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse 🙏
KILLING ASSUMPTIONS
"A few years ago I saw a comic strip of some students approaching a yogi on a mountaintop. This yogi had a bottle of bourbon in front of him. With a look of surprise,
one student says, “Oh! The guru drinks bourbon too?” illustrating the assumption that gurus should set an example of virtue. Disciples are often surprised if a guru drinks alcohol, eats meat, or has girlfriends. But in the tantra, you cannot make assumptions. In fact, assumption is a weakness that tantric Buddhism will toy with and ultimately kill.
While some followers are put off by the Vajrayana’s incorporation of sexual imagery and wine, there are others who take the Vajrayana path because of these same things. Or because in their minds Vajrayana is less misogynistic than the other yanas. To them, the segregation of men and women in the Mahayana and Shravakayana traditions is a form of misogynistic fundamental religious extremism. You can’t really say one yana is wrong and another is right. But if you have strong feelings about how a guru should behave, you may not be fit for tantra. The reason Taylor loves Reggie can be the very reason Bon Bon despises Reggie. Likewise, all the personal qualities that attract you to a particular guru can very well be the qualities that turn others off.
Assumption is a mouse, and tantra is the cat.
When I told my Tibetan friend Wangchuk the story of watching His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa dipping tobacco and spitting the juice into carefully folded papers, I was full of praise because to me, the Karmapa was so elegant and majestic even when he did something so truck driver–like. His habit of popping this disgusting stuff into his mouth while sitting on the throne had such an impact on me, in a nice way. So many people feel nostalgic about his famous love of birds, but I was just as inspired by his snuff habit. It increased my devotion. But Wangchuk immediately denied that it ever happened. He insisted that the Karmapa would never use tobacco. When I finally convinced him, he implored me not to tell this story to anyone else. I had to say, “He’s not good enough for you now? You would prefer a Karmapa who doesn’t do snuff? And you want me to keep it a secret?” As if the Karmapa needs to be protected from a bad reputation.
It’s not just Wangchuk—we all want our leaders to be perfect.
When I recounted the same story about the Karmapa’s snuff habit to Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, he advised me to collect that spit in the envelope the next chance I had and make a life-protecting amulet from this precious substance. Unfortunately, I never had another chance.
If you think collecting spit is disgusting, there are still countless Buddhist paths to choose from. You may be “happier” on a spiritual path that confirms your beliefs, values, ethics, and morality. But if your goal is of the highest sort—not limited to saving the world or dismantling your own ego, but to liberate all beings—you could be perfectly ripe for Vajrayana. Instead of being a conformist and settling on a secure and safe path, you should dare to follow a path designed to unsettle you,
a path that will destroy your comfort zone. And you should be persistent in that daring.
The compassionate tantric guru’s function is to deconstruct your assumptions, so expect the unexpected."
~ from The Guru Drinks Bourbon?
"Choosing a guru and deciding to follow him or her to enlightenment is as precarious, exciting, rewarding and destructive as falling in love and getting married. You know it’s risky, but that’s the part that cracks you open. This is your journey. You are choosing the tantric path so that the cracking happens. . . . Our pride and our ego should always be on edge, not knowing what will happen next.”
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If youre ok w sharing then i would love to hear your thoughts on lotor........ Hes such a weird guy. Dissecting him like a frog
If i get hate for this, i am blaming you/j but in all honesty i apologize if this kinda messy, as i have said it has beem awhile since i saw any of the episodes about him. Most of it is my personal interpretation and opinions of his character-
First of all i personally hate both "L0tor is evil rapist imperialist who did not have a single redeemable quality" and "L0tor is uwu poor baby who did nothing wrong", because yeah he had good intentions and he seemed to genuinely love Alura and care for Alteans but also he very much did do a lot of things Wrong. I am pretty sure a lot of his actions fall into category of Very Wrong
Lot0r to me is an absolute control freak, he has to be 10 steps ahead of everyone, he needs to be control of the situation no matter what. Whether it be through a silver tongue or by his blade (see N@rti's death, him vs White Lion). This is as much as a ruthless strategy as it is a trauma response. Being raised under Z@rkon, a father who only saw him as inferior half-bred, he had to learn survivor tactics. He will do anything to survive whether it be beg, lie, manipulate, and kill. He is a survivor of some genuinely godawful abuse he suffered for 10,000 years, combined with racism he suffered for being half altean
However this need to be in control extends to his allies and people he cares about. I am sure Lotor may have loved Alura, it doesnt change the fact that he very much abused her trust. Their entire relationship was based on a lie. He knew Alteans were still alive and not only did he not tell Alura about it he leaned into the "last survivors of Altea" for their relationship, which is why it was doomed since the beginning. And if it had not been this, then it would have been something else. Cause lying and manipulation are very much core of his character, that is how we are introduced to him
Like i see people going "Oh Lot0r could have been good if he had therapy and a hug", and i am not really not sure about it, cause like would he? Would he choose to be vulnerable and actually let his feelings out and be truthful in a an unbiased reliable way that will neither serve him in any way nor make him look better nor is a part of some machivilian scheme he cooked up because he doesnt trust the therapist he is paying? No
And thing is he does desire connection. He looks for connection in people who are similar to him. Half galran, altean survivors, Alura these are the people who he chose to get close to. He looks for similarities, people he can relate to, people who he sees as like him, people who he thinks can give him a sense of belonging. He is deeply lonely. However his desperation for control, absolute mistrust in anyone and everyone, and his inability to be actually honest dooms any relationship he'll ever have
Also this is probably just me, but for someone who is this morally complex character he has tendency to see things in black and white? Like it is His dad and empire= bad, alteans=good. He idolizes Altea to the point of seeing it as an Utopia, and this ideal was more important to him than any Alteans who are alive and with him. I also cant remember him ever caring about someone outside of the Dichotomy. Like at most i remember is after he became the emperor Lance pointing out how other planets need to be freed and he just brushed it off
Overall he gives me the "smart people dont always make good decisions, but they are good at justifying their bad ones" vibes. We dont know exactly why he decided to use alteans as batteries but i am choosing to go with my interpretation- "Lottor saw something fucked up in that future showing space whale thingy, decided the only way to solve was altean batteries except in true self fulfilling prophecy greek tragedy way it only made things worse and started a series of event that will cause the thing he saw causing real trouble a few years after his death.
Another thing! I think it should have been him being the focus of Evil Altean episode instead of A//ura. I hate that episode and everything it stands for but like if there Had to be an evil alteans episode then it should be around someone who is you know? Obsessed with Altean culture? Is big on control and manipulation? Is more geared towards big picture and "greater good" over individual? Is worried about turning into just like his galran father and so desperately wants to connect to his idealized version of his altean mother? Yeah
#empty answers#This is the type of shit that used to get you sniped from both sides of the shitty discourse back in ye old days#I probably have more thoughts but i also need to rewatch vld to have a clearer picture#Also i dont get when people say it was bad writing that he turned out traitor#Like it was handled in abhorent way but also- we are literally introduced to him manipulating an entire audience#The fuck yall mean yall thought he was genuine??#I used to like him but come on man#That was the most obvious disney twist villain if i have ever seen one#and vld writers are not smart enough to do something actually subversive#Also gonna be real with you while i do have a lot of thoughts of him i kinda also dont enjoy his character??#It is-how do i put it? A bit lame#Like the eps were going on about how he is this Most Complex Character and instead we have is-#a disney twist villain and sad anime backstory that is supposed to absolve him or something#I can think of so many villains/character that had similar aspects to him but were just Way Better#A convincingly manipulative man with black and white morality who thinks he is in the right even though his actions beg to differ?#B3los is right there#Villain who uses manipulation as a defense mechanism which only drive all their friends away? Grace monr0e and Sash Waybrigt#A tragedy who just wanted peace for his people only for things to spiral so horribly they destroyed the very people they sought to protect?#M0rdred pendrag0n hnoc my beloved <33#A hot villain who is morally reprehensible but is really hot? M3dusa G0rgon <3#And just. I think the problem is the writers wanted him to be all of those things and he ends up being none of them#Not to mention the plot armour. You mean to tell me he is being this obvious and yet no one suspected anything??#Yeah right. Detective!Hunk for the win!#Anyway sorry this is late and so rambly#Thanks for the ask!!!!#Anyone else reading this. This is just a personal opinion ok? No fights ok??
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