#also i don't mean to take away from his emotional arc

[myapothecarydiary]

Thoughts from reading The Apothecary Diaries Manga Ch. 3

An expansion on an idea presented last chapter–how Jinshi's appearance affects how others treat him and the potential seriousness of it. Don't want to take it too far, but could it be said that people treat him how women are often treated in real life? With cat-calling and such. Only there's a difference in the power dynamics at play as Jinshi is in a role of authority.

Here we are also getting more insight into Jinshi's internal life and thoughts, which present a notable contrast to how Maomao views him and the persona she has so far observed. He's not all charming smiles and sparkles, we see him contemplative and expressing a range of emotions.

As of now, though her intelligence is notable, you wouldn't say Maomao could check these boxes, but lineage + beauty + intelligence are qualifications I think we should keep in mind in relation to her character. Maomao low key has some princess raised as a peasant vibes going on. Maomao and "a sense of virtue" have a less clearcut relationship, but it will be a topic of conversation in the future.

I think it's easy to imagine that in a more typical story, Maomao might have a more Cinderella-like arc, a peasant gaining the attention/favor of the Emperor through beauty and kindness and I am once again reminded of how Maomao is valued first and foremost for her intelligence. She will be found to be beautiful, but her beauty did not gain her Jinshi's attention or her position as a lady-in-waiting.

Both Maomao and Jinshi think of the rear palace as a cage. I wonder if he considers it a cage for himself as well considering what he must do to occupy space there? Or is it simply the opposite–a path to freedom? Perhaps both?

Jinshi also recognizes the role he is to play, but that does not mean he supports all the actions he must take. Everything is not always what it seems. Like Maomao, Jinshi is pragmatic about his appearance and recognizes the value/power in his beauty, but he also seems to resent it to some degree and view it as a burden. Pragmatic but resigned.

Jinshi's pov on the entire concubine system is quite interesting. He seems to disapprove of how things are done (and how the consorts/women are treated?) Surely this clashes with his desire for the Emperor to secure an heir?

Is "the plan" the one regarding the aphrodisiac (and the mid-ranking concubine/military officer)? Or his wider plan regarding working in the rear palace?

I'm wondering about what exactly produces Jinshi's feelings of...let's call it "glee"? in regards to "using" Maomao and how useful she will prove to be. Is it that she entertains him? Excites what feels like a dull and monotonous life? Is it that he enjoys exercising power in this way? I feel it's more the former, especially since he next goes on to describe how she treats him differently than anyone else he has ever encountered. She is novel. And Jinshi, as someone used to people being taken with his beauty, enjoys how her reaction to him goes beyond being unaffected by his beauty to the point of being repelled by it.

It's interesting that Maomao can seem rather monotone and subdued (except when she's not–she is extremely expressive when it comes to what she is passionate about, like poison), but her face also often acts as a give away. (Is that just a Jinshi related thing?) I mentioned this in the previous chapter and how she skirts the line in terms of respectfulness in how her actions and expressions (and even tone) clash, but maybe she isn't really so successful in skirting the line if her expression is so obvious.

I find it interesting how the manga opts to adapt the idea of Maomao as a "new toy" for Jinshi–he is the one to think it and make that connection. Also lol at it having him explicitly state he's "not a masochist" because hmm there's an argument to be made that both he and Maomao derive pleasure from pain.

Maomao as intriguing to Jinshi feels important. I said that he values her knowledge and skills, and I suppose that + how she treats him differently than others do (+ him eventually seeing her as quite beautiful) forms the basis of his attraction to her. But her being intriguing also factors into that and reminds me of all the intrigue and mysteries Maomao (and Jinshi) get involved in. She herself is like a mystery to be solved (as is he to her as the story goes on!)

Maomao as a toy also speaks to how Jinshi uses her. Yes, she entertains him, but "toy" also connotes a power dynamic (and so part of the enjoyment does come from having power over her?) Maomao is of course later referred to as a cat, not to mention her actual name, and Maomao as Jinshi's pet seems like an apt way to describe their initial dynamic.

(oh no she fell down a (pet) rabbit hole) BUT I really think there is something to be said for considering Maomao and Jinshi through "pet" and all its various meanings. Only thing is Maomao is not tamed or domesticated XD (but maybe she'll trend in that direction as time goes on aka adapt to Jinshi's lifestyle and status?)

For now, Jinshi is the master and holds the power in a traditional sense, but he will also quickly develop affection and favoritism for Maomao (and wants her companionship!) + despite how the dynamic should work, Maomao will hold power over him in turn (as with actual cats, the question is who is really the master and I think the answer is both)

Cutie Maomao appreciation segue

The panacea is presented here as a bit of a segue itself and to show Maomao's enthusiasm + passion + dedication to medicine and experimentation, but it always feels like a weighted thing to drop, like it will be important later, at least symbolically/metaphorically. Perhaps it also works as the perfect intersection of Maomao's care for others + thirst for knowledge/curiosity.

Mini Maomao! A reminder of how petite she is and how that works along with her status (as a visual representation of it in contrast with characters higher up who tower over her). Another way she appears unassuming and is underestimated.

(also–yay Gaoshun is here!!)

In terms of Jinshi using Maomao vs Maomao using Jinshi– Jinshi's status enables Maomao access and freedom (that she wouldn't normally be afforded in her position and situation) through her connection to him. She is able to do work she enjoys and indulge her curiosities because of him.

Circling back to what I said earlier about how Maomao can seem subdued but is extremely expressive when it comes to what she is passionate about. And it actually goes beyond her facial expressions, her whole body is invigorated and taken over XD

Her blushing expression and body position at the top of that second page almost resembles a girl in love lol

It is an interesting adaptational choice to make Jinshi's expression kind of an unamused frown here–I wonder what to make of it. (We get it described as "He watched her with a mixture of curiosity and sheer bewilderment" in the light novel). Especially as it presents Maomao in a different light than he has seen her in so far.

It feels like Maomao is almost actively seeking reasons to criticize and dislike Jinshi (to justify the instinctual bad vibes she gets? And going off the fake-ness she picks up on. This can also demonstrate a general dislike of people in high positions and the behavior their status affords them) but also this moment illustrates her appreciation for hard work and competence. Not that Jinshi is doing anything admirable here, it is just that Maomao seems determined to (understandably) see the worst in him/leans into bad faith interpretations of his actions.

Paper and ice–I call this the collection of planting seeds for future storylines and topics. I love how we're given information that will be relevant later in a way that feels natural and factors into the world-building.

Things to add to Maomao's list of skills XD

Okay Miss Maomao getting distracted on the job! More of her getting invigorated by her passions and how they can take over her mind and focus. But also amusing considering her criticisms of Jinshi "having too much free time" (yes, she still washed the dishes and did work, but her attention was diverted and she lost track of time)

More of Maomao's skill set and add alcohol to the list of seeds for the future (and lol @ everyone's reactions to her late night snack plans "what weird shit is this girl into?")

"Alcohol can be categorized as a type of medicine. The more sensitive a person is to a particular drug, the greater the impact." Not just a seed but add it to the pile of potential poison/medicine symbolism

More lol @ Maomao. I said her upbringing in the pleasure district serves her well in the rear palace, but it (in addition to her apothecary background) also give her a unique and potentially off-putting outlook. This whole scenario can go to show how in spite of her regard for propriety, Maomao doesn't always behave how she "should."

More of how Maomao frames Jinshi–"anyone would be attracted to him but to me, he is a worm." Does Maomao's familiarity with beauty make it somewhat ineffective on her? She makes the connection here about how Jinshi's beauty could be a burden (or not just harmful to others but to himself).

I also enjoy how a blushing Jinshi is described as being enough "to make anyone lose their head" when Maomao often says she does things/follows orders because she wants to keep her head attached to her body (aka not be executed).

Jinshi's attractiveness to both men and women is both a nod to varying sexualities and how he in a way transcends a binary understanding of gender presentation. I think it is interesting how Maomao is so blunt and matter-of-fact about people's attraction, to Jinshi and in general.

Similarly, I love this (repeated) matter-of-fact outlook on aphrodisiacs and pleasure from Maomao (it is almost non-judgmental but also emphasizes safety).

Alright, guess who used too many images and so has to continue this post elsewhere for the very end of the chapter...

#kusuriya no hitorigoto #the apothecary diaries #kusuriya no hitorigoto manga #the apothecary diaries manga #analysis #thoughts #maomao #jinshi #jinmao #jinshi x maomao #tad manga #manga #annotations #tad manga chapter 3 #chapter 3

[fortheloveofarchons]

My opinions on Sunday from Honkai: Star Rail

C.W. Contains spoilers after the 2.2 Honkai: Star Rail Trailblazer Quest + theories and lore

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I kinda agree with his philosophies and thinking... to some extent...

Okay hear me out!!!

We all know by now that Sunday's whole motive is to protect everyone and ensure that they won't have to suffer anymore (like when he states that he wants everyone to have seven rest days). I can empathise with his character so much, as someone who (as ridiculous and cowardly as it sounds) is afraid to face the harsh realities of life. I mean, even if he's set as a villain, he is as gentle and empathetic as his sister Robin, just that they both express it differently.

Seeing the cutscenes of him and Robin from their past to the present was just so immersive, because Sunday brings up some very demoralizing and harsh situations that he faced back then, and we, the audience, can understand and relate to struggling to cope with his disappointment, frustration, grief, and anger - all while often having little to no power to change things.

From the way Sunday is acting, he seems more like a traumatised parental figure (as we've seen the reason why Robin has to wear excessive neck accessories due to her being shot) who cannot let go and provide his care and safe environment for his loved ones.

Moreover, his ideologies felt surreal as I myself would take that path since I can relate to his trauma and ideals (and also as someone who has a sibling too)

His viewpoint is understandable, but...

Taking away the basic right of an individual's free will for safety is always a controversial issue.

As Himeko once called out Sunday, she states that he's just going to trap everyone in a bird cage through eternal slumber, which robs them their freedom and agency.

Plus, from what Robin said, if Sunday's plan worked, he's going to hurt himself too. Because Sunday will be in charge of everything and everyone, he won't even have time to rest, causing his body and mind to be exhausted to the bone (maybe possible cause his mind and body to corrode cause he needs to rest at one point)

Moreover, Firefly made a good point disapproving Sunday's point that he should not assume just because someone is weak doesn't mean that they should automatically escape to fantasy. It is up to you to be strong so you can fly into the sky, and that not everyone who is weak should be weak.

I remember someone commenting on Youtube stating that Sunday protects Robin so much, that Sunday doesn't even know how to protect himself for facing the outside world. It's kind of ironic considering that Sunday is supposed to be the protective, influential type of characters in Penacony, yet he barely knows how to fly. Robin, however, took the opportunity to spread her philosophies of Harmony and influence others in reality.

In conclusion, Sunday has the right idea, it's just that he has a terrible execution. But I know that there are some people who don't mind, I've been on Instagram to see a lot of people agreeing with his views... yes I'm talking about all those sunday stans cause I've seen a lot from them

(I ain't complaining plz we need more Sunday content!!!)

I mean-- in reality I wouldn't agree; but in this story, I would agree with him. (if we don't consider my simping and bias because that has the most influence)

Honestly, I'm hoping he gets a redemption arc because I really love him (I personally wouldn't mind if Sunday gets the Wanderer treatment from Genshin Impact if it means that Sunday will be playable), and hoping that he is really alive (as stated by the leakers that Sunday has a bunch of specific codes and emotion codes that's exclusive to playable characters).

That said, may we Sunday havers have more Sunday content and playable Sunday in the future!!! I'm gonna write a fic for Sunday so stay tuned!!

Let me know what you guys think of Sunday! Do you think he'll get redeemed? Playable? Alive?

PETITION TO MAKE EVERYDAY SUNDAYYY!!!!!!

#honkai star rail #star rail #penacony #sunday hsr #honkai star rail sunday #robin hsr #robin honkai star rail #trailblazer #caelus hsr #stelle hsr #hsr lore #hsr theory

[cantshinebrighterthanyou]

I think Ricky's arrival at camp has a layer to it that I haven't really seen discussed yet, that makes the Rina forshadowing almost more deliberate?

Maybe it's the fact that I've been hung up on the Rina slowburn, but I was expecting the payoff to the 'Lily has the harness'-plotline to take a little while. At the earliest, as a cliffhanger for the end of E01. But no - Ricky and Lily lasted from the last (two?) eps of S2 to only halfway though the first of S3.

If they were gonna rush the Ricky and Lily plotline this much, why include it at all? Because they needed Ricky to be almost a day late to camp. Late enough to arrive after EJ has been appointed director, so that Ricky could be there for the "Who said anybody would?" moment.

We all knew Ricky/Lily was going to be a plot device, but it turned out to be the direct set up for the heaviest rina forshadowing we've ever had and I am so here for it.

#hsmtmts #ricky x gina #rina #hsmtmts meta #hope this made sense #also i don't mean to take away from his emotional arc #obvs it was also setup for ricky to finally feel free and like himself again #the driving montage and song were important to his character arc #but if they didn't need Ricky to show up in that moment I feel like they could have started E02 with the driving montage or something? #the harness had so much build up over at least 3 episodes from coming up with the idea to it being stolen and having to improvise #so if they resolved it that quickly to me that means they had a very good reason to #needing ricky to be in the right place at the right time #the musical the series the tumblr tag

[corbinite]

watched through steven universe future for the first time almost two weeks ago and I still feel kinda messed up about it

#mine #personal #su future spoilers in the tags below #I weirdly saw myself in a lot of what he was going through #don't fully know where that came from #the part where he runs away to jasper and Changed in particular kind of took me out of my body #I mean I can be kind of suggestible and prone to identity disturbance so there's very likely at least an element of that here #but still #there were just some notes there that hit in a weird and uncomfortable way #also the part where he was mad at his dad and all his dad could focus on was how that fit into his own projection of how things should go #and it just made him madder #I can understand why I reacted to that part at least #(my dad turned into the kind of person I can talk to about trauma AFTER the chance to actually process it right had already expired) #(and he tells me whenever it comes up that if I want to just yell at him I can do it I can just yell at him and he'll take it) #(and I already know that wouldn't help me) #(there's certain things that can't really be fixed and there's just nothing to do but move forward) #(especially cause so much of the source of the trauma is a distant memory by now) #(so even if the emotional scars are still there what would I even yell about when I barely remember the events any more) #anyway yeah I understand why steven got so pissed at greg about wanting him to rebel #also I think the arc where steven sought out jasper unearthed some of my self esteem issues re: my history of anger #there's a darkness inside of me sometimes I scare myself yada yada insert shadow hedgehog jpeg #but yeah when I say that arc took me out of my body I mean it KNOCKED me out and I'm still sort of re-sewing my soul back in place #discombobulated as all hell #did more talking in the tags than I expected here

[robynrocksforbrains]

Mike Wheeler is important and there's nothing wrong with analyzing him

Since y'all wanna be insufferable bitches about it I'm gonna explain to you why he's important, why Will loves him, why his struggles should be acknowledged, and why his character depth is pivotal to byler endgame being a satisfying conclusion for both Mike AND Will. Deal with it!

We are not seeing smoke where there isn't a flame. We are seeing smoke where there is a literal fucking forest fire.

Starting off with something a lot of people aren't ready for but I've seen more people talking about: Mike is the main character of s1 at the very least. He is the character that brings us into the world of stranger things. He is the character that the writers chose for this. Mike is the main character of s1 and it was an instant hit. The writers love Mike. Contrary to popular belief, giving a character an arc where they are struggling and their behavior changes from what is normal for the character we know and love does NOT mean the writers hate that character. It means they deliberately chose to give that character complexity and depth. Your inability to like characters that do anything wrong ever is not the fault of the writers. Your decision to act as if a character is not important is not reflective of the actual narrative because it in fact is in direct opposition to the narrative. So just to be clear, if you genuinely believe that Mike isn't important, or that the writers hate him, or don't care about him, or that his story "takes away" from any other character's - ESPECIALLY WILL'S - you are simply wrong.

In s1 and s2 Mike is established as an extremely caring person. He's loving, loyal, brave, intelligent, and trying his best. He is also established to be hot headed, someone who speaks without thinking quite often, someone who is capable of hurting his friends despite that being the last thing he wants to do. He is all of these things and more. He is a human. He is a kid. So in s3, when suddenly he is entirely different, it is completely logical to assume that there is a reason for that. He did not just wake up one day and decide he wanted to be an asshole, push Will away, make his friends feel abandoned, and echo the same sentiments their bullies held. Something is happening with him. He has so much going on in his head and it is painfully obvious. He's holding something in, he's hiding from everyone and from himself. We see glimpses of what he's trying to hide after Will calls him out on his behavior. Will gets through to him. Mike is usually unresponsive to tough love, except for when it's coming from Will. After their fight, it is obvious that he's trying to be better. But he still doesn't wanna face certain things, and he doesn't know how to navigate that. Because he's 13 years old.

There is a reason for all of that internal conflict. There is a reason it comes pouring out of him at certain times. He's crumbling. He is quite literally falling apart because he's holding on to too much. It's not a stretch to assume that, it just takes basic media literacy. Why would the writers have Mike act this way if he was just supposed to be a one dimensional character? Why would Finn be directed to portray Mike the way he does if there was nothing more going on? There are times where Mike looks like he's in physical pain because of his internal conflict. There is a reason for that. And acknowledging that DOES NOT mean people are taking away from Will. That's the most idiotic thing I have ever heard. Do y'all seriously not understand that more than one character can have emotionally complex storylines? Genuinely asking, is this a new concept for you?

Will's love for Mike

Will is head over heels in love with Mike. That is very much established. So when you're dismissing the emotional depth of Mike's individual arc because you think acknowledging it "takes away from Will" you are actually diminishing the significance of a huge aspect of Will's emotional arc. By taking away the significance of Mike, you take away from the significance of Will.

Let's do a quick recap of the very significant role Mike has played in Will's entire life:

Mike is Will's first friend.

They have grown up together and it can be assumed that they've reached important milestones together.

Mike has always been a safe person for Will. He's been a constant in Will's very chaotic and unfair life. Until the summer of '85, Mike had always been something good in Will's life. (That's not to say he is no longer something good, but it can be assumed that the summer of '85 is the first time Mike has been a causal factor in Will's unhappiness)

When Will went missing, Mike did not hesitate to search for him. It wasn't even a question of if. The moment he knew Will was missing he knew exactly what he'd be doing that night. He spearheaded the search amongst the party. He was the leader.

When Will came back, Mike was the only person that didn't treat him like he was gonna break. He cared for him, and he was there for him, but he didn't treat him differently; Will tells us as much. Which means we can infer that the way Mike was with Will in s2 - how gentle and loving he was - was nothing new. He had just always been like that.

When Will was possessed, Mike stayed by his side. Even when it was scary, even when it could've gotten him killed, he stayed. Because once again, for him, it wasn't even a question. That's just where he knew he needed to be. He was in the shed when they were trying to get through to Will. He was set apart from Lucas and Dustin, but he also wasn't equated to family. And his retelling of the story of the day they first met was the final push Will needed to find a way to communicate.

After a year of things being "weird" between them, Mike tells Will that he didn't deserve to be treated the way he had been. Mike tells him that he wants them to be okay again, and for the rest of the season he puts in the work.

Things get rough in s3, and at the beginning of s4, and despite all of that, Will confesses his love (albeit veiled). In a moment where Mike is feeling awful about himself, he tells him that he loves him and needs him, and he tells him why. And to him it doesn't matter that he's breaking his own heart to do it, because it's Mike. Mike, who makes him feel like he's not a mistake at all, and that he's better for being different. For Will, there was no other option. The person he loves was hurting and he knew how to help, and so he did.

Mike is the first person Will tells about Vecna still being alive. Because they're back to being a team. He knows he can trust Mike, and Mike seems to be very determined to prove him right.

SO.

These are all real and canon aspects of Mike's presence in Will's life. Will falling in love with Mike isn't something that just happened for no reason. Will fell in love with Mike because of who Mike is. When you acknowledge that, and when you acknowledge the reasons they've set out for why Will loves him - the reasons Will literally told us - you can better understand Will. But when you dismiss all of these things about Mike, you are dismissing a large portion of Will's emotional and romantic arc. You aren't being a Will Warrior. You are erasing so much of him and his feelings and his lived experience. That is not the hill you wanna die on.

Will loves a person. Not a feeling. Yes, he says that Mike makes him feel like he's not a mistake and that he's better for being different. But that's not why he loves him. He feels that way because he loves him.

Mike is a fully fleshed out character with his own feelings and struggles and fears and traumas and motivations. He's not a plot device. He's not just an accessory to Will's arc. He's not a character that was written only to be Will's love interest. He's Will's love interest because he's Mike.

If Mike didn't matter, and if Mike didn't play a significant role in byler, then they would be able to write in a love interest for Will in s5 and have it be somewhat satisfying. But they can't do that. Will's love for Mike has so much depth because Mike has so much depth. It is genuinely crazy that this has to be stated and that I have to back up this claim because it is simply a canon fact.

So yes, the rain fight affects Mike's character development and his involvement in it is important. Yes, the van scene literally could not exist without Mike and therefore his involvement in it is incredibly important. Yes, every single byler moment has an impact on Mike, and Mike has an impact on it because they are BYLER moments. Yes, Mike will have a lot of significant moments - with Will AND on his own - in s5 because his arc deserves and needs as much attention as Will's in order to execute byler endgame in a satisfying way.

No, none of these facts negate Will's importance or take away from his story. If anything, they add to it because Mike and Will's arcs are corresponding and intertwined.

Mike's struggles

To name a few

Dysfunctional family

Has been bullied his entire life

Extreme self worth issues

Inferiority complex

Hero complex

Lack of self preservation

Suicidal ideation (has been on display since SEASON ONE)

Internalized homophobia

To get this out of the way: Mike's internalized homophobia is allowed to be discussed. Discussion of it is not the dismissal of Will's internalized homophobia. Surprise surprise, two queer kids in the 80s have internalized homophobia! Who'd'a thunk it?! Their internalized homophobia presents in different ways but it is there for both of them. I personally relate to the way Mike's is portrayed way more than I relate to Will's. So why is it that we can't discuss it without being accused of erasing Will's experience? Or without people saying that we're "copy and pasting" Will's story? Because quite frankly, that feels dismissive of my - and likely many others' - real and lived experience. So please for the love of all things that are good just stop with this talking point because it will never hold up.

Moving on

I'm not gonna do a full breakdown of all of Mike's issues. Because contrary to popular belief, there are a lot. And that would be exhausting and I'd get carried away and it's not the point of this post. The point of this post is to defend the acknowledgement and mere existence of them.

If you're a byler that for some reason thinks Mike only exists to be Will's love interest and his trophy as compensation for his trauma, let me ask you this: Have you considered how awful it would be to have a queer character's individuality and emotional depth completely ignored for the sake of focusing on the queer character that "really matters"?

If Mike's own issues, with his queer identity and otherwise, aren't thoroughly explored... What's the point of all this? If Mike really is insignificant in this storyline and his individuality has no effect on it.. where's the emotional payoff? If his perspective doesn't matter... Why have the writers gone to such great lengths to ensure we don't have that piece of the puzzle yet?

Analyzing Mike and understanding Mike is very important to understanding byler. Once again, I think it's crazy that this needs to be said.

I also think it's important to note that characters can have similar struggles. There's no rule against that. Just like real life. Characters having similar struggles is not a bad thing, and acknowledging that their struggles are similar is not dismissive of either character. We're talking about STRANGER THINGS. Jonathan and Nancy's thing is "we've got shared trauma". They have literal matching scars. Shared experiences are some of the main building blocks for this show's romances. Byler has a TON of shared experience, basically their entire lives. We already know that. So wouldn't it be so beautiful for them to learn that they've been struggling with the same thing this whole time? That the entire time they felt alone in what they were going through when really they had each other and they never even knew it? Wouldn't it be so beautiful for Mike's acceptance of Will and Will's love for him was also a step toward accepting himself? Wouldn't it be beautiful for Will to learn that his love makes Mike feel like he's not a mistake? None of that would be in the realm of possibility if Mike didn't have emotional depth and if his individuality wasn't important.

And that leads me to my concluding point...

A satisfying execution of byler endgame hinges on Mike's individual emotional arc being handled well

God I hope this isn't controversial to say. I sincerely hope most people haven't forgotten that.

Here's a hypothetical:

Imagine season five has been released. You're watching it, and you notice that Mike has been relegated to just a supporting character for Will. We don't get any of his perspective. We don't get any explanation for his s3 and early s4 behavior. His breakup with El doesn't have any real tangible effect on him, it's really just used for El's character development. We never see him pining for Will like we saw Will pining for him. And then suddenly Mike is learning about the painting and then suddenly he's confessing his love and then suddenly byler is canon and official.

Now wouldn't that just be awful? Wouldn't that be unfair to the audience, to Mike, and to Will? For us to never learn just how much Mike had to go through to even be able to say it out loud? For Mike to never get the chance to prove to himself through word and action that he is the heart? For Will to never get an explanation for why things did get so "weird" between them? It would leave us with one big, nagging question: What was the point of everything Mike has said and done throughout the entire show if his conclusion is that lackluster?

Disregarding Mike for a moment (I know that's incredibly ironic given what the entire point of this is but just bear with me) - how would that be a satisfying conclusion for Will? I mean, Will's s4 arc was basically dedicated to showcasing his struggle with his sexuality and with his love for Mike. We were shown just how deep that love is. We were shown how patient, unselfish, unwavering, and beautiful that love is. So how would it be satisfying for Mike's love for him to not be shown with just as much depth? How would it be satisfying for Mike to just be a one dimensional character whose s5 arc is essentially "break up with girlfriend, wait to find out best friend is in love with him, say he loves him back, then they live happily ever after"? I think Will deserves for his love to be returned with the same intensity at which he gives it. And I think it should be clear to the audience and to Will himself.

Back to Mike!

Mike has been through so much shit. I don't think anyone that is denying that actually believes he hasn't been through shit. Because you'd actually have to watch the show on mute and with your eyes closed to think this kid hasn't had just the worst time. It's so ignorant to act as if this stuff hasn't affected him. There's stuff we've seen but there's stuff we also haven't seen. There are issues he has that date back to his childhood pre-canon. Just like Will, Mike has been a queer kid growing up in 80s smalltown conservative america. Acknowledging the pain he 100% carries because of that is so important. His perspective has been withheld from us, not because it's unimportant, but because it's the final puzzle piece. If we had Mike's perspective in s4, byler wouldn't be a "will they won't they" (even though we all know they will). If we got his perspective in s4, byler would be a "100% certain without a doubt they will". But the thing about his perspective is that it's so much more than just loving Will. It's fear. It's pain. It's insecurity. It's doubt. It's the belief that his happiness just doesn't matter all that much. All of that has to be explored. All of that has to be laid out in the open for us in order for byler endgame to feel earned. Mike's emotional payoff will lead to byler's emotional payoff.

Mike has known he loves Will. In s5 we will see him make a deliberate and active effort to overcome the things keeping him from doing something about it. And then he will do something about it.

And so when it finally happens. When both Mike and Will finally know that their feelings are requited, and when their arcs end with us knowing that they will face whatever life has in store for them together, that will feel earned. That will feel like the logical conclusion for both of them. Not just for Mike. Not just for Will. For both.

And Mike is just as important to that conclusion as Will is.

And one last thing...

Some people are going to talk about Mike more. Some people are going to talk about Will more. Because newsflash, people have preferences. Some people just relate to Mike more, or they find his emotional arc extremely compelling, or they just like him. It isn't an attack on Will or any other character. No one is saying Mike is more important than any other character (I'm sure there are people that say that but they are a vocal minority and they are simply wrong). We are just saying that he is important. If you wanna engage in media analysis, please understand that "main character" or "central character" does not mean "only important character" and "only character that should be analyzed". If you wanna talk about Will and only Will, that's fine. But you don't get to act like people that talk about other characters are doing a disservice to your fave, because that's not how any of this works.

#mike defenders i need you to back me up on this #i hope my points come across well #anyway #the way people have been talking about mike lately is so infuriating #its called BYLER analysis because its the analysis of BYLER the ship involving will AND mike #st fandom consistently proving that they have absolutely no idea how fandom works #its almost like people wanna talk about things they care about and you dont get to tell them to shut up #if you dont wanna see people talking about mike you can just mute tags about him #but if you dont wanna talk about mike youre missing a huge part of the byler puzzle and thats your loss #please just let people discuss whatever they want to discuss as long as its not ACTUALLY harmful #sometimes i think y'all are allergic to fun #byler #mike wheeler #mike wheeler analysis #will byers #< this is about him too #byler analysis #byler endgame #stranger things

[lenaellsi]

i've mentioned this before and it's a Hot Take maybe but. i don't think it's fair at all to characterize crowley's "you and me, what do you say?" speech from s2 as being equivalent to "fuck the earth run away with me to the stars right now" a la season 1

i guess i can see why it might come off that way, with gabriel and beelzebub having just left and crowley drawing the comparison to them, but a lot of people have sort of extrapolated from that this dichotomy where suddenly aziraphale is the one who cares about saving the world and crowley only cares about himself and aziraphale. and while i think crowley certainly prioritizes their mutual safety and is more likely to get spooked when faced with threats from heaven (i wonder why) crowley also loves earth?? he talks about it all the time.

the last time there was an apocalypse, crowley was the one who proposed saving the world, and he had to talk aziraphale into it. and like...he was planning breakfast at the ritz, wasn't he? he didn't want to leave. obviously "you can't leave this bookshop" meant "you can't leave me," but it also LITTLE bit meant the bookshop, and earth.

the circumstances of s1 were very different than the end of s2. crowley only wanted to run in s1 when 1) the end was about 4 hours away, 2) from his POV he and aziraphale had no idea where the antichrist was, so they wouldn't be able to stop anything even if they did stay to die with the humans, 3) aziraphale was about to Talk To Heaven the same way crowley tried to before the Fall, 4) demons were actively pursuing him for purposes of torture and annihilation. and in the end, he STILL stayed.

idk. if we're going to give aziraphale the benefit of the doubt for the Many Things he said in that convo, then i think we can afford to give crowley the benefit of the doubt that "we need to get away from them" and "go off together" might mean something more along the lines of "please don't go back to heaven, stay with me, it can be the two of us against them all." THAT was what crowley's emotional arc this season was leading to, with the flashbacks and his big revelation in ep 5, the same way aziraphale's was leading to leaving. every single one of the flashbacks had crowley choosing to help someone else at great personal risk--why would that lead to the conclusion that he actually wants to leave without trying to help? (of course, he did want to abandon gabriel. but I don't think that was even a little bit irrational after aziraphale's failed execution. walking away from the heavenly host who has done nothing but hurt both of them is not the same as walking away from earth. it's still a problem--ignoring heaven and hell will not, ultimately, fix anything--but again, it's not the same as abandoning humanity on a whim.)

TL;DR I don't think it's a fair reading to say that crowley's proposed solution to The Heaven And Hell Problem is "fuck humanity, let's give up." i think he was proposing working together against heaven and hell with the option of an exit strategy if everything went wrong, which is what he ALWAYS tries to do. (see: arrangement + holy water.) his need for an escape route and his tendency to prepare for the worst is something that is definitely hindering him in, for example, his relationship with aziraphale, but it also makes sense. because, you know. the last time he tried doing anything about heaven he got his wings lit on fire. so.

#good omens #good omens season 2 #gos2 spoilers #crowley #good omens meta #call me a crowley stan but it's not fair to him to say that he doesn't care about anything but himself and aziraphale. he cares so much. #he didn't have to help job's kids. he didn't have to help elspeth. but he did #even though hell punished him for it when he got caught in edinburgh #he went back up and continued to do things his own way #but he also asked aziraphale for insurance. that's how crowley operates #push and push and push until you cross the line #and then run like hell to try to get out of the fire

[casmick-consequences]

i rewatched the finale just now, and I have some thoughts.

mainly, i want to thank taika and david for this wonderful show that's brought me immense joy this last month, and i'll always take it with me no matter if we manage to get a third season or not.

did i like the finale? yes, i really did. did i think it was very rushed, had weird scene placements and could've gone with another episode to even things out? also yes.

as far as izzy goes (and this is where it gets extremely controversial knowing how much this fandom loves him); i am actually glad his storyline ended here.

this entire season, we got to enjoy him and we got to see his redemption arc. from someone who is obsessed with this monster of a being, to someone who learns to come into his own, away from all the toxicity and poison. he gets to find out more about himself, and with that grow closer to the people around him and allow himself to have friends. a family, even. would i have loved to see him live a full life like this? definitely. but story-wise, this is a perfect ending for him. "you born alone, you die alone" he said, and then he passed peacefully surrounded by his family and in the arms of not blackbeard, but edward.

i need the people of this fandom to understand that just because your favorite character died, doesn't mean that it instantly turns into a bad show/season/whatever. you have to look outside of your bias, and instead of going "no fuck this show because i did not want him to die" you could go "i am incredibly sad that he died but i'm so happy to have known him and to have him in my life". it's a show, the character isn't going away simply because he died.

but then again, izzy didn't mean as much as he did to the majority of you and i don't wanna go around telling people how to feel, because feelings and emotions are real and if he meant a lot to you then yes, of course you're hurt. and that's 100% completely valid. just don't take it out on the rest of the show and the show writers (saw some ppl say that nasty things were being tweeted at djenkins and that's not ok. at all.)

idk, even after watching it twice i feel kinda... weird.... like too much happened in little time. but i am OVERJOYED that lucius and pete got to have their little wedding <3333 they're mateys!!!! i just wish it wasn't over in 30 seconds, as well as completely overshadowed by izzy's death 2 minutes before.

but i do think the finale had some GREAT bits in it. even if most of it felt rushed, there was comedy, emotion, romance, GREAT kisses (the way gentlebeard was handled in this episode made me very giddy!!)..... it just always delivers.... and watching this with everything else that happened in s2 I can safely say that this might be my favorite season of any show out there.

once again; THANK you taika and david <3 love youuu

#ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd s2 #ofmd season 2 #ofmd s2 spoilers #izzy hands #taika waititi #david jenkins #ofmd 2x08 #ofmd spoilers #ofmd 2x08 spoilers

[matenrou-fan]

suddenly i remember the days of obey me

domestic partner hcs with lucifer, diavolo, and asmo???

mischievous and silly arc is over, fluffy and domestic begins - ✨💅

Domestic HC with Lucifer, Diavolo, and Asmo with NB! s/o

omg hi ✨💅 anon!! I didn't know you were also in OM! ik you ask for some fluff, yet I ended up spicing everything with angst.. tell me why I get so carried away omg 💀💀

NBreader, fluff, just wholesome stuff, mention of alcohol, also kinda angsty in Diavolo's part and suggestive in Asmo's part??

-If you were able to get so deep in his heart, he will never let you go now. I'm meaning it not only in some jealous possessive way, but in some overprotective one too.

-He's already lost enough in his life, so you're too precious for him now, and Luci is ready to protect you from anything, with all possible ways.

-Well but it didn't mean he would save you from his brothers and all this cacophony they make. He would never admit but one of the reasons why he falls for you so much is your ability to get into this trouble and then find the most ridiculous way to get out of this.

-Acting like all these things annoys him but really loves to see these little accidents and take part in it too. (Also, of course Luci wouldn't scold you as hard as he scolds his brothers after this.)

-"What do you mean this idiot again got into some debts?" - your boyfriend sighs, disappointed, as you are sitting on his office, telling him another story about Mammon and his and yours adventures. - "There's no way he would ever get mature, for demon's sake.."

"But don't you actually love it?" - you can't help but giggle, clearly see as the corners of his lips lift a little. - "There's no way you don't adore Mammon the way he is.."

Lucifer just scoffs again. You're really lucky that he's your boyfriend, cause he would kill right in place anyone else who would say something like that.

"I just got used to such behavior.." - another small sigh as he looks away with a light blush. What great magic do you possess that Avatar of Pride himself just can't hide his true emotions? It's like bright colors appear on his face against his will..

-It's actually surprising how soft Lucifer can be when no one else is around, just you and him in his office or bedroom..

-Only you have a privilege to see his relaxed face after a long day. Your presence is enough for your boyfriend to calm down, and all thoughts about paperwork and other problems fade away as soon as your gazes meet. The uncontrollable urge to pepper your whole face in kisses is the only thing in his mind now.

-Absolutely love gentle kisses, especially in moments like that, when Lucifer too drained after another loud day in House of Lamentation. All he needs now is to feel your generous care, your tender love, as your light touches soothe his tensed muscles.

-I don't want to say he suddenly would stop teasing you - Luci still absolutely adores how quickly your face turns red after a few of his commentaries.

-Just, even though he loves something burning and passionate in your relationship, he adores some cozy peace too. It helps the bond between you two get stronger as your souls get closer to each other, while some wild naughty games keep this initial feeling in your hearts glowing bright.

-So yes, he can be all lovey-dovey, but only in private. When outside Lucifer prefers more 'serious' touches - his arm resting on your waist, caressing it through the fabric, or his hand on your shoulder as he pushes you closer to himself in a crowded corridor. Lucifer just absolutely loves to brag off about you being so close to him through these actions..

-Demons who usually get to talk with you always avoid you when you're with your boyfriend, and you wonder why. Well, maybe if you would turn and look up at Lucifer's face you would realize, but he manages to change his expression to a calm and smuggy one every time you try to do this.

"Is something wrong? You keep looking at me with such an amusing face.." - he always chuckles, enjoying your frustration.

"Nothing.. Just sometimes it feels like you have some sort of vibe that frightens everyone off.." - you mumble in response.

"Mm? Vibe? I think I can say it's just my prideful aura.. You know, not everyone can get too close to someone as omnipotent as me.." - oh, of course. It wouldn't have been Lucifer if he hadn't started bragging a little, showing his prideful side. Yet you just chuckle, teasing him a little bit:

"Oh? And then how high-powered I am if I get so close?"

".. you had another sort of power.. I would prefer to say 'charm', actually, that makes everyone around you engrossed by this.." - Despite you hoping to make your boyfriend flustered, his words tickle your heart and make you blush a little again. - "But among all of them, you chose me.. Doesn't that mean we are a perfect, powerful couple..?"

-Lucifer always has some poetic words to make you shy and giggly, but he absolutely adores you when you tease him too. It's a game for both sides, isn't it? So he wants to see what you have for him in store too.

-And if you are able to make him flustered (that is more easily done when you two are alone, and he shows his sensitive side), it's just a wonderful view - light red color perfectly suits his face, and the way his perpetually furrowed brows arch slightly, making his gaze so alluring and sensual.. You can't help but finish Lucifer off, cooing at him for being so cute and adorable. Extra points if you would pepper his face with kisses between your little compliments.

-He just can't help but being a big softie around you. You're cold? Here, take his coat. Or maybe your arms shiver under such wind? Of course you can borrow his gloves too. Seeing you enjoying his clothes makes him happy, and it also strokes his ego very much as he kinda sees it as marking.

-But what actually makes his heart melt and swell is seeing you early in the morning in his shirt. Lucifer is not a morning demon, yet he always wakes up in a more high mood if you spend the night in his room and greets him in such an outfit.

"Good morning.. I just wanted to go to the kitchen and make you coffee.." - you chuckle, watching the sleepy yet pleasant face of your boyfriend. His casual styled hair is so messy, but it just makes him look even hotter.

"Good morning.. I wouldn't mind such a treat right in the morning.. " - Lucifer also chuckled, placing his hand on your waist and moving you closer to himself in a warm hug. - "But I do hope you will go like that? Only in my shirt?"

"Ahh, you want your brothers to be jealous?" - you giggle, burying your fingers in black locks and messing with his hair a little. And of course Lucifer wouldn't move away, as your soft palm on his forehead and playful fingers are very enjoyable. - "Want me to bring some sweets along with coffee?"

"Mm.. No, you don't need to." - he furrowed his brows for a moment before smirking, moving his lazy gaze from yours eyes to your lips. - "After all, you can provide me with another tasteful treat, don't you think..?"

-It feels like you moved from your room to his now, as more than half nights you spend here. Even if your boyfriend is too busy with some paperwork and can't pay you that much attention before sleep, your persistence helps him work without any distractions, as he didn't feel that stressed about this bunch of documents.

-Uh.. But can I actually say 'without any distractions'..? As sometimes, as you sit near him, you can't help but tickle him a little, he places your arm on his one.. You do know he's busy, but you also know your lover too well and can see when he needs a small break.

-And Lucifer absolutely adores how you spoil him with some tea or coffee, or cheering him up with a few kisses, telling that work is almost done and he should keep it up just a little. He's playful, teasing you about what kind of reward he will get from his precious human, but deep in his soul he's grateful for this. Nothing can keep him moving (not only in the sense of documentation) as much as you and your soft smile..

"Here.. You should be thankful that I was able to sneak into the kitchen and steal this from Beel.." - your soft giggle tickles his heart as you place a small plate with tarts and a warm cup of coffee near him.

"I'm sure his plate was full of baking so he wouldn't mind if you take one.." - Lucifer chuckled, moving a little from the table with a tired sigh. - "But thank you anyways.."

"You're welcome. Just finish your report as fast as you can, okay? I'm kinda lonely.." - you mumble but your boyfriend clearly sees that you are just acting. But even knowing it, he still falls for your games, letting you toying with his heart.

"Of course, darling.. But only if you would share some of your energy with me.." - he patted his lap, inviting you to sit down. Having you so close, being able to smell your genteel fragrance, your sweet perfume, feeling your warmth.. His whole face tells you how much he needed it right now.

"Oh, are you trying to say I'm more powerful than you and should take charge of my precious boyfriend..?" - you can't help but giggle, enjoying his weakness in front of you.

"This is not really what I meant.. You just have some magic bent to fill me with determination.." - Lucifer's smuggy smile gets wider as you sit on his lap, leaning to his chest. He immediately hugs your waist with his hand, another strokes your cheeks as he makes you look up at him.

"Darling.. S/o.. I love you."

-Be ready to be pampered like a high royalty.

-Well, because you ARE a high royalty, don't you think? If you decided to engage in a relationship with Diavolo, that means you're serious about this, right? Cause he is.

-Despite his goofy careless behavior, he does appreciate you near him on a deep, serious level. After all, he is the future King of Devildom, he can be humorless while making great plans that indulge you in his life.

-So he's willing to take you with him anywhere. He doesn't care about your status as an ordinary human or just an exchange student, Dia will take you to different formal evenings, parties and meetings.

-Of course he would prepare you for this, buying all outfits that you want, sponsoring any of your wishes, so you would look stunning every evening, lighting up big rooms of his castle brighter than any lamps and candles can.

-Well, but it's only if you want to join all of these things. It's a big part of Dia's life and he does understand that you need to show up here, as his partner, yet if you are not comfortable, he would never push you into this. Just be more stubborn when it's a really important event or if it's something he finds fascinatingly interesting and really wants you to see.

-Diavolo just knows how to make this puppy's eyes, almost begging with his whole body and actions, as he is trying to persuade you for another soiree.

"It would be just an amazing evening..!" - he swears, holding your hands in his big and warm ones. - "But not that amazing if you won't go.."

"Dear, I know you wanted me to go, but I'm gonna be kinda busy.." - you sigh but without rancor, as it actually was kinda amusing to see Lord of Demons himself clinging to you so much. It almost feels like he's ready to drop to his knees.

"But there's gonna be your favorite meal..!"

"And I'm sure you have some paperwork to do, don't you?" - ignoring his demands, you just chuckle. - "Barbatos wouldn't let you go out this evening, Dia.."

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you would agree to accompany me.. I was hoping to spend this evening together with you, dancing and having fun.." - your boyfriend mumbled, frustrated. Just how did you know about his unfinished work..! Moreover, teasing him with such a cunning smile.. You just love to toy with him, knowing well he can't resist your charm..?

"Aww, so you just want to spend some time together? Then what do you say about me cheering you up a little while you're working?" - you giggle, cupping his cheeks as Diavolo looks at you with such hope. - "I don't want to steal Barbatos's work but I'm sure this is what he's actually wouldn't mind.."

-Well, but honestly, Barbatos WOULD mind, as his Lord is just so easy to distract.. He always starts working hard and carefully with all these documents, hoping to finish everything quickly and hear some praise from you, yet every time he starts wondering about you and your warm hands, about soft kisses you would give him as a small treat.. Every time it just ended up with you on his lap as Diavolo asking for another little break.

-He's just a big fan of touches, kisses, cuddles..! And there's no difference if you're in his Castle or in RAD, he would be glad to hug you tightly, to hold your hand with such a proud face. Of course he wouldn't get too touchy, leaving the most passionate and sweet things just for you two to see and enjoy, yet he can't control this urge to place hand on your waist or shoulder in a protective way.

-In a protective way? Well, because there sure to be some demons who'd envy you getting so close to Diavolo. Maddie alone would be a big problem, what can we say about others unruly witches, demons and succubus who were also wishing to get in your place?

-You will not receive a whole guardian team, but now you notice the gaze of Barbatos on your back more often, as he's just following orders of his Lord to check on you. Your boyfriend himself can't be with you all the time, even if he's really yearning to, so he would send his servant.

-And of course you would move to Lord Demon's Castle now. Maybe Diavolo would try to fake it and tell it's another way to keep you safe, yet you can clearly see how happy he is about making you stay so close to him. And soon he would give up, telling you how long he was waiting for it.

"Here.. This would be your new bedroom.." - A small chuckle escaped his lips as you two were standing in a kinda large room, already filled with furniture and all needed things. Diavolo is such an attentive lover, knowing all your hobbies by heart, as he pleases you with small gifts almost every day. - "I try to make according to your tastes, yet if there is something you want to add or change, tell me, princess.."

"Hmm.. That's good, but I thought you would sleep in your room.." - you can't help but giggle, noticing his surprised face and light blush. Yet Diavolo quickly came back fast and laughed too.

"Well, I thought about all the times when you spent nights in my castle before.. But maybe you wouldn't be comfortable living with me that close on a daily basis.." - he mumbled with an ashamed expression, but his pale golden eyes were glowing with excitement, holding out hope. Sometimes it was so easy to read Lord of Demons like an open book. Well, at least for you.. - "But if you don't mind pushing things more, then I'll be glad.."

-And he means it. You can't imagine how much he was longing for you, even before you two started a relationship, and now, as with each step he's closer and closer to lure you into the depth of his soul, Diavolo gets more and more impatient. You have no idea how hard it is for a demon to control his craving urge to just capture and withhold his precious human all to himself..

-So yes, he's really possessive, getting jealous so easily.. That's another reason why you moved from House of Lamentation, as thoughts about you hanging out with Seven brothers for a whole evening, about their privilege to adore your sleepy face early in the morning as they share breakfast with you.. It was like a hot burning needle in his heart, and Diavolo is sure he has all the right to get rid of this feeling by placing you near him.

-It's not like he's not confident in himself or in your loyalty, it's just.. As a prince, he gets used to receiving everything he wants by just snapping his finger, to get so many presents and gifts just because. But with you he can feel that his wealth and title is not what makes you interested, that you see his personality first, that you see him. And Diavolo was hankering for this empathy for so long, craving for someone like you by his side..

-So of course he do feel fear of losing you. What if his character is not that bright and interesting as one of brothers? Maybe demons around him get attached to his money and status because he's nothing without this things? Maybe he was wishing for you to see through this tinsel but when the gold curtain rises there's nothing on a stage of his soul and heart? Maybe you just mistaken with your interest to him and soon would realize how empty he's without this masquerade?

-And now Diavolo bewildered with his jealous, trying to win you over with his real feelings, which are a real mess due to his confusion over his own personality, and at the same throwing more money in your eyes, wishing to keep you next to him with it. If he will not be able to make you feel safe, to make you want to live in such abundance, then at least he would tie you to him with deep feel of guilt for all this amount of money he spent on you, isn't he..?

-And even when Diavolo do tries to control his jealousy, you can feel as his grip on your waist get tight when you're in RAD, how he tend to kiss you longer and deeper right in front of everyone. Some small, harmless questions about your friends in Academy never make you suspicious, when in fact your boyfriend was carefully thinking about everyone around you. He doesn't mind to make his or his servant's hands dirty, if suddenly Diavolo would realize there's someone bad who not worthy your attention.. Or get too many of your attention..

-Yet your boyfriend doesn't want to scare you away, still acting all bubbly and ebullient. And he's actually happy to fool around with you, it's not just an act! Diavolo does understand sometimes that many of his servants, subordinates, just demons around tolerate his airheaded behavior only because he's a Lord.. Yet you actually enjoyed his company, having fun along with him..!

-It's just so heartwarming, to have someone who understands you and doesn't care about your status in the first place. Sometimes you even surprise Lord of Demons with your lack of interest for his title. You always had talked with him on equal, and it was probably the first thing that amuse him in you.

-Especially how easy you call him by any teasing nicknames, as he absolutely love it. Any nicknames, you name it, Diavolo would be glad to hear it for yourself and use for you. It's like another small game for him, as he love to think what cute compliment would be suit you today.

"Mm.. You buy yourself a new shampoo?" - his lips curved in a soft smile, as pleasant smell tickle his nose during his bear hug with you. - "You smell so fresh and sweet, my little buttercup.."

"Aren't you call me your sweetie pie yesterday?" - you chuckle, trying to breath normally as your boyfriend just have tendency to squeeze you too tight in his grasp.

"Well, because yesterday we was baking together..!" - Dia laugh, remembering a big mess on Castle's kitchen and your crooked cake in the middle of table. - "That was fun, but for me, our product turned out not that yummy and delicious, as you.. And there's probably no sweets that would delight me as much as your lips.."

"Ooh? Someone flirty? That's mean I should call you a smooth talker today, am I?" - you chuckle yet get on your tiptoe to press your lips to his in a small playful kiss.

"I honestly wouldn't mind anything.. As long as it's your voice, I don't care about what you call me.. I just hear your loving tone and it's enough to make everything inside me trembling in happiness.." - he mumbled, his casual loud voice now was almost like a whisper, as Diavolo got into some romantic mode. Honestly, he always starts to melt like that when you hang out around him for a whole day, turning into a timid needy demon who's only wish is to receive some kisses.

"S/o, i.. I just addicted to you.."

-Ahh, get prepared to fully renovate your life - your schedule, your wardrobe, your free time, everything..!

-Cause Asmo requires a lot of time !! You're literally was able to charm him, him, the avatar of Lust who's get used to charm everyone around him, not the vice versa..! So of course he wants to spend as many times with you as he can, exploring this new thrilling pleasure of yearning only to one person..

-Always know what you two would do in the evening, as he has a whole list of adorable sweet things he want to do with you. Shopping date, night tour along all Devildom's clubs, calm spa evening, cute little baking lesson, quality time at the cafe with bunch of photos for Devilgram.. You name it!

-It's honestly surprise you, where your boyfriend get so much energy and passion for you everyday. Not like you get tired of it, but Asmo literally ready to spend whole days and nights with you.

-In the begging you though it all would be harder, with his addiction to clubs and flirt with succubus. Yet he turns out to be really loyal boyfriend, even more faithful than many other guys can be. Like, he do still love to have some chit chats with witches and pretty demons, yet now Asmo would never cross the line, getting too lovely with anybody else than you.

-He even likes to brag about how happy he is in his relationship with you..! Now it looks more like you two share one Devilgram's blog, as his whole account is in cute photos with you on different dates. And yes, Asmo absolutely loves to spend lazy evenings in his bed with you, trying new funny effects and masks, or maybe filming a new video in Fab Snap.

"Oh, here, here, look..! This filer will show us how good our couple is..!" - he giggles, hugging you and leaning his head closer to yours, and now a big heart appears on a screen right above you.

"I thought you already had said to me that we're a perfect match..?" - A small chuckle escaped your lips as you hugged him back, waiting for results.

"Of course I said that, cause it's true..! ♡" - your boyfriend puffs out his cheeks, acting like you just said something mean. - "But aren't you feeling this funny tickle in your stomach, amused by waiting.. Ahh, I wonder if my phone can feel how deep my love for you is..!"

"Due to how many pictures of me you have, I'm sure your gadget is well informed.." - and it was true, as even your own gallery had more different things than Asmo's one. - "See? The results are 95%.."

"Ahh.! Where did it lose 5%?!" - your boyfriend whines, deletes the recorded video and starts filming again. - "It's probably because we were just hugging and giggling..! Come here, give me some sweet kisses filled with your love, and I'm sure it will be 100% this time..!"

-Asmo can be a big tease, actually, with all his light playful touches and smooches. Well, he's a demon, after all, and a very lustful demon, who knows how to make you all shy and silent after a few words and strokes. And despite always acting so lovable and affectionate, your boyfriend can sit straight and not show you any romance, making you the one who would cling and ask for some attention..

-Ahh, and your blushing needy face is so cute, he can't be so harsh with you for a long time, quickly clinging to you and giving more passionate deep kisses, teasing you for being so sensitive today.

-He is still kinda angry at you for not falling under his charm, actually! So when Amso is able to make you yearn for his feelings, it's like a little win for him, as he just can't help but keep toying with you a little.. But it's clearly seen that you do enjoy his games, aren't you!

-And of course he loves it when you tease him back..! This unknown yet so intriguing interesting feeling when someone makes him swoon, tickling his heart the same way he is always mocking someone.. It's surprisingly pleasant, and sometimes your boyfriend switches from naughty brat to sensitive needy demon, enjoying how you keep fooling him.. Just why does his head get so dizzy and he actually wants more..?

-Only sweet, cute, pink nicknames for both of you..! Such as 'cuite', 'cupcake', 'rose', etc.. Everything around Asmo should be perfect and adorable, and you, dolly, also would be covered in this bright glitter..

-And the first thing your boyfriend wants to do is to poke his nose in your wardrobe. Who as not him can help you improve your style and turn into the most popular human here, in Devildom? So you both would be an iconic duo, stunning more bright than any stars around..!

-It doesn't mean Asmo would throw away all your clothes, no. He's still respecting your own opinion and doesn't want to change your style, it's what makes you so unique, after all! But some little correction there and there, a few new outfits as a gift from your boyfriend, aren't these bad? It would give you more inspiration and ideas for your new looks.

"Come on, hurry up and unpack it..!" - Asmo whines, absolutely impatient as you sit in his room with a package in your hands. Just when he gets time to go shopping without you..? - "I want to see your adorable reaction, angel..!"

"Hm..? It kinda reminds me of your casual outfit.." - you mumble, a little bit surprised, looking at a set of clothes in white, pink, and reddish-pink colors. - "Is it..?"

"Yesss..!! It's a matching outfit!♡" - too excited to control himself, he screams, jumping from bed and hugging you. - "Please, try it on right now! I promise to not peeking at you while you change, hehe.."

"Oh yes? And I just thought about surprising you with a little show as a thanks for this gift.." - you sigh dramatically, making Asmo even more exuberant.

"Ahh, Doll! I appreciate your wish to please me too, yet we would move to such things after, okay? We have things to do..!" - with these words your boyfriend brings more packages with new clothes for both you and him. And, of course, matching. - "Some anticipation will just spice up things, you know? So let's warm up a little with a small exhibition, mm? ♡"

-Of course clothes and fashion tips are not the only things you would receive from him.. Asmo absolutely loves to pamper you with facial masks, lotions, creams, anything! Your head on his laps as he takes care of your skin is one the best way to relax, as you literally can fall asleep on his soft thighs, lulled with tender touches of his slim fingers.

-And the same goes to him! Asmo loves when demons around him pamper him and treat him good, but it never will compare to even the slightest attention from you, as your love and care can almost bring him back to heaven.

-There's no one who Asmo would let touch his face, no need to talk about any cosmetic procedures. Yet you can squeeze, stroke, tickle his skin as much as you want, as your hands are softer than silk and warmer than sun.. And when you kiss him playfully on the lips after washing off the clay mask, this little treat burns his insides more than a good shot of whiskey, making his soul ache for more.

-Would you ever thought a demon who's always seeking attention and flirting could be jealous? And Asmo isn't shy about saying out loud, protectively hugging you and leaning on you. He knows it's stupid, especially from his side, yet there's nothing he can do about it, you're just his little star..!

-Your boyfriend doesn't even know how to form this itching feeling that keeps pinching his soul into words, as he never feels any envy or anything! Like, yes, back then he can envy the popularity of some demons, and sometimes he still can be jealous if someone was able to buy the last limited mascara before him, but it's different! This storm of emotions that his soul undergoes when someone starts to be too chatty with you is just unbearable..!

-And all that Asmo can do it's to turn on his childish clinging behavior, throwing a little tantrum. Not a real one, as he sees that you didn't flirt back or anything, he just doesn't know how to relieve his stress that someone will outshine him in your eyes, as it's actually a thing that worries him.

"Just what sort of course you cast on me so now I feel like that..? Me! Feeling insecure..!" - small drops of tears shining in your boyfriend's eyes as he hugs himself with a melancholy look.

"What do you mean, honey? Something happened?" - you really try to hold your chuckle but when Asmo acts like that, overdramatically, you find it kinda amusing.

"This incubus! The one you were talking to just now! Is he pretty? What do you think?" - he suddenly furrowed his brow, waiting for an answer.

"Mm.. How can I call someone pretty, when for me the meaning of the word 'pretty' or 'beautiful' is your visage?" - you purr, getting closer and hugging him.

"You're more dangerous than any powerful witch.. As no one can fill my heart with such joy with one phrase.." - A little whine tickles your ear as he hugs you back, tight and needy. - "And the worst part is that I know that you just tease me, yet I will fall for it again and again.."

"Oh, tease? Is there something I can do to prove to you my words..? Maybe I should kiss the prettiest lips right now?" - you look at his deep dark eyes, that were filled with such need, then slowly lower your gaze at his lips with a small smile.

"Ahh, silly s/o!! You can kiss your own lips.." - Asmo giggles, grasping on your waist as he leans his face closer to yours. - "Just promise me.."

"That's you're mesmerized with me no less than I'm with you..♡"

#obey me lucifer x mc #obey me luci x reader #lucifer obey me #obey me lucifer #obey me #obey me lucifer x you #obey me lucifer x reader #lucifer x reader #lucifer x gender neutral reader #lucifer obey me x reader #obey me x reader #obey me imagines #obey me hcs #diavolo x reader #diavolo x mc #lord diavolo #obey me diavolo #diavolo obey me #obey me asmo x mc #asmo x reader #asmo x mc #asmo obey me #obey me asmodeus #asmodeus x reader #obey me asmo x reader #asmo obey me x reader #asmodeus avatar of lust #lucifer avatar of pride

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

I want to talk about Man on Fire.

Stede's arc in this episode is one that a lot of people struggle with. I think it's a great episode, but I don't think you're stupid if the transition from Stede feeling bent out of shape after killing Ned Low in s2e6 to him happily setting a man on fire in this one feels abrupt and jarring. This episode really could've benefitted from some extra time and I honestly think they did it a disservice by not airing the last two episodes together (if it was up to me after seeing it all, the release schedule would've aired Calypso's Birthday on its own so the last two could air together), but I think we can still put together what we're supposed to take away.

The scene where Stede happily sets a man on fire, I think, is the focal point of this episode. I mean, they named the whole episode after it, we're obviously supposed to think it's important! So let's go through it.

This whole episode, Stede has been getting the approval and validation he's been longing for his whole life. It's no coincidence it's almost exclusively other men we see fawning over him - Stede's pain in the last episode is hinged around how he still felt bad for killing Ned, and how he wishes he was able to do "a man's work" as his father depicted it without emotion.

S2e7 is him seeing that wish through. It's also not a coincidence that Stede remembers his father in a blood-spattered leather apron and he spends this episode seeking the approval of another older man in a blood-spattered leather apron. The costuming in OFMD is always extremely intentional so I'm confident we should understand that as a sign of where Stede's mind is in this episode.

You know what the whole man-on-fire scene really reminds me of? When Stede is telling his pirate stories to a bar full of his peers in s1e10, and he badmouths Ed when they ask him what Blackbeard is like. He backtracks from "he's absolutely lovely" to say Ed is "a bloodthirsty killer, born of the devil" - something he had to know damn well would absolutely fucking break Ed's heart if he heard Stede say it. In the moment, all he could think about was what he had to do to get a crowd of his peers to approve of him.

The same thing's happening in this scene. All Stede cares about is how he said a cool thing and everyone laughed!

Just like the scene in s1e10, I think we're meant to be watching this and thinking "Stede buddy wtf are you doing?" It's a moment of regression in Stede's character arc, just like him talking bad about Ed was; Stede is kind and lovely and he's abandoning the parts of himself he thinks are too soft to appeal to a crowd of people he wants to admire him.

#ofmd #our flag means death

[bonefall]

Looking for advice since you're great with stuff like this: I'm struggling with how to have a character fundamentally change. A character in my cat story loses his memory and ends up working with the main characters to stop his own plan he made to destroy the world (and after the plan is stopped, he regains his memories). I want his time in the Starless to change him, make him less obsessed with power, but I'm really starting to struggle with whether or not that makes sense and how to work that.

Hmm.. well, first bit of advice I always give is that characters are not people. They are writing tools. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be "realistic" or that connecting to the human traits in the audience isn't important.

It means that a character exists to tell a story.

By "tool" I mean "machine." Every trait is a piston, and ideally they work together to drive your story along. What are you saying with each trait? What is your beginning point for the story, and their end? What do you want to explore? What do you want the audience to take away?

So if you feel stuck on a character, find the larger message you want to impart with them. The job they're doing in your narrative.

What do you want to say about power?

What do you want to say about why Character X wanted to destroy the world? Why was he wrong? What feelings and information lead him to that conclusion?

What is his redemption arc doing for your themes?

Every writer answers those questions differently. For example, I feel strongly that power doesn't corrupt, it reveals. When you finally have the influence to make others do what you want, you make them do it. I don't see "power" as being like... a magic, abstract thing, it's influence over other people, and those people are ALSO individuals with their own reasons for following the leader.

Digressing; what I'm getting at is that, as a writer, I have a lot of thoughts on power itself. I got this way with a lot of reading and interest on the topic. You might find it insightful to experience more art, essays, and commentary on the subject, if you ever get stuck, and develop an opinion you feel strongly about.

Not just about power, as broad writing advice.

Anyway.

If I was writing the character, these are the things I'd be thinking about specifically and changes I'd be making on personal taste. I don't know your full story enough so, hopefully it's insightful;

First of all I'm always SUPER wary of the "correct but demonized radical" trope. Does my villain have a point?

Am i just giving them a Kick-a-Baby scene to make them wrong when they should be completely right otherwise

What are my themes and tone? This is VERY important. Steven Universe is about family and emotions with low stakes violence; the Diamonds are essentially abusive grandparents that Steven is coaching through intergenerational trauma. They fit the universe they're in. Jack Horner does not belong in SU.

So I'd look at Character X's purpose.

Knowing me, I'd actually take out full amnesia entirely. I have memory problems related to trauma so I'm a lot more familiar with major, important details blotting out RIGHT when I need them. Enough that I can put myself in the shoes of someone like BB!Fallenleaf who remembers a lot but the details are fuzzy.

So personally I think I could write this villan to be VERY funny lmao

"Hello. I am Gnagnathor the Destroyer."

"No you're not. He has three horns. You have two."

(DID I USED TO HAVE THREE HORNS?????)

I also just find it more resonant when a character still remembers what they did, why they did it, and is able to refute themselves with their own growth.

To me like... when a character remembers NOTHING to the point where they're not informed by their actions or history at all, how are they really still the same person?

in general though I find total amnesia uninteresting. I wish it was less popular.

What did Gnagnathor DO with his power? What did he WANT from it?

The simplest version of this I know is "Gnag was hurting and wanted everyone else to hurt too. Now that he has a happy place, he doesn't want that."

TO BE CLEAR THATS FINE. That's a REALLY common power fantasy and it's not automatically a bad story. It's popular for a reason.

Personally I feel strongly about the idea, though, that people with power don't change unless they lose it. There's no reason to.

People don't change until you break the environment that contributes to the behavior.

Especially with victims unfortunately-- the ugly truth is that a lot of problematic behaviors exist because they protected the victim from their abuser's actions. You need safety to really start to unpack that.

You can personally identify it and address it as much as you want, when your abuser starts to use That Tone you will still seize up. Just try to yank yourself back into your head when you're disassociating during a screaming session; your reward is raw distress.

That said, not all villains HAVE to have tragic motivators like that, or be ex-victims at all. Leveraging power to get what you want can be as ugly as just being taught the people you're hurting are subhuman.

Or making up justifications for why This Is a Good Thing Actually.

Some people will lash out violently when these justifications fall apart, because accepting it would mean they're Being Bad

Most people have an innate desire to Be Good. Like... the vast, vast majority of people. Some sense of morality is observable in all intelligent social animals; dolphins, chimps, elephants.

Tangentially, if you understand that people don't WANT to be bad and that the natural response to a scolding is defensiveness, you understand that convincing people of something is a LOT easier when you approach with kindness.

AND IN TURN: be wary of those who are flattering while trying to convince you of something. This is Manipulation 101.

So back to Gnagnathor

Do I want to talk about environment and how it changes him to be away from power? How traits that previously earned him wealth or influence are suddenly incredibly taboo, so he can't use them here?

On that-- HOW did he get his power in the first place? Re: I'm very wary of the "correct but demonized radical" trope.

Were his minions following him because they have serious issues and he exploited their desperation? .....are you centering the experience of the poor, sad abuser over his victims

Or are they ALL united over something important and legitimate? With the redemption of their villainous leader, how are you planning for that to frame all of their former followers?

(This is why redeeming minions is usually a lot more productive than doing it to the leader, imo. Redeeming Zuko means you can explore the familial legacy, the indoctrination of the Fire Nation's children, their justifications, the way systems make monsters out of people. Redeeming The Firelord would probably have caused Azula, one of his victims, to pick up his slack and now, suddenly, you have a VERY uncomfortable situation where Ozai is thrashing one of his abused children but Good This Time.)

(Not to mention that, again... why would he do this. He has power. He's doing what he wants and is used to this situation. It would be a numbskulled narrative choice.)

Aaaand that's about all I can say without essentially being a cowriter or editor. It's on you to figure out what you're trying to do and say here. I'm a good writer on this subject because I think about it a lot, which has lead to my strong opinions and point of view. Your art is a reflection of you.

#This is mega off topic but the question kinda reminds me of hazbin which I watched a couple days ago #I'm starting to identify why I was dissatisfied with it I think #I didn't dislike it though and I'm waiting for the next season #If only as something I enjoyed but wish could be better. #Bones gives advice

[sophiamarieispinkbunny-chan]

Yor and Anya could both be of Royal Ancestry in Ostania. (Long Post Again, Sorry!)

It has a little connection to the first theory I’ve post about Yor being a subject of Project Apple. You can read it here.

Just some take I have on this scene on Chapter 4 (Because it always makes me wonder)

Notice how the three of them immediately caught Henderson’s attention just by walking? Like they haven’t done anything remarkable yet Henry said he could sense some elegance in them. It was only them that he pointed out. I can’t help but think about the reason why Henderson said this.

My take is that the three of them used to be part of elite and prestigious families.

Loid’s family in the West, in Luwen, seems to be well off judging by the way they dress, their home, and his father’s job seems to be important too.

But if it wasn’t the case, Loid can still be elegant because he strived to be perfect in everything he does. He was trained how to act elegantly in order to blend in with other people. But I stick by my theory that he came from a rich family from the West.

But being elegant wasn’t taught to Anya and Yor. It’s like for both of them, they had that tinge of elegance in their blood.

Then come through this theory about Anya being a part of monarch/royalty. If that theory is true then that must be the reason why Henderson saw something with Anya.

Then how about Yor? She also came from a prominent family. I’m going to make a wild guess that she’s also a monarch. A hidden monarch like my theory with Anya. 

I would like to consider her back story to be the same as Sleeping Beauty or Little Briar Rose since it is evident that this fairytale inspired most of Yor’s characters (The needle like weapon, her surname, the roses). So what if the royal family were the first ones that have these abilities? The first experiments, after the monarchy was taken down, are the remaining members of the monarch family.

But her parents took them and hid them faraway where no harm would ever come to them, just like how the fairies kept Aurora hidden in the forest, keeping the fact that she’s a princess/royal. But at the end of the day, despite them keeping her away from the spindle, the needle (being used because of her ability) she still ended up taking the bait in the end after they died (Like how Aurora still ended up getting pricked by spindle despite all her parents’/kingdom’s parents  effort to protect her).

Yor has been under a curse since then, like asleep and paralyzed, devoid of emotions. But then, came the prince who saved her life and made living worth it for her again (If she never married Loid, I really think she would just accept death in that cruise arc battle he had with that Katana guy).

Ah! just think if Loid’s real name has something with Philip, the same as Briar Rose/Aurora’s Prince’s name in the Disney movie! What if it’s also a surname like Yor BRIAR. Loid could be James (From 007 James Bond) and Philip, James Philip! Just imagine, it would be genius right? Loid’s name could be anything though, but I would totally flip it was that, just the parallel and the complement of his real name to Yor!

Anyway moving on….

If Yor is also a monarch like Anya then does that mean that she’s blood related to Anya? That is what I don’t have a theory about. Maybe if I have the time, I’ll reread the manga from the start again and find some details that can help me elaborate this theory or debunk it.

These are all speculations of mine that I wanted to share. Thoughts that I can’t help but think of regarding what could be Yor’s backstory because we know nothing besides her parents both died when they were kids and that was all.

I know these might be far-fetched and don't make sense and the story can’t be that complicated but hey, the possibility of these being canon is not zero.

#loid forger #anya forger #yor forger #sxf anime #spy x family #spy x family anime #spy x family manga #twilight #twiyor #sxf manga #sxf theory #sxf thoughts #yor is inspired by sleeping beauty i'm really convinced by it #and his prince his Loid that woke her up from the slumber #now where's the true love kiss? #Oh right on chapter 100 right? or at least in the movie right? #There must be a reason why they call her thorn PRINCESS #And she sang to Loid #The lullaby #the lyrics has prince in it #Loid is the prince!! #I'm going to scream if his name really has Philip on it

[silverwhittlingknife]

Hi! Thoughts on Dick and Tim during Murderer/Fugitive, and their argument over whether Bruce killed Vesper?

(My interpretation was that to Dick, Robin means not only unwavering loyalty to Batman, but unwavering faith (“I’m dismayed that there can be a Robin who believes Batman could be guilty of murder”)— whereas to Tim it’s more about having faith in the symbol and the mission, not the person)

Tim (suspicious that Bruce has emotional blind spots and is about to get a case wrong): Nightwing. Channel Two. Go discreet. (Gotham Knights 1)

Dick: I don't - I don't see how you can say that and still wear that uniform... Tim: The guy who gave it to me–the guy who wore it first–HE taught me never to back away from any possibility that might lead to the truth. And he still believes that… right? (Gotham Knights 26)

Ooh, look, it’s one of my favorite comics of all time. <33

Yeah!!  I think hmmm.  Both Dick and Tim are intensely loyal to Bruce and they both care about him a lot.  But they do think about their loyalty to him in very different ways.

Also tl;dr I am biased here but also I am right dsfsfs - although I do think that Tim's loyalty is kinda to the symbol, I also think a big part of the issue here is that Tim's more unambiguous personal faith is given to Dick, not to Bruce. When Dick says, How can you wear that uniform and not have faith in Bruce, Tim answers, essentially, I wear this uniform because I have faith in you. Which is not what Dick wants to hear!

I had SO MANY THOUGHTS about this, so below the cut:

Dick and Bruce and the importance of faith

Tim and Bruce and the importance of doubt

More rambling Dick-and-Tim-and-Bruce thoughts

Dick and Bruce and faith

Dick’s notion of loyalty is pretty firm: “It's no secret Batman and I have had our... issues. But I won't be involved in anything that hurts him.”  His connection to Bruce, from the very beginning, is all about their shared sense of mission: the oath in the candlelight. Dick’s got this intense loyalty that he feels he owes to Bruce, and he feels betrayed when it seems like Bruce isn’t reciprocating, because as far as Dick’s concerned they owe it to each other.

I think you owe me an explanation, Bruce. ... We were the Dynamic Duo, don’t you remember? / If Bruce Wayne doesn’t exist, who am I the son of? / I know you have to live through restraint. I understand how brevity is your moral compass. But why lie to me, of all people? Why would you lie to me. ME. ... I trust you more than anyone. / I've trusted Batman with my life since I was eight. / On top of everything, he's my father now, too... I want to hit people just for thinking bad thoughts about him.

Dick’s first experience of Bruce is fighting by his side.  He initially conceptualizes his role of Robin as about being steadfast partners to each other, and although he'll sometimes later recategorize it as a kid's role, that doesn't change the way he thinks of his own relationship to Bruce: partners, no matter what.

Dick fights with Bruce a lot - he'll pick a physical fight in this very arc! He's not afraid to stand up to Bruce! He wants to be independent and bristles when he feels bossed around or ignored or when Bruce is dismissive or doesn't listen or doesn't call on him for help! But paradoxically, he stands up to Bruce because he has faith in him. Dick respects Bruce enough to confront him and he expects Bruce to offer him the same respect in return. He'll pour out his heart to Bruce because despite everything, some part of him expects Bruce to have an answer, to step up, to be the person Dick's determined to believe he can be.

Tim and Bruce and doubt

By contrast, Tim initially interacts with Bruce like a detective stalking a criminal.  He collects newspaper reports. He follows Bruce and takes photos of him and gathers evidence to present to Dick. He goes to talk to Dick, not Bruce, about Bruce’s problems—and Tim will pretty consistently continue to talk about Bruce to Dick (or occasionally to Alfred), to work behind Bruce’s back, to be frank with Dick in ways that he’s not frank with Bruce.  Tim’s often at pains to insist that he does respect and care about Bruce, but one of the reasons he has to keep insisting this verbally is because his actions and assumptions suggest a lack of trust.

Tim’s first experience of Bruce is of someone who could be a knight or a monster, who needs help and intervention, who can be loved but not entirely trusted.  Someone who isn’t gonna be okay on his own; someone who needs saving and fixing; someone whose sense of himself can’t be entirely trusted or listened to.  Batman needs a Robin.  No matter what he thinks he wants.

In New Titans 71, Wolfman writes Dick musing about Tim as a Robin and how he’s different from Dick himself, and thinking, “He questions more.”  Much later, in Teen Titans/Outsiders, Kory will note the same difference.  Which is a funny thing to write given all Dick’s fights with Bruce—but I also think it’s a true insight!  Tim’s default is questioning.  Almost his entire tenure as Robin is spent as Bruce's apprentice, not his kid, and that affects his attitude a lot. He never takes his trust in Bruce for granted.  It’s carefully considered—and it could be revoked.  A part of Tim is always judging and measuring Bruce, deciding which qualities he thinks are admirable and which ones not so much, what's worrisome and what's not, analyzing whether Bruce is looking after his health or not, etc etc.

You have to promise me something. You'll listen to Alfred and at least call it a night and give yourself a chance to heal. / How many times are we going to have this conversation, Bruce? You died tonight. For almost two minutes you were dead. / Maybe Batman doesn't need to know about this. / He's a hard guy to get to know. / I have friends. He has... associates. / Bruce has been on the job the longest. It’s slowly driven him mad and eaten the human part right out of him. / My boss - my teacher is gone, gone as in fled, but also gone out of his head. And now he may be a murderer as well. / I think maybe Batman has gone crazy. / Don't like the risks he's taking. Don't like the way he spoke to me. I hope it's the concussion talking. I don't want to think his edge is coming back.

It’s not that Dick never worries about Bruce in this way.  He does!  In the arc right before Lonely Place of Dying, his inner monologue compares Bruce to an alcoholic. And IMO it’s strongly implied in Gotham Knights 26 (the Dick-and-Tim fight about Bruce maybe being a murderer) that one of the reasons Dick is so forceful and so upset by Tim’s suggestion is that he’s suppressing his own private doubts.  Tim’s dragging into the open something that Dick is refusing to look closely at.  Dick's faith is an act of will—if I’m going to be Bruce’s ally, then I can’t believe he’s capable of this.  I can’t allow myself to believe it.  And if I believe he’s capable of it, then I’m not acting as his ally anymore:

Dick: "I think it’s… admirable that you can continue serving a system in which you have so little faith. But I can’t. I can’t, Tim. I cannot believe that Batman is guilty of murder. I do not believe it, and I will not believe it. And I can’t stand with anyone who does."

You don't get this upset about somebody saying that the Earth is flat, you know? Dick's not laughing the accusation off; instead, he's drawing a hard line - I will not consider this. I refuse to go there. The topic is off-limits.

(In the same comic, you've got a similar fight going on between Alfred and Leslie with similar stakes - Alfred refusing to believe it but clearly harboring secret doubts, Leslie openly suspicious.)

General Dick-and-Tim-and-Bruce thoughts

Tim to friends: "I lie to Batman" (Teen Titans 3) Dick to Bruce: "But why lie to me, of all people? Why would you lie to me. ME." (Outsiders 21)

It’s always been Tim’s instinct to strategize around Bruce rather than with him. Tim will lie and circumvent Bruce’s orders, whereas Dick will disagree to his face.  Dick respects Bruce enough to give him his say and argue back, whereas Tim tends to think of Bruce as an admired-but-unstable figure who you sometimes listen to but sometimes plan around.

And I think you get the core of that in this arc!

Tim voices his concerns pretty frankly to Dick, but is way more circumspect in front of Bruce, because he doesn't entirely trust Bruce - Tim thinks "is Bruce stable and trustworthy" is "a decision that Dick and I will make in consultation with each other," not a decision that Bruce can make.

In the past, Dick has basically gone along with this kind of thing - he and Tim gossip about Bruce a lot! So it's not surprising that Tim's first thought is that they can confer on it again. But when it becomes a question of "is Bruce murderous, criminal, immoral," then Dick's loyalty kicks in. That's too serious an accusation for Dick to feel entirely comfortable talking about it behind Bruce's back.

Generally IMO, how Dick conceptualizes his loyalty tends to vary a lot depending on who he's talking to. So e.g. in general, Dick's more likely to gripe about Bruce to Tim than he is to gripe about Bruce to the Titans, because he knows that Tim basically likes Bruce. Tim's Robin! Dick takes for granted that Tim is loyal. So it's not disloyal to complain about Bruce to Tim, because Dick and Tim are both on Bruce's side. Dick complains to Tim about Bruce abruptly summoning them into No Man's Land, but doesn't share the same complaint with the Titans. And that's because the Titans aren't friendly toward Bruce in general, and so bitching to them would be disloyal, would be airing dirty laundry outside the family.

By contrast, Tim's a safe audience... until you end up in a situation like Bruce Wayne: Murderer, when suddenly it sounds like Tim may not be on Bruce's side anymore. What are you saying, Tim?

I do think that if Tim had been right, if Bruce had been a murderer, Dick would've ultimately helped take him down. He's very defensive of Bruce because that's how Dick understands the obligations of loyalty, but... he's part of confronting Bruce and demanding explanations in the Cave, and he and Tim (and Cass and Babs) all investigate Bruce together. I think if there had been very very very credible evidence, Dick would've helped fight to take evil!Bruce down. But I also think he would've never stopped mentally searching for an explanation: mind control? body double? I think he'd have an incredibly hard time accepting that Bruce had just murdered someone.

And I mean! In Dick's defense! I don't think Bruce would! At the end of the day, I think Bruce deserves all kinds of criticism in post-Crisis, but I also tend to think that Dick's read of him is a bit more accurate than Tim's, that even though Bruce can act monstrously in all kinds of ways he is at bottom a person who would never ever ever murder a civilian girlfriend no matter how unstable he got and no matter how threatened his secret was. Dick might have a bit more faith in him than he deserves, but at the same time, Tim's jumping to the worst-case scenario pretty fast here, much as he does during Batman: RIP, and I think you could definitely argue that Dick - who's known Bruce longer and better, who lived with Bruce for years instead of just worked with him - has a better and more instinctive sense of Bruce's strengths instead of just his faults.

(And in Tim's defense, as Babs is about to point out to Dick, Bruce has not been behaving especially well recently and Tim has a lot of reasons to be frustrated with him. And Tim's not the only one - Babs is pretty suspicious too!)

.... And of course, I mean, as a Dick and Tim fan, I love that this arc makes very clear that Tim feels his own loyalty is to the symbol, yes, but also that he associates the symbol with Dick first and with Dick's sense of morals, that he trusts Dick, that he sees the costume as something Dick gave him and that's the legacy that he's trying to live up to, to never walk away from the truth, that he thinks the two of them need to be willing to consider the worst of Bruce .... and also the delightful paradox that this isn't loyalty that Dick asked for or wants or welcomes!!

Dick has always taken for granted that Tim was loyal to Bruce, not to Dick; he's not at all happy to hear the opposite. This isn't a heartwarming moment for them but instead a really fraught one, because it's a declaration of Tim's loyalty but it's a declaration of Tim's loyalty that's specifically about not offering unconditional loyalty to Bruce, so Dick feels like he's being invited to be traitors together instead of feeling touched by Tim's trust. Tim's loyalty is something he has to learn to come to terms with rather than something he's happy to have.

And I think that's great!! I love love love these kinds of complicated emotional dynamics (TM), and Bruce Wayne: Murderer is full of them. It's such a fun read.

#THANK YOU FOR THE ASK <33 i rambled for so long sdfdsfs but i really really love this whole arc #it's such a great fight and it does so many interesting things with characterization #it's a story about everybody's very individual relationships with bruce #and all the focus is on the emotional dynamics of WHY they're making particular choices #dick & tim #dick grayson #tim drake #ask tag

[tgammsideblog]

Let's talk about Jinx vs The Human World

Jinx vs The Human World is... certainly an episode. It hasn't been talked much in comparison to The End because it has been greatly overshadowed by the later.

One thing that i think many of us can agree about Jinx vs The Human World is that it has super chaotic pacing. It doesn't give you room to breathe because it is already jumping to the next plot point and you can't digest well what you are watching. This hurts the emotional impact crucial character scenes have, because again, they aren't allowed to flow well, not letting the characters to react properly.

It's an episode that should have been around 44 minutes long since it covers multiple plot threads. With that ammount of time some things could have been better paced and given a proper conclusion.

As for the plot threads, i already talked about how i like Jinx as antagonist in this episode. She is fun, her song sequence is pretty good. She ends up capturing Molly and using her as away to power up her sobgoblins.

I really enjoy seeing Scratch finally having to deal with the consequences of not being a good leader. The reason the events of this episode happen are because of his own irresponsibilty, letting Jinx steal the Chairman robe and take over the Ghost World. He realizes that he has been messing up a lot and someone else should be in charge instead. He lets the chairman robe go and chose a more appropiate candidate to be the new chairman.

My biggest issue would be the Chens plot part. I do like the part of Ollie and June standing up to Ruben and Esther and trying to persuade them into helping them to stop Jinx. It's a scene that serves more or less well as a conclusion for their arc, even if Necro-Comicon and The Grand Gesture have this purpose, (more for Ollie's character)

The reveal that Geoff was the ghost that scared Ruben was nice too. It has been a thing that was foreshadowed back on ¨Book Marks The Sprite¨

What i'm not so fond of is how it was Geoff sneezing at him when he was a kid. I think it could been more interesting if it had been Geoff hurting Ruben by accident or scaring too much. That way Geoff apologizes to Ruben, showing to him that he didn't mean to hurt him that way.

Ruben also feels like he lacks proper scenes to show his change of mind. Sure, he realizes that Geoff wasn't evil as he thought he was, making him question things. But there isn't much else. I think there could have been a scene of Geoff saving Ruben from the sobgoblins and Ruben realizes how a ghost saved him, making him reconsider his views.

His change of mind is like it comes a bit out of nowhere. Another problem is how he seems to be super friendly around ghosts near the end which it is very weird. I think it could have been better if he had some expressions and lines that indicates that he is still trying to get used to not seeing ghosts as evil.

In addition to this, the Chens don't get to do much in this episode outside of trapping Jinx inside the phantom canister. I wished that they could have set up traps to catch the sobgoblins and contain them temporary at least, that would have given them a bigger role in the plot.

I do like some moments that June has, like her interations with Darryl and giving some funny moments. She is pretty enjoyable in this episode and she shines almost scene she is in.

In some other problems, i find the whole wraith transformation of ghost friends unnecessary, it doesn't have any funtion in the story aside from seeing how they look as wraiths (which is cool!) but the plot could have played out the same if it had been just Scratch and Molly going to the Ghost World.

The Ghost Council saying nice things about Scratch and that he wasn't so bad to give Molly joy fits well their character arcs this season, but, Sir Alister saying they are Scratch's ¨friends¨ doesn't add up since Scratch doesn't want anything to do with them and he has interacted with them because he was forced to be the Chairman in first place. I would change that line of dialogue and leave it as them thinking that Scratch is not so bad instead.

In all, i think what really hurt Jinx vs The Human World is that it needed to be a way longer episode (around 40-50 minutes) to allow things to be spaced out better. A good chunk of the issues from this episode seem to come from that. With more time to explore the events and changing some things, this episode could have been more presentable in quality as a whole.

#the ghost and molly mcgee #tgamm #tgamm season 2 #Tgamm jinx vs the human world #Jinx tgamm #scratch mcgee #ruben chen #ollie chen #june chen #tgamm geoff

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Other theories I have about the conclusion to the Meursault arc, in no particular order and in varying degrees of conviction and likelihood:

Dazai believes he is not going to make it out of the prison and in fact thinks he is going to die. He says that he will make sure Sigma gets out but doesn't mention himself. Says his goal isn't to escape but to kill Dostoevsky. He's also being weirdly open about his emotions. Mind you, I think it would be odd if he were to actually die in this arc given that it doesn't make a lot of sense to me character-wise but. Idk.

Dostoevsky is not going to die this arc. Look, we still know nothing about him! I feel he's a much bigger threat than Fukuchi and that we're just barely scratching the surface with him. We know nothing about his ability, nothing about the V connection, nothing about what he's been setting up for apparently longer than most of the younger cast have been active. It can't end like this for him. In fact, he's the only one I'm adamant won't be killed in this arc.

Gogol is the true wildcard and may end up as a spanner in the works - he says he wants Dostoevsky dead but when Dazai or Chuuya or both gain the upper hand, he sways events to give Fyodor an advantage while brushing it off with "it's more interesting and entertaining like this". The real reason is that he doesn't actually want him dead at all. At the same time, I wonder if he might find Sigma and try to work with him to get the info he wanted. I seem to recall he wanted information on what Fyodor's ability was. Gogol is on no one's side. Let him be chaotic.

Sigma will manage to extract the information from Fyodor - as he cannot kill ability users with his own ability. Based on that one theory that Crime and Punishment only works on non-ability users, hence why Fyodor tricked Ace into killing himself and shot Catgirl with a gun. I wonder if Sigma, spurred on by a new burst of confidence, will take some initiative, figure it out (he's quite intelligent, actually, so I wouldn't put it past him), and get the information he needs.

Chuuya deflected the bullet shot at Catgirl so that it drew blood but did not kill her. Or Catgirl froze time long enough to make a plan with Chuuya. (*sob* i just don't want her to be dead)

They are able to use the info Sigma got to send it back to the Agency, thus wrapping up the DoA arc. However, Dostoevsky has gotten away, which means the four of them - Dazai, Sigma, Chuuya and Catgirl - need to go on a chaotic manhunt/road trip to find him. Chuuya is driving. He is livid at Dazai and is giving him the silent treatment while turning on the radio in the car with music he knows will annoy him. Dazai is shoved in the backseat between Sigma and Catgirl, pouting. Catgirl is revealed to be a kleptomaniac who keeps stealing stuff from them and all the places they stop at. She's not even supposed to be there she just enjoys the drama and the vibes. And poor Sigma does not want this at all but he has some moments where he and Chuuya get to talk and that's somewhat civil. Maybe they end up recruiting Adam for assistance. This makes no sense. :)

Gogol saves Dostoevsky because he doesn't really want him dead. This sends him into a crisis where he becomes more and more volatile and unpredictable. Terrible road-trip #2 electric boogaloo. Gogol keeps trying to kill him and becomes erratic, poisoning his drink, brandishing a knife, holding him at gunpoint. He tries to strangle him but cannot follow through. Fyodor does not care because for as long as Gogol's attachment exists, Fyodor is in control. Gogol knows that for as long as his attachment exists, he can never be free. I am aware this sounds like a screwed up fanfic premise. I want angst. :)

Dostoevsky put something in place for Chuuya on the off-chance that he managed to escape the brainwashing. There's no real evidence for this other than I think it makes some sense that Fyodor would have an emergency measure in place. Perhaps access to misleading information that might make him question things? Idk. Fyodor plays the long game. I want some real effects on the cast.

Got anything to add? :D

#these are terrible but whatever #who cares i have no brain brain is empty #going to spiral into no-good headspace again tonight i can feel it #i hate that i can feel it coming but can't stop it #sorry tmi #anyways. #bsd #this is not a meta lol this is wish fulfillment #bsd spoilers #bsd dazai #bsd fyodor #bsd chuuya #bsd sigma #bsd catgirl #fyolai #i guess #storyrambles

[project-sekai-facts]

Sorry if this spoils you um... TSUKASA FOCUS!! What are your thoughts on what might happen? Based on the event description and then bunny plush being w tsukasa in the untrained.. im inclined to think because he's been cast as a minor role, he's kind of. like. What if i cant cause many smiles because of where i am.. and then meikos like you silly goose. you're the brightest star in someones universe and the bunny is there to remind him . AUGHH. AUGH

dw daichan already spoiled it on the stream last month lmao. Oh this event looks so interesting and frankly!! it's perfect for tsukasa's character arc!!! sorry about the excess of exclamation marks i'm excited about the possibility that people might finally understand him after this event and finally free me from writing analysis posts about him haha.

him being a minor part is literally what he needs to improve his acting. he's always either the lead or a major character, taking a step back is like another slap of realism for him and honestly, it might even be better for him than the challenges he's faced before when he struggled with lead roles. because he can't always be the lead, that just isn't a possibility. no matter how good an actor is they will not be the lead in everything they star in. he's pushed his limits to get lead roles before (Torpe, Rio, also the secondary lead Bartlett), so i think approaching a minor role is going to be a whole new experience for him.

I'm especially interested in the fact he's tasked with making the character feel real because we all know what that means: some good old fashioned Tsukasa unpacking his emotions. we don't know yet exactly what this minor character is doing, so i can't really make any guesses as to what is meant to feel real about it since we don't know their motivations and conflicts yet, but i get the feeling it will play into the fact that Tsukasa got the minor role, like how Rio played into his weaknesses and Torpe connected to his younger self.

As I said, Tsukasa is pretty much always the lead or some significant role. In this scenario as well when what he’s trying to do is improve his acting, such a minor role could feel like nothing. I think those feelings (be it annoyance or disappointment or whatever it may be in the story) are somehow going to play a part in how he has to make such a minor character feel real.

Also I think one of the aspects Tsukasa struggles with most is understanding the characters he plays. With Torpe he couldn’t relate to him and therefore struggled to play the role because he couldn’t get his head around how the character should act. With Rio he struggled too, and tried to replicate some of the character’s struggles in real life to help him try and get into the mindset of the character. But those two were MCs, a minor character with three lines is a whole different story because they don’t have an arc. However, all characters in a good story will have some sort of motive and you will be able to tell what that is from only a few lines. Good dialogue should be able to tell you a lot about a character. I think that’s what Tsukasa is going to learn in this event. Minor characters are not irrelevant even if they don’t contribute to any major plot points. All the characters in the world of that story are real people with individual lives and thoughts and feelings.

And to steer this away from me talking too much about screenwriting I think a minor role as you pointed out could be a hit to his desire to make people smile. Because who cares about a character with three lines? The hero makes people smile, not a forgettable background guy. The forgettable background guy won’t mean anything to anyone, he won’t make anyone smile, and he’s not a star.

Also the preview and title I think will play into these insecurities and lessons. He can’t be the lead every time, he can’t always be the big star of the show. However he can make a small role into a highlight, and even if he isn’t the frontman, there will always be people who will view him as the star of the show regardless, like Saki (Usa-chan) and WxS, and he can at least make them smile.

#just as a afterword I’m almost never correct about event story predictions #asks #mod talks #speculation

[antianakin]

@theneutralmime

So again I'm going to hit this in a few parts because I think there's a few different things happening depending on the situation.

Plo's insistence that they will be found in the Malevolence arc is serving two purposes: he's presumably choosing to have faith in the Force which could be telling him to keep hope, AND he's saying what needs to be said to keep his men's spirits up. If they go into this fight believing it's hopeless anyway, then the chances are a LOT higher that they'll end up dead, whereas if they keep a little more faith in their chances of being found, it'll give them the best chance possible. He's also just trying to lift up the clones' self-esteem in GENERAL because they're mentioning that they're "expendable" which is why they have no hope in being rescued. It's not that they think the situation is completely unsalvagable, but that nobody would bother risking their lives to save a few clones when there's so many of them and they can be so easily replaced. What Plo is doing here isn't that far off from what Yoda does just the episode before with Thire, Jek, and Rys: he's affirming that he sees the clones as PEOPLE worthy of caring about and fighting for, not because they're tools he needs in the war but just because they're THEM. There is nothing else Plo can do in this situation aside from keeping them alive as long as possible, and the best way he can do that is to keep their hopes up and keep them fighting. So regardless of whether he personally believes their chances of discovery are high or not, their best chance is for Plo to convince the clones he believes they'll be found.

ANAKIN'S reaction is completely separate from that (unless you believe that Plo is sort-of listening to the Force which is telling him to keep up hope and that that's possibly coming from Anakin and Ahsoka's choices here). Anakin is basically just bending the rules here because he can tell Ahsoka cares about this. I don't personally believe Anakin would've ACTUALLY gone after Plo in this situation if Ahsoka hadn't been there and being so vocal about her feelings on the matter. I think Anakin likely would've recognized the situation as a pretty foregone conclusion and continued on in his own mission. Keep in mind that this isn't the first attack by the Malevolence and in the other situations, there were no survivors. There's no actual reason to believe Plo is alive this time and it's a LOT more logical to assume that he didn't make it. Ahsoka is being emotional because she's young and she cares about Plo and wants to abandon her own mission in order to go check on someone she cares about, which is something that could potentially have dire consequences in other areas.

What Anakin does is try to find a loophole of sorts that allows them to still complete their original mission while accomplishing this other task, too. And while this logic works out for him, it assumes that nothing is going to happen to his fleet on the way to their final destination while he's gone. He is, effectively, abandoning his entire battalion in order to go save ONE PERSON (because I don't for a SECOND believe he cares about the 104th, he only cares about Plo because that's who AHSOKA cares about). If the 501st had gotten attacked mid-route somehow or they'd had issues along the way, they were left without either Jedi General or Commander to help them out. Yes, Plo and his three men would've died, but losing an entire fleet (which would be in ADDITION to losing Plo's entire battalion) would be far worse in the long run.

And this is why Anakin keeps getting away with acting like this. He takes massive risks in the name of emotional attachments that COULD have dire consequences but he manages to just keep getting lucky, which he convinces himself means that he was RIGHT. But that's not how it works, it's not the same thing. And eventually, that kind of thinking is going to lead him down the wrong path and he won't get so lucky.

You can also look at this situation like the trolley problem. Ideally, they'd like to just stop the trolley before it gets to either line with people on it. But if they CAN'T stop the trolley in time (and they have no control over which line it goes to), and the trolley's now hit that line with one person on it, is it better to go check and see if that one person survived being hit or is it better to go get the other people off the trolley line so they DON'T get hit by a trolley at all? It's possible another trolley might never come down, it's possible that that one person is still alive and could survive if only they're attended to in time. But it's also just as possible that a second trolley might come down and hit those other people on the other track while you're off saving that one person who's already been hit.

Now let's look at Luminara on Geonosis during the factory explosion. Here we get a more direct comparison between how a REAL Jedi handles the possibility of losing someone they care about and how ANAKIN handles the possibility of losing someone he cares about. The main difference for me here is the way they ultimately end up treating EACH OTHER. There's zero evidence that Luminara WOULDN'T have supported Anakin's attempts at finding them, and in fact there's actually evidence to support that Luminara was ALSO trying to look for them when she knelt down on the ground to meditate (something Anakin, like most of the fandom, tends to misinterpret as Luminara dropping to her knees in grief). When Anakin sees what he THINKS is Luminara losing herself to emotion, he's completely capable of being compassionate and reaching out to comfort Luminara, but when she responds that she's actually okay and will deal with Barriss's death if it happens, his compassion EVAPORATES. Almost like it was never even there and wasn't truly compassion in the first place (it's not that selfless if it's only offered when she adheres to HIS idea of how to properly grieve). And he never gives her the benefit of the doubt after this, never tries to understand her perspective AT ALL. All he does is continue to provoke her and harass her and then when they DO find Barriss and Ahsoka, Anakin IMMEDIATELY chooses to throw Luminara under the bus and accuse her of not caring about her own padawan RIGHT IN FRONT OF BARRISS.

Luminara, by contrast, continuously reaches out to Anakin to offer HIM compassion. Even in the face of his being a complete and utter asshole, his anger and selfishness towards her, she recognizes that this is Anakin GRIEVING the possibility of having lost Ahsoka, and so she offers selfless comfort ANYWAY. Even as he lashes out at her, even as he rejects her comfort and advice, she keeps offering it. Because she's a TRUE Jedi while Anakin is only a Jedi in name and nowhere is that more obvious than in this super direct parallel.

And you can compare this later to the advice Plo gives Anakin about Ahsoka during the Padawan Lost arc where he says that all Anakin can do at this point is trust that he's given her enough training to find her own way home. When there's nothing Anakin can truly do to help, he just has to trust in Ahsoka and trust in the Force to guide her. He has to trust he's been a good enough teacher. And in both the Geonosis episode with Luminara and the Padawan Lost arc with Plo, Ahsoka DOES manage to save herself. Anakin isn't really the person who does anything to save Ahsoka on Geonosis because he has no idea where to even start looking and it's a large area to search and they don't have enough time to search everywhere. Ahsoka sends a signal that gets through to the others, though, and THAT'S what saves her. It's something Anakin taught her before, sure, but nothing Anakin is doing right now in this moment is helping and THAT'S what Luminara is trying to impress upon him. All they can do right now, just like Plo and his men with the Malevolence, is trust in the Force and WAIT. Luminara is keeping herself calm, focused, and centered because getting emotional isn't going to help Barriss. Anakin getting emotional certainly doesn't help Ahsoka.

This is also a lesson we see pop up in other areas, as well. We see Obi-Wan getting taught a similar lesson during AOTC where he has to just trust he's taught Anakin well enough that he can manage his own obstacles and fix his own mistakes on a solo mission. He has to let go of his worries and doubts enough to let Anakin go because that's just how growing up works. And while we as the audience know that there's absolutely good reason to worry about Anakin being able to handle a solo mission, the Jedi aren't wrong to advise Obi-Wan to give Anakin room to make his own mistakes so he can grow. Also, in the episode JUST PRIOR to the one with Luminara, Landing at Point Rain, we see Anakin dealing with the loss of a loved one in the RIGHT way. Obi-Wan's ship crashes and Anakin is stuck far away and they don't know if Obi-Wan is injured or even alive. But Anakin is also still with Ahsoka and their troops, trying to get to the original landing site. Anakin COULD run ahead and try to get to Obi-Wan's ship to help him, but he'd be abandoning everybody else in order to do so and there's tons of enemies between them and the landing site, so the chances that they'd make it without his help are slim at best. So when Ahsoka starts getting emotional about wanting to help Obi-Wan, Anakin has to be the one to teach her this and tell her that they can't just go running off when it means abandoning other people to die. All they can do is protect the people they have the ability to protect and trust that in the Force and in Obi-Wan's own abilities.

So it's not like Anakin doesn't KNOW how he's supposed to handle this situation. He literally does EXACTLY what Luminara does JUST THE LAST EPISODE and teaches this exact fucking lesson to his own Padawan like the day before. And yet, when he's losing it and someone else is having to remind him about it, he can't take his own advice. He forgets everything he's ever learned and instead becomes a complete asshole to someone who has done nothing to deserve it.

So the lesson here isn't that you should never do anything to try to help people that MIGHT be dead, it's about prioritizing and knowing what it is you CAN do in the situation. With Plo, Anakin and Ahsoka CAN go save Plo, sure, but it means making a concession somewhere else. They prioritize saving Plo over staying with their own battalion. Plo has to prioritize keeping his men alive which means he has to choose to be optimistic even in the face of low odds because all he CAN do is keep fighting to stay alive as long as possible. Anakin can't REALLY do anything for Ahsoka when the factory explodes because he just has too little information to act on and this drives him NUTS. AHSOKA can work on sending a signal to him, but all Anakin can do is WAIT and have faith that Ahsoka will find a way out. Anakin's not so good at the faith thing, though, just canonically. Anakin doesn't like letting go of that much control in his life (or the lives of people he cares about). Luminara, however, CAN let go of the need to have control over everything and is doing what little she CAN do, which is reaching out with the Force to see if she can sense where Barriss is and keeping herself calm and focused.

Anakin IS wrong both times. The fact that things work out for him both times doesn't make him right in either instance. Remember, the exact things that cause him to make the choices he does HERE are the same things he uses to convince himself it's okay to commit a genocide against the Jedi later in order to save Padme. It's the exact same reasoning, he just gets lucky these times and gets LESS lucky later.

#star wars #anakin critical #anakin skywalker critical #luminara unduli #plo koon #barriss offee #jedi #pro jedi #attachment #attachment ≠ love