#anyways. i told him to quit with the shock value jokes at my expense

[imaginedanganronpa]

Okay can I get the Danganronpa 1 cast + Mikan Tsumiki reactions to being proposed to? (Sorry I added Mikan I love her so much)

I love Mikan, too, no worries! Also, you said cast, so I included both males and females. I hope that’s alright!

DR1 Cast + Mikan Tsumiki Being Proposed To!

Makoto Naegi

He isn’t expecting to be proposed to at all! He’s a little oblivious, but it’s what you find cute. 

You’d do it when he was least expecting it. You were walking through your favorite park, holding hands, when you told him you had a question to ask. Right off the bat, he asked, “What is it?”

You dropped down to one knee and asked then and there, your whole goal was to make it a surprise. 

And that it was.

His eyes widened and he raised a brow, stunned a bit. His mouth hung open and he didn’t know how he was supposed to react. It took him a moment to recover.

When he did, his shock turned into happiness, and his jaw dropping formed into a smile.

He accepted, embracing you and shouting, “Yes!”

Kyoko Kirigiri

You really wanted to surprise her. She was such a hard person to impress, and an even harder person to surprise.

You’d been planning it for months, and when the time came, all your nervousness seemed to fade into nothing. You decided to do it on your anniversary dinner date, and planned an entire speech and everything.

When you began to confess your love to her, she listened quietly with a soft smile, holding your hand as you continued to speak.

When you lifted yourself from your chair and dropped to your knee instead, she kept the same smile. Her face remained still and calm.

She accepted quietly, only a faint blush dancing across her cheeks. After kissing her, you asked what was wrong, and her smile widened.

“If you really wanted to surprise me, maybe don’t plan to do it during an anniversary dinner.” She joked while slipping the ring on.

Byakuya Togami

You knew his family was going to want to throw a giant wedding, and cover all the expenses. So, you went all out on a wedding ring.

You thought that, for sure, he was going to be so shocked and thankful. He only ever really showed his emotions and softer side for you.

The proposal happened at a party with his family gathered around. If anything, you could make him blush a little and embarrass him for once.

He did his best to try and remain unfazed, denying how red his face got, and acting like his normal collected self.

His soft side showed though, and he broke out into a big smile, and did his best to try to keep it down. His family was bombarded you two with photos and teasing him.

He’d never let you live down embarrassing him so much.

Celestia Ludenberg

Of course, you wanted only the best of the best for her. You took your time planning every single little detail and piece of this proposal.

Knowing her more expensive tastes, you did your best to pick out a ring she’d love.

You weren’t going to get extremely cheesy with her, since she isn’t really like that, but you did everything you could to prepare a loving and emotional speech.

When the time came, she was absolutely beaming. It’s like she couldn’t wipe the grin from her face.

When you were finished, she let the tension build up a bit before accepting, and then embracing you into a hug, kicking one of her feet up behind her.

She kissed your cheek and thanked you, telling you how much she loved you back.

Leon Kuwata

He’d always been the romantic one, so you wanted to do something nice for him for once. This was something that would absolutely take the cake.

Being a natural at romance, though, he was almost always in charge of planning your dates.

You thought proposing to him on one of his dates was hilarious, honestly.

You knew it would completely take him off guard. And that, it definitely did.

At the end of the date, right as you two were getting home, you made your move and proposed under the stars.

His face was priceless. It was almost like he didn’t know what to say or how to react. He stood there, silent for a moment, and eventually said yes. He pulled you into a kiss and swung you around, both of you were smiling in pure bliss.

“Damn, (S/O), takin’ my spotlight,” he laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

Aoi Asahina

You knew she’d never see it coming, and you’d been trying to figure out a special way to do this for months now.

It crept up on her birthday, though, and you figured it was a better time than ever to propose on her special day. It was worth making it even more special.

Though, that was a moment you wanted to share with just the two of you, so you waited until all your guest had left. Of course, this was night time, and she was worn out.

But, as soon as you dropped to one knee, she perked right up again, and she started giggling and kicking her feet happily before you could even finish.

“Yes!” She exclaimed, jumping into your arms and tackling you onto the floor. She left kisses all over your face, and grinned, “Best birthday gift ever.”

Kiyotaka Ishimaru

You knew how much of a fan he was of tradition and values, so you saw your opportunity to pop the question on your anniversary.

You two had been together for years, and many of your friends and family wondered when this time would come.

Little did they know, you’d already been planning it for a while, now.

You’d spent a romantic day together, from the moment you woke up, to the end of the night. At midnight, you saw no better opportunity to take your chances.

Well, it was more so around 11:58, but it was close enough. Right before your anniversary was up, you asked him to marry you, and his face faltered for a bit.

He twitched, and bit his tongue before he could ask if you were serious. Before you knew it, he was pushing back tears and mumbling, “Of course I will,” into your shoulder.

Touko Fukawa

As much as you loved your girlfriend, you knew you’d have to be gentle with her. She was an emotional person, and you didn’t want her to go overboard with your question.

It’s kind of sad, she feared no one would want to spend their life with her, so she was not expecting it one bit.

You planned to ask her when she’d least expect it, and ended up popping the question at home in mid afternoon, instead of making it a big scene in public.

No matter where you asked, though, she broke into a huge smile as soon as you did. She was practically squealing with excitement.

Touko forced back tears and had to wipe her eyes with her sleeves. She was a happy crier, and you knew that.

After she accepted, you pulled her in and kissed below her eyes to wipe them away.

Mondo Oowada

You were aware that he wanted to ask you, but something in you really wanted to beat him to the punch.

You’d already prepared the ring and what you planned on saying.

After he got home from one of his biker meetings, you’d lured him into the living room and sat him down, telling him you had something to talk about.

That’s when you started your speech, and he raised a brow. He ended up cutting you off with a sick, sinking feeling in his stomach.

“Are you breaking up with me?”

Wh- no? You were doing quite the opposite. Both of you were a bit stunned, so you didn’t know what to do other than fall to one knee and ask then and there.

His face dropped and grew hot, and he laughed after you were finished, mumbling his ‘Yes’ and sulking in embarrassment.

Sayaka Maizono

You had an idol girlfriend, what better way to propose to her than during one of her performances?

She’d had one coming up in your town and you bought tickets without even telling her. Of course, she offered for you to tag along anyway, but you wanted her to have no idea. So, you contacted her manager and explained your plan, and they got you backstage.

As she was ending her show, her manager from the back spoke on a microphone, saying she had a very special surprise visitor. Sayaka looked puzzled, turning around to see you on stage and on one knee.

Immediate falling to hers as well and meeting your level, with her hands over her mouth.

Her tears fell instantly and the crowded screamed and cheered, their cries growing even louder when she said yes.

Chihiro Fujisaki

He is absolutely oblivious, and it’s adorable.

You decided to make it simple and propose at the same spot where you two first met. That’s because it’s both romantic and symbolic.

You also knew he’d take it to heart and cherish the moment, so there was no better way to do this.

As soon as you started what you had to say, he caught on quickly, and covered his mouth with his palms. A wide smile spread across his lips.

He also forced tears back, telling himself over and over that he wouldn’t cry. He lets a little slip, though.

That didn’t happen, and he burst into tears as soon as you popped the question. There was no hesitation before he said yes and practically jumped into your arms.

Sakura Oogami

She sensed that this would be coming, so she was able to keep a level head about it all. This is natural for her, though.

Still, she smiled throughout and waited until you were finished, keeping the same grin the entire time.

You’d think that she would be very cold because she didn’t tear up or blush, but she was jumping for joy on the inside. She loves you, and she was extremely patient, so when the time finally came she’d already prepared what to say.

Her acceptance was very calm, and she decided it would be best to treat you both to dinner that night in celebration.

Without a doubt, it was a night worth remembering.

Hagakure Yasuhiro

He’s such a lovable airhead, he didn’t even see it coming. That’s what you’re going for, though.

You waited until the moment was right and then surprised him at the last second, and he nearly fainted with happiness.

He couldn’t feel more blessed than in this moment; it felt like one of his fortunes came true. (Yes, he also looked at his own fortune because he’s been waiting on this moment for so long.

Of course, he was giddy with excitement and agreed almost immediately, twirling you around and hugging you tightly.

He was more than happy to be able to spend his life with the person of his dreams.

Junko Enoshima

For a moment, she looked unfazed and unmoved. It’s a bit worrying, because most people would be extremely excited and thankful.

You wanted to propose to her on her birthday, just to make it memorabe, but she said nothing for a moment.

Until her face twisted and broke into a wide grin and she clapsed her hands together, nearly squealing. Her mood changed very, very quickly.

You were relieved that she was actually happy, and she pulled you in and kissed you, and then down to your jaw and neck.

“Of course I’ll marry you! You didn’t even have to ask!~” She presses herself against you and buried her face in your neck.

She’s going to repay you for this tonight~ (wink)

Hifumi Yamada

This boy literally jumps with joy at the slightest movement.

As soon as he sees you drop to one knee, he’s more than excited, and you don’t even get to ask the question before he’s picked you up and you’re in his arms.

It’s very easy to make him happy, and he swears he’s never been happier than in this moment. 

What a lovable sweetheart. He means well, but nearly crushes you. It just makes you happy that you’re able to make him smile.

He’s also liable to faint, clutching his chest and falling backwards from pure joy.

Someone help him.

Mukuro Ikusaba

Like her sister, she’s a bit unmoved for a moment.

Though, as you’re confessing her love, you believe you can see the faintest hint of a smile grace her lips.

She listens to each word silently and carefully, letting you finish. For a moment, you’re worried that she’ll reject you.

Her expression is a bit hard to read, but you keep positive. Her hands form fists and her lips tighten, but she’s a bit nervous. You caught her off guard, which is hard to do.

However, when you’re finished, she extends her arm and pulls you to your feet, kissing you and nodding her head as she gladly accepts your proposal. She won’t let you know it, but she’s practically imploding on the inside.

With that, you pull away, and you could swear on your life that she’s blushing.

Mikan Tsumiki

She often wondered when or if you’d propose to her. You knew this, so you decided to do so on a random date when she’d least expect it.

With that said, when you finally do, expect some water works.

They’re happy tears, of course.

But she’s going to cry and cover her mouth from happiness, rubbing her thighs together and holding her voice in to try to keep herself composed.

She practically falls on you when you’re finished, and she’s loudly accepting over and over again. You both show the other an obsessive amount of affection, and she doesn’t care if you’re in public, she’s all over you.

Without a doubt, this becomes the best day of her life and she will never forget it.

You make her happier than she’s ever been, and she counts down the days until your wedding.

- Mod Rantaro

#danganronpa #dr1 #drthh #trigger happy havoc #imagines #makoto naegi #kyoko kirigiri #byakuya togami #celes ludenberg #celestia ludenberg #leon kuwata #aoi asahina #kiyotaka ishimaru #touko fukawa #mondo oowada #sayaka maizono #chihiro fujisaki #sakura oogami #hagakure yasuhiro #junko enoshima #hifumi yamada #mukuro ikusaba #mikan tsumiki #sdr2 #thh imagines

[identitycris1s]

so this is the new year

im finally taking time to sit down and reflect on the past few months. the new year came and went and its been a bit of a whirlwind. i suppose i’ll just go by chronological order cos i dont really know how to start...also i dont think im an abstract thinker so really my life isnt ordered by “themes” or “lessons” or whatever but i sort of think of it in terms of events and the epiphanies or lessons that flow therefrom. this is probably just gonna be a stream of consciousness exposition cos im lazy to organise my thoughts and this is basically my journal so WHATEVER!

November

X told me he liked me and asked me out. i was shocked. but sort of saw it coming (what else could “r u free after lunch, i have some stuff to say” mean...LOL). i reacted awkwardly - distinctly remember saying “huh..what does that MEAN!!!” (LOL) i told him i would think about it but could probably only give him an answer after part b was over. 

tbh this was probably just me stalling for time. i think instinctively i knew that i didnt see him in that way, but he seemed to tick so many boxes in terms of who i was “supposed” to be with - that sounds dumb, but what i mean is he’s a steadfast christian, a good boy, similar values, similar tastes in music / movies / books, same bloody industry LOL...

also he seemed really serious about it - ermmm he brought up marriage on that first day :0 ok i suppose thats unfair and it sounds insane without context - he said it with reference to how dating is always with a view to marriage which i do agree with but yes it was a lot to absorb in one conversation. and then he cracked out this book about dating and marriage and i was like woah. so, given how much thought he seemed to have put into this (he also said he chatted with his CG leader about me yikes) i felt obliged to at least think it through properly and give myself some time to consider rather than immediately rejecting him. 

and so i mulled it over whilst studying for part b. he was overseas for a while towards the end of my studying period (ie when i was freaking out the most and generally being a headless chicken) and this probably contributed to me feeling like i liked him more than i really did hmm wonder what this says about me. i like to feel like someone’s out of my reach i suppose. so fucked up lol! and so during this period we were texting everyday and i would look forward to his replies and he was a real source of comfort during that stressful period and i never told him this and i probably never will. 

December

exams were over and i had to face D DAY!! so i went to meet him to give him my answer and honestly even on that day i didnt know what my answer was. we met at BTM and he literally had written down a list of things to talk about and i think in that moment i knew this probably wouldnt work out. hes so damn thoughtful about every little thing and he thinks everything through and even though he seems to think he “doesnt take things too seriously” I THINK HE DOES...and i really dont...so i felt that showed how incompatible we were. its not a bad thing to be thoughtful. its just that i felt so pressured by how seriously he was taking things...i thought “trying this out” would be casual and chill and we would just hang out as if we were friends but with this overarching agenda of potentially being together but no his conception of “trying things out” is much more intense and serious and thought out and in his words “intentional”. which i realised is some christian dating jargon haha.

dinner was normal until he cracked out that list i was talking about. then he started talking about what he wanted out of a relationship and asked me what i wanted out of a relationship. like it was a damn interview. you know what, im saying this in a really condescending tone and i wouldnt ever be this hurtful if i knew he was gonna read this - in fact i really do think this kind of approach would suit many people and perhaps a more emotionally well adjusted person would think this was normal but i felt so bombarded and i really didnt know what to say in response. so i blurted out some nonsense about wanting to be with someone who was God fearing and “kind and compassionate” and “ambitious” LMAO...what bullshit (that last one i mean). and he had clearly thought out his answers a lot more and he went on a whole spiel about wanting to be with someone who could stand on their own as a christian and who he didnt have to “drag along” on their walk with God and i was like ok cool but i think im not that...im not what youre looking for...but of course i didnt say this. idk why. maybe i enjoy being wanted and sought after and i didnt want to shatter his illusion that i was what he was looking for, even though i was kinda seeing that he wasnt what i was looking for.

anyway, being the shitty person i am, i told him it wasnt a no but it wasnt a straight out yes either i.e. i would be willing to try with a view to potentially saying yes. and we left it at that. but even as i said bye to him that night i kinda knew this wasnt gonna work...but i wanted it to! i wanted to like him! i want to be the kind of person who can accept love from a well adjusted person who’s not afraid to be real and to take things seriously...but i suppose i have some emotional growth to work on...or is it perfectly valid for me to not want to be with him? tbh i never found him attractive (physically or even personality wise oops) - he doesnt make me laugh, hes kinda too uptight, he doesnt get my jokes (i have to be like “JUST KIDDING” a lot of the time..ded) but somehow we worked as friends. but to be with someone requires something more than just working as friends doesnt it?? ack

so we met a few times in dec (i think we went on four or five “dates” in total...im so reluctant to call them dates cos throughout i just couldnt see him in that light, but thats what they were i think) and through the course of our interactions i started picking up on things that i didnt like about him / about our interactions. this sounds awfully petty and i dont wanna be mean about this cos im sure i have MANY MANY MANY flaws that one could nit pick but these were just some signs that we would not work (quite apart from my lack of physical attraction to him)

1. our conversations always end up argumentative. i think this probably stems from both of us being law students and so whenever we disagree on something we both cant seem to fucking let it go. i distinctly remember one stupid conversation, i shall put it here (not verbatim but this is the gist of it)

X: what are your new years resolutions?

S: i dont like making new years resolutions because they always end up in disappointment because i never stick to them. 

X: but disappointment isnt always a bad thing because you can learn from it and improve from there

S: yes but that doesnt mean disappointment isnt a bad thing - cos disappointment in itself is bad (like duh the feeling of disappointment is bad) but what comes after disappointment can be good or bad i.e. you can choose to work on yourself and improve or you can wallow in the disappointment.

-some more argument and confusion about what we are even talking about-

S: ok lets not argue on this its a semantic point. 

X: is it semantic? its not semantic.

S: it is semantic. we are disagreeing on what the word disappointment means. i think it is necessarily negative but you are saying that disappointment isnt always negative because of what can come after but i think thats sidestepping the point of disappointment being negative in itself.

do you see what i mean. what kind of petty argument is this? whats the damn point? of course im definitely not blameless in this at all. i perpetuate it. but what im saying is i feel like talking to him brings out this argumentative side of me that im not a fan of. also its fucking exhausting haha.

2. he is so. fucking. serious. every conversation involves some heavy thing like spirituality or self evaluation or Godliness etc. which i suppose is good but i just found it tiring...why cant things be light? why cant things be fun? why do we always have to talk about *important* or *weighty* things? tbh i think he sorta compartmentalises me as a friend whom he can talk about these *weighty* things with cos im also a christian and i get what hes saying when he talks about God but i dont want to only talk about that...

3. we dont have similar senses of humour. i dont think he thinks im funny...but i think im bloody funny ok haha also i dont think im deluded on this? my friends think im funny too? yeah i think its a major problem that we cant really laugh together...hes not someone that makes me laugh at all :( 

ok enough bashing X haha i really do think hes a great person we are just NOT compatible romantically.

ANYWAYS! sometime in dec i also met up w SM for the first time in aaaages. but things were like normal again. sounds stupid but i think ill always think of him as the one who got away LOL....emotionally unavailable and not interested in me?? IM DOWN! haha. ok hes not emotionally unavailable tbh i probably was more emotionally unavailable in the course of our friendship but he defo never really expressed any interest in me other than always hanging out one on one but that doesnt really count for anything does it. anyways! he told me about his BTO plans and im honestly v happy for him :) friends r growing up and moving on in life mang..

sad part was i dropped avo toast on my new everlane pants and that honestly ruined my day lol

January

NYE was spent w S and some of her friends plus R and A (who went home after dinner cos of family drama lmao angie is siao) - we went to AL’s fam friends party at fullerton for countdown and the fireworks were amaaaazing, lasted about an hour (which made us question the budget allocation on this tbh isnt it a bit of a waste?? fireworks are insanely expensive??) and we promptly went home after the clock struck 12 which was perfect haha i have no stamina to stay out late anymore. 

work started on 2 jan! its been fun tbh - back with the trainees and meeting some new people and using my brain again. i like feeling useful and being stuck in a routine...at least for now haha. check in on me in about 3 months and we’ll see. 

and....i finally mustered up the courage to tell X the truth ie i didnt see this going anywhere and we should just be friends. we had kind of an awkward dinner (i could feel myself being rude to him and being dismissive etc but i think it could partially be attributed to me being tired from work..but mostly cos i didnt wanna be with him!! as a romantic partner!! it felt wrong!) and so i told him after dinner otw to the mrt (funny, we always have these convos otw to the mrt haha). he said he understood and he sort of felt it coming. and i felt bad - he mustve picked up on my coldness and rudeness over text and in our meetings also...why am i like this. i shouldve been up front with him on the first day. but i didnt know!!! i didnt know for sure this is how i felt. ahhh well u live and u learn right. next time ill be better at this. hope theres a next time LOL God pls send me someone whos right for me

ok bye for now! this was a lengthy post haha

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

I'd love to hear opinions for Megamorphs 4

Short opinion: I giggle every time I read the line “President Clinton urged everyone to remain calm” but seriously this book is so scary specifically because it feels so realistic to canon.

Long opinion:

I’ve always felt like this book takes place in direct conversation with #1, fleshing out the existing personalities and relationships of the team as of the moment that they walk through the construction site.  The actual first book in the series sweeps the characters along so quickly toward their destiny (by necessity, because anything else would be bad writing) that we get extremely few details about what these kids are actually like before the war ruins their lives except in the retrospective.  Back to Before feels like a chance to go back and find out who exactly these kids were before they all became homicidal cinnamon rolls.  Of course I’m a sucker for the details about Tom (He has a driver’s license!  He wears a denim jacket over blue jeans like a true 90s fashion victim!  Temrash 114 keeps at least two separate dracon beams in his room!  His parents think he should pay more attention in school!) but there are also a ton of rich characterization moments for all six Animorphs.  

This book really shows us for the first time why Tobias is so desperate for his life to change that he throws himself into a war (and maybe-maybenot gets himself trapped in morph) just to have friends and a purpose.  He belongs nowhere—not at home with his alcoholic uncle, not at school where he’s constantly under threat of physical violence, not at the mall where Jake listens to him out of pity while Marco’s openly hostile—which means that he grabs the first chance he can to fly away from it all.  Maybe he’s being short-sighted, since by #3 he already knows he had no idea what he was getting himself into, but he’s so desperate to get out that one can hardly blame him even when he resorts to becoming a controller in order to have someone to talk to and something to give him meaning.  

It’s also striking that Tobias is the one who ends up recruited by the Sharing, while Jake attends one meeting and leaves.  Most of the series has this implicit assumption that if any of them will be the first one taken, it’ll be Jake, since he’s the one with a controller already living in the house.  (For instance, #41 and #7 both feature variations on the theme of everyone getting caught because Tom saw something he shouldn’t, and in #49 everyone is shocked when the yeerks’ DNA match isn’t between Jake and Tom.)  However, here Jake sees everything the Sharing has to offer… and tells Tom “I’m not really a joiner,” because he’s really really not (MM4).  The unfortunate flip side of the coin of Jake’s leadership ability is that he makes a fairly terrible follower.  In this book it saves his life, but there are other instances (when dealing with the andalites in #18 and #38, during the negotiations with the Arn in #34) where everyone would probably be better off if Jake could find it in himself to sit down, shut up, and do as he’s told.  Non-Animorph Jake is probably at risk of becoming a useless washout (between the crappy academic performance, the mediocre athletic performance, and the lack of motivation to do anything, he’s probably destined to spend the rest of his life as a failed artist living in a studio apartment in downtown LA paid for by his parents’ money), but he’s also not at risk of becoming a voluntary controller, because he’s perfectly content with his mediocre life.  

Rachel, by contrast, is incredibly restless in her normal life.  Cassie describes her as “hunting” with “laser focus” when looking for bargains at the mall (MM4).  It takes her about ten seconds to get on board with chasing down and attempting to tackle some random stranger because Marco thinks said stranger looks like his dead mom.  She snaps into action the second that Ax broadcasts the news that aliens are attacking the planet, and keeps fighting with whatever tools come to hand (including a severed hork-bajir head, because this girl is hardcore) until she gets killed.  For all that she loves it, this book implies that the war might be the worst thing that could have possibly happened to Rachel.  After all, she’s quite good at channeling all that pent-up aggression into verbal sparring the way her mom does (notice how much she enjoys arguing with Marco in the planetarium) and also releasing that extra energy through athletics the way her dad does (unlike Jake, she’s not deterred in her sports ambitions by a mere hiccup like utter lack of talent).  She also has a lot of friends and admirers, a track record of being one of the highest performers in her class, and a casual self-confidence that is rare enough for a girl her age to win her a lot of favors with a lot of people.  Non-Animorph Rachel (in a world that also had no yeerks) would probably thrive in whatever career she chose for decades before dying at a ripe old age surrounded by her highly attractive husband and seven fat grandchildren.  

Maybe my favorite piece of Marco characterization from this book is the way it establishes there is actually a lot more to his crush on Rachel than thinking she has beautiful hair and looks cute in a leotard.  He’s considerably less comfortable in his own skin than either of the Berensons, but he also practices what he preaches by appreciating a joke at his own expense just as much as one he uses to mock another person.  This book makes it obvious that he looks up to Rachel (not just literally, although Marco’s jokes about his own height are also amazing) because he recognizes how intelligent and ruthless she is, and those are the qualities he values the most in himself and others.  Cates pointed out that it’s interesting almost all of Marco’s role models are female (Xena, Alanis Morissette, Carmen Electra, Eva for that matter) and in a lot of ways he doesn’t just like Rachel; he admires her.  

And then there’s the portrayal of Ax when no one comes to rescue him.  #4 and #8 only hint at what it must have been like for him to spend weeks stuck in a tiny dome at the bottom of the ocean, not knowing whether anyone was coming for him, suspecting more and more every day that his whole crew was dead, but here we get a much deeper look at those long days of solitude.  He comes off almost like a prisoner in solitary confinement in the scenes before he manages to use the shark morph to escape: compulsively addicted to routines, talking to inanimate objects, starting to hallucinate when left alone for long enough… Ax is a survivor, tough enough to live through years of loneliness and grief while fighting a war on a foreign planet.  This book shows just how much of that strength comes from within, fire-forged by his traumatic introduction to Earth.  

Oh, and Cassie is sub-temporally grounded, apparently.  I have nothing nice to say about that concept so I’ll settle for saying nothing at all.

Anyway, I love both the opening and closing of this book.  The first scene has one of those UTTERLY HORRIFYING banality-of-violence beginnings, where we open on the aftermath of a battle that may or may not have accomplished anything other than giving the kids involved a few more nightmares.  Jake is disturbingly casual about the fact that he has lost an entire leg and is slowly bleeding to death, making wry jokes about how he and the three-legged table match each other. We can tell why: this isn’t the first (or even the thirtieth) time he’s been fatally maimed and then forced to shrug it off in order to keep fighting.  The kids try—and fail—to save the host of a fatally injured yeerk a few minutes of pain, and end up watching both beings bleed to death.  And then Jake goes home, and he once again plays the game of Lying For His Life with his parents and Tom, and he goes to bed ready to do it all again the next day, wondering what dreams of Sauron Crayak will come.  This poor schmuck literally never catches a break.  No wonder his little deal with the devil seems so tempting for the millisecond that it takes for Crayak to pounce.  (By contrast, the TV episode features Jake asking the Little Blue Ellimist to make him a Real Boy because he doesn’t want to do his math homework and plan a battle at the same time. What a whiner.)

Ugh, and then the ten little soldiers go out to dine, and they drop off one by one so fast that most barely get the chance to fight back.  Rachel and Ax especially do their best to battle the oncoming horde, but they’re largely unarmed and clueless against the yeerks. Tobias becomes the living puppet of a living puppet of Visser One, and then there were five.  Marco stands a little too close to a Bug fighter, and then there were four.  Rachel runs straight into turret fire because Rachel is still Rachel even without unleashing her inner grizzly bear, and then there were three. Cassie is in the wrong shopping mall at the wrong time, and then there were two.  Jake faces down an army of hork-bajir as just his little human self, and then there was one.  Ax might be able to survive—but he isn’t looking to go home and be safe, he’s looking to save the world.  And then there were none.  

A lot of the point of this book is that of course the Ellimist “stacked the deck,” because these kids in particular are the the only ones who have the necessary combination of idealism and grittiness to take on an entire army and win (MM4).  Marco says it best in #54: “We beat an empire, my friend, the six of us, and we did it in large part because you didn’t know any better than to trust your own instincts.”  Ax has the tech savvy and determination to engage in total war, but he can’t survive on Earth without human friends.  Rachel has the ferocity to be a one-woman army, but without her friends to ground her she’d get herself killed a lot sooner.  Jake might be a natural leader, but he’s also naive enough not to know how to balance ethics in times of atrocity without Marco’s ruthlessness and Cassie’s pragmatism to guide him.  Without Marco, the team would never succeed in taking down Visser One.  Without Cassie, they would never get in contact with the Yeerk Peace Movement.  Without Tobias, they’d never succeed at freeing the hork-bajir.  These six form a constellation of skills and needs and strengths and neuroses that balances the fate of the entire galaxy on the shoulders of a bunch of middle schoolers.  They don’t need morphing power to be badass—but they do need it to win.  

#asks #answers #animorphs #sohmamon #mm4 #back to before #animorphs reviews #megamorphs 4 #long post