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crushedcoffeecups · 24 hours

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rewatching Saiki K got me thinking again

what if his 'inner thoughts'/narration and commentary to the audience, were actually what he was saying to everyone else?

bear with me i swear i have a point

so we've established that Saiki doesn't speak out loud (aside from the couple exceptions, usually when he's caught off guard), he telepathically sends what he wants to say to whoever he wants to say it to, and creates the illusion that his mouth is moving. seems like more work than actually speak but whatever

i think this is quite often treated in headcanon and fanfic that he doesn't talk to anyone at all (obviously write and headcanon however you want to), but i always went under the assumption he does speak, just doesn't initiate conversation. there are definitely times where he's clearly speaking to someone, not just the audience, mainly when talking to his parents, but also definitely sometimes with friends too.

this then presents my headcanon, that whenever he has his witty commentary to the audience while another person is talking to him, he's talking to them too, and just doesn't care

it takes 'oh Saiki's a quiet kid who's secretly harbouring rage and annoyance at everyone around him' to 'Saiki is openly a jerk to everyone and talks about having powers a lot but they all just think he's joking and don't take notice of what he says'

which makes some of his lines a whole lot funnier if you consider he's deadpan saying it to their face

"are you a first grader?"

"wanna throw down, punk?" (one of my favourite lines)

"Girls are as plentiful as the stars in the sky, and equally as out of reach for you"

"so you're basically a fan blade now?"

"there's a harem cliche for you"

"wait... PURGE ME!"

"i know that butt."

"Are you a god?"

"I'd rather fall to my death than go on a date with you"

there's definitely more lines that refer to his powers and some funnier stuff, feel free to add on your favs!

#saiki no psi nan #the disaster of psi kusuo saiki #saiki k #kusuo saiki #the disastrous life of saiki k #hairo kineshi #yumehara chiyo #saiki kuusuke #saiki kurumi #saiki kuniharu #shun kaidou #aren kuboyasu #riki nendou #makoto teruhashi #kokomi teruhashi #chisato mera #aiura mikoto #reita toritsuka

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oh-look-another · 2 months

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i'm a sucker for narrators who are like,,, part of the narrative. they're a part of the story. they may or may not be fundemantal to it, but they influence it one way or another.

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silverwhittlingknife · 5 months

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did nobody ask you for red letter day? absurd! *I* wanna know about red letter day!

hello captain and friend anon!!! I KNOW I HAVEN'T UPDATED THIS IN SIX MILLION YEARS SO THANK YOU FOR THESE ASKS <333

okay SO the first thing is, you have to understand, my list of documents for this fic looks like this:

anyway i do love this fic even though it FIGHTS ME; it's supposed to have both Fights and Mysteries and both are hard to write 😅

anyway hmmm i'm going to cheat by including a Dick POV section that I am probably gonna end up cutting, because i like it but i also worry that it slows down the dialogue?

excerpt below the cut! the only context that you need is that Dick and Tim have been having the "should Tim call if there's danger in Gotham" argument again (Tim's position is "no"), partly because they both have genuine positions on this argument, but also because it enables them to sublimate an emotional conflict into a work conflict and thus avoid talking or thinking about their feelings, which is a shared pathology goal:

Dick would bet Tim never mouthed off to Bruce like this. One of the many things that suck about being the knock-off Batman is that none of Dick’s orders really stick. All of the responsibility without the authority to back it up. At least when Dick was leading the Titans, they did what he freaking told them. …Mostly. …Okay, sometimes. The awful truth is—and he tries not to dwell on it because it’s pointless and doesn’t achieve anything, but—everything with Tim, sometimes it reminds him of the worst times with the Titans. The same uneasy feeling of dread, like he’s grabbing for someone who’s slipping through his fingers. Roy’s crossed arms. The clock creeping toward midnight, staring at the champagne, knowing in his heart that Kory wasn’t coming. After Tartarus: watching Roy walk out of the room, watching Donna follow him, staring at Vic’s back, Kory’s back, all of them walking out, and no one left but the newcomers. When the personal is so fucked up that all you can do is double-down on the professional, and even that doesn’t help, and then— (Get a grip, Grayson.) And anyway, this isn’t like the Titans, is it? Dick was out-of-line, there, in retrospect. He’s never been good at losing people gracefully. Pushing Kory for marriage when she was already pulling away, trying to cling to her instead of letting her go. Giving ultimatums after Tartarus, when he knew the team already resented his orders. Making decisions behind Vic’s back, trying to force him to stay. It’s an ugly bad habit, picked up from Bruce: things are slipping, and your people are mad at you, so you get scared, and then you get authoritative and controlling so you can hang onto them, except you can’t control them, so then they get even angrier and you lose them anyway. It’s easy to see in Bruce, hard to see in himself, but he knows it’s there. He barely managed to catch himself in time, with the Titans. Is he doing the same thing to Tim? Does he need to back off? But Gotham is risky. Tim’s always been capable, obviously, but…it’s okay to be a bit authoritative, isn’t it? Tim should call if there’s someone who looks unusually dangerous. That’s just common sense. Dick’s not asking for miracles, here.

#general unreliable narrator warning sdfsdfsd #dick. honey. kory needed space after being tortured + that was not your fault or the result of your choices actually #anyway i'm so torn because on the one hand i feel like this is worryingly close to info-dumping in a way i don't like #and i also worry that it's not giving enough context for someone who's not familiar with the comic references #but at the same time mmm okay this isn't the main point of this or anything #but part of what i find so appealing about the dick + tim conflict #is its potential to interact with their different types of abandonment issues #i feel like tim's abandonment issues generally have enough play in fandom that i don't have to spend a lot of time establishing them #whereas most dick-centric fics tend to focus on other aspects of his character #but dick has a lot of anxiety about losing people too #like. it's complicated bc he doesn't process it or narrate it to himself in quite the same ways that tim does #but it's very much an underlying anxiety imo

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ghostlyferrettarot · 29 days

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🖤🌗Lilith in the Signs🌓🖤

❗️All the observations in this post are based on personal experience and research, it's completely fine if it doesn't resonate with everyone❗️

✨️Paid Services ✨️ (Natal charts and tarot readings) Open.

🖤If you like my work you can support me through Ko-fi. Thank you!🖤

🌟Masterlist🌟

🐈‍⬛Lilith in Aries: the native may feel more of a desire to be independent, to stand up for things he believes in, to cherish individualism, to argue persuasively for his opinions, and to be more sensual and straightforward when in love. The issue is that this can make relationships a little more challenging, encouraging more rejection or the tendency to look for flaws in a spouse since it's hard to commit. Those who were born with this alignment in their birth chart might have gone through periods of rejection.If Lilith is in Aries, don't be scared to look ahead; what vibrates will remain, and if not, don't be afraid to let it go for good.

🐈‍⬛Lilith in Taurus: Lilit in Taurus indicates a stronger sense of tenacity along with an increased attraction to all things sensual and lovely. Additionally, it may increase emotional activity to the point that you look for greater security in relationships. Furthermore, this comfort isn't necessarily purely emotional; you might want to look for individuals who are stable financially, for instance. This particular dependency on tangible, safe things might occasionally cause discomfort and disrupt your emotional balance. Lilith, who stands for feminine power, narrates how the family's ladies acquired strength and empowerment so Lilith is in Taurus could be a clan women who came to power by making excellent use of their resources and handling their finances and belongings with diligence.

🐈‍⬛Lilith in Gemini: It can induce a greater search for independence and make the native particularly interested in intellectual or communicative areas, such as literature and public relations. This position can also suppress emotions a little or make the native more rational. With this placement it is important to understand that what kills or what hurts the native is not the physical offense, but the negative use of other people's words. With Lilith in Gemini this people may be afraid to connect with their environment for fear of rejection Or it could be the opposite, someone who is very good at social communication, who is friendly and fun and connects with everyone.

🐈‍⬛Lilith in Cancer: Lilith in Cancer has a great capacity to intuit emotionally charged issues, perhaps about the past, childhood, lack of protection during childhood, or during a moment of great vulnerability. She encourages the native to reflect on the concepts of family. This movement also speaks of emotions that are gestated in the primordial energy of Creation. The desire to establish emotional ties is intense and these people may obsessively seek to start a family.

🐈‍⬛Lilith in Leo: In general, it brings a greater desire to have fun, increases the desire to participate in parties and perhaps be the center of attention. It increases the chance of convincing and seducing people and slightly increases the chances of being a notable person. Self-knowledge is very important for you to find your true identity and eliminate any type of narcissism and overvaluation of your shape or physical beauty. When seeking recognition and attention, you must be careful not to do so in an exaggerated way. Lilith in Leo represents the energetic vibration of rebellion, uniqueness and creativity. This energy has the quality of helping those with this position.

🐈‍⬛Lilith in Virgo: They have a character that is not afraid of loneliness, they are independent and do not sacrifice their autonomy for some company. They are very selective with their friends and partners and do not dedicate time to the bonds that do not find meaning in the shared moments. This positioning of Lilit can make objectivity in details a little difficult, influencing the native to criticize things or people at first glance. Her analytical and psychological abilities tend to increase and they may have very strong intuition. The problem is that they may not be exactly aware of these abilities or, out of modesty, may not admit them.

🐈‍⬛Lilith in Libra: Lilith in Libra can intensify the thirst for justice, this position indicates a constant search for equality and beauty and at the same time a great need for symmetry in relationships. The challenge of this displacement is that natives often face scenarios where independence is threatened. with Lilith in Libra you may have difficulty establishing healthy boundaries in your social connections. This is because Lilith represents our darkest side.

🐈‍⬛Lilith in Scorpio: Lilith in Scorpio can generate a tendency towards self-destruction or an overwhelming need to go against what is established. People born under this sign have an intense and magnetic energy that can attract others to them. In addition, they are very passionate and deep people, which allows them to connect with their darkest part and have the ability to face fears and internal traumas. In addition, it can speak of people with a strong and defiant character who do not follow conventional social norms. People with this position may be curious about issues associated with sexuality, power, and individual and social transformation.

🐈‍⬛Lilith in Sagittarius: Here this native has the opportunity to unite intellect and spirituality, in addition, he suggests an influence that gives rise to a greater desire for knowledge and adventure. He usually contacts other people in search of more experience, always with good intentions. Also, he can talk about detached people, who feel that they cannot dedicate themselves to a single person, who need to adventure, travel and discover other cultures. This individuals must be careful from those who try to take advantage of their generosity as well as they must avoid nurturing vices.

🐈‍⬛Lilith in Capricorn: It tends to slightly intensify the desire for status or to obtain a prominent position, it induces the native to be a little more indifferent or demanding with others, but sometimes it is important to make concessions. On the other hand, it can increase the sense of discipline and duty, basic things to achieve a prestigious position. It is important to keep in mind that those born with Lilith in this Earth sign can express themselves in a harsh way emotionally, and their own limitation makes it difficult to expression of others. They treat the people they love with somewhat authoritarian dynamics and expect them to respond in a certain way.

🐈‍⬛Lilith in Aquarius: Lilith in Aquarius can intensify intuition, the desire for adventure, and a bolder attitude. She can stimulate independence or rebellion. Lilith in this Air sign, by not respecting what is established, they can adopt a permanent attitude of being contrary and testing everything around her. Their biggest urge is to cut ties and be totally autonomous, which can cause discomfort with others. These natives may feel that they do not match their family, they feel like the black sheep or the oddball of the clan. Then, they leave the blood network in search of a group to which they belong.

🐈‍⬛Lilith in Pisces: This positioning can cause the person to intensify themes, such as imagination, fantasy, artistic sense and inspiration. It may also stimulate a greater inclination to help people or an appreciation for social work. However, such influence can cause one to neglect oneself and fail to meet one's own needs. You must be careful not to get caught in illusions. Your spirituality or creative imagination can bear good material fruits, and it is necessary to deepen your knowledge and self-knowledge to unlock good ideas. You should always think about how to develop your spirituality and intuition to get a good idea of everything that happens around you.

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comradekatara · 3 months

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katara’s role as the show’s narrator is so underrated because no one really seems to understand just how deeply katara is impacted by the nature of stories, with regards to their craft, their promulgation, and their cultural significance, so they don’t truly register the sheer metatextual brilliance of having her be the resident storyteller of the narrative itself.

the first thing atla establishes about katara is that she is someone who is fueled by dreams and fantasies, and believes in a return to a world where “all four nations lived together in harmony” (which is obviously an illusory ideal, as there was always geopolitical strife even if it wasn’t as overt as the devastating imperialist project they are now subject to), described to her by kanna’s stories about the old days.

katara is someone who indulges in fantasies of adventure and heroism, projecting these ideals onto both herself and others. she is an idealist in the truest, purest sense of the word, and what is an idealist if not someone who tells themselves stories about a more beautiful world to survive?

it’s no coincidence that the episode where katara successfully scares everyone with a very compellingly narrated campfire story is the same episode that she must contend with her heritage, the ominous lacunae in her stories, the pitfalls of her own naive idealization. it’s also not a coincidence that the story she tells was first told to her by her mother.

katara grew up hearing stories passed down to her from kanna and kya, and those stories gave her hope and brought her the possibility of happiness in a bleak, cruel world where she was ultimately alone. there used to be people like her, said the stories, and they were brave, and they fought til their final breaths to hold onto their culture, their love for their people, their humanity.

well that’s who i’m going to be, says katara. someone who fights, someone who cannot be knocked down (because there is no one else left to take her place), someone who will never cease to have faith in the capacity of others for good, for truth, and for justice.

stories are her heritage, they are her culture, they are how she defines herself and how she understands the world around her. stories are how she copes, how she survives; they are all she has left to cling to. and sometimes they are reductive, and sometimes they are outright false, but that’s okay too. she grows, she adjusts her narratives, she learns to leave room for more grey in her neat tapestries of black and white. stories can define a tragic past, but they can also pave the way for a better future. she keeps telling stories.

#i could sunlit garden this girl so easy (probably what hama was thinking)#katara #analysis #kanna&katara #katara&kya #hama&katara #this is also what makes the southern raiders so brilliant as the apotheosis of her arc #but that’s for another post #(one that I’ve probably made before lbr)#everyone in atla has a sunlit garden / mythmaking event / whatever you wanna call it #but katara is the QUEEN of narrativization #and you do not get katara at ALL until you get this #fyi.#anyway i love her so much that i nearly teared up writing this. it’s whatever tho

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skaruresonic · 6 months

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The common rebuttal to "this reads like fanfic (derogatory)" is "read better fanfic," which is true in certain cases, but on the other hand, there is some grain of truth to the idea that you can tell when someone's primary mode of literary analysis is fanfic instead of... well... literally anything else. It's okay to like or even prefer fanfic, but if you want to take your craft seriously you also need to read books, dude. Published books will teach you a lot of stuff fanfic doesn't, like proper dialogue formatting and how to introduce your reader to unfamiliar characters. Even the crappiest book (well, if it's not After or 50 Shades, which started off as fanfic to begin with lol) will have been subjected to some sort of editing process to ensure at least the appearance of proper grammar. That's not a guarantee with your average fanfic, and hence why you can't always take all your writing cues from fanfic because it's "so much better" than commercially published original fiction or whatever. Frankly, fic writers tend to peddle some absolutist and downright bad takes sometimes. "Said is dead" is a terrible rule, though not because said is invisible and a perfectly serviceable tag; that's just part of it. Dialogue tags are a garnish, not a main dish that can be swapped out for more ostentatious words. If your characters murmur and mutter instead of simply saying stuff, your readers are going to wonder why nobody speaks up. "'I'm explaining some very plot-important shit right now lol,' she elaborated," likewise, is a form of telling. Instead of letting the reader extrapolate that "she elaborated" via the contents of the dialogue itself, you're telling them what to think about it. And that's why it's distracting: your authorial hand is showing. Writing is an act of camouflage. You, as the writer, need to make your presence as invisible as possible so as to not intrude on the reader's suspension of disbelief. That's the driving reason behind "show, don't tell." And overall, everyone could stand to cut down on the frequency of their dialogue tags anyway. Not every exchange needs "he said" or "she whispered" attached as long as you establish who is doing the talking before the exchange. Some people will complain of confusion if you go on for too long without a dialogue tag, and that definitely is a risk, but at some point you also need to resist the temptation of holding the reader's hand. If they can't follow a conversation between two people, chances are they weren't meeting you halfway and paying that much attention in the first place. In fact, you don't even necessarily need action beats in between every piece of dialogue, as Tumblr writing advice posts will often suggest as a fix. Pruning things often cleans them up just fine.

Another fanfic-influenced trend in writing is, I guess, beige prose? A heavy focus on internal narration with lots of telling. It's not a style I can concretely describe, but every time I click on a non-mutual's writing, I feel like it always has, like. This "samey" voice to it. There's no real attempt to experiment and use unique or provocative language, or even imagery half the time. It's almost a dry recital of narration that doesn't leave much room for subtext. I see this style most often in fanfic where you can meander and wax poetic about how the characters feel without ever really getting around to the plot. And it's like. DO something.

Other tells that the author is taking their cues from fanfic mores rather than books: >>too much minute description of eyes, especially their color and their movement >>doesn't leave much room for subtext (has a character speak their every thought aloud instead of letting the reader infer what they're thinking via action or implication) >>too much stage action ("X looked at Y. Y moved to push their seat in. X took a deep breath and stepped toward Y with a determined look on his face. 'We need to talk,' he said.") >>tells instead of shows, even when the example is about showing instead of telling ("he clenched his teeth in agony" instead of just "he clenched his teeth") >>has improper dialogue tag formatting, especially with putting full stops where there should be commas ("'Lol and lmao.' she said" instead of "'Lol and lmao,' she said." This one drives me up a wall) >>uses too many dialogue tags >>"em dashes, semi-colons and commas, my beloved" - I get the appeal but full stops are your friends. Too much alternate punctuation makes your writing seem stilted and choppy. >>"he's all tousled brown hair and hard muscle" and "she's all smiles and long legs." This turn of phrase is so cliche, it drives me up a wall. Find less trite ways of describing your characters pls. >>"X released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding" >>every fucking Hot Guy ever is described as lean and sinewy >>sobbing. why is everyone sobbing. some restraint, pls >>Tumblr in general tends to think a truism counts as good writing if you make the most melodramatic statement possible (bonus: if it's written in a faux-archaic way), garnish it with a hint of egotism, and toss in allusions to the Christian God, afterlife, or death. ("I will stare God in the face and walk backwards into hell," "What is a god to a nonbeliever?") It's indicative of emotional immaturity imo, that every emotional truth need be expressed That Intensely in order to resonate with people. >>pushes the "Oh." moment as the pinnacle of Romantic Epiphany >>Therapy Speak dialogue. why is this emotionally constipated forty-something man who drinks himself stupid every morning to escape gruesome war memories speaking about his trauma like a clinical psychologist >>"this well-established kuudere should Show More Emoshun. I want him to break down crying on his love interest's shoulder from all his repressed trauma" - I am begging u. stop >>"why don't the characters just talk to each other?" "why can't we have healthy relationships?" I don't know, maybe because fiction is not supposed to be a model for reality and perfect communication makes for boring drama?

>>improperly using actions as dialogue tags ("'Looks like we're going hunting,' he grinned") >>why is everyone muttering and murmuring. speak up >>too many adverbs, especially "weakly" and "shakily." use stronger verbs. ("trembled" instead of "shook weakly") >>too many epithets ("the younger man" or "the brunette detective") >>too many filter words ("he felt," "she thought," "I remembered")

>>no, Tumblr, first-person POV is not the devil; you're just using way too many filter words (see above) and not enough sentence variation to make it flow well enough. First-person POV is an actually pretty good POV (not just for unreliable and self-aware narrators) if you know what you're doing and a lot of fun crafting an engaging character voice. Tumblr's hatred of first-person baffles me, and all I can think is you would only hate it if your only frame of reference was, like, My Immortal. Have you tried reading A Book? First-person POV is just another tool in your toolbox, and like all tools, it can be used properly or improperly. But it's not inherently a marker of bad writing. The disdain surrounding it strikes me as about as sensical as making fun of the concept of characters. Oh, your work has characters in it? Ew, I automatically click off a fic if it has characters in it. like what.

#writing #obligatory disclaimer that I am speaking broadly and this is in no way intended to make anyone feel self-conscious

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ode2rin · 10 months

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home is where you are

pairing. itoshi sae x gn!reader

genre. fluff | a bit of comfort (?) | established relationship | soft!sae (._.)

in which: in the absence of your presence, one silent night compelled itoshi sae to confront his old acquaintance: loneliness.

sae itoshi is no stranger to loneliness.

years of living alone in spain at such a young age have shaped him into someone gravely familiar with being alone.

within the confines of his once-called home, sae often found solace in the echoes of his own footsteps. the rooms remained hushed, interrupted only by the distant sounds of the bustling city outside his window. he would spend countless evenings sitting by himself, silently munching on his first meal of the day.

and in those silent hours, sae's thoughts of the past became the loudest.

sae's solitude in spain back then was a self-imposed choice, driven by his unwavering dedication to his craft. loneliness became an inevitable companion, an unintended consequence of his pursuit of greatness.

after all, to be the greatest demanded sacrifices, and sae willingly paid the price.

he was consumed by an unrelenting passion for soccer, a hunger to prove himself on the grandest stage. but as he poured his heart into training, he unwittingly built walls around himself, protecting his fragile ambitions but also isolating himself from anyone who might see a glimpse of his struggles to chase a dream that he’s yet to learn that wasn’t made for him.

and sae knew he stopped being a kid the moment he stepped foot on that plane to spain.

what he doesn’t know, however, is that his choices will translate to living with gaps as an adult of what was once lost in the name of chasing a goal.

but he’s been alone for more than half of his living years, so there should be no surprise in how sae got used to this. being alone inside a hotel room in an unfamiliar country, miles away from home — it's a lifestyle he has grown accustomed to. it was all he had ever known since then.

until you came along and filled every gap within him that shared familiarity with loneliness of a love so kind.

now, the familiarity of you and him is the only peace he's ever known.

suddenly, there's nowhere he'd rather be than basking in the depths of your gentle eyes as he lays beside you. trailing his fingers around your cheekbones as you sleep soundly, planting tender kisses on your shoulders while both of you lazily lounge in the living room, making you your favorite drink as you share the details of your day — it’s a lifestyle he has grown to treasure. it’s all that he’ll ever want to spend his days with.

and if he could, he’ll be chasing flights just to be with you.

but he can’t, and that reality stings.

“sae?”

the sound of your voice breaks through the silence of his reminiscence, pulling sae's attention back to the present.

“sae, are you still there?”

“yeah, i’m still here,” he responds, eyes focused on the screen that connects you to him.

he's supposed to be used to this kind of lifestyle, yet now he finds himself staring at your face on this stupid screen, wondering what he’d give just to be by your side right now.

“is there something wrong?”

you're everywhere but beside him, that's what's wrong.

and it doesn’t help that being away from you resurrects the same feelings he experienced during his teenage years.

but in true sae itoshi’s nature, he’ll settle with just a few words to let you know how bad he’s longing to be with you.

“i just miss you,” he confessed.

taken aback by his candid admission, you halt your cleaning and settle onto the couch, eager to hear him better.

always so attentive.

your small gestures never ceased to bewilder sae. how could you love him this gentle when every part of him is devoid of such?

“i’m here. aren’t i, love?”

fuck it all. everything be damned already because he’s booking that flight first thing tomorrow morning.

he needs to see you. he needs to hold you. and the earlier that is fulfilled, the sooner this familiar ache of loneliness will leave the pit of his stomach. he despised it.

sae detests how intimately acquainted he is with this sensation. why wouldn't he? it’s a constant reminder of a youth he lost.

he took a deep breath, drawing strength from the trust you had established between you. you had encouraged him to be vulnerable, assuring him that his emotions were safe in your hands. you would never wield them against him as weapons.

emotions. they never fared well with him. but for you, he would try.

“talk to me. i'm here, sae,” you implore, your voice carrying understanding — a lifeline amidst his relentless yearning.

you’re not here.

“you're not…” here. his voice quivers, the vulnerability seeping through the cracks of his guarded façade. “at least, not close enough.”

sae was sure of it.

sure of how four years of being alone in spain will never come close to the madness of being a month away from you.

your face softened, mirroring the tenderness in your heart as his words reached you.

the depths of sae itoshi's longing were laid bare before you, and you cherished this vulnerable side of him that he rarely showed. the unspoken connection between you spoke volumes, as no one knew him quite like you did.

“i know... just a little bit more. just three more days, right?” you reassured, your voice laced with affection.

his response held a hint of hesitation, a glimpse into the impatience that simmered beneath the surface. sae wasn't simply counting down the days; he was counting every hour, every minute until he could hold you in his arms once again.

“i think so,” he replied, though there was a hint of something unsaid in his voice. and you were right to sense it. to sae, it’s no longer three more days. he will see you the day after tomorrow, pronto.

“i can't wait to see you, sae,” you whispered through the screen of your phone.

“so do i.” madly so.

a day earlier than his supposed arrival, sae found himself standing before the familiar door of your shared apartment, a large suitcase in hand.

not wasting another second, sae stepped over the threshold, his eyes scanning the familiar space that had become a sanctuary for both of you. the soft glow of the living room lights, the scent of your favorite candle wafting through the air — it all enveloped him in a sense of belonging.

finally, you emerged from the depths of your shared bedroom, your eyes meeting his as he turned to face you.

a surge of emotions welled up inside you, threatening to spill over. unable to contain yourself any longer, you threw yourself into his waiting embrace.

god, how he longed for this. your presence, your warmth, your very essence — it never fails to chase away the remnants of loneliness that had plagued him for far too long.

as you gradually released your grip on sae's neck, your gaze fixated upon his face. "you're back early," you whispered, your voice barely above a breath.

he remained silent, his eyes locked unwaveringly with yours. in that intense gaze, it felt as if he were immersing himself.

and he was, for your eyes materialized a home sae never knew could exist in his world.

one that isn’t decided on where the next best game is. one that isn’t filled with echoes of his own footsteps. one that he doesn’t frequently find himself sitting alone.

but a home that stays.

out of all the places sae itoshi had been to, this was where he only belonged, where his heart found its only place.

because perhaps home isn't a four-cornered place at all, but rather just a pair of warm eyes greeting him by the door whenever he announces he’s home.

“welcome home, sae,” you uttered, your words accompanied by a soft smile.

sae, who had grown accustomed to the bitter company of loneliness, once believed he had found contentment in its embrace.

yet, as he felt the warmth of your presence pressed against him, he realized that he never truly understood what it meant to belong until this very moment.

the weight of your touch and the tenderness in your eyes shattered the illusion of solitude, leaving him yearning for a future where he would never again be acquainted with the desolate emptiness of his past.

with you, there was no other path he wished to tread, except to revel in this profound happiness that resided in the curve of your lips and the light in your eyes.

he could only hope to never be familiar with solitude ever again.

“yeah,” he murmured, his lips meeting yours in a sweet, lingering kiss. breaking away with a contented sigh, he smiled against your lips and softly uttered, “i'm finally home.”

note. i wrote this while listening to if these sheets were states by atl hehe | i also rightfully blame user @saetorinrin for sending me sad sae thoughts that compelled me to *cough* comfort him | i’m sorry this is shit but pls take it | this is my first long (well it’s more than 500 wc T_T which i normally do for him) of him bec the one i originally planned is now collecting dust in my drafts <3

#☁️ my ode to you #ACCEPT MY APOLOGY SAE LOVERS #I WON'T DO IT AGAIN #(i will)#itoshi sae x reader #itoshi sae #itoshi sae fluff #itoshi sae x y/n #blue lock x reader #blue lock imagines #blue lock fluff #bllk x reader #bllk imagines #sae itoshi x reader #sae itoshi

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daisukitoo · 11 months

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I am 15% of the way through Harrow the Ninth. There are no plot spoilers below.

"Second person, past tense" is a really weird choice for a novel's narration, and I will be disappointed if this does not pay off mightily.

Most pieces I see in second person POV are short stories. The goal is to establish intimacy and immediacy, and they are most commonly in the present tense. The notion is that the action is happening to you, right now, and you are finding out about it as you the reader go through the story. Occasionally you see such a story in the future tense, suggesting someone is prophesying to you.

Second person, past tense is someone telling you your own history. This is kind of weird. One assumes a Memento story with an amnesia premise, or similarly Merlin living backwards in time. The second person here raises the question of who is telling you the story. The past tense raise the question of why you need someone to tell you your own story.

That our protagonist is explicitly and demonstrably insane gives us a lot of "why," although the particular "why" depends on the "who." The most obvious "who" is that Harrow is telling herself her own story. We have already seen Harrow telling herself her own story within this story, so adding another layer of recursion seems obvious and later adding multiple seems fun.

But here we reach a fork that we cannot resolve this early in the book. Is Harrow in a moment of lucidity telling herself what she should already know? Is Harrow in a moment of insanity hallucinating a new history? Is Harrow just lying to herself because the ending of Gideon the Ninth was too painful?

Harrow the Ninth is sometimes described as gaslighting the reader about Gideon the Ninth. Someone is not telling the truth about something here. One character seems to have noticed, but it is hard to be sure when our narrator is unreliable and may be hallucinating and/or lying.

Gideon was a somewhat unreliable narrator not in the sense that she lied (except perhaps about her emotions, except perhaps mostly to herself) but in that she was not paying attention, like the meme post in circulation about a movie showing the start of World War I from the perspective of a pet pigeon. You can probably identify all the important plot points of Gideon the Ninth by how boring Gideon finds them.

Harrow is more classically unreliable. She has a skewed perspective, and within that perspective she hallucinates, and on top of those hallucinations she will deceive herself and others. This early in the book, we already have many examples of Harrow seeing things that aren't there. She tends to realize within a page or two that she is hallucinating. The big news at some point should be that those little hallucinations were within the context of a larger hallucination and/or lie.

And now I need to go finish the book so I can check my Tumblr notifications without worrying about spoilers in the notes.

#harrow the ninth #tlt #the locked tomb #tamsyn muir #harrowhark nonagesimus

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justletmeon12 · 1 month

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Things I Personally Want to See in Season 2

In no particular order:

Alastor learns what asexuality is and finds a way to be annoying about it

Episode actually focusing on Lucifer's mental state, or at least some scattered references to the idea that one touching song with his daughter wasn't enough to "fix" anything

Valentino dies

Pentious trying to fit into Heaven interspersed with bits about his life in Hell and/or before he died

Vaggie hanging out/bonding with characters other than Charlie

Valentino dies horribly onscreen

Entire episode recounted as an anecdote on Alastor's radio program - most of the show is the events with occasional witty narration and cuts back to the studio, mostly for his commentary but occasionally for silly jokes and off-air moments. We also get to see his lead-in, some pot-shots at the Vees, and how he handles it when a fly gets into the booth (violently).

Sera tries to assassinate Pentious, or at least cover up his presence in Heaven

Emily goes to Hell - not as in falling (maybe as in falling), but at least something showing her reacting to it, possibly with some kind of sinister reprise of "Welcome to Heaven" wherein everyone else is inured to things that terrify her

Angel brings up BDSM again and Charlie actually takes him seriously/challenges her assumptions about sex negativity

Vox explicitly has some kind of Alastor shrine or cork board or something, and he's secretly trying desperately to figure out what happened during the seven-year gap

Nifty dates someone

Rosie visits the hotel

Charlie tries to ban booze in the hotel, and Husk, Angel, and Alastor (mostly because he's amused and nostalgic) create a speakeasy in the basement

Valentino is brutally murdered by one of the main cast - ideally Lucifer, Alastor, Vaggie, or Husk

St. Peter turns out to have a more normal set of facial expressions when he's not at work

Alastor's mom is officially introduced

Lucifer and Lilith have it out and get seriously divorced

One of the new sinners at the hotel is a cannibal who learned about it from the battle preparations

The hotel gets attacked and Alastor and Lucifer argue about who gets to disembowel the attackers until Charlie has to step in and scare them off. Later, once they've worked out their differences a little, they keep doing the "after you" thing until the same thing happens.

Vox does something competent

Vox blurts out that he's in love with Alastor live on-air

Angel Dust establishes that he doesn't have a problem with sex work and is fine continuing to do it post-Valentino. He just doesn't want to be exploited.

Alastor tries to fix his microphone without his full powers and embarrasses himself

Velvette does something significant

Valentino dies

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel season 2 #aroace alastor #aromantic asexual alastor #hazbin hotel alastor #hazbin hotel nifty #hazbin hotel angel dust #hazbin hotel vaggie #hazbin hotel charlie #hazbin hotel lucifer #hazbin hotel vox #hazbin hotel valentino #for the record it's not a typo #I want him to die repeatedly #but I'll settle for once #mostly I hope the next season is long enough for a little breathing room #some more character-focused stuff would be great

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dekusleftsock · 2 months

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This is your hazbin hotel warning so sorry 🫶🫶🫶

OKAY SO, a thing I haven’t seen this fandom consider is that Alastor doesn’t deal in souls. Or, not often at least.

If there has I’d honestly like to see the posts bc this is a thought I’ve seen basically just me and my sister talk about. He doesn’t care—I’d even argue he thinks he’s too good to do so, thinks it’s too easy.

There’s a couple reasons I believe this, one of which being his backstory arriving in hell. Let it be known, the reason all of hell was impressed by his takeover as the radio demon was solely because he does not own any industry. He doesn’t have some company he’s been building for several decades. He didn’t join in with other overlords for shared power. He arrived in hell, and disrupted the power structure of overlords, and sinners. (We’ll get back to this later)

And the reason all of these overlords own major industries, famous for their insane production value and craft, is because the way that overlords gain power is through souls. Employment therefore being THROUGH these contracts (I’m going to refer to deals having to do with souls as contracts from now on, just to make a distinction). This is why Angel is owned by Valentino as a pornstar. It’s why Vox can just “call up the lowest earners this month” for Valentino to shoot for sport. It’s why Velvette can call her models hideous and let Valentino tear apart her best model. None of these souls, these employees, have any say in what or when or who their employers say they have to do. They simply do not have the autonomy to do so.

Now this calls in the question then, how did Alastor gain his overlord powers? If he owns souls, they are either ones he was given or earned from other overlords (ex, Alastor wins all of husker’s souls in a game of poker, leaving him powerless, and making his deal in the first place), or they were given to him by an overlord themself. Alastor CAN make souls stay at the hotel, but presumably, it’s not because he owns them.

If Alastor owned any other souls than Nifty and Husk’s, they would already be working at the hotel. We get back to that employment dynamic, contracts are means of living. None of these sinners had a choice because sinners have to make contracts to live.

Now, okay, we’ve established why Alastor’s overlord status is confusing and honestly makes no sense, why overlords are even overlords in the first place, the class metaphor and dynamic of the whole situation, AND why we know Alastor doesn’t own that many souls.

Now, I present you this: Alastor does not want Charlie’s soul. Alastor, wants to be rid of the overlord class completely.

LET ME PREFACE THIS BY SAYING: I KNOW The current ideas in the fandom of Alastor are that he wants more power. But, to be honest, the last scene with his character feels disingenuous to this idea.

Clearly, he’s in a deal with someone else. Clearly, this system has affected him too. Clearly, he just wants an out in the first place.

So, let’s go back to when Alastor first arrives in hell. Mimzy narrates how people dismissed him. How he wasn’t taken seriously. And then, proceeds to imply that targeting overlords for his radio show was to show said strength. Because Alastor was not someone to be dismissed.

And this characterization furthers in the episode itself: Alastor immediately has some beef with Lucifer because he’s a far more powerful being who wanted to dismiss his presence in the first place, preferring his daughter. Where they then have a pissing contest musical number, and Alastor generally dislikes him afterwords. My man even wipes his hand on his shirt after shaking his staff.

Not only that, but when Husk even IMPLIES that he’s not strong enough to handle whatever Mimzy has gotten herself into this time, that he’s still someone on a leash, he rampages on a killing spree to prove that he’s “still the baddass radio demon”.

This isn’t even mentioning when Carmilla said she wasn’t curious as to why he was gone. He needs to be important, to be noticed.

I understand that Alastor is genuinely someone who must prove themself and show their strength. It’s probably why he became a serial killer in the first place.

However, I think there’s a deeper intention with solely targeting overlords—one of his only contracts is with Husker, an ex overlord. The question would also be, why would he not put husk in his radio show as well?

Clearly, based on the fact that he warns him that Mimzy is just using him, that she’s a fake friend, they at the very least were amicable with each other. At some point. Maybe even still are. They STILL banter. And this isn’t to say it’s some weird “I’m in love with my kidnapper uwu” situation, this happened well before they were in a contract together in the first place.

Not only that, but Husker earned his souls, and therefore his power and overlord status, through gambling. He didn’t have some big scary industry, he wasn’t trapping people in these forever deals because they had no choice, he gained these through the unethical means of others. Maybe… Alastor believed that the ways in which he dealt souls, were different.

I can’t help but think that the company entirely surrounding taking away consent is the ONE COMPANY/THREE OVERLORDS that Alastor simply does not fuck with.

Not only that, but the only other overlord he’s friendly with is one that… just genuinely helps the people she employs? Just give them advice? Makes it THEIR CHOICE to march with someone else into battle? I love Rosie.

This isn’t to say Alastor is some saint that cares super oober deeply about consent. He doesn’t. If he did he wouldn’t be associating with overlords in the first place. He wouldn’t be taking advantage of people in such lowly positions.

All of this is to build the argument that Alastor does not own souls, nor associate with people who own them in irresponsible or unnecessarily cruel ways.

And, to further this point, Alastor most likely thinks it’s stupid in the first place.

In the pilot (which I understand isn’t COMPLETELY canon but it’s still Alastor’s character so. Whatever) Alastor almost immediately tries to jump Charlie with a deal. Work at the hotel, in exchange…?

But notice that this does not include ownership of her soul. At all.

In episode 7 before Charlie makes her deal, she asks, “You want…my soul?” And while he has this weird radio-y affect that goes all over the place while he says “your soul”, he also immediately replies in the most babying voice ever “Heavens no!” Like the very idea of needing her soul was silly. Ridiculous. Idiotic.

And, not only this, but when Vaggie bursts in to try and “save” her, he also rolls his eyes as he says “oh relax, she still owns her soul.” Again, babying. Infantilizing. Ridiculous.

It, again, feels like he doesn’t take the concept seriously. Like he thinks they’re almost too easy. To me, it’s clear he never wanted her soul. He’s always been far more interested in what Charlie can do for him, and what she can do with her dream.

Owning Charlie’s soul would simply give power over her, and her alone. Even in the interpretation that he “wants more power” she’s still just one person, one soul, one hell born. It’s so small inmemorable in the grand scheme of things. If he really wanted power through means of souls, he would fight the upward battle of capitalist destruction that is the overlord monetary system.

SO THIS IS ALL OVER THE PLACE, AND I ALSO WANTED TO WRAP THIS UP WITH ALASTOR’S TRUE MOTIVATION BEING DISRUPTING POWER—but this is also far too long and I’ve been writing for like. An hour straight lmao. I need a break and I wanna post this. So.

#alastor #literary analysis #hazbin hotel #hazbin spoilers #hazbin alastor #alastor analysis #hazbin hotel husk #no shipping sorry y’all love ya tho🫶🫶#hazbin charlie

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deusvervewrites · 2 months

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The First Line

A lot of people out there will tell you that the first line of a novel is the most important. I've seen the wisdom that the first line must grab the readers attention, be some kind of a "hook" to draw them in deeper, or to tonally reflect the main themes. That the first line needs to throw the reader into the thick of it!

But how true is that really? It's been nagging me for a while now as someone who has started more fics than I've completed.

Out of curiosity, I grabbed a handful of my favorite novels and compiled their first lines.

"There are many legends about my mother." Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Sue Lynn Tan

This line doesn't really establish much about the plot of this book. Not the narrator's name, goal, conflict, or even the setting. We can make some inferences from the existence of legends around someone, but 'legendary' only narrows anything down because of the book's title. It is, however, indicative of the narration style and the novel's prose.

"Mary Jekyll stared down at her mother's coffin." The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter, Theodora Cross

This line puts us right into a scene. Some real In Medias Res. Except... it's not really an action scene. It's a somber affair. And from Mary's staring, it's safe to say she has some heavy thoughts on the matter.

We can also make some assumptions from the wording choice. Looking down at the coffin suggests that she is standing over it, so we know at once this takes place during the funeral.

Interestingly--and I'm going to break my soft rule of not addressing the rest of the text here--this line does not allude to the novel's framing device.

"The temperature of the room dropped fast." Bartimaeus: The Amulet of Samarkand, Jonathan Stroud

This is another opening that's setting a scene instead of trying to introduce us to the cast or conflict, or even to the setting. Why is it getting colder? We can infer from the fact that the temperature is dropping fast that this probably isn't a good thing or at least not a normal thing.

"I've seen Steelheart bleed." Steelheart, Brandon Sanderson

This line fascinates me. It says a lot and, at the same time, very little. We know that someone named Steelheart exists, obviously. However, the narrator is giving gravitas to the sight of them bleeding. So we've already learned that Steelheart doesn't bleed very often, and seeing it was worth remembering. But who Steelheart is and why the narrator cares? Nothing in this line indicates that.

"Kendra stared out the side window of the SUV, watching foliage blur past." Fablehaven, Brandon Mull

I think this is the most relatable opening line I have listed here, since I can instantly in my mind picture the expression on Kendra's face knowing nothing else about her, or where she's going. We can guess she's probably not happy to be going there since she's staring out the window with what I would assume to be boredom. That's some conflict there. But, like, extremely minor conflict.

"The tired old carriage, pulled by two tired old horses, rumbled onto the wharf, its creaky wheels bumpety-bumping on the uneven planks, waking Peter from his restless slumber." Peter and the Starcatchers, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Well this sentence rambled on a bit didn't it? But it's very evocative. It tells us very little about the story (beyond Peter's name) but it sets the scene beautifully. Not only is it evocative of the scenery, but the time period (from the horse-drawn carriage) and the tone as well. We also know that Peter wasn't sleeping very well, which indicates that he's either anxious about something or that sleeping in this carriage wasn't very easy. Or both.

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

This is the kind of line that would get me murdered by a lot of writing advice that I've seen over the years. This line tells you next to nothing, not even whether or not its weird for hobbits to live in holes. What this line does do is ease us into the narration style that Tolkien employs, which is generally slow and descriptive.

Okay...?

So what was the point of all of that?

Well, this experiment has solidified my opinion on something. As I said, I've been having thoughts about opening lines, but I think that the actual first line of the book is not as important as the first scene of the book. None of these lines out of context are that good. Sure, The Hobbit is iconic, but that's not because that line itself is phenomenal. It's practically "Once Upon A Time."

But it works for the scene.

The first scene is far more interesting to me than the first line. I'm not so impatient that if the first line fails to captivate me I'll toss the book aside. And I know that's true for other people because H. Bomberguy posted a four-hour video on plagiarism and we all watched it.

What this means, I think, is that we don't need to treat our audience as if we're in an arms race against their dwindling attention spans as if we'll lose them forever to TikTok if the first sentence isn't the pinnacle of literature.

People will give a work a chance. That's what the summary is for; to tell people if they'll like it so they can know to give it a try.

If you were afraid to write, or to share your writing, because you didn't think the first line was good enough... I don't think that matters. I think that people won't hate it. Won't turn up their noses in disgust.

#writing advice

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sylvies-chen · 9 months

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Hozier writing De Selby (Part 2) inspired by a character in Flann O’Brien’s novel The Third Policeman makes the music video so much more compelling and absolutely bananas to watch, not just because Domhnall Gleeson is a treasure and delivers a killer performance without even saying anything, but also like… let me get into the lore of this:

The Third Policeman is about this mad scientist/philosopher/scholar who robs and murders someone in the midst of academic pursuit and enters this literal nightmare world where he’s punished by these policemen who are monsters and is doomed to repeat his mistakes forever. And the visuals of Domhnall Gleeson’s character are so similar the drawing of the central characters of the novel as seen above. The shabby brownish clothing, the hair colour, the shovel in hand, it all matches.

The story is also a slight condemnation of science and views trying to establish ultimate truth as prideful and heresy. As an article from The Irish Times on The Third Policeman states: “As a consequence, all theories are crackpot, all knowledge is useless and the only meaning is that life is a hell of endless repetition.”

it also states, on the novel: “To illustrate the futility of scientific theorising, O’Brien uses a recurrent theme of infinite regression. One of the characters has eyes with a pinpoint behind which are eyes with another pinpoint and so on to infinity; the narrator wonders if his soul is “a body with another body inside it in turn, thousands of such bodies within each other like the skins of an onion, receding to some unimaginable ultimum”; De Selby studies in a series of parallel mirrors infinite reflections of his face going back to early youth; and Policeman MacCruiskeen has constructed a series of nested chests with the last few so small that they are no longer visible to the naked eye. So speculation and experiment are mad activities that literally disappear into nothingness.”

And then we see Dumhnall Gleeson in the music video on a cycle he doesn’t know how to break, some violent repetition where he’s burying himself and going crazy, and the imagery of several versions of one person fits this PERFECTLY.

#hozier #unreal unearth #hozier meta #music #de selby part 2 #domhnall gleeson #de selby part 2 music video

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piratecaptainscaptainpirates · 3 months

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Wanted to share a few more things to keep in mind when writing about a man of color who has ADHD. I really hope most people know why presenting Ed as messy and unable to take care of himself without a White man's help is racist and bad, but there are a lot of other things I see that make me (a brown man with AuDHD) uncomfortable!

If you have ADHD, it's obviously okay to see yourself in a character! But it's important to keep in mind how they might come across as racist when you're writing about a man of color.

Here are some things I see pretty often:

Implying that ADHD means Ed isn't smart or capable. He's canonically a genius! It's okay if he worries he's not smart enough and the text directly contradicts that fear, but please be sensitive to how other characters will perceive a man of color who is very successful and also has ADHD symptoms on top of that. Don't make it sound like bigots are right about Ed. This is a careful line to walk and if you're White I recommend finding a sensitivity reader if you're going this route.

People of color very often will not tell you if we have ADHD. I'm too used to finally getting to a point where people see me as capable, then casually mentioning I have ADHD, and then being treated like a child again. Straight up if you're White I'm not telling you, and when Ed goes around in fics telling everyone he meets, it takes me out of the story. Show his symptoms, have him mention it in his own narration, but he's probably not going to be telling Stede right after they meet. In one of my fics, the only time he ever tells anyone else he has ADHD, it's Zheng, and that's on purpose.

Don't imply that Ed is only successful because of White men keeping him in check. That's racist and gross.

ADHD does not make someone "hyperfocus" on relationships or drop established relationships at the drop of a hat. That is not something Ed does. Please stop making me read this one, people with ADHD have normal and complicated relationships just like everyone else.

And some things you could do instead:

Consider Ed's symptoms based on what we actually see in the show. He's easily exciteable, bouncy, and sensory-seeking, often seeking out touch and experiences.

Remember that everyone's tolerance levels are different. Some people with ADHD really can't sit still, but Ed isn't one of them. When he's focused and mentally in a good place, he has no trouble being still and quiet. When he's doing a boring, quiet task, or when he's feeling intense emotions, that's when he has trouble.

If you're writing about Ed struggling with his symptoms and feeling like a failure because of them - which does happen! I'll be feeling great because I'm succeeding at work and school and then feel awful because I realize I forgot a doctor's appointment! - please let the narrative and other characters challenge those thoughts.

Just...basically, if you're writing about an ADHD Ed, don't let the ADHD take away that he's a very smart, talented, successful, tidy man of color. Honestly if you're White and writing about Ed's ADHD based on your own experiences, I recommend looking into a sensitivity reader. I'm pretty much always happy to do a sensitivity read if you ask. :)

#ofmd #our flag means death

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xaverie · 1 year

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For those playing along at home, a casual reminder that

We never hear or see Lestat apologize

before Louis takes him back. We get the sense that there was an apology, or that we are supposed to view his actions as apologetic, but the only language suggesting that this is the case comes from Louis (who we have already established is biased.)

Louis says,

"Lestat disappeared after that awful night. Vanished out of a profound sense of shame he would later confess to. Which was just as well, since Claudia and I were in no mood to receive his apologies."

But the following scene shows Lestat attempting to win Louis back with a gift, not an attempted apology.

The closest we get to an apology is Lestat's statement as he attempts to gift Louis with the car, and in narration, Louis says, "For six years in all, these raw and desperate mea culpas came like the tide." A 'mea culpa' is an admission of guilt or error, but is that actually what we saw?

"Louis I don't know what possessed me that night. [...] I was someone I don't want to be anymore. I've changed. Let me prove it to you. I'm nothing without you. I'm nothing without both of you. If you want me to go away, just say so. I'll obey you. I'll leave your life forever. This silence is cruel. And you were never cruel, Louis."

This is a DARVO statement.

It's subtly done, but it's exactly what Lestat is doing here.

Deny: Lestat is denying responsibility and distancing himself from his actions in episode 5 by saying "I don't know what possessed me. I was someone I don't want to be anymore." Whoever did that thing was a different person. Not the real me, not the person who is speaking to you right now.

Attack: "I'm nothing without you. I'm nothing without both of you." In context, it sounds like Lestat is explaining that he needs Louis and Claudia back in his life - which is bad enough because it redirects focus from the what victims need and onto what is best for him. But then we remember the context of the beating, which was Claudia asking Louis to leave Lestat. "I'm nothing without you" becomes a dogwhistle. I become something else, something terrible without you. Which wouldn't have happened if you stayed.

Reverse Victim and Offender: By calling Louis's refusal to speak to him "cruel" Lestat is doing two things. First he is framing this decision as a punishment instead of a safety measure. He cannot acknowledge that refusing contact with a person who abused you is a valid way to protect yourself and heal, because that would mean acknowledging that he is the Offender and unsafe to be around. He has to frame it as a punishment (making it about himself) so he can accuse Louis of cruel and unjust punishment. Of punishing someone who doesn't even exist anymore! He tries to control what would be an acceptable punishment "Tell me to leave" and an unacceptable punishment "This silence is cruel," and claim the latter is abuse that Louis is doing to him. So really, they're equally as bad, right?

as a side note - Lestat never once attempts to make amends with Claudia or pretend to apologize to her.

This is textbook. Between this and Daniel's remarks, the writers are giving clear signals that Lestat is still using abusive tactics to try to manipulate the terms of his relationship with Louis and Claudia. Because the writers are telling a domestic violence story.

#interview with the vampire #iwtv #amc #interview with the vampire spoilers #we have to recognize these things so that we don't fall for them ourselves

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pikahlua · 1 year

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Hi! Your answer about heroism generally and Izuku saving Katsuki in ch.1 got me thinking. Izuku really does have heart of hero, he really wants to help people - that's for sure. But if it was just someone else and not Katsuki in ch.1 - Izuku definitely wouldn't rush to help. He even said something like "sorry poor guy I can't help you, but someone will do, I hope" before he saw it was Katsuki. So, it was kinda selfish moment for him, as I see it. So I wonder - can this exact moment be considered pure image of heroism on Izuku's behalf?

The original post, for reference.

"So I wonder - can this exact moment be considered pure image of heroism on Izuku's behalf?"

Yes it can, but it's because I disagree with your interpretation of the scene.

I am aware that there exists a certain subsection of the fandom who view the scene as you describe, and I have no problems with analyzing the question of what's going on in this scene or with crafting a what-if exploration of this scene in fanfic. That's fun shit. I just ultimately don't think that is what's going on here at all.

First, we have Izuku acknowledge that he's used to being a spectator. He's never run out to save anyone before.

This is an important acknowledgement because it sets up the general behavior of hero society bystanders. The same bystander from chapter 1 reappears in chapter 325 to explain it:

Chapter 1 then establishes for Izuku to know that the heroes aren't doing anything about the situation. Izuku is even made to empathize with the victim as he just experienced the same thing earlier that day:

Izuku ends up feeling responsible for the victim's pain, and he falls into the same mental trap the bystanders and even the heroes on the scene do: "We need someone with the right quirk."

"Someone will come to save you soon..." "A hero is bound to come..." Izuku knows the victim needs to be saved and acknowledges that no one currently there is doing anything to help the victim.

And then this happens.

There are many things here that could be triggering Izuku. One interpretation certainly could be that Izuku is prompted to act when he sees that the victim is Katsuki.

The problem with that is: we're actually told what triggers Izuku here.

There are multiple potential triggers. The victim being "Kacchan" is one of the possibilities. But the narrator ultimately tells us what was the factor that sprung Izuku into action "at that moment."

"You looked like you needed saving."

The thing that spurred Izuku to act was not seeing Katsuki; it was seeing Katsuki's face asking him for help.

Izuku knows there's a person suffering at the hands of a villain, a suffering Izuku is familiar with, a villain Izuku is responsible for helping escape All Might. Izuku is used to being a spectator who watches the heroes save the day, but there are no heroes here saving anyone. For the first time, he's at the scene of a villain attack, and the victim has to look around and ask someone, anyone for help. For the first time, the victim looks at Izuku and asks him for help.

"But if it was just someone else and not Katsuki in ch.1 - Izuku definitely wouldn't rush to help."

So I disagree with your above statement. I think if any other person would have looked to Izuku for help in that situation, Izuku would have rushed out to help. I don't think he's only a hero for Katsuki's sake.

However, I do believe there are other important reasons Katsuki is the victim here.

It demonstrates that any bad blood between Izuku and Katsuki is inconsequential to Izuku's impulse to save Katsuki. Izuku does care about Katsuki.

Likewise, the fact that their bad blood doesn't affect Izuku in this case does demonstrate Izuku's heroic qualities. His personal life does not get in the way of his heroism.

Most importantly, it shows that Katsuki admires Izuku.

I'm honestly not fond of the "(selfish) Izuku only saves Katsuki because he loves him, it's got nothing to do with his heroism" take because it betrays a bias. The notion that Izuku is selfish and cares only about Katsuki is a perspective that elevates Izuku's feelings at the expense of Katsuki's. This scene is not about how much Izuku cares about Katsuki; it's about Katsuki's feelings for Izuku.

For the entire chapter, most every character has made fun of Izuku for his dream of being a hero. They don't take him seriously. They think he's a joke.

Katsuki, consistently, does take Izuku's dream seriously. He sees Izuku as a legitimate threat.

We also learn later why Katsuki takes Izuku seriously. Despite Izuku's deficiencies, Katsuki has always seen something in Izuku that the rest of society misses. He sees the makings of a true hero, which causes Katsuki to doubt himself. He doubts whether or not he can measure up to Izuku in the same regard.

(He knows exactly what Izuku can do.)

Katsuki also ends up exposed and victimized by the way society is. Society sees people as just their quirks. That's how the heroes who fail to save him behave. That's even how the villain behaves.

Note that in this final picture, Katsuki looks away from the heroes to focus on Izuku.

On some level, Katsuki knows what real heroism is, which is what makes him so self-conscious and leads him to mistreat Izuku. When he is stuck and dying, none of the heroes even try to help him. Katsuki finds the one person in the area who would actually do something: Izuku. And so he pleads for Izuku's help with his eyes.

It's no mistake that All Might describes one of Katsuki's feelings towards Izuku as "awe."

He's just been terrible at expressing his awe because of his self-doubt.

Despite his rejection of Izuku, Katsuki is regularly shown to be in awe of him throughout high school. He's felt awe for Izuku ever since they were little kids. That's what makes him so uncomfortable. He really can't wrap his head around Izuku for most of their lives, which makes Katsuki himself feel inferior. But in chapter 1, in his moment of desperation, he looks to Izuku for help. He acknowledges Izuku's heroism only in his hour of need.

So when it comes to how I interpret chapter 1, I think the above distinctions are important to make. I don't mean to rain on any bakudeku parades. Seriously, if you like the other interpretation, you do you. But to me, THIS interpretation is the more bakudeku one. The reason Izuku's and Katsuki's destinies are so intertwined is because of their acknowledgement of each other's heroic traits, specifically the ones the other feels they are lacking. That's what makes them two halves of a whole. You can't erase Izuku's heroic traits, or else there is nothing for Katsuki to admire. There's no one otherwise who sticks out in the hero-corrupted society that Katsuki feels he can count on for help. Their deep relationship comes from their mutual admiration of each other. Chapter 1 is Izuku's heroic moment, and you have to have it preserved if you want Katsuki's feelings for Izuku to make sense.

That's my two cents.

#anon ask #ask pika #anime only friendly #izuku midoriya #katsuki bakugou #bakudeku

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