#I genuinely try to NOT play the meta because I don’t want to be another warlock running X exotic
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We're in 2023, and there are still people trying to argue that Katniss was aro/ace and never felt romantic/sexual attraction for Peeta... 🤦🏻♀️ I could write a long meta about this for the milionth time, but this time I'll do something different. I'll just show some quotes from the books.
If she was unable to feel romantic/sexual attraction and only ever had platonic feelings for him, what are all of these quotes supposed to mean?
"He gives me a smile that seems so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness that unexpected warmth rushes through me." (The Hunger Games)
"This is the first kiss that we’re both fully aware. Neither of us hobbled by sickness or pain or simply unconscious. Our lips neither burning with fever or icy cold. This is the first kiss where I actually feel stirring inside my chest. Warm and curious. This is the first kiss that makes me want another." (The Hunger Games)
"So, in a way, my name being drawn in the reaping was a real piece of luck,’ says Peeta. For a moment, I’m almost foolishly happy and then confusion sweeps over me. Because we’re supposed to be making up this stuff, playing at being in love not actually being in love." (The Hunger Games)
[...]"His face takes on a special look when he concentrates. His usual easy expression is replaced by something more intense and removed that suggests an entire world locked away inside him. I’ve seen flashes of this before: in the arena, or when he speaks to a crowd, or that time he shoved the Peacekeepers’ guns away from me in District 11. I don’t know quite what to make of it. I also become a little fixated on his eyelashes, which ordinarily you don’t notice much because they’re so blond. But up close in the sunlight slanting in from the window, they’re a light golden color and so long I don’t see how they keep from getting all tangled up when he blinks.
One afternoon Peeta stops shading a blossom and looks up so suddenly that I start, as though I were caught spying on him, which in a strange way maybe I was. But he only says, “You know, I think this is the first time we’ve ever done anything normal together.” (Catching Fire)
"I don't know what I expected from my first meeting with Peeta after the announcement. A few hugs and kisses. A little comfort maybe. Not this." (Catching Fire)
“When Peeta holds out his arms, I walk straight to them. It’s the first time since they announced The Quarter Quell that he’s offered me any sort of affection. He’s been more like a very demanding trainer, always pushing, always insisting Haymitch and I run faster, eat more, know our enemy better. Lover? Forget about that. He abandoned any pretense of even being my friend. I wrap my arms tighly around his neck before he can order me to do push-ups or something. Instead he pulls me in closer and buries his face in my hair. Warmth radiates from the spot where his lips just touch my neck, slowly spreading through the rest of me. It feels so good, so impossibly good, that I know I won’t be the first to let go." (Catching Fire)
"I realize only one person will be damaged beyond repair if Peeta dies. Me.
'I do', I say. 'I need you'." (Catching Fire)
"I feel that thing again. The thing I only felt once before. In the cave last year, when I was trying to get Haymitch to send us food. I kissed Peeta about a thousand times during those Games and after. But there was only one kiss that made me feel something stir deep inside. Only one that made me want more. But my head wound started bleeding and he made me lie down.
This time, there is nothing but us to interrupt us. And after a few attempts, Peeta gives up on talking. The sensation inside me grows warmer and spreads out from my chest, down through my body, out along my arms and legs, to the tips of my being. Instead of satisfying me, the kisses have the opposite effect, of making my need greater. I thought I was something of an expert on hunger, but this is an entirely new kind." (Catching Fire)
"When I wake, I have a brief, delicious feeling of happiness that is somehow connected with Peeta." (Catching Fire)
"I sit next to Peeta on the sand to eat my rolls. For some reason, it's difficult to look at him. Maybe it was all that kissing last night, although the two of us kissing isn't anything new. It might not even have felt any different for him." (Catching Fire)
"I sit back on my bed cross-legged and find myself rubbing the smooth iridescent surface of the pearl back and forth against my lips. For some reason, it’s soothing. A cool kiss from the giver himself." (Mockingjay)
"I’m light-headed with giddiness. What will I say? Oh, who cares what I say? Peeta will be ecstatic no matter what I do. He’ll probably be kissing me anyway. I wonder if it will feel like those last kisses on the beach in the arena, the ones I haven’t dared let myself consider until this moment." (Mockingjay)
“Sometimes when I’m alone, I take the pearl from where it lives in my pocket and try to remember the boy with the bread, the strong arms that warded off nightmares on the train, the kisses in the arena. To make myself put a name to the thing I've lost. But what's the use? It's gone, he's gone. Whatever existed between us is gone." (Mockingjay)
"Despite what I feel for Peeta, this is when I accept deep down that he'll never come back to me." (Mockingjay)
"On the night I feel that thing again, the hunger that overtook me on the beach, I know this would have happened anyway. [...] So after, when he whispers, 'You love me. Real or not real? I tell him, 'Real'." (Mockingjay)
There's more quotes like that, but I think these are enough. Now, can you all please stop pretending that these quotes don't exist and accept the fact that there's canon evidence refuting the belief that Katniss was aro/ace and never felt romantic/sexual attraction for Peeta? 😑
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the early bird is the worm - some thoughts on Warren the Eagle
i’ve been fixating on Warren from DHMIS a lot (oh lord why did it have to be him 😭💖) and enjoying a lot of the conversation around his character, both positive and negative! so i wanted to get some thoughts down about him and see what other people think. the writers did an amazing job of portraying an instantly unlikable guy, and i want to examine that unlikability, to see what we can learn about him and his mindset:
a little bit of a recap: when Warren accuses Red Guy and Duck of being bad friends, and the two respond that it’s Yellow Guy’s fault for forgetting the password, Warren doesn’t try to defend Yellow Guy. instead, he goes on a defensive, egotistical tirade about how because he’s not ‘technically affiliated’ with the OK Stop organisation, they don’t think he knows a bad friendship when he sees one. with no prompting, Warren has inserted himself into the interpersonal troubles of another group (that he doesn’t know!!) and made himself out to be the person being attacked. Warren is not a good Samaritan. it’s got nothing to do with Yellow Guy being bullied at all - this is all a vicious ego trip for Warren, who feels persecuted by people he doesn’t even know and projects himself onto other people he perceives to be victims.
it’s fascinating, and why i feel it’s a disingenuous interpretation to assume the ‘Warren the Eagle’ name is some mean-spirited joke towards trans people - as a trans person myself, i was worried too! but i realised that it’s not literally about him not being an eagle because he doesn’t have wings - it’s because Warren is oblivious to who he is and the way he treats other people. he’s a social parasite who dresses up his problems in victim-supporting language, validating his toxic behaviours that leave the people around him exhausted and upset. Warren refuses to take accountability for his behaviour and latches onto Yellow Guy despite not having a genuine interest in him or his wellbeing. Warren just wants to be liked, and he realises that in Yellow Guy’s safe space (his brain), he can be...even if he ends up hurting Yellow Guy in the process.
Warren being a worm is visual shorthand. pretty much everyone immediately had a visceral response to him and his uncomfortable, invasive behaviour, and the fact that he views himself as a creature that is so radically different from what he actually is - an eagle instead of a worm - is supposed to communicate to us that his perspective is warped to the point that he cannot (or just refuses to acknowledge) how nasty he is to others. you’ll notice that Yellow Guy’s Brain Friends - who are portrayed as a positive, healthy force - are immediately accepting of Warren’s identity and validate his thoughts without question, because they want to be supportive. they’re doing a nice thing, and it’s not played for laughs! but Warren takes advantage of that kindness, and it doesn’t take long for those friends to grow tired of his behaviour. they do the healthy thing by removing themselves from the equation.
so, yes...i like Warren as a character a lot, because i think he is a great representation of how you can’t just appropriate the language of positive mental health without doing the actual therapeutic work of unlearning your problematic behaviours. he’s equal parts stubborn and ignorant, and it seems he identifies with being an eagle less in a ‘this is a trans allegory’ sense, and more in a ‘i refuse to acknowledge that i’m being an asshole to the people around me because i am the best and everyone should cater to me.’ sense.
that being said, i’m very excited to see more lore and meta and character development for Warren from the fandom! i think headcanoning him as trans is awesome - on that note, did you know that earthworms are intersex? i’m also delighted by the rise of the LoveBird ship (Shrignold/Warren) and the potential for both of them to learn to love in a way which works for them both...the dynamic is so neat 😖💖
that being said, what do you think? do you love Warren? are you indifferent? do you want him to die in a fire? i’d love to know! 🥰
#is it in bad taste to say i have brainworms for Warren because i can't stop thinking about him#he's such a pathetic little creature and i cannot resist the urge to examine him under a microscope. tell me your Warren thoughts!#don't hug me i'm scared#dhmis#warren the eagle#dhmis warren#don't hug me i'm scared spoilers#dhmis spoilers#starleskatalks
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So I saw @hattathehattxr answer an anon about would they want Portwell to get back together on the show, with some really great points about the only ways it would really make sense, given the narrative they’ve painted themselves into. I’ve actually had a sort of blue print of how *I* would do it kicking around in my head, so... here’s my thought.
- End the ‘flagship’ show with S4. It feels like Josh wants to be done, Julia is poised to be in another Broadway show if The Secret Garden transfers as expected, and both Joe and Frankie have been booking live theater gigs as well. It just feels like they’d be better off calling it on the original cast after this year. Not to mention the original concept has gotten SO meta, I can’t even figure out where you go from there.
- SO the storyline for S4... Ricky is super anxious about being a senior and what comes next, and repeats some of his clingy stuff with Gina. But this time he figures out that’s what he’s doing, and genuinely learns to embrace change. After Miss Jenn and Mike break up, they both make the decision that they want to move to Chicago so Ricky can be closer to his mom. Gina is proud of him for embracing change, but can’t do long distance. Ricky understands, they break up amicably.
- In the finale, EJ has returned to Salt Lake from his stint in “success school”, newly determined not to let his father rule his life. He tells Ashlyn that he’s been accepted into a film making competition in LA. The winner gets admission to film school, and he’s determined to get that spot.
- With nothing with Ricky tying her to Salt Lake, and inspired by getting to know Mack (Matt Sato’s character who’s an actor), Gina decides to make the leap to move to LA and seriously pursue an acting career. Which leads to...
HSMTMTS: The Spinoff: Gina’s Fabulous Adventure!
- Following the blueprint from the original HSM franchise that follows Sharpay moving to NYC, Gina moves to LA to live with her brother (because we NEED more Jordan Fisher, people!)
- Gina and Mack spend most of S1 of the spin off in a sweet little relationship, but Gina can’t help but feel like something is missing. Mack is great, but doesn’t get her the way her other partners both have, leading her to re-evaluate what happened with EJ a bit.
- Gina doesn’t find success immediately, and is feeling discouraged. In a deeply stereotypical LA moment, her car breaks down in the rain. Jamie’s not answering and Mack is on set. Desperate, Gina calls the one other person she knows in LA... EJ. Who of course, shows up for her.
- Mack gets a gig shooting on location in London for six months. They agree they’re not the kind of thing that lasts, and have a mutual breakup. Gina says she’s fine, but is actually still wondering why nothing stays in her life.
- Meanwhile, she and EJ are rebuilding their friendship, and EJ invites her to the final screening for the film competition he’s entered. When Gina goes, she’s shocked that his short film is the story of the last summer. She’s initially angry and goes to leave, but then she starts to see what it was really like from EJ’s perspective, the intense anxiety that he was feeling and how hard he WAS trying to be there for her... that she never was a maybe.
- At the end of the screening, EJ is announced as the winner. Gina is so happy and proud of him... and then sees him celebrating by kissing the girl who played ‘her’ in the movie... and there’s our S1 cliffhanger!!
Obviously S2 (and maybe even a S3) gets Gina and EJ back together. But I think there’s so much more story that they COULD tell for these two! Tim said in an interview that EJ will be “an important factor” in future seasons, but I don’t trust him with these characters at this point. This is how I’d love to see EJ get the storyline he deserves, and help Gina really become the main girl SHE deserves to be.
Disney Plus, call me! (ETA: You know, call me after you decide to pay writers a fair wage for their work, without which you would HAVE NO CONTENT. Sorry, had to get a WGA plug in there.)
#portwell#portwell endgame#if i were the showrunner#tim federle got nothing on me#gina and ej#gina x ej#ej and gina#ej x gina
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warren is creepy though. he thinks snuff films are funny. he says to max's face that he's disappointed she won't have sex with him within 3 weeks of knowing him. he plays max and brooke off each other by lying about the tickets for the drive in. he knows how to build pipe bombs. he almost beat nathan to death because he was angry.
I was so surprised seeing this LOL I didn't know that that reached people because I thought my hashtags never worked. Not that I expected it to or that I'm great at writing them down either tho. (Turned out seeing the few likes, it did reach people lol). But, well, obviously I didn't go to law school, Anon, you haven't given me time to do it (heh, and also because obviously that's a joke).
I read this on the day you sent the ask to me btw (which was months ago), but it took me a long time to write this because I got distracted so BADLY. So, sorry for the wait... if you are waiting xD I won’t expect anyone, even you, Anon, to read this. I genuinely don’t give a shit if no one reads this, but I still want to try to argue back. My mindset throughout this eSsAy will be as open and fair as I can.
1. "he thinks snuff films are funny."
Okay, let's pull up the script.
Warren: Haha. Make sure you watch Cannibal Holocaust.
Max: No fucking way will I watch that. My mind is twisted enough...
Warren: I laughed my ass off.
(Episode 1: Crystallis)
Okay, first off, Cannibal Holocaust is not a snuff. That’s false. It is a cult classic horror film. It’s one because it’s (one of?) the first of its kind. Also, while it IS controversial and violent and there ARE something inside that are SO BAD WHYDIDTHEYHAVETODOIT, the film actually has an interesting and legit message. I think it’s not weird if Warren, being a fan of disturbing films or obscure films in general, will be interested in watching the so-called “cult classics”.
So regarding why he laughs, a possibility is that he laughs to pretend/show off to Max that he is tough. I mean, he literally shows off his car in that scene, to impress her. Weird flex but okay, bro.
Another possibility which is more probable is it’s because Warren has a dark sense of humour. Max knows this the day she meets him for the first time, that “he’s dark”. You can read it from her diary.
I think he has a higher tolerance than the average person after getting desensitised watching too much horror, which is why he laughs. Because he sees the comedy somewhere. And I think I have an idea where it is. Hint: It’s connected to the message of the film.
The message is the irony of how fast the characters adapt to savagery and exploit the tribe and their culture for the media, which raises the question: “So which one is the savage one? The tribe who people think should have been the ‘uncivilised’ or the characters who should have been the ‘civilised’ ones?” That twist can be funny with a dark sense of humour. Or it can be as simple as how the climax is satisfying/amusing with the characters getting what they deserve after all they have done fucking with the tribe. Hell, if you want to be meta and look into the background story of the filming, you can laugh too at the hypocrisy between the message and the film’s status as an exploitation film.
2. "he says to max's face that he's disappointed she won't have sex with him within 3 weeks of knowing him."
Hmm, that got filtered by your interpretation so let's go back to the root again aka the script to be objective.
Max: So you're sensitive...
Warren: Ouch... That sounds awful the way you say it.
Max: How so?
Warren: Sensitive usually means "won't be having sex with you."
Max: Oh, gawd! You need a sensitive woman to kick your ass.
(Episode 1: Crystallis)
I want to confess. I had to think hard about what this means, maybe because I didn’t get the reference, because I’m not a native, or just because it’s a bad dialogue. I mean, of course, it sounded bad but I didn’t know EXACTLY what it meant. It took me 6 months to get it… somewhat… From my understanding, he means that “sensitive/nice guys finish last”, no? So the concern is about Nice Guys™?
I won’t wave this off, Anon, it’s still a distasteful comment to say, I admit. But I believe it’s a bad joke made by Warren, an awkward kid, who tries to hit on the girl he got a crush on. The whole scene is about him trying to be smooth, but failing miserably because (1) as I said, he’s awkward, you are not smooth enough, bro; (2) that’s the wrong thing to say, bro; (3) Max is not interested in you, bro (unless you make her be, I guess).
Warren is cringey. I have facepalmed a lot of times listening to him or reading his texts to Max, but we are all cringey in our teenage years. I don’t want to elaborate on my cringey-ness but I want to at least tell you that I did have a Warren, Anon. I rejected him hard and harshly (which I regret but I was also a teenage kid). But he was ultimately a good kid and we are still close friends. He’s matured and thriving now and I have no doubt if Warren were real, he would mature and thrive too now.
3. "he plays max and brooke off each other by lying about the tickets for the drive in."
Okay, let’s search for those.
Warren: BTW, the drive-in is actually popular so I'm buying the tix now.
Warren: I'll have an extra one.
In case you change your mind.
[Wed; morning] (Warren’s text messages in Episode 3: The Chaos Theory if you decline the invitation.)
Warren does talk about two tickets but the drive-in charges per car, not per person (based on the poster). What’s the subtext of this dialogue? It’s saying that Warren still hopes that Max comes with him. Even deeper is Warren nudging Max to convince her subtly to go with him. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I don’t know why these inconsistencies happen, but inconsistencies are not uncommon in the game. So let’s rewrite the text message dialogues to remove the inconsistency, but keep the subtext.
Warren: BTW, the drive-in is actually popular so I'm buying the tix now.
Warren: I’ll keep your spot open.
In case you change your mind.
Nothing is different. The subtext is still the same. So if his narrative is to… I don’t know, to manipulate Max to go with him, I don’t see why he has to lie in the first place. Because my rewrite does the same job of the subtext. Maybe it is a development mistake.
These are the dialogues that are relevant, right after Max accepts or declines the invitation:
If Max accepts:
Warren: I have to tell Brooke I'm going with you to the movies instead. I'll text you later?
If Max declines:
Warren: Uh, I have to see if Brooke wants to go to the drive-in, Max. Maybe I'll see you later.
[Tue; morning] (Episode 2: Out of Time)
Okay, the first one sounds like Warren has invited Brooke first before Max with that “instead” and the second one sounds like Warren hasn’t invited Brooke at all. Weird, isn’t it? This is why people say Warren is playing off both girls. But there’s this dialogue:
Brooke: That's so ironic that Warren asked Max to the drive-in.
Brooke: It's not like I don't own all the original "Apes" films.
Brooke: Maybe I should've asked Warren to go...
[Thu; afternoon] (Episode 4: Dark Room) [Max accepts Warren’s invitation route]
“Maybe I should’ve asked Warren to go”? In the narrative of if like you say, Warren playing them off, this dialogue doesn’t really add up, does it? It sounds like Warren never invites Brooke at all, or at the very least, they talk about wanting to go but never commit to doing it together. Does this make sense?
So what is this? Which one is right? Are these inconsistencies again? Maybe? Am I wrong? Tbh, my head hurts already LOL Tell me what you think. I’m so tired of this game’s inconsistencies.
Brooke is the second choice here. I don’t deny that. She always is even in the alternate universe, poor girl. Even after Warren says that he will ask Brooke instead after Max declines that morning, I think he still procrastinates on that and keeps hoping Max will change her mind until the next day. That’s why later he says: “I’ll have an extra one” (or “keep your spot open” in my rewrite) [Wed; morning].
And then, there’s the scene where Max is dared to kiss or not kiss Chloe [Wed; morning] (Episode 3: Chaos Theory). Regardless of whether Max kisses her or not, Chloe will text Warren later [Thu; morning]. In the route of Max declining Warren’s invitation, it sounds like he finally gets that Max is either not interested in romance or is interested in Chloe. So Warren gives up and he finally invites Brooke to the drive-in (Episode 4: Dark Room) [Thu; afternoon].
Just like Max is not interested in Warren and prioritising Chloe, Warren doesn’t seem to be interested in Brooke and he prioritises Max. Insensitive? Yes lol But, they are teenagers having a crush.
I hope all this makes sense.
4. "he knows how to build pipe bombs."
Because he's a nerd. A nerd who spends his time experimenting with chemistry. Pipe bombs are simple to make too. Max can even make it with his instructions. It's not weird if he knows how to build a lot of stuff. When you are passionate about something, you will want to learn more stuff, right?
Also, Anon, in high school, we begged our chemistry teacher to put potassium inside the water after we heard it would explode. She reluctantly yielded and yeah, it exploded and we screamed and laughed. She immediately regretted her decision. My point is explosion is exciting, Anon. There’s a reason why teenagers like to play with fireworks. Dangerous? Duh. It’s exciting tho, said a lot of teenagers.
God knows I got knowledge on weird stuff just because of some morbid curiosity or because one of my interests gets me interested in researching weird stuff. But my point is, it’s the same with Warren in this case. It’s not weird at all that a science nerd knows how to build a pipe bomb.
5. "he almost beat nathan to death because he was angry."
This, is my favourite point you made. Because despite all the people who decided to let Warren beat up Nathan, you use this point to imply that this isn't right, which weirdly makes me happy to see that it's acknowledged. Because it IS not right! Sorry, I'm just a Nathan trash (who wants to punch him too ironically but of course, I wouldn’t do it lol Sorry, Nate). Of course, you may say this with the intention of “there is something wrong with Warren based on this scene, some anger issues or something which is… dangerous.” Well…
You know, Anon, the thing with Warren is, the game subtly told us that he is bullied. And I was spending time trying to find evidence but I’m frankly so tired of combing the Wikia HAHAHA Turned out, someone has talked about it already.
There’s no confirmation on who bullies him (eh), but my guess is having a room across the kInG oF bLaCkWeLl's (I hate that dumb cheesy nickname lol) is not a good time for him. People can interpret it as him being angry because his crush is getting attacked by Nathan again, but I don't really see that tbh. Maybe it starts off as that, but later it explodes because of the pent-up anger he feels inside after all the bullying he has experienced. That’s the first time he beats up someone. He doesn’t even know he could do that.
Of course, this is just a different interpretation. Some people choose to interpret something from this side of the spectrum and there are people who choose to do it from the other side of the spectrum. I chose “this side of the spectrum” to give you a different interpretation to ponder upon.
People could scoff and say, “Now you are just being biased.” Well… That’s what Warren haters do too. Being biased. Because Warren has so many positive things too, you know? It’s just the same as how Chloe haters are biased and ridiculously bash her hard outside of the fandom, when she has so many positive things.
People could scoff again and say, “You are using ‘him being a teenager’ too much as an excuse.” I believe we are too hard on teenagers. Yes, even the 18-year-old kids. You don’t magically mature and know everything about yourself or the world once you are 18 years old (or 19), even if society deems them as young adults. I sure didn’t when I was 18 (or 19). I only knew what my favourite colours are in my 20s! (Answer: the shades of pink, red-purple, and true red.) Everyone has their own pace. Warren is approximately a month before 17.
Also, I believe in mental growth. If people love the idea of flawed Warren as a character and then they write a fanfiction about him maturing and growing as a person and Max is in the picture, is that a bad thing? Of course not, it’s just them believing in the potential inside a character and character dynamic and using it as a creative outlet. Characters in “Life is Strange” are created to be in the grey shades. From the almost-white (like Kate and Samuel maybe) to the almost-black (like Jefferson). Max is grey. Chloe is grey. Rachel is grey. Warren is also grey. It’s not a bad thing to love fictional grey characters or even villains.
Lastly, let this be a reminder, not only for Anon, but for people in general, that… you don’t know why someone loves something. They may have nuanced reasons that they can’t explain fully if they don’t write long-ass essays and even if they do write one, sometimes people don’t even care about reading it. But if you keep an open mind and listen, maybe you won’t agree, but at least you understand a little bit and respect the opinion. Like, for example, hell, if I hear someone seriously loves Jefferson I will be so baffled (I hate him), but I will be so interested in hearing it and I'll still be so baffled but I’ll respect that, you know? Maybe I'll laugh a lot but only because I’m entertained and happy that they explain it to me. (I’m seriously interested so hit me up if any lol)
But that’s only me and my mindset. The general rule is just please be respectful.
Maybe after this, more people will come to my inbox and point out more things to argue. While… um, okay, I did say I claim to be Warren’s personal lawyer (and I was obviously joking) but until when will you people do this? xD Okay, I can’t stop it, or I can but I don’t want to block the few anonymous asks to my inbox, but since my lawyering is not paid by Warren, whether I will write an essay like this again or not will depend on my time and mood hehehehe xD
Thank you for the ask. I enjoy writing this! For Warren sympathisers, I hope I do him justice. If not, I’m sorry, but let’s hear it.
I'm shocked if someone is actually reading this, but if so, thanks for reading.
Kris
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OC question: Has anyone ever claimed any of your OCs as their child? How'd your OC feel about that?
Ooh well for Morgan, there’s ofc Tina. Morgan’s always seen Tina as a mom anyway, and she knows Tina’s her godmother, so the shift isn’t surprising or even really all that jarring. In a lot of ways…it’s freeing. She didn’t realize just how suffocated she felt with Eowells around…until he wasn’t anymore (and she feels this complicated mix of relief and guilt around the whole thing).
Of course, things aren’t totally smooth sailing—s2 explores some tension between them as Morgan grapples with “either she knew he was an imposter the whole time and still let me live with him and lied, or she didn’t know and she thus wasn’t as close with my birth dad as I thought.” Though as with most things, the truth lies somewhere in the middle 🥺
For Amelia, Rosalie and Otto Octavius in the MCU, who by my headcanon are basically the Raimi versions but tragedy hasn’t struck them (yet 👀 maybe it will, maybe it won’t). Amelia isn’t sure what to make of them at first—they’re not the first family to try to foster her during the Blip, and she’s certain it’ll go the same way—yelling, screaming, and insults from both sides, and eventually an unceremonious trip back to the overcrowded orphanage.
But the Octaviuses…they’re different. They don’t back down when she purposely pushes their buttons and acts difficult—in fact, this gets them to try harder. Amelia doesn’t understand it. She’s not even really their family, all of this is just temporary until May and Peter come back—because they will, Amelia’s sure, they have to—so why are they trying so hard? It takes some time, but eventually, Amelia comes to realize their efforts are genuine, and they adopt her. She then becomes Amelia Parker Octavius…and even after May and Peter come back, Amelia remains an Octavius. She loves her new family too much to give them up 🥺 she has Parker and Octavius in her name, she can be both (until of course a certain death and a spell force her to only be one)
Reyna…sorta has this with Kamilla? But then again, Kamilla’s been part of Reyna’s life for as long as she can remember. Reyna adores her stepmother, the most present parent in her life*, and Kamilla adores her right back. Reyna loves her dad too ofc, but…she and her stepmom have a special bond 🥰 even in the past, she gravitates to Kamilla before anyone (well…after Nora, but before anyone else)
*Cynthia gave Reyna to Cisco to raise so she can continue to be a Breacher full time, and Cisco is partially in hiding due to his powers (metahumans being illegal in the future and all that). He did think of giving them up, so he could be more present to raise Reyna, but…she’s also the reason why he’s keeping them (in case of another outburst like in her younger years), along with him still wanting to help the displaced and endangered metas who need someone like Vibe in the absence of the Flash 🥺
Lucy has a similar situation with Obi-Wan, in that he adopts and raises her from essentially her babyhood, but it’s also a little different because she thinks he’s really her dad. I haven’t totally decided how the reveal is gonna play out, but…yeah, there’s gonna be some hurt feelings. Just because Lucy understands his reasons and knows that he genuinely did the best he could at the time doesn’t mean his lies don’t hurt.
ask my OC(s) anything!
Taglist (send an ask or DM to be added or removed):
@arrthurpendragon @ocappreciationtag @raith-way @vexic929 @ironverseocs @thechaoticfanartist @goldheartedchaoticdisaster @negative-speedforce @dream-beyond-the-fantasy
#oc: morgan wells#tina mcgee#brotp: central city could use a sentry#oc: amelia parker#otto octavius#rosalie octavius#oc: reyna ramon#kamilla hwang#oc: lucy kenobi#obi wan kenobi#brotp: we’re a team#oc ask game
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I don’t want to spam your inbox so…
Cam and Mike
Mike and Trent
Trent and Gwen
Gwen and Zoey
Zoey and Cam
Cam and Gwen
Gwen and Mike
Mike and Duncan
Duncan and Heather
Heather and Jo
Jo and Cam
Please never be afraid to spam me, I love attention. Gonna put this under a read more so it doesn't get too long.
Cammike
What's better than this, just bros being homies :) The thing I love about the Friendship Finale Gang is that they're all socially inept in their own special ways. I love any combination of these losers. Anyway Mike and Cam had one of the cutest friendships on the show. One thing I noticed about them and love is how casually intimate they are. Like, Mike openly hugs and carries Cam, and I dunno, it's kinda rare to see. Love that for them.
Trike
God put Trent and Mike in different seasons because we didn't deserve to see them as besties ❤ Seriously, it's a crime we never got to see them interact. I know they would've been homies, I know it. Also. Gwoey but let the dudes fuck too.
Gwent
I'm going to strangle Action to death with my bare hands. We could've been so great. Screaming and crying and throwing up, Gwen would never #notmygwen etc etc
They re also the first ship to get a bingo, neat!
Gwoey
Ngl they definitely had something queer going on. Probably because Gwen finally had a friend who didn't lowkey treat her like trash. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Mike and Zoey are unicorn hunters and Gwen is their third, change my mind.
Zocam
Friendship Finale Polycule just keeps winning. You know Cam was thinking it when Zoey was in full girlboss mode, absolutely manhandling him. He is a stronger man than I for not being absolutely bricked up on international tv. I don't have much to say, like every combination of these losers, they are wonderful. (Also they are a great backup if you're like me and ship Mike with like 50 fucking people)
Gwameron
Guuhhhhhh Gwameron my beloved. I firmly believe they are canon and endgame. They were so close the entire season, kissed in the finale and all. Have you seen the way she looked at him??? It is sooo weird to me that other people don't see it. They are like perfect for each other. Historians will say that they were just friends.
And hey, they also get a bingo! (Is it becoming obvious yet what I love most in my ships)
Gwike
(Peggle 2 voice) Gwent....... TWO!
Okay, but in all seriousness, I could absolutely see it. He would treat my girl RIGHT. Like she DESERVES. Especially great if you're like me and headcanon that the thing Gwen really wants in a partner is someone genuine to balance her cynicism.
Mikecan
This is just pussyless Malcan. No but I kinda see the potential. I'll be honest, there IS something appealing about the idea of Duncan being lowkey nervous around sweet ball of sunshine Mike. He is literally just standing there. (Already gave my thoughts on Malcan here)
Uhh... Duneather??
Okay. hear me out. hear me out. Just hear me out. I think they had more interesting potential than Duncney. To me, personally, Duncan is way way way more interesting when he's playing off someone worse than him, rather than when he's paired with someone more moral. Seeing him with characters like Alejandro or Mal will always interest me more that characters like Courtney or Zoey. But I digress, what I'm trying to say is that obviously he and Heather fit into the former category which makes them more interesting to me. The issue is that in most ways, Aleheather is just kinda, better. But Duncan and Heather have one thing Alejandro and Heather will never have: Duncan cheating with Heather would've made way more sense and been a way better storyline than he and Gwen. Also would've given Heather something to fuckin' DO in Action. Once again, Action drops the ball, and no one is surprised.
Fuck man, now you've got me obsessed with this thought. I might have to write up a whole meta about this. (If anyone wants it, that is.)
Jeather (?)
Ahh yes, peek homoerotic rivalry, you love to see it. Gay as hell to argue with another girl. Why you arguing with her, to listen to her beautiful voice? 👀 We we're robbed not getting more of them interacting.
Jocam
Something Something power dynamics, something something inherent eroticism. Kind of a girlboss/malewife dynamic, but make it evil. Not for me, but I see it.
#Asks#Sylbot.txt#td#total drama#I love answering asks actually ❤#ftr any time I talk about the Friendship Finale Polycule I am of course including Ingrid in that
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TO MEEEE its so weird that ppl hold venat against ""choosing" us when to me its like. its thanks to her blessing that we can explore and fight and thrive to our hearts content. she blessed us with echo so we can enjoy this game, this journey. whatever venat GET BEHIND MEEE
EXACTLYYYY AND IM GONNA GET WEIRD AND I KNOWWWW this is depending on how you want to read the story, but so much of what the “warrior of light” is to me from the beginning, far before I knew venat or knew of the ancients was that: we asked first. the hero walked into the light first and asked if they were needed. and I came and downloaded and opened this game and played it because I asked for something to do; so much of this story revolves around answering the PLAYER, it is wish fulfillment, it is a fantasy. from the beginning it has been reciprocal, and this is winked and nudged at by the very fact that the wol could literally be anybody. this story could not exist without the players; the wol could not exist without the story. they did not reject this idea and opt play the fantasy completely straightforwardedly, they embraced the double meaning—they wanted to utilize their medium of being an mmo in how they tell the story itself. I don’t think it’s “wrong” to view the story as a single layer thing with arrangable and discardable blocks, as its standalone reality WHICH IT IS, but it doesn’t change what was given to us. they translated this spirit into a fantasy tale where there is a hero who is only a hero because they appeared and said there’s things I want to experience here and there’s something worth saving here; I want to be here. keep telling the story. it is FOR THIS that the wol is given the mantle. not the inverse. not because the wol has to be whoever this specific person you made them up to be is; obviously not, we all have a different one. I know the story crosses twice in things like a whole plot where another timeline sacrifices everything To Save The WoL So They Can Save The World, and wholeheartedly embraces its immersion by trying to write a hero who has natural doubts and deconstructs heroism when embodied by a regular person with a human heart (BEFORE RECONSTRUCTING IT) but I do genuinely believe this was written in full faith that the player winks and nudges back about WHAT the WoL is. i think this is literally the integeral core of the concept of Azem also and their power and how it’s integrated into the game.
I would like to emphasize though that this is even reflected in the fact she doesnt even actually give us the echo; what it is is the power to communicate and see the story from a sort of omnipotent perspective of the reader that “we” and “the wol” always had and was awakened when we chose to press start. The ability to see the greater tapestry from observing its individual parts. Of course, in the game, it’s a magic ability to astral project into people’s pasts and futures LOL but like. YOU KNOW? WINK AND NUDGE?
Also, I just don’t think the wol suffers uniquely or more than anyone else. I know the game kind of hypes up particulars of the journey for them (of course; just because there’s a double meaning doesn’t mean we dont love the tale for what it is in all its drama) but it also says this…”heroism” it defines is a choice that literally everyone makes because everyone faces the core of what the wol faces. a farmer getting up to till the fields, an office worker clocking into another day, a child struggling in school, an old guy getting out of bed. which is the central theme we arrive at in ew: how do you choose to continue to exist in the face of the truth that there was no actual, magic, predestined meaning? What keeps you here, playing the game?
of course theres tons of people who, because they love the story too, don’t want this other meta layer; they want it to be a classical story where the reader is not a part of it. and i dont think there’s anything wrong then with saying alright then my WoL loathes being the WoL, it is an obligation they were thrust into in a fully literal sense, the world of hydaelyn is Just hydaelyn, and in this closed circle universe, they reject the themes of the story and go their own way. But i also kind of think this requires a total rewrite from like, heavensward onward. I don’t think there’s any reason for the wol to remain in the narrative that brings them to stormblood or shadowbringers or endwalker in the way they did if they decided this story wasn’t for them. because it’s only ever been there because we asked first for them to continue
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jelco was definitely into dutch, the show just doesn't call attention to it the same way it does with pawter.
with pawter he does a lot of things that imply he's attracted to her.
when johnny kisses pawter in front of him in wild, wild westerley jelco delivers a snide comment about how she's "a little out of your league, killjoy". shaft in particular has a lot of hints: he brings her flowers and invites her to dinner with him, tells her they can work together to get revenge on the families that abandoned them, and then there's the line he has where he's like "i need you, pawter. my heart needs you." in context he's really referring to his heart defect, but it means something else when you take it out of context, and the look on his face when he explains his defect to her tells me he knew she was taking it out of context. then there's the scene in full metal monk where she threatens him and he tells her power looks good on her.
all of this points to two things: either he's seriously flirting with her or he's trying to unsettle / manipulate her. another line in shaft ("back home, you wouldn't even need to look at me. but here you have to do what i say") hints that it's at least partially the latter, but lovretta seems to have left it up to interpretation.
with dutch, it's a lot more subtext.
when they first meet, this is his reaction to her cutting herself free from her bindings. he doesn't even look surprised, just turns his head because she's gotten his attention, and even stops his guards from intervening. he wants to see how this plays out, she's impressed him.
"are we going to serve this warrant for you or not?" "well, i think you'll do nicely."
his tone and the way he looks at her? definitely flirting.
the office scene is like this, too. jelco's explaining to the trio how his job is to put down the rebellion and whatnot. he gets into all of their personal spaces, but the camera lingers the longest on dutch when he talks to her last. and so we get this shot that i think about constantly.
(also, lol at the fact that when the camera is on jelco, you can see johnny looking to the side at d'avin in the background like "you seeing this shit?" he knows.)
this is the last time we see them interacting like this, since plot moves dutch away from the conflict with jelco and he becomes the antagonist more directly to johnny and pawter. until we get to johnny be good.
i didn't realize it at first, but there's a scene in this episode that feels like another hint when you look at it. dutch and pawter break into jelco's office and accidentally set off the security alarm, which triggers jelco to pop up via holophone. excuse the blurriness, but there's a shot in this scene that frames jelco directly between both dutch and pawter.
when he comments on them being in his office, remarking dryly that it's the "cherry on my day," they both think he's referring to themselves.
"i think he means me." "he probably means me."
coincidence? maybe. maybe not. but the subtext is there regardless.
also the fact that he pulls the exact same tactic with them, making himself necessary so that they don’t just immediately kill or discard him. “you help me, i’ll help you” with pawter and “you’re going to have to save me” with dutch. and lovretta’s comments about heist, heist baby and how jelco made a deal with borna for her protection, not his, and that’s how he fell in love with her … something about how that’s a common thread here.
heist, heist baby also canonizes the fact jelco is into strong women since he more or less says that about his wife, but that was already implied in his interactions with both dutch and pawter. i have a lot of issues with how jelco was written in that episode which i mention in his meta over here, but at least that part makes sense.
i think in general it's a power thing since jelco admits he likes people that are hard to read and neither dutch nor pawter are willing to show weakness to him, but that doesn't mean genuine attraction to either or even both is out of the question.
#killjoys syfy#killjoys meta tag#meta#liam jelco#pawter simms#dutch#yalena yardeen#this meta was just me going 🤨 at him multiple times
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HSHSHSHJD I know I already have another ask in ur inbox but I’m just. Super curious rn and I NEED to hear ur take because I trust you will give the best answer ever but. What music do u think stsg listen to? I know teen sugu listening to mitski has been talked about…. But….. what else !! Me personally I see gojo (teen and adult versions) being a biggg Bruno mars fan…. Occasionally listening to gaga…. Maybe some Beyoncé… Katy perry… you get the vibes :3 very upbeat songs that u can just vibe to I think. But DARE I SAY I think gojo would enjoy listening to songs from musicals. At first I think he would be like “musicals??? U mean like theatre??? Boring🤨🤨” (< envisioned teen gojo saying this all arrogant and cocky my little loser <333) but then you catch him screaming the lyrics to some Hamilton song when nobody else is around. He was trying to be cool infront of sugu okay. (He’s my little meowmeow) BUTTTT also. Aside from listening to sadgirl themed music (Mitski, laufey, pheobe Bridgers, etc etc) I feel like suguru would like “older” bands a bit? I know you mentioned him reading classics so it made me think. Maybe a bit of the smiths, the cure, etc…. Part of me wants to say he might listen to modern baseball but. Sigh,… would that be a controversial take chat….. is that just me projecting….. What do u think!!! This got way too long don’t look at me…. Curls into a ball in the corner of the room — stsg anon \(^ヮ^)/
STSG ANON MY DEAREST <3333 i put a bunch of cushions in the corner so you can curl up comfortably!! make yourself at home :3
goshhhh literally every single one of these are so real……… 😵💫😵💫 gojo listening to upbeat pop music so true, sugu listening to The Classics SO true……. i think he’d absolutely loveeeeee the smiths oh my god. he’s also 100% the type to wear those white tees w some band cover on the front…. oversized and a lil faded….. he’s so babygirl <3333 AND MODERN BASEBALL GODDDD YOUR BRAIN IS SO BIG i always think of him and toru when i listen to tears over beers :((( he would love them…. also can i just say . the mountain goats 👉👈 the front bottoms 👉👈 sugu loves them all !!!
with that being said . SOOOOO REAL SO TRUE SATORU WOULD BE A MUSICAL LOVER THERE’S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND …… technically i KNOW he’s more of a stem kid but in my heart he’s a theatre kid. it just makes sense. AND OFC YOU GET IT STSG ANON ……. ohhh he would love singing along 😔😔 he wouldn’t be able to help himself!!! i feel like he’s sort of embarrassed abt it in high school (”he was trying to be cool in front of suguru” CANON BTW!!!), but when he’s all grown up? COMPLETELY unabashed. he loves musicals so much. his favorite would 100% be the legally blonde musical no i don’t take criticism…. he stans elle woods as he should!! also plays the songs on repeat loudly and it irritates everyone else <33
sadly i feel like sugu would be the boring type :/// who doesn’t like musicals ://////// very disappointing but that’s just who he is . satoru would make him see the light though!!! i can see suguru really enjoying my personal favorite musical of all time…. the guy who didn’t like musicals (WATCH IT IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY IT’S SO GOOD IT CHANGED MY LIFE 😔😔😔) <333 bc of the meta commentary!! and i think he’d like the humour too. usually he just indulges satoru in whatever musical he forces him to watch but when they watch it he genuinely chuckles a couple times and looks interested so satoru gets SO hyped …… cuties
as you can tell i’m Normal abt musicals (i love them so much i would die without them) BUT ANYWAYYY your asks can never be too long stsg anon…. pls don’t worry….. you could write a whole essay and i would simply eat it up <33 THIS WAS SO FUN TO THINK ABT AND I AGREE W ALL YOUR PICKS!!!!
#sugu our pretentious little guy <33#he’s 100% the type to judge your music taste but he does so silently#and you can’t even get back at him bc sadly… his taste is genuinely really good 😞#WAITTTTT FORGOT TO MENTION#TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB#gege literally assigned him come back home as a theme song….. there’s no way he doesn’t listen to them#on that note!! gojo listens to avicii <3#ok i’m getting carried away pdhdjdj#in conclusion: so real so true stsg anon!!!!!!#ask tag ✩#stsg anon !! ✩
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Before I begin I want something to be very clear. Play the game however you want to play it. If that looks like being blindfolded and using donkey Kong bongos or a meta build that kills bosses when you blink. It’s a game it’s not that serious, and it’s your single player game it doesn’t effect my life in the slightest.
Moving on, I recently did a ds3 run as a full pyromancer, no melee weapons at all only pyromancy. 30 something on both faith/intelligence. 27 vigor for that 1000 hp standard. I didn’t have the ringed city dlc so I used base pyromancy flame.
This was without a doubt the easiest run I have ever played. Parts of the game that I found even mildly difficult with any melee build were completely trivialized by magic and I think it’s absolutely absurd the amount of people I hear genuinely arguing magic requires skill. Especially since pyromancy is significantly shorter range than something like miracles or sorceries. The damage was absolutely ridiculous, literally deleted half of the Crystal sage’s health before she even teleported away right off the bat. Because it was ranged I could avoid 90% of most bosses movesets without even a little bit of trouble.
I would like to mention that right before this I played a bow only run using the basic longbow with a character named Spook Mcrange (they have social anxiety so they’d rather shoot people than go near them with melee weapons) and that build actually did qualify for the arguments of “you need to manage spacing, and timing your attacks” when using a bow you don’t really do any insane damage, a lot of combat encounters were not built with you using a bow in mind. And bows consume crazy high stamina just for one or two shots compared to magic.
So going into this build with my new character Chad Gaylord (named after the drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers because pyromancer making fire music haha) I expected to run into similar struggles of having to time my spells very very carefully, only I found out that casting a spell takes so much less time than shooting a bow, and you get significantly more damage for just one cast. Another thing I worried about was not having enough flasks, but I always found myself with a bit of one FP bar left and another ashen estus flask before I got to any bonfire. I did have a 24 in attunement at the very end but I played most of the game with only three slots.
I also recall asking a friend on weather or not I should run a pyro build or a caestus build first and they said pyromancer, and also asked about any fire resistant enemies and I had also figured this would be a problem. Only for me to learn that there’s only 1 (correct me if I’m wrong but I think it’s just the demon king) who’s actually resistant enough to fire for it to not be viable. But even enemies who did have a touch of fire resistance guess what? Hit them with the black flame and suddenly I’m doing 500 damage per cast.
I largely used great combustion/black flame for bosses, mostly because I prefer to play more in the bosses face very aggressively. But from time to time I’d throw a few fireballs at bosses and used them all the time for regular enemies. There’s a pyromancy for all situations and it allowed me to just kind of have a walk in the park with pretty much everything. It even staggered the nameless king, his dragon, Lorian and lothric, and soul of cinder. Nothing could really fight a few fireballs or combustions
I want to note that I did have a blast it’s a really fun build to play, especially when you get into finding times when you run out of magic and are just punching with your pyromancy flame. However, I think it’s absolutely insane to say magic is difficult, it’s straight up not true. There’s so many spells for every situation you’re never going to be in a position where you can’t kill something with a tool at your disposal. If you want to say a ranged build is hard, try a bow. Also a fun build but that one punishes you for playing poorly.
Again, play however you like, hell I even suggest trying it out if you haven’t. But don’t try to say it’s harder, and also the argument of “oh but there’s one hit melee builds too” yeah but guess what they do to boost that damage? Magic, also I’m not going to measure the difficulty of something based on what it’s like when it’s insanely minmaxed obviously that’s going to be out of line.
But melee builds make you have to actually learn how to deal with a bosses movesets, do less damage in general. Require better resource management other than “when blue bar gone drink blue drink” I have clips of me collecting footage for an edit fighting lorian with no hud barely ever getting hit despite playing at melee range for most of it.
Overall I will probably do pyromancy builds for ds1 and 2. I basically already have done that for ds1 when I did a sl1 run but still. Probably won’t ever run a sorcerer I don’t really like the vibe sorry guys. But overall full magic build was really fun and I think everyone should try it at least once. However for first time players pick up a sword and level strength like a man/j
I just feel like dark souls was built around melee in general so going a magic free or only supporting spells is a much better way to play. That’s all I’m done now.
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The magic of 3rd Life, or why such a simple hardcore miniseries works as well as it does
For a series which only lasted for eight sessions, 3rd Life has had a profound impact on the MCYT fandom. While it did go comparatively unnoticed on Twitter (as is consistent with YouTube-based Minecraft content as a whole, admittedly), Tumblr and other platforms have fallen in love with this series, and it’s become a vector for many fans to familiarise themselves with Hermitcraft and Empires SMP as well. But at its core, 3rd Life is a simple vanilla survival series with a gimmick. What about it resonates so much with so many people?
I would argue that its simplicity, its small cast, its vanilla gameplay “with a twist” is certainly part of it. It’s an easy series to consume, with many POVs totalling four hours or less, and it doesn’t require any prior knowledge of any of the members. Its mechanics are easy to understand. As a standalone, it functions perfectly – it’s immersive and can be followed easily by anyone, regardless of any prior knowledge they may or may not have. However, these factors alone don’t quite encompass what makes 3rd Life so special. Its true charm point lies in the format of the series, and how well it utilises improv.
[more below the cut; this is a fairly long post about 3rd/Last Life meta and my love of its improv. I'm mostly talking about 3rd Life here as it's a completed series, but this most definitely does apply to Last Life as well]
3rd Life is an entirely improv-based series. Whilst members may have a brief concept of the direction they’d like to take their series in – how heavily they want to roleplay, for example – the actual content of each session is fully improvised. Each episode is recorded in one three-hour block, and members are not allowed to play on the server outside of the allotted time other than specifically to finish builds. This time constraint prevents any planning from going into each episode, and interactions between players are completely spontaneous. Players simply run around the map looking for others to interact with (which is significantly easier with the limited world border) and chat about various events on the server, form alliances or deals, etc.
By definition, this almost completely negates the possibility of bad writing. Each player’s reaction to any server event is spontaneous, a legitimate reaction; they aren’t trying to play any specific roles or shoehorn in any specific events (with the exception of the Red King/Hand of the King roles, who were still completely improvising). Even the finale – a distinctly heart-wrenching and tragic scene – was improvised without Grian or Scar attempting to tell any specific story. According to Martyn, they weren’t roleplaying, they didn’t have any aims with that scene. It just happened to turn out in the way that it did, and they were legitimately sorry to one another. The server progressed in this natural way, and every person’s perspective tells a completely different story. It’s hard to identify any specific heroes or villains – fans of the Dream SMP can surely relate to this feeling, but I would argue that 3rd Life takes this one step further. 3rd Life is a tragedy from all perspectives, a tragedy which tells one cohesive story in its entirety before stopping as abruptly as it began.
3rd Life hinges entirely on its interactions between its members. Whilst solo content does exist – base building, for example – the majority of each session is spent interacting with others. 3rd Life is carried by its dialogue; nothing else drives the story, and yet many episodes are between 30 minutes and an hour long. It’s that dialogue-heavy. Members of the server have expressed trouble with even editing their videos because there is so much key dialogue that they don’t want to cut. People don’t watch 3rd Life for the actual gameplay, at all – there’s so little of it! They watch it for how each member interacts with the people around them. This is something not found in any other SMP I’ve encountered. SMPs livestreamed on Twitch have plenty of downtime, and people will happily watch streams on that SMP no matter what’s occurring on the server; people often watch them for their interest in specific members. Other currently popular YouTube SMPs, namely Hermitcraft and Empires, are well-balanced between solo content and interactions, and all server content hinges on the members’ various skills like building and redstone. 3rd Life is, to my knowledge, the only SMP which does not rely on building or redstone skills (what’s the point, when they’ll be dead the next week?), it doesn’t rely on the creator doing solo work talking to their chat, it doesn’t rely on planned roleplay. People legitimately just want to hear various members talking to each other. It’s a fascinatingly unique series in this regard. This dialogue-heavy aspect of 3rd Life ties back to my earlier point about 3rd Life feeling like a completely different series from all perspectives; with all of this dialogue being conveyed through proximity chat, so many events are entirely left out of other POVs, or presented in very different lights.
The pure improv format also helps significantly with worldbuilding, whilst also leaving plenty to the imagination. MCYT fandoms always require a significant amount of imagination to become invested in them, let alone make fan content of them, and 3rd Life is no exception to this. As discussed in this post, which was incidentally the inspiration for me to write this one, 3rdLife is full of lines which flesh out the series, which illustrate what happened better than can be shown in Minecraft. These lines are improvised on the spot, and are often complete throwaway lines in the creators’ eyes. In the fans’ eyes, they make 3rd Life feel alive, they provide plenty of material on which to base headcanons. Again, this isn’t necessarily unique to 3rd Life, it’s a common aspect of all Minecraft series, but I think this is where the rather angsty nature of 3rd Life comes into play. A dramatic survival game, entirely unscripted, with all events hinging entirely on your interpretation of them? It’s not hard to see why 3rd Life fans are so creative with character designs and fanfiction – hell, a lot of 3rd Life fics simply narrate canon in their own more dramatic light. Canon-compliant fics are significantly more common for 3rd Life than other fandoms I've encountered, because people hear these simple lines and want to dramatise them, put their own spins on them. I don't feel that this would be possible with any other series, not to the extent that 3rd Life fans do it. Other series' canon is either already dramatic, and so rehashing it can feel repetitive, or so lighthearted that people write AUs/new storylines. 3rd Life strikes a brand-new balance.
The development of its characters is also bolstered by improv. As no events on the server are pre-planned, members have to react completely spontaneously to anything that occurs. They don’t get time to think – only to react as though they genuinely were in that situation. As I said at the start, 3rd Life inherently lacks bad writing, because it’s not written. Ren, for instance, began 3rd Life as a kind and harmless person, with others often walking right over him. His reaction to his death by Grian and Scar’s trap spurs him to become the Red King; he raises an army and goes to war, and ends the series having taken countless lives, becoming hardened by war. He begins Last Life by isolating himself from others, seeming jaded and unwilling to form alliances, ready for another war to break out. Being improvised, it’s impossible to say how much of this was deliberate, or if Ren just started building his base without thinking about continuity from the previous season. This improv is what makes it feel so natural. It isn’t planned beforehand. This is Ren’s natural reaction to starting Last Life. It makes his character feel so much more real than it would if this was all scripted beforehand.
3rd Life is, overall, a testament to the power of improv. It manages to be compelling and dramatic without any acting feeling forced or wooden. Its characters’ arcs feel natural, because they are natural. Placing such a heavy emphasis on dialogue, with the gimmick of the server being a vehicle for interactions to happen rather than the sole appeal of the series, makes it truly feel as though we’re getting a glimpse into the characters’ lives, rather than watching a story which has been written beforehand. We get to watch everything unfold in real time. 3rd Life has a magic to it that, to my knowledge, no other SMP has been able to recreate.
#3rd life smp#last life smp#trafficblr#mae analyses#THIS IS REALLY META BUT I JUST <3 I HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR HOW WELL 3RD LIFE DOES WHAT IT DOES#THERE'S A *REASON* IT'S SO COMPELLING#it has this different feel to it#one that i've never encountered before because there is NOTHING like 3rd life out there#ohh i love 3rd life a normal and reasonable amount
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BnHA Chapter 328: Pandora’s Box of Discourse
Previously on BnHA: DEKU TOOK A BATH.
Today on BnHA:
youtube
Also Naomasa grew a beard. Goddamn.
please let this be a cool chapter that plays nice with my ADHD lol
(ETA: lol I feel guilty because a lot of people hated this chapter, but I’m just happy there was a lot of stuff to make fun of, and also that I have another week to work on my backlog of meta posts since the kids were MIA.)
around one month ago?? ah, okay, so we’re gonna find out what was in that Tartarus security file huh
I love that they just randomly set the place on fire
was it necessary to do this in order to escape? no. was it a good idea to set the island they were occupying on fire while they were in the midst of still occupying it? uh. was it cinematic as fuck? fuck yeah
wow it’s a pervert!!
that’s so great that the villains set loose this fine fellow who I’m sure is definitely not a serial rapist. truly the LoV is so noble and misunderstood. they’re just trying to free society from its chains people
oh my god??!
SHANKED!!! oh my god I cheered for Stain before I realized what I was doing. time to have an identity crisis I guess
so he’s all “hey what’s going on.” which, while a respectable question, is something I personally would have waited to ask until I had put a bit of distance between myself and the fiery murder island. but that’s just my personal preference
Stain you really are tenacious I’ll give you that
“what’s the point of escaping prison if you’re not gonna be smart about it” well shit. anyways yeah you’re dead right, society is in the process of collapsing and the outside world is in total chaos, good call there
oh shit
I mean it’s not like we really expecting anything otherwise, but still. fucking brutal. I feel like these guys’ fates were decided the minute that one guy called AFO “scum” back in chapter 94. AFO is unmatched at getting long-term revenge
??
ahh, was it the security footage??
fdsdfk he’s still alive??
and he’s immediately launching into an inappropriately theatrical monologue even as the darkness closes in on him fdlfksjdlk. you know, was it ever confirmed that the other guy back in chapter 297 was Seiji’s dad? I’m just saying
very impressed that he’s still coherent enough to weigh the pros and cons before making the decision to gamble on giving this info to Stain, who at the very least has his own moral code and isn’t allied with AFO. it was definitely still a risk, but as we now know it was also the right call
what a weird alliance. so Stain tells him that he’ll give it to a just person, and the guy is all,
okay for real though I’m gonna need someone to run a DNA test on this guy. maybe it was some kind of cuckold situation?? the other guy had the family resemblance, but this guy absolutely 100% raised Shishikura Seiji and you are not going to convince me otherwise
anyway, so Stain is all,
PRISON GUARD: “???? ??????? what the hell. what the fuck does that fucking mean. I’m dying here, jesus christ, whatever man fuck you”
(ETA: I kind of feel like this might have been Stain’s last appearance in the manga, given all the fanfare. there’s not really much else he can do for the story at this point, and he seems to have gotten all the character development Horikoshi was planning on giving him. so if this really is it, hasta la vista and good riddance I guess.)
DWLFDKSLDK MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE
(ETA: I feel like this is meant to be evocative of that Sermon on the Mount painting, but in a really fucked up way lol.)
if it were me stumbling upon this scene I would just shake my head and walk right back into the flaming building. not getting involved in that mess. sorry not sorry. I’ll take my chances with the fire, especially given that it’s half-assed neutered BnHA fire lol
blah blah blah and so he decided to pass the info on to All Might -- HOT DAMN, HOLY SHIT
NAOMASA HOLY SHIT. THE APOCALYPSE LOOKS GOOD ON YOU, BOY
“I really like that facial scruff thing Aizawa’s got going on, I think I’m gonna get in on that” yes sir. “also thinking of ditching the tie in favor of the bulletproof vest look. also thinking of getting totally fucking jacked.” good lord. except I’m pretty sure that’s just body armor, but also I don’t care. anyway I should probably stop staring and actually read the fucking speech bubbles here lol
“All Might first handed this information over to Nao, and then went to see Deku, and then came back to Nao” thanks for that tidy little summary Horikoshi. we are capable of piecing events together in sequential order, I just want you to know that. but thank you
“so has Deku finally gotten a bath? also, sucks that Stain saved the day, but what are you gonna do” Nao I missed you so fucking much and didn’t even realize. how am I just now realizing that you are the perfect man
for a second I was gonna ask why Tartarus’s security systems would be cut off from the outside world, and then I remembered that’s a basic security control, and then I actually got impressed by how sensible that is. like, it’s been a while since I could genuinely say that the good guys (excluding class 1-A) did something smart. not that it helped them much in the end, but still
anyway so they’re talking about how AFO was able to coordinate the attack by communicating between his horcrux self on the outside and his ugly peanut-faced self on the inside
huh
okay you have my attention. I am taking notes here lol please continue
ah okay so he says that prior to Jakku, the transfer of information between him and his Vestige self was only one-way. but post-Jakku when Deku was in the hospital, he was able to tell what was happening inside the OFA Radical Lisa Frank Dead People Book Club Realm when he touched him. I feel like we established that before, actually. but he didn’t talk about how it actually felt, though
boy we already know this lol. yes AFO can talk with his horcrux self. and he can also communicate with his little bro in OFA too, let’s talk about that sometime why don’t we. what exactly does that imply, based on the rules we’ve established here
my god I cannot get over Naomasa and his fucking facial hair
no wonder All Might was in such a hurry to leave Deku and get back here
like I have no idea what this radio waves nonsense is but my god, people
that jawline. also so it’s a quirk, I see. except last I checked Deku didn’t have a radio waves quirk, so that doesn’t really explain his connection to AFO. but whatever, hopefully we’re at least getting closer to some kind of reveal here
(ETA: since I sometimes forget that other people’s lives don’t revolve around my theory posts, here are the two relevant links if you by chance want to know my thoughts about this.
Hagakure is still The U.A. Traitor™ regardless of whether Deku is passing information on to AFO through his psychic link, which he almost certainly is.
speaking of said psychic link, Deku is a horcrux.
just posting these now, because whenever trippy OFA stuff happens I tend to get an influx of theory asks. so hopefully this will be a bit of a time saver lol.)
-- wait, what
THAT’S what the recording was??!? holy SHIT. I genuinely was not expecting that. y’all wiretapped his fucking telepathy. fucking quirks, man. wild
AND THEY USED THAT POWER TO DETERMINE WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW, HUZZAH. GOOD SHOW
-- oh shit wait lol, except I forgot we’re not talking about 38 days from the present, we’re talking about 38 days from the date the conversation was recorded. heh. um
yeah that’s the face I would make too if All Fucking Might just casually told me we had eight days left until the end times
oh, pardon me. three fucking days
r.i.p. anyone who thought we were going to have another band arc sob. I sure hope Deku is enjoying that nap
(ETA: I realize people were hoping for a longer rest period here, but given that the man warned us all the way back in chapter 306 that we were entering the final act, you can’t really blame him too much when that turns out to be true. anyway but I do recognize that we’ve reached the point in the story where this kind of discourse is going to become a weekly occurrence, simply because there’s no possible way for Horikoshi’s actual endgame to line up perfectly with the variable headcanons of millions of fans, all of whom have wildly differing and in many cases contradictory expectations which can’t possibly all be fulfilled. anyway, so I’m already bracing myself for that lol. this coming year is going to be a wild ride.)
damn, U.A. out here looking like the motherfucking United Nations
-- is this U.A.?? I actually just realized, U.A. is four interconnected buildings, not two. wait holy shit is this Shiketsu?
wait holy SHIT
based on the overwhelmingly powerful vibes of bureaucratic incompetence, I’m thinking this really is the (future) U.N., or whatever organization it is that deals with international hero stuff
“just let them handle it themselves I’m sure they’ll be fine” yeah okay, thanks guys. appreciate it
wait oh shit did he say that it’s not just Japan?
soooo, what you’re telling me is that AFO is this close to bringing about the end of not just Japan, but the entire world, and you guys don’t think it’s a good idea to help the Japanese heroes stop him? so, genuine follow-up question: are you guys already planning your rich people exodus into space a la Wall-E, and that’s why you don’t give a fuck?? like, what??
omg international heroes
these guys are from World Hoodie Mission, right? is this Horikoshi’s way of reminding me to buy tickets
(ETA: and it worked too lol.)
WHO??? WHAT???
don’t tell me you’re introducing yet another badass new female character for me to fall in love with only to watch as you dismember them and/or blow them up, Horikoshi. I’m getting tired of playing this game my dude. don’t lie and tell me this time will be different. we’re not doing this again goddammit
noooooooooooooooooooo
god fucking dammit lmao. [sighs and rips the previous paragraph into shreds]
on behalf of Americans I apologize for our superheroes always being Like This
I also apologize because I love her already and I’m gonna be shameless about it. so fucking shameless you guys
is her fucking hair red white and blue. it is, isn’t it
this is the volume cliffhanger, 100% lol. it will take every ounce of Horikoshi’s willpower not to put her on the volume cover. he’ll have to settle for the spine or the inner cover this time because Deku VS his class 1-a superpals takes precedence. but it will be a close thing let me tell you
tbh it’s that smile that does it for me. she’s definitely All Might’s protege. get out there and show them how it’s done girl. and maybe call Salaam and BRD and see if you can’t convince them to play hooky from their governments as well. why not. world’s ending in three days you guys. “sorry, I’m busy this weekend” ain’t gonna cut it lol
so while I am not fully caught up with Vigilantes, I have read far enough to know that there’s an American hero named Captain Celebrity whose superpower from what I recall is being a humongous douchebag. and while I haven’t read far enough to know what happens to this guy, I can’t say I’m very disappointed to learn that he’s no longer the number one hero in the U.S. (actually, didn’t they kick him out and that’s why he moved to Japan to begin with?). anyway, so my thanks to Horikoshi for having a marginally higher opinion of Americans than Furuhashi, even though we have definitely not done anything to warrant said opinion lately, and you may have inadvertently opened the door to a pandora’s box of discourse lmao
(ETA: lol I went into the tags and they don’t disappoint. “why is she dressed like a flag” because she’s an homage to Captain America and Major Victory and literally every other character on this list. again, I apologize for fictional American superheroes being Like This. “oh boy another thicc waifu to make the fanboys happy” look, tumblr fandom never seems to have a problem thirsting over Dabi or Tomura or Aizawa or Nao, lol, I’m just saying. “where is Captain Celebrity” idk, probably murdered by the exploding bee cartel, let’s just be grateful for our good fortune and try not to Beetlejuice the man.)
anyway, so let’s see if Horikoshi’s recent character development with regards to making Mineta not terrible anymore will apply to other aspects of his writing as well. I know I was making light of discourse just now, but I do think the complaints about him introducing yet another new character at the 11th hour to be cannon fodder in the final battle are absolutely valid. and again, it wouldn’t be a problem if he didn’t keep maiming/killing off his female characters one by one instead of developing them and letting them kick ass long-term. but that said, I will never complain about Horikoshi adding another female character to the series, regardless of how clumsy the attempt may be. go ahead and pander away, just give us more girl power lol
anyway so we’ll see how it goes, but I think I’m gonna be optimistic and let myself hope once again, even though I’m probably gonna regret it lol. it is what it is. she is standing on an airplane just chilling for fuck’s sake. I’m only human. anyway fingers crossed
#bnha 328#stain (bnha)#tsukauchi naomasa#all might#stars and stripes (bnha)#all for one#bnha#boku no hero academia#bnha spoilers#mha spoilers#bnha manga spoilers#makeste reads bnha#eta: how did I forget to type 'bnha' in the title sob
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Deltarune Theory: Ralsei is a guide for the script
It feels crazy that Deltarune Chapter 2 has only been out for like, what, two weeks? As of the time I’m writing this, and yet, there has already been so much secret hunting and speculation over this. Not even the full game, and people already go crazy over it. Naturally, I am part of this craze. In fact I was one of the people that played it as soon as it dropped.
And, I thought it was only me, but, at least for a little while, Ralsei’s behavior struck me as… odd. Not outwardly malicious, but just… odd. Particularly the first bit of the game, it was just so… happy and convenient? And Ralsei was at the center of it all, orchestrating it, making sure everything happened accordingly.
Eventually, that initial feeling of distrust went away, but… not quite. And it seems a lot of people began to feel the same way, pointing out bits about Ralsei that are just… out of place. Things that didn’t seem to stand out in the first chapter, are now popping out about him.
Questions include:
How does he know about what’s outside the Dark World, about the school?
How does he know about the game mechanics and call them out by names?
Why is he so interested in keeping the balance between only Kris acting and him and Susie doing magic?
Why does he seem so eager to dismiss what happened with Spamton NEO?
Why doesn’t he turn into stone or even get weak at any point during the time he spends in Cyber World?
Are the parts of his name and design connecting to the Dreemurr’s intentional, and if so, what does that mean for his relation to Kris?
How and why does he take player control away to look at what Susie is doing? Why must he wait until Kris is willing to do it? What does he tell them when he succeeds in this?
Now, I don’t intend to pose here “a supreme theory to rule them all”, I’m just a guy having fun and I’ve seen people voice particularly similar ideas to this one I’ve had, so I want to at least try to answer these questions through a relatively simple idea that would, almost entirely, immediately answer ALMOST all the doubts.
First, let’s start with some steps to build up this idea. For one, we know for a fact that Ralsei holds knowledge over game mechanics and may even break the fourth wall at times.
But we also know that Ralsei’s design resembles a lot of characters from Undertale we know and were fond of. For one, he can be likened to Toriel in the sense that he is the one to give you the first tutorial of the game and his clothes resemble her original outfit as well. Another connection, much more common, that people have made is that he is like Asriel, no doubt due to his name being an anagram, but also due to the fact he is also a cute young goat.
I would like to do a complete turn around here though, and say I do not think any of this points to Ralsei being related to Kris in the familial sense, for more than one reason, but my main one being that I don’t think Toby would be as frankly disgusting as to imply such a thing when there is so so much teasing in the direction of Ralsei possibly having a crush on Kris. I mean… really, Toby?
You know, I’m not too sure this would be the smartest idea, Mr. Fox, but alright.
However, I do think all these hints in his design and name have a purpose. And it has to do with how us, the fandom, see these two characters. For one, they are very beloved characters, and Toriel is one that we associate with her tutorials and guidance, whereas Asriel is one that people have yearned to see more in action. They are back, in a sense, but not present in our adventures so far.
What I’m getting at is that Ralsei is specifically designed to be the darling of the fandom. He is made to be loved, to be trusted, to cause feelings in us that make us want to protect him and accept his advice. This, in a way, also affects the in-universe characters who see him, as Susie put it: “as a big portable teddy bear”, whose job is “giving hugs”.
And I don’t just mean this in a character design way, like “oh wow Toby was so smart to make a perfectly marketable boy!” No. I think Ralsei exists as a meta element, his form being a direct manifestation of what we want to see.
He looks like that because he wants us to see him and lower our guard and expect his guidance. Remember how his form was shadowy and vague throughout all of chapter 1 until the very end of it and how he poofs into nothing but a pile of clothes in both chapters so far, no matter what form he’s in? What if he’s a shapeshifter? What if Ralsei isn’t even his real name? That certainly would explain why he says he doesn’t know what being Ralsei-like is like.
Ralsei? Ralsei? Oh God he’s gone.
Now, do I think he’s lowering our guard in the sense of leaving us vulnerable for an attack? Not exactly. I think it's so we learn to accept him…
Accept that he is a GUIDE for the game’s script. His entire existence hinges on guiding the main characters, specially Kris, throughout the story, and making sure the whole story, all seven chapters, play out exactly as planned.
You see, Ralsei isn’t evil. His goal is pretty simple, actually: guide us, the player, throughout the game, making us feel as safe and happy and secure. In that sense, of course he pushes so hard towards the pacifist route. After all, that’s the one that’s closer to a completionist route, as the sparing + recruiting mechanic adds more characters to your town, and therefore more content. He wants you to see all this content and get the most enjoyment out of it. His code urges him to bring you the best experience possible.
This would also answer why he does that thing with taking our control away from Kris and to watch Susie’s shenanigans. Because it’s satisfying to us. Notice how stressed out and pushy he gets in the alternate route when Susie comes out of Noelle’s room without being able to let us see what happened. He knows he messed up, something went wrong. He was supposed to let us see, so that we wouldn’t be bored, because God forbid the players be bored.
Just imagine this going through his head.
He also seems to genuinely care about Kris and Susie, and with good reason, as he knows these are the protagonists, and he is supposed to care for their well being too and ensure they reach their goal. I do think, however, there is a good amount of being genuine in his care, as he has no reason to react so boldly sometimes to either of them, showing outrage or affection in pretty telling ways. He isn’t heartless despite carrying out this job.
However it is also worth noting, for all his care, he cannot do the one thing that Kris would desire the most: free them from our grasp. And that is his ultimate failure towards them, and may end up creating conflict later on in the game.
From, here, there are two possible pathways:
Ralsei does not know about the dilemma Kris is going through, and believes Kris is entirely oblivious and passive towards being in a video game. He may even end up being the final boss to fight, as he desperately tries to keep everything on rails while Kris very much does not care for any of that.
Ralsei is entirely aware of what’s going on with Kris, after all, everything in a game’s design is planned, even the cutscenes, therefore even Kris’ struggles. Ralsei knows of the fate that lies ahead, that Kris will eventually be free, how it all ends. But to get there… is still a road ahead.
I think Ralsei’s affection towards Kris will definitely be explored in the later chapters. Not just because of the teasing we’ve been getting, but, if Ralsei really is a guide of the game’s code and script, what would that mean for him to get so attached towards the character the player is controlling?
Ralsei will have to make a choice. He will either recognize Kris is suffering and cannot wait any longer, or be faced with possibly having to fight them himself. This is why those two pathways matter as well. If he doesn’t know, his choice will come later and it will be an unpleasant surprise for him to find out the game universe is breaking apart around him with the self awareness of certain characters. If he does know, however, his choice is NOW, and waiting for the inevitable will be torture.
Just how long until he breaks? Or will he keep the facade until the very last chapter?
Like I said, I don’t intend this theory to be the biggest, most revealing and coherent theory. But… It could add a very interesting layer to Ralsei’s character, as well as answer many questions posed beforehand. He knows the school layout and game controls because he is part of the code. He can get to the other Dark World’s easily and remain unharmed because the game demands him to be. He looks like this so that we love him. He wants to give us the most fulfilling Castle Town so that we will love the game. He doesn’t protest even when Kris does things like try to give him the thorn ring, because to him, everything will be okay anyway. Everything he is, is for us. He isn’t evil or malicious per se, he just opposes Kris’ biggest need.
But he may have gotten himself attached. And that may be a clue to sparing him if he does become a final boss.
But! Tell me what you thought of this theory! Do you think it’s way too weird and farfetched, or do you think it’s possible that it could happen? Or maybe you agree with some stuff but not with other stuff? Go ahead and tell me!
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Okay I have some complicated thoughts following Melanie’s arc that all build on top of each other and hinge HEAVILY on unreliable narrator interpretations so bear with me
In my relisten I’m at the beginning of s3, and it always shocks me a bit at how quickly she interprets Martin’s interaction with her as hostile. I’m going to skip over the “it’s understandable, Melanie’s had a hard time in her career” disclaimers since there’s plenty of meta on that already, and instead follow the effects of this tendency: not on others, this time, but on her
(This got absurdly long and covers so many episodes so I’m going to split it into separate pre- and post-bullet surgery posts)
Rewinding a bit, the last time she was at the Institute, she was starting to get along with Jon before he seemed confused about her comment on “the other Sasha.” It takes her a split second to interpret that confusion as him suddenly deciding to gaslight and mock her, gets angry and tells him there is something seriously wrong with him, and leaves before he can ask what she means. Given how tenuous their truce was and the fact she and Jon had mocked each other in the past, it’s an outburst that at least has some personal history behind it.
But only a couple episodes later, we learn that it’s not just Jon she responds to in this way. In TMA 84, she meets our Martin Blackwood! Customer service voice opposite-of-Jon politeness extraordinaire! And as soon as he gets confused about the two Sasha comment, she.......immediately assumes that HE is also trying to gaslight her. She insists that “I’m not doing this again” without giving him a chance to ask or explain, so they miss the opportunity to piece together the deal with the Not!Sasha. Her doing this with someone she just met shows a much broader pattern than her interactions with Jon.
That very episode, Elias offers Melanie a job, and she accepts despite Martin’s protests. Later, she accuses them all of them being an “old boy’s club” because she interpreted Martin’s warnings as sexism rather than trying to protect her. As the audience, we see the unreliable narrator of her perspective at work: we know that Jon and Martin were genuinely confused, and we know that Martin was trying to save her, and that all of these instances were her seeing it as people being out to get her.
Hop forward to the notorious gossip scene in TMA 106. Here, Melanie complains about Martin being hostile to her. My first assumption was that this was all offscreen, but after this parade of misinterpretation and comparing to her and Martin’s actual interactions, I have to wonder:
TMA 84, after Martin tells Melanie about the murder, and right before Elias interrupts:
Martin: Are you sure you’re alright?
Melanie: Yes! I just got… God, I’m kind of at the end, you know?
Martin: The end of what?
Melanie: Everything. Friends, clues, savings. Everything. Options. There’s nowhere left for me to go . I don’t know why, but… I just, I just felt that perhaps coming here might help. And talking things out with Jon. I mean, I mean he’s awful, but at least he listens, you know?
Martin: (soft) Yeah. ...I’m sorry. Um, is there anything that I could, like, maybe...do for you?
They get interrupted immediately after this, so this was the first impression Melanie was given. Then, when Elias offers the job, she...assumes Martin’s “I don’t think that’s a good idea” is from sexism, when he’d just been talking about murders and disappearances that caused that very job opening.
TMA 88
Melanie: Are you alright?
Martin: Yeah… Sorry, just a lot of change recently, y’know. You and John and Sasha and… everything’s gone a bit wrong. It’s the not knowing, you know? I mean, Jon’s still alive. Not sure why, but I’m sure of that. But Sasha, I…
Melanie: Yes, it’s… it’s probably, um…
Martin: Sorry, sorry, I’m... What do you need?
Next interaction! Oh this one HURTS. Martin takes her question literally, and starts telling her why she’s not alright, a reverse of their earlier exchange. But Melanie came by for a question and wasn’t prepared for an honest answer, so Martin quickly reels it in and asks what he can do for her once again.
Skipping forward a bit in that same scene:
Martin: Oh, you weren’t here when we took the place over from Gertrude! It’s been over a year just to get it like this. I mean, I think the database was on Jon’s list, but--
Melanie: So how do you track someone down?
Martin: Oh, oh well, y’know, we’ve a few contacts in various record offices around the place. Aside from that it’s just… just a bit of detective work, really. Tim used to do a great line in impersonating people to utility companies! Heh, the number of times he got them to give him ‘his own’ address--
Melanie: Right, right… Um, this one, the name is 'Jude Perry.’ Doesn’t mean anything to you, does it?
I LOVE THIS EXCHANGE. I TREASURE IT. Having bottled up his emotions, Martin is going in full Friendly Helpful Coworker mode. There are so many little details here signaling that he’s embracing her as part of the team, sharing anecdotes about Tim’s shenanigans and Jon’s old plans, looping her in as One of Them as he helps her get what she needs. This is the kind of approach you go to management trainings to get, to help new hires feel welcome and part of things. But alas, Melanie is in a hurry and wants to cut to the chase, so all this is lost on her.
TMA 98 - I won’t copy it all in here because it’s long, but this is an overwhelmingly positive interaction. She asks if he’s okay, but he bottles it up and says he’s fine. This time, she presses, and he admits it’s because of the statements. Martin ends up asking for help!! and Melanie agrees! She’s on the way to murder Elias, but she still gets credit for “I’ll ask him to cut you some slack.” Then she invites him to drinks!
And then.... TMA 106
Melanie: Anyway, Martin’s always been lovely to you.
Basira: Hmm. I don’t know, I mean, you should have seen him when I turned up last year. I think he thought I was trying to steal his precious Archivist.
Melanie: Ahhh. I got the exact same when Jon was hiding out, and came to me with his “source on the inside” stuff. Martin was not impressed.
WAIT WHAT
We just looked over all their interactions! They were all soft and lovely and welcoming!! But then we hear Melanie with “well unlike how he is to me, Martin is nice to you.” This was taken at face value for years, but when you line up all of the above, I feel there is a strong basis to say this is another case of Melanie’s first impressions + over-defensiveness gone wrong. Just like we saw her initial bickerings with Jon solidify into series-long hostility, her interpreting Martin’s confusion as gaslighting and warnings about the job as sexism seems to have doomed her opinion of him long-term. We hear Martin being kind and concerned and welcoming, then hear Melanie contrast it as bad treatment.
Recently, a mutual considered this even further to how she talked about losing all of her friends with the Ghost Hunt UK circles:
Melanie: Even back then, I could feel all my old friends starting to distance themselves from me. ... I stopped asking the others for help, and I kept my research to myself. I talked to them less and less. By the time I was arrested, I think a lot of them had already given up on me.
I have to wonder...did this sort of dynamic play out here, too? Did she assume that her friends’ concern was judgment or hostility? Were they giving up on her, or did she lash out and push them away? Either way, it’s easy to see parallels to s2 Jon in her description, here, with her withdrawing and diving alone into increasingly risky research without asking for help. And s2 Jon definitely shared Melanie’s tendency to see offers for help and support as hostile. (Aside: I interpret her and Georgie as not very close at this point, like a networking contact rather than a friend; Melanie comes to Jon for someone to talk to about her struggles above her, and Georgie seems to be unaware of all of Melanie’s encounters pre-s3)
And on that downer note I am ending part 1...but PART 2 IS GOING TO BE WAY HAPPIER THAN THIS. Here, we see Melanie with a lot of people who would have supported her if she let them: Martin, Jon, possibly the friends she said abandoned her. But in her effort to protect herself and not let history repeat for how she’d been hurt in the past, she ends up alone and spiraling.
#tma#the magnus archives#tma spoilers#melanie king#tma meta#I had to stop myself from just rambling All Melanie Feelings in Every Direction to stay on track#but hoo boy writing this gave me a lot of feelings for the martin melanie friendship that could have been
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Alright, here it is: The meta post about Eddie Diaz and mother figures and how it all leads to Buddie (I think). Thanks to @yramesoruniverse for your help with this, and @kitkatpancakestack and @evanbucklies for inspiring it! I really have been thinking about this nonstop and had to get it all down. This got quite long, so I'll include a cut in order to spare everyone who doesn't want to continue reading!
We first get an idea of Eddie's complicated thoughts surrounding mother figures throughout his whole storyline with Shannon in season 2 when he romantically reconnects with her for Christopher's benefit. I do want to keep the focus here trained on Eddie in season 4, but I want to point out a season 2 line that is pretty fitting. As much as I don't want to use a Shannon quote as a starting point for a meta, I think this one is actually pretty useful: "...Eddie always knows what's best for everyone...God forbid you stop for a second and actually ask them what they need." While it's harsh and spoken out of spite, Shannon does make a point here which becomes relevant at the end of season 4.
We don't know a whole lot about season 4 Eddie (thanks writers) aside from the fact that he's working on being a single father (he tells Marjan in the crossover that he's "doing the whole single dad thing") and being a support system for Buck and the rest of the 118. Eddie's "arc" this season is moving on from Shannon and beginning to date again (a very small and limited arc, which hopefully season 5 will remedy). Of course, because it's Eddie, the core of this arc is him wanting what is best for Christopher. And it seems pretty clear that what Eddie thinks Chris needs is a complete family with a mother figure (note how he asks Bobby if he's "happy now, with Athena and the kids" and just assumes that Bobby is talking about Ana Flores), but the universe pushes against this idea throughout the whole season. There are a lot of examples in season 4 of unreliable mother figures (for example, the alcoholic mother who causes the wreck in Blindsided), but in order to save some space here, I'll list and discuss those in another post. The main thing I want to point out is that we've seen that mother figures aren't always perfect, and they aren't the end all be all that Eddie thinks. And canonically, the show suggests several times throughout the season that the partner that Eddie needs/wants and who is best for Chris is actually Buck.
In Breaking Point, while Eddie is on his date, it's Buck who is at home taking care of Christopher and getting him through his nighttime routine (which establishes that he knows the routine and has gotten Chris ready for bed before, hence the reference to his "cautionary tale"). On the date, when Ana says that no one has been in his life since Shannon passed away, Eddie noticeably looks uncomfortable (the will reveal makes this scene and that particular comment and Eddie's subsequent reaction so rich. Eddie knows that what Ana is saying is completely untrue, because the person he trusts most with his son is with him at that exact moment). Later, when Eddie tells Christopher about his new 'friend', he says "it's a woman." And...to be honest, what the hell was that? He could have said, "I'm dating someone" or "I have a girlfriend." But he says it like this? And it's weird...right? Christopher is the one who has to say "girlfriend." Also his tone of voice when he says it...it's suspicious to me. Anyways...Eddie talks with Ana about Christopher's reaction and her first instinct is to take a break and wait for Christopher to warm up to the idea so as to not cause him more pain. Meanwhile, Chris is out the door, in an Uber, and on his way to Buck, the person who actually gets Chris to talk about his feelings and who fixes the whole mess. So while Eddie is talking with Ana, Buck is playing a parental role AND promising Chris he isn't going anywhere, completely juxtaposing everything Ana has said and done in this episode (throwback to Fools, anyone?). Just like we see in 4x14, the perfect partner that Eddie is looking for is already putting in the work, no questions asked (and this is all before Buck knows about the will!). Yet Eddie is still trying to force it with Ana.
We see this again very briefly in Parenthood. Eddie and Buck are seen agreeing on parenting ideals on a call, similar to how we saw them work together in Future Tense to talk Chris out of playing video games. At the end of the episode however, when Chris asks to join the movie, Ana just jumps ahead and lets him in, not consulting with Eddie. Of course, this isn't a serious issue and Eddie is happy to have Chris join them, but it still carries on with juxtaposing Ana with Buck. It's also a bit interesting that Chris sits between them, parallel to the video game scene from season 3. But again, it's a very brief scene, so I don't know how much value it has overall.
We see all of this come to a head in 4x13 when Eddie becomes invested in the single mother and her son from the balcony call. Interestingly, this call happens after Eddie's conversation with Carla ("make sure you're following your heart"). On the call, Eddie flirts with the mom. This is interesting because we've seen many times in the past that Eddie...doesn't like flirting, especially on the job. Eddie openly flirting with the mom here may be his way of fighting against what his instincts are telling him Carla's comment was about (him liking Buck/a man). Eddie quickly becomes invested in Charlie (the son) and takes a liking to his mother because he relates to her. You can kind of see the gears working in Eddie's head when he's at their apartment...he's admiring her and perhaps maybe fantasizing about having a partner who gets it. And he sees a mother taking care of her son...reinforcing his love for the mother figure. But of course, we all learn by the end of the episode that this mother figure is extremely warped and not at all what her child needs.
The best part about this plot is the way it plays into the shooting scene at the end of the episode. Just before he gets shot, we see Eddie in an interesting framing choice (I am genuinely serious when I say that I want to sit down with Brenna Malloy and ask her about her directing choices for this whole scene):
The mother and son are placed into separate ambulances, and Eddie stands between the two vehicles. Visually, Eddie is literally placed between the mother figure and the son, and Buck is standing in front of him (at a slight distance). As (thank you to @kitkatpancakestack for pointing this out!) the ambulance with the mother drives away, Eddie says "shoulda gotten here sooner" to Buck (who replies, "That kid is just lucky he met you." He knows how to reassure Eddie and recognizes what is good for the child). Then of course, Eddie gets shot. But let's focus instead on why this framing before the shooting is important: the universe does scream, and it sure as hell was screaming at Eddie this whole episode. Carla calls him out for not following his heart, he idolizes this mother only for her to end up being horrid, then he gets shot with his partner standing right in front of him (you know, the same person who takes care of his son for the entirety of the next episode).
This can be read so plainly: Eddie has been fighting hard for what he thinks is best for his son, and he's stuck in this relationship with Ana because he thinks she is what will make Christopher happy. Meanwhile, Buck is in front of him and has been there the entire time putting in the work with Chris and making him feel heard, loved, and important. This ties right back to that Shannon line: if Eddie had simply asked Christopher what he needs/wants, it's very possible that his answer would be "Buck." Eddie doesn't need to be stuck in the middle of this relationship he doesn't care about because Chris' happiness is not dependent on having a mother figure.
Of course, we didn't see very much of Eddie in 4x14 so we don't really know what is going through his head regarding the shooting or Carla's comment just yet, but I'm hoping we see a lot of him working through all of the events that took place in 4x13/14 throughout next season. Because of the way the mother/son storyline ended up and the way they framed Eddie in the shooting scene, I'm willing to bet that he's going to be reevaluating just what Christopher needs and what he already has (with his Buck).
(Also side note--the welcome home party scene...when Buck is watching Eddie greet Christopher, notice the framing there too. The photo of Chris and Shannon is on the right side of the frame, Eddie and Chris in the middle, and Buck to the left. You already know what I'm going to say, so I'll leave it at that...)
Anyways. Edmundo Diaz is confused about what he and Christopher need, and it's actually a brilliant way to dive into a storyline about his sexuality and his feelings for Buck. Remember that post-finale interview with Tim where he said Eddie is always concerned with what's best for Christopher? That there will be a lot to explore with Eddie? I take everything Tim says with a grain of salt, but looking at all of this, there's quite a bit here pointing in the direction of pining Eddie. It's not wishful thinking, it's in the text.
I'm literally just applying basic film analysis to these scenes...and everything is adding up to a larger picture. I'm really excited to see what Eddie's arc in season 5 will be because there's so much set in place for it to be really great.
#buddie#911 fox#eddie diaz#evan buckley#christopher diaz#meta#mother figures#part one?#I have more to say but will save for another post#buddie canon s5 idc
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@lansplaining encouraged me to finish this random meta nobody asked for, so let's talk about Meng Yao, Meng Shi, and 孟母三遷 (mèng mǔ sān qiān), a proverb about good parenting.
A warning: this is super long (even for me!) and is less quality meta and more my ADHD brain jumping around a maze of loosely related ideas. Proceed with caution!
Let me start by briefly going through why I decided to write this, because it’s important. In haunting Meng Shi’s tag in my starvation for Meng Shi content, I’ve multiple times come across the idea that Meng Shi pushed Meng Yao too hard, that she should’ve been more careful with teaching him to seek his father’s approval at any cost, and that she was too naïve. I’ve never reblogged this kind of post because 1) I personally think it’s rude to go out of your way to ramble about how much you disagree with someone on their own post and 2) if this was an isolated incident I wouldn't care either way, so I didn’t want to direct this rant at anyone in particular. It’s more to do with a tendency, primarily (as far as I can tell) from fans who haven’t had much contact with Chinese culture, to oversimplify Meng Shi and make her relationship with Meng Yao slightly disturbing, and I think part of it is due to CQL basically cutting out her entire storyline (so fans simply don’t have info about her to assess her fairly) and part is due to misunderstanding what a good parent is supposed to act like in the context of Ancient China.
[Of course, Ancient China is not a very useful historical concept, not any more than “ye olde Europe” - things change a lot based on time and place - but you know. It’s fantasy. Extremely broad trends are okay in this case.]
Anyway, the idea behind the posts I mentioned is, basically, that Meng Shi (usually through no fault of her own) is to blame for Meng Yao’s obsession with power, since his desire for approval was inherited from lessons she taught him. Just to start with, I’d argue that Meng Yao isn’t power-hungry as much as he craves security and respect, but that’s a different meta. Let’s assume that she really did teach him to be Like That. Was she wrong to do so? I’m not looking for “does that make for a happy, well-adjusted childhood?” or “would you raise your own son as Meng Shi did?” - I’m trying to figure out, would she have been considered a bad mother in the context of the society she lived in? I don’t think she would’ve.
It is surprisingly hard to find texts about the obligations of parents in Ancient China. Their main obligation is to raise filial children, but I feel like that’s not very useful: whether or not parents are good parents, children are expected to be filial, so a child being filial really says more about the child than about the parent. Maybe the parent completely missed the mark and society at large was what taught the child to be filial!
We can assume, of course, that parents were to raise good people, and that by learning what a good person looked like, we could figure out whether the parent was successful, but once again, I feel like that’s pinning things on the outcome, not on the process - the best of parents can end up with an awful kid and vice versa.
While thinking about all this, it took me a frankly embarrassing amount of time to remember the story of Mother Meng and Meng Zi, but once I did, it wouldn’t leave my mind - in part because the Meng here is the exact same Meng of Meng Shi and Meng Yao (yay! fun if useless parallel!), and in part because this is a story about how a woman can successfully raise a son by herself.
Okay, so important note: one of the most influential ancient Chinese thinkers is Meng Zi (孟子 Mèng Zǐ), who is known in the West as Mencius. If you've never heard of him - he's perhaps second in importance only to Confucius. When Mencius was still a young child, his father died, so he was raised by his mother, who is usually known only as Mother Meng (in Chinese, 孟母 Mèng Mǔ.)
Mother Meng's story is told in Biographies of Exemplary Women (列女傳 Liènǚ Zhuàn), which for around 2000 years beginning around the 18th century BCE, was the most commonly used book used to educate women. The book is divided into sections, each one showing a different way women could be honorable and good. Mother Meng's story is told in the Maternal Models section (母儀傳 Mǔ Yí Zhuàn.) The story has a few parts, some of which I'll quote, always from Kinney's 2014 translation.
Before I go on to quote it, though, I'd like to establish that Mother Meng's story is so, so famous that even if Meng Shi had never read this particular book, I'm almost certain she would've been familiar with at least the outlines of Mother Meng's story. I'm not cherry picking a suitable chapter from the book, I'm literally going with the most famous story in it because Meng Shi would be most likely to know this one if she knew no other story.
Okay, the first part of the tale takes place when Mencius is a young boy and Mother Meng is a widow raising him.
The mother of Meng Ke of Zou [a different name for Mencius] was called Mother Meng. She lived near a graveyard. During Mencius’ youth, he enjoyed playing among the tombs, romping about pretending to prepare the ground for burials. Mother Meng said, “This is not the place to raise my son.” She therefore moved away and settled beside the marketplace. But there he liked to play at displaying and selling wares like a merchant. Again Mother Meng said, “This is not the place to raise my son,” and once more left and settled beside a school. There, however, he played at setting out sacrificial vessels, bowing, yielding, entering, and withdrawing. His mother said, “This, indeed, is where I can raise my son!” and settled there. When Mencius grew up, he studied the Six Arts, and finally became known as a great classicist. A man of discernment would say, “Mother Meng was good at gradual transformation.”
According to the translator's footnote, "gradual transformation" is "a childrearing technique, whereby a child is morally formed through daily exposure to correct models of behavior."
From this story comes the proverb 孟母三遷 (Mèng Mǔ sān qiān) - "Mother Meng moved three times." It's come to mean that a parent - especially the mother of a male child - should spare no efforts to provide an environment that will give their child a good education, paying particular attention to what models are surrounding them.
I'm sure I don't need to say if Meng Shi was at all familiar with this proverb (and she would probably be), she must have been very stressed out over literally raising her son in a brothel. (Here I must mention sex workers in ancient China were often essentially owned by the brothels, so literally "moving three times" wasn't really an option for Meng Shi even if she could miraculously pick up another trade.) Meng Shi did however at least try to surround Meng Yao with the accomplishments appropriate for the son of a cultivator:
Xiao-Meng, are you still learning those things lately? [...] The things your mom wants you to learn, things like calligraphy, etiquette, swordsmanship, meditation… How are those things going? [...] His mom’s raising him as a young master of a wealthy family. She taught him how to read and write, bought him all those swordsmanship pamphlets, and even wants to send him to school.
Meng Yao actually talks a little bit about “those swordsmanship pamphlets” in the only time in canon he directly shares memories about this mother:
Lan XiChen, “Your [guqin] skills are also considered quite fine outside of Gusu. Were they taught by your mother?”
Jin GuangYao, “No. I taught myself by watching others. She never taught me such things. She only taught me reading and writing, and bought a handful of expensive sword and cultivation guides for me to practice.”
Lan XiChen seemed surprised, “Sword and cultivation guides?”
Jin GuangYao, “Brother, you haven’t seen them before, have you? Those small booklets sold by the common folk. First jumbled sketches of human figures, then deliberately mystified captions.”
Lan XiChen shook his head, smiling. Jin GuangYao shook his head as well, “All of them are scams, especially to fool women like my mother and ignorant children. You won’t lose anything by practicing them, but you definitely won’t gain anything either.”
He sighed in a rueful way, “But how could my mother have known this? She bought them no matter how expensive they were, saying that if I returned to see my father in the future, I had to see him with as much competence as possible so that I don’t fall behind. All of the money was spent on this.”
See what’s happening? Meng Shi cannot physically take Meng Yao to cultivators, but she spares no efforts in giving him the closest thing she possibly can -- figuratively, we might say she moved three times.
Of course, these booklets don’t work, but as Meng Yao says, how could she have known this? The cultivation world is very closed off - think of how the entire Mo household gathers to see Lan juniors, and how Wei Wuxian mentions once that “Cultivation families, in the eyes of common folk, are like people favored by God, mysterious yet noble.” Not just noble, but mysterious. That tracks, too - I mean, they live in inaccessible households and mostly leave to night hunt or visit each other, neither of which is an activity that would allow commoners to get much more than an occasional glimpse of them.
Now, if Meng Shi doesn’t even know that a pearl for Jin Guangshan was just a trinket, if she doesn’t know even the wealth of a major sect, how can she read booklets and decide whether that’s genuine cultivation or not? All that she sees is a chance for Meng Yao to be surrounded by the ideas and skills of the people she wants him to emulate - cultivators - and therefore she does everything she can to get him that chance. Mother Meng moved three times.
Okay, but maybe the argument is not “Meng Shi shouldn’t have pushed Meng Yao to cultivation” but rather “she should’ve pushed him, just not too hard." To that, I present another tale from Mencius' childhood:
Once, when Mencius was young, he returned home after finishing his lessons and found his mother spinning. She asked him, “How far did you get in your studies today?” Mencius replied, “I’m in about the same place as I was before.” Mother Meng thereupon took up a knife and cut her weaving. Mencius was alarmed and asked her to explain. Mother Meng said, “Your abandoning your study is like my cutting this weaving. A man of discernment studies in order to establish a name and inquires to become broadly knowledgeable. By this means, when he is at rest, he can maintain tranquility and when he is active, he can keep trouble at a distance. If now you abandon your studies, you will not escape a life of menial servitude and will lack the means to keep yourself from misfortune. How is this different from weaving and spinning to eat? If one abandons these tasks midway, how can one clothe one’s husband and child and avoid being perpetually short of food? If a woman abandons that with which she nourishes others and a man is careless about cultivating his virtue, if they don’t become brigands or thieves, then they will end up as slaves or servants.” Mencius was afraid. Morning and evening he studied hard without ceasing. He served Zisi [a great scholar whose grandfather was Confucius] as his teacher and then became one of the most renowned classicists in the world.
Notice that Mother Meng moved three times to ensure Mencius would have the highest of aspirations - to become a scholar. But just aspiration isn’t enough. Not by any means. Now that Mencius is actually studying, Mother Meng is willing to take an extreme action to ensure he's taking it seriously. Mencius doesn't have a father to smooth his path to success. He has to learn that aspiring to greatness isn't enough. He'll have to put in the effort as if his life depended on it. And if he doesn't persist in his hard work, everything he's done thus far will be useless. Sounds like a lesson imparted on young Meng Yao, doesn’t it?
A lot of fandom rage towards Meng Shi would apply to China's Best Mom Contender, Mother Meng. She gives her son big dreams, and teaches him how to go about achieving them in a society where failing is easier than succeeding. Yes, it's fair to say that Meng Shi taught Meng Yao to refuse to settle for anything less than being “Jin Guangshan's son, a respected cultivator.” Yes, it's also fair to say that she probably didn't allow him much time to play like children his age did. But unfortunately, in the world of MDZS, poor children probably wouldn't get to play anyhow, the difference is that they'd usually be working, not studying. Studying is a privilege! It’s a privilege Meng Yao could not afford but was given to him anyway, through his mother’s many sacrifices. We can even say that while she was alive, Meng Shi was trying to ensure Meng Yao would one day have a better life, at the expense of a fun childhood - and that's very Mother Meng of her, whatever our modern Western sensibilities might have to say about that.
Finally, I’d skip other tales (which show Mother Meng and an adult Mencius) and go straight to the poem that ends the Mother Meng section:
The mother of Mencius
Was able to teach, transform, judge, and discriminate.
With skill she selected a place to raise her son,
Prompting him to accord with the great principles.
When her son’s studies did not advance,
She cut her weaving to illustrate her point.
Her son then perfected his virtue;
His achievements rank as the crowning glory of his generation.
I’d like to focus on the last verse - “His achievements rank as the crowning glory of his generation.” All that Mother Meng wanted was for Mencius to not completely ruin his life, but he became great. You can so very easily see a parallel with how Meng Shi hoped Meng Yao would be a cultivator but he became Jin Guangyao, Chief Cultivator, styled Lianfang-zun, one of the Three Venerable, hero of the Sunshot Campaign.
Of course you can say “Jin Guangyao did many Very Wrong Things to get there, though!” Which, sure, okay, fair point. How many and how wrong depends on which canon we're discussing, and your own interpretation, but there’s no version of the story in which Jin Guangyao is 100% an innocent child uwu. But blaming that on Meng Shi is just... straight up weird? I don’t see anyone going “If Jiang Fengmian hadn’t adopted Wei Wuxian, he’d never have dared become Yiling Laozu!” and that’s pretty much the same logic. Would street kid Wei Wuxian have invented a new type of cultivation if he had never been taken in by the Jiang? Probably not, but raising undead armies is very much not something Jiang Fengmian could’ve predicted. In the same way, how could Meng Shi have predicted that teaching her pre-adolescent son “You are the son of a cultivator, act like one and earn your place in society” would’ve ultimately resulted in innocent deaths? How could she predict “You’re not destined to having the same horrible life I did, you can get something better than this” was a bad thing to teach? I quite honestly don’t know.
Finally, I'd like to point towards a much flimsier evidence that Meng Shi did great as a parent. And that is Meng Yao’s love. Nie Huaisang at some point comments Meng Shi is someone who Meng Yao "cherishes more than his life," and I think his assessment is correct.
Even putting aside the fact he built a whole temple to get his mother to reincarnate into a better life, and even putting aside how he refuses to flee the country without her remains, there's still crystal clear evidence that Meng Shi must've done something right. Because a lifetime of people using his mother to bully him doesn't seem to have made Meng Yao resent her. Had their relationship not have been very strong, odds are he'd feel bitter and/or ashamed of her. That doesn't seem to be the case. He's attached to her even decades after her death.
I want to be very careful with equating mutual affection with good parenting, though. When I was a rather rebellious teenager, my mother (in typical Chinese fashion) used to say that parents and children don't have to love each other as long as they're dutiful to each other, by which she meant that a parent-child relationship isn't informed by warm and fuzzy feelings, but by whether you'd be willing to do anything for each other. Specific to my case, she meant "I don't care if it makes you hate me, you will do as you're told because that's what's best for you." (That may also be the reason why people more familiar with Chinese culture see the Jiang family less as outright abusive and more as #complicated, but that's another meta.)
Whether your kid wants to hug you every time they see you is of no consequence to traditional Chinese thought - raising them to be the best they can is all that matters, because at the end of the day, you won't be around forever, but you can definitely set up your kid's life so that it goes smoothly and virtuously. How that's accomplished varies depending on many factors, but to have the goal be "I want my child to love me" rather than "I want to raise my child right" would've been considered selfish as hell.
So even if all that Meng Shi had given Meng Yao had been stern lessons about the need to go get his birthright, she would've still have been considered a good mother!! In fact, she would've been doing everything she was supposed to do, under extremely difficult conditions! (Remember the importance of environment? That Meng Yao grew up to want to be a cultivator despite having probably never even met one speaks wonders about Meng Shi's childrearing powers!!)
But just based off how over the top Meng Yao's filal dutifulness is, I'd go a step further and say that even as she did the impossible, she was also loving enough to inspire genuine affection. This is complicated because children who have present fathers could expect their mothers to be tender with them. The first century BCE text 禮記 Lǐ Jì or The Classic of Rites says that:
Here now is the affection of a father for his sons - he loves the worthy among them, and places on a lower level those who do not show ability; but that of a mother for them is such, that while she loves the worthy, she pities those who do not show ability - the mother deals with them on the ground of affection and not of showing them honour; the father, on the ground of showing them honour and not of affection.
But when the father figure is lacking for any reason, the mother must abandon her tenderness because someone must guide the child, and without a father, the role falls to the mother. A single or widowed mother had to be very careful to not smother their children with affection and raise useless, spoiled kids, or so it was thought. (The presence of Qingheng-jun and Lan Qiren is why Madame Lan can be so affectionate with the Lan boys, by the way - if she was raising them by herself she would've been expected to be much more practical. AUs where she just gets her kids and runs away could do very cool things with this idea. But I digress!)
Where was I? Oh, okay. Because Meng Yao seems to not just respect, but actively miss her, it seems that Meng Shi somehow managed to deal with her son on the ground of both honor and affection, to paraphrase.
So basically, all things considered, it seems not only would Meng Shi have been considered a great mom (if people could look past her being a prostitute, anyway) but she also went above and beyond the bare minimum. She truly spared no efforts on any front to make sure her son had everything your average gongzi would have - someone to teach him and someone to love him, access to education and confidence in his birthright. That she couldn't actually make him a cultivator, that she couldn't actually raise him in a proper home with no one being cruel to herself or him - that's immaterial. Even Mother Meng couldn't control what her neighbors did, only what she taught her son! The key point is Meng Shi tried. She did everything she could to educate her son right. You couldn't ask more of her, and quite honestly, you should probably be asking less.
Of course we can't err on the other extreme and say she was Perfect. Given MXTX only ever writes flawed characters, we can safely assume that if we'd known more about Meng Shi, we would've seen many flaws. Indeed, just the fact she didn't teach Meng Yao the guqin when he apparently wanted to learn it might point to some conflict we don't know enough to speculate about (maybe she focused too much on cultivation when Meng Yao's interests lay elsewhere? Maybe she wasn't able to sufficiently shelter him and he felt it'd be a burden to ask her to teach him anything? Maybe maybe maybe, go wild with your fics.) Nevertheless, I would never hold a female character to a higher ideal than a male character - if the male cast of MDZS can be a hot mess and still be admirable for what they're trying to do, then so can Meng Shi.
At the end of the day, when I look at Meng Shi - and I've made myself a document with all the references to her in the novel canon so I could easily contemplate her life and character - all I see is a woman every bit as determined and resourceful as her son, willing to do everything it took to raise her little boy into the sophisticated and ambitious man he became.
Finally, here's a fun little parallel that I'm 100% sure was unintentional but I still love. I said Meng Shi couldn't have moved three times. She couldn't, but I think maybe she taught her son he was worth moving three times for. Qinghe Nie. Qishan Wen. Lanling Jin. Isn't that super fun to think about?
Alternatively, tl;dr: Oh My God I Can't Believe We're Blaming Women For The Actions Of Their Adult Children In The Year Of Our Lord 2k21, Meng Shi Was Doing Her Best, Chill!
#drinking game#take a shot every time i say 'finally'#this post refused to let me get to the end of it lol#i think because i'm extremely salty about fanon stage mom meng shi#(to not say tiger mom meng shi which crosses into outright racism. but i'm giving people the benefit of the doubt)
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