Does anyone else per chance find the aspect of following someone new terrifying, or am I simply a weakling within the gene pool?

Salvage Showcase- Polaris P. Polanski

Assuming I get this out in time, this Showcase is dedicated to the most popular character in Danganronpa Togami has to offer in the fandom and on the day of Volume 3's release! If its not Shinobu Togami you heard about, you probably hear this girl's name dropped every now and again and for pretty understandable reasons given who she is!

Time to take a dive into the great Polaris P. Polanski!!!!

(...Who doesn't have official art so I'm just using the Vol 2 cover of DRT in its stead)

Summary

Now, Polaris is a character that plays a role in the events of the Legacy Crown Championship in the 2nd volume of Danganronpa Togami. She is Suisei Nanamura's assistant, at best 13 years old at the time, and travels to the LCC to Castle Toajo after Mitsuzo Togami hires Suisei to solve the case of mysterious killings in the competition.

Now, compared to her eccentric boss, she is very silent and has taken to pretty much following Suisei around. Suisei entrusts her to go through evidence or handle them, regardless if the contents are embarrassing or even gorey. Best shown off when, on the ninth day, Suisei announces that he has figured out the culprit - which was Kazuya Togami. During this meeting to discuss such a claim, she hands over Saburo's camera (that has been recording himself in the buff dancing) and was tasked with holding the bag that contains the severed head of Yoru. The latter piece of evidence is the nail in the coffin that had Kazuya initially tossed into the dungeon...

Only for it to 'be revealed' that Mitsuzo was the culprit in a confession note left behind as Mitsuzo appeared to have killed himself. With their client dead, Suisei leaves the LCC on a helicopter and one assumes that Polaris would have done the same.

Except! No, she doesn't! She secretly stays behind and begins working on trying to figure out the 'reliance' that will crown the winner of the LCC and heir of the Togami Conglomertate. In the end? When the chaos of the killings of the LCC had the castle burn down, Polaris would be one of the survivors: having not only figured out what the reliance was, but also finding Shinobu Togami to escort her to safety. As Shinobu wakes up, Polaris has whispered what the reliance was into a tape recorder: and was deemed correct. Thus, making her the official heir to the company!!

Or rather...he. In actuality, Polaris was just Byakuya Togami in crossdress, disguising himself as a girl to infiltrate the LCC (he figured he'd get close to it eventually while working as Suisei's assistant since the detective only takes high profile cases). Byakuya was apart of the hundreds of other Togami kids who were disqualified from even participating in the event due to their Mother's social standing and had been working to sneak himself for a long while. First by acting asa day trader and then as the aformentioned assistant to Suisei.

With his victory secured, Byakuya offers Shinobu to come with him to be his secretary with the other participants dead or missing (like her brothers) and since Shinobu lacked either Hope or Despair - aspects that'd he find use in someone that can write an untainted view of his autobiography. She accepts, though does request one thing: that he calls her big sis! Which gets him taken aback as much as your average teen boy does.

Considering Polaris is Byakuya, her personality is pretty similar to him. She's intelligent, cold, serious, and has no issues in doing unnerving tasks if it means she can get ahead or do her job. While in the LCC she maintains a quiet demeanor, very rarely speaking, when her job is done, she's free to express her usual stern, and critical nature towards others below her.

In particular, Polaris shows disdain towards how the LCC is operated by the Togami Conglomerate, primarily in regard to who is chosen based off their pedigree and acting as if someone from an unknown background can't be the heir (which might implicate Byakuya being from an unknown background himself?)

Yet, in regard to the event featuring Polaris, it should be noted that the flashback itself was a shared unreality memory for both Kazuya and Blue Ink. When we consider Byakuya's account in-game, where he says he was one of the participants, it makes rather unlikely for him to done the alter ego of Polaris or even be Suisei's assistant.

Rundown

In DRT's theming, Reality vs Unreality, and how it affects Byakuya as a character, Polaris represents a major aspect of our Ultimate Heir in using an aspect of Unreality, deceit, as a positive (if only for himself).

From tossing out his glasses that had a tracker on it, in order to fool their enemies and get them off their backs, to faking his death to even Blue Ink during a confrontation with Hasegawa Research Institute, to taking credit for the WDP in order to use it for his own domination conquest, to becoming Polaris even become the heir to the Togami Conglomerate to, most importantly, wiping away Kudan into Blue Ink: Byakuya is no stranger to deceiving both ally and enemy in the WDP in order to get ahead for himself. And this isn't a unique DRT trilogy trait either, remember Byakuya in DR1's infamous moment? Where he tampered with Chihiro's body just to reveal Genocide Jack amongst their group and know who to watch out for when/if he decided to become a blackened? Deceit, even if it makes others thinks less of him or intefers with his allies, is a valued tool of Byakuya when push comes to shove, which does make him legitimately tricky to deal with on top of his high intellect.

Which actually contrasts the other protagonists of DRT (or POV trio) remarkably well in their outings with Unreality. For both Kazuya and Blue Ink, the story makes it clear that they are pretty much being strung along by the whims of their Borges' Story AI, unable to see the truth until late into the WDP (and how they handle that is very different). As for Moleman, despite what he thinks is his past, his entire being as an alter is just a falsehood used by the main personality of Suzuhiko Otsuki to make his killings easier. Basically, all three POV Togami's are depicted as being unknowingly under and/or, even if aware, suffering from the effects of essentially living life under a lie. They are not in control of the narrative woven by others for them, at least, up until Shinobu goes through her development in Volume 3.

But Byakuya? He differs in that he's usually depicted as being the controller or just a user of Unreality. He's not generally caught up in it, but is the one crafting/going along with a false narrative that has enemies pretty much still struggling to keep up and trap him (well, that and having assistance from his few allies), despite essentially having the upperhand or dead to rights. Polaris is pretty much the epitome of this dynamic, even if probably not real, with her being able to come onto the island and take the crown without alerting anyone to her true identity, whilst almost everyone else pretty much killed each other in the mysteries of what was essentially a self-started killing game.

This also makes his actions in the final book of DRT hit that much harder. When he chose not to take over the world, it also meant he was now choosing to submit to being under Unreality, choosing to believe a lie that Ultimate Despair would have crafted that obfuscates the truth of the WDP, hinder his talent and cut his relationship with Blue Ink. All of that, just to save Blue Ink's life. For a character defined by his self-centeredness, even in the trilogy itself, him going for a major sacrifice like that is very telling of his true heart underneath his ego and what he eventually gets back post-DR1 (after some development during that killing game as well).

Personal Thoughts

Polaris is a funny case to me! As said before, she is pretty much just Byakuya and, even then, its very possible that her existence beyond Unreality is, well, non-existant. It doesn't help matters, she only appear in just a long flashback and barely has much of a role in events too until the end.

But that said, she's pretty much the most popular character to come from the DRT trilogy and its not hard to see why (...well aside from the fact she is a mainline character) ! For one, the idea of Polaris gives a layer and interest to Byakuya in a few ways. The most obvious being his interest in crossdress, even if only for a means to an end, is something that gets people's head's turning over Byakuya's sexuality in question and is just a fun concept to explore with such a serious character (and him going on to dress as a nun and state he doesn't mind wearing women's clothes is just so much fuel to use).

Another layer him being Polaris brings is his potential connection with Suisei. Byakuya crossdressing is one thing, but him being an assistant to an eccentric, yet corrupt detective? Someone's whose own arrogance and high intellect towards life reflects onto Byakuya? How much of Suisei rubbed off on Byakuya? They seemed like a stable pair working together, so is it possible Suisei knew about Byakuya's true identity all along? That's not even getting into the parallels between him and Kyoko, being stronger given her connection with Suisei in the DRK series. It's brief, but its a dynamic that has quite a bit of potential to gleam through, if you see assume that even outside of Unreality, there was a possibility that Byakuya diid become Suisei's assistant for a time.

Finally, there's the possibility of Polaris herself not coming from a well off home given her talk with Blue Ink at the end of the LCC, after she won (and her bitterness over people outside the ranking system not being able to compete). Now we know in-game Byakuya was a participant in the LCC for real, so him sneaking into the competition is just false. That said, it could still be possible he had to very much work his ass off from nothing just to be accepted into the real LCC (which is very likely given just how much of the true event is left pretty vague). It gives a real credence to his arrogance and his actual appreciation for hard work, since it means he was legitimately working himself in not just the LCC, but throughout his entire life, into become the powerful Ultimate Heir we know of him as today and gets you wondering if the reason why he's such a condescending jerk is because he's projecting his struggles and victories onto everyone else.

Though, as you all know by now, DRT is not one for making things concrete and Polaris (and what she brings to the table) is possibly just straight unreality produced by the K2K System. That said, DRT not being so concrete means its not a hard denial either of their existence in some other fashion. While Byakuya being Polaris to compete in the LCC is false, whose to say he didn't spend some time in his years posing as her before or after the fact? The details being fuzzy means those who do love Polaris are free to accept her in some fashion, while those who dislike her or think of everything in unreality is being all fake, are also not wrong in dismissing her. It's a situation where, even with unreality being in play, people on both sides can pretty much win.

For me, I like Polaris for the aformentioned layers above and think she just makes for a fun addtion to Byakuya's history. While I doubt he'd have needed or even was crossdressing in the real LCC, him just being so comfortable with himself he can wear practically anything, no matter the gender, is a confidence from Byakuya that you can't help but like and I can't help but basically accept as like a pseudo-canon trait of his.

-

And that ends DRT's entry! I missed the anniversary of DRT Volume 3, which sucks, but at the very least am glad to get this out a bit quicker than usual! Was inspired to make this after seeing posts of DRT floating about on that day, so managed to make this Showcase quicker than usual.

Next up is back to Killer Killer!

cw: simon and betty and their professional relationship

People jump to be either offended or defensive when talking about this so Im putting that cw there. Practice self defence. if you dont wanna read this and you click through, yeah thats not my problem.

So this is about Simon and Betty, and regarding the vague setting around their professional relationship, namely that Simon is shown giving a guest lecture and Betty is part of the class that he is lecturing to

But the setting doesn't pin down the specifics - like is he a visiting researcher, how long is he affiliated with the school, etc. That said, given this:

I've been tooting some thoughts around and here's what I find funny

How unappealing this relationship could be to general fans of the Teacher-Student fantasy.

My psuedo-analysis from being a fandom oldie is that usually this fantasy caters to the idea of having the teacher, usually the man, devote himself to caring for and promoting the student, usually the woman. And like fantasies don't need to make sense? But I'm thinking that in a society where women are always the nurturers, portraying a relationship where the man is dedicated to nurturing the growth of the woman - well that's novel. It focuses on the woman's character arc - she's the main character! - and all the ways the man supports her into becoming an accomplished, successful professional in whatever field they're in.

Do you see where I'm going here?

Simon and Betty fulfill none of that.

Straight off the bat, Betty introduces herself by teaching Simon something. She was never positioning herself as someone who wanted to learn from Simon, and often assists him. And right there? Already breaking the Teacher-Student fantasy mold.

Like the usual template for this fantasy would actually emphasize the power imbalance between the teacher and the student. The teacher knows everything. The teacher has the most responsibility and the most authority. If the student steps out of line, the teacher is supposed to provide discipline.

If it's not one of the saucier takes of the fantasy which revels in the taboo, the teacher-student romantic plotline usually center around overcoming that power imbalance. (exceptions of course exist)

And I think about how... if Simon was just less of a pushover, Simon and Betty would have followed the usual template for a teacher-student fantasy. And they would have been actually better off that way?

Let's go back to the part where I mentioned that a teacher-student dynamic would have emphasized the power imbalance, specifically if the student acts out, the teacher provides disciplinary measures. You know what Simon does? Not that!

Oh he started to. If he had exercised his authority better, he would have continued his lecture to Betty about leaving love letters to university staff out in the open for literally anybody to see. She left it in a book in the library!!! What if Simon didn't see it first?

And you know, the whole enforcing boundaries thing. He was radio silent for two (?) weeks after their trip, and he was willing to keep things professional. Betty leaves him one love letter and he goes running. Which in hindsight, that's actually uncharacteristic for staid, fastidious Petrikov. He makes the decision to confess the moment she confesses first. Like! Boundaries, gone. Wrist, snatched. Relationship, doomed.

Which is primarily the point in the whole Betty and Simon relationship. Simon treated her as an equal when he should have been aware that their relationship was never equal to begin with - not with the way Betty kept putting him on a pedestal. It's a matter of perspective and professionalism, yada yada blah blah.

TL;DR: Simon did not get the memo that he was in a teacher-student romance plotline. Hell, even if it was the saucier taboo take, that would still mean he was aware of the imbalance between him and Betty.

He was living a college AU, where they had a meet cute as collegues. She was in a celebrity AU, where she's a stan that managed to score a trip with her idol. They were never on the same page.

In Defense of Homura: a Comprehensive Analysis

Warning: The following has mentions of suicide. It is also a long post (~2.5k words), thus the read more, and includes linked sources. It was written under a time crunch (2hrs) at a late hour, and thus may not be fantastic, but should illustrate the point well enough.

Homura is a very controversial character in the Madoka Magica fandom. To some, she is a good person, spawning many "Homura did nothing wrong" jokes. To others, Homura is little more than an abusive, selfish character, who is primarily motivated solely by her own desires and selfish motives, to the continuous detriment of her friends. However, in this essay, I argue that, while Homura is certainly not perfect, she is far from a bad person, and major factors are at play regarding her behavior, both before and during Rebellion.

One of the first reasons someone will give for disliking Homura, even if they have never watched Rebellion, is that she is mean or abusive to those she considers her friends. Homura comes off as cold and aloof, and isn't above insulting others, even Madoka, if upset or frustrated. She is socially awkward and prone to issuing vague, creepy warnings, and generally being pretty intimidating. However, this point is ignoring several factors. For one, Homura was not always this way, and it is not her "default" state. In early timelines, Homura was a very shy girl, with low self esteem and a disability, and all but a social outcast. Her mental state was so poor that a witch was able to easily get her into it's barrier, and encourage her suicidal and self hating thoughts. When Madoka, her best friend and savior from the witch, the first girl to ever show her genuine kindness and understand, dies in a fight, Homura makes a wish. She wishes to redo her meeting with Madoka, and to become strong enough to protect her protector. Sadly, Homura continuously fails at this. She's looped almost a hundred times [1] by the time the anime timeline begins, and has, in that time, been forced to do and see horrifying things, becoming traumatized over and over again. Madoka begging her to mercy kill her to avoid the fate of becoming a witch is what pushes Homura over the edge, taking her from being a girl desperate to save all of her friends, to focusing only on Madoka — her savior. This does not mean she desires that their other friends die. She tries to prevent Mami's death by trying to get her to avoid the fight with Charlotte, and shows distress when she realizes Mami has died [2]. She tries to warn them of future events, but isn't believed, and is accused of trying to cause infighting among the group. Over the tinelines, she starts to force her friends away, acting cold towards them, to try and distance herself from feeling sad when they die. She pledges herself wholly to saving Madoka, wanting to fulfill both her wish, and the promise she made to her all those tinelines ago. She gets frustrated when Madoka puts herself in danger and snaps. She calls her friends fools. This does not mean she does not care for them, or wishes them ill. She is trying to protect herself from the pain of seeing them pass, with her helpless to save all of them.

Another common complaint, from those who have watched Rebellion, is that Homura is ignoring Madoka's wishes, and ignoring her sacrifice. However, Homura believes that Madoka dislikes the outcome of her wish — that is, becoming the Law of Cycles and losing her family, friends, and proof of her existence — as it's something Madoka herself says. Homura, at the time, has no idea that the version of Madoka who said this, while the "real" Madoka, does not possess all of her memories. But Homura takes Madoka's words at face value, now believing that she has made a mistake by "letting" Madoka make a wish that leaves her so seemingly lonely and miserable, and believes she should have stopped Madoka, somehow [3]. She blames herself, not Madoka, for Madoka's choice, seeing it as her fault that Madoka is seemingly regrets becoming the Law of Cycles. Because of this belief, Homura decides she must "save" Madoka from this fate. When Madoka, now in LoC form, comes to retrieve Homura's soul gem to keep her from becoming a witch, Homura denies herself heaven. She cannot and will not go with Madoka, not when she believes Madoka's position causes her sadness and regret, and when Kyubey is a risk. She remakes the world using her love for Madoka, and does what she believes Madoka wants. Madoka had asked Homura to keep her from ever becoming a magical girl, and she thinks Madoka had said she all but regrets her wish. Homura remakes the world, leaving Madoka human, safe from the Incubators who may try to hurt or control her, and leaves Madoka and their friends together — with characters like Kyoko and Mami in better circumstances than their real lives.

Homura is selfish. That is true, and undeniable. However, all humans have moments of selfishness, and not all selfishness is inherently bad or wrong, same as not all selflessness is good. A person who puts themself first if they're going through a difficult time may be called selfish, but that does not make their actions bad. On the opposite end, spreading oneself so thin that they cannot care for themself may be called selfless, but that does not make what they are doing good. Homura does remake the world, which could be called selfish. But in doing so, she is selfless. She has the full ability to make the other girls do whatever she wants, but she does not. She erases some memories, yes, but does not exert full control over the others. If Homura wanted, she could use mind control to make them blindly love her. Instead, Homura's "selfish world" involves making Madoka human, something Madoka had previously asked for and something Homura believes she wants, has Bebe living with Mami so she isn't lonely, and has Kyoko and Sayaka live together, which negates Kyoko being homeless and alone. Where is Homura in all of this? Homura sets herself apart from her friends, and is shown to be miserable and still some form of witch, meaning she is still actively despairing. Her familiars run around taunting her and throwing things at her, she avoids the other girls, and shows no sign of genuine happiness. Homura does not think she deserves to be happy, as shown by her witch — a nutcracker made useless by having a broken jaw, endlessly marching towards her own execution, as she is jeered at the whole time [4]. Homura says she would rather die, forever alone and suicidal, in her labyrinth than risk Madoka's safety [5]. The remade world seems to be an extension of this. Madoka is safe and human, and no longer in danger from Incubators either issuing contracts, or trying to control her due to being the Law of Cycles. Homura is in a Hell of her own making, where everyone gets to be happy but her. If Homura just gives up control of the labyrinth/remade world, Madoka will be in danger again from Kyubey. She thinks Madoka will be miserable and lonely as the Law of Cycles, forced to fight forever without rest, a fate that even Mami finds worse than death [6]. Homura cannot allow that, and thus allows herself to be tortured in an ironic Hell, denying herself access to magical girl heaven by not allowing herself to he saved.

Another belief is that Homura's world is inherently unstable. If you watch the anime series, it is proven that Madoka's was also fragile and unstable. Madoka, despite being erased from all worlds and timelines, with no record of her existence [6] is remembered — and not just by Homura. Her brother remembers her (or can see her, somehow), and her mother feels some sort of nostalgia regarding her name [7]. If this was truly a wholly perfect and stable world, nobody should be able to remember Madoka whatsoever, but traces still remain. Homura's remade world, like Madoka's, also is not without flaws. Madoka seems to regain memories of the old world and her role as the LoC at times, but this is not a wholly different phenomenon from Homura being able to remember the way the world worked before Madoka's wish.

Homura is around fourteen [8] and traumatized. That is obvious to most fans, but not something usually factored in much with regards to criticism of her actions. She is a child. As she is so young, the pre-frontal cortex of her brain isn't fully developed. Per paradigmtreatment.com, "the prefrontal cortex performs reasoning, planning, judgment, and impulse control", and "without the fully development prefrontal cortex, a teen might make poor decisions and lack the inability to discern whether a situation is safe...teens tend to experiment with risky behavior and don’t fully recognize the consequences of their choices" [9]. This area of the brain does not fully develop until one is in their 20s, though this number is not exact [10]. Homura is a middle schooler, and has severe trauma to boot, making her even more prone to so-called irrational behavior, and a less developed pre-frontal cortex than most. Per Highland Springs Clinic, "Normally, the amygdala will sense a negative emotion, such as fear, and the prefrontal cortex will rationally react to this emotion. After trauma though, this rationality might be overridden and your prefrontal cortex will have a hard time regulating fear and other emotions...[this] can make a trauma survivor constantly fearful, especially when triggered by events and situations that remind them of their past trauma" [11]. Homura is a child with deep, unaddressed issues, and thus reacts even more poorly than others her age might. Why does Homura contract? Because she saw her best friend die, and wants to protect her. Why does Homura become so cold? Years and years of trauma, from seeing said deaths. Why does Homura do irrational things, for seemingly selfish reasons? Because she is a deeply traumatized child, who has never been able to deal with said trauma. Even a "mentally healthy" magical girl will meet one of two ends — death while young, or a fate-worse-than-death as am Eldritch horror, forever suffering in their own despair, unable to recognize any good times in their life, and cursing others. That alone is enough to cause one to act in extreme, uncharacteristic ways, but it is that, topped with all Homura has seen. She has watched her friends die. She has watched her best friend become a Witch so great she can destroy the planet. That friend later erases any and all evidence of her existence besides one single ribbon, leaving Homura questioning if Madoka was even real or just a dream, as shown in Wraith Arc. Then, when Homura finds out that Madoka is, in fact, real, Madoka tells her she is lonely as the LoC, a result of her wish, and Homura finds out Kyubey intends to try and control Madoka. None of this is something that promotes rationality, especially when the person reacting is a child. Trauma affects the way the brain grows and develops, and, per Arch Academy, "children who have experienced trauma have difficulty regulating cortisol levels, resulting in difficulty distinguishing between real and perceived danger" [13]. Homura is not just a child, or just traumatized, she's a traumatized child — one who has never received help or support, and is unable to get it.

Madoka does not hate Homura. She is ultimately forgiving and merciful to all magical girls, regardless of their actions. Goddess Madoka, in Magia Record, is even shown forgiving and accepting characters who are shown to be cruel murderers (even characters that have murdered Madoka herself) in her Magia animation [14]. She goes to reach for Homura's hands in Rebellion, despite knowing every single thing Homura did in every previous timeline, yet accepts and forgives her despite it — some actions she did being cold and cruel. Madoka is not malicious, and seems to understand the circumstances the girls were part of. She is never shown to reject any magical girls, regardless of how cruel or "evil" their actions. As Madoka (as the LoC) has a job to erase witches, and observe all timelines, Madoka with all memories intact would likely be horrified — but not because she is angry at Homura, or "hates" her. Despite her claims, Homucifer is still a witch. We see her labyrinth expand to cover the whole universe in Rebellion [15]. She still has familiars around [16] — a trait only found in Witches — and in the Only You Rebellion Guidebook, her earring is said to "whisper information gathered by the Witch's minions" [17] to Homura, confirming Homucifer is indeed some form of witch. Witches spread despair, but are also in despair themselves, and becoming one is considered worse than dying. Homura dooms herself to a miserable life as a Witch, cursing herself, to do what she thinks Madoka herself wants and asked for. If one takes a VA's answers as some level of canon, Aoi Yuki, the VA of Madoka, was asked (in character) to say something to transformed Homura (Homucifer). Her response was, "No matter what form you take, Homura-chan is Homura-chan. Falling in love with someone is wonderful, so don't call yourself the devil. I love you. (I think that's what Madoka says...!!!)" [17]. Madoka is not perfect, and neither is Homura, but Madoka would not see Homura suffer and relish in it, or find it deserved.

What makes a bad person, anyway? Homura seems to embody the "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions" saying, ending up with a "bad" outcome for herself, all because she did what she thought would benefit Madoka and her friends, and follow their wishes and desires. Homura is only "evil" in the same way most teenagers, especially mentally ill ones, may call themselves "evil". She is a traumatized child with no support network, content to have her friends happy while she stays miserable, even if that means her friends, and even Madoka herself, the literal center of Homura's universe, hate her for it in the end. She is not wholly selfish, but a young teenager desperately in need of therapy. She does not deserve damnation for genuinely doing what she thinks is best, and what Madoka would have wanted. Madoka would not hate her or scorn her or refuse to even attempt to understand her actions. To imply Homura deserves to be miserable for trying to do what is right, or that Madoka will hate or be angry with Homura, is to ignore the canon idea that Madoka herself brings as the Law of Cycles — no magical girl deserves to fall in despair and become a witch, and no magical girl is beyond redemption and being forgiven. That is what her character and wish are all about. Mercy and forgiveness of any and all magical girls, regardless of their actions. Madoka may not be happy, but I certainly doubt she would hate Homura or refuse to help her for unintentionally going against her desires. This is especially true if she discovers that Homura both improved the lives of their friends, and was acting out of genuine belief that she was doing what Madoka wanted. Homura's actions had not given her pause before, and I doubt they would again. If Homura would actually accept salvation and mercy is another story, but not one to be told today. Perhaps in the future, we can get more information, and then even Homura can be truly happy.

follow me into the unknown [dev notes #1]

orig written on 05.22.24

When I started working on this chapter, it wouldn’t be written at all!

I had no idea to write from Tsugeura’s point of view, and if I told you what originally sparked the idea to think from his perspective, it would actually be a jumble of things. One of which is that I wanted to have the scene with Sakura. While the bulk of the original concept was a conversation between Tsugeura and Kiryū concerning the events of Chapter 32, I was also curious about how Sakura felt about it. I know how odd that sounds - in a fic that is supposed to be dealing with two characters with absolutely no relation to Sakura - how did he manage to get in?

Well, the reason is twofold:

How Kiryū confronted Tsugeura.

Tsugeura’s response to the confrontation.

Now, from a reader’s standpoint, do I believe Kiryū was wrong? No.

Tsugeura’s energy and his habit for getting into people’s space can be off-putting to someone who is easily overwhelmed or doesn’t like to be close to others. In this case, he wasn’t being very considerate in reading the room, especially regarding this girl who was clearly afraid of something. He was virtually a stranger to this girl who was almost abducted - a loud, pushy stranger - and seeing as she was already shaken up from her experience, it made sense that Kiryū stepped in for her. However, anyone who knows Tsugeura would know that he didn’t really mean anything by what he did. He was excited to get to know Kiryū and invited her along because she was there. It was a polite gesture, just terribly acted upon. The same way I believe Kiryū checking Tsugeura was right, only poorly executed.

Not to mention, they’re all first-years who may or may not know one another all that well.

Now, I know what you must think: Lore, get to the point. What does that have to do with Sakura?!

Allow me to drag in a couple of receipts:

Now, let’s analyze this for a second, shall we?

When Kiryū scolds Tsugeura for his thoughtless action, he focuses primarily on one aspect of Tsugeura: his appearance. The panel shows Tsugeura from a bottom right angle, where he’s essentially towering over Kiryū with his fist clenched. While he doesn’t mean to be threatening, one could consider without the dialogue and context, his intentions are to be. Now, who else has been judged based upon their appearance without regard to their true intentions or feelings?

Sakura Haruka!

While I don’t believe Sakura thought this deeply into it in canon, perhaps in FW verse - it does strike a chord with him. He doesn’t know these people, and he doesn’t know their stories, but he does know what it feels like to be judged. And while Sakura’s attempt at comforting confronting Tsugeura about how he feels in the matter was well-intentioned but also poorly executed (he’s trying), it came from a place of understanding. Tsugeura worked hard for the body that he has, but he never wanted to use it to intimidate others. Similarly, Sakura was born the way he looks but never asked for it. Why should he be judged based on that alone?

To someone who has been judged for their appearance and never once learned as an individual, Kiryū’s argument could come off as a: Think of how you appear to others and act accordingly.

Especially when Tsugeura’s response was innocently: I’m just being myself.

This excites me to explore the other half of this argument because, as I said, Tsugeura isn’t totally in the right, and Kiryū isn’t totally in the wrong. Sakura’s involvement provides a buffer between them from an outsider’s perspective, but now it’s time to resolve things between who it belongs to.

So, if you got to the end of this spiel, congratulations! I hope you enjoyed my endless yapping, and check on the next chapter titled: kiryū.

And for the love of God, will people shut up about Thomas saying that he destroyed the redemption ark, here’s what people from the show had to say in regards to Chloe.

According to Thomas Astruc on Twitter, Chloé was intially never planned to have a redemption arc and this was purely assumed by fans based on the reveal that she would use the Bee Miraculous. He added that she remains unchanged as her 'purpose of the show is to warn about the people who willingly refuse [to change]'.

Despite the improvements she displayed before the events of "Miracle Queen", Thomas states her character was being presented exactly as she was written; someone who refuses to change and can often pull others into a toxic relationship by having them focus on her potential good and overall suffering, rather than the ongoing cruelty she continued to display towards others.

Although her past explains her act like her mother leaving her as a child, it doesn't excuse the choices she made, and despite the initial changes she made about herself to make up for some of her mistakes, Chloé never saw the need to fully change herself if she continued to obtain what she wanted.

Despite the many chances others were willing to give her to change her ways, Chloé felt such change was not worth the effort if it came at the cost of her privileges.

According to Feri González, colorist for ZAG inc and the ambassador for the show in Latin America, Chloé had never changed at all during the later parts of Season 2, and the entirety of Season 3. She only wanted to be Queen Bee, not only to help others, but to get recognition, her motivations to be a hero stemmed primarily from her own selfish reasons. The series had always presented Chloé's fate and unchanged personality, the viewers simply needed to observe her character for what it was rather than what they had envisioned it to be.

Despite the few moments of good Chloé has throughout the series, Chloé will revert back to her original personality either near the end of the episode or the following to show that she is still the same person. Despite what she experiences or expresses, those moments never made her want to change who she was and are quickly left in the past the moment she knows things are once again within her favor.

Feri states Chloé's downfall was marked in "Queen Wasp; the moment she used the Bee Miraculous to endanger hundreds of lives on the train simply to make herself look good.

Feri states a miraculous is a privilege, it is not someone's right to use. Despite Ladybugs explanation, Chloé refused to understand that the power of the miraculous was not her right to use and had determined it was a privilege Ladybug had wrongfully taken from her.

Although Chloé was quick to resist Hawkmoths control in "Miraculer", her willingness to resist did not stem from her need to be good, but rather from her belief that Ladybug would still provide her the power of the bee miraculous, a power she now felt she was entitled to.

YES !! A HUNDRED TIME YES !!!

THANK YOU DEAR FELLOW INTELLIGENT ML !!

How come the numerous ML fans cannot just accept Chloé as an antagonist who was given the chance to change and become a hero, and who was made to refuse and remain an antagonist for narrative purposes in the end ? Just because Chloé didn't chose the road for redemption doesn't mean it ruined her character.

Chloé may have want to become an heroin at some point, but once she realized that she would not get everything that she selfishly wanted by following this path, she reverted back to her wicked and evil antics.

"I go soft when I became Queen Bee", Chloé said to Zoé in Sole Crusher when she admitted that she had perfect pain relief in Marinette and hasn't taken advantage of it for a long time and so decided to mock Marinette and insult her in order to "teach" Zoé how to take advantage of a sufferer. This showed that for Chloe, making others suffer for her own pleasure remained more important to her than becoming better and acting heroically even if it meant no longer having the bee miraculous. At least the rest of her classmates did their best to act heroically without the help of their miraculous, where Chloe only complained about no longer having the privilege of a magical jewel.

Remember ML fans : "Despite the many chances others were willing to give her to change her ways, Chloé felt such change was not worth the effort if it came at the cost of her privileges."

I also think that Chloé's character was made to perfeclty illustrate what Marinette said to Adrien in Revelation "sometimes the good we see in others is just a reflection of our own, and we ends up being fooled by our own kindness"

Adrien and Marinette both thought there was good in Chloé, and there may have been something good that Ladybug and Chat Noir tried to bring out by giving Chloé a miraculous. But was that little spark of goodness in Chloé really significant or just an illusion since the only thing she needed she to revert back to her antagonism was to no longer have access to the bee miraculous ? While both Marinette and Adrien don't need to have a miraculous to act heroically and be good people ? In the end only Ladybug and Chat Noir's kindness stood up when they tried to help Chloé becoming a better person, but Chloé didn't live up to the faith they put in her

In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

character development questions: hard mode, accepting!  ༄

can i give you a list KCHBK cj's childhood was a constant state of fear, which combats how fearless she acts and is, genuinely, in some regards. harry's physical bearing and harriet's emotional bearing left cj with so much to feel worried, scared, and out of control with. kids are by nature resilient, obviously, which is why she's so. Cj. but every time something good happened, something horrible was quick to follow.

the hook still scares her. it always has. she learned to fear it through the part it played in primarily harry's physical abuse. while she and harriet received their own, harry often purposefully took the physical punishment for his sisters, and both harry and harriet worked together to keep hook away from cj at nearly all costs. they did not succeed completely, partly because of cj's own efforts to find a way into her father's life, but they protected her from so much more than she could ever understand. when cj was young, she was incredibly dependent on the two of them, even while she fought them when they tried to take care of her basic needs (eating, sleeping, keeping safe). her rejection had nothing to do with the love she had for them, and the love was so much easier for her when she was younger. so anytime they were hurt, it was the end of the world. there was no complexity to it, it was just fear.

a core moment involving the hook is when cj first experiences their father 'hooking' someone brutally and to the end of their life from a hiding spot when she was about 2. she did not understand it fully, but she saw and heard the pain, and her father, and the hook. then, every injury became the same picture in her head, regardless if it was because of their father or not. cj became inconsolable anytime she saw the hook, as she automatically associated it with the end of a life or what she interpreted the quiet of the victim to be. she would have to be physically removed from her siblings when they were hurt from how she would sob, scream, and cling to them. even if they wanted to be with her, it would be impossible with the closeness and comfort that she needed to feel secure. every moment after involving the hook only instills the fear further with more intensity. it makes harry having a hook of his own an entire fucked up can of worms. it still scares her. her brother is not a monster, he's her brother. but the hook is a monster, their father is a monster, and the hook is a part of him.

but her memories of her childhood are so fuzzy, and are a lot less separate than long moments and memories. she remembers more the hook and what it means, but not why it means that.

the clearest memory and what she would probably name as the most afraid she's ever been is when harry came for her after the barrier's fall. she truly thought he was going to kill her. even as he held her, and showed genuine relief, she did not believe for a moment that death would not be what was next. for at least a week after seeing him and harriet, she refused to sleep or leave freddie because she believed they both would come for her if she did or let her guard down for even a moment.

potentially also before she left, but i think she was so impulsive with her plan to leave she made it past the fear. she planned to fake her death whether or not she could get off of the isle, she believed she had no other choice.

another moment due to recent plotting: when the barrier first fell and harriet's fae nature rapidly caught up with her due to the lack of magic on the isle, she fell extremely ill to the point where no one knew she would survive. freddie and cj were so far beyond even auradon at that point that they had no idea until freddie and her father began communicating (magic, somehow, idk) and he told them. freddie helped cj project a hologram of sorts to visit her sister that they believed to be dying. it was invisible to harry, but cj watched in terror as harry stood by her as harriet layed on what they both believed to be her death bed. when harry left the room to get something, cj crept closer and impulsively reached for harriet's hair, a habit she's had since she was little. the physical contact broke freddie's spell, and cj was snapped back to her physical body. it broke her, she had the most intense panic attack she's ever had, and the week that followed before they heard word that harriet was alive and okay was horrible. this is definitely very notable in the running for The Most Scared moments.

I watched a very interesting video on yt a few months ago, talking about purity culture and the concept of sin in christianity and how and why it perpetuates a cult of abuse

[cw: some talk of non-con in fiction, some talk of csa but nothing graphic, explicit homophobic rhetoric as used against other people, fandom discourse in general, also this post is long]

obviously this isn't all christians, and it applies to more than JUST christians unfortunately, but since I kicked open the door to talk about why people insist izzy is manipulative and strip ed of his agency, I thought I'd talk about what I learned from this video in regards to fandom puritans and their behaviors

the basics of the cultish christian ideaology is that thinking about sin is the same thing as acting on those thoughts. if you see someone walk past and you're like, "eheh hot," then you've already committed the sin, which leaves a lot of people thinking "well, if thinking she's hot is already the sin, then i might as well fuck her"

(this is also one of the reasons why csa is so prevalent in these circles, this ideology says that thinking about something is the same as doing it, so they might as well just indulge those thoughts, no?)

when you chew on that a little, the fandom puritans really start to make sense in their own twisted ways!

I remember years ago I heard of the term 'culturally christian' and it dinged something in my brain. a lot of us aren't christian. i wasn't raised going to church or believing in god or any of that, but i was raised in a primarily christian country (although less so these days, afaik, than the US) and so i enjoy christmas and a lot of christian beliefs have been perpetuated into my psyche by the cultural norms

my dad, a raging athiest, talks about our pets going to heaven. my mom says, "oh, bless her!" as a sweet way of saying how cute something is. i say "bless you" when someone sneezes, because it's polite. cultural christianity.

in the US, from what I can tell, the culture is even more heavily steeped in christianity, which is why people who are, much like my dad, raging athiests, or who think christianity is a crock or think god is a stupid concept, parrot christian rhetoric

because they weren't taught it as christian rhetoric. they were taught it as just... the right thing.

so, following this ideology, thinking is the same as doing. that means fantasising is the same as doing, too, and watching, and reading, and writing are all balled up under that same

if you dare to enjoy a problematic character who does things like feeding people's toes to them, then you are committing the same sins crimes he is. fictional csa or incest or whatever is the exact same as real csa, incest etc, not because of those being hurt but because someone is doing the thing by thinking about it.

it's the same reason why the culture of telling girls and women to cover up exists. if a man sees them and goes, "hubba hubba" in the privacy of his own brain, he's sinned. thusly, the girl in question (even if she's a fucking twelve year old) has led that man to sin.

there's also a discussion in those videos about how asking about how far is too far in regards to premarital sex is treated as "trying to find the line" and those questions should never be indulged, implying that saying "hey, does holding hands count as a sin?" is a forbidden question because if you can hold hands you might just - gasp - move on to kissing each other on the cheek! instead of the truth of it, which is that if someone says, "Can we hold hands?" they're asking that, not asking to bump up against a fake purity line and accidentally tumble over it

not giving these things any kind of qualification or boundaries is absolutely toxic, and you see it perpetuated through fandom purity warriors the same: you can't ship this thing but i won't tell you why. you're shipping? well, you're bad because it's pedophilia. you're bad because it's racist. you're bad because it's abusive. why is it those things? well, i'm not going to tell you that, i shouldn't have to, you should be able to see it yourself :/

Also, the culture of boundaries being Wrong and an implied plan to flout those boundaries is just... ridiculous

So because thoughts = reality for these people, they assume that everyone agrees with them. because they don't realize what they're parroting is christian rhetoric, and so they believe it's just 'what normal people think' (which, no)

they don't realize how heavily steeped in christian 'sinner' culture it is, or how it trickles down to anti-queer rhetoric of every queer person being a groomer and how talking about sex in a space that might possibly at one time have included a child maybe if you squinted is grooming and bad and toxic

it's also the whole 'children are innocent of sin so we have to keep them that way' thing, because if even thinking about sex or anything even close to sex (such as the anatomical correct name for their body parts so they can talk about abuse if they receive it, or the basics of consent and such) then they are sinning, and sinning is bad because you'll go to hell and that's bad too because obviously it's real and a place you can get sent to for knowing a cookie as it's real name of vagina

i think also there's an element of... priests and such are Allowed to discuss (and thusly think about) sin. they're allowed to listen to someone talk about that hot girl they thought about, they're allowed to think about sin in their community in order to fight it or whatever. the idea that they have Permission because they are Professional Sin Thinkers i think is perpetuated down into fandom purity culture because of how they treat fanartists and fanfiction writers and so on.

david jenkins, for example, is super okay for writing izzy and ed and pirates who enjoy torture and maiming and even for the 1x10 toe scene! but if a fanfiction writer writes those things, they're Committing Thought Crimes because they dont have Permission

and similar to how a priest can preach about sin and that make it okay for you to think about, if someone produces a show that includes Bad Things, it's okay to watch it, as long as you're thinking critically about sin the subject matter, and even moreso if you're being taught not to commit those sins do those things via aesops

I think they've internalized the idea of some people having an innate License To Think Of Sinful Things, though they do tend to yank that license back whenever they find out the person holding the license is queer

which is likely yet more recycled rhetoric because of the whole slippery slope, queers can't be trusted, queers are grooming our children rhetoric that gets passed around. they're indoctrinated into instinctively not trusting queers, especially older queers and especially older queers who are not pure about their queerness

it's also hysterical to think about what they instinctively believe gives someone 'permission' to write Bad things? it's capitalism. it's... it's literally capitalism lmao!!!

if i write a kinky non-con fic and shove it on AO3 for 100 people to read for free, i have committed a crime and should be shanked for it

if george r r martin writes a kinky non-con scene and sells it within his books for $9.99 on amazon, then he's a Professional and is allowed to do such a thing

(until they decide he isn't, usually due to some arbitrary thing like he said someone was hot (thusly sexualizing them) or that he supports proshipping or something like what happened with bryan fuller, who is a queer man (of an age that means he lived through the AIDS crisis, no less, i believe) who commented on his-- is it a headcanon? word of god? word of god that hannibal excretes a lot of precome (lmao) so could fuck will raw and was immediately told by fandom puritians (how they exist in that fandom I will never know) that he should die, be killed, be gay bashed, be beaten to death with rocks, die of AIDS, whatever else horrible shit they came up with. they've also taken issue with him retweeting/enjoying explicit fanart because "it's creepy sexualizing them they're your coworkers" as though mads mikkelson hasn't said he reads pornfic)

i think this is also why they genuinely believe that looking over at someone and going, "dang, you're fine," in your own head is sexualizing them and bad, as though sexual attraction isn't a normal thing that most humans experience every day

I don't remember which Belief It or Not video it was that I learned about the sin thing, and honestly it might have been different chunks of all three of these, but it was probably one or more of Purity Culture is Rad-ically Dangerous, The Thing About Modesty or The Problem With Sin, all of which are excellent video essays by an ex-Christian, talking about his experiences within the church, and I highly recommend them if you're interested in these topics because they are fascinating and he presents them really well.

anyway, these are just things i've been thinking about for a while, so i thought i'd throw these somewhat joined-together thoughts out there for y'all to mull on or chat to me about if you so desire.

tl;dr: think critically about the rhetoric you're parroting, it might not be what you believe it to be

ETA: I've been corrected that priests are catholic and catholisism is like, "everyone sins all the time" whereas protestantism is like "remain as pure as the driven snow" by @three--rings who has actual lived experience with Christianity. This doesn't really change my point, but I wanted to say that my comments about priests should be read more as 'religious leaders' than an actual priest because of it lmao thanks for the educaiton three--rings! Also, that it wasn't a cultural thing until recently, it's a specific kind of christianity that's taken root in the US. You can see their additions in the replies if you're curious about more context!

What do you think the moral implications for raising an clone of your significant other are? I'm trying to write a fanfic (and no it's not timkon. This time.)

When I say clone I mean not like Kon is a clone of Clark or Thad is a clone of Bart clone but like. An actual clone no one else's dna mixed in.

i love that you specify its not timkon because yeah that WAS where my brain first went, LMAO. i personally don't really look into all the clone baby AUs but i know they're out there

Anyways, honestly, I feel like it's not... too different from just raising an ordinary child of your s/o? Because I mean yes obviously a clone is going to be genetically the same as the s/o thus would have more in common with them than a regular child/composite clone in several ways... But in a lot of media that involves cloning, I think it's shown more often than not that lived experiences and how a person/clone is raised plays a role in who they are (especially like, for a clone that comes out as a child that then grows up rather than being rapid aged to adulthood). Like, even as a clone, unless their mind is re-written over with the exact memories and experiences that the original person had, they're likely going to have a level of variance and individuality. So really, in a story the act of 'raising a clone of your s/o' on it's own doesn't particularly raise any moral red flags to me, personally. It's just kinda... a funky alternative way to end up a parent.

BUT there are like... some follow-up questions I'd have which uh, matter in terms of moral implications. Primarily regarding how the clone came to be.

Like, I think it'd be fucked up to clone your s/o without their permission if they're alive—it just feels like a huge violation of personal autonomy. (If they're dead and it's like a tim drake style last ditch attempt to bring someone back to life in some way that's a little different, but also definitely still falls into a morally grey 'is this really what you want? is this what they would want?' space). But if it's more 'somebody else did this/this was not done on purpose, but now there's a clone baby and somebody's gotta take care of it, this clone is of my s/o so i feel like this is my/our responsibility' that seems... reasonable enough.

idk i feel i'd need more specifics on the situation to get more in depth on thoughts about it, but i think in a lot of situations i feel pretty... morally neutral about it 🤷‍♂️

ty tumblr for deleting one of my blogs for no reason but i was able to find the text

THIS SCENE WITH RIN IS. SOOOOOO FUCKING FRUSTRATING BC ITS CLEAR WHAT THEY -MEANT- TO DO BUT BOTCHED IT HORRIBLY

i’m copying and pasting this but

so i think this is like. Rin’s second most controversial scene in this entire anime. literally only episode 15 and the fandom war that followed that’s STILL raging to this day can possibly compare, but holy shit nothing else Rin does makes as much discourse as this scene because this one has both people who hate sessrin and people who love sessrin coming togethee to say “hey what the fuck-”

this is such a weird scene because i feel like. it is simultaneously misunderstood while also really deservedly called out on how it makes Rin look almost borderline sociopathic regarding the fact she’s talking to her kids about the fact things are literally always gonna kill them and i feel like this is a great example of “there are almost two separate characters named Rin in this show” and this one is endemic of like, a kid that never grew up, the one I don’t really like.

so it’s like this

i UNDERSTAND what this scene is meant to convey. that she’s not afraid because she knows her kids are always gonna come out on top.

the fact is: being Towa and Setsuna kinda sucks and it’s always gonna kinda suck even if things are better now. i’ve talked about how much i LOVE when Jakan refers to them as “Rin’s daughters” and not “Sesshomaru’s daughters,” but the fact is to the world at large outside of their social circles- until they build up their own legends properly, they’ll always primarily be “Someone’s” daughters, and more specifically “Sesshomaru’s daughters.”

there’s always gonna be an entire conga line of pissant demons that are gonna wanna take a shot at them for the sole reason that it’ll give them clout. in Final Act Jaken noted that a lot of demons wanted to take on Sesshomaru when he had no sword because even though he was in a severely weakened state with no weapon it’d STILL give them recognition if they killed him. killing his kids give them clout in some capacity. and even if they weren’t his kids, they’re still hanyou- free game to kill for fun and laughs.

so this scene. like.

the intent to me is clearly that she’s this relaxed because she knows there’s nothing they can’t overcome. there’s no need for Rin to be afraid or show fear because they’ll be safe. i truly believe that’s what this scene is meant to convey- laughing at the very concept that Towa and Setsuna can’t overcome an enemy that would challenge them- they’re their fathers kids, her beautiful and beloved children who along with moroha literally saved the entire world twice, once in the modern era and now in the sengoku jidai.

so this scene is mean to be her laughing it off and showing joy despite the macabre subject matter. i totally get it, and i think because of that, i’m less harsh on this scene than some others are. but also. 

JESUS CHRIST, RIN

look at her! she looks like she’s a cheerleader at an event or something! it looks joyful! if i was Towa i’d be fucking disturbed beyond words!!! like hey, you just saved the world twice, you had to have a tearful and sad goodbye with your adoptive family maybe forever- and THIS is how your mom talks about things always trying to kill you!? i’d probably ask Moroha, Kagome, and Inuyasha if I could crash at their place for a few days while trying to figure out what the FUCK is my mom’s deal!

“hey moroha uh. my mom kinda… cheered and laughed when talking about things wanting to kill me? think i can like. crash here for a few days or something? think the old guy who gives you bounties would let me stay at his place a few days if i agree to do some work for him?”

like. here’s how i think it should’ve been. and i’m just one western fan with no stakes in anything but like… i kind of imagine something that would’ve been significantly less controversial would’ve been her still smiling at the beginning when giving them gifts, and then her expression getting more serious when talking about the unpleasant stuff, like this:

and putting on like, a serious face about it. because yeah, it sucks. they can’t JUST live in peace. there’s always gonna be these assholes that are always gonna try to kill them. just because the most dangerous conflict (God willing) in Kirinmaru and the Grim Comet has ended doesn’t mean there won’t be danger- they’re going to be in danger for literally the rest of their lives, and she gets serious when talking about that to her only kids…

… but they’re both gonna be ok. she smiles again when expressing that. we’re not gonna pretend it doesn’t fucking suck. but they’re always gonna be ok. she has nothing less than complete confidence that they’re always gonna rise above and against everything that tries to harm them. she’s not fucking borderline cheering about it, but she has so much confidence in that, it’s not an opinion to her, it’s a fact.

so she smiles not only knowing her kids are OK, they’re gonna be OK even if things does, but to assure them that they’ll always be ok in the end. at most, there’s a little laugh at it all- “You really are your father’s children, you know? You inherited his power… you’ll be OK no matter what!”

and i feel like that would’ve conveyed what this scene was TRYING To do while also not making Rin seem borderline sociopathic about this fact and treating it like a game little kids are playing or a complete and absolute disregard for her children’s safety just so she can gush about her husband, the husband that Towa literally JUST confided in with her mother that she kind of. resents him a bit for not helping them out (WHICH IF THERE’S A CONTINUATION I WANNA SEE HAPPEN MORE)

i get this scene. i really do. so i’m not as hard on it as others are. but also holy fuck what the FUCK was the animation and voice acting direction with this scene? what the fuck? it would’ve been EASY to make it better!

thank god i found the text its just. SO frustrating bc i LOVE Yashahime, i love Rin so much i don’t CARE what anyone says or even if it’s not that great or anything, its just. i feel like there was a big intent in this scene, but holy shit it was so. bad. it’s executed SO BAD and i can’t get over it

(ALSO ANYONE THAT SAYS TOWA DOESN’T HAVE A RIGHT TO BE KINDA RESENTFUL AT SESSHOMARU CAN FIGHT ME)

The best way to regard socionics is not as a test of the consistency or fallibility of others, but as a test of its own reliability as theory.

Certain aspects of socionics may prove difficult for any critical mind to incorporate. Yet the core premises are surprisingly acceptable:

[P1] Individuals develop ways of thinking which can be diverged from, yet most thoughts are patterned. Pattern formation happens relatively early in child development and modalities vary between individuals. [R1] --Yes, this is not only supported by empirical evidence but adheres to principles of energetics, namely that an inefficient system, particularly this 're-examining the wheel' which becomes necessary in philosophical pursuits [and can lead to marvellous Rube Goldberg machines], does not spontaneously emerge.

[P2] Few types will be generated, and these will be related to broader social functions. [R2]--I've used this metaphor before: similar to wagons travelling over thick clay, most wheels will not create new ruts, but follow those tracks already made through the clay. Once 'in the groove' if you will, the system would have to travel uphill at least momentarily to leave the rut, and is unlikely to do so unless it becomes necessary to change course, for reasons of energetics described in R1. As more wheel-ruts are cut through the clay, diverting the wagon so it follows its own track becomes increasingly difficult -- as it's odds-on, unless the wheels are simply trying to carve an independent path instead of primarily trying to move forwards (again defying principles of energetics) that they will intersect with an existing rut at some point, after which they must accelerate against gravity to stop following the pre-formed trajectory. So at the top of the hill (childhood) one would see a chaos of criss-crossed grooves, but as one descended the declivity (youth and adulthood) the lines would probably decrease in number. Now having designed a physical system I wish to prove it with simulation... Can someone who isn't me please explain human pack mentality & why precisely this metaphor of wagon-ruts is so apt

[P3] Despite adhering to tested behavioural and cognitive patterns most of the time, human minds contain an inextinguishable modicum of natural variance, such that all individuals could to a certain degree act 'not themselves' [R3] Humans can act in ways which seem random, not always due to error/ poor reasoning. In systems theory, the flexible system is more robust As this provision simply widens the set, there doesn't appear to be any reasoning such that P3 makes the other two premises less likely. In the R2 metaphor, this would mean, despite the relative paucity of wagon-ruts, there would be a few sketchy lines where a single path diverged from the group. This does create a bit of a problem for socionics, because, if we call the set of archetypes (deep ruts) 'n', then at the trickier parts in the slope, the set will have a variable amount added, n+m. For real nonnegative 'm', n+m > n.

[P4] Once general patterns are established and shared between many individuals, relationships will also emerge between patterns. [R4] Incontestible that relationships will emerge, but it's not clear that relationships form between patterns as opposed to individuals. To wit, the means by which a person who typically employs a specific thought pattern should necessarily recognise, like, or appreciate similar thought patterns c.f. others in its category must be explained. (To illustrate using latin not greek alphabet, person in category A who appreciates category X does not guarantee another person in category A should appreciate category X. Interpersonal dynamics are overdetermined... or are they? Are modalities themselves compatible, or does personal history generate a stronger impetus to connection?

Finally, outliers affect analyses of all real human categories. If you met a true maverick, an original thinker--the real McCoy etc., do you suppose that person's brain would be bound by conventional rules? It seems unlikely.

In the wagon-rut metaphor, the maverick describes the trajectory of a rocket-powered wagon.

[C1] Therefore, {socionics: broadly or widely inclusive} is far more likely than {socionics: exhaustive}.

ok so one person here showed sentiment in me Going On About This and like two people on discord i showed did too and i found a gif so i’ll go Talk About That Scene so LIKE (also i’m not pulling up the episode right now so let me know if i mix up a fact).

so i think this is like. Rin’s second most controversial scene in this entire anime. literally only episode 15 and the fandom war that followed that’s STILL raging to this day can possibly compare, but holy shit nothing else Rin does makes as much discourse as this scene because this one has both people who hate sessrin and people who love sessrin coming togethee to say “hey what the fuck-”

this is such a weird scene because i feel like. it is simultaneously misunderstood while also really deservedly called out on how it makes Rin look almost borderline sociopathic regarding the fact she’s talking to her kids about the fact things are literally always gonna kill them and i feel like this is a great example of “there are almost two separate characters named Rin in this show” and this one is endemic of like, a kid that never grew up, the one I don’t really like.

so it’s like this

i UNDERSTAND what this scene is meant to convey. that she’s not afraid because she knows her kids are always gonna come out on top.

the fact is: being Towa and Setsuna kinda sucks and it’s always gonna kinda suck even if things are better now. i’ve talked about how much i LOVE when Jakan refers to them as “Rin’s daughters” and not “Sesshomaru’s daughters,” but the fact is to the world at large outside of their social circles- until they build up their own legends properly, they’ll always primarily be “Someone’s” daughters, and more specifically “Sesshomaru’s daughters.”

there’s always gonna be an entire conga line of pissant demons that are gonna wanna take a shot at them for the sole reason that it’ll give them clout. in Final Act Jaken noted that a lot of demons wanted to take on Sesshomaru when he had no sword because even though he was in a severely weakened state with no weapon it’d STILL give them recognition if they killed him. killing his kids give them clout in some capacity. and even if they weren’t his kids, they’re still hanyou- free game to kill for fun and laughs.

so this scene. like.

the intent to me is clearly that she’s this relaxed because she knows there’s nothing they can’t overcome. there’s no need for Rin to be afraid or show fear because they’ll be safe. i truly believe that’s what this scene is meant to convey- laughing at the very concept that Towa and Setsuna can’t overcome an enemy that would challenge them- they’re their fathers kids, her beautiful and beloved children who along with moroha literally saved the entire world, once in the modern era and now in the sengoku jidai.

so this scene is mean to be her laughing it off and showing joy despite the macabre subject matter. i totally get it, and i think because of that, i’m less harsh on this scene than some others are. but also.

JESUS CHRIST, RIN

look at her! she looks like she’s a cheerleader at an event or something! it looks joyful! if i was Towa i’d be fucking disturbed beyond words!!! like hey, you just saved the world twice, you had to have a tearful and sad goodbye with your adoptive family maybe forever- and THIS is how your mom talks about things always trying to kill you!? i’d probably ask Moroha, Kagome, and Inuyasha if I could crash at their place for a few days while trying to figure out what the FUCK is my mom’s deal!

“hey moroha uh. my mom kinda... cheered and laughed when talking about things wanting to kill me? think i can like. crash here for a few days or something? think the old guy who gives you bounties would let me stay at his place a few days if i agree to do some work for him?”

like. here’s how i think it should’ve been. and i’m just one western fan with no stakes in anything but like... i kind of imagine something that would’ve been significantly less controversial would’ve been her still smiling at the beginning when giving them gifts, and then her expression getting more serious when talking about the unpleasant stuff, like this:

and putting on like, a serious face about it. because yeah, it sucks. they can’t JUST live in peace. there’s always gonna be these assholes that are always gonna try to kill them. just because the most dangerous conflict (God willing) in Kirinmaru and the Grim Comet has ended doesn’t mean there won’t be danger- they’re going to be in danger for literally the rest of their lives, and she gets serious when talking about that to her only kids...

... but they’re both gonna be ok. she smiles again when expressing that. we’re not gonna pretend it doesn’t fucking suck. but they’re always gonna be ok. she has nothing less than complete confidence that they’re always gonna rise above and against everything that tries to harm them. she’s not fucking borderline cheering about it, but she has so much confidence in that, it’s not an opinion to her, it’s a fact.

so she smiles not only knowing her kids are OK, they’re gonna be OK even if things does, but to assure them that they’ll always be ok in the end. at most, there’s a little laugh at it all- “You really are your father’s children, you know? You inherited his power... you’ll be OK no matter what!”

and i feel like that would’ve conveyed what this scene was TRYING To do while also not making Rin seem borderline sociopathic about this fact and treating it like a game little kids are playing or a complete and absolute disregard for her children’s safety just so she can gush about her husband, the husband that Towa literally JUST confided in with her mother that she kind of. resents him a bit for not helping them out (WHICH IF THERE’S A CONTINUATION I WANNA SEE HAPPEN MORE)

i get this scene. i really do. so i’m not as hard on it as others are. but also holy fuck what the FUCK was the animation and voice acting direction with this scene? what the fuck? it would’ve been EASY to make it better!

  .ೃ࿐  𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 …

#𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 ───  independent , HEADCANON BASED (w/ renjisei ), semi-selective role play blog for 𝐃𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐆 from hoyovers' game 𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐊𝐀𝐈 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐋 adored by moogie. 

❝ … my interpretation of him is primarily from my own headcanons, speculations, and interpretation of the character. as the game slowly progresses i will incorporate newly released information into my characterization. i am also semi-selective  —  which means that I will only interact with you if we follow each other. if i don’t follow you back within a week, you’re welcome to unfollow as it means I do not see our writing meshing or you are simply not a roleplay blog.  ❞

   ... 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝, 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 … 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞.

  𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 ✧ 𝐧𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✧ 𝟐𝟎+ ✧ 𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲.✧ 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 . 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐝. tba ✧ 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡; ❰ confluxium  | havfayth | renjisei ❱ .

(will update in carrd) ( icon border and divider is made by toskasrph)

002. DISCLAIMERS. dark and sexual themes may be present in this account, so follow at your own discretion.

003. SHIPPING. this blog is 𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗆𝗎𝗅𝗍𝗂𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉, meaning that it is possible for my muse to be in any sort of relationship with another muse; however, i don’t want to just jump into shipping, either. i require that there be at least some sort of interactions between both the muses and the muns before we ship, it just feels right and a lot more comfortable for me. furthermore, each ship will be in a separate verse unless specified.

*note: i am also willing to become exclusives if asked/discussed with me first.

004. MUSES. do not hold your muse back. please, if your muse wants to do something, do it! too many times i have observed people with strong muses hold their muse back, or downgrade the character’s abilities to suit another, please don’t do it with me. my muse may not be as strong as yours, it doesn’t mean i will stop him from doing things. i expect the same from you. act the same way as your muse would anyone else in their own series. never hold them back.

005. DRAMA. don’t involve me in your drama. it’s that simple. unless the person is dangerous, i'm not going to put someone down just because you and your group of friends don't like them.

note: if i see it on my dash, i’ll ignore it, i will only unfollow you, if you attempt to involve me in it. if you have an issue with me, talk to me. we can discuss it like grown ups.

006. NSFW. i am very much OK with rping nsfw themes! nsfw isn’t just smut, but it’s also anything like extreme violence, gore, or any other rather dark topic. that being said, i am 26 years old, so i expect my partner to be of legal age as well before diving into anything nsfw related; doesn’t matter if it be gore, violence, etc. if you are not of legal age, i will not roleplay these themes with you.

007. DON’T FOLLOW IF. you’re transphobic, racist, homophobic, a pedophile or any disgusting shit related to any of that. there is no exception to these rule: if i find that you are any of the following, i will block you.

008. PLOTTING. i normally prefer winging things over plotting, in all honesty. but, if you do wish to plot, I’m not against it! I’m not exactly the best at it, though. to add to this, if you are a mutual, you have my explicit permission to send me random starters if you ever wish to. i love surprises!

009. SMALL NOTES. with all due respect, i'm not sending in passwords. i have read your rules, i use common sense.

so with all my heart, i'm gonna love; with all my heart, i'm gonna trust.

DISCLAIMER.

This verse is incredibly malleable and assumed when interacting with canon Warriors of Light. ( meaning any WOLs that primarily follow the MSQ &&. make their characters an official Warrior of Light. ) By the end of Endwalker, she is twenty-nine. 

Though this doesn't detail everything Rilha does as a scion in the MSQ, it details the main events that happen. Her "story arc" so to say happens in Stormblood, when she returns to Kugane and confronts her family.

while i have a verse tag for this, it will mainly be for headcanons and not in character posts.

cw , spoilers for all of the expansions.

BEFORE A REALM REBORN.

Rilha’s story follows the same in the beginning, except it happens pre-A Realm Reborn. A year before the events of A Realm Reborn take place, Rilha is outcast from her home in Kugane, given only her mother’s staff, Tishtrya, to defend herself as she sets sail for Gridania. Being taken in by the Conjurer’s guild, she harnesses her skills as a white mage, and due to her talent she’s scouted out by Yda and Papalymo. Having nowhere else to go, she agrees to join the Scions of the Seventh Dawn as a healer.

Rilha grows to see Minfilia as a sister, becoming close with her as they work together. Minfilia is the first to empathize with Rilha’s situation, claiming that there shouldn’t be consequences for loving too much. Along with Papalymo and Yda, Rilha is stationed in the Black Shroud to stay close to the Conjurer’s guild.

A REALM REBORN.

After the Scions find the Warrior of Light, someone who possesses the echo like Minfilia, Rilha is eager to accept a new member into the efforts. She assists the best she can into helping the Warrior of Light defeat primals, acting as a healer on the sidelines for them. When Alphinaud suggests forming the Crystal Braves, Rilha is hesitant to the idea, and keeps an eye on him closely. During the dinner in which Nanamo ul Namo is assassinated, Rilha escapes Ul’dah with Alphinaud, Tataru and the Warrior of Light, seeking shelter in Ishgard.

HEAVENSWARD.

Upon entering Ishgard, Rilha takes the time to learn the ways of an astrologian. As the Warrior of Light goes to seek compromise with the dragons in the Dragonsong War, she enlists in the war efforts as a healer, staying behind the frontlines and acting as a medic to the injured. Rilha checks in with the Warrior of Light as frequently as she can, slowly learning the cause of the war. Learning of the plan to slay Nidhogg, Rilha is incredibly worried about her companion’s safety, but is only able to watch. Relieved when it’s over, she celebrates with the rest of Ishgard, before continuing the journey of finding their lost friends. After the Dragonsong War, she cut her hair to a shorter length.

STORMBLOOD.

As Yda is revealed to be Lyse, and the Scions embark to Ala Mhigo, Rilha aids in the war effort once more, acting as the primary healer during the attack on Rhalgr’s Reach. When it’s decided that they should journey to Othard and the Far East, Rilha is visibly nervous, but begs to journey alongside them. Though the thought of returning home scared her, she knows she must confront her past. Arriving home in Kugane, Rilha arrives to see her parents waiting for her at the tower alongside Hancock. As the Warrior of Light and the others follow Hancock, Rilha stays behind to finally face her parents and issue some overdue apologies.

Catching up with the others, Rilha appears anxious, but insists that she’s ready to confront Doma. However, the other Scions agree she should take some time for herself after hearing her story regarding her parents. Staying behind in the city with Alphinaud and Tataru, Rilha takes it as a break to reunite with her family and catch up with them briefly, before she departs Kugane. She meets up with the others in Yanxia, more prepared to aid in freeing Doma, and subsequently Ala Mhigo.

SHADOWBRINGERS.

Rilha is one of the first to fall victim to the mysterious illness that plagues the Scions, immediately after Thancred, but before Y’shtola and Urianger. Being brought to the Crystarium, Rilha is informed by the Exarch that she was not his intended summon, but explained the situation to her regardless. Hearing the story, she agrees to stay in the Crystarium and help the efforts in the city by being a medic. Her expertise brings her all across Norvrandt in the next few years she stays there, all whilst grappling with the crippling loneliness of missing her home. 

When the Warrior finally arrives to the First, Rilha is rumoured to be somewhere in Kholusia, leading the Warrior of Light to find her in Eulmore. Having originally been with Alphinaud investigating the city, Rilha had been given access to the city as a dancer, hoping to uncover what was going on. She warns the two that nothing is as it seems, and together they discover the truth to Eulmore, but flee before getting persecuted. Rilha follows the Warrior of Light through the rest of the expansion.

ENDWALKER.

As Zenos and Fandaniel threaten the final days, Rilha joins the Scions as they venture to Old Sharlayan. She follows the Warrior of Light through Thavnair and into Garlemald, where she reunites with her Heavensward attire due to the cold. Aiding in the attack on the Tower of Babil, Rilha is distraught as the Warrior is sent to the moon, but agrees to stay behind and let the others go up. 

When they receive a request for aid in Thavnair, Rilha attempts to help Radz-at-Han, but no amount of magic spells could heal the blasphemies. Instead, she takes on a sort of therapist role, attempting to calm the panic throughout the city. When the Scions devise that the Warrior of Light go to the First to commune with Elidibus, Rilha is hesitant to be separated once more. She stays behind in Thavnair, helping the efforts against the Final Days, trying to avoid worrying when time marches on without the Warrior returning.

After the Warrior returns, Rilha ventures down into the Aetherial Sea with the Scions, coming face to face with Hydaelyn. After they succeed in Hydaelyn’s trial proving their strength, the Scions work on the final preparations to journey to Ultima Thule. Once there, Rilha follows the Warrior of Light until the very end, before she sacrifices herself, trusting that the Warrior will succeed in saving the world. When resummoned, she begs the Warrior to not send her back to the ship, but ends up there anyways. Rilha does her best to aid the Warrior in their fight against Endsinger from the Ragnorak.

As the crisis is averted and the Scions part ways, Rilha helps in the restoration efforts around Etheirys, awaiting a call from the Warrior of Light for their next adventure.

verse tag.

on one hand take all my rants with a grain of salt because i'm only partially serious in my delivery but i very much do hold those opinions. specifically the ones about social media and this tumblr vs everyone else bullshit i keep seeing. you are not immune to algorithms, but many of you clearly are incapable of using them and it shows. this is the future now, we have to learn how to use these tools if we want to have positive experiences using sites and apps that primarily utilize them. either get over it and learn or get over it and stop bitching about that when the real issues aren't even the algorithms themselves. that is a neutral force and this fear of curated content is so paranoid. like the only times i see shit i dont wanna see on tiktok or youtube is if i go looking for shit i wouldn't usually have looked up or hit tags on out of curiosity and it was quickly remedied after a week of doing my normal thing and simply hitting the "i dont want to see this" button. it works on reddit too.

the only site i've really had the bad experiences y'all talk about regarding other apps is tumblr. like, for example, whenever someone i follow starts posting stuff i don't like meaning i can't even say "don't show me that", i have to manually put tags into the blocklist or straight up unfollow people i like because i cant just hit a button that makes it so i never have to see that shit again. like it even goes as far as to ask what you didn't like so to further help your algorithm. tumblr just shows you shit and makes users do everything themselves making the UI pretty shitty if you asked me.

i love tumblr and im not leaving, but i will complain and refuse to act like it's somehow better or even a good site. y'all are just mad because you don't wanna learn how to use another app like you had to learn tumblr and you expect everything to be handed to you with minimal effort. you go on and on about how algorithms just give you content but you don't actually learn to work with it to get what you want. then you complain. because you don't know how to use the app. and that's fine. but it's still annoying as fuck when i read your posts and know for a fact your bad experience was your own fault for not learning how to use the damn app properly while simultaneously shitting on them for not knowing how to have a fulfilling experience on tumblr.

(also we totally have fascists, pervs, and all the same kinda scum you find on the other sites too, so it isn't even like we're "safer". so don't even talk to me about safety issues. tumblr is a hotbed for predators and fash recruiters. we are not immune and, in many ways, we're ultimately the fucking cause of this shit.)

I like your thoughts. Maybe as fans we can also be discerning and purposeful as we engage. Follow the bands that actually support Louis in return. Make it clear we're happy to check out new sounds but will only likely to stay if we like what we hear. Also, it's easy for fans to talk up their music taste and comment on what they like about the bands while gently reminded them that we don't need "educating". I've heard that type of language from Louis' team and always want to say back that perhaps it's his team and some of those indie bands that need educating about courting and sustaining a primarily female music audience.

As someone said on Twitter, it's something to like those bands' tweets, doesn't mean we're checking out their Spotify. Ngl being a Louie sometimes feel like a job in itself (thanks for nothing, LTHQ), but we don't owe anything to Louis in regards to his interest in developping musical acts and potentially a management company.

He can tweet as much as he wants to about some 20 years old quatuor from the UK, it doens't mean I'm gonna check them out. I am still waiting for his tweet about the new AM album.