The Incredible Hulk (1968) Annual #10

I think the thing that gets me about theories saying Tommy, Tubbo, Niki, or Quackity are the traitor, is that they’re never convincing.

All four of these people have a vested interest in L’manburg. None of them except maybe Tubbo show any signs of not truly being dedicated to their nation, and in Tubbo’s case a betrayal is rules out via the caveat of his immense loyalty to Tommy. 

A betrayal from them would be possible under specific circumstances, however the majority of the speculation I see around a possible betrayal from any of them do not consider what they would or wouldn’t actually betray for.

Put frankly, many of these theories don’t consider the character’s motivations. 

I see many people point out how Tommy has been wronged so frequently by Wilbur as cite this as a possible motivator for a betrayal. His leader treats him poorly, so he joins Schlatt expecting to get more respect from him, some even speculating that Schlatt could have offered him the power he clearly wants. This falls flat on multiple levels, though. For starters, Tommy could easily break away from Wilbur without breaking away from Pogtopia as a whole, after all, the vast majority of their allies are very much against Wilbur and what he stands for. I’d go as far as the venture that the only reason Will is still welcome amongst Pogtopia’s ranks is because Tommyinnit still cares deeply about him, even now. Quackity has never liked Wilbur, Tubbo and Niki like him but understand that he can’t be trusted anymore and would likely get it if he needed to be isolated from the rest of them for everyone’s safety, the rest of their allies not counting Techno think he’s fucking insane (they aren’t wrong) and would probably feel more comfortable without Will around. The reason he hasn’t been properly snubbed by the rest of Pogtopia is likely because of Tommy’s influence among the group. I mean, during the last important stream, the one where they set the date for the war, Wilbur was sort of just standing it the background rambling about tnt. Nobody holds respect for him like they once did, nobody thinks he even needs to be here. Tommy could very much be rid of Wilbur without having to go to Schlatt. What’s more, Tommy is one of the main people being rallied behind here. He’s the heart of the group. One of the closest things to a leader at this point in time. It’s ridiculous, if he was on Schlatt’s side, that he would lead this war effort. Even if we are to believe Tommy would betray his friends, he wouldn’t string them along and drag them into a war he plans on them losing. And that’s assuming he’d betray them at all, which he wouldn’t. The first example that jumps to mind is Tubbo. Can you really see Tommy betraying Tubbo? Really? Can you see Tommy willingly placing himself on the opposing side to Tubbo for greedy or selfish reasons? Can you see him helping someone who’s hurt Tubbo so much? And it isn’t even just Tubbo! Tommyinnit would never betray Niki or Quackity or anyone else who’s backing him here. Hell, Tommy still won’t fully turn against WILBUR! Not to mention that Tommy has proven multiple times that he doesn’t actually care about gaining power...like...at all. The perception of Tommyinnit as somebody who desperately wants to be president, who is yearning for the power he so strongly craves? It’s a fabrication created by Wilbur Soot and bought into quickly by the fandom. I’m sure Tommy would like to be president one day, and I don’t blame him, because there are very few people I trust to protect L’manburg like I trust Tommyinnit to. However if his craving were really strong enough for him to betray everybody he loves for power then Tommy would never have allowed himself to be second to Wilbur all throughout the independence war up until the festival. If his craving for power was really that strong then he wouldn’t have let Quackity present Schlatt with a document to transfer presidency to Quackity. Nothing about the way this theory is typically presented lines up with Tommy at all.

Then there’s Quackity. When it’s suggested that he could be the traitor, people consistently bring up the possibility that he never really turned against Schlatt. That his allegiance with Pogtopia has been staged from the beginning, or at the very least that Quack willingly went back to Schlatt simply because he wanted to without much outside bribing. And uh...no. Absolutely not. Quackity’s character, from the minute he stepped foot on the server, has been completely and utterly taken with L’manburg. He loves his nation, he loves the people in it. Quackity, much like Tommy, is completely and utterly dedicated to L’manburg. That’s the reason he ended up sided with Schlatt in the first place. I actually think that Quackity and Tommy are quite similar narratively speaking. Their stories parallel one another in a way that’s almost uncanny, to be honest.  Tommy and Quackity from the beginning have both been very chaotic people. They've both done a lot of 'bad' things non seriously for most of the smp's history because...i mean...fucking everyone does, yknow? However, they've both also always been known to care about their nation. During the election both thought they were doing what was best for L'manburg. Tommy was manipulated by Wilbur into thinking Will would be the best leader, Quackity was manipulated by Jschlatt into thinking Schlatt would be the best leader. Tommy noticed Schlatt's corruption while being blind to Wilbur's and Quackity noticed Wilbur's corruption while being blind to Schlatt. After the election they watched their individual leaders do increasingly horrific things (they were also both abused on a very personal level by said leaders) until they decided their leaders could no longer be trusted to do what's best for L'manburg and created their own unofficial faction within. Everything I said about Tommy’s dedication to L’manburg applies in equal measure to Quackity. This has always been present in his character, and throughout Schlatt’s reign, Quack has consistently opposed the tyranny Jschlatt exerted over Manburg. Quackity protested the erasure of their history, stood in the way of the destruction of their monuments, tried with horror to reason with Schlatt during the festival. I cannot remember a time when Quackity hasn’t done the right thing for L’manburg (and don’t bring up the election, wilbur was corrupt, quackity was completely right to oppose him) and now that it’s become so clear Schlatt isn’t whats right for L’manburg, Quackity is not going to support him. Never again. That’s not to mention how Quack acted all throughout the other day’s stream. When he met with Schlatt is was so incredibly obvious that Quackity was genuinely panicking. He wants this so fucking much. And I know some people think Quackity suspecting Tommy made Quack suspicious, but honestly, as much as i’m completely and totally certain it’s not Tommy, I get why Quack would be a litttllleeee suspicious of Wilbur Soot’s little prodegy after all the corrupt bs Will has pulled. Quackity is NOT the traitor, at least not with the common reasonings given. It just doesn’t fit Quack. I’m sorry.

Then there’s Niki. She’s theorized about less often, but i’ve still seen people bring up the idea. Typically it’s presented that, seeing the state Wilbur is in, she could have gone back to Schlatt, thinking he’s the better option of the two. And uh, the issue with this is...there aren’t just two options. That’s the thing. We can excuse why Niki would think Schlatt’s plans are better than Wilbur’s plans. Most people on the Smp actually think Schlatt’s rule is better than whatever the fuck Wilbur’s doing. That would make sense. And if Pogtopia was trying to put Wilbur in charge of L’manburg, I would support this idea. But they fucking aren’t. The plan is the put Quackity in charge, and I can’t think of one reason Niki would consider Schlatt a better option than Quackity. I can’t think of any reason why, even if she did think this, Niki would immediately betray Tommy and Tubbo (who she promised to help take back l’manburg with!) instead of..you know...talking to them and trying to find a way to get one of them put in charge instead? Niki hates Schlatt. Niki has pushed back against his reign since the very beginning, she screamed and sobbed during Tubbo’s execution, she stood with Tommy and Tubbo watching the sunset and swore to them that they would get their L’manburg back. I have literally no clue how or why she would side with Schlatt. I just can’t. She may not be as deeply and passionately dedicated to L’manburg as Tommy and Quackity are, it would probably be easier to turn her I guess, but I can’t think of a single convincing reason she would think the best course of action at this moment would be to go behind everyone’s backs and team up with Jschlatt when that directly conflicts everything she’s said or done to date.

And finally Tubbo. I admit, out of the four this is the one i’m most open to because Tubbo is the only person out of the four who doesn’t default to L’manburgs side. If you placed these four characters on an alignment chart the other three would all be strictly good wheras Tubbo is certainly true neutral. He isn’t strictly placed on the side of good and i’m not sure Tubbo is strictly dedicated to L’manburg either. Under certain circumstances, I could very much see him siding with bad people, I mean, just look at how little he really objected to Wilbur blowing everything up. Tubbo is the person i’m most open to suspecting as the traitor (out of these four that is, i still don’t think its tubbo and i’ll get into why in a second) ...however he isn’t the traitor. Tubbo isn’t strictly bound to morality, however he’s still very capable of loyalty, and he has an immensely strong bond with Tommyinnit. Tubbo would not betray him. I’m not sure Tubbo could bring himself to do it if they wanted to. They love Tommy too much to even consider teaming with Schlatt, I can promise you that. Most people who theorize Tubbo is the traitor recognize this, though, which is why these people often double as people who think Tommy may be the traitor. And I can tell you with certainty, the traitor is not both Tubbo and Tommy because it’ll be a cold day in hell when Tommyinnit betrays Pogtopia. And, to be honest, if it isn’t Tommy and Tubbo then it isn’t Tubbo period. 

I don’t think any of these theories are possible, in fact, I think they all go directly against every single established personality trait and every action these four characters have ever done. 

It would be dramatic.

But drama should never come at the expense of the characters.

Hot Blooded

Rating: Explicit Relationship: Hufflepuff x Ravenclaw Warning: based on another story, sexual fever, original characters, Harry Potter world, dirty talk, intercourse

Word Count: 3797

Based on This story.

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My skin felt prickly and sticky against my clothes. The offense of wearing anything was down right irredeemable to my body. The thinnest hairs stuck to my forehead and neck, my limbs heavy. I felt drunk, the best comparison I could make. Though in my experiences of being drunk I have never been so unbelievably horny. It's repulsive to think about the slick dribbling down my leg. The way my nipples harden by the slightest breeze- or slightest adult thought.

It was helpful in some way to know everyone feels the same, disgusted in their own skin. Some took to the change fine, taking the opportunity to touch whoever to better their chances of getting their rocks off. It was simple to tell who took this seriously and who took this a chance to sleep with someone. To be fair, some of those people also saw this as a romantic endeavor. I couldn't even bother to look at it that way. I hardly cared about relationships or doing the 'beast with two backs' with another. I had better things to do with my time than stare wistfully at someone till they notice me and ask me out. This entire situation was more than inconvenient.

On the other hand, I can see how this would be beneficiary to everyone. It has started taking down the divides the houses have brought upon us. Which is grand, it was a ridiculous notion in itself to parade around like your house was the superior one. We all brought something to the table, it be ignorant not to see it. Also the added points of getting the relationship thing out of the way. I won’t lie and say I am revolted by the very idea of coupling off with someone. I have always wanted the familiarity that comes with a partner, even the physical parts. I just loathe the experience of dating. This cuts that in a way that I can admire but still despise my lack of control over. I just hope that my lover will be someone who can challenge me in ways most don't. less you are another Ravenclaw, then that’s just for sport more than the value of conversation.

The first week is painful, I won't lie. It's when word gets out that self relaxation brings the boiling to a simmer that its more tolerable. I find myself trotting off often just to be able to relax in my own skin. I try to take a guess who my other might be knowing that people generally feel a pull. Of course first day everyone figured out who's partner was in their respective houses. So I know to not even bother with catching eyes with people at my dinner row. I first glance over to Slytherin, I never bought into the whole 'they are the evil house'. That was just rude. I can see the appeal in them, having a strong leadership role in their lives as high standing citizens. I wouldn't be opposed to snatching one of their members for my own. After a while of nothing, I don't even glance their way.

I try for a Gryffindor, appreciating their brave personalities. Very selfless people who will take a bullet for the ones they are loyal to. I adore that kind of devotion. In my own private times I have dabbled in stories that feeds towards a more romantic style. My heart swells at the lover's care and loyalty towards one another. I would be perfectly content with a Gryffindor boyfriend. A passing thought, 'a jock to my genius'. Not that I ever flattered myself a genius, never. Still, it seems it wasn't meant to be.

I do not try to label everyone, knowing stereotypes are but hurtful boxes we draw around one another. A Gryffindor isn't always going to be the heroes to a story just like a Slytherin isn't some villain lurking in the shadows. But I'm not perfect, never claimed to be. I believe some groups tend to fall in certain categories, not restricted to but…

When I first see him I'm awestruck. My body tingles and my loins throb. For a moment all I could think about was tearing his shirt off with my teeth. Any other time that would have been alarming, but I could hardly care. He doesn't meet my eyes, just smiling brightly with his friends. He is brawny man, his chest broad and firm looking. His hair is wavy, the bangs obscuring his vision often. His smile is radiating, so much so I can't help but smile as well. My mind catches up with me and I begin to wonder where he belongs. He is strong and charming, surely he is a Gryffindor. His peers all look towards him, the center of attention, perhaps he is a Slytherin. I know he isn't a Ravenclaw, having never met him before.

My mind puzzles it all out till an obvious piece fits in the middle. He is sitting at the Hufflepuff table. I flinch with confusion. No, I can't be paired with a Hufflepuff. It's not that I don't like them, I mean they are the house labeled strictly for their kindness. It would be almost a sin to despise them. No, the reason I'm appalled- not appalled, more bothered- is because I can't fathom the idea of my soulmate being a Hufflepuff. They are too nice, how could I have an argument with one without feeling like I kicked a puppy? I'm way too cynical to be paired with the embodiment of child's laughter. I am prone to bouts of anger, lashing out at others because I can. I don't see how at any point that him being there wouldn't make me feel like a, well, piece of shit.

As he is laughing at something his friends say he catches my eye, his smile faltering for a moment as he just stares. He looks at me like he is puzzling something out, tilting his head in a way that it reminds me of a golden retriever. I don't stick around long enough to see when he figures it out.

I hop from my seat, startling others as I grab my things. I shove a book under my arm, grabbing the half finished biscuit from my plate. I shove the pastry in my mouth before absconding like a scared idiot. I rush out the large double doors, into the hall where I find the direction towards the washroom.

As I turn the corner out of the main hall I hear the scuff of shoes. My heart throbs at the idea that it's him. I both wish for him to be chasing me and desire to find a crevice to hide in. I hear the patter of quickly approaching feet. I drop the biscuit from my mouth and book it down the hall.

"Wait," he calls out. My jaw ticks, his voice is like rich syrup. It soaks into my bones, feeling like a warm embrace. The already ramping heat feels like an inferno at the sound. I run faster.

I turn off another corner, prolonging the inevitable. I know at some point we would have to talk, touch. It's the only cure. Still, I wish for more time. I need to get my thoughts in order, figure out the best way to approach this. Never in a hundred years would I have thought my soulmate was the kindhearted Hufflepuff. I didn’t even consider it, that being on oversight I know now. I just need more time.

As I rush down the hall, shortly after my turn I hear shoes scuff again. He is fast, I'll give em that.

"Please, wait," he begs. Here we go, already I feel like I kicked a puppy. How could this ever work if I will always feel like garbage when I do anything against him.

"Leave me alone," I find myself screaming out. My body is already tired, overheated and weak. My pace begins to slow, his footsteps getting closer. I finally give up, stopping with a slow jog before I rest my hands on my knees. I catch my breath, the sweat soaking through my shirt.

I can smell him before I hear him, which is strange since I knew he was there. I worry for a moment that he is going to reach out and touch me, but he sits just in my peripheral near the opposite wall. He gives me a moment, which I am grateful for. I prolong the moment, just enough to get my thoughts in order. When its clear I have caught my breath I stand straight and glance towards him.

His wavy locks are plastered to his forehead, his shirt sticking to his chest. I can't help but drool a little at the sight. I expect to see an exasperated look, if not a disappointed one. On anyone else I'd even guess angry but who has ever seen an angry Hufflepuff and lived to tell the tale? Instead I see a very concerned, patient look. It stings my heart more than warms it.

"You alright," he asks. He rests against the wall, hands holding the windowsill. His chest looks broader, strong and appetizing. I can picture myself resting on that chest at night, his big arms holding me close as we rest. Even see myself pressing my hands to it as I ride him. Taking his cock while leaving red whelps with my nails. I can see the outline of his erection, my brain humming with the view. How easily I could discard his shorts and take him into my mouth. Be damned who can see, just slide him past my lips an-

"I can say it's a relief to know you didn't run because you found me repulsive," he chuckles. I startle from my thoughts, meeting his eyes quickly.

"Sorry," I mumble, my cheek red for more than one reason.

"All is well, I like looking at you too," he hums, looking me over. Nothing I wear is slutty by any means. A simple baggy t-shirt and a pair of shorts, hardly scandalous. Yet, the way his chest bounces with his rapid inhales and his fingers clench the window I feel down right sexy. "You are very gorgeous," he grins.

"thank you," I bite my lip. His eyes dart to the action, licking his own in response.

"I wish to touch you but I have the impression that you aren't interested just yet," he shakes his head. He rubs his face, coming back to himself while I think of an answer.

"yea, sorry about that. It's just a lot to take in, you know," I grin sympathetically.

"I get that," he rests his head towards his shoulder," we never met before, it can be nerve racking. Though I can give you a bit of ease when I say I will not touch you without your expressive consent. I'd hate for our very first introduction to be so coerced."

"I appreciate that," I answer. There goes that sweet Hufflepuff style, nicest folks around. My brain feels too muddled to think about why this match wouldn’t work. I want nothing more than to jump his rod and lick the sweat dripping down his neck. Though I know more thought should be put into this. Right?

"So I have a question, feel free not to answer. Why did you run," he cuts straight to the point. I try to think of a lie, it felt like the right thing to do less I hurt his feelings. Yet my greatest tool is left sitting in a puddle of hormones, lavishing itself in the visual glory of this man.

"Why would anyone run from their supposed soulmate," I try to stall. Knowing he would be too optimistic to assume anything awful like being house-ist.

He hums, "I can think of a few. We both know its not the obvious, unattraction, so I can rule that out. So it could be because you aren't ready, which I can respect. A lot of my friends took some time when they found out theirs wasn't in the same house. It could be because we are stranger and you might have been hoping for someone else. Though I think I know the real answer, you don't like being paired with a Hufflepuff." He holds my stare with confidence, knowing he hit the nail on the head. I'm mildly impressed with his deduction skills. Though I'm not pleased with it.

"How do you figure," I cross my arms, leaning back into the cool wall.

He copies my pose," Well, we are good at observing, it's what makes us so good at finding things." I bite my cheek to not smile at the obvious joke. "but in all honesty its because I know Ravenclaws, you guys tend to be… prickly about things."

I gawk," Prickly?"

"Yea, you know what you know and you stick by it, even if you’re wrong. Like I know you are upset with us because you think I'm too nice," he answers," That I'd either not keep up with you mentally or I'd be too caring to want to argue. I feel I have to explain this every week but Hufflepuffs are nice to their core, doesn't mean it dictates their way of life. I will fight someone if they deserve it, though I still would be a helping hand if someone asks for one. I can debate and argue with the best of em but I still will check in afterwards to make sure everything is ok. I'm nice, not a nun."

I stare at him curious, too flabbergasted at his rather intelligent argument. I know every house has a thing that defines them but doesn't exclude other traits. A Gryffindor can be brave and shy. A Slytherin can be compassionate but firm. A Ravenclaw can be bad at school but still be dedicated to learning. If that’s all true and I know it, why do I consider Hufflepuffs to their labels? I want to believe him, I really do, but I can't see him being someone who can be anything other than a goody-twoshoes.

He notices my apprehension and starts another compelling argument. " to stay on theme how bout I tell you something that a good old Hufflepuff wouldn’t say? Like looking at you right now all I want to do is rip that shirt in half and lave your nipples with my tongue. Kiss down your body then pull your shorts off with my teeth before diving into your, more than likely, dripping cunt," as he speaks he steps closer," taste the divine wine of your slick while listening to your cries of pleasure. I know I can make you scream, no doubt in my mind." he rests his hands on either side of me, arching in a way that he can't accidentally brush me," I want your legs wrapped around my waist, my cock buried so far inside you that you could feel it for weeks. I want to hear the sound of my hips meeting yours, hear the sound of your breathy gasp and delirious groans. Then meet our mutual end with our shouts echoing through this hall, you clenched so tight around me as I bite your neck. Mhm, my cock throbs just thinking about it."

I gulp hard. This beautiful son of a bitch has done what no other has even come close to. He has left me speechless. I want all those things, I want his fingers leaving marks on my hips as he fucks me into delirium. I take a moment to even have a coherent thought that doesn't have the word cock in it.

I lick my lips as I meet his eyes," I-I think I can be the bigger person and say I may have been wrong about you.." I stutter on his name.

"Adam," he provides.

"Adam," I finish," perhaps you aren't the goody-twoshoes I thought you were."

"Well I do aim to please," he grins. I have the very strong urge to lick his teeth. I never even found that idea appealing till now.

"I'd imagine you could do more than please," I chuckle as I watch his tongue moisten his bottom lip.

"that I can, princess," I nearly melt at the pet name, "Now, do I need to give you more time or would this hallway be a fitting place to worship you?"

I giggle like an idiot," worship me, I like that. But no, I rather not have our first time be in a hallway if you don't mind."

"Not at all," he purrs," so, your place or mine?"

"Yours? I'd imagine having the kitchen so close by would be beneficiary after I'm done with you," I fight back the urge to reach out a hand.

"When you're finished with me? What do you plan to do you little minx," he growls. God, how are we even still standing here flirting?

"Guess you have to lead the way and find out, huh?"

"Sounds promising," he backs up," then onwards we go."

Our pace is quick as we rush down the halls. The urge to grab his hand is oddly strong. My insides feel like someone is setting jumper cables to my nerves. I feel like I have so much energy and my mind feels fuzzy. Glancing at him out the corner of my eyes doesn’t help the control to not pounce on him, viewers be damned.

"Adam, you found her," someone calls as we pass by.

"Yep, quite the looker ain't she," he shouts back. The other person just laughs.

We make it to his room in a blur. I can hardly remember much of journey but could hardly care as well. I stop near his bed as he stands a little ways from the door way. I look around at the neatly made room for just a second before meeting his dark predatory eyes. The sight sends a bolt down my spine.

"Why you standing by the door," I ask a bit worried. He just grins before coming closer.

"I want to relish the moment, forgive me," he stops inches away," you don't mind that our first touch would be with our lips? Call me a bit of a romantic but I like the idea of it."

"Not at all," I smile. He leans down and takes my lips for his own. The flood of arousal that drenches my senses is almost blinding. I reach out the same time he does, carding my fingers through his hair as his pull my hips close. Our kiss is messy and anything but romantic or tender. Its full of need that leaves spit all over our mouths. Our tongues meet and retreat as we cant figure out what we want more. His hands slip into my pants where he palms my ass, his nails digging in with a satisfied growl.

"Bed," I pant as I lead him over. We both fall onto the mattress, tongues still clashing and hands still wandering. We reach for each other's clothes in a impatient rush. We split just enough for the other to rip their shirts off. Besides then its hard to separate. Somehow we manage to get our pants off and grind against the other. Adam splits away as he fists himself. I suck, nibble, and lick at his neck. My nails scratch lightly at his back as if I'm trying to find purchase somewhere. I groan into his shoulder as his tip glides between my folds. He doesn't bother with anymore foreplay, knowing and feeling the evident need dripping on the head of his cock.

"You ready? it might be a tight fit," he strains to say. I just buck against him in answer. He chuckles before shoving in with a drawn out groan. My toes curl and air escapes me as he bottoms out. My nails leave crescent indents on his shoulder as he takes a piece of my neck into his mouth. Neither of us can allow this moment to prolong as we buck wildly into each other. He grunts and groans around my neck while I wail and moan near his ear. I cradle his head to me as I cry out my peak. Both of us knew we wouldn't last long, the days of pent up sexual frustration making it hard.

As I clench him his teeth bare down into my skin, his fingers gripping my hips. He pulls me in close as he buries himself deep, cumming in me with a satisfied groan.

After a short moment he lets go of my neck, leaving a single lick before resting his head on the mattress. I slowly relax back into the bed with a huff, not noticing when I held my breath. I find myself combing my fingers through his hair with great admiration. Orgasms in the past have left much to be desired, well besides the build up to said orgasm. The need to hold someone and be held was always there. The fulfillment I have now is beyond words.

"I think I already love you," Adam laughs.

"Shut up," I chuckle along with him.

He turns his head to bury his face in my hair," Nope, I must shower you in praises because you are purely and undoubtedly the most amazing person I have ever met."

"Yea, you ain't so bad yourself," I blush into his neck. I pull in a lungful of his scent, feeling my brain go fuzzy again.

"Prickly Ravenclaw," he grinds ours hips together. I gasp as the feel of his cock stroking my now sensitive walls

"Goody-twoshoes Hufflepuff," I buck into him. He kisses behind my ear before pulling the lobe between his teeth.

"Ready for round two," he asks as he sits up. I regard his flushed face with way more affection than I previously felt. I pet along his cheek before hiking my leg and pushing him aside. I feel him slip out as I straddle his waist. I catch a glimpse of his cock, feeling proud to take something so thick.

"Sure, but I'm on top this time," I smirk down at him. I rest a hand on his chest as I grab him and settle him back in. he seethes though his teeth but it ends in a chuckle.

"I do like a woman who takes charge," he grins brightly back up at me.

"Then I think this relationship will do just find," I answer as I slowly bounce on him.

His hands settle on my thighs," That it will."

We can't take our hands off each other for a great while and I was right…

Being near the kitchen does have its perks.

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Wasn’t going to post on this blog but I really don’t have anything for this weekend ready... so, here is a harry potter story i wrote that 100% indulgent.

which house are you? I’m the prickly Ravenclaw

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Marvel’s Loki Episode 3: MCU Easter Eggs and References

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This article contains Marvel’s Loki episode 3 spoilers.

Marvel’s Loki episode 3 is a big one. It’s the first episode of the series to spend the entirety of its runtime outside of the TVA offices, the first where we get to spend a substantial amount of time with the mysterious Sylvie, and the coolest visit to an extraterrestrial location we’ve had in the MCU since Avengers: Endgame.

It’s a big one, and there’s lots of cool MCU things you might have missed, or might not know about from the pages of Marvel Comics…and more!

Here’s what we found in Marvel’s Loki episode 3. 

Lamentis

The planet Lamentis was introduced in the pages of Annihilation: Conquest Prologue (the very story that established the modern incarnation of the Guardians of the Galaxy). It exists on the outer rim of the Kree empire and is filled with scavengers trying to gather scarce resources via force. The Phyla-Vell version of Quasar and Moondragon were there to help keep the peace, mainly protecting a sect of pacifist priests from those who would take their stuff.

But to be clear, the events of Loki episode 3 take place on Lamentis-1, a moon of Lamentis, and it’s the planet itself that is breaking up and crashing into the moon, not the other way around.

Interestingly, while the lighting choices for this episode were most definitely a very specific story choice (more on that in a minute), it’s also in keeping with the way Lamentis was colored in its only comic book appearance.

Sylvie, Lady Loki, The Enchantress

We don’t get a TON of clarity on the nature of Sophia Di Martino’s Loki variant, but despite her “Sylvie” name, the balance is tipping further in the direction of her being a true “Lady Loki” and not strictly the Sylvie Lushton version of Enchantress from Marvel Comics (we wrote more about this confusing distinction here).

That being said, she’s not NOT Sylvie/Enchantress, either! It seems that Sylvie is indeed a variant Loki (recent merchandise reveals have officially shown that she is “Sylvie Laufeydottir” (as opposed to “Loki Laufeyson”)  so that’s another sign that she’s truly a variant of our Loki. For some reason (probably a good one) she doesn’t want to be known as a Loki anymore, hence “Sylvie,” and she does use enchantments as a primary power, hence “Enchantress.”

So the answer here is still “yes” to any of these questions, but we’re leaning on the simplest explanation being the correct one: she’s a Loki variant, and in true MCU fashion they’re just mashing up other elements of mythology from the comics to make a cool new character.

There’s also some serious Moonlighting energy between the hedonistic Loki and the more serious and on-mission Sylvie all through this episode, but we’re wondering how many of you are even old enough to remember Moonlighting, and that is depressing. 

The Loki/Enchantress-appropriate green tie-dye that Sylvie is rocking in the bar “flashback” is pretty cool, but not an Easter egg. But maybe we should bring tie-dye back this summer.

Loki is Bisexual

The “bisexual lighting” that Lamentis is bathed in throughout the entirety of the episode is no accident, as it’s revealed that both Loki and Sylvie are bisexual. Loki director Kate Herron spoke briefly about this reveal on Twitter, as well:

From the moment I joined @LokiOfficial it was very important to me, and my goal, to acknowledge Loki was bisexual. It is a part of who he is and who I am too. I know this is a small step but I’m happy, and heart is so full, to say that this is now Canon in #mcu #Loki 💗💜💙 pic.twitter.com/lz3KJbewx8

— Kate Herron (@iamkateherron) June 23, 2021

As far as we can tell, in terms of the comics, Loki’s bisexuality first came up in Young Avengers #15. After saving the world and getting a bit of a pep talk from Prodigy, a late-teen incarnation of Loki hit on his teammate for the sake of celebration, but was ultimately turned down.

“My culture doesn’t really share your concept of sexual identity,” Loki said in that issue. “There are sexual acts, that’s it. I’m actually the patron god of certain popular ones, believe it or not.” (some very cursory research fails to confirm that last point, which would really be perfectly in keeping for Loki to lie about)

“Another!”

When partying up on the train, Loki smashes his empty glass and excitedly asks for another. This is exactly what his brother does in the first Thor movie after enjoying a cup of coffee at a diner. It’s an Asgardian custom!

The Songs

The song that opens the episode is “Demons” by Hayley Kiyoko, which also includes some potentially Loki-specific lines as “Please forgive me, I’ve got demons in my head, tryin’ to eat me, tryin’ to feed me lies until I’m dead.”

The song that closes the episode is “Dark Moon,” a 1957 country hit by Bonnie Guitar (there are other versions, including a rare one by Elvis Presley and a really cool one by Chris Isaak for the soundtrack of the very cool and underrated A Perfect World, but the version here is Bonnie’s). It’s a little on-the-nose with the events happening on Lamentis, but also features haunting lyrics that may hint at something more: “Mortals have dreams of love’s perfect schemes, but they don’t realize that love will sometimes bring a…Dark Moon.”

Does anyone know the name of the song that Loki sings while he’s “full?” If so, please let us know in the comments!

The TVA

The mobile devices that TVA agents use to navigate through timelines are given a name in this episode: TemPads. 

We get a couple more bits of important TVA context this episode. The first is that apparently the Time Keepers reside at the top floor accessible by a golden elevator in the TVA offices. When Hunter C-20 said she “gave up the location” of the Time Keepers last week, who could have expected the answer to be so simple?

Additionally, Sylvie reveals at episode’s end that all TVA employees had a life prior to joining the TVA. In fact, every TVA worker was at some point a Variant just like Loki and Sylvie. This directly contradicts Miss Minutes’ claim that the TVA employees were created by the Time Keepers to police the Sacred Timeline. This may mean that Mobius was also lying to Loki about the nature of TVA agents…UNLESS…in the comics, Mobius was one of many Mobiuses, because the TVA engaged in “managerial cloning” for their best representatives, while employing “freelancers” for other work. Perhaps Mobius was telling Loki his truth, while Sylvie’s theory about the Variants being conscripted into service as Minutemen is ALSO true.

During the end credits, there’s a collection of TVA file photos on a desk, showing Loki and Sylvie together. Apparently, they’re getting their images from their exploits from Lamentis-1, as one photo is specifically Loki as a train guard. Looks like these two aren’t as hidden from the authorities as they realized.

Miscellaneous Time Variants

Funny enough, the shot of Loki landing after being thrown out of the train is framed to look exactly like when Loki fell out of Doctor Strange’s portal in Thor: Ragnarok.

The two soldiers at the entrance to the train are called Corporal Hicks and Private Hudson which is a neat nod to Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton’s characters in Aliens!

The guards on Lamentis look kind of like they’re wearing Cobra uniforms, don’t they?

There’s a serious Snowpiercer vibe to that “rich folks getting on a train to escape a natural disaster/apocalypse while the poor are left to suffer and die.” Wait, that is actually a real life vibe, too.

If episode 2 was a police procedural, this episode is very much “peak TV,” right down to its use of an obscure needledrop to end the episode coming out of an elaborate “one take” action sequence. Daredevil no longer has a monopoly on those in Marvel TV, it would seem.

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Spot something we missed? Let us know in the comments!

The post Marvel’s Loki Episode 3: MCU Easter Eggs and References appeared first on Den of Geek.

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Book Review

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley. New York: Bloomsbury, 2015.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Genre: historical fantasy

Part of a Series? Yes, #1 of 2 (so far)

Summary: 1883. Thaniel Steepleton returns home to his tiny London apartment to find a gold pocket watch on his pillow. Six months later, the mysterious timepiece saves his life, drawing him away from a blast that destroys Scotland Yard. At last, he goes in search of its maker, Keita Mori, a kind, lonely immigrant from Japan. Although Mori seems harmless, a chain of unexplainable events soon suggests he must be hiding something. When Grace Carrow, an Oxford physicist, unwittingly interferes, Thaniel is torn between opposing loyalties.

***Full review under the cut.***

Trigger Warnings: violence, blood, racism (including micro-aggressions)

Overview: I honestly picked this book up based on the cover alone, knowing nothing about it when it crossed my path in a used book store. The premise was interesting, so I decided to give it a chance. While the book started out ok, it eventually took me about a month to get through the novel. I’m not sure if it’s because this book just ended up not being for me, or because there were some major inconsistencies with pacing, a lack of suspense or thoughtful character development, etc. All I know is that for me, personally, the book didn’t quite click, though I do commend it for creating a vivid atmosphere and exploring the lives of Japanese immigrants in Victorian London.

Writing: Pulley’s writing had its ups and down for me. On the one hand, I really enjoyed some of the whimsy, as well as descriptions of sounds filtered through Thaniel’s synesthesia (he associates a color with every sound). I also liked how Pulley described the sensations of things (how things sounded or smelled or felt), and there were some nice moments where the prose was almost poetic. On the other, Pulley’s prose noticeably left out things such as what characters were feeling at any given time, so there were long stretches where only actions were described or what things looked like without any emotional impact on the character. There were also times when I wished Pulley have given more background information or explained things more directly so that I could have a better understanding of what was going on or why characters were acting a certain way. Pulley also wrote her character interactions a bit awkwardly. While some of this awkwardness can be put down to the charm of the book as a whole, there were moments when it was distracting. For example, when Thaniel and Grace meet for the first time, it seems like they go from zero to best friends in the span of an evening, to the point where they decide to marry (a strictly business transaction, not romantic) after knowing each other for maybe 48 hours. Grace also validates Mori’s secret using a method I found odd and frankly, not convincing. Moreover, Thaniel is offered a job with some famous musicians seemingly out of nowhere and with very little justification. Even accounting for Mori’s special ability, for me personally, it stretched the bounds of believability more than the futuristic clockworks or fantastical phenomena. Finally, for reader who are wary of racism in their books, this novel does have a few characters who are racist towards Asian immigrants. While there isn’t any extreme, graphic violence, white characters speak of them as simplistic, “dirty,” etc. and frequently use the term “chinaman” or “oriental.” I don’t think the author herself is (actively) prejudiced - I think these things are included in the name of “historical accuracy.” But none of the characters are called out or correct their behaviors, so it was a bit irritating.

Plot: I don’t intend this to be mean, but I can’t remember many events that happened in this book. The overall plot seems to present a lot of things that are good on their own, but somewhat disjointed when strung together to make a narrative. In other words, this book seemed to me to lack overall shape. I understand that the novel is supposed to be a “slow burn” mystery, but I think “slow burn” is best when things are shown to gradually build on one another, and while some parts of this book did that, some didn’t. Not much work work is done at the novel’s outset to make the reader invested in the mysterious appearance of the watch or the fallout after the bomb. While I got the sense that this book was supposed to be finding out who the culprit is (is it Mori? Irish nationalists?), I wish Pulley had done more work at the beginning to create some suspense or a more compelling mystery, because there weren’t really any personal stakes for Thaniel, nor did I care much for the characters at Scotland Yard or about the politics between England and Ireland, or even England and Japan, because they just didn’t have enough of a presence to be felt. Honestly, I don’t even think the focus should have been on the bombing the whole time - I think, given the book’s structure as it is, the focus should have shifted (and to some extend, it does) to the relationship between Mori and Thaniel, perhaps becoming less a story about the bombing itself and more about Thaniel’s growing attachment to his friend and how that creates conflict in his life. I think the book was trying to do that, and the relationship between Thaniel and Mori was well done in that it made me not want Mori to be accused of the bombing, but too often, it seemed like the mystery took a backseat and there wasn’t enough tension in the story to make me feel like Thaniel was being torn between his friend and his job (or his friend and his country). Or being torn as to how to deal with the revelation that Mori has special abilities.

Characters: Pulley’s main characters are themselves very interesting on paper. Thaniel is a telegraphist who wanted to be a musician, but works a job to help support his widowed sister. Grace is a female physicist, headstrong and opinionated, not afraid to bend the rules in order to pursue her desires. You’d think that with such wonderful archetypes, they’d be fun to follow throughout a narrative, but unfortunately for me, it was extremely difficult to become invested in them, since their motives and feelings were so often obscured. I never quite got the sense that I understood why they did certain things or what they were feeling at a given time; all of that had to be largely inferred. I also didn’t get the sense that their goals were major parts of their lives - Grace probably had the most high-stakes goal in that she desperately wanted to continue her research, but it seemed like Thaniel forgot about his sister for large stretches of time and didn’t have much of an attachment to his job or country to warrant it being a huge influence on his life. I also had a hard time connecting to Grace initially because she gives off very strong “I’m not like other girls” vibes. One of the first things we see her do is go to a suffragette meeting, and she’s not shy about expressing her disdain for women who are interested in domestic work or express opinions on appearances, voicing aloud that she’s atypical because she’s educated (”properly” educated, mind you - she also looks down on women who are going to college to study the classics). She started to grow on me over time, but then she treated her maid horribly by pretending to threaten her job, and just like that, I was irritated by her again. I did enjoy her dynamic with the character Matsumoto - that was well done, but again, I found Grace herself hard to like. Mori is probably the character I was most invested in, simply because I didn’t want him to be arrested by the police. His relationship with Thaniel was probably the most well done in the book; I liked that Mori was kind but firm with Thaniel, as well as with everyone else around him, and that he was portrayed as a mechanical genius. In fact, I did appreciate that there were multiple Japanese characters in this book, blowing through the popular claim that there were few people of color in England before a certain date. I also liked how many of these characters varied in personality and avoided the worst Asian stereotypes.

Other Atmosphere: For all the complaining I’ve just done, I do think this novel does a good job of creating a Victorian atmosphere. The sights and sounds of 19th century London are quite vivid and immersed me in the setting quite easily. The clockwork elements were also well-incorporated in that it gave the novel a steampunk feeling without an overabundance of mechs or airships. It was a good balance of history and fantasy, leaning more heavily on the history to keep the fantastical elements rooted in something that felt real.

Continuing on with the series? Probably not.

Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in clockworks, steampunk, Victorian England, and Japanese culture.

And after a full rewatch of Ergo Proxy point is yeah postmodernism is hell, tradition and connecting to dat collective unconscious is good, too many fucking clones holy shit.

Everything is fucking clones.

Also.

- I think the despair of Ergo Proxy might be that the artificially grown humans could never reproduce on their own despite his efforts, probably this ties to proxies themselves actually not being able to reproduce. The mimicked humans were based off of their DNA but not actually full-functional humans.

-Note to self and the interested, when I mention the pulse/pulse of the awakening this is a physical phenomenon in the show. It’s a biological timer placed in proxies by the humans who first made them, an instinct that recognizes the earth is habitable once more. The pulse signals to proxies that it is time to die upon exposure to natural sunlight. Proxies who feel the pulse usually go crazy because it means death is coming and sends them into intense fight or flight response.

- Apparently advanced aging is really weird tech so I actually need to look into this for real. Daedalus has the technology to do it, hence Monad being recreated as REAL, but it seems to be somewhat taboo and not generally utilized if Raul’s reaction is anything to go by. So if I’m going with that assumption, then timeline wise (seriously this is the most hellish point of the whole series it makes me so fucking upset, they put so much thought into so many things but the timeline holy shitfuck) is like this:

- Proxy One is made, realizes reason for proxies, gets fucking upset, clones himself to make Ergo Proxy. Ergo Proxy has a lot of Proxy One in himself, like a LOT to the point that when he kills the pulse in Proxy One it counts as negating the power of the pulse over him, but is not identical.

- Monad Proxy falls in love with Ergo Proxy. Monad is the proxy of Mosk. Ergo Proxy had tried real fucking hard to make a perfect city in Romdeau but 1) could not perfect it due to his own physical flaws/incomplete nature (humanity, while not strictly opposed to engineered humans or autoreives the way they were to proxies, saw them as more guinea pigs) 2) was having insane existential crises tied to his own knowledge that he was doomed to die for his success and was born with no purpose but to clean up someone else’s mess and die. Basically intense postmodernism headache that got so bad and was genetically ingrained, he literally ran away to Mosk to be with Monad--abandoning his own people because he saw himself as a failure of a god and them as failed creations.

- Romdeau got fucking pissed about losing their proxy and went to war with Mosk. I think during the war was when Ergo Proxy’s despair peaked, he’d brought shitloads of death to both peoples and had utterly failed not only at what he was trying to do but he was never an authentic proxy of humans to begin with so that only made it sting worse. He’s basically a postmodern abomination who should not exist in nature and he knows it and he thinks he’s cursed every genetic aspect of his being to destroy. So he asks Monad to take his memories, and leaves his memories with the autoreive Amnesia as a backup plan just in case before she does this. Before having his memories stripped Ergo Proxy also assumed the physical body of Vincent Law so essentially looked like just a dude and had the vulnerabilities of just a dude more or less.

- When Monad strips Ergo Proxy of his memories she takes them into her own mind and was basically going insane. I think it’s critical that first, Vincent had a huuuuuuuge period where he just has no memory. He full on cannot remember years of his life after Monad wiped his brain. I mean, chick removed thousands of years of info I think she actually damaged him a fair amount. The split personality bit is only part of it. But yeah he was probably in a ???? state for a long time while Mosk was at war.

- Insane!Monad was taken before war with Mosk ended. Mosk as a city under a true proxy I think was actually a little more stable than Romdeau without a proxy was, although it still would have died out eventually. Monad was taken at least nineteen years prior to the plot if not slightly longer. My personal theory is that Vincent was probably in a full coma for a lot of it (likely being attended by autoreives in a hospital or something), woke up toward the end of the Mosk-Romdeau war but was basically in a stupor on autopilot for that time and remembers very, very little of that period. Monad being taken nineteen years ago allowed for Re-L Mayer and, by connection, Daedalus to be born. It also meant that technically speaking some humans in Romdeau have full-proxy DNA happening--including Daedalus.

- Mosk continues fighting without a proxy of their own for a long time, falls within a few years of the plot beginning. Re-L was familiar with the fact that Romdeau bombed the hell out of them at her grandfather’s direction, and there was enough stigma about Mosk and immigrants that I don’t think it’s reasonable to believe Mosk fell more than a decade or even five years prior to the plot. Frankly it would more likely be between one and three years before the story starts. The population of Mosk, that said, would have had no children for that period and would have a significantly crippled population due to casualties. They literally would have been dependent on the mercy of Romdeau for their survival when it became clear they weren’t winning. Romdeau, for their part, kept fighting because they wanted Ergo Proxy specifically back and at that point Vincent was incapable of delivering. In the end Romdeau just accepted Ergo Proxy was lost.

- Important to note, Proxy One was in his own city that was not Mosk or Romdeau, but was pretty close to Mosk. Proxy One’s location was pointed out at the end of the game show episode and that was the location bombed by Raul. Raul meant to kill Vincent, he actually destroyed a random city out of nowhere and Proxy One had to scramble hard in the not-dying game. Basically, MCQ was a magnificent dickhead whose dying words were fuck you Proxy One and he deserves a moment of silence.

- Daedalus and Re-L were created around the same time while war with Mosk was ongoing, both aged naturally. Vincent did not enter the city until comparatively recently in their lives.

-Anyway, after Raul bombed the fuck out of Proxy One’s city Proxy One went to Mosk himself, killed Amnesia (a relatively recent occurrence to the point that he might have been there at the same time as the trio) and went back to Romdeau himself to continue playing puppet master. Note, Proxy One was in Romdeau at the story’s beginning as well and was fucking with Re-L and possibly lured both Monad and Ergo Proxy to Re-L’s house to begin with. Why? He was being a dickhead and trying to start fights between strangers to get them to fuck each other and their cities over more. Literally all of Proxy One’s actions come down to “I got screwed so Ima fuck things up for everyone else” at a certain point, he isn’t exactly anti-Vincent but he wanted Vincent to kill him so he would no longer be bound by the pulse so Vincent would serve as a fuck you to the original humans. And he also wanted to make sure Romdeau was destroyed, and probably would have destroyed his own dome at some point anyway if he didn’t make Raul blow it up on purpose.

- REAL is mostly a true proxy, the form she took in the last ep was more because she’d heard the pulse of the awakening although her skin being different probably she’d been made with some alterations. Also I mean Monad didn’t have wings. But yeah she just shifted because of having a human and proxy form. I think she had some if not all of Monad’s memories at death because of knowing about shit Daedalus most likely would not have told her, also behaving older than a one year old. But she still acted like a child with a string obsession so her copy was probably not complete either. Re-L was much less complete as a clone of the living Monad and basically turned out as a baby human with no memories and was adopted by her grandfather.

- Re-L thinks Ergo Proxy set himself-as-Vincent up to be an immigrant so he would be rejected upon trying to join Romdeau without memories, making him suffer horribly. She thinks every single thing he did was an exercise in the highest masochism to punish himself for leaving and being a failure. I think he probably didn’t think that far ahead and just wanted to pretend to be human in a similar way to how the two amigos wanted to be customers in Smile Land. He didn’t want the responsibility anymore and didn’t want to have to think about what he was made to be or how he would die.

- I think Raul actually deliberately unleashed cogito everywhere because he wanted to make humans more natural in Romdeau or something and because he was reasonably sure Romdeau would eventually die without a proxy. I’m still not positive here though. He did a dumb thing.

Some bonus points from a previous analysis that still seem fair game:

- Pino undergoes a wardrobe change after gaining sentience, and that in and of itself is nbd, but I was ??? about her hair going from brown to purple. She had a time gap and in an advanced world like the one she’s in lbr hair dye exists. That wasn’t a sentience-induced hair color change she prob just did it herself for rule of fun.

- Immigrants happened in Romdeau after Mosk was defeated. My big question in the past was logistically what is the deal with immunity to the outside world vs susceptibility to disease etc. etc. and how did the immigrants happen at all. I think probably the whole immigrant population came from Mosk and also probably Ergo Proxy went into Mosk dome when he created his identity as Vincent. As Ergo Proxy, in that form, he would not have been vulnerable to the outside world but in Vincent form he is. So basically Vincent in his squishy human body had no immunity to shit. Also probably there was insane transporting of immigrants from Mosk to Romdeau after the war. EDIT: In Vincent’s flashback he shows himself and other immigrants walking outside but Vincent’s memory is shit so either there is stuff in Romdeau itself that causes poor reactions with the outside air through prolonged exposure or else Vincent’s brain is basically a collage of trying to fit forgotten things together. Going with the latter here because I think the former has consistency and motive problems.

- Daedalus confirmed he was created specifically to run the proxy project and watch over Re-L. I think he probably is the same age as her roughly for that reason. Vincent also saw Re-L when he entered Romdeau to get work. Therefore either it took a weird long time for Vincent to enter Romdeau, like almost two decades during which he did not age and was unaware of what was happening, or else Re-L and Daedalus had rapid aging. I personally lean toward natural aging partly because ages are listed in spots, partly because I think it’s more fun when characters have to learn from direct experience generally. Also this allows more time for emotional ties to happen between characters like Re-L and her grandfather and Re-L and Daedalus.

- The way Ergo Proxy is said in the last line makes grammatical sense and the whole thing being a tie to postmoderism also makes sense so this is acceptably not fancy garbage latin/english/greek/idek dudes. Also though postmodernism is spiritual death and doom and shit and Vincent is like postmodernism incarnate that just went fuck this I want to tap reality.

- Autoreives existing and being robots and all and having the ability to reach sentience and praying upon reaching sentience foreshadow that basically even things that become heavily derivative can still strive for truth and spirituality and reality and shit also I think there’s additional religious subtext in the whole “humans in image of god, robots and proxies in image of man, Vincent and Re-L in the image of proxies”. I think it might be showing that the ultimate connectivity and spirit of the divine still echoes through all of it if we’re getting religious here but I mean they got so much religious imagery in the show anyway so lbr.

- Also for new readers who might be tuning in, it’s common in both today’s western education and in a lot of media for people to assume that postmodernism (things being copies of things, critiques of critiques that grow increasingly distant from direct life experience) is the only truth and there is no reality at all, that failure to be wholly unconnected to others and unique is a tragedy. People who subscribe fully to postmodernism tend to believe that the alternative is being anti-progress or worthlessly derivative. However, looking into Jung in particular with concepts like the collective unconscious, the real alternative is tradition, community, instinct, and finding inspiration in the shared experiences life has to offer while simultaneously combining those experiences in unique ways. Two people in mourning doesn’t mean one is more important than the other, just that they both know what it is to mourn and can talk to each other and understand the feeling in some capacity. Ergo Proxy as a narrative shows a world where reality has been constructed on postmodern principles that ultimately fall apart because life itself by nature is a tradition, and Jung is shown to be right. Vincent and Re-L and Pino, although all copies of copies, are no less part of the tradition than the original humans would have been. Also, the original humans’ belief that proxies, clones, and autoreives have less worth than them for being copies is shown to be hugely unjust and incorrect through the narrative.

- I think there might also be some kind of Adam/Eve thing with how Vincent and Re-L work metaphysically but I’m not touching that right now and frankly it’s a scary analysis for a show full of scary analysis. Seriously I swear to god this concept must have been made by sadists or masochists or something holy shit this is like clone saga in spider-man if it was done by intelligent people on purpose to make a statement.

- Point of the story and all the Jung and shit is that this is a world that literally went through a postmodern apocalypse and a trio of the most postmodern bullshit copies of humans go out together and actually succeed in tapping into the primal collective unconscious and powerful storytelling/instinctive/psychological truths that had been so disregarded by the original humans. They manage to become real where the original humans had become fake.

Engagement

Pity: Pity is a feeling of discomfort at the distress of one or more sentient beings, and often has paternalistic or condescending overtones. Implicit in the notion of pity is that its object does not deserve its plight, and, moreover, is unable to prevent, reverse, or overturn it. Pity is less engaged than empathy, sympathy, or compassion, amounting to little more than a conscious acknowledgement of the plight of its object. Sympathy: Sympathy (‘fellow feeling’, ‘community of feeling’) is a feeling of care and concern for someone, often someone close, accompanied by a wish to see him better off or happier. Compared to pity, sympathy implies a greater sense of shared similarities together with a more profound personal engagement. Sympathy is the act of feeling for someone (“I am so sorry you are hurting”). However, sympathy, unlike empathy, does not involve a shared perspective or shared emotions, and while the facial expressions of sympathy do convey caring and concern, they do not convey shared distress. Sympathy and empathy often lead to each other, but not always. For instance, it is possible to sympathize with such things as hedgehogs and ladybirds, but not, strictly speaking, to empathize with them. Sympathy and empathy often lead to each other, but not always. Sympathy should also be distinguished from benevolence, which is a much more detached and impartial attitude. Empathy: Empathy can be defined as a person’s ability to recognize and share the emotions of another person, fictional character, or sentient being. It involves, first, seeing someone else’s situation from his perspective, and, second, sharing his emotions, including, if any, his distress. Empathy has been defined as the state where people (i.e., perceivers) represent the same emotion they are observing or imagining in another person (i.e., social targets) with full awareness that the source of their own experience is the other's emotion. Empathy involves feeling with someone (“I feel your disappointment”). With empathy, one shares another’s emotions. Empathy involves not just feelings but thoughts, and it encompasses two people—the person we are feeling for and our own self. One cannot empathize with an abstract or detached feeling. To empathize with a particular person, one needs to have at least some knowledge of who he is and what he is doing or trying to do. As John Steinbeck wrote, ‘It means very little to know that a million Chinese are starving unless you know one Chinese who is starving.’ To put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, we must strike a balance between emotion and thought and between self and other. It demands the mental dexterity to switch attunement from other to self. Pause, put one’s interpretation on hold, and explicitly check in by observing, “Wow, that sounds really important. Tell me more of the story.”  If others question why one is acting differently, talk openly about the changes. “Sometimes I get so caught up in your feelings, I forget about my own. I’m trying to get better at balancing that.” Don’t worry about hurting someone else’s feelings. If the person has empathy for one, the conversation can lead to a closer connection. What turns empathy into a true high-wire act is that its beneficiaries find the attention deeply rewarding. That puts the onus on us to know when to extract ourselves from someone else’s shoes—and how. Recognizing and sharing someone else’s emotional state is a complex inner experience. It calls on self-awareness, the ability to distinguish between your own feelings and those of others, the skill to take another’s perspective, the ability to recognize emotions in others as well as oneself, and the know-how to regulate those feelings. Reining in overempathy requires emotional intelligence; its underlying skill is self-awareness. Emotional intelligence always requires being empathic with oneself. And that paradoxically allows one to be even more present for those you love. Empathy, compassion, and loving kindness need special protections. One needs always to be prepared to explore and meet their own needs. If one is not used to thinking about them, one might not even be fully aware of what those needs are. Whenever one’s empathy is aroused, regard it as a signal to turn a spotlight on one’s own feelings. Pause (taking a deep breath helps) to check in with oneself: What am I feeling right now? What do I need now? Once one knows what one needs, one can make a conscious decision about how much to give to another and how much to request for oneself. It helps to nurture relationships with people who are mindful of the needs of others. Taking action on one’s needs calls on the skill of self-management. Once one starts noticing the ways in which one becomes absorbed by other people’s intense feelings, especially their negative ones, one can create some distance—even insulate oneself if necessary. To help manage the mixed feelings that a surge of empathy may create, one can change the way one communicates. Clearly state that one cannot meet another’s expectations at the moment if necessary: “You know, I’d really like to talk to you about this, but not tonight. I am completely wiped out myself. Can we find time tomorrow?”. This is to avoid neglecting one’s own feelings; avoid feeling as if being held hostage by the feelings of others; avoid being overly empathic which leads to the loss of ability to know what one wants or needs, diminished ability to make decisions in their own best interest, experiencing of physical and psychological exhaustion from deflecting their own feelings, lack of internal resources to give one’s best to key people in one’s life; avoid regularly prioritizing the feelings of others above their own needs often leading to generalized anxiety or low-level depression, a feeling of emptiness or alienation, or dwelling incessantly on situations from the perspective of another. It is normal and necessary to be tuned in to someone else’s feelings, especially when one is very close to that person. The empathic understanding of the experience of other human beings is as basic an endowment of man as his vision, hearing, touch, taste and smell. The desire to be heard, known, and felt deeply never disappears. It is a part of the human experience to put someone else’s feelings before your own once in a while, but not consistently. Empathy is often confused with pity, sympathy, and compassion, which are each reactions to the plight of others.  Conversely, psychopaths with absolutely no sympathy for their victims can nonetheless make use of empathy to snare or torture them. Empathy works like a spotlight, highlighting certain people in the here and now, making their suffering salient to you; only lights up what you point them at as a spotlight; is vulnerable to bias and indulgence. Empathy is limited in scope. Empathy is innumerate, favouring the one over the many through the “the identifiable victim effect”. Empathy often focuses attention on short-term rather than long-term consequences. How empathy picks favourites is through corresponding to the experience of empathy brain areas’ sensitivity to whether someone is a friend or a foe, part of one’s group or part of an opposing group; is through corresponding to the experience of empathy brain areas’ sensitivity to whether the person is pleasing to look at or not and much else; through people’s tendency to feel for those who look like themselves. + Cognitive empathy can be a great source of pleasure, involved in art, fiction and sports; can be a valuable aspect of intimate relationships by making you kinder to the person you are empathising with (Giving—and getting—empathy is essential in intimate adult relationships. In successful adult relationships, the flow of empathy is reciprocal: Partners share power equally and move back and forth between giving and receiving. When one partner does more of the giving, however, resentment is likely to build.); is personal human contact. - Empathy is a poor moral guide. (To the extent that we can recognise that the numbers are significant when it comes to moral decisions, it’s because of reason, not sentiment. Empathy can be exploited for emotion.); grounds foolish judgments and often motivates indifference and cruelty; can lead to irrational and unfair political decisions; can spark violence as our feelings for the sufferer can motivate anger towards whoever caused the suffering (Rejoice to see the sufferer attack their adversary in their turn, eager and ready to assist them. People who are highly empathetic tend to be more violent and punitive when they see someone who is suffering. Although highly empathic people are good at spotting the emotions of others, they do not necessarily interpret those emotions correctly. They might spin an inaccurate narrative about why someone else is having a particular feeling, or they may get stuck in feelings arising from within. Empathy tilts the scale too much in favour of violent action.); impoverishes psychological well-being when empathy becomes the default way of relating; is imbalanced between partners who give or receive empathy in situations of unequal power (Those in the low-power position are more likely to defer to the needs of those in the high-power position, as it helps them hold on to the attachment at the cost of becoming the architects of their own disenfranchisement.); capacity can be strained in situations of concentration on someone else’s needs (important for all caregivers to find support from people who can offer the same kind of support for them).

Compassion: Compassion is a caring concern for another’s suffering from a slightly greater distance and often includes a desire to help. Compassion is the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering. Compassion is not the same as empathy or altruism, though the concepts are related. Compassion is when feelings and thoughts associated with our ability to take the perspective of and feel the emotions of another person include the desire to help. Compassion (‘suffering with’) is more engaged than simple empathy, and is associated with an active desire to alleviate the suffering of its object. With compassion, one not only shares another’s emotions but also elevate them into a universal and transcending experience. Compassion, which builds upon empathy, is one of the main motivators of altruism; “loving kindness” with distance from their pain and perspective. When one feels compassion, their heart rate slows down, one secretes the “bonding hormone” oxytocin, and regions of the brain linked to empathy, caregiving, and feelings of pleasure light up, which often results in one wanting to approach and care for other people. One way to ensure one is taking care of someone one loves while keeping track of one’s own feelings is to convert excess empathy to compassion. When a friend is distraught, instead of assuming the feeling of distress oneself, take a breath and a step back and say, “That sounds so awful. Is there something I can do for you?” Reason and self-control can go well with compassion. Compassion is not "about doing a favour for anybody but ourselves. Since self-worth comes from doing something worthy for yourself, be mindful of compassion. People’s capacity for compassion is a defining feature of what it means to be human (societal compassion?). How do people navigate the essential struggle of everyday life? The fundamental conflict of everyday social life is when to put your own needs above the interests of someone else – and when not to. People are always trying to figure out that balance. Finding the balance of managing compassion, fear of the person and fear of compassion is a shared responsibility. It is about whether individuals can do a little more on a daily basis. Compassion can be an intuitive form of high-risk altruism (impulsive) or thoughtful maintenance lasting years (considered). Compassion consists of thinking, acting, the goal on the other person’s welfare, one’s actions having consequences for the other person, likely possibility one’s actions will diminish own welfare (putting self at risk), no reward or recognition anticipation. Compassion is the strongest instinct in humans, surpassing self-interest. Compassion isn’t something you’re born with or not. Compassion can be strengthened through targeted exercises and practice: look for commonalities; cultivate mindfulness; encourage cooperation not competition; see people as individuals (not abstractions); remove blame; think one is capable of making a difference; curb inequality; be receptive to other people’s feelings without adopting those feelings as one’s own. Compassion is contagious. + Compassion can improve health. Compassion makes us feel good. Compassionate action activates pleasure circuits in the brain, and compassion training programs, even very brief ones, strengthen brain circuits for pleasure and reward and lead to lasting increases in self-reported happiness.  Being compassionate—tuning in to other people in a kind and loving manner—can reduce risk of heart disease by boosting the positive effects of the Vagus Nerve, which helps to slow our heart rate. Compassion can improve well-being. Practicing compassion could make one more altruistic, helping one to overcome empathic distress and become more resilient in the face of others’ suffering. Not regulating compassion works for self-interest by not forcing trade-offs within the individual’s moral self-concept. Being (consistently?) compassionate increases social adeptness, decreasing vulnerability to the harmful effects of loneliness and depression. Compassion can improve relationships. When people experience compassion, their brains activate in neural systems known to support parental nurturance and other caregiving behaviors. Being (consistently?) compassionate increases optimism and supportiveness when communicating with others. Compassion increases satisfaction and growth in friendships. Feeling compassion reduces vindictiveness. Compassion can increase positivity and work commitment while a compassionate work culture increases work satisfaction and teamwork with less burnout.

"I Discovered a New Joy in Fighting Games" an Interview with the Creators of Guilty Gear and Blazblue

Part two of our my interview with the big three of ArcSys, the president and founder Minoru Kidooka, creator of Guilty Gear, Daisuke Ishiwatari, and creator of BlazBlue, Toshichi Mori. In Part one, we discussed their upcoming BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle and the atmosphere in 2D fighters development and competition. At the halfway point, we dug into the history of ArcSys's two flagship franchises with their creators, including their inspirations, plans, and, of course, their favorite anime.

Was your original idea for BlazBlue entirely separate from Guilty Gear or where there untouched avenues in Guilty Gear you wanted to explore through a different title?

Toshimichi Mori: A large difference I kept in mind when I first developed BlazBlue was that it was going to be a platform, an intellectual property, moreso than Guilty Gear. That thought informed the mediums through which it developed. It wasn’t necessary only supposed to be a fighting game, we also have a mobile game, Dark War, coming up. I wanted there to be many ways to interact with the BlazBlue franchise and its characters whereas Guilty Gear is designed much more like a fighting game.

You mentioned that Ragna’s story was “complete” with BlazBlue: Central Fiction. Are there any new developments with the story you’re planning for BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle?

TM: In terms of Ragna’s story, Central Fiction represents a nice way to sort of tie up some of the loose ends. With Cross Tag Battle and the way its story mode will develop and interact with the BlazBlue universe, all I can really say is you have to play it for yourself and I think you’ll see what we were trying to do. I think it’ll become very evident once you pick up the controller.

  BlazBlue was an interesting title since it first appeared as a 2D fighter with 2D sprites just as the 2D fighting industry began shifting over to 3D sprites. Was there an awareness of the industry was moving in that direction?

TM: It’s easy to call BlazBlue a 2D fighter, but I’d argue a good half of it is 3D including the backgrounds and, in the development pipeline, 3D was heavily used when generating the sprites, although they might look truly 2D in end. This 3D technology we used in our pipeline was heavily relied upon in the Guilty Gear development which, in turn, informed how Dragon Ball FighterZ looks right now.

There’s definitely been an evolution brought upon by the information passed on game-to-game as opposed to “this is strictly 2D" and "this is strictly 3D” so, in terms of BlazBlue, we’re not limiting it strictly to 2D. That’s just the form it happened to take, although you’ll find a lot of 3D elements if you look under the hood.

In ArcSystem Works, “ARC” stands for “Action, Revolution, and Challenge.”

Do you follow the Blazblue competitive scene?

TM: Yes, very closely. I’m still very curious about who’s going to defeat Fenrich.

  Do you have any favorite players or characters you’re happy to see played on the competitive level?

TM: In terms of characters, I love them all, so there isn’t any single character I’d love to see in the professional scene. We do our best to make sure the balance is such that every character has a chance and have the right tools to be able to climb up to the competitive level.

In terms of players, I really can’t pick any single one player. Of course, I really want to see everyone succeed and I know the players spend so much time and energy and effort learning the games that we create, deconstructing them to become competitive with them. I feel it is our job to create a platform upon which these players can shine and an environment where they’re able to show everything they’ve done.

You know, we have some ArcSys specific tournaments in addition to our games selected for EVO. It could be as simple as pointing the camera on some of these players, shining a spotlight on them, inviting them, or getting them a plane ticket to a tournament they wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend. Making it easier for them to shine is what I feel our rule is as a developer and a creator.

In your honest opinion, is Noelle better with or without a hat?

TM: Really, it comes down to personal preference, right? I’ve had a lot of players provide feedback saying they like her with or without the hat. Me, personally, I think I have a lot more nostalgia and memories linked to her original design with the hat. But, to be perfectly honest, looking at her from a design perspective, her silhouette, the strength of her as a character, I think she is a more complete design now with her hair down as opposed to with the hat.

In summary, it depends on whether you’re looking at her memory or in terms of the character…

Ishiwatari-san, same question for Millia Rage?

Daisuke Ishiwatari: *Laughs* That's funny, when Mori-san began answering that question, in my head, I immediately thought of Millia. I think my answer is kind of similar. Her design in Guilty Gear XX, I have a lot of nostalgia for that version of Millia but, as an icon and as a character, I think she’s much stronger with her current design.

I’m curious about the large gaps between Guilty Gear releases. First 7 years between XX and Overture, then another 7 years between Overture and Xrd. Can you share what was going on with Guilty Gear either conceptually or developmentally during those periods?

DI: There were a number of reasons for those huge blanks including creatively and development. The sheer amount of time it takes to get a project greenlit all the way to the finished product. There were a lot of challenges between Overture and Xrd and everything represented a sort of theme we had at that time. Overture was to tackle 3D. At the time, ArcSys wasn’t equipped to make a completely new 3D game. That was what Overture represents.

In a similar way, with Xrd, we were trying to find ways to express anime in a completely new way in a game, visually and conceptually. Those 7 years really were the time it took to completely challenge and rethink the way we can express certain elements of a game.

So the 3D in Overture, along with the developments from BlazBlue, acted as a sort of prototype for the new look in Xrd?

DI: It’s safe to say that, with every project and everything you do, you’re gaining XP. Knowing that experience will always materialize as the next product, I don’t think is necessarily a true statement. It can be applied in various different ways or might appear as a completely different thing in another game. That being said, in terms of what I’m working on, if you start to see me pop up less and less in the press then it’s safe to say that something big’s coming soon.

On that subject, you previously said you might be interested in developing games besides fighters and many of your favorite games seem to be RPGs. Is that a direction you could see yourself moving into in the future?

DI: In terms of developing games, I don’t feel bound to any particular genre. Of course, if the opportunity presents itself, I’d love to try developing an RPG, an FPS, or even something like an old-school Mario side-scrolling action kind of game.

Looking back on my own history, after Guilty Gear X2 #Reload, there was a moment when I was really tired of, or almost complacent in, developing fighting games. When Xrd came around, I discovered a new joy in fighting games, which was the internet and network battles.

Watching people fight each other while not being in the same place or, in extreme examples, Japan and US players can fight against each other. There was this moment of connection. It was a tool that could connect people and allow them to share that same emotion, this same moment, together, no matter where they were located. That showed me a new joy in developing fighting games and I believe there are still more joys to be found in the fighting game space. Right now, I’m really enjoying being able to develop fighting games.

I’ve heard rumors you were planning to conclude Guilty Gear and I’m curious about what that specifically means. Did you mean the story, the franchise, or perhaps your involvement?

DI: When I said to conclude Guilty Gear, I meant the current story arc would be concluded. By no means did I mean the franchise or intellectual property would come to a halt. Does that mean in the future I might be involved less or not at all? Perhaps, but, if I am involved, I think there are a lot of possibilities and different ways to explore what is possible with Guilty Gear.

Does the conclusion you have planned include Elphelt finding her true love?

DI: *Laughs* I might have to not be involved in the project by that point for that to happen, but I’ll leave it up to your imagination.

Guilty Gear is very well known for embodying the aesthetic of a particular era of music. If you were to make Guilty Gear today, would there be different inspirations you drew upon?

DI: Well, we’re entering the realm of fantasy here. Parallel universes or star systems, whatever you’d like to call it, I have thought of and I jot in my notebook sometimes, what would happen if I took the actor, Sol Badguy, and dropped him in different settings and stories. We have this particular collection of characters and I think that’s what people believe makes Guilty Gear, but, taking any one of these characters and drop them in another universe or setting, that has been a fun theme of mine to chuckle to myself about.

In doing so, I think, visually, it would be very different from what you see now. Musically, if I were to be developing this, I don’t think there would be many changes.

Ok, these last two questions are a round robin for each of you. First, what is your favorite non-ArcSys fighting game?

DI: Street Fighter: 3rd Strike. I played Q.

TM: Vampire Hunter. When I was a student, it was the game I played the most. I remember using the low-tier characters, that was my thing. Donovan.

Alright, last question. Many of our readers are anime fans, so can you share your favorite anime or manga?

DI: In terms of where I draw inspiration I’d have to say it leans more toward movies and other aspects of pop culture, but if we’re specifically looking at favorite anime, I would have to say Planetes is one of my favorites, but it doesn’t have much to bring to the table when it comes to Guilty Gear.

TM: Giant Robo would be my favorite anime. In terms of manga, I think Parasyte really is a very complete form of manga. The story is very well constructed. As a creator and as a way I thinking I can really resonate with Comic Master J. It’s a very dark manga, but I can really feel for the characters in it.

DI: That’s the same artist as Ninja Slayer.

Minoru Kidooka: Magical Girl Sally and Giant Killers… Come to think of it, Sally had the same creator as Giant Robo.

Oh, really?

---

Thus concluded my time with the big three at ArcSys and I left the interview with a new respect for the company as a creative force and each of the interviewees for their excellent taste in anime. BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is slated for release only a month before it will be featured on the main stage at EVO 2018, but the words of its creators make it seem like it will be an inevitable hit.

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Peter Fobian is Features and Reviews Editor for Crunchyroll, author of Monthly Mangaka Spotlight, writer for Anime Academy, and contributor at Anime Feminist. You can follow him on Twitter @PeterFobian.

By: [email protected]

Post R. Collated Quotes

Style:

Jim Jarmusch: “A career overview? I’m not a ‘big looking’ back guy, but I’ll do my best. I don’t even watch my films. Once I’m done with them they’re gone for me.” (Post E)

GA: “ It is entirely made up of discreet shots - every scene consists of one shot interrupted by black film - which is quite a formal or experimental way of telling the story. Why did you decide to do it and what is your interest in those formal things?’’ Jim Jarmusch: “I think it comes from really liking literary forms.” (Post G)

Jim Jarmusch:  “The intention was to shoot short films that can exist as shorts independently, but when I put them all together, there are things that echo through them like the dialogue repeats; the situation is always the same, the way they’re shot is very simple and the same - I have a master shot, if there’s two characters, a two shot, singles on each, and an over-the-table overhead shot which I can use to edit their dialogue.So they’re very simple and because the design of how they’re shot is worked out already, it gives complete freedom to play; they’re like cartoons almost to me. And it’s a relief from making a feature film where everything has to be more carefully mapped out. So I like doing them and they’re ridiculous and the actors can improvise a lot, and they don’t have to be really realistic characters that hit a very specific tone as in a feature film. They’re really fun, I want to make more of them definitely. Sometime I will release them all together, but I don’t know when.’’ (Post G)

“I’m talking about a very particular, all too common response to his work – usually from fans, though also in some cases from detractors. It’s the notion that the main thing to say – indeed, perhaps the only thing to say – about Jarmusch and his films is that they are ‘cool’.” (Post I)

Peter Keogh “ You’re often referred to as a minimalist. Do you agree with that label?”Jim Jarmusch: “I think of minimalist as a label stuck on certain visual artists. But I don’t really feel associated with them.”Peter Keogh: “There are also literary minimalists - Raymond Carver, Anne Beaty”Jim Jarmusch: “I think maybe what they’re saying is that the films are very light on plot and therefore minimal stylistically as well. My style is certainly not Byzantine or florid or elaborate. It’s pretty simple. Reduced.” (Post J)

“Jarmusch can’t be easily pinned down to any cinematic wave or category. “I don’t know where I fit in. I don’t feel tied to my time.”He is certainly not on the same time scheme as the rest of cinema, or indeed, the rest of humanity – which is perhaps why Only Lovers Left Alive is one of several of his films, including Night on Earth and Mystery Train, to take place after dark. Tilda Swinton has said: “Jim is pretty much nocturnal, so the nightscape is pretty much his palette. There’s something about things glowing in the darkness that feels to me really Jim Jarmusch. He’s a rock star.” (Post K)

“As a director, too, there are recurring elements: a minimalist aesthetic, laconic but lovable characters (often played by musicians), a cool compositional remove that invites humour without sacrificing sincerity.” (Post L)

“The second premise of auteur theory is the distinguishable personality of the director as a criterion of value. Over a group of films, a director must exhibit certain recurrent characteristics of style, which serve as his signature. The way a film looks and moves should have some relationship to the way a director thinks and feels.” (Post M)

“…postmodernism reevaluates tradition and openly plays with its rich heritage, often in the form of pastiche.” (Post N)

“…modern American independent film,with Jarmusch as one of its leading representatives, presents us with stories that disrupt the clear unified and causal structure of Hollywood films, thus resembling the pattern of Lyotard’s “little narratives” . While Hollywood films fall into specific genres and strictly adhere to its conventions, the leading representatives of the modern American independent cinema (Jarmusch, Hal Hartley, Quentin Tarantino, the Coen brothers, David Lynch) breakup the generic structures, overthrowing the need for closure, one of the main characteristics of classic Hollywood. The temporal structure is distorted, as can be seen in Mystery Train or Pulp  Fiction, while the focus of the films is not on the active, goal-oriented  protagonist, but on the people from the fringes of society, outsiders who oppose the accepted social norms.” (Post N)

“The underlying tendency of Hollywood films is to present the world as ultimately presentable and  knowable, but a more thorough analysis reveals the realism as only partly rooted and clearly distorting external reality. Mark Cousins labels the Hollywood style closed romantic realism, emphasizing the fact that actors seem to live in a parallel universe (494). Emotions are heightened,  main characters idealized and able to over come any obstacle. Although presenting a parallel  universe, Hollywood tries to create an illusion that the events shown on the screen correspond to  the world around us, thus creating a falsified reality.” (Post N)

“Foucault’s and Baudrillard’s analyses are even more detailed, providing the useful concepts of  hyperrealism and simulation. Illustrating his concept of the third-order image, Foucault claims that  “Disney land is presented as imaginary in order to make us believe that the rest is real, when in fact  all of Los Angeles and the America surrounding it are no longer real, but of the order of the hyperreal”  (Post N)

“The concept of time has similarly been disrupted. Hollywood has always concentrated on kairos,  the significant time, while completely abandoning the presentation of chronos, the ordinary time. The difference between these two concepts summarizes the inherent difference between  Hollywood and the modern American independent film. While Hollywood has concentrated on action and dramatic aspects of storytelling, modern American independent films have explored the moments in-between, the events devoid of dramatic tension, which explains why Jarmusch chose  not to present the most dramatic element in Down by Law, when the three cellmates escaped from prison.” (Post N)

“His second feature Stranger than Paradise, gloriously shot by Tom DiCillo in black and white cinematography, is divided into three parts and separated by fade-outs, whose function is to destroy the illusory nature of the Hollywood invisible style.The post-industrial and scapes of modern America are similar to those in Tarr’s Satantango , providing an anticipatory cultural link. The main protagonists come from Europe, which plays a vital  role in many Jarmusch’s films, signifying the impact of the Other.”  (Post N)

“All of this transpires at a pace that may admittedly prove frustrating for some viewers, but for me Only Lovers Left Alive it as its best during such sequences; in fact, it enters far more problematic territory precisely when it deviates from this rhythm.” (Post O)

“It also points to another significant aspect of the film, which is its use of music; this includes original contributions from Jarmusch’s own band SQÜRL, and a diverse list of other artists and tracks (including Charlie Feathers’s rockabilly classic ‘Can’t Hardly Stand It’). The music within the film functions as a soundtrack to persistent musings about the nature of art and the artist, and their resilience (or otherwise) with the passing of time”  (Post O)

“In the end, Only Lovers Left Alive is exactly what you’d expect from a Jim Jarmusch vampire film: meditative and unhurried, wryly humorous and culturally allusive — and utterly beguiling. In fact, it turns out that the vampire makes for a curiously appropriate Jarmuschian figure, isolated and out-of-time. Its pair of undead lovers may have (quite literally) seen it all before, but they’ve ultimately provided a fresh take on the vampire genre.”  (Post O)

Themes:

Jim Jarmusch:  “Adam and Eve are sort of outside type characters, bohemian types, and they probably already were hundreds of years ago. They’re not exactly a representing the square world to start with. They’re kind of eternal. I hate the word ‘hipsters’, but they are certainly on the outsider’s side” (Post E)

“I guess most of my films are road movies’’ (Post E) 

“His characters tend to be losers, drifters and strays.’’…’’His films are about communication, or crippled communication. People who love each other (or who will grow to love each other), but who can’t talk to each other. Often, foreigners can communicate more easily than fellow Americans, despite the language barrier.’’ (Post F)

“GA: The film has certainly got a serious side to it, but it is also very full of humour and that’s something that’s coursed through all of your work. Why is an element of comedy so important to you in your movies? JJ: Laughter is good for your spirit’’ (Post G)

“Nearly all of Jim Jarmusch’s 12 feature films to date are centred around a leading man, often playing a character in the midst of an existential crisis, whose sentiments and actions come to define the spirit of the movie.’’ (Post H)

“Now, it’s true that filmgoers hadn’t seen many movie protagonists like the slightly lazy, generally unremarkable Willie” (Post I)

“Time and again, Jarmusch seems to be telling us that love, friendship, respect for others, and an open, imaginative mind are key to answering that question.” (Post I)

“What fascinates Jarmusch in the vampire myth is less the usual blood-guzzling, though there’s plenty of that, than the educational opportunities afforded by supernaturally extended life.” (Post K)

“His films consistently flout the conventions of American screen storytelling. For one thing, their subjects are not always primarily American, and Jarmusch often shows the US from the perspective of foreign visitors: Italian, Hungarian, Japanese.” (Post K) 

“The director’s seriousness is often underestimated, says New York critic and festival director Kent Jones: “There’s been an overemphasis on the hipness factor – and a lack of emphasis on his incredible attachment to the idea of celebrating poetry and culture. You can complain about the pretentiousness of a lot of his movies, [but] they are unapologetically standing up for poetry. [His attitude is] ‘if you want to call me an elitist, go ahead, I don’t care’.” (Post K)

“It’s hard not to see the theatrically suicidal Adam as Jarmusch in disguise, the director’s neuroses in almost human form.” (Post L)

“The third and ultimate premise of the auteur theory is concerned with interior meaning, the ultimate glory of the cinema as an art. Interior meaning is exploited from the tension between a director’s personality and his material…It is not quite the vision of the world a director projects nor quite his attitude toward life. It is ambiguous, in any literary sense, because part of it is imbedded in the stuff of cinema and cannot be rendered in non cinematic terms.” (Post M)

“Only Lovers Left Alive is Jim Jarmusch’s latest foray into genre filmmaking, after the equally idiosyncratic ‘psychedelic Western’ Dead Man (1995) and urban Samurai thriller Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), and casts the vampire as a typically offbeat, world-weary Jarmuschian outsider.” (Post O)

“Shot for shot, Only Lovers Left Alive is visually stunning, and nothing embodies this more than the sight of Adam and Eve standing back-to-back, his black hair and clothes contrasting with her platinum hair and white clothing, as they gaze up at the former glory of the Michigan Theatre.” (Post O)

“With unassuming casualness, Jarmusch’s soundtracks and cast lists have created a cumulative portrait of the US musical underclass, much of it African American, that reflects his films’ interest in the marginal or overlooked – the drifters, dreamers and beatniks who give that troubled nation its artistic character.” (Post P)

Collaborators:

“Joie Lee, the actress who features in one of the early Coffee And Cigarettes shorts, says Jarmusch is the only film-maker she knows who owns his own films. “Very few directors own their own films - Spike [her brother Spike Lee] doesn’t even own his own films. This pretty much puts Jim in a league of his own. What it means is that he doesn’t have to do things for the studio - he’s autonomous and can realise his artistic vision."’’ (Post F)

 “‘’Right!’’ says the Coffee and Cigarettes cinematographer, Fred Elmes. ‘’He always asks my advice, collects the information and then makes the decision himself’’’’ (Post F)

Jim Jarmusch: “I’m not a director who says, “Say your line, hit your mark”, that’s not my style. I want them to work with me and everyone I choose to collaborate with elevates our work above what I could imagine on my own. Hopefully, if not it’s not working right. I’m like a navigator and I try to encourage our collaboration and find the best way that will produce fruit.” (Post G)

“The multi talented John Lurie worked on Jarmusch’s first three films as both actor and composer.” (Post H) 

“Hiddleston presents viewers with a character who retains a small inkling of affection for the world, but his own skepticism has become an infectious poison” (Post H)

“It may indeed have at least something to do with Jarmusch’s good looks and his musician friends, but it may also be a consequence of the fact that he first caught the attention of many filmgoers (after his 1980 debut Permanent Vacation) with Stranger than Paradise, in which the protagonist, Willie – played by John Lurie of the Lounge Lizards – might be seen as someone at least trying to appear ‘cool’. Willie is keen to conceal his Hungarian roots (not to mention his Hungarian name), reluctant to play host to his visiting Hungarian cousin, and generally appears happiest with a way of life that’s fairly solitary, slacker-like and self-centred, save for his friendship with the more outgoing Eddie (Richard Edson).” (Post I)

Jim Jarmusch: “Usually I write for specific actors and have an idea of a character. I want to collaborate with them on. The story is suggested by those characters.” (Post J)

Jim Jarmusch: “We do a lot of improvisation in the rehearsal process”…”Then while we’re shooting, how much improvising we do depends on the actors. Obviously I prefer to improvise in rehearsals because you’re not burning money. But some actors need a longer leash.” (Post J)

“The more Hiddleston and Swinton share the screen, the better, because the film lives and breathes through their elegant interactions with one another, and in many ways it presents a portrait of a relationship that is as intimate and low-key as Richard Linklater’s triptych of films Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), and Before Midnight (2013) — just with more blood-drinking.” (Post O)

“The version of Detroit that is featured in the film is shot through a lens that implies it is the ideal landscape both to engender and reflect Adam’s ennui. In this, it clearly recalls the work of Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre in their hauntingly beautiful photography series ‘The Ruins of Detroit’, and the film as a whole boasts similarly striking cinematography by Yorick Le Saux (collaborating with Jarmusch for the first time” (Post O) 

“From the start, he used musicians as actors and looked to music to provide the animating vitality that he resisted visually. Songs say what his characters cannot. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’s throat-abrading scorcher I Put a Spell on You blasts from a tinpot cassette player in Stranger Than Paradise, in which the characters scarcely do more than grunt and glare. That film starred the stringbean-thin, cucumber-cool jazz saxophonist John Lurie alongside Richard Edson, the original drummer from Sonic Youth. It made Jarmusch’s reputation in 1984, back when “indie” really did mean “independent” rather than “the boutique arm of a major studio”. (Post M)

“You could assemble a musical supergroup from his casts since then. Lurie and Tom Waits sashayed through New Orleans in Down By Law, with Waits going on to score Night on Earth. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins played a hotel concierge in a spiffy tomato-red suit in Mystery Train; Joe Strummer and the ghost of Elvis also had walk-on parts. Iggy Pop (the subject of Jarmusch’s recent documentary Gimme Danger) showed up as a trapper in a bonnet in Dead Man, and the White Stripes discussed Nikolai Tesla in Coffee and Cigarettes, where RZA and GZA, both of the Wu-Tang Clan, could also be found knocking back the joe with Bill Murray. The RZA also lopes down the street in Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai, a Jarmusch film he scored.  (Post P)

Auteurism:

Jim Jarmusch: “A career overview? I’m not a ‘big looking’ back guy, but I’ll do my best. I don’t even watch my films. Once I’m done with them they’re gone for me.” (Post E)

Jim Jarmusch: “I don’t read good reviews of my films, I love negative ones. Maybe it’s a little masochism, but more of a matter of, ‘’What do they think? They must be very different to me…’’ (Post E)

“Is he a control freak? Yes and no, he says. He loves to work as a team, but ultimately he makes every decision. "Every tiny detail of a film - the design of a cup on a table, all that. I have the ability to create that world, so I’m very fanatical about it. My films are made by hand. I write the script, I’m there to get the financing, and I put together the whole crew and production. All my films are produced through my own company, then I am in the editing room every day, then I’m in the lab, then I’m out promoting the film, so that’s about three years’ work for each film.” (Post F)

Peter Keogh “Since ‘Stranger Than Paradise’ your sensibility and style seem to be dominant in American independent film-making, and also in film-making around the world, such as the Kaurismaki brothers. How do you account for it?Jim Jarmusch “It’s hard to respond to that. I don’t know if my early films have influenced those people or wether it’s a simultaneous reaction to things being glossy and quick cut.” (Post J)

“Of his generation of US independents, Jarmusch has stayed the course, and stayed weird, while others fell by the wayside (Hal Hartley) or learned to work with the mainstream (Spike Lee, the Coens).” (Post K)

“Another thing that makes Jarmusch distinctive is his genuine independence: he is extremely rare in that he has made a policy of keeping control of his own negatives. But his refusal to play the industry game has not made things easy for him. When Harvey Weinstein pressed Jarmusch to cut his 1995 western Dead Man, the director stuck to his guns – later claiming that his refusal had resulted in the film being half-heartedly promoted on release.” (Post K)

“Jarmusch’s unique sensibility doesn’t always appeal to the market. It took seven years to finance Only Lovers Left Alive, with the film finding no takers in the US. In the end, the project was adopted by European producers, Reinhard Brundig in Germany and British veteran Jeremy Thomas. Thomas sees individualists like Jarmusch as an endangered species. "He’s one of the great American independent film-makers – he’s the last of the line. People are not coming through like that any more,” he said.” (Post K)

“Auteur theory is, unsurprisingly, anathema. “I put 'A film by’ as a protection of my rights, but I don’t really believe it. It’s important for me to have a final cut, and I do for every film. So I’m in the editing room every day, I’m the navigator of the ship, but I’m not the captain, I can’t do it without everyone’s equally valuable input. For me it’s phases where I’m very solitary, writing, and then I’m preparing, getting the money, and then I’m with the crew and on a ship and it’s amazing and exhausting and exhilarating, and then I’m alone with the editor again … I’ve said it before, it’s like seduction, wild sex, and then pregnancy in the editing room. That’s how it feels for me.” I tell Jarmusch that I always likened the process to preparing a meal. I see pre-production as listing the ingredients, production as shopping for them, and the pivotal step of post-production as the actual cooking. Jarmusch thinks this over for a moment, his eyes falling back to his empty plate. He stands, abruptly, and extends a big hand beneath a bigger smile: “Cooking is good too, but I prefer sex.” (Post L)

“I will give the Cahiers critics full credit for the original formulation of an idea that reshaped my thinking on the cinema.” (Post M)

“The three premises of auteur theory may be visualised as three concentric circles: the outer circle as technique; the middle circle, personal style; and the inner circle, interior meaning” (Post M)

“…the first premise of auteur theory is the technical competence of a director as a criterion of value. A badly directed or an undirected film has no importance in a critical scale of values, but one can make interesting conversation about the subject, the script, the acting, the color, the photography, the editing, the music, the costumes, the decor, and so forth.” (Post P)

“This creates the illusion that the music is emanating from inside that footage, which feels exactly right. Jarmusch came to prominence in the early 80s, when movies were first being used as tools to sell soundtrack albums, but his were different. Music wasn’t there to shift units; it lived in the fibres of the celluloid.”  (Post P)