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hamliet · 3 years

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Dabi’s Missing Heart

So I’ve been seeing two main responses to Dabi’s character as portrayed in BNHA 292, both of which I feel touch on a very surface understanding of his character and role in the story despite seeming like opposite takes.

Take #1:

Dabi is an unfeeling monster created to show the redeemability of Shigaraki and Enji in contrast with his true eeeevil villainy! He will never be redeemed!

Take #2:

Dabi is a sweet softy who did nothing wrong! He will never be redeemed because of this chapter which is so out-of-character!

Note how they both have the same endpoint. I’m not actually gonna address the redemption question much because I can’t fathom what this panel foreshadows if not Touya’s salvation (alive):

I’m not looking to debate this either; I’m just putting it here because I know it’ll come up if I don’t.

Instead, I wanna address Dabi’s character. He’s my favorite, and I’ve been asked a few different times whether I enjoy him as a villain or as an uwu poor baby, and my answer is always both.

Dabi is a villain. This chapter’s rampage is, in my opinion, not remotely out of character for him. But neither is it the summation of his character, and he surely is not meant to make Enji look good by comparison.

So, who is Dabi?

Dabi is kind of a flaming jerk, and that’s why I like him. He’s an abuse victim who gets to be angry and crass and sharp. He pushes people away because he doesn’t want to open up to them and get burned (heh). He’s just like Shouto in that, except with a dose of murder.

Believe it or not, this is a very realistic response to abuse, and very common too. It’s good to see that representation. If the writing was indeed just “he’s bad get rid of him,” well, that would of course be a terrible representation. But seeing a mean victim get redeemed? Now that’s some good sh*t I’m here for.

If you want a sweethearted, misunderstood soft victim, there is one in MHA, and that’s Shigaraki. Dabi is not these things, but that does not mean he’s not a victim or that he’s somehow an unfeeling monster.

You see, Shigaraki is a heart character. Dabi’s the mind. (Heart and mind characters are a literary pattern that is utilized in literature across the globe; it’s not an eastern/western cultural thing. It has its roots in alchemy.) The problem is that you can’t have a heart without a mind nor a mind without a heart. If you lack one, you’re missing half the picture, and you won’t accomplish anything.

We see this with Shigaraki in his quest to look for ideals, something to believe in, purpose to justify/enable acting on his feelings/emotions.

Dabi, in contrast, has conviction and ideals, but eschews any kind of personal connection and care.

So, both Shigaraki and Dabi struggle to unite heart and mind--but they need to do precisely this.

It’s not a coincidence that Shigaraki expressly envisions both Dabi and Himiko when musing on what his purpose is.

Yet Shigaraki is able to unite more easily with Himiko as opposed to Dabi because Himiko is also a heart character. She claims to be motivated by extreme empathy that warps around to become a lack thereof (wanting to be who she loves).

Shigaraki’s motivations are basically revenge for hero society not saving him--which encompasses both a deep internal and external (societal) need for empathy and a need for better ideals. Shigaraki needs Himiko and Dabi. They’re a trio, and all of them need each other to grow. But Himiko, being similarly driven expressly by emotions, is easier for Shigaraki to understand and work with.

The irony is that Dabi is actually a very, very emotional character as well. But what he does (as is typical for a mind character) is repress them, compartmentalize, dissociate. He constantly pushes people away, yet admits privately, to himself, that he’s primarily (and paradoxically) motivated by family. This is emotional, yet Dabi claims he “overthought” and, according to other translations, “snapped” can be actually be read as “went crazy” as a result over overthinking (note: both are mind allusions).

Dabi repressing who he is--Todoroki Touya--is symbolic of him repressing his emotional side, because again, family and emotions are tied together for his character. Now his identity is acknowledged, and Dabi claims to be losing his mind (again), claims that he can’t feel, and yet is completely consumed by emotions. Like, does anyone think he’s being methodical and calculating this chapter?

It’s not just negative emotions (rage, hate) that drive Dabi in response to his family. His seeking belonging and emotional connection is present even in a chapter where he tries to murder two members of his family and laughs off the risk to the life of another.

See, Dabi first asked Shouto to validate his pain:

But like, given the circumstances, of course Shouto doesn’t really respond well. How Shouto responds is this:

Shouto’s words are triggering. And keep in mind I am not blaming Shouto: he’s in shock and he’s a kid. I’m merely trying to explain how it likely comes across to Dabi.

You’re crazy. Your feelings don’t matter. You don’t really care about Natsuo! You’re a villain and that’s ALL you are. Not a brother or abuse survivor. Just a villain.

So, uh, yeah, Dabi then retreats back to being unable to feel, dissociating as has always been his coping mechanism. But that’s not all: Dabi’s been repressing for so long that of course he’s gonna go a little insane in response to the dismissal of everything he’s trying to point out. Why wouldn’t he? His family dismissed his pain back then and now again, and so, without that heart, without those emotions, principle is all Dabi has. This has been present since long before Stain’s ideology came into his life:

Now, he answers this question of existence through Stain’s ideology. Purpose is all he has, and to him, Shouto and Best Jeanist are dismissing that too. Why are they dismissing it? Best Jeanist dismisses him for an ideal: the overall good of hero society. Shouto has a mixture of this ideal and also like, genuine shock and pain.

Back to Dabi. Dabi’s summation of himself and his purpose is incorrect and harmful to himself and others. I’m not excusing him or justifying, just explaining. It’s a tragic reflection of what Endeavor raised both Touya and Shouto to be (and thereby ironic that BJ uses an ideal to dismiss him):

Instead of being raised to be the symbol of hero society--as Endeavor intended--he exists to destroy it. The root is the same: Dabi assumes he exists for hero society, as a tool. He dehumanizes himself, hence why his quirk physically harms him (which also fits his almost religious zeal for Stain’s ideology). But it is not all Dabi is. He’s not a tool, he’s a person, but to acknowledge he’s a person involves acknowledging his heart/emotional desires, and that gets to my next point.

Dabi’s not a reliable narrator about himself. At all. I’ve written about Dabi and dissociation before. So let’s look at Dabi’s devotion to his ideals, the ideals he puts above people and claims he only cares about... because there are moments where Dabi goes against those ideals.

For one example, Dabi’s gone against those ideals when he’s allowed his personal need for revenge (an emotional/heart motivation) to overcome his longterm plan. Like, he was fully about to get himself killed here, even though that would likely mean no one would know the corruption of the Todoroki family and hero society, just for the chance to prove to his father that he hurt him.

In addition, I’ve talked before about how Dabi’s the only character in the entire damn manga to comment that maybe using child soldiers is not okay. While it’s not explicitly stated, it’s reasonable to conclude that Dabi considers the abuse of children in hero training a sin of hero society that ought to be purged (hence, part of his ideals).

That said, I have also pointed out that Dabi has gone after children in the past when it benefits his mission (Bakugou would like a word). So let’s look at four examples of Dabi and his principles concerning kids--since, after all, he claims to be motivated by heroes who hurt kids.

Firstly, Dabi’s “save the cat” when he spared Aoyama.

Why did he spare Aoyama? We can only speculate, but it seems quite likely there are two reasons: 1) hurting Aoyama would not add anything to his overall goal of downing hero society, and 2) a terrified, cowering kid might just have been a teeny bit familiar to Dabi. Here, his ideals--destroying hero society--either take a backseat to a reflection of his personal pain (and)/or his ideal of not abusing kids directly contradicted his ideal of bringing down hero society. But the important part is that in this instance, Dabi chose mercy and the goal of bringing down hero society was jeopardized as a result.

So then why did he attack Tokoyami, Nejire, and Shouto this arc? Well, Dabi does things he knows are wrong for the sake of accomplishing his overall purpose. He does things he knows hurt himself for this purpose. This isn’t new. If he can’t be acknowledged, can’t exist as a person with emotions, then he at least will ensure he still has a purpose.

In addition, let’s look at what sets Dabi off in all of these instances. (Again, this isn’t me saying “well actually Dabi’s justified.” He’s not. I’m just pointing to what’s in the text to explain the machinations beyond “bad guy do bad.”)

Dabi tries to reason with Tokoyami, pointing out that Twice was doing essentially what Tokoyami is doing: trying to save his friend(s), but Tokoyami doesn’t listen (also again: not me saying Tokoyami should have listened--realistically, in this situation, it makes sense Tokoyami trusted his mentor!)

Only after his reasoning was rejected did Dabi go to flames mode. He could have just let Tokoyami save Hawks, but instead he really wanted to kill Hawks and that overrode his other principles. Was this just because of his furthering his goal--killing the #2 hero would help destroy hero society--or because of a sense of personal revenge for Twice? That’s open for interpretation (in my opinion, it’s likely a mixture, because again, it tends to intertwine more than Dabi likes to think it does). His principles and/or emotions are brushed aside, and Dabi Does Not Like That.

Dabi does this again with Shouto this chapter, asking him where he stands on their family issues, and gets brushed aside, and then Shouto goes into his rage mode and Dabi responds. Again, not saying Shouto is rational here or that he should side with Dabi’s murderous plan, but like, his words really don’t come across well to Dabi.

Dabi going after Shouto after explaining things, asking Shouto for help, and then having his pain dismissed is pretty much a repeat of Tokoyami. When Dabi’s pain is dismissed, he says fine, let’s aim for the highest principle possible: making Stain’s will a reality, and damn any emotional ties.

Dabi’s obsession with ideals, you might say, is a smokescreen to cover his own pain. Far from feeling nothing, he feels very deeply. (I promise I’m getting to Nejire.)

So what does this indicate? Well, that Dabi does have a heart and a conscience. But when he lets his heart act, when his heart reaches out, he gets burned. His heart jeopardizes his overall purpose, so he most often dissociates himself from it. But by pretending he doesn’t have a heart, he dehumanizes himself, and he projects that dehumanization onto others (see: seeing Shouto as an extension of Endeavor, when that’s actually the precise image Shouto is trying to shed).

It’s not a coincidence that Shigaraki has been unconscious during the entire confrontation with Endeavor, nor is it a coincidence that Himiko has been MIA. But, Shigaraki wakes up a bit this chapter not only when hearing Dabi spout about how hero society needs to burn, an ideal/the thing Shigaraki lacks, and through a less important but still-ideal-driven character in Spinner asking him to accomplish his supposed ideal of destruction, but when Dabi saves Shigaraki and Spinner.

Dabi doesn’t burn Nejire for lols (not that this makes it better because it doesn’t) or even for ideals. He burns her to save Shigaraki and Spinner, because they are his links to full humanity right now.

(Again, this is also dissociation and projection: Endeavor did this! No, Dabi, you did. You’re perpetuating violence against kids rather than stopping it.)

But anyways, when Dabi calls upon heart, Shigaraki wakes. He lends Gigantomachia and thereby Dabi and the league power.

Dabi can only grow and actually accomplish anything related to his ideals (fixing hero society) through accepting a heart--even though that will likely mean some painful surgery to shift his ideals to accommodate said heart, because pure ideals don’t leave much room for humanity. He needs to feel to actually change anything, because right now he’s just making things worse (hence, the need for saving and redemption).

I know the League aren’t the protagonists of the serIes, but their complaints aren’t exactly incorrect either (if anything they’re almost a little too valid). But through growing together, Dabi, Shigaraki, and Himiko might actually be able to accomplish something, and get themselves in a place where they can be reached and saved by Shouto, Deku, and Ochaco. Because to be saved, the kids will have to acknowledge the villains’ pain and complaints, and do something about it.

#bnha 292 #bnha meta #mha 292 #mha meta #dabi #todoroki shouto #todoroki touya #todoroki enji #hado nejire #toga himiko #shigaraki tomura #shimura tenko #best jeanist #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha theory #mha theory #league of villains #spinner

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serpent-of-the-silver-plumes · 3 years

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would you mind talking more about bart and unreliable narration? I always hear people say unreliable narration but I've never seen any concrete examples from media I actually consume so I'd love your thoughts

Oh absolutely!! I actually wrote a thing about this a while back but then went 'this is not well written' and it got buried in my drafts, so I’m glad to have an excuse to pull that up and rewrite it. (Also sorry, this got really long.)

Basically, at one point I was listening to a podcast (Be the Serpent, ep 4), and they categorize different kinds of unreliable narrators into three types: the narrator who knows they are lying to you, the narrator who is lying to themself (and therefore you), and the narrator who is lying because they are missing some key information. I would argue that the three main pov characters of the Bartimaeus Trilogy each represent a different type of these unreliable narrators.

Going in backwards order, Kitty is the narrator who lies because she is missing some key information, at least until the third book. As a commoner, even one who is part of a resistance movement, her knowledge of magic is extremely limited and biased. Were we to go off of her point of view alone, we would get an inaccurate view of this world and the power dynamics that exist within it: that magicians are somehow special in holding magic and that they have evil demons who work alongside them in shared mischief/hunger for power/whatever.

However, because the books include other points of view, the full impact of that unreliability is not realized.

Similarly, Nathaniel lies to himself, especially in the later books. He ignores how much he personally contributes to upholding a system that depends on the oppression and slavery of other sentient beings, and squashes down the last traces of his moral compass. I don’t think he ever really questions the system of government or if it should be there and work the way it does.

To some extent, we do see through his unreliability as well, because Bartimaeus is around to keep a check on him and tell the reader that no, the magicians and their imperialism are bad, that spirits have very good reason to hate humans, and give us other world building details that contradict what Nathaniel believes.

But some of it is about what is going on inside Nathaniel’s own head, so there is also a lot that can’t be fully seen by an outside perspective that has to be assumed by the reader. Like he will deny the sentimental feelings he has towards Ms. Underwood and the guilt he had over Kitty’s supposed death and the fact that he even remotely cares about Bartimaeus, but actions speak louder than words.

Because both of these characters’ unreliability stem from a lack of understanding, having other perspectives in the book in some ways cancels out their unreliability, and actually ties their unreliability more to their character development than as a plot/narration device. Kitty grows more reliable throughout the series while Nathaniel gets less so until the end. This doesn’t make that unreliability useless though, especially in a series aimed for children. By getting each character’s point of view, we can see where they are coming from and how the knowledge and views they have affect the way they act, but there is also someone else to point out how they are wrong, to make you question how true what each individual says is.

Bartimaeus is entirely different from the first two characters. His narration is told in first person, unlike Nathaniel and Kitty’s third person. He talks directly to the reader and goes off on tangential footnotes that are not necessarily part of the events currently happening in the story. Because of this narration style, he also has the power to lie more directly to the reader than any of the other characters.

Given his life, it is understandable how he has gotten into the habit of lying. Every moment of his existence on Earth is spent under the power of someone else, so he lies in order to protect himself. There are some instances where he lies to his masters in order to escape punishment or to lead them into danger so he can be set free, but he also lies about his feelings because he cannot afford to be emotionally vulnerable.

For the most part, I think it can be assumed that the dialogue and most actions that happen in his pov chapters are told as they are, since much of that lines up with what goes on in the other characters’ perspectives, and also there are at least a few things that show him in a less-than-flattering light that he would probably leave out or change if he could. Instead, the lies he tells are largely about his past and his emotions, often done through exaggeration or omission, and cannot be collaborated by others.

When lying about his past, Bartimaeus frequently exaggerates his prestige and role in history. In Ptolemy’s Gate, Bartimaeus says that he talked to King Solomon about Faquarl’s tendency to brag about his historical importance. Even beyond the obvious irony, in the prequel we see Bartimaeus’s time at Solomon’s court, and while it isn’t technically impossible for him to have talked to Solomon about Faquarl, the timing and circumstances make it extremely unlikely. Although his other stories cannot be proven or disproven with what we know, this instance and his general tendency to brag outrageously makes it very likely that Bartimaeus at the very least embellishes.

However, despite being super showy about his past, Bartimaeus doesn’t actually include much important information. He very rarely talks about his great feats as a thief or assassin or anything else. When he lists his accomplishments, he describes building walls and talking to important historical figures. There’s a post somewhere (if I find it, I’ll link it) that explains this as being a way for Bartimaeus to try to take control of his reputation and therefore his life; by associating with safer jobs, he is less likely to be summoned for very dangerous and morally reprehensible jobs.

He does generally try to portray himself as clever and collected and just generally more cool than he actually is. There’s a moment at the end of the first book where he describes himself as trying to calm Nathaniel who is freaking out, and then the next chapter is from Nathaniel’s pov which describes him as being the calmer one while Bartimaeus is a fly anxiously buzzing around.

I don’t remember the exact line, but in the second book there’s an exchange that goes something like this:

“____” I said calmly.

“Stop your whimpering,” Kitty said.

The way Bartimaeus portrays himself is straight up contradicted by the more factual account of the words and actions of someone else. And presumably there are plenty of other times that we do not see contradictory evidence where Bartimaeus straight up lies about how he is reacting to something.

But one of Bartimaeus’s most unreliable points centers around humans. Throughout the books, he constantly talks about the ways he has killed and would like to kill his masters, if given the opportunity. Nathaniel is an exception, one that Bartimaeus does admit to the reader, but even in the third book when he talks the most about how he would kill Nathaniel or even join a demon rebellion if Faquarl offered right then and there, Bartimaeus does not actually follow through on these threats when he gets the chance. Despite all of his talk about how much he hates humans, Bartimaeus has as much of a positive relationship he can have with as many humans possible, given the circumstances.

A lot of his unreliability centers around Ptolemy, which is what some of Bartimaeus’s biggest lies of omission are about. In the first book, we do get the sense that Bartimaeus has a soft spot for at least some humans. His excuses of saving and looking after Nathaniel in order to avoid Indefinite Confinement, while likely not entirely false, do fall a bit flat. We even get a mention of “a boy I had known once before, someone I had loved.” Although this is not explicitly connected to Ptolemy at this point, mentions of brown skin and the Nile make a pretty obvious connection to Ptolemy, especially as Bartimaeus describes taking on Ptolemy’s form several times later on. There is a less obvious hint too, “I sat on the ground, cross-legged, the way Ptolemy used to do.” Even without knowing much about what kind of relationship Bartimaeus had with Ptolemy, that kind of detail shows ‘a devotion to detail that could only come with genuine affection, or perhaps even love.’

It isn’t until the third book until we learn anything substantial about his relationship with Ptolemy, and even then he doesn’t tell the whole story. The fandom jokes about how Bartimaeus just casually mentions in a foot note that he prefers a lioness form because the manes are annoying, and it’s not until the flashback that you find out that the mane is part of what got Ptolemy killed. And even with the flashbacks, you still never see the time that Ptolemy visited the Other Place.

There are a lot of posts on this site that talk about how Bartimaeus absolutely was idealizing Ptolemy, and how there’s some evidence that he isn’t the perfectly sweet never-did-anything-wrong innocent child that Bartimaeus describes him as (notably that part where he was vaguely annoyed that people kept coming to him to ask for help and interrupted his research). Not that Ptolemy secretly sucks or anything, but it’s really easy to let nostalgia skip over the less dramatic details of Ptolemy being an actual human being with flaws.

In summary, I would argue that all of the trilogy protagonists are unreliable narrators to varying extents, and Jonathan Stroud is a genius for how he manages to make it all work.

#bartimaeus #nathaniel #ptolemy #kitty jones #my post #kitty #unreliable narrator

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probably-haven · 3 years

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after binge reading i have come to a new revelation: I’m not a fan of most Xiaoven fanfics

Don’t get me wrong, I love the ship and its one of my favorite to think about.... but most of the fanfiction for the ship just- doesn’t sit right with me for a number of reasons.

Disclaimer: these are personal opinions from my own taste and are in no way an attack against any authors out there, because frankly fanfic authors are great and not like i could do better lol. As these are personal opinions, I acknowledge here and now that a number of people disagree and that they are under no obligation to change their opinions in any way as it is not and never will be my intention to tell others what they should be thinking That said- read at your own risk if you want- meh, anyway-

time to share some opinions that have been on my mind lately

The biggest reason.... is how they handle Xiao. And I don’t even mean mischaracterization because Xiao is such a complex and yet simultaneously simple character that as long as you’re somewhere in the range of “Xiao vibes” it’s really hard to write him out of character because of his complexities. What I mean is something that i actually completely agree with as being accurate to his character. In nearly every single fanfic I’ve seen, there is some element of idolization that Xiao has for Venti, or for the sake of reference, Barbatos. He tends to think himself beneath Barbatos and/or indebted to him, whether that be because he’s an archon, because he saved him, or simply because of Xiao’s tendency to dehumanize(yes i see the irony in that word usage) himself. This by itself isn’t an issue but its often how this trait of his is treated.

Imma just list a few ways I’ve seen this be handled within Xiaoven fics. - It isn’t handled, it’s just there and accepted as a part of who he is in the story - It isn’t handled but his trait is treated as source of humor within the story - Venti(and others) roll with it (finding humor in it, just cant change it, encouraging it, making jokes about it, etc.) - Venti takes advantage of it(whether accidentally or purposely) - it’s actually addressed(by Venti or someone else or the narration- can go a number of ways, but just- even a brief reference to the fact that its not a good mindset fits in here) - savior!Venti(Where venti disagrees with it but the way it’s written gives off “god among mortals” vibes- like he’s just being humble and truly is above him in reality) - its the focus of the story - not directly addressed but shown to be destructive. - they chose not to not include this in the story’s characterization of Xiao(just saying that this is valid ahead of time) Theres others but i have a lot already. Note that I tend to read more ‘serious-toned’(idk if that makes sense) fics so that may skew my perception

Now there’s a few that i have issues with on their own- both instances of it not being handled, Venti(and others) rolling with it, Venti takes advantage of it(purposely(and without good intent)), and savior!Venti. Xiao not only has this trait, but he is unfamiliar with what is normal in relationships or emotions as a result of isolation and inexperience. He is also either not aware of or not concerned with what is considered strictly “healthy.” Combining these makes for a rather dangerous combination and just accepting it as “oh he’s just like that, it’s who he is” or making it out to be something funny- It’s not wrong or bad by any means necessarily, and I could still possibly enjoy it to an extent depending on a series of different factors, but its- not as often. Even in the case where I do enjoy reading it however, I would still feel uncomfortable sharing it with or recommending it to others because in the first instance it feels like normalizing a destructive and dangerous mindset, and in the second case it does the same while simultaneously making a joke of it. It’s the same deal with Venti or other characters rolling with it, but that’s probably gonna be mentioned later too. Not to say that this is a “wrong” way to handle it, that it makes the fic bad, or that authors even are normalizing anything by doing so, just that in my specific instance- not a fan.

I’ll get to the others when i talk more about Venti, but for now: It’s the focus of the story. I think I saw like... 2? where the story was like- focused on this and why its a problem which- power to them, address those real world problems like a boss- but also i wouldn’t actively seek it out or anything- like, good job, but doing so just leaves it open neutrally for other factors to decide how good a story i think it is.

not directly addressed but shown to be destructive. You’d think i wouldn’t like this- but frankly in fanfiction not everyone wants to address every character flaw verbally because it can through off story, narration, dialogue, and general flow to do so. This can be with an event, an action, a dialogue, a mere comment, making it actually fit into the it’s actually addressed category except that its- subtle enough to make its own category. plus i live for show not tell- in everything- its a thing. im- very much a fan of when the fics do this but the subtlety is easy to miss and its not common so-

It’s actually adressed- doesnt have to be a lot- just mention anywhere or imply anywhere that maybe idolizing someone as a god and savior and being in a relationship with them while having little knowledge of standards, emotions, relationships, or healthy behaviors in general- maybe isnt the smartest idea in the word. (”Call me Venti, not Barbatos” by itself is not enough to fit in this category tho as a note)

Now lets talk about Venti...

uh.... those who have followed me for awhile will probably already know this but... I have a lot of opinions on Venti and a pretty- “niche(?)” perception of his characterization that isn’t shared by a lot of others- so I don’t actually read as much Venti fanfic in general as you might expect because I often end up disagreeing with how writers portray him, which again, in no way is their characterization wrong, but- “their perceived truth” conflicts with “my perceived truth” and by extent so does the characterization, though neither is any more correct than the other from an objective point of view, if that makes sense... but anyways now that that’s said, moving on before this becomes a philosophy lecture, as fun as that would be for me. I’ll try to keep my “perceived truth” out of this for the first bit.

Venti’s response to this:

He rolls with it: this depends on the mood of the fanfiction. If they dont put a lot of stress on that trait of Xiao’s it totally fine but if the trait seems to be a major part of Xiao’s character, it seems like normalization once more. (more on this later)

he takes advantage of it purposely: if its an AU or something and Venti’s like a villain(i saw a few) then- villain venti isnt my cup of tea but i have no qualms. If they don’t portray Venti in a negative light while having him take advantage however that’s a bit uncomfortable to read for me because it feels like normalizing taking advantage of that mindset as well as the mindset itself. However, i did see a number of instances of Venti using it as leverage for like- self care- which i definitely have no qualms. Xiao: [insert probably destructive idolizing statement about being indebt] Venti: How bout you pay me back by actually sleeping for once smh or other variations are okay and depending on the vibe are actually a really fun dynamic as long as it doesnt turn into romanticizing or normalizing it, y’know?

Venti accidentally taking advantage of it.... I love angst- and in most of these theres a sense of guilt when he realizes- and i just think thats a lovely way of addressing the dangers of such a mindset for both sides. As long as it doesn’t keep repeating to the point of romanticization its totally cool to read in my eyes(not irl ofc). If Venti never realizes he accidentally took or is taking advantage it feels a bit like normalization, and if he does but just- doesn’t care thats- a rip.

savior!Venti...... i- i hate. the story giving off vibes that Xiao’s mindset is technically correct while Venti oh so humbly tells him to treat him as an equal like the wonderful and charitable person he is.... i just- no. of course thats over dramatizing it- I think the main thing that gives it this vibe is when Venti doesn’t seem either concerned, surprised, uncomfortable, or otherwise have a negative feeling towards Xiao’s mindset. Just- it makes the whole thing weird in my eyes when Venti doesnt really seem to have his own reason to oppose the mindset idk-

fact time!

Venti is the god of freedom. His backstory is freeing Mondstadt from a god’s tyrannical reign. His origin is a windsprite, just another breeze bringing changes for the better. His form is a nameless boy who played an instrument and then died, thus failing at his only dream and only ever accomplishing anything because of the help of others. He slept for a thousand years after the archon war to avoid putting Mond under the rule of yet another tyrannical god. He only even became a god because Andrius chose to let him. He wouldn’t have even had that chance if the nameless bard had survived, he’d remain just another wind while his friend ascended to godhood. Venti sacrifices his own power for his people’s freedom.

now that I’ve laid out a number of canon facts, time for opinions:

Venti has little to no desire to be seen as a god. He thrives in, comes from, and emphasizes a lack of superiority in quite nearly everything. The first Ragnvindir, who canonically turned his back on Venti after Decarabian’s fall, likely did so because one- he anticipated power would corrupt and Venti would soon become just another tyrannical god, two- he suspected Venti used the nameless bard in an attempt to rise to godhood, or three- idk insert other possibilities to acknowledge again that i could totally be wrong.

Look me in the eyes and tell me Venti wouldnt trade godhood for his friend in an instant. His godhood was only granted to him because his friend died and could easily serve to constantly remind him of what could have been and what he lost. Venti takes no enjoyment from being seen as superior and in my opinion, I feel that it could actually make him largely uncomfortable when his divinity and abilities as an archon get involved-

also self promotion for my favorite posts- check out #archon war era venti if thats interesting to you

so anyway Venti rolling with it or making jokes about it just doesn’t sit right with me.-

Okay! enough talking about that mindset!

idk- i have... a few/lot of other gripes and stuff or just things that kinda throw off the vibe for me but that’s the main one plus my general personal pickiness when it come to Venti fanfics- but this has gotten long enough already-

idk i just felt like rambling about it and i haven’t done a long post in a while so-

again, I love the ship and its actually one of my favorites- just the fanfic isnt my thing..... that doesn’t mean i don’t still love it and come up with a whole ton of brainrot and ideas on it tho lmao

#genshin impact #genshin xiao #genshin venti #xiaoven #genshin barbatos #opinions #discourse #? idk ill tag it just in case #dont mind my constant backtracking and justifying and repeated disclaimers-#i just have a crippling fear of being cancelled lol

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berlinini · 3 years

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Wait, so you came into the fandom through Project Defenceless?! That’s literally iconic!! Can you tell us how it happened?

Yes I did!!!

How to summarize this shortly... [narrator's voice: it will not be short]

So the year was 2021 and it was many months into a worldwide pandemic, which is important because it explains some unusual behaviour and unhealthy coping mechanisms due to the state of the world and the boredom of lockdown... *nervous laugh/cry*.

In short, one day, I heard Adore You by Harry Styles, started listening to his albums, fell into an youtube rabbit hole of mostly Harry but then 1D content, along with the inevitable blue and green hearts but also the #projectdefenseless hashtag. I kept seeing it and thought, well if everyone is talking about this song so much, I should check it out and then I heard Walls and it blew my mind. I was in a brief Larry tumblr rabbit hole (cringe) before I found Sea's blog, which confirmed a lot of the intuition I had towards Harry's fake-ass brand (breaking point for me was reflecting on holivia [the lack of professional behavior on his part + double standard, but that's just sexism in society i guess]+ the dead eyes at the Grammys).

At the same time the more I found out about Louis, his talent for writing, his love for music, his honesty, his work ethics, his positive message, his accent, his laugh, his smile, his dimples, his hands, his puppy eyes, his cheekbones, the way he looks like a baby, an angel, a man who will make you tea and cuddle you but also like a man who will fuck you up ANYWAYS I found my lane. I also found out that Louies are super cool, and funny, and "rad" and thus, here I am.

I'm sure there are new members in many fandoms due to the pandemic. And I can't help but think that as much as Harry tries to put distance between him and 1D/his former bandmates, him getting more famous will bring curious fans into the 1D rabbit hole and some might change lanes (sweet, sweet irony). Not the general public, but maybe fans who will be looking into "consuming" more HS (which is the bottom line of his marketing strategy), and I believe there is more of those fans due to the pandemic (what else is there to do, really). I literally picture a "Harry Styles highway" with a little 1D detour and then a road to merge back to HS or an exit into solo Louis/Niall/Liam/Zayn. Anyways I took the Louis exit (which is now getting close to the Zouis exit hehe!) and I'm very happy that I did!!!

I'm not gonna lie these last few weeks have been very intense, I feel like I got a crash course in the music industry, PR practices, 1D history, Louis' career, etc. which again is due to the fact that life's not normal at the moment. But, soon it will be *fingers crossed* and I will get to see Louis live, which wouldn't have happened if the world hadn't stopped in March 2020. So, silver lining?

TLDR: fan projects work because some people will be curious, defenseless worked for me, so talk about KMM ;)

#answered ask #anon #sorry wrote quite a novel here #oups #sorry I had to mention HS so much #still trying to get everything out of my system #about me #tumblr user berlinini #harry styles

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azureflight · 3 years

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So, I have just read all of the free chapters of Men of the Harem

Not gonna lie, I expected that concept to be executed completely shittily, but it was done, at the very least, in an internally consistent manner. They lay the ground work of how and why, so far, they don’t seem to be breaking any societal or political rules of the setting, only stretching it, which is perfectly in line with the main character’s personality and ambitions.

The story so far is very has managed to be not too horny for its premise. While there is certainly an anticipation as to when she will actually make a real use of the harem, the actual plot is one of political intrigue and not too terribly done. I am really interested in seeing where all of this assassination-tomb desecration-false accusation conspiracy will go.

I will say this now, I will be very disappointed if they pull a “haha, Latil DID assassinated her father, it was an unreliable narrator!” that is way too cheap.

My personal guess is, it was Sonnaught who did it. Yeah I know, common sense dictates it was Thula or his mother or one of their supporters, or more likely someone from within the harem, but I have a tinfoil hat right now and I will wear it:

Sonnaught is desperately in love with Latil.

There is a prophesy about her becoming a tyrant.

Her father, after declaring her his heir, watches her actions and rising tensions, with the words of the sage, he starts to get unsure of his own choice.

Both of his children have personal armies, he fears a civil war. He asks the Black Forest to investigate his daughter to see if she is conspiring something vicious.

Sonnaught, realizing the emperor might change his mind, kills him. Emperor, killed by him, assumes it must be Latil who gave the order.

He DOES name Thula his heir in his dying breath.

The only problem here is why he did not also expose Sonnaught as the murderer. My guess is that he was not for clear thought when he was finally discovered. When they found him he was almost gone and upon seeing his son, he only managed to tell him something like “you must stop her/you must be king/run” etc. Enough to convince Thula and his folk that the king changed his heir, but enough to expose who the killer was.

I think, Anatchka eventually deduced it was Sonnaught who killed the king, being head of the royal guards who is deeply loyal Latil and her husband’s potential change of heart regarding succession, he has both the motive and the opportunity. And that’s why she screamed about dying in betrayal. And why her words make no sense to us for now.

In Latil’s eyes, she and her son are the traitors, so why would she scream “you gonna die of betrayal” too, when Latil killed the traitor and avenged her father (in her eyes). Anatchka thinks Latil stooped as low as assassinating her own father, something she became completely convinced of when she heard Latil executed her own brother, so from her perspective, she is screaming at a treacherous kin slayer that what she sowed, she will reap.

As for which foreign country Thula made a deal with using the seal, so far the only options are either an empire we never heard of , or Karisen. If it was an empire we don’t know about yet, then there is no speculation to be done until we learn more.

However, if it was Karisen, I have a theory:

Klein’s words about his brother not giving up on what he wants and grabbing it by hook or by crook, makes me think, he made a deal with Thula, in which he would help him win the war, and after the victory, Thula would spare Latil and send her to Hyacinth. It would probably not work as smoothly if Thula literally captured her and sent her packing to Hyacinth, so it was probably meant to occur in a way where Thula would allow Hyacinth to send some troops to help her escape after defeat. Which would be rather easy to execute, since Thula would be in on it. He writes her letters, sends her gifts for 2 years straight and then saves her from “death” after defeat, he probably believed that she would have forgiven him by that point.

And the seal was used either to confirm a marriage arrangement or at least a deal to send her as consort. Which, in case of victory, if Hyacinth didn’t receive her as his due, he would use to demand her.

Overall, I am very curious as to where this will all go. Not gonna lie, I do wanna see Latil lead armies in conquest, becoming decisively victorious and then make mistakes while high on glory, that will eventually bring ruin to her empire after her reign.

I like the histories of warlike rulers who were well respected and glorified in their time for military success, only to be retroactively shamed for “bad ruling” or fundamental flaws that later get blamed for major issues or outright downfall.

To be worshiped as successful and strong in life, only to be derided as a failure in death, not because you lost battles, but because the cascading effects of your other decisions, such an irony. And it is one that even the likes of Genghis Khan or Alexander the Great cannot escape.

People like mighty, militant rulers when they are in charge, but then they are almost always criticized for being overall lacking in other areas or straight up incompetent in matters of state other than warfare, after their reign.

I kinda wanna see how “history” remembers Latil and her harem, say, a hundred years after her death.

#men of the harem

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luciehercndale · 3 years

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Blindness and Sight in TLH

Hello everyone!!! As you know, I often like to analyze things which lead to speculations. The irony of this speculation is that it came to me when I was talking to a friend about my “anti-birthday” (your anti-birthday is precisely six months after your birthday). My anti-birthday is on December 13th, which is Saint Lucie’s day, who is also the name of one of our beloved characters in TLH. This theory will not only tackle Lucie’s repercussions after she brought Jesse’s soul back into his body, but also other meanings of the word blind and sight in regards to James and Cordelia and Grace.

The name Lucie means light, and we’ve been told and shown several times how she is bubbly, positive, sunny, and generally has this radiant aura about her and she seems to brighten other people’s lives with her energy. But we are also aware that Lucie is often overlooked despite being so lively, and she has also problems of her own which she didn’t tell anyone of her family. These issues also include finding out that she has a power like her brother James. Her power is tied to the darkness and to death, which is an opposite motif to light and life, which are the superficial traits of our Lucie.

She can’t just see the ghosts, she can also control the dead, and this power is called mediumship. Lucie is a medium figure, she can come into contact with ghosts, but unlike James and Will, she can do it literally, because she has inherited this skill from her demon grandfather Belial.

Most of COG and then COI, we’ve seen how Lucie was pictured as the little girl. Not only because of her height. Along with Christopher, Lucie is the youngest character of the group, and at times it almost seems like the others treat her like a child, when she is mature compared to some of the other characters. And they also ignore her (as they also ignore Kit).

Lucie is connected to spirits, hence even her relationship with Jesse, who was himself a spirit, is very spiritual and encompasses that kind of romantic love that transcends time - or, in this case, physicality, since they can barely touch. Lucie then has what we’d call the “sight”, which is the ability to see things other people can’t see. In this case, ghosts. It’s possible she can also see inside their minds, just like she did with Jesse right before she put his soul back into his body. They also say that the eyes are the window of the soul, so when Lucie looked inside Jesse, she also saw his memories from a privileged window.

I mentioned Saint Lucie, did I? It’s time I explain this theory to you. For those who are not religious nor are Catholic (not only Roman Catholic believe in saints), Saint Lucie is on December 13, which is close to Winter solstice. We know that COI was set in Winter and it was almost Christmas. Weird connection, right? This means that Jesse’s soul was brought back around that time. The Lucie I’m referring to is a specific Saint Lucie, from Syracuse in Italy. She was a martyr of noble origins whose throat was cut by a sword, because she didn’t want to get married to her betrothed and instead gave her wealth to poor people. Another legend narrates that Lucie’s eyes were removed, making her blind. She is, in fact, according to Christianity, the protector of blind people but also authors. All of this to say that it is possible - at least, I’m speculating based on the associations I’m making - that one of the repercussions of Lucie bringing back Jesse’s soul into his body may be blindness or temporary blindness. We also become blind if we stare at a source of light for too long.

I apologize in advance for this theory, but there are signs that may hint to this. The name Lucie is one of them. Like I said, Lucie embeds both light (in her first name but also in her being a shadowhunter, therefore “angelic”) and dark (in her power, but also in her being also part “demon/warlock”). Which means that one of the repercussions for bringing dead = darkness to life = light is a temporary loss of light and sight in herself. This could also not go literal. I mean, Lucie could simply “go dark” and “lose her light” like for example Julian did in TDA, but wouldn’t it be too predictable? The reason why I believe Lucie may suffer the loss of her sight is also because we have other types of blindness in TLH. But wait a second.

Let me explain first. I said that Lucie and Jesse are a spiritual couple, with a pure and innocent love, which makes them appear very connected to each other that they don’t need the physicality to validate their love. They already trust each other. They know that they love each other, and that’s what matters to them. The quality not the quantity of the time they spend together. So one of their obstacles could be that now that Jesse is alive and in his body and they can finally touch and see each other properly like they’d dreamed (touch in general, I’m not talking about something romantic or sexual here), it’s Lucie who loses something physical here. Up until the end of Chain of Iron, it was Jesse who lacked physicality because he was a ghost. Now it could be Lucie who lacks her light and can’t even see ghosts, just hear them. Or this will not play out with actual blindness, but we’ll see Lucie in a comatose status or lost in the pit of darkness from where she saved Jesse’s soul, and thanks to the connection Jesse’s last breath may have with James, he could be able to reach out to her and bring her back (just like Cordelia is James’ light and is able to reach out to him when he’s in the shadow realm). So, bottom line, Lucie may become blind (temporary) indirectly because of Jesse and the act she pulled to bring him back.

I mentioned James and Cordelia because the theme of blindness concerns them too, but in different ways. Where Lucie and Jesse are not blind on their feelings and, on the other hand, embrace them completely when they come, James is under the effect of the gracelet and Cordelia, despite loving James, thinks it’s a one-sided love thus she doesn’t tell him how she feels. By being under the effect of the gracelet, it was like James was blind. He saw Cordelia, felt his longing for her, but there was something blinding in his sight which didn’t let him be honest with the person he loved. We are aware that without the gracelet, James would have already confessed to Cordelia. I looked for the term blind both in Chain of Gold and Chain of Iron, and guess what? In COG, most of the terms blind, blindness, blindly and so on, were referred to James. There is also a specific line that Jem tells James about him being a star who can’t be put out, along with his family, and whoever doesn’t see it is blind. I just love this metaphor of the Herondale family being the light in Jem’s darkness and muteness (which may be another thing pointing to Lucie becoming temporarily blind, although Jem is not mute per se, since he can talk telepathically - but it’s still a traumatic disability). In Greek mythology, Tiresia was a liminal figure like Lucie and they were also blind and could see the underworld.

The cause of James' blindness to his feelings for Cordelia was Grace.

Little parenthesis on Grace: in COI we find out she was blindfolded when she received her power, which I think it doesn’t just add more material to this analysis, but it also means a few things. She was given a power she didn’t want without her consent, because she was taken there blindfolded, blind. She couldn’t say she didn’t want it, because she had been also manipulated and abused by Tatiana. Grace’s lack of consent doesn’t just connect with her power taking away people’s feelings as well. It also links to Jesse’s body used by Belial without his consent. Jesse was also blindfolded when he woke up after Lucie brought his soul back. Covering the eyes of dead people was a habit that comes from the past. He tears the blindfold away and the first thing he sees is Lucie fainting, her world “blurring at the edges” before everything gets dark.

When I looked up for the same words in COI, Cordelia was the one linked to blind, blindness et similar. She wasn’t just wondering why she had been so blind about her father’s condition, and about James and his feelings, but also about what Lilith did to her. Cordelia had been deceived, and in her case, blindness is linked to the fact of not noticing the signs that Wayland wasn’t Wayland but Lilith. And Lilith is the mother of all warlocks, and it’s yet another link to James and Lucie’s heritage and being torn between serving the shadowhunters with a sword pledged to a demon. This also plays in Jesse being a shadowhunter but having Belial’s demonic anchor inside of him.

James and Cordelia’s blindness was played on the feelings’ side. His feelings were obscured by the gracelet and Belial and Tatiana’s wrath, and Cordelia’s heroic feelings were obscured by Lilith’s wrath against James’ grandfather. Their blindness was not literal, and as we saw, their feelings for each other were too strong that they shattered the enchantment on the gracelet. Both of them found out that they had been blind by the end of COI. Grace told James the truth, but Cordelia misinterpreted what she saw (blindness again! Miscommunication, which is also a lack of insight into something). Cordelia, already feeling burdened by Cortana’s corruption, couldn’t help but run away to the alternate reality which was Paris. In COT, Cordelia and James will finally confess their feelings for each other.

Blindness may play out differently for Lucie and Jesse. Since their feelings weren’t blurred by any enchantment, they were able to confess to each other and live their love, albeit for a short period of time. Since Jordelia’s blindness (and subsequent miscommunication, which Blackdale didn’t have because they were the only ones who talked to each other) was metaphorical, spiritual, in opposition, Blackdale’s blindness could be physically debilitating. So like Grace voluntarily provoked James’ metaphorical blindness and masked his real feelings for Cordelia, Jesse could have involuntarily provoked Lucie’s literal blindness.

I can’t stop thinking about the fact that some of the things that also happened to James could also reflect on Lucie but play out in a different way for her. Like when Grace wants James to run away with her to Gretna Green and get married. James doesn’t want to leave the shadowhunters. Not for Grace, even if he believes he likes her. This could play out for Lucie and Jesse. They might be exiled, or Lucie could decide to leave the shadowhunters and Jesse could follow her, and they become mundanes.

That’s it! Hope you liked my analysis and speculation. I like to hear your opinion about it, so feel free to write to me in my ask box to talk about it, if you want.

#tsc #tlh #tsc theories #lucie herondale #jesse blackthorn #blackdale #jordelia #james herondale #cordelia carstairs #chain of gold #chain of iron #chain of thorns #tweety.writes analysis #grace blackthorn #the shadowhunter chronicles

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passionate-reply · 3 years

Video

youtube

“Why did Kraftwerk stop making albums?” they all ask, as though Karl Bartos isn’t right here, consistently kicking ass and making great music. If you’re hungry for more Kraftwerk goodness, specifically with an early 90s techno flair, you probably won’t do better than Esperanto, so come check it out! (Also featuring special guest star Andy McCluskey from OMD.) Full transcript below!

Welcome to Passionate Reply, and welcome to Great Albums! Today, I’ll be talking about an album not too many people have heard, but that I think more people really should--especially fans of Kraftwerk. It’s Esperanto, the 1993 debut of Kraftwerk alumnus Karl Bartos’s project, Elektric Music. The production of the final classic-lineup Kraftwerk LP, 1986’s Electric Cafe, had been dominated by frustrating delays, rewrites, and remixes, and when all was said and done, the resulting album was a relative flop. By the time of the 1991 remix album The Mix, which seemed to end Kraftwerk’s career with a whimper, Bartos had grown alienated from founding members Ralf Huetter and Florian Schneider-Esleben, and fed up with their apparent lack of work ethic. He set out on his own, partnering with Lothar Manteuffel of the Neue Deutsche Welle act Rheingold, to form Elektric Music.

What I think really stands out about Esperanto first is its sense of freewheeling, unrestrained immediacy. For nearly a decade leading up to this album, Bartos had been working at the whim of others, waiting around, and feeling like he was spinning his wheels. Esperanto feels like a tightly coiled spring that’s finally being released. It’s dense, busy, in-your-face music that positively demands to be paid attention to.

Music: “Lifestyle”

Vibrating at the core of Esperanto is an undeniable Kraftwerk-esque sonic template: textural synth side-swipes, chattering vocoder-driven vocals, and hypnotic, mechanical rhythms. It’s natural to expect that rhythmic quality from Bartos, since he was chiefly brought on to provide percussion parts for Kraftwerk, but it’s also important to remember that he’s as interested in pop music as he is in classical. Both Bartos’s solo work, as well as the Kraftwerk tracks he had a hand in, emphasize melody, in a poppy, easy to love manner. The melodies here have some precedent in Bartos’s earlier work, but they’ve never been quite as punchy and vibrant before.

“Lifestyle” also makes early use of vocal chops, which contribute to that tight and busy feel, while also being a marked attempt at pushing this core sound into the musical future. Some of these specific samples are actually repeated across multiple tracks, if you listen closely--a sort of callback to the repeated melodic motives of the early Kraftwerk albums. “Information,” a high-concept eight-minute epic that the rest of the tracklisting pivots around, is even closer to being structured like “Trans-Europe Express”:

Music: “Information”

Bartos has never really ceased struggling under the weight of his Kraftwerk past, torn between indulging in these ideas and themes that come so naturally to him, and feeling obligated to set himself apart--as well as obligated to push the envelope and break new musical ground. Esperanto radiates and burns with that sense of conflict, which feels fresher and more raw, given the timeframe involved. This tension between working with and working against the Kraftwerk legacy is not only musical, but also thematic. Like the Kraftwerk albums, Esperanto is deeply concerned with the role technology plays in our lives...but it’s a lot less optimistic. Take, for instance, the opening track, “TV”:

Music: “TV”

“TV” is Esperanto at its most gloomy or melancholy, portraying the detached haze of modern lotus-eaters transfixed by the glowing screen. It’s an image that’s readily familiar and relatable to us today, of course, and it’s also one that runs contrary to the techno-utopianism of Kraftwerk, where home technologies offer hope of bringing people together rather than splitting them apart, and disconnecting them from the real world. If that wasn’t enough to convince you to read “TV” as an anti-Kraftwerk screed, the lyrics even point to “computer graphics” and “electric bands” as fodder for that destructively distracting entertainment. Ouch! Along somewhat similar lines is the track “Kissing the Machine”:

Music: “Kissing the Machine”

“Kissing the Machine” is also a sort of rebuttal of Kraftwerk tracks like “Computer Love,” demonstrating the pitiful perversion it really is to expect human, emotional fulfillment from a cold and sterile mechanical contraption. Whereas “TV” is more overtly downbeat, “Kissing the Machine” takes the route of dramatic irony, going for an eerily cheerful, naive sort of sound, painting its narrator as utterly oblivious to what they’re missing out on. You probably noticed that the vocalist on this track is actually not Bartos--it’s Andy McCluskey, best known as the frontman of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Like Manteuffel, McCluskey is a younger synth-pop artist whose career began in the 1980s, making music that owed quite a lot to what Kraftwerk had achieved before. Bringing on some slightly younger talent is not only a nod towards keeping up with the times, but also another jab at the legacy of Kraftwerk, who refused to collaborate with any other musicians, and at times even seemed loath to acknowledge how the art of electronic music had evolved in their wake. As the title of Esperanto implies, the theme of language is also prominent here, and that serves as yet another way in which the Kraftwerk philosophy is turned on its head, most notably in the title track:

Music: “Esperanto”

While many people assert that it’s more “authentic” to listen to Kraftwerk in German, they made consistent attempts to incorporate a wide variety of languages into their work. Besides the English-language versions of their LPs, Kraftwerk also sang in French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, and even Japanese, to varying degrees. They were selling a vision of “Europe Endless” that was multicultural and multilingual, and seemed to have wanted people from all over the world to connect with them and feel included and represented in their future, rather than view them as some distant and peculiarly Teutonic phenomenon.

“Esperanto” flies in the face of the dream of linguistic unity. Esperanto itself is an artificial, constructed language, created by L. L. Zamenhof in the late 19th Century. Combining features from the most commonly spoken languages across the globe, and streamlining away things like irregular verbs, Esperanto was built from the ground up to become a true “universal language” for all of mankind, that was easy to learn and use. But despite the hopes of Zamenhof, whose name for his new tongue translates to English as “one who hopes,” it obviously never caught on. The most beautiful utopian vision in the world is still just a vision, and you can end up failing even if “you’ve got the perfect pitch.”

Kraftwerk’s longtime graphic designer Emil Schult, whose contributions to Kraftwerk’s signature aesthetic are nearly as important to their legacy as any of their music, returned to create the cover art of Esperanto. With its bright and simple red tone and strong use of diagonals, Esperanto’s cover art is clearly evocative of the iconic cover of Kraftwerk’s 1978 LP The Man-Machine, arguably the finest hour for the band as well as Schult. However, its abstract, non-figurative qualities set it apart from the work Schult and Bartos had done before, as Kraftwerk hadn’t made an album that didn’t feature their own faces front and center since 1975’s Radioactivity. The image of a rising sun is fitting for the idea of Bartos’s empowered return to music after a period of dormancy.

The world is full of people bemoaning the fact that Kraftwerk gave up on making new music, and the apparent irony of this band who appeared to be visiting from the future being absent from the world they helped create, in which “electronic music” has ceased to be a novelty and become a default. Karl Bartos may not be the most prolific artist in the world, but I’ve always seen him as the rightful heir to the Kraftwerk legacy, and I think his string of solo albums since leaving the band are the most worthy follow-ups that could ever have been paired with Kraftwerk’s classic run. Esperanto does everything you could possibly want a 1990s Kraftwerk album to do, staying true to that musical heritage while also pushing forward, and staking a place in the broader artistic conversation. I think everyone who identifies as a fan of Kraftwerk owes it to themself to give Esperanto a spin.

My favourite track on Esperanto is the closer, “Overdrive.” Unlike the readily apparent cynicism purveyed by tracks like “TV” and “Kissing the Machine,” “Overdrive” reads as a more complex perspective about technology and everyday life. It’s a portrayal of that all-too-modern scourge of overstimulation, that’s still ultimately a very exciting one, that sweeps you up in its triumphant “kiss of life.” Listening to its chaotic instrumental outro, I can’t help but feel that it leads directly into Bartos’s follow-up to Esperanto, 2003’s Communication--an album that would tackle the Internet age, and its inescapable virtual hustle and bustle, head-on. That’s all for today--thanks for watching!

Music: “Overdrive”

#music #great albums #album review #album reviews #karl bartos #kraftwerk #andy mccluskey #omd #orchestral manoeuvres in the dark #elektric music #techno #synth pop #synth-pop #synthpop

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yurimother · 4 years

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LGBTQ Light Novel Review - Bloom Into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka Vol. 1

*Contains minor spoilers for Bloom Into You*

I have always said that Bloom Into You is a little bit too popular and awarded more praise than the typical and trope-filled story deserves. However, fame and success have their benefits, and thanks to the series’ popularity, we are gifted with the phenomenal light novel spin-off Bloom Into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka. This wondrous collaboration between the original creator, Nio Nakatani, and famed Yuri author Iruma Hitoma (Adachi and Shimamura) takes the very best elements of Bloom Into You, namely side character Sayaka and her experiences with LGBT identity and life and puts them front and center. The result is a beautiful and important coming of age story about a young woman discovering her sexuality. A story that not only escapes the common traps of the Yuri genre but utilizes and subverts them with flawless execution.

The first volume in the Regarding Saeki Sayaka light novel trilogy revolves around the titular character before the events of the main series. The entire book is narrated from Sayaka’s first-person perspective and told in the past tense, with Sayaka occasionally giving brief retrospective insights to contextualize her experiences. This presentation excellently frames the story, giving valuable analysis to its events, heck, Sayaka can probably do my job better than I could. The ex post facto storytelling also pairs nicely with the dramatic irony present in the story, provided that the reader has read the manga or seen the anime. On that point, while the light novel effectively stands on its own legs, reading it as a companion piece and prologue to Bloom Into You will significantly increase the book’s impact.

The first of the volume’s two parts, Year 5 Group 3, paints a portrait of childhood Sayaka. She is serious and mature for her age, often pushing herself to be the best in every area, both academic and extracurricular. However, she has apparent social deficiencies, remaining distant at best, and hostile at worst to others. She is surprised, annoyed, and challenged when a student in her swim class attempts to bond with her. The girl displays a strong affinity for Sayaka and, although at their age describing their connection as romantic or sexual feels inaccurate, she clearly yearns for a bond beyond friendship.

Frustrated by the girl’s advances and erratic personality, Sayaka angrily tells her to be more serious. Determined to win Sayaka’s affection, the girl attempts to mimic Sayaka’s mature demeanor. This act subconsciously implants the idea in Sayaka’s head that people must change themselves to suit the ones they desire, a lesson which later proves dangerous for her. Soon after, Sayaka begins experiencing strange feelings for the girl, which further her frustration. The confused Sayaka attempts to explain away her emotions, “I mean, the person next to me was a girl, and so was I.” However, after a sexually charged moment in the pool, the fearful Sayaka runs away and quits her swimming class.

This first chapter effectively lays the foundation for Sayaka’s sexual awakening and foreshadows some of the situations in which she will later find herself. Although Iruma’s prose, and Jan Cash and Vincent Castaneda’s translation’ is expressive and beautiful, capturing Sayaka’s inner voice superbly, there are a few flaws. The service described, including details about the locker room and the girls’ swimsuits, is incredibly awkward, especially considering the elementary school-aged characters. The climactic moment between the two, while appropriately dramatic, is undercut by this exploitation and its inherently ridiculous nature. Thankfully the second half of the book, Class 2-C, Tomosumi Girls’ Academy, lacks the off-putting elements of the first and perfectly sets Sayaka up as the character we know and love from the original series.

As Sayaka enters middle school, she becomes slightly less rigid and strict than she was as an elementary schooler. Instead, she is an excellent reflection of the girl seen in the original series, a serious and driven person but reliably kindhearted. She joins the choir club, where she meets Yuzuki Chie, referred to almost exclusively as “Senpai.” Followers of the original will quickly come to recognize this character as Sayaka’s ex-girlfriend, briefly seen in the manga and anime. Yuzuki confesses her love for Sayaka, leaving the latter to ponder the implications of dating her.

The sequence which follows this confession is nothing short of masterful. A once again conflicted Sayaka struggles to comprehend the possibility of dating Yuzuki. She thinks of the potential relationship as both one between two individuals and as a romance between two people who are both women. In the end, she decides that, although she does not yet love her senpai, she wants to try dating. Their relationship is full of adolescent naivetés and fluttering emotions.

Sayaka lacks a reference to healthy love and relationships, so, just as the girl from her swimming class did, she changes to become a figure that Yuzuki can love, telling her what she wants to hear and doing what will make her happy. For example, although Sayaka does not enjoy novels, she visits a bookstore, which turns out to be the Koito family’s, to buy and read one of Yuzuki’s favorite books. Eventually, their relationship escalates, and Sayaka admits that she has fallen in love with her partner. However, after moving up to high school, Yuzuki begins to pull away from Sayaka.

Their ultimate showdown and break up is reminiscent of Class S literary themes, with Yuzuki claiming the relationship was play, acting out, and mimicking fiction’s prevailing narrative of romance. However, now that they are nearly adults, and as they are both women, the “play” is no longer appropriate. Sayaka, however, does not feel the same way, and herein lies Regarding Saeki Sayaka’s pure brilliance. Iruma subtly and expertly hides small lines and hints to this difference throughout the book. Yuzuki speaks mostly in romantic clichés as if imitating romance movies or books, “Senpai often speaks like she’s in a story.” However, Sayaka shows genuine commitment and devotion to her partner, working (foolishly) to change herself for Yuzuki and occasionally thinking of their future together, once wondering if they would be together when they were old ladies.

Their actions contradict each other’s so much because Sayaka, the girl who strived to be mature and act like an adult from an early age, does not see the relationship between two girls as immature or a game. To her, it was a very genuine experience that helped lead her to her ultimate revelation and the light novel’s amazing final lines, “I accepted it. It wasn’t understanding or resignation, just acceptance. Of myself, and of the fact that I could only love girls.” Here both the author and the character have openly rejected the S era ideas that love between women is fleeting and childish, Sayaka comes to see herself as a gay woman (although she sadly does not employ this specific terminology). Here the book elevates itself past the original series and embraces the more modern and queerer era of Yuri.

Iruma Hitoma has done the impossible, taking a good Yuri story and transforming it into a great one, rewarding readers with a thoughtful and nuanced experience detailing a young woman’s confusion and strife as she discovers her identity. It is by no means perfect, as all the side characters are thin and underdeveloped, yet they do not need to be. This story is exclusively Sayaka’s, and the others exist only to serve the amazing development and growth gracefully communicated in this stunning light novel.

However, as I wrap up this review, I cannot help but think of how much easier Sayaka’s experience would have been, how much clarity she may have had, and the pain she could have avoided, had she learned about LGBTQ identities and experiences before her tribulations. It is so essential for the young to see positive representation of all peoples in both fiction and reality as they grow up, and perhaps ironically, Bloom Into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka Volume 1 has joined the elite ranks of titles which can positively impact the lives of its readers. It contains a wonderful, authentic, and grounded story of coming to terms with one’s sexuality. This light novel is an absolute must-read, even if you are not a fan of the original series, and I cannot wait for its continuation, especially as the upcoming third volume hints at a tale about a happy Sayaka and her girlfriend.

Ratings: Story – 10 Characters – 9 LGBTQ – 9 Sexual Content �� 4 Final – 9

Order Bloom Into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka here: https://amzn.to/31QgIaR

Review copy provided by Seven Seas Entertainment @sevenseasentertainment

#reviews #lgbt #yuri #lgbtq #lgbtq+#queer #bloom into you #Yagate Kimi ni Naru #girls love #gl #wlw #gay #coming out #representation #anime #manga #light novel #literature

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thewhizzyhead · 3 years

Note

Prime numbers for the ask game!

Oooh thanks for the ask cress!!!

1. what's your favorite way to dress?

i like to going for comfort so i almost always bring a hoodie or jacket with me. i do wanna try out more stylish stuffs tho

2. if you could change anythjng about yourself, what would it be?

if God gave me the ability to wish away my lisp that would be absolutely fantastic yay (also on a bit of a um not-so-positive note i guess the broad shoulders? i just aaa really don't like the body-shaming remarks from my family so um yea just to make them shut up)

3. what movie/game/etc. helps you calm down?

ooohh the piano tiles 2 app helps me deal with my anxiety and yes i am aware of the irony in that sentence

5. do you like to organize?

yup i find it therapeutic in a way! am i in any way organized tho? hahahahaha hell no.

7. what song is your aesthetic?

i honestly don't know what my aesthetic is like so ummm i guess either Okay Okay by Alessia Cara, Sober Up by AJR, or Sampaguita by Ben&Ben (i dunno i just vibe with these songs the most aaa)

11. vague about your crush(es)

what does this mean FJSJXJSJF

13. talk about an au or story you came up with

This is gonna be long so i'm gonna use the tiny font for this

i recently started revising the musical idea thingy that 13-year-old me came up with for the yearly sunday school christmas musical prods and um yea there are a lot of changes. So the first version of the thingy (aka the one that 15-year-old me impulsively deleted, please keep in mind that 13-year-old me was still very devout) was about 3 21st-century teens that ended up in 1 CE Bethlehem due to timey-wimey stuff aka divine intervention aka ✨ plot convenience ✨ and how they try to back to the 21st century while learning to deal with their own shit through bringing back their faith and all. The current version aka post impulsive-deletion has the narrators (who are fully aware that they are in a musical) bring (or kidnap) said 3 21st-century-teens (who don't know they are in a musical) to 1 CE Bethlehem in order to "fix them" by "bringing back their faith" in a fourth-wall-breaking kind of way which then makes the narrators realize how vERY FLAWED THAT LOGIC IS which is basically me criticizing everything that was in the old version. both versions emphasize the importance of forgiving oneself and giving yourself a chance to live, moving on and healing from trauma, and stuff that most parents in my church shove under the rug and refuse to openly discuss but are experienced by many of my churchmates i.e mental health issues, addiction, the effects of bad parenting etc but i guess the new version emphasizes on how almost every single one of the things that makes the church brand the kid as "troubled" or a "misfit" are actually systematic problems that aren't caused by simply a "lack of faith". I also decided to make it ambigious on whether or not the 3 teens turned Christian in the end cause I didn't want to make seem that Christianity is the only way for one to get better. At the end of the day religion is merely a choice and not an obligation and no one should be disrespected on whether or not they choose to believe in one. religion isn't necessary for one to be a good person to others and to themselves - one can be kind even without a religion soooo yea just wanted to emphasize that at the end nfjxns

oh and i decided to make it very gay and yes tony and shelby from the wilds inspired the gay shit. i dunno how i'm gonna get my church to include this in the production tho should they ever decide that they still actually want to make this despite the very drastic and controversial changes-

17. what form of government do you like the most? (capitalism, socialism, etc.)

uhhh i guess democracy? umm okay note to self: research about this question cause maybe i'm answering it wrong i dunno jdjsdf i'll get back to you on that-

19. what do you think our purpose is in the universe?

to simply be kind and make the world a little bit better for each other and for the future in our own little way.

23. do you like soft, fluffy blankets, or rough, smooth blankets?

SOFT AND FLUFFY SOFT AND FLUFFY

29. what do you think about tumblr discourse?

either it grinds your brain into pieces at just how mean people can be or it grinds your brain into pieces at just how hilarious people can be. there is no in-between.

31. how easy is it for you to be honest?

it's still very hard but ey at least it's a lot easier now. i'm a lot more comfy with sharing shit with people now compared to a few years ago so yea

37. what do you listen to music on?

if i can't be bothered to skip the ads and if i'm busy with schoolwork or chores, then spotify. if i like having the freedom to choose my music, then youtube.

#sorry for the late answer aaaa i had to do school shit #but this was fun to do eyyy thanks for the ask cress!!#much brighter ink #ask me stuff #long post

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nobody-wants-ice-cream · 4 years

Text

Everything Wrong With The Umbrella Academy. Episode 3, Extra Ordinary.

We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals

Run Boy Run

Usual disclaimer: This is all in good fun! I wanted to do a really nitpicky re-watch of the series and found some really cool and interesting things I didn’t notice before. This is meant to have a Cinema Sins-esque tone. However, I did take off a lot more sins than Cinema Sins would have because I do genuinely like the series and the people that made it possible. So all of the good things got one sin off and all the bad things got one sin added. This is a really long post, so grab some popcorn. If there’s anything that I missed, feel free to add it!

Vanya was clearly about to sell her violin. She looked dejected and sad and was detached from her violin case. This is in character for Vanya on her pills, who must have decided that she wasn’t good enough at one point. Sin for putting Vanya through trauma. +1

The Umbrella Academy comics are priced weirdly. The one on the right is $25.00 and the one on the left is $15.00. What makes the one on the right more expensive? It even says on the cover that the one on the right was supposed to be $0.50. So why the inflation? Taking a closer look, all six heroes are on the cover, so it’s not that either of them are pre-Five leaving and therefore more expensive because Five is on both of them. Though, the one on the right does have a picture of Luther, Diego, Allison, Klaus, Ben, and Reginald under where it says that the comic is 50 cents. To make a long rant short, the comics that Vanya looks at in the pawn shop window are confusing. +1

However, Gabriel Ba’s art. -1

The strange lack of technology means that Vanya’s book was written on a typewriter. +1

Vanya needed 6 pencils to write her book with. These are maybe supposed to symbolize Vanya’s 6 siblings, in which case, interesting detail, but still. Six pencils. As opposed to one pencil and a pencil sharpener? Why all the tools Vanya? +1

The six pencils (with two pointer up) symbolize Vanya’s six siblings, two of which turned around since the siblings they are supposed to represent (Five and Ben) are no longer around. -1

Vanya’s dying houseplant. Water that! +1

Vanya collects another houseplant and it looks relatively healthy. -1

The messy table garbage still has the same plate and same crumpled papers/napkins in the same position. Either Vanya was super lazy, or the set designer/director was. +1

Vanya replaced the dying houseplant with the fresh one. Poor houseplant. I will mourn you. +1

“Lost Woman” has some really on the nose lyrics. Playing the phrase “lonely woman” before Vanya starts narrating her book is ridiculously on the nose. +1

However, “Lost Woman” happens to be one of my favorite tracks from the series. -1

Luther should be part ape in this scene, (as it takes place five years ago, not seven), but he looks completely normal. This is a massive continuity error so I’m adding two sins. +2

“Starved for attention” is the line Vanya narrates over Allison reading it. On. The. Nose. +1

Diego is so pissed off at Vanya that he tapes her likeness to a punching bag and punches it. You know, like a rational adult. +1

Klaus is wearing birkenstocks and burgundy capris. +1

Also, Ben and Klaus work together to read a book. -1

But I have to ask, why did the rehab let Klaus read during group therapy. And shush his dead brother’s ghost. +1

Ben is pissed off by the line “and haunted by what might have been.” On the nose. +1

Five reads the harsh line “we all wanted to be loved by a man incapable of giving love” while next to Dolores, who is also incapable of giving love because she is a mannequin. Also, Five reads this book, full of vitriol and hate, as the last connection he has to his siblings, at age thirteen. +2

Reginald doesn’t read the book that his daughter wrote. As usual, Reggie is a dick to Vanya. +1

Vanya’s reaction to being late to rehearsal is so relatable. I swear I have done this a thousand times as a musician. -1

The Netflix captions (yes I watch with captions) say “Chamber music playing”. They have a conductor. +1

The conductor has the character of all conductors. Dick. +1

Vanya isn’t vibrating when the rest of the orchestra is. Late or not, you still need to follow the concertmaster, Vanya. +1

The rainy weather matching Vanya’s stormy mood. Foreshadowing. -1

Badass umbrella title screen. -1

However, why are all those people stopping in the street? It’s raining, get to where you’re going! +1

Allison and Luther watch the tape where Reggie dies over and over. This is weird, even if they are trying to figure out if Grace killed him. Who would want to watch someone die over and over? Not even I want to replay Reggie dying, and I genuinely hate him. +1

Luther says that Reggie thought people were out to get him. On the first watch, the audience can chalk this up to Reggie being a paranoid old man, however on the second watch we know that the Commission exists and that Reggie is probably not from this world. So either of those groups could have been out to get him. But who? This remains a sin until they explain it. +1

Training posters in the kitchen. The kitchen! Really, Reggie. +1

There’s this weird caterpillar thing with a face behind Grace in this scene. What the hell is that? +1

There was also a radio in the kitchen, which implies that Reggie either let them listen to tunes, or had training cassettes the same way he had training records. Either way, what the hell, Reggie? +1

There is a ridiculous amount of light sources in this one room. +1

Grace has a cactus full of toothpicks or skewers by the stove. Cute art project, whichever kid but likely Diego based on his fascination with pointy things. -1

The “your father was a great man” speech. Poor Grace. +1

Jordan Clare Robbins is an excellent actress. -1

Smiley face made of two eggs and a strip of bacon. -1

Diego doesn’t understand the chain of custody regarding evidence. Patch says that if he touches a piece of evidence, she can’t use it in her case. How many murderers have walked free because of Diego? +1

Hazel and Cha Cha use bullets from 1963. Dallas foreshadowing? Remains a sin until season two confirms the Dallas plot. +1

These bullets were found on the random local hires Five killed at Griddy’s. Why does the Commission use bullets from the early 60’s? Isn’t that a big red flag to their time organization? +1

Patch indulges Diego the Vigilante by asking for his help. You’re a police officer, you got this, Patch. Also, this foreshadows her death when she does things his way and gets killed for it. +1

Diego tells Patch to investigate Five. Oh, the irony. +1

“I do give a shit” is such a weird line to try to portray as romantic with the music, tone, and lighting, show. +1

Beeman, unprofessionally, brings up the fact that Patch and Diego used to date while at a crime scene. +1

Vanya washes her hands for two seconds and then goes to talk to Helen. Almost like that was the real reason why she was in there. +1

Vanya attempts to compliment Helen Cho, who is overall, not interested. Is this Vanya’s repressed way of flirting? Pick a better time.+1

Seriously, what is with Vanya and starting conversations at the absolute worst time. It’s like she wants to get insulted. +1

No way in hell would one professional musician to another be this bitchy, Helen Cho. +1

Helen straight up calls Vanya talentless. What an awful thing to say! +1

She softens, as if she just gave Vanya legitimate career advice, but she didn’t. She really just insulted the time and effort Vanya put into her instrument. As a musician, I can confirm that what Helen just said is the equivalent of saying something really, really nasty. Tumblr hate anons have nothing on what Helen just said. +3

Vanya takes a pill after being called talentless. Pill foreshadowing. -1

Cha Cha uses a curling iron to cauterise the wound Five gave her from the shovel. Where did the curling iron come from? +1

“The entire fate of the universe” oh Hazel. Thanks for the irony. +1

How did no one in the history of this shady motel notice the hidden panel? You would think at least one person attempting to have shower sex or someone cleaning or someone doing matinence should have noticed that, right? +1

Five stitches up his wound by himself despite the fact that multiple people are in the house that are capable. He’s going to pull a few of those based on the angle. Also, Five didn’t bother to clean the blood off his arm, so who knows if he bothered to sterilize the needle or his hands or anything. +1

The wound on Cha Cha and the wound on Five are eerily similar. However, what makes them interesting is that Cha Cha decided to cauterize where Five decided to stitch. Both are decent methods, but Cha Cha’s way is going to leave severe permanent scarring and Five’s way might heal. This could foreshadow the way they treat the end of the world. Cha Cha wants to end it, Five wants to fix it. Maybe not Cha Cha herself, but she does represent the Commission and their ideals. She is a stickler for their rules and uses her last moments to try to call them and get rescued. Point is. This is an English teacher moment full of symbolism, and I respect the show for this choice. -1

Billy the Choo Choo bandages. First of all, Five can never get away from the childishness of his current form. Second of all, Reggie let Five have “Billy the Choo Choo” licenced bandages??? +1

Or, Five chose to buy/steal these bandages. +1

Five puts a clean, white uniform shirt over blood that he still hasn’t cleaned up. At this point, that has got to be uncomfortably sticky. +1

Five didn’t bother to clean his wound until morning. “I guess I’ll go to sleep and bleed”???+1

Or, it took Five several hours to get the supplies. Bullshit. No way in hell did Reggie not have those supplies lying around. +1

Five still chooses to wear the full uniform ensemble even though he could at the very least get rid of the tie. +1

The teleporting kid gets the fire escape bedroom. It’s like Reggie was begging Five to sneak out of the house. +1

Dumpster Bagel: Do Not Eat. +1

“I’m done funding your drug habit” you never did in the first place? You didn’t pay him at all for that magnificent acting?? Unless Five did this before he left the mansion, in which case, Five funded Klaus’s drug habit. +1

Justin Min looks so incredibly creepy sitting on the dumpster. He has such a blank expression. Also, when did he move from the fire escape? +1

“I love you. Even if you can’t love yourself!” is a great line. -1

When Five drives away in the stolen van, he passes an absolutely bewildered guy. How the hell did Five function as an assassin? He can’t do subtlety. This contradicts “I know how to do everything”. +1

Was Aidan Gallagher actually driving in this scene? Because it kind of looks like the way a beginner would drive. This also contradicts “I know how to do everything” +1

There’s a lady passing Meritech that actually chose to wear a baby pink fedora. M’costume. +1

Five left his wife stuck in a bag and didn’t remember her. +1

He also left a bottle of some clear liquor on top of her. +1

“This is the place that it was made. Or will be made.” The delivery on this line was kinda bad. +1

Allison used her power on Claire. Claire was three years old. No matter which way you slice it, this is the shittiest thing Allison has ever done. She’s working on it, but the fact that it happened deserves a sin. +1

Emmy Raver-Lampman is a kick ass actress. -1

Allison has the most warranted case of impostor syndrome ever. Sin off because this is the one of the few scenes where two characters actually talk about their emotions. -1

Luther and Allison had that conversation sitting ridiculously far apart. +1

Leonard’s shop is called “Imperial Woodwares” Apparently, he delivers as well. How did Leonard get the business and woodworking skills necessary for running a relatively successful shop while in prison? +1

Leonard somehow knows that Vanya’s orchestra (which rehearses and performs in the Icarus Theatre) is far from Bricktown. At this point, he shouldn’t know that unless that is the only orchestra in the entire city. There is no way that that is the only orchestra in the entire city. +1

Leonard took up wood carving in prison. Is that allowed? +1

If a guy you just met makes a wood carving in your likeness you should run. Run like hell. Get a restraining order. That is so creepy. Obvious villain is obvious. +1

Also, I once read a fanfic (The Moon Laughs by Lady_Origami on ao3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/17959847/chapters/42417584) where a character is kidnaped by Leonard and tortured in this backroom where he’s showing Vanya the creepy statue. I can see where the inspiration came from. This back room has “place to keep the person I kidnaped and torture them” vibes.+1

Leonard stayed up all night to make the creepy woodcarving. He then insists that Vanya take it. And Vanya doesn’t recognize the creepy vibes. +1

And she does take it! +1

Leonard says that he made the carving for her and that she inspired him. Obvious manipulation is obvious. +1

Leonard is a dick to Vanya by using Allison’s successful career. +1

Leonard doesn’t like the Beatles. +1

Why did Allison go to Bricktown to find Vanya when that is nowhere near the theatre or Vanya’s apartment? Was she just wandering around hoping to find Vanya? +1

Allison is the Queen of actually talking out her thoughts and feelings. She just apologized to Vanya and explained why she was so angry in the last episode. Well done. I respect that. -1

Allison and Vanya sisterly bonding. -1

Five sees children playing and then immediately starts having an apocalypse flashback. This shows that Five lost his childhood as soon as he time traveled to the apocalypse. I’m sad now. +1

Aidan Gallagher plays this really well. -1

If you look closely, you can see Five/Aidan Gallagher laughing at Luther/Tom Hopper because he can’t fit in the van. I can’t tell if Five is laughing at Luther or if Aidan is laughing at Tom. Either way, that slaps. -1

However, corpsing. +1

No one has written Klaus/Dolores fanfic yet. They really hit it off in the van, y’all. +1

Five throws an empty can at Klaus for messing with Dolores. +1

Klaus’s expression after Five says “does it matter, it’s Klaus.” Sinning because Five is a dick to Klaus. +1

“Did I ever tell you about the time I tried to wax my ass with chocolate pudding. It was so painful.” I love this line. God bless Robert Sheehan. -1

Aidan Gallagher contemplates this line then starts corpsing. I don’t blame him. I’ve been trying to figure out how that would be possible too. -1

How can you use chocolate pudding to wax any hair? +1

Aidan Gallagher laughs at this line, meaning Five found this funny, but didn’t want to give Klaus the satisfaction of laughing. +1

Luther and Five are dicks to Klaus. They kicked him out of the van! Assholes. +1

Luther is sort of trying to connect with Five, but he fails miserably because it comes out really condescending. +1

“I don’t think that I’m better than you, Number One. I know I am.” Hubris much, Five? +1

Luther is already sick of Five’s “I’m better than you, I’ve done things you couldn’t comprehend” schtick and Five has only been back for three days. And we make fun of Luther’s moon thing. We get it, Five, you’re a badass. Actions speak louder than words, old man. +1

On the side of the Variety Store Klaus steals from is a billboard for Clever Crisp Cereal, which is the cereal that Reggie invented in the comics. I guess he did that here too. -1

Also, Klaus steals from the Variety Store and drops everything while running away. Why did you steal so much shit if you knew you were going to drop it all Klaus? +1

Ben’s reaction to this buffoonery must have been hilarious. Sinning the show for not showing us that. +1

“Now I’m starting to wonder if that was the wisest decision.” What? Kicking Klaus out of the van or Klaus deciding to rob the store? Because both were pretty stupid. +1

Does Agnes own Griddy’s? +1

Agnes just gave some valuable baking tips when it comes to doughnuts. Thanks, Agnes. -1

Agnes and Hazel are really cute together. -1

The Hazel and Agnes theme is my favorite instrumental piece from the whole show. -1

There are still bullet holes in the walls. Attention to detail! -1

Hazel and Cha Cha pretend to be social workers or private detectives concerned for Five’s well being. Oh, the irony. +1

“I mean who lets a kid get a tattoo” Reginald Hargreeves. That’s who. +12

Agnes is indignant about Five’s tattoo, citing his age. This whole episode has a ridiculous amount of irony. +1

Agnes draws the umbrella tattoo a bit too perfectly for someone who only saw it once and at the wrong angle. +1

Diego straight up threatens Luther at knifepoint. +1

This family meeting is a complete shitshow. +1

The monocle is likely to become a s2 plotpoint because Diego put it in a place where anyone could take it. If you’ve read the comics, you know why I think that’s important, but I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t. Either way, that was a dumb way to dispose of the monocle, Diego. +1

Diego is a dick to Vanya until she agrees with him. +1

They are legitimately talking about killing their mother. What the fuck. +1

Klaus references the van when only Luther, Five, and presumably Ben know about it. This makes no sense. +1

Votes to kill Mom: Luther, Allison, Ben +3

Klaus hisses at Ben and no one thinks this is weird. +1

Grace definitely heard Luther and Allison voting to kill her. After she made them breakfast too! Luther and Allison are dicks in this scene. (And so is Ben but Grace couldn’t hear him.) +2

Grace tries to prove her worth by making cookies. Fuck Luther, Allison, and Ben for voting to turn her off. +3

Diego and Vanya actually have a civil conversation. Well done for doing the bare minimum, Diego? -1

Vanya’s pills suggest that she was friendlier with Diego at some point. +1

Pogo for sure saw that whole thing and he saw Vanya take the pills. Dr. Complicit. +1

Reginald is a total soccer mom in Diego’s flashback scenes. This amuses me. -1

However, Reginald raised six child soldiers as “crime deterrents” so +6

Luther is casually working out in his bedroom while the mission alarm is going off. +1

“Where’s my knives” was a phrase Diego practiced. Also, Diego would never lose his knives. +1

Vanya’s room is a fucking closet. +1

“Thank you, Mother” Dante Albidone is a treasure. -1

“Boys will be boys” this is the only time that phrase is acceptable. When you’re putting out a fire your son caused for no reason. -1

“You did it! I’m so proud of you!” -1

Reginald interrupts this. +2

Diego’s flashbacks were very unorganized, which makes sense. This is probably several years worth of mission flashbacks. -1

“It’s okay if you hated him” “I would understand if you wanted to hurt him”-2

David Castaneda and Jordan Claire Robbins nailed this scene. Two kick ass actors being incredible. -1

Did Five really sit there all day with no breaks? +1

Five is arguing with Dolores and losing. She is a manifestation of his subconscious. And she is winning this argument. +1

Aidan Gallagher looked directly into the camera. We made eye contact. It was weird. +1

Lance straight up sells those illegal prosthetics where anyone could see it. Lance is an idiot. +1

Agnes’s drawing led Hazel and Cha Cha to the Academy. +1

Cha Cha left the window down in the car. +1

Would that air thing actually work? If it wouldn’t then sin on Reggie for getting cheap locks. If it would, sin on me for not getting better locks sooner. +1

Hazel and Cha Cha don’t have their masks on. What if somebody saw them? +1

The portrait of Five comes back to bite the Academy in the ass. Why haven’t they gotten rid of it? Five has been back for three days. +1

Klaus has black nail polish on his toes. -1

No way in hell is Klaus able to have his eyes open in a soapy bathtub. +1

The ghosts are creepy. Sin because Klaus is traumatized. +1

“We’re Through” by the Hollies is one of my favorite songs to play on guitar. It’s a decent coffee shop piece and I like playing it live. Thank you show, for helping me discover it. -1

Klaus is taking a bath with the door open. +1

Luther has been eating his Wheaties, Cha Cha. If you call experimental ape drugs, Wheaties. +1

Luther describing sunrise on the moon. I like this bit of writing. -1

Where were Hazel and Cha Cha keeping their guns and masks? Special pockets? +1

Diego is the only person who could possibly bring knives to a gun fight and win. Diego is a badass. -1

Hazel and Cha Cha continue to have stormtrooper aim. There are so many times when either could have shot Diego, but magically miss because Diego has plot armor. +1

Reginald’s portrait gets shot though. Right in some lethal areas. This amuses me. -1

Grace is so out of it she doesn’t notice heavy gunfire. Reggie, you suck. +1

“Who the hell are these guys?”/”Who the hell are these people?” +1

Diego, Luther and Allison just saved your ass. Less arguing, more fighting the crazy people. +1

Reggie keeps convenient weapons everywhere like they’re lamps. +1

Vanya is still in the Academy hours after the meeting, and she doesn’t think to hide during all this crazy gunfire and fighting. Sigh. +1

Seriously, it’s like she’s trying to get killed. +1

But she doesn’t because she has plot armor. +1

“Hey, asshole” goes back to Five’s “hey, assholes” from episode one. So did Luther learn that from Five, did Five learn that from Luther, or did Reggie decide that that was an acceptable phrase to teach his children? I lowkey want to write all three in a crackfic. Nice. -1

Vanya probably has a concussion. Otherwise, she would have attempted to run, right? Please tell me she isn’t that stupid. +1

You know that b99 meme where shit is going down and Gina is just chilling with her headphones. Yeah. That. Klaus, get some situational awareness, please. Also, what are these magic noise cancelling headphones that can block out the sound of gunfire and where can I buy them? +1

Allison, I understand why you don’t want to rumor anyone, but your life is literally in danger. I think you can forgive yourself if you rumor Hazel and Cha Cha into not killing you and your family. +1

“You wanna rumor this psycho?” “I don’t need to because this bitch just pissed me off” These are both horrible lines. I can’t tell if it’s because of the writers or because of the actors, but both of these lines are genuinely terrible. +1

“We just want the boy”. Nice comics reference, Cha Cha. -1

Diego doesn’t attempt to fight Cha Cha and give Allison the upper hand. He just sort of stands there. What the hell, Diego? +1

And when he does fight her, he doesn’t use any long range weapons. Diego, this is your house. I’m assuming you know where the knife drawer is? +1

Ben attempts to give Klaus privacy. In this situation. That’s a sin. I would risk seeing my brother’s naked body if it meant he wouldn’t be shot. Just sayin’, Ben. Get all up in his face. Put your ghost hands through his head. Get his attention! +1

Luther and Hazel can go hand to hand as equals and the show never addresses why. +1

Vanya really is that stupid. There are plenty of doors. And the fire escape from Five’s room. Vanya, run!+1

Luther had plenty of time to get out of the way of the chandaller. Why didn’t he shove his siblings and follow one of them? The motion would have made sense. +1

This ape reveal makes no sense. It would have worked in episode one, but it’s weird in episode 3. Why didn’t they reveal this to the audience earlier? +1

The dinosaur footprint sound effect. +1

Why didn’t Vanya and Allison hear Grace humming? Also, why didn’t anyone hear Hazel and Cha Cha breaking in. It was established in episode one that there is no soundproofing. +1

Grace is cross stitching the moon exploding. Foreshadowing. -1

She is pulling the needle through her own hand though. +1

Who gave Grace that nice bracelet? That’s so adorable. -1

Diego killed his own mother. +1

However, it is a mercy kill. Who knows what Luther or Allison would have done to her if they had found out how screwed up Grace was. I’m really conflicted about this scene. On one hand, fridging, on the other, it makes sense. Therefore, it’s a wash. -1

What is this magic cloth that Allison gives Vanya to mop up the blood and where can I get it? Seriously, it cleans up blood ridiculously well. To the point where it doesn’t look like Vanya’s been injured. +1

Diego takes out his anger/sadness/frustration on Vanya. Also, Diego would be excellent at cinema sins. Vanya could have been killed and she was stupid to stay, but there is no reason to raise your voice at her like that, Diego. +1

“She is a liability”. And you are an asshole. Diego just said that line to Allison as if Vanya wasn’t even there. As if she was just some inanimate burden. Fuck Diego for this line. +1

Allison doesn’t even attempt to defend Vanya. Even if Diego made a good point, there is no reason to let him get away with that kind of emotional abuse. +1

The show kind of addresses Luther’s body image issues, but doesn’t let him talk about it. +1

When did Vanya get Leonard’s address? +1

“I didn’t know where else to go”. Home perhaps? To your apartment? And not into the arms of creepy Leonard? +1

Hazel and Cha Cha didn’t discuss what to do if shit went sideways. No wonder Five was better than them. +1

When would Hazel have kidnaped Klaus? We don’t see it happen so we should just assume that Klaus appeared there magically? +1

Hazel and Cha Cha have FRC 891 as a licence plate. Neverending Chaos. Google FRC 891 Umbrella Academy. -1

Overall Review:

I forgot just how important episode three really is. Here we learn just how harmful Vanya’s book was, that Vanya is in an orchestra, and more about Leonard. This episode carves out who Vanya is as a character before Leonard sinks his claws into her. We can see the effects of the pills on her ability to connect with others and her ability to play the violin.

We also get a lot from the other characters. The Claire reveal is a big one for Allison. So is the ape reveal for Luther, even if it should have happened two episodes ago.

As for acting shout outs, Emmy Raver-Lampman and Jordan Claire Robbins killed it in this episode. I can’t wait to see more of Emmy in s2 and I really hope that Jordan will return.

There was some excellent use of irony in this episode. Like a lot of irony. What killed me was the Griddy’s scene. Hazel and Cha Cha pretending to care about Five’s well being so they can murder him and Agnes being indignant about someone as young as Five getting a tattoo is just amazing.

As for plot things, this was really a Vanya-centric episode. It establishes a lot of things about her, which makes the twist at the end even more obvious. This is not my first, second, or even third rewatch, so I know what’s coming, but how did I not see it before? When I first watched it I thought that Five was the main character and that Vanya was a self-insert. Looking back, I can see that Five and Vanya had pretty equal backstory and screen time given to them. You could make the argument that they are the main characters. You could even argue that they’re the primary protagonist and antagonist, but to be frank, that discussion should be saved for episode 10.

Total: 133

Sentence: Eating a dumpster bagel.

#The Umbrella Academy #all in good fun #luther hargreeves #diego hargreeves #Allison Hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #five hargreeves #ben hargreeves #vanya hargreeves #Grace Hargreeves #leonard peabody #hazel and cha cha

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cloudshapedpatch · 4 years

Text

Misguided Royalty

Chapter Four: Look Twice; The Shadows Obey None

A secret lovers/ancient china au created by @mikoriin

Also big thanks to @mlbyay, this probably would have taken a lot longer to update if they hadn’t asked 😅

First / Previous / Next (coming soon!)

💚 💚 💚 💚 💚 💚 💚 💚

As the narrator, I will spare you the lecture the princess received from her mother and step-father. It was long and emotional. Empress Sabine cried twice and Marinette almost shed her tears during her apology. It was very moving. I almost cried myself.

The reality of the situation was dire, after all. If anyone were to have recognized her, they could have followed her, ambushed her, or just killed her on the spot.

Of course, the Emperor and Empress did not tell Marinette the details. There was no reason to worry the princess by telling her that the kingdom wanted her dead. All she needed to know was that she was valuable, and must not leave the palace until she either became Empress or could fend for herself, whichever came first.

The irony rang heavily in the princess' mind as she made her way to her bedroom (accompanied by two guards). She already knew of the bounty over her head, and it was painfully obvious that her guardians were trying to hide it from her. In some ways she felt sorry they had failed in shielding her, but she was also glad to know the truth. She was set to become Empress, after all, she should know what goes on in her kingdom.

Now that her rendezvous was over, she had promises to give the staff.

First, the coins to the maid for getting the common clothes. Then a message was sent to Alya asking a favor for the stable hand for taking the night off. And for most of the guards and maids and other various staff who pretended they hadn't known she was going to leave, she went down to the kitchen to bake.

Since leaving France, her home, she had missed eating the foods of her childhood. She had once shared some croissants she had made with her four personal maids (they were all in awe of the flaky bread), but she felt it was more appropriate to make something a little fancier as compensation.

Madame Césaire was a master in Marinette's eyes. The head palace cook was none other than her best friend's mother. She had insisted that Marinette could call her whatever she pleased, and would be honored to have a title from the princess' original culture. As such, Marinette called her Madame Césaire. Every so often she snuck into the kitchen because the smells of food were so delicious she couldn't pass up the opportunity to sneak a peek at her next meal. Most times when Marinette found herself sneaking away from her studies to the bustling kitchen, she found Madame Césaire making cuisine from her own heritage.

Before moving to China, Marinette had never seen a Creole person before, neither had she tasted their food. Now she quite liked the Mediterranean soups and meats that didn't get served often enough. And whenever Marinette wanted to relive childhood memories, Madame Césaire always let her into the kitchen to bake.

'It is quite sad you had to leave your home, but you have gained a new one. Still, it is important to remember where you came from.' She had said to the princess the first time she requested use of the kitchen.

But the usual bustle of the servant's kitchen gave the princess no solace. Despite this being one of her favorite places in the whole castle, her feet shuffled around as she showed the elder chef how to bake macarons.

"Madame Césaire?" Marinette started, her hands fiddling with her apron, "Where do you purchase your ingredients?"

The older woman stopped whisking egg whites for a moment to think. "I do not know. The Emperor gives me money to buy the month's ingredients. I rarely get to know what what it is before hand." A thoughtful look glazed her eyes before she shook her head a little, mixing the contents of the bowl she held a little faster.

The truth was, Marinette could not stop thinking about the farmer's market. The absurd prices, the lack of materials, it all ate at her heart. She was mad, no, livid.

And an angry teenager is no force to be reckoned with.

As she whisked and piped and assembled the macarons, her thoughts did not waver from the village. Marinette could not help but think Emperor Dupain was afraid she'd see the suffering, and was not worried for her safety at all.

Not once did she let herself think about the blond boy.

"Thank you, Madame. I'll go deliver these now." Marinette called after she had packaged up most of the cookies (What? She left some for the kitchen staff too). Glumly so, if I may add. If Damocles had seen her drag her feet around the grounds, he'd have been quite upset.

Unbeknownst to the princess, the dark assassin of the night had come back to watch her. In fact, he had been watching her every day since their first encounter.

To say he was fascinated with her would have been an overstatement, but even he couldn't deny his curiosity. He was perfectly content to just stand aside and spectate. And today especially he was glad he had come to listen.

When she had spoken aloud her entire plan to her hummingbird to go into town two days prior, he had to laugh. She certainly was different. Perhaps they just did things differently in France, but that was no matter. He had an assignment, to watch carefully and form a plan.

It scared Chat Noir, to think about what Papillon would do to him if he knew what was in Chat's heart. Chat had no desire to kill her. He was convinced he never really wanted to from the start, but perhaps that was caused by the love in his heart.

No, not love. Just fascination.

So can you blame him or wanting to talk to her again? His reasoning was that, well, third time's the charm.

I can blame him. But my opinion doesn't matter, now does it?

As Marinette finally finished making her rounds around the castle bearing treats, the sun had already started it's descent. It had been a long, eventful day. Yet, she still felt troubled.

And it was that boy's fault.

Tikki chirped happily as Marinette released her from the cage, but the princess continued to pace.

"Who does he think he is?" She whispered, mostly to herself, "Some nerve he had, asking for my whole name. Well! He thinks he's so smug."

Tikki tweeted sadly.

"Yes, I agree. He did seem fishy. Especially with that goodbye? Who even uses 'adieu' here?" She gasped, as if having just realized something. "Oh, Tikki, what if he somehow knew who I am? Oh, this is bad."

Somehow, Tikki looked both sympathetic and annoyed. And she's a bird. I have no idea how she managed that.

"Don't give me that look. I know, I know... It's absurd! There's no way he would have known."

Meanwhile, Chat was nearly bursting with amusement. I wish I could have back-handed him.

"Actually... would it have been so bad if he knew?" She flopped onto the bed, hands in her hair. "Gah! I wish Alya were here."

Tikki flitted over to the door, chirping to be let out.

"Sure, Tikki. Guess we could both use from fresh air."

She grabbed a candle while Tikki flew around anxiously, but hesitated once her hand touched the door handle.

"Tikki?" She stage-whispered, "What if he's out there?"

The bird made no response, only continued to anxiously fly around, waiting to be let out. In a burst of (quite misplaced) confidence, she pushed the door and stepped out, Tikki right above her head. After a moment of looking around, she sighed in relief.

"Phew. I thought he was going to be here."

"You thought right."

Marinette yelped in surprise, jumping up and away from the voice.

And there was Chat Noir. Again. Why can't he just leave already?

"Can you stop doing that?" She screamed, but it only came out as a hoarse whisper.

"Why? It's quite fun."

"You... ugh!"

A smile crept onto Chat's masked face, and he did nothing to hide it. "I know you have more treats left over, aren't you going to offer any to your guest?"

I think this is the exact moment Marinette realized her life was truly out-of-control. Her eyes blew wide and she sputtered for anything to say, but no words were spoken. However, a million thoughts raced through her underdeveloped brain. Mostly consisting of 'who does he think he is' and 'if I refuse, will he kill me'. Reluctantly she nodded, and wordlessly went into her room for the extra macarons.

But she should have known better. Feed a stray once, and it will always come back for more.

* * * *

The next night, Chat Noir came again. This peeved Marinette, which is actually what is peeving me. He's a literal assassin and she's only mildly inconvenienced by his presence!

Goodness, she is so irritating sometimes.

Anyway, when the princess went out to her balcony that night, clearly expecting it to be empty, she had another scare.

It was kind of funny, actually.

This time, however, when Marinette had requested the maids to bring her a snack (for Chat, of course), he attempted to make small talk. If you can imagine, this made both the princess and me very uncomfortable. Chat seemed to be having the time of his life though.

"What are you doing here?" She dared to speak, once the snack was gone and a pause appeared in the forced conversation.

"I'm here to talk. I quite enjoy your company, Princess."

The cocky smirk on his face only fueled her anger. "Well, forgive me if you don't understand, but you aren't exactly good company yourself."

"Whatever do you mean? I come, you feed me, I leave! I don't see the problem."

"The problem is, Chat Noir, or whatever your true name is, is that you tried to kill me! If you aren't going to, then why are you here?"

Now the figurative mask had been swept off Chat's face like a swift breeze had slapped him. He looked away, clearly contemplating the idea of fleeing. He then looked back at her again, with a fake sort of anger flickering in his inhuman green eyes.

"Would you rather I kill you then?"

"I- I... no."

"Then I'll return tomorrow."

And he jumped off the balcony. Marinette could not bring herself to the edge to see if he was alright — she knew he would be — but the sad look in his eyes burned behind her eyelids.

Despite all logic, she fell asleep with pity and guilt settling in her chest.

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congregamus · 4 years

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Plague Update

My most sincere apologies to any as follow this feed were there any concern for my well-being before this update. As those who frequent this and other such haunts of mine know, I am not known for my steadfastness. I will allow the reader to provide the proper adjective for which I am known.

Friends, I have been blessed beyond measure this Apocalypse. First things first. I am retained by my employer. There was no need to worry about being furloughed. The mobile work continues. (Advocating for my clients without being present has not been without its difficulties, but they are forgettable when I compare them with how this might have unfolded.)

My church quire has moved exclusively into the digital format for the foreseeable future. Into that medium I could not follow them, so I suppose my great wish not to have to sing polyphony with the voice that developed in this throat has at last been granted. Under normal circumstances, this would be cause for at least some income-based alarm, but in our current paradigm, this is not the case. As it turns out, days before Governer Pritzker ordered Illinois to Shelter-in-Place, I invited recurring cast member "Daletra Jones" to join our quarantined, survivalist effort. (Daletra is, by textbook definition, homeless. Lodging Insecurity is not the way anyone should have to brave a pandemic, so I extended.)

Exceptionally skilled in the kitchen, Daletra has more than earned her keep lo these last three months. I, so used to paying restaurant mark-up for food whose preparation I have not mastered, find myself most Saturday mornings still enjoying the gay Sacrament ("brunch") with crab cakes benedict, salad, potates lyonnaise, and a lovely vino vherde with which to wash it down. (Alas, I live in a champagne--or even sparkling wine--desert.) It's a bit of irony for one such as I, who had begun to learn and had recently come to enjoy some meager success with the arts of knife, fire, and flavor. I let go the wheel, and it was Daletra, not Jesus, who took it.

Still, if I have learned anything in the process of my spiritual development, it's that delegating spotlight isn't such an awful thing. If and when there's a such thing as a world that's safe for people who prefer Lodging Instability, I am always free to pick up where I left off. In the meantime, it's enough to peel a potato, toss a skillet, and bear the emotional weight of a perfectionist whose chronic weed-smoking and subsequent short attention span ensures at least one logistic tragedy and an out-and-out yelp in the kitchen per meal. I will bear this especially if this is what is required to ensure that my little pod continues to maintain continuity and health in a time where continuity and health are luxuries indeed.

I wrote in my personal journal a couple of days ago that I was shocked that I hadn't had more to narrate in terms of the nationwide protesting and ubiquitous civil unrest. Simply to read my scribblings in the context of a 'journalist' in the antiquated sense of the word would reveal a supreme lack of content, where on my twitter and Facebook feeds (until recently) there has been no lack. To the point of cacophany.

The short version is that I don't need to explain to myself what's happening. I'm very clear, having been loud in this direction for My Fellow Yt Folx since the beginning of my thirties. Those same thirties which, I must note with heaviness, ended in their entirety not even a little while ago. I do not say this because I expect to be exempt from the collective moral verdict. I just say it because it makes sense as to why I don't need to process these goings-on verbally.

The more nuanced version is that I understand that this isn't my story, and no one needs another White Boy With a Vision™️ to try and spin this into a grand narrative as will no doubt be attempted multiply and to all our nausea on Medium, in OpEd columns, and across long comment threads elsewhere. What happens to me is my story, and it's better for everybody concerned if I tell the truth and admit that I'm having brunch and paying bail funds while this is happening, because this is how it seems best for me "to stay in my lane" and support. I can reason with the people who will listen to reason, and I can shame the people who are choosing silence. The rest is not mine.

I pray those Beings who listen to me that you are all well and well-cared-for. Mutuals, if you need anything with which I am able to help, please don't hesitate to ask. As delighted as I would be to be able to offer universal hospitality, I fear my means are severly limited. That said, all our networks are vast, and we may--and should--use them.

May God's love shine on us all.

XOXO,

Uriel, CMJ

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deniigi · 5 years

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i read that one minific about rio mothering matt in itsv and now i totally hc that when claire is out of town rio insists on taking care of him. btw i really love like all your fics and i’ve read in technicolor and dfv a hundred times. your writing style is so clean and funny and perfect and i just Love everything about you and your fics. if you don’t mind me asking, how did you develop your writing style into what it is now? do you still find it changing occasionally?

Heya boo!

Aw, thanks for reading/re-reading! I love to hear that people go back to the work!!

As for the writing style: this is a big question!

I wish I could tell you that I had such-and-such method to develop, but really? I think I just wrote a fuckload and this is where I ended up. And things are always changing. Right now I’m having this problem where the work isn’t doing what I want it to in terms of producing meaning, and so I’m struggling with finding the balance between big-picture ideas, prose, dialogue, and story length, which might result in a few shorter one-shots here in the future, we’ll see.

There are some things, though, which I can probably explain which might be helpful to others who are trying to like, paddle through the tides of style, so I’ll go in to that here:

POV/Perspective

So back in the days of yore, I had this like vendetta against fics written from characters’ and outsiders’ POVs because they felt really cheap to me and I didn’t like someone deciding for me what a character thought about X,Y, and Z. So that meant that I read a lot of like, omniscent-esque type of work which was fine, but which can oftentimes come across as lacking warmth.

It can feel a little empty, you know?

As I read more work (fic and original), I started to figure out that it wasn’t the character/outsiders’ POV I had a problem with, it was more of the characterization of those narrators. Like, if you are writing from the POV of a grown man, your character shouldn’t be talking and acting and reflecting on themselves like a 15 yo. The dissonance there, I think, is what made me really dislike these kinds of fics because I felt like they were more about the author than the character. And that felt extremely selfish to me.

In published and original fiction, that’s totally fine. But in fanfic, that can be incredibly distracting, borderline annoying.

So I started to think very hard about people’s interests, motivations, and reactions. I tried to empathize with characters where they were at, rather than what I wanted them to be. And that’s how I’ve found myself very comfortable writing in the POV style.

I am comfortable writing within limits and those limits should be embraced, I think, rather than eschewed. They create these little pockets of irony, where the reader knows more than the narrator does and there is so much potential in evoking emotion and playing with suspense there.

Narration/Description/Dialogue

So I found your description of the work as ‘clean’ extremely interesting, anon, because at first I couldn’t tell if you meant that I don’t do a whole lot of sexual humor or if you meant that the work is fairly straightforward and tidy.

I presume you mean the latter, and having recently read work that feels ‘messy,’ I think I understand what you mean.

So when I write descriptions and ‘set the scene’ around dialogue, so to speak, I focus on imagery, timing, and feeling more than I focus on detail.

Readers are intelligent, capable human beings who do an amazing job in filling the gaps that I leave. I don’t need to make them see things exactly as I do. I can just give them the framework and let them run wild. As long as they get the emotion I’m trying to convey in the work, then I’m happy.

Furthermore, I don’t lay into detail like some other authors do because I just cannot stand huge blocks of text on my screen. I don’t have the patience to slog through that kind of thing. It does not bring me pleasure, it just makes me impatient. I will skip down to dialogue in reading when I start to feel like the descriptions are lagging or slowing down my enjoyment of a piece. And I don’t want my readers to feel like they have to do the same.

So I use spacing and long and short sentences very carefully to set the pace of my story telling. Rhythm is super important in this kind of thing. So in the last fic I wrote, darling you’re stars, I just leaned into the rhythm of syllables as I wrote them, focusing less on dialogue and more on texture. This obviously creates a very different feeling than the stop, hold, and start rhythm of my other pieces.

I use this type of syllable dragging and swaying when I want my reader to feel what I’m feeling, in terms of emotion, I suppose. It works very well for those more serious moments.

I use spacing to achieve a similar effect for those less serious moments. For example, if I put a paragraph break here

you have to pause just a hint to move on to the next one, and that kind of forces my readers to pause/take a breath with me and acknowledge that beat of silence or action before moving onto the next part of the story.

Spacing helps immensely with things like clarity and impact because it separates out ideas and makes things just generally easier/less tiring on the eye.

So yeah, my earlier work didn’t have as much space in it, but the work now has embraced space as an aesthetic and functional part of story-telling.

Anyways, that’ll all I’ve got to say on style for now. Hope that answers your question anon!

#fic #writing advice #fanfiction #I also just write a fuckload boo #I am always writing and evaluating #finishing stories is very hard at the minute #so I'm working inward instead of outward #hence the slightly slower pacing of publications lately

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pricechecktranslations · 5 years

Text

I am definitely not the best at my listening Japanese, and it doesn't help that they speak SO DARN FAST that I have trouble catching all of the words. So, it's possible I'm saying all this stuff while having misunderstood things, missed things, etc.

But, these are my many scattered thoughts on the Daughter of Evil musical, written as I was watching it in full for the first time (so, might not be the best thought out or expressed but still):

-Despite all of the changes, it's interesting to see how many moments appear to be lifted directly from the novels. It does feel like they had a good familiarity with the source material, but for whatever reason chose to make the story different (perhaps in part to have it be a standalone adaptation rather than going into the entire Daughter of Evil series lore).

-"The Orange Coast" is a very nice song, and I like it a lot. In fact, I like a lot of the songs that are exclusive to the musical. The exposition song about the plight of the starving people, the duet between Riliane and Kyle (the irony in that both are fond of each other but as Riliane sings of her excitement for the wedding Kyle is eager to break it off), Clarith's lament after losing Michaela, etc. There's only a few that I really disliked, either because they weren't sung well or because they felt too anachronistic in their instrumentals. However, because they had their own songs the ones that mothy made felt out of place. The only one I think really fit was Regret Message and the eponymous Daughter of Evil.

-The candy castle is pitiful. It's supposed to be an extravagant display of Riliane's utter selfish greed, to have something so large that she can't even eat all of it while her people are starving. It should be at least twice the size that it is in the play--it's supposed to be much taller than the average person, with enough room that someone could conceivably be inside.

-Riliane being unrepentant might be one of the things that pisses off fans the most, but it feels somewhat more appropriate in this adaptation. This version of Riliane shows far more awareness of the evil in her actions and how it makes her look, even taking a more active role in them, as opposed to the more innocent and sheltered Riliane of the book. Her biggest regret in the end is not that she was a horrible person (because she seems to have sort of made her peace with that early on) but that she didn't appreciate Allen's loyalty and devotion to her when she had the chance. Her dismissal of him is far more explicit in this version, where he outright tells her to her face that he's on her side and she just scoffs at him, and she spends most of the story talking about how alone she is. Basically, their relationship is the focus of her character arc rather than her morality. Even her will to live at the end is almost solely because he died for her rather than finding her own reason to live.

-Josephine is a diva and I kind of love it. I don't necessarily mind the addition of ridiculous elements like a talking horse (well, who talks to other horses anyway)--this is a stage play after all. Breaking the fourth wall is kind of an intrinsic part of theatre, and I'm always of the mind that a live performance being entertaining is more important than it being dramatic. But that's just my tastes, I think.

-I will say, the guy who plays Allen is TERRIBLE at the songs they have him sing. That's not to say he can't sing at all, but songs like "I'm a Servant" really show that he just can't hit those notes to save his life. I also don't care much for his acting, it feels a little like he's substituting shouting for emotion. Germaine is sort of the same way, but I don't mind it as much from her because her character is supposed to be boisterous.

-The exclusion of Elluka doesn't really bother me, as she had very little plot presence in the first novel to begin with (note, I don't think she's removed entirely--there appear to be some allusions to her character existing, such as in the early exposition segment with Mariam and Leonhart where she's on the other side of the stage as a hooded figure in shadow). I think it might be possible that they did so as a part of the overall trend of the musical removing the fantasy elements to begin with--no Elluka, no magic, no mention of Michaela as a former spirit (although...there is that vision of her that Allen has, not sure what to make of that), etc. In fact, the inclusion of demons is deconstructed by Keel later in the story, speculating that such things are merely scapegoats people use to hide the evil already lurking within themselves. ...Although, well...Leonhart seems to show up as a ghost...So...

-Michaela and Clarith's dynamic is interesting. It's much more light-hearted than the heavy themes of abuse and emotional recovery in Wiegenlied--Michaela's more of a happy-go-lucky pixie dream girl with no social awareness at all than simply naive about human relationships, and Clarith is down to earth and shy rather than brooding and self-demeaning at every turn (I think maybe because they shifted her into the viewpoint character). Though that might be a result of seeing them after they've already moved to Aceid. One change I found entertaining is that it's Keel who hires them for Michaela's singing instead of Mikina hiring Clarith out of generosity towards an oppressed minority, and as a result Michaela ends up making this big show about how she absolutely must have Clarith with her and that she can't do anything without her. It's cute.

-Keel is supremely entertaining and I like his character in this a lot. He's an excellent choice for outside narrator. Even in the novels he was kind of the one guy that wasn't bogged down by a bunch of emotional drama.

-There are a lot of extreme tonal shifts. Funny things following really dramatic things (Michaela and Clarith's introduction follows Germaine's declaration of war, Kyle being a goofball in the revolution follows Allen's attempts at getting Micheala to safety while struggling with his orders to kill her, etc). I think the biggest and most jarring tonal shift is Josephine defending Allen from Kyle and his lackey, though--that's the one that kind of took me right out of the story, though I will say Josephine's actor is quite good with the dance-battling. This is a big contrast from Evillious--I don't think there are many, if any scenes where mothy deliberately sacrifices dramatic moments for a joke. I don’t know if it’s made worse by the fact that Josephine fighting with a sword may not have been a joke, and it may have been something we were supposed to take seriously.

-I wonder why they kept in the green onion. I guess because it's a good character joke for Michaela, but plot-wise it no longer serves any actual purpose without Elluka and Gumillia. In fact, its inclusion kind of makes Michaela seem a bit weirder as a person, because instead of it being a magical tool that she uses she's just excitedly showing it off to people and coming up with random things you could do with it. It's a little egregious too because, while the girl who sings for Michaela is actually quite good, I don't think her voice is well suited to the "Very Amazing Green Onion" song that goes with it. It's kind of used as a vehicle for Allen's developing crush, but...Well, I'm not sure I'd develop feelings for someone just because they ranted about a vegetable at me for a few minutes.

-Kyle is...a strange fish. I think the reduction of his character to a lovestruck fool makes some sense because this is how he comes off before his character development in the series, and his psychological issues are a little too complex to go into in a two hour musical that's not even about him. So, instead of "this guy was heavily emotionally abused and then possessed by a lust demon", they go with "he's a big enough idiot to cause all this political strife over a crush". He's an outright parody of himself in every way, in every scene (like him being all diva about his Karchess identity). Having his little toady around him (I'm not sure if that's supposed to be Arkatoir or not but I do know he mispronounces Kyle's name) serves as a good balance to the energy of his character, so I think that's well done. But I also can't help but find him obnoxious, and while I think he actually can sing, his voice cracks a lot at bad times. I certainly don't love him like I did his novel character, but then given that this is a stage adaptation I think all of them are a bit more shallow than in the story proper. This is, of course, not taking into account how thoroughly unpleasant he becomes after Michaela's death, but that's somewhat in character, so.

-I question a lot of the costuming choices that aren't based directly on the novel appearances. Minis, for example, does not look like a French minister at all.

-Reina is very good at playing both Riliane's harsh, cold side, and her playful, childish side. But these two sides don't always feel like they come from the same person, which I'm not sure is a credit to the way the character is played or a detriment. It does make for a frightening shift when her murderous declarations come after a childish tantrum (like her declaring war on Elphegort). She is, also, very good at singing, which is notable considering how at least half the other cast is not so good.

-There is a neat little callback during the revolution that I liked--Germaine is introduced as fighting the palace soldiers for fun (and winning) to show off what a brash tomboy she is, and she fights those same soldiers the same way later on (it's kind of sad, actually, as they don't want to fight her).

-The framing of events near the end is actually somewhat interesting--it blends together the green invasion with the revolution, intermixing Michaela's death with the main emotional climax of the plot. The whole play in general feels rushed and lacking in enough time to truly develop all it's trying to accomplish (like, for example, WHY Michaela's death is such a big deal for everyone), but this part is actually well executed. Also note that Michaela was burned alive in this version (Ney spreads a rumor that Germaine is a witch who set the fire).

-I'm not exactly an expert but the fight scenes are decently choreographed and enjoyable to watch (though some of the extras are a bit lackluster in their performance, imo).

-I do like how they blended Chartette and Mariam's fight with Germaine and Gast's--it's a good way to save time without Gast there (I mean, his primary contribution outside of being a Final Boss was the Venom mercenaries causing tension in the country, and there isn't enough time for that so I understand cutting him out too), and has some depth with Chartette moved by Germaine's strength and determination into helping defeat her instead of continuing to defend the palace. We also get to see Mariam as the badass she is, which is nice. Though, I think the song they sing while they're fighting would be better if they weren't clearly running out of breath from the actual physical fighting (I know lip-synching is taboo in SOME circles but having the song pre-recorded might have helped? I don't know).

-I don't know what to make of Ney--partially because she's one of those people that speaks too fast for me to really understand, but I'm also not sure how we're to take her character without all the backstory and latter-end plot relevance behind it. She's certainly creepy, which I suppose is the most important thing. She does seem to have the same role--a double agent for the queen of Marlon--but it's severely watered down by the lack of Prim's presence in the story.

-I know that it's leading up to something heartwarming, but there is something kind of creepy to me about Allen shouting "TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF" at Riliane. And in general, I find a lot of the emotional moments undercut by the shouting melodrama of the acting. But, there is something interesting in Riliane actively agreeing to Allen's twin switch after he talks her into it, rather than being tricked into it like in the novel. The depiction of the tradeoff is good too, showing Allen literally taking her place at the guillotine as he monologues his feelings to make it more clear what it is he's doing, with us actually getting Riliane's perspective on the whole thing whereas her emotions on his switch weren't really explored properly in the novel.

-Honestly, I didn't mind the way the revolution ended either. It's...kind of supposed to be a dreary end. That's the point--Germaine's quest for vengeance only served to bring harm to the people she loved, and while they did depose Riliane, who was a genuinely terrible monarch, the ultimate structure of the country with nobles on top remains unchanged for generations afterwards. Germaine being killed sucks, but then if this is a standalone there's really no more need for her character (and killing her is what Kyle tries to do a few years down the line in the books anyway, for the same reasons too. It's also sadly in character for the version of him in this musical).

-I would also suggest that instead of people calling him Kyle, they follow his toady's lead and call him "Kael" instead.

-I actually think Riliane's declaration that she's evil at the end is meant to be...more an expression of her lack of self-worth. When she's escaping she expresses doubt as to how to be a good person, and shock that Allen would give his life for her in spite of who she is. When she says "I regret nothing, because I'm evil", I don't think that's meant to be taken as a boast. I think really the big thing is that this story is made to be a tragedy, not necessarily the Daughter of Evil series' idea of growing as a person. Though, that doesn't mean I like the ending with her telling Clarith to bow to her necessarily--I think it kind of exists just to be a bookend of "this is the Daughter of Evil" rather than giving the audience something to chew on after they leave the theater. They had a perfect opportunity to capitalize on the idea of Clarith and Riliane being similar (lonely people that had someone die in their place, sort of) and bonding over that, but they missed it.

In conclusion: Eh, I liked it. I wouldn’t necessarily watch it again, but if I could ever see it live that might be nice.

#()price speaks #i do not think it's the best thing ever #but i think some of the hate it gets is unfair #even if i find the novels superior as a story #i don't see the point in getting worked up and angry over a musical changing things #which is what musicals do all the time

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