Tumgik
#not everything i write is about me and this might be but we aren't discussing it
Text
Every conversation with my mother follows the same structure.
It begins with an unrelated topic.
Which leads into an admission of emotion. I make it with baited breath, wondering if this time is going to be different. If this time, promises will be kept.
The admission leads to a broken promise. Because she does not listen. Not properly. Instead it becomes a recollection of her childhood. Of my sister's life. Of everyone's pain but mine.
I try to steer us back on course. For once the air in the room is for me. I am not going to waste it untangling the web of someone else's hurt.
She does not let me. She gets defensive. The blame shifts to me.
I remind her that I am a child, not a parent.
I tell her that sometimes, your best is not good enough. I do not tell her that she was the one who taught me that first. I tell myself that next time I will. (Since every time is the same, I won't.)
Something in her face tells me she might finally understand what I'm saying.
But then she lowers her gaze and presents she does not see.
And since children imitate their parents before anyone else, I do the same.
I tell myself I won't ever end up in that situation again. I say to myself that I will avoid all of those minefields because there are things I will not say to her and there are truths she cannot accept.
A few days, weeks, months, later, a conversation starts.
It is about an unrelated topic.
I leave wanting to scream until she realises how imperfectly everything has turned out. I don't.
every conversation with my mother is like watching a film that follows the same plot as every other one the network aired
9 notes · View notes
nalyra-dreaming · 3 months
Text
Pre season 2 rant - heavy on sarcasm!
This is the... well by now somewhat meditated on rant I promised a while ago. It has a lot of cussing, so be warned.
It is a… summary comment about some views I‘ve seen around, from “bad writing“ to the “abuse“ and other things. Oh, and it's about the "lying" subject. With receipts!
I‘m getting this out of my system before season 2 hits, and before more of the press leading up to it is released, because cast, crew and writers as well as the show have given us all of it already and, tbh, if I‘m going to see anyone scream “bad writing“ or “Louis being made a liar or the memories revisited/changed is racism“ when the changes will hit I‘m just gonna block you.
Fair warning.
This is long… so under the cut.
This show has made color-conscious choices. Brilliantly so. They also have an astonishing meta level.
And what we saw was not the truth.
That much is clear now. HAS ACTUALLY BEEN CLEAR FROM THE END OF SEASON 1 ON.
Jacob has said at the TCA panel that Louis is trying to regain his true memories.
Tumblr media
Here is a reminder of some key statements by cast and crew:
Here are interviews and statements by Assad and Jacob and Sam and Rolin and the writers & producers that what we have seen was not the (whole) truth, that Louis’ tale has been “tinkered” with, influenced.
I'm heroically refraining from adding the gifs of Rolin and his statement again. Which are from the episode insider… and remember when that aired?! Yeah… 😒
But I've seen things recently that make me want to pull my hair out, to be frank. For example this, behind the link:
...Like, not making him a whole flat ass liar is actually the point, guys. And no it does not undermine the story....
As the writers said:
Tumblr media
I mean, I get it to an extent. It's becoming clearer and clearer that the show some people made up in their heads is not the one they'll be getting. (We've been trying to tell them, but hey.)
Tumblr media
Yeah.... That.
Unfortunately @blackgirlasis has blocked me, (and I have returned the favor now that I noticed), we only discussed something recently, but I think the reason might have been after I posted that video, in which it is literally said that "not everything Louis says is a lie", which, given her statements here might speak for itself, especially this part of that statement:
"It is actually ACTIVELY harmful to perpetuate the idea that the Black characters aren't to be trusted with the narrative and that we need Lestat to come through with the honest accounting."
You know, I would actually agree! Which is also why I always emphasized that we did not get the WHOLE truth. I also kept more than hinting at the fact that Armand is, well Armand.
BUT - and here it gets interesting - why is JACOB's - a BLACK man's - statement discarded? Why do they do not want to hear it that Louis does, in fact, lie? And, just to be clear - I do not NEED Louis to lie, nor be proven a liar, and I think the show will do its damndest to explain via the "tinkering" that Armand did. They will give some of the blame to Armand.
But to flip one's shit over argumentation that the MAIN CHARACTER, a BLACK MAN has already stated... that is what I find interesting.
Like, why do you* (*generally spoken, not her especially) accuse people of racism over this, when HE has already said that Louis does, indeed, lie. Why is he not actually listened to? I don't get that. Why is agency taken away from a living, breathing person to give it to a fictional character? Why is his statement that "not all representation needs to be healthy representation" not kept in mind?
Louis is Louis. Louis being color-consciously handled didn't "change the character an awful lot".
JACOB said that. Here. Interestingly enough in a comment about the racial consideration the show does(!).
Louis is NOT a whole other character despite the changes, and the twists that will happen in season 2 were always set to come, as the friggin' video of BEFORE the show aired is proof of. They talked about all that. They know it didn't all happen as shown. They knew Louis did lie. But NOT about everything.
They also knew that some of the scenes did not happen (at least as shown). And now... "it’s clear that Louis is somebody hugely angry with a man he loved deeply and now presents them as a monster…" Also Jacob Anderson.
Presents. Them. As. A. Monster.
Bailey Bass said in the SDCC interview, that it is not clear who is the "villain here" in various scenes, interestingly enough, because the dynamic keeps changing. Which of course was after they shot a myriad of scenes that would not make it into the final s1 cut. Again: why is she not listened to? Why do you take her agency away to give it to a fictional character?
And I'm not even starting on the others. Sam. Rolin. The writers.
Also, re the abuse and scenes being revisited. Again, screenshot as example:
Tumblr media
There is nothing simple about this show. Especially that scene.
BUT the show knows what it‘s doing! I'm not going to rehash all that here now, here are links on that.
AND THE WRITERS SAYING IT WILL BE REVISITED... is from December 21, 2022.
DECEMBER 22.
A revisit and a change of that scene will not be bad writing. (Or tasteless.) They already DID so in the last episode of season 1, continuing that will simply fall into line with what we have already been given. That's not bad writing. That's just the show, and there's people who just did not want to examine that.
Because it will be echoed, and it will serve a purpose.
I know the show did the meta level of patriarchal domestic abuse, but for fuck‘s sake, the story itself is about vampires struggling, and Louis is struggling.
The show has a meta level of abuse, and patriarchy, and recognizing is valid and the meta discussions are too.
But Louis is not chained to his coffin guys, he could have left, and a fight which shows off power discrepancies within the show story line is not automatically domestic abuse.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
*slow clap*
No-one wants this to happen for the sake of "redeeming" Lestat. Because he does not need that redemption. They're all murderers and monsters.
They kill. For a living. LITERALLY.
THEY ARE VAMPIRES It's not about vampires trying to find their humanity.
It's about vampires trying to find a way to live with themselves, because they are, indeed, monsters.
Doubting the narrative which was TORN APART WITHIN THE SHOW is not the same as bad writing or racism FFS, nor is actually looking at what we're given - and knowing the fucking, 50 year old books. And recognizing the hints and parallels.
I have also seen the take that Lestat isolated Louis... and like, did we watch the same show? You know, even with the vampirism (which, of course™, could not free Louis as promised)...
Months of flirting openly in NOLA, public wooing. DECADES LIVING IN NOLA. Operas. Restaurants. Family dinners. (And Louis stopping Lestat there, AS a mortal...) Cleaning the cribs, years of "human entanglement" because Louis wanted it.... Banjo barbecues, political influence, wakes... Everybody knew.
(Like, I could pull up gifs here.)
"Isolation". Right. It has nothing, at all, to do with the Rite of Passage, or Louis' depression.
Of course not.
I mean, Jacob says that Louis is very depressed during the time leading up to the fight, and his and Sam's discussion here is interesting as well, but hey, I mean, why listen to the actual black actor, right.
Tumblr media
As a last thing.
Tumblr media
Yeah. Tell me you know nothing about the books without telling me you know nothing about the books.
And, as a note, context is important if you pull up other scenes from the VC.
Welcome to the fucking Vampire Chronicles.
Tumblr media
Anyone expecting big bad patriarchal abuser Lestat is not going to have a good time.
And honestly, to those: don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Good riddance - and BON VOYAGE
167 notes · View notes
dinodontwait · 2 months
Text
Lost but Found!
Tumblr media
Pairing: Jeon Wonwoo x fem!reader
Genre: Strangers to Lovers(?), forest au
Summary: Getting lost in the forest was not on your bucket list but who are you to complain if that means you get to spend time with one of the hottest guy you have ever met!
Warning: 18+, smut
Word Count: 1250
A/N: DON'T READ IF YOU AREN'T 18 AND ABOVE!
This is the first time I'm writing smut so please let me know if there are any mistakes!
Tumblr media
The argument with my friends had started innocently enough, a spark that quickly ignited into a blazing fire. The flames of tension danced around our campsite, fueled by misunderstandings and pent-up emotions. As the voices rose, I found myself entangled in a web of conflicting opinions.
"I can't believe you would do this without consulting us," Emma's accusing tone sliced through the evening air, the warmth of the campfire unable to thaw the chill in her words.
Frustration welled up inside me. "We're a group, and decisions should be made together. I can't be expected to just go along with everything!"
Mia, always the peacemaker, tried to mediate. "Let's calm down and talk about this, guys. Yn, maybe we should've discussed the plans before."
But the tension was already palpable. I felt my patience slipping away, and my voice took on an edge. "Discuss? When have we ever had time to discuss anything? You two always make decisions, and the rest of us just follow!"
In the heat of the moment, I declared my intent to leave the campsite. The argument had reached a point of no return, and I stormed away, my footsteps carrying me into the heart of the forest, away from the echoing accusations and strained friendships.
Lost in my own thoughts, the forest's shadows seemed to consume me. With each step, I became more entangled in the labyrinth of trees and underbrush. Panic set in as I realized I had no idea where I was or how to find my way back.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a dusky hue over the woods, my phone's battery dwindled, exacerbating my isolation. That's when I heard the footsteps. The rustling leaves and snapping twigs alerted me to the presence of someone else. I spun around, heart racing, to see a tall figure emerging from the shadows. It was a young man, and the fading light revealed his face – a kind, reassuring smile softened his features.
"Hey, are you lost?" the guy asked, concern evident in his voice. "I heard you from a distance and thought you might need help. By the way, I am Wonwoo!"
Relieved but wary, I shared my predicament with Wonwoo after giving my introduction. "My friends and I got into this argument at the campsite. It just escalated, and I needed some space to clear my head. I decided to find my way back to civilization, but the forest is disorienting, and my phone has no signal."
Wonwoo's eyes reflected understanding. "I get it. Camping trips can be both exhilarating and challenging. It's easy for tensions to rise when everyone is under pressure."
I nodded, appreciating his empathy. "I thought I could find an exit, catch a bus, and leave this mess behind. But now, I'm lost, and it's getting dark."
Wonwoo gestured towards a path leading deeper into the woods. "Well, luckily for you, my grandparents' cabin is just up ahead. It's a peaceful place, and I think it might offer you the solace you're seeking."
Hesitation gnawed at me, but with no other options in sight, I decided to trust Wonwoo. The path unfolded before us, and as we ventured deeper into the woods, the towering trees formed a natural canopy, filtering the dimming sunlight.
Finally, we reached the clearing where the charming cabin stood. Soft lantern light spilled from the windows, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The cabin itself seemed to blend seamlessly with nature, a testament to the craftsmanship of its construction.
Wonwoo unlocked the door, and the creaking hinges revealed a cozy interior. Wooden furnishings adorned the space, a crackling fireplace taking center stage. Plush chairs were adorned with warm blankets, and the flickering flames cast dancing shadows on the walls.
As I stepped inside, the rustic charm enveloped me, replacing the tension with a sense of tranquillity. "Thank you" I murmured, genuinely grateful for the unexpected refuge.
Wonwoo disappeared into the kitchen, returning with the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee. We settled by the fireplace, the warmth seeping into my bones as we sipped from the mugs.
As the fire crackled, I began recounting the events that led me to this point, from the brewing tension among friends to my impulsive decision to venture into the forest. Wonwoo listened attentively, offering a sympathetic ear that eased the weight on my shoulders.
"I visit this cabin once or twice a year," Wonwoo shared. "It's a family getaway, a place to reconnect with nature and find some peace. I never expected to bring someone here under such circumstances, but I'm glad I could help."
The night air on the balcony held a gentle breeze, and the subtle rustling of leaves contributed to the enchanting melody of the forest. Wonwoo and I settled into the comfortable wooden chairs, the moon casting a soft glow upon the world around us. Laughter and shared stories painted the atmosphere with warmth.
As we spoke, the connection between us deepened, the barriers of unfamiliarity breaking down with each passing moment. Wonwoo's eyes sparkled in the moonlight, his laughter resonating with a sincerity that stirred something within me.
A distant growl rumbled through the forest, interrupting our conversation. Startled, I instinctively clutched onto Wonwoo, the abrupt sound sending shivers down my spine. "What was that?" I asked, a mixture of fear and excitement lingering in my voice.
Wonwoo's laughter echoed, a soothing and melodic response to my unease. "Just a forest dweller claiming its territory. They're more afraid of us than we are of them. You're safe with me."
Embarrassed by my reaction, I offered a sheepish smile. "I guess I'm not as brave as I thought."
"No need to be brave when you have someone to lean on," Wonwoo replied, his words carrying a subtle invitation. He took my hand gently, intertwining our fingers.
The atmosphere shifted, a shared understanding passing between us. The night embraced us in its quiet intimacy, the balcony becoming a haven for connection. The moonlight illuminated the vulnerability in Wonwoo's eyes, and I felt a magnetic pull drawing me closer.
Wonwoo's thumb traced soothing circles on the back of my hand, and without exchanging words, the air crackled with anticipation. In that quiet moment, he cupped my face, his eyes searching mine for consent.
"You don't have to be alone in the forest, Yn," he whispered, his voice a gentle promise.
A profound understanding passed between us, and as our lips met in a deep, lingering kiss, the world around us disappeared. I don’t know how we ended up on his bed naked!
He grinned that cocky grin and pushed himself inside me, achingly slowly.
I hissed in relief at the delicious pressure. He pulled out and slid back in again, just as slowly. It felt so good, yet not enough.
"This is torture."
"I know. That's why I'm doing it." He slid into me one more time, possibly even slower than before.
I couldn't take it and glared at him. "Fuck me like you mean it."
He took the bait. His gaze as he looked down at me was hungry. He lifted my ankles onto his shoulders and rose to his knees. He held my hips as he thrust, keeping me where he wanted me as he fucked. It felt divine.
"My god, Wonwoo, don't stop." I am past the point of any self control.
"Shit. Say that again." He didn't pause his steady rhythm, pumping in and out.
"Don't stop?"
"Say my name."
115 notes · View notes
linkspooky · 2 months
Text
"And we don't have the luxury of thinking of ourselves. We just got to save people. So start by saving me, Itadori!" This actually shows Megumi has somewhat of an agency as a sorcerer. Ater all he vowed to get stronger after Yuji's apparnet death. He doesn't think of giving up being a sorcerer to be a kid. Now, Megumi's rejecting Yuji's help, the very same thing Yuji did to him. Plus, refusing to even try to 'wake up' means the death of other characters (Gojo, Higurum probably more others soon) will be for nothing... because Megumi's being selfish by giving up in the eleventh hour. That's why the fans are all mad at him."
Hello, friend I thought I'd use your post as a jumping off point to continue our discussion. I'm not necessarily trying to argue with you, just further explain my point and why Gege made the story choices that he did.
So one of the reasons I chose Killua as my comparison to Megumi, besides the obvious inspiration Mgumi takes from Killua's arc, is that despite the fact that Killua has many of the same character flaws and setbacks as Megumi he's much more well-received in western fandom spaces.
Killua also has a pretty straightforward arc, he still has character flaws, he idolizes Gon way too much and that makes him incapable of calling out Gon's flaws, or getting Gon to listen to him in his worst moment during the Neferpitou fight where Gon gives up everything to destroy Pitou pointlessly. However, even in those moments where Killua is failing Killua is still portrayed incredibly sympathetically. The audience reaction when Killua is failing is vastly different to when Megumi fails. When Killua is at his lowest point in chapter 241, there's no "get back up loser" it's "awe Killua."
Tumblr media Tumblr media
That's because again Killua's arc is so clearly telegraphed. When Killua is at his lowest point, you in the audience understand that he is there and why he can't get up instead of yelling at him in frustration. At his lowest point he's still presented as being selfless towards Gon and chiding himself for not being of use to Gon, he's not giving up because he's too weak to keep going like Megumi is.
Killua on the whole is a lot more likable than Megumi too, but I think this stems from the fact that the narrative of Hunter x Hunter paints him in a better light, he has a mostly positive character arc where he learns to stand on his own two feet and forms a healthy relationship with both Gon and his sister - whereas Megumi has a negative / corruption arc which goes in the opposite direction of Killua's.
However, I would argue because Megumi is painted as more selfish, and allowed to be more unlikable that he is better written in Killua because there's an element of ambiguity that's not there in Killua's arc.
Megumi reaches his lowest point where he can't move similiar to Killua, but instead of spending his last moments thinking about how much he wanted to be of use to Gon, instead he's begging for death and drowning in his own self-pity not even looking up to see Yuji right there in front of him trying to save him.
You're right that he comes off as selfish, and a lot less likable to the audience and rightfully so. I feel like we're supposed to be frustrated at Megumi here for not seeing how much effort everyone is putting into saving him.
However, sometimes characters are unlikable on purpose!
Sometimes character writing and what a characters actions means for their story and themes is more important than whether or not the audience finds that character likable. Sometimes a writer might even have the character make an unpopular choice that the audience will disagree with, in order to make the audience angry and frustrated with them on purpose. After all, you yourself are saying you're worried about all of your other favorite characters getting harmed now that Megumi doesn't want to be saved - that creates tension in the scene. The scene is more complicated now and there's more at risk, because now things aren't as easy as Yuji reaching out and saving Megumi.
Gege is also using a tactic called delayed gratification here. Delayed or deferred gratification is the resistance to the temptation of immediate pleasure in the hope of obtaining a valuable and long-lasting reward in the long term.
Instant gratification would be Yuji's first attempt at reaching out to Megumi working, Megumi reaching out his hand, Sukuna being defeated, Megumi and Yuji hugging and everyone going home happy.
Of course, then the story would be over as well.
By delaying gratification and not giving the audience what they want right away, the effect when Megumi is finally saved, or in my opinion, what should happen when he decides to save himself will be even greater.
As I was trying to illustrate above Megumi's arc is in my opinion better than Killua's, because it doesn't follow a handy dandy roadmap on where Gege is going to go with his character. Things aren't as clear cut and there's an element of ambiguity. Ambiguity in this context meaning what the author wants, Megumi's thoughts and his wants / trauma, and where Megumi's arc is going are not as clear cut.
Tumblr media
Gege cited Nasu's writing as a major inspiration on his because they skip explanations and instead let the audience try to explain things and put the pieces together for themselves.
I think when writing gets really good, we reach a point where "What's written is just as important as what's not written." That doesn't really make a lot of sense so let me explain it. Good writing does not spell out everything for the audience, but instead relies on audience inference to fill in the blanks, because then the reader becomes an active participant in writing the story and has to draw their own conlclusions instead of remaining a passive reader.
Megumi never thinks out loud that he didn't want to be a sorcerer and that he wanted to be a kid like Killua did, but there are things in story that implies Megumi thinks that way. The way he thinks he can never live up to Gojo's level or reach Gojo's heights. The way he doesn't even seem to want to. The way that personal connections like his connection to Yuji and Tsumiki is way more important to him then his duty as a sorcerer.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
The way that Megumi doesn't ever seem to believe that he's as capable as being strong of as Gojo, and doesn't even seem to want to try either. This passive resistance Megumi shows to becoming what Gojo wants him to be, is basically the only way he ever grasps for agency.
Megumi is kind of like a really lazy smart kid, who never turns in his homework but manages to pass classes anyway because he's good at taking tests. He's so naturally talented that unlike characters like Yuji who are newcomers who have to give it their all - Megumi can just coast on being born with an extremely strong technique and not having to put the effort in for most of the story.
Megumi's choice to coast though is like I said - passive resistance. Megumi never says out loud that he doesn't want to be a sorcerer, but we can analyze from his behavior, his constant habit of half-assing things that maybe there's a reason he can't put his all into being a sorcerer. I mean someone on reddit put this entire collage together on how unmotivated Megumi is to put the work in to develop his talents.
Tumblr media
The question is why in the manga where everyone is trying to be stronger, does Megumi keep half-assing things and not put his full effort in, why doesn't he seem to enjoy getting stronger the way say, Maki, and Yuji does. The answer isn't directly given to us, but all the way back in the third chapter Yaga says that sorcerers can't use other people as their reasons for being a sorcerer. It's an incredibly deadly and terrible job and if you don't know your own reason for why you want to be a sorcerer, you won't perform as well and you'll begin to doubt yourself.
Tumblr media
Yet, here's Megumi doing that exact same thing that Yaga warned about. Megumi didn't become a sorcerer because he wanted to or for his own reasons. He was groomed into being a sorcerer by Gojo, his options were 1) starve, 2) go to the zen'in and be a sorcerer anyway and your sister will most likely be abused 3) be a sorcerer under Gojo but Gojo will leave your sister alone.
Megumi convinced himself that he wanted to become a sorcerer for Tsumiki's sake, that he was sacrificing himself so Tsumiki could at least continue to live a normal life but he's not even able to protect Tsumiki. When she becomes cursed, he's robbed of his entire reason for becoming a sorcerer under Gojo in the first place, but he has to just keep going on the vain hope that Tsumiki will wake up one day. Perhaps that's the reason that Megumi immediately grew so close to Yuji too, because Yuji reminded him of Tsumiki, but while he failed to save Tsumiki Yuji was still around and someone he could actively want to save.
Tumblr media
Megumi doesn't want to be a sorcerer, but he has to be one and so in order to convince himself that he wants to do his job he tells himself he's doing it for the sake of Yuji, or Tsumiki. If he thinks that his sacrifice is somehow helping the people he loves either directly or indirectly then he can keep going.
That small amount of selfishness is the only agency he's able to reclaim for himself, that he's not sacrificing himself for the greater good or trying to save everyone like Yuji is, he's only trying to save a small group of people so he doesn't have to exert himself too much.
Tumblr media
However, even that is basically just lipservice to being selfish, because in the end Megumi doesn't really benefit from his own actions. He does everything he does for other people. Even if it's for his own selfish reasons - to give him a motivation to keep going in this really shitty job of being a sorcerer he was forced into, even if he's using other people as an excuse to keep doing his job he's still not really a selfish person. He's not allowed to be selfish because he's not allowed to think for himself or make decisions for himself b/c he's been so thoroughly undermined by Gojo's grooming of him.
This is the paradox that is Megumi Fushiguro. He is presented to us as a very selfish character, especially in contrast to the all-loving hero Yuji, he's much more childish, prone to angst and failure and yet Megumi isn't really that selfish. Because true selfishness requires agency and the decision to decide for one's self and Megumi doesn't have that.
Sometimes, characters will make selfish and unlikable decisions in order to serve a greater story purpose even if the audience doesn't approve of them.
Megumi's character is better written than say Killua's, or even other characters in Jujutsu Kaisen because as a complex abuse victim he struggles internally with his issues, and growing past them instead of immediately getting back up on his feet to do the right thing. It's really easy to sympathize with Killua not wanting to be a murderer, because that's easy to understand. When Killua goes he wants to make friends not be an assassin the audience is immediately on his side. When Megumi doesn't want to be a sorcerer, a job that everyone else in the manga including characters like Yuji and Maki are fine with being and don't question whether or not they want to be sorcerers or get stronger then he looks selfish and weak-willed in comparison.
Megumi's internal struggles to form his own identity and grasp at agency are probably the most complex and best written character work because it's not immediately gratifying. Megumi's arc is not a straightforward arc, things have to get worse for him before they get better.
It's like in season 3 of avatar with Zuko. Zuko looked ready to change sides with team avatar at the end of season 2, but he regresses and sides with Azula instead when he thinks he's getting everything he wanted on a silver plate. It might seem more frustrating to not get what the audience wants, Zuko joining team avatar right away, but by delaying that immediate gratification the payoff for when Zuko does join team avatar is greater. Sometimes it's better to be less straightforward, because then characters feel like people with internal struggles and not pieces you are moving down a pre-determined path.
Let me compare Megumi to a character in story who's arc is pretty universally beloved, but I will argue is less complex than his. You could say for Megumi, well Maki's sister died and not only did she get over it she used that death to climb to even greater heights and she's now one of the most powerful characters in the manga.
Tumblr media
This seems to be what readers want for Megumi, for him to get over Tsumiki's death and then live up to the potential that he's been foreshadowed to have. If the audience had their way, the same way that Maki was destined to become the next Toji, Megumi would step up right away after Tsumiki's death, become the next Gojo and become as powerful as Maki.
However, here's my question do we as readers really feel Maki's mourning for Mai? I mean if you were a fan of Mai you probably feel sad at her death because she was a character that you liked, but does the narrative ever take the space to have Maki struggle to come to terms with the loss of Mai?
No, because Maki pretty much immediately gets a power up afterwards. We don't really feel Maki's loss for Mai, because we get that immediate gratifaction. Maki never lays on the ground and wallows, she never gives up, in fact we get some pretty immediate catharsis too because Maki goes on to murder all of Mai's killers.
Mai's death doesn't seem like the tragic event that it is, because it's not played as a tragedy, but as Maki coming into her own power. There's nothing wrong with this I suppose, but it's less emotionally complex because we take no time for Maki to internally deal with the loss of Mai, to feel that loss. Tsumiki is way less of a character than Mai, but her death is an unequivocal tragedy because nothing good comes out of it, Megumi doesn't get to avenge Tsumiki's death, it's only a tragedy, it's only suffering.
Tumblr media
If you're satisfied with Maki's arc that's fine, but like I said it's a lot like Killua's in that it's very clearly signposted where we are going. It's narratively convenient. Like, when Maki is at her lowest point, a sumo guy shows up out of nowhere to give the exact words to encourage her and lead her character to the conclusions she's supposed to draw.
Tumblr media
Megumi and Maki are both victims of abuse but Megumi's allowed to be a lot more unlikable, he's allowed to stumble, to do things the audience wouldn't approve of. He's not shown to be more virtuous than his abusers, to rise up and get revenge against his abusers, he doesn't immediately free himself through the power of his hard work and determination alone.
In fact compared to Maki Megumi's kind of just a loser.
Yet, sometimes the road less traveled is the better one. Megumi doesn't follow the paint by numbers abused child overcomes their abuser and finds their own strength / freedom / agency arc and because of that he doesn't come off as a character with a character arc, but rather a child struggling to grow up properly in a world where he has no positive adult figures to help grow and nurture him. Just like a child Megumi has no idea how to be an adult, and unlike Maki there's no path to adulthood clearly laid out for him.
In fact when he does try to take steps or reclaim his agency for himself, someone usually appears either Gojo or Sukuna to rob him away of his agency and further sabotage him. Megumi's arc has a pretty clear pattern of one step forward, two steps back. Megumi bonds with Yuji, Yuji dies. Megumi promises to get stronger for Yuji after his death, Yujhi turns out to be alive and also he finds out that his decision to save Yuji after Yuji ate the finger led to fingers all around the world awakening more people dying. Megumi decides to keep this fact from Yuji to spare his feelings creating a wall between him and Yuji.
Megumi creates his domain for the first time, but then in Shibuya he's put into a corner by his father stabbing him and takes two steps back using Mahoraga as a suicide move again another curse user. When he does that too, he thinks about how he'll never be as strong as Gojo wants to be five seconds before calling Mahoraga.
Megumi comes out of the culling games with a plan to save Tsumiki, manages to defeat one sorcerer using his domain expansion and pushing his limits again like he did in the death painting arc, only for Tsumiki to turn out to be possessed and Sukuna to take his body.
One step forward, two steps back.
However, the complexity from Megumi's character comes from this fact, the fact he doesn't just walk down the path the audience wants him to, he doesn't simply do what Gojo laid out for him to make him the next Satoru Gojo. He doesn't find meaning or reason in being a sorcerer, he doesn't get stronger as a sorcerer because he doesn't want to be there.
Tumblr media
There's no convenience there, no one pops up with an inspirational speech the moment that Megumi needs it to keep going instead it's the opposite the narrative keeps robbing Megumi of his agency agian and again, pulling the rug out from under him when it looks like he's gotten the strength to stand out on his own two feet and Megumi has to keep going. The narrative rewards Maki and gives her what she wants her arc is basically over, whereas it punishes and denies Megumi at every turn. Maki's arc isn't bad but it is basically already over and it's a lot simpler and more straightforward than Megumi's.
Megumi is also called on to do a lot more than Maki is, because Megumi's issues can't really be solved with a power-up. This quote "let fate toy with you before you die like a fool" is probably one of the most important quotes when speaking about Megumi, because Megumi really is the fool in the fool's journey.
The Fool's Journey is a metaphor for the journey through life. Each major arcana card stands for a stage on that journey - an experience that a person must incorporate to realize his wholeness. These 22 descriptions are based on the keywords for each major arcana card. The keywords are highlighted in the text. A card's number is in parentheses.
The Fool's Journey is different from the Hero's Journey, because the Hero's Journey is the standard narrative for how a character rises up to become a hero, whereas the fool's journey is how a person goes from being an innocent but empty child a fool, a zero, into being a whole, and well rounded person. In Tarot the Fool (0) is basically a newborn, with no identity, no opinions, an empty vessel.
We begin with the Fool (0), a card of beginnings. The Fool stands for each of us as we begin our journey of life. He is a fool because only a simple soul has the innocent faith to undertake such a journey with all its hazards and pain. At the start of his trip, the Fool is a newborn - fresh, open and spontaneous. The figure on Card 0 has his arms flung wide, and his head held high. He is ready to embrace whatever comes his way, but he is also oblivious to the cliff edge he is about to cross. The Fool is unaware of the hardships he will face as he ventures out to learn the lessons of the world. The Fool stands somewhat outside the rest of the major arcana. Zero is an unusual number. It rests in the exact middle of the number system - poised between the positive and negative. At birth, the Fool is set in the middle of his own individual universe. He is strangely empty (as is zero), but imbued with a desire to go forth and learn. This undertaking would seem to be folly, but is it?
Megumi is the most underdeveloped and childish character in the series. He is as people have constantly referred to him, immature and selfish. He doesn't see things for the greater good, because he's ego-centric like a child and can only see what's around him.
What Megumi needs to do is to become a whole person, to develop an entire identity on his own, that's not dependent on Yuji or Tsumiki. He needs to be able to stand on his own two feet.
Now, how does Megumi go about doing that while he's also asked to be a sorcerer, people who aren't allowed to be selfish, who are asked to be identity-less cogs who exorcise curses for the greater good.
Megumi's arc is a lot harder, and a lot more difficult because it's not resolved by him getting a power up. That wouldn't fix his central issue because the problem isn't that Megumi's weak, it's that he's weak willed and doesn't think for himself.
Megumi can't become the next Gojo or the next Toji, he has to become himself.
Yet, Megumi and the audience at large don't know exactly what that means yet. That ambiguity, will Megumi be able to save himself, how exactly will Megumi save himself if he's not taking the hands that Yuji offers him. How exactly will he find the will to live with Tsumiki gone, and with no reason besides himself to keep on moving? It's that ambiguity that makes his arc more compelling.
Also, if Megumi were to resolve his arc by just getting a power up that kind of just means that Gojo was right all along. Like I hate to borrow from Homestuck of all things but this quote heavily applies to megumi and the way he was raised by Gojo.
So in the context the character Dave was raised from childhood by his brother to go through some super ultra ninja training, where he was basically forced to spare with his brother with swords every single day and put through the ringer with training, and that training didn't make him stronger it just made him afraid to fight. Dave can't see himself as strong or as a hero, because he's number one constantly feeling inferior to his brother who has like destroyed his entire childhood and number two because he didn't have a childhood he has no solid basis to build his sense fo self around. There's no strong foundation for Dave because he was robbed of the childhood years that help us form our identity. He never formed an identity, the only thing he could do was try to passively resist what his brother wanted him to be. That's not really forming an identity though, that's saying "I don't want to be that." Dave in his arc is continually reluctant to be a hero, and to go through the steps of a straightforward hbero's journey, because he doesn't want to be like a hero, because his brother was a cool brave heroic hero and his brother abused him.
Tumblr media
Dave's character shines in his reluctancy to be a hero, because if he just sucked up all of that abuse and then decided to be a hero anyway then wouldn't that just prove that his brother was right? That his brother was right to put him through all that abuse because look it made him stronger in the end.
Gojo took Megumi's childhood away from him with the intention of turning him into a stronger sorcerer, but it had the opposite effect. It didn't make him stronger or into another Gojo Satoru, it made him not want to become a sorcerer, it made him weak willed and made him cowardly and made him want to run away from danger and made him unable to believe himself to be strong enough to win.
Even Maki's arc doesn't ever suggest her abusers were right. If anything it's the opposite, Maki wanted to be a sorcerer, she would have willingly become one but her family sabotaged her at every chance and denied her the opportunity to become one - only to show that Maki was right all along that she had more potential than anyone else in the family and her family should have given her that chance. That if from the beginning the Zen'in accepted and raised Maki then the tragedy at the end of her arc could have been averted. The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel it's warmth... etc, etc.
So Maki's arc may be way more straightforward than Megumi's, but her arc doesn't suggest that her abusers were right to put her through what they did. However, Megumi just being told to suck up all his abuse and get stronger would be doing just that, because it would mean Gojo was right all along to do what he did, Gojo stealing Megumi's childhood would be right because look how much stronger it makes him.
However, Gojo's actions didn't make Megumi stronger, it made him the opposite, it made him never want to fight, or see blood, or be near danger. It made him passive and cowardly and selfish rather than active and brave and selfless.
Sometimes a writer may have a character make an unpopular choice in service of the story and themes.
You're not wrong friend for pointing out that Megumi comes off like a hypocrite for giving up, when he called Yuji selfish for giving up on his own before the beginning of the culling games. If anything it's worse, because Megumi has chosen to give up at the moment when everyone is basically making a group effort and risking their lives to help him instead of going for the more tactically solid strategy of killing Megumi alongsde Sukuna. Megumi is not respecting the feelings of those who wish to save him, nor is he thinking about how much the others are risking their lives just for the chance to save him.
Tumblr media
However, this intentional parallel of Megumi being able to reach Yuji at his lowest point when he wants to give up, and Yuji not being able to reach Megumi illustrates the difference between their characters.
Yuji became a sorcerer by choice. His ideal of wanting to help people is something he chose for himself, and apparently according to Sukuna he believes down to his very bones which is why it's something he'll never waver from. Yuji is the outsider who became a sorcerer by choice, he wants to be in this world - even if it wasn't a total choice like he chose to eat the finger but he didn't think of the ramifications and afterwards his choice was like "die now, or die after eating 21 more fingers." Yuji still views it as his choice though.
Megumi on the other hand never had a choice. All of his justifications and reasons and "I selfishly choose who to save" those are all lipservice, ex posto factor justifications, lies Megumi tells himself to cope with the fact that this life as a sorcerer was forced upon him.
That's why Megumi doesn't have the unshakable determination to get back up at his lowest point that Yuji had, because Yuji at the end of the day is kind of like the embodiment of the ideal sorcerer the way Nanami is, he's decided to give his life to be a sorcerer and live up to what sorcerers should be so he can make the world a slightly better place and then pass the torch to the next sorcerer.
Yuji chose that for himself, and for better or worse he keeps making that choice over and over again. He's resolved to live and die as an ideal sorcerer, and carry on the burden that Nanami left for him.
Tumblr media
If Yuji's arc is to figure out what kind of sorcerer he wants to be and then be that person to the very end, then Megumi's arc is the opposite. It's to find out who he is outside of being a sorcerer, because being a sorcerer wasn't his choice it was something that was imposed upon him. That's what Killua's arc is too, Killua's arc is not him learning to live up to his full potential as an assassin because that would once again validate his family's abuse of him. No Killua can't grow up into what his family wants him to be, he has to figure out for himself what he wants, and try to grow into that person.
However, Megumi has that added layer of difficulty in that Megumi doesn't get to use "I want to grow strong enough to protect my sister" as an answer the way Killua did. Megumi unlike Killua gets the crutch ripped out from underneath him. He's not allowed to live for Tsumiki anymore, because Tsumiki is gone.
Now Megumi has to find a way to keep living for himself without Tsumiki, and show that life is worth living even if you lose your loved ones or he sinks. Which as I said again is harder and more complex o Megumi because he doesn't get the simple answer "I want to grow strong to protect my sister" he's called to do more than that and stand entirely on his own.
Finally, Megumi not immediately taking Yuji's hand when it's offered to him adds complexity to the story in another way.
Tumblr media
Again we are asking the question, is it possible to save someone who does not want to be saved? It's repeating the same conflict in the past between Gojo and Geto now with Yuji and Megumi. Can Yuji really do anything to save Megumi if Megumi himself has decided to give up and that he's beyond salvation. If Megumi does not want to be saved then what does Yuji's attemps to reach out his hand amount to?
One last thing is I think Yuji's attempts to save Megumi were always going to fail, because as it's already been stated above by Gojo you can't save those who aren't willing to be saved.
In broader story terms though, if Megumi's arc is about reclaiming his own agency then how is getting saved by Yuji a proper end to this arc? Megumi being rescued like a passive damsel is not giving his character any agency, if anything it's robbing him of agency because it's reducing him to a victim to be saved by Yuji.
This is why I bring up delayed gratification, because if Megumi was saved here then his arc would be over and it would also be brought to a pretty unsatisfying conclusion. There would be no real moment where he learned to stand up for himself, he didn't find the meaning in living past the death of his loved ones for himself someone.
Not only is Megumi not letting Yuji save him, but story-wise it's kind of impossible for Yuji to save him because what Megumi needs narratively to complete his arc isn't to be saved.
What Megumi needs is to save himself. So no matter what Yuji did, no matter what heroic speech he gave, no matter what lengtsh Yuji went to to free Megumi's soul for Sukuna it would not have worked anyway, because that's not what Megumi needs.
Megumi needs to become himself. Megumi needs to save himself.
The fact that Megumi doesn't want to be saved, that he doesn't want to keep living, is the struggle he's going to have to overcome in order to achieve these things in the end.
And it will be much more gratifying when he does save himself, because the manga didn't go the easy route and just have Yuji save Megumi.
110 notes · View notes
blacktabbygames · 11 months
Note
Good mornighternoon. Do you have any advice on making writing and/or coding branching dialogue less confusing?
It's always going to be confusing and difficult to keep track of branching, but here's some things that I think have helped. Gonna break this down into a few sections to make it a little easier to follow.
Foundations and Research
So much practice for me came from being obsessed with Bioware games growing up, especially Dragon Age and Mass Effect — just keeping track of complicated branching world states in complex games you already enjoy is extremely good exercise, and the best way to get better at thinking about a medium is to consume and discuss things in that medium.
Building on that, I think that the best media to take a deep dive into to improve your own craft is something that you really like, but that feels like it missed the mark in a few areas that are important to you. Again, revisiting Mass Effect and Dragon Age, I absolutely loved the way that those games set up challenging decisions, but was frustrated at how easy it was to circumvent those choices entirely. By the time Abby and I started work on Scarlet Hollow, I feel like I had a strong foundation from obsessively consuming those works and the two of us discussing at length how we wanted to handle branching compared to games we've enjoyed in the past.
The Big Picture
The bigger your project, the more important it is to have intentionality to your choices. With both Scarlet Hollow and Slay the Princess, we decided on the major themes of the story and wrote down and outlined all of our Big Plot Points before we wrote a word of the actual script.
It can also help to come up with Rules for your piece that fit within your outline. These aren't necessarily ever words that are directly communicated in the game, but rather something for you to personally follow (and to break, on occasion). To give some examples of rules we've come up with for Scarlet Hollow: Every chapter must have a "major" decision with seemingly only bad outcomes towards the end. Each of these decisions must have a secret "out" mapped to a trait. Each trait gets exactly one out. Every episode must contain at least one decision where the focus is the player's relationship with Tabitha. The story must come back together in a recognizable structure after a split. As an extension of that last point, subsequent playthroughs must feel both Similar and Different. Again, these aren't hard and fast rules, and one of the joys of writing is knowing which rules you should break and when you can break them. (So if you're reading this post and trying to use it to theorize about future plot developments, good luck!)
Having a finished outline and rules are important because then, as you work on the minutiae, you'll already have a strong framework to build around. Suddenly, when you're crafting decisions and thinking about cascading consequences, you're not just branching out into an infinite void: instead, you're actively working to draw everything into a set of predetermined thematic and structural points.
The Little Details
When it's time to write your script, it's very important to remain focused in the moment — if you think too long about the scale of a branching narrative and the work it requires, you'll find yourself easily overwhelmed. Just work on one menu at a time in one scene at a time, and you'll find a way to keep things straight and to get it done.
When writing a menu, define your player's options with intent. What are the things (within reason) that you would want to do in a scene? What emotional range do you want to grant the player? Do two options cover the same intent and emotionality? If so, condense them, and keep the option that's more fun.
Emotionality is very important here, so I want to take an extra line to emphasize it. Ask yourself, "what are the different reactions a player might have to this, emotionally" and find a way to let them express those emotions. Letting them express those emotions doesn't always mean you let the *action* behind those emotions work — it's more about acknowledging those feelings and letting them bake into the narrative.
Bolding this one because it's very important track everything. A lot of the callbacks and references in Scarlet Hollow aren't actually pre-planned — we just make sure to track most player decisions so if we realize we want to make a reference to something that might have happened, there's already a variable in place for it. An example of this that comes to mind is the "dead moms" callback in Episode 4, which we didn't plan in advance, but when we realized how right that callback was for that scene, we already had that information tracked.
I think I accidentally talked about a lot of stuff outside the scope of your question, but narrative design is such an interesting subject and I like talking about it. Hopefully this is helpful!
211 notes · View notes
amysubmits · 1 month
Note
I’ve just spent about half an hour reading and re-reading your “Owning me is complicated” post. Reading this from a sub’s perspective is so helpful to a Dom. I often feel like I have to be perfect and never make a mistake with my sub. Often I feel like making a mistake would sabotage our relationship because I wouldn’t be living up to her expectations or standards. It’s heartwarming to read your thoughts about your Dom and the struggles that occur in His mind. We try to lead with confidence and assuredness and we want that to exude daily so that the sub is naturally “comfortable” in following and submitting. The truth is, we don’t ALWAYS know the answer. We don’t ALWAYS have it figured out. Trust and honor is a delicate strand that we try not to break. Her submission is the most beautiful gift she can give me but knowing she looks at me and thinks of me as her everything is even more. Never wanting to let her down is always a part of my mindset. I try to earn her submission and trust every day, not by my words but through my actions. It’s beautiful to know that there are subs that think and acknowledge the things you described in your writing. Thank you. Thank you for shining a light that says “True Doms will always have a sub’s best interest at heart.” Such a beautiful post. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful message!
It feel like the nuance involved with D/s often gets lost on tumblr. There isn't really a good way to say in a short snippet or meme that on one hand, most subs are really drawn to confidence and confidence can feel like a key part of being a dom in some ways. And yet..doms are human and should have room to make mistakes. And while confidence can assist dominance a lot, it can also be a huge liability or threat to the D/s relationship if someone in the Dom role acts confident when they aren't informed. I guess in other words, confidence is great, but it's not realistic for doms to always be confident in everything...and arrogance is dangerous. Sometimes a dom not knowing exactly what to do and just having a nice discussion ith their sub about what they are thinking and even gaining additional insight or information from their sub to help make a decision can be a really bonding, D/s-feeling, lovely thing. And it's easy to miss that nuance if you go looking at memes or shortform content that talk about how confidence is key to being a dom or whatever. Or erotica that portrays dominance as practically being an all knowing, all confident god-like creature. Finding it hot as a fantasy I get for sure, but it's so important to differentiate between fantasy and real relationships and that difference isn't always clear on here. Similar with earning submission. I get why there is a lot of content that talks about the importance of earning trust and submission. There are so many doofuses out there who think they should just command a sub into compliance without earning submission and those are some really dangerous people. At the same time...it's easy for me to grasp why a well-meaning dom might think if they make a mistake then that means they have temporarily 'lost' submission or failed to earn it that day or something - and it's not necessarily like that. I try to always remember that my dom is human and will get it wrong sometimes. I don't expect perfection. More than anything else it's just the fact that he really wants to be cautious and take good care of me and of our relationship...that he's always looking to learn from his mistakes and to grow as a person and as my partner... that allows him to earn my submission more so than how 'right' he gets it. It's the way he is motivated to act in ways that align with his moral compass and character that really get me submissive the most. Anyway, thanks again for your message, it was really heartwarming to read!
47 notes · View notes
gffa · 7 months
Text
The thing I really miss about Star Wars novels is exemplified by being two-thirds of the way through Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade and how I think I'm legitimately enjoying it, but in a very specific way, and I think there's actually a ton you could dig into the structure and bias of the narrator that I think is done on purpose and that I can find sympathy for a character actively falling to the dark side and what she's going through without validating the people she's demonizing in her head because I've been there, I have had my brain lying to me all my life, telling me things I know aren't true, making me believe them despite all evidence otherwise, and do you guys KNOW how much I love hot messes of a disaster lady? I fucking love a woman who is just an awful mess and doesn't have to actually be perfect or nice and maybe just once or twice says a kind of catty thing, NO, SHE IS A WHOLE ASS MESS and I LOVE HER!! But also I'm kind of in the position of how I'm tired of getting stories of characters falling to the dark side being the vast majority of what stories explore with the Jedi, I enjoy them, but not when that's all there is, and I have spent YEARS AND YEARS going back and forth with the discussions about the Jedi and I am so tired of it, I DON'T WANT TO ANYMORE. I just want to write my commentary and thoughts down in the vein that I have them and have that be it. I want to say, "This is a really glorious unreliable narrator here, because everything she says is contradicted by what the Jedi actually say/do, and she is explicitly a character designed with neurodivergent/mental health issues aspects in mind and you can't divorce that from her character." and like I don't even want to discuss with other Jedi fans about what the author may or may not have said (I read one interview from her at the beginning, enjoyed it fine, and AM NOT INTERESTED in knowing or hearing anything further) or how annoying it is to have a book like this, I JUST WANT TO DIG INTO A STORY and not have to worry about bracing myself for combat. (And also the thorny issue of how this isn't precisely a recommendation because I'm not sure others would enjoy it, like even if you agreed with me, I'm not sure it'd be something in your wheelhouse, but I don't want to even get into that, it feels exhausting, like, just I want to talk about how I'm enjoying it, but not have to articulate why I think others possibly wouldn't, just leave it at "nah, I don't think you'd enjoy it".) I know this is some IRL stuff spilling over onto my reading of this book and I'm aware of the state of a lot of creators in SW right now hold opinions that have made me stop reading their works because I am no longer interested in anything they have to contribute, but also like. Sometimes I just want to enjoy a book on my own terms and not have to feel like I'm arguing a case, but instead reveling in the glorious hot mess of a central female character that maybe I relate to and have sympathy for even while recognizing that she is painting a very unreliable portrait within the book, because I Have Been There. Idk, I'm not saying this very well, and a lot of it is outside factors, but I have this giant tangled ball of "I just want to enjoy something for once, not examine why it might actually be doing my Blorbos all wrong", like aren't we supposed to be in fandom for the enjoyment of things, not to constantly argue with people? /tired and hasn't been sleeping well and has been thinking about this instead of wrenching irl stuff
79 notes · View notes
Note
Something I dislike about Chloe’s damnation is how her good actions never have that “selfish” part of them
My main examples is Zombisue and Queen wasp
She sacrificed herself to save ladybug and apologizes at the end, saving ladybug is selfless since she genuinely trusts ladybug will save them all (LIKE CHAT NOIR DOES, she’s doing the same chat does and is meant to and she doesn’t gain anything from apologizing since she already looks good in ladybug’s eyes for saving her
And in queen wasp she knows she’ll won’t be getting the miraculous back but she gives it up because of her devotion to ladybug
If the writers wanted to make her seem evil and selfish they would have given her something to gain out of this situations like money or fame, not the sympathy of her idol, is like the writers don’t know how to make actions have a selfish intentions to them and it shows with Marinette
Marinette has done this multiple times (for example she goes to Shanghai under the excuse of following Adrien which is extremely selfish) and the writers never seem to notice
I once read a fanfic called “bad for business” about a side villain of a show (which show ain’t important) not joining the main villains which invade he’s territory and basically plan to destroy the whole place.
The villain constantly makes deals and promises with selfish goals knowing full well most of he’s Allie’s might end up weakened, in Jail or dead at the end, and everything he does is selfish even if they aren’t flat out evil (I will help them in this turf war so they will help ME in this turf war, I will give them valuable information so they will destroy our mutual enemies for ME, I will kill this terrorist so I can frame it for the murder of another goon I murdered)
And the fan fic makes this clear every single scene, he does have good traits like caring for he’s partner and trying (emphasis on trying) to console a girl (which would have been he’s enemy in the canon show) after the two think a friend of hers died in front of their eyes but even till the end it’s shown how he’s never done a single selfless thing in the whole history and that’s why despite everything he did on the fic and what he wanted to achieve and by the means he did, he still rooted for him, because he was evil and nothing was hiding it (specially not the writer)
Meanwhile miraculous doesn’t know the difference between a selfish and selfless action, a fanfic does something better than miraculous, a fanfic of a series far worse than miraculous is more aware of good and evil than a children’s show
God I love ranting about miraculous mistakes and double standards
I feel like the writers have no idea what an anti-hero is, because characters are either completely perfect and can do no wrong, or they're complete monsters who are pure evil.
The show tries to write characters like Chloe, Gabriel, and Felix in a morally gray light, yet the writers always try to either downplay their actions or act like they've been good from the start.
The whole point of writing an anti-hero is that it allows you to explore stories in a way that differ from the usual moral paragons people are used to seeing in superhero media. These kind of characters usually find ways to accomplish their goals that don't allign with the beliefs we have. It makes us think about whether the ends justify the means, or how thin is the line between being a hero and being a villain.
But this show doesn't do that sort of thing. When a character does something, it's either good or bad, no matter the consequences it has. I'm not saying we need complex writing on the same level as Breaking Bad for this show, but if they're going to try and discuss topics like redemption for past deeds, you need to draw a line and show what kind of things are okay to do, what things aren't okay to do, and why actions are viewed in a certain way.
48 notes · View notes
bearhugsandshrugs · 2 months
Text
Bearhugsandshrugs Update – March '24
Hey all! I wanted to give a few updates since the last one was done over a month ago :)
TL;DR: Updates on MAD, WIPs, community things, and my life!
General Context
The last time I wrote I had some nice plans for things to write but then life happened and I got sick several times and spent most of February trying to recover. So in short, I'm "behind" on basically everything. And it won't get better, because...
I am also trying to crank out a proposal for my agent to take to publishers, and the loose deadline I was given for the best moment to submit is in April, so I will spend the next four weeks focusing on that. Which means all fics and WIPs will go on the backburner in the hopes of bringing my work into a form that'll get me published one day. That being said...
WIPs
There are several WIPs I was working on. The giveaway fic is done and will go live today, and the Gorsimp series has launched this past month, but I am moving everything else to May, maybe even June.
Worthy Chapter 3: Structure is drafted. ETA in a few weeks May
Folie Chapter 7: same as above, ETA May/June
Durgetash series (concept linked): I am tempted to start this but I don't want to commit to several series beyond MAD and Gorsimp right now, so idk. If there's a lot of interest I might start it in early summer.
Raphael series (concept linked): same as above. If there's significant interest I might start this. Might be nice to get back into Raphael.
There are a few drabbles I'm dabbling with, but they're nothing I want to commit to right now.
MAD
MAD will continue and there's so much coming... you have no idea. I will, however, update less often, so moving from the 2x/week schedule I had for a while into 1x every week or 10 days or so.
I'm planning to pick it back up more frequently once I'm done with my proposal so this is only temporary! Please don't mistake me updating less frequently with me not caring about the fic. It couldn't be further from the truth.
Gorsimp
This fic I'm co-writing with @bloodlessbhaalbabe is pretty much pre-written for the next year or so because we wrote a good chunk over the past two months, so you will see this fic update more frequently. It's cute. And hot. Please give it a read if you haven't already.
Admin: Discord Server, Community, Pinned Post
First of all I want to thank the people who sent me tips on Ko-fi the past month. I was so taken aback that I didn't even know how to properly comment and thank you, so I apologize if my replies were weird D: It's mindblowing to me still.
I do want to do more community focused things like comment of the week/month, having a discord server for people to hangout, do more polls and giveaways, offer more writing tips, have discussion threads, and much more, but I am at the limit of my available time.
I have an offer of help with the discord so this might go live at some point, but very transparently, it all depends on how much energy I have left. Either way it's on my mind!
Tumblr media
I hope these updates aren't too disappointing for you. It's basically me prioritizing my original writing for a few weeks.
In the meantime you can support me by reblogging your favs (Masterlist here!). I really do want to re-iterate how much it helps when you share my work on here.
Oh, and next giveaway? Once I hit 1k followers. Which will probably take a while.
Thank you all so much for reading and supporting me! I'm sending everyone much love 🖤
28 notes · View notes
inlocusmads · 6 months
Text
Tumblr media
Art credits: @/annalaura_art on Instagram
choices fandom shoutouts- day one @choicesfandomappreciation
Honestly it's been like.. more than a year since I joined the Tumblr fandom and I had some of the best time with a lot of people and I want to try and bring some of them up here now!
@cassie-thorne Max you're literally one of the first persons I talked to and I think you're super cool (scratch that, you're the coolest). Your art is just one of the best (open up shop, seriously, I'll pay five kidneys) and I just love how we used to geek out every Wednesday. (They aren't Wednesdaying anymore lmao). You're literally one of the nicest people ever and I still read some of your old comments because it's just chaos and just so much love and happiness. Thank you for being an active person in the fandom because I don't know how I'll ever get through the Crimes, Blades brainrot alone.
@jerzwriter Jerz, argh I absolutely love your thoughtful comments and your insight into things! And your writing - damn! You have this beautiful way with words with respect to dialogue and it's so witty and clever and just downright amazing. I've yet to catch up with a lot of your stuff lol, I'll definitely use my upcoming days off to do just that.
And plus - just impeccable music taste lol. I might actually get into Noah Kahan and suspend down forty feet into listening to Stick Season over and over and over again XD! I've always admired your way of handling things - be it with fandom BS or just life in general. It is just so fricking admirable, I'll be taking notes lmaoo thank you for staying in the fandom despite everything and thank you for continuing to maintain this extensive library CFWC of works with @lucy-268 in the fandom. It's tough work! I just heavily heavily appreciate it. (Now go play Blades! Trust me it's worth it!)
@mydemonsdrivealimo MJ! You have literally one of the best art styles - hands down and I just absolutely love the amount of thought you put into Jensen. You actually have inspired me to put out my own HCs out there, get past that reluctance. Jensen being ace might have actually made me feel so much better about writing ace characters too, because apart from a couple of ace MCs who were pretty unknown so to speak, it was kind of lonely. The queer discussions we have within our fandom has honestly inspired me to step out of my "shell" and talk about it more.
I also want to take a moment to shout out @peonyblossom and @gutsfics too because just talking about queerness through mediums such as fics and art and metas helps so much and makes people feel a little less alone. I also want to send another shoutout towards @jaredkau for their Aromantic!Tobias headcanon and Tobias and Ethan in this QPR which makes me just lose my mind in the best way possible. And can I just say I love reading your lil headcanons so freaking much?? Like?? They're just so good - they're silly, they're fluffy, angsty and just downright queer and it's given me a lot of encouragement to write more queer pairings. I've always had this plaguing doubt about depicting LGBTQIA+ because I'd think, "Man even though I'm queer, I don't think I can do a good job of it" and now it's gone with the wind <333 Thank you so much for this!
@lilyoffandoms Such a positive figure in this fandom, I'm so glad you pop up on my dash with your fics, boosts of encouragement and art! I think Lily's works were some of the first things I read on this blog - with the whole Crimes hyperfixation thing and I absolutely fell in love with their writing style and it's like y'know this subtle, clever way that you just catch onto the subtext faster than any of the idiots (affectionate) who are completely oblivious about each other's feelings. Thank you for being here, Lily!
@lovealexhunt Dani, thank you for lighting up my inbox with just the most beautiful positivity messages. They actually do help a lot! It gives me a reason to just take care of myself. Thank you for all your blood, sweat and tears aha on @choicesbookclub because you've just built this beautiful little town square for people to chime in their thoughts. It feels like Old Choices back again when I'd just come on Tumblr and scroll through what people are thinking about the latest chapter. Seriously, you do so much for the fandom, you might as well be its actual engine and it has brought so many people together. I don't think I'd have known some of the people I know here without you bringing the fandom into one collective space. Thank you so much for just about everything, even though thank you is literally the understatement of the century. I'm just eternally grateful to have been accepted and included.
@cariantha Honestly like - the TALENT? Ma'am save some for the rest of us XD! I remember coming across Cari's Pictagram series of her OH MC, Sawyer and my jaw dropped - like the edits were just absolute killer. Banger after banger. And her fics - omg - especially the one where they're stuck in an elevator and Ethan still manages to throw her this Valentine's Day party; argh, it has my heart. Just fluffy goodness. Cari's just too good man, too freaking good. Thank you for encouraging me to come back to OH, even though I'm still a bit iffy on that ground lol - maybe I'll do a replay and start from scratch, who knows?
I want to give a quick shout-out to writers whose works I NEED to get on! @starsarewithinme and @moominofthevalley because y'all are the reason why the Crimes tag isn't just completely dead XD and I'd love to get to your writing as soon as I can. @peonierose because I miss Bryce and Luna and their adorable little family so much. I hope you're doing well Peonie <3 @aallotarenunelma - it has been a long time and I'd love to dive right back into your It Lives works and it's literally some of the best, poetic, most evocative writing I've ever come across, ever. @starlight-starfury I HAVE to get to your Tyril x MC works and they're so freaking good! You just capture the "whipped"-ness of Tyril's character so well. Thank you for that!
__
Honestly there are a lot of people, I'll admit. I might even have to make a part two for the 'I'll-give-Da-Vinci-a-run-for-his-money' artists and 'baby-girl-i-can-invent-new-angsty-scenarios-you've-never-even-heard-of' writers that I missed out on in this post. But thank you for the wildest, chaotic and the kindest - if I can describe it that way - ride ever. I'm so grateful to be a part of this clan of people and we just gush out over pixellated people and make up our own stories because PB doesn't do that (okay enough PB jibes lol). Thank you so much for being at the very heart of the fandom, keeping this alive. You are all just downright amazing people and amazing is such an understatement. I hope you guys know that.
34 notes · View notes
pianocat939 · 9 months
Note
Hello! I'm having a bit of a rough time so I thought I'd send this ask. What would the turtles be like with a S/O that has anxiety, depression and PTSD? How would they help them if their depression is bad enough that on some days they can't get out of bed, forget to eat, etc? Bonus if S/O is plus-sized/kinda chubby and insecure about it.
God- the first thing I write about is of course a comfort ask- never could be any more surprising-
I'm gonna answer the questions rather than discuss the general idea since this topic can contain an ungodly amount of scenarios.
Tw: situations with severe symptoms of depression, dealing with insecurities
Can't get out of bed?
(Ok so assuming one feels like getting out of bed is too much to bear-) Mikey probably wouldn't question it all that much and instead asks if you want/need anything. He doesn't mind at all and instead spends most of that day in the same room. He's probably gonna be drawing, or something to keep his mind going. I swear- he'll reassure you every hour- like that man cannot fucking stop the worry.
Donnie...He won't try to get you out of bed but might advise you to sit up (and yes he will even lift you up if you don't have the feel for it). From there, he'll kinda stay in the same perimeter while also working in his lab. He'll ofc have his phone on the ready if you contact him for something. Emotionally speaking, I think he'll just not pay much mind to it at all. Unlike Mikey, who will express his thoughts on this situation, Donnie will just nonchalantly treat the day as pretty normal...while also trying to help you somehow.
Leo. I think he will relate to this more than any of the siblings, considering we just labelled him as 'angsty man 100'. He's gonna be similar to Mikey, expressing his verbal reassurance. I think unlike Mikey, who will try to express his understanding of the situation, Leo will literally try to connect from his own experiences. I guess if we were to compare the two- sympathy: and empathy.
Raph. Bro is gonna worry quite a bit- considering that's how he is. He'll ask every hour if you have everything you need, or want. If you ever speak of being sorry for not being able to leave bed, he'll go complete parent and deny all of it. Even if you can't get out of bed, he'll try to ensure you intake liquids, and at the very least try to eat something.
(Personally- I haven't had this type of experience so excuse me if it's not...the ideal sort of treatment.)
Forget to eat?
Donnie, I wouldn't even worry about this because he probably tracks what foods you intake daily, so if you aren't eating he's gonna barge into your home and won't dare leave until you do eat. I'm gonna be honest here, he'll probably have a crazy expression and holding the plate of food to you like he's gonna snap any moment.
Raph might take a few hours to notice, but once he does he's very polite about it. He'll remind you, and if you don't feel like cooking he'll do it for you. He's not like a gourmet chef like Mikey, but he's obtained some skills to provide for the other turtles. He'll understand if you don't want to eat much, but he'll try to get you to eat some.
Leo is so casual about it I can't even- like he could just open some random bag of food (that you can eat right away) and hand it to you. He doesn't care much for nutrition all that much, as long as you eat- given the situation you forget.
Mikey will Gordan Ramsay himself to make you a fine dish. Unlike Donnie who will aggressively stand there to make you eat, he'll just hand you the food without warning you in advance. He'll know whenever you eat, since he just does from being obsessed. He won't ask what you want to eat, and instead just cooks something that aligns to your usual tastes.
(Again I haven't had this type of sitaution either- so literally excuse me before haha...)
Insecurities?
Raph is already the mom friend, so when he notices whatever insecurity you have- he’ll find some time to sit you down and discuss with you about it. He understands why you would feel insecure about ___ but of course plays the ‘reassurance’ card. He is fine that you can’t get rid of your doubt at first, so instead he often makes positive comments about ___.
Leo unlike Raph, I feel would compliment on whatever insecurity you have rather than outwardly sitting down and talking about it. He’ll definitely notice, it’s just he’s not as sentimental like Raph is. Only if it’s bad enough will he take the time to talk about it with you.
Donnie is the least expressive out of the 4, which is not very surprising. It takes him a bit longer to notice, but once he does, his reassurances are blank, not so much on the feelings side. For example, “That body part? It’s fine as it is. There’s no life-threatening issue with it, is there? How it looks doesn’t matter.” Similar to Leo, only if your worry is bad enough will he say more sympathetic/empathetic reassurances.
Mikey…he’s a 50/50. On one hand, he could be very mushy and emotional about his observations/reassurances. Meanwhile, on the other hand, he could literally be almost…aggressive with his compliments. Like he’ll say it every day, even every hour if he has to. If you don’t like it, you’ll have to tell him, but other than that, he won’t stop.
——————————————————
Not my best work- but I tried. It’s…a bit difficult for me to do individual reactions sometimes. Depending on the situation. Especially with more fluffy ones.
…Jet lag is still bad so I can’t sleep yet-
- Celina
123 notes · View notes
misc-obeyme · 10 months
Text
Okay I finally have something to say about Lesson 17. Not because I didn't initially but man my thoughts were all over the place.
Spoilers below as always.
First: Solomon because what!
Let me begin by saying that I am not here to discuss whether or not anything that either Asmo or Solomon have done in regards to each other is "right" or not. They're fictional characters, as far as I know they've both always been morally grey, and there is more than enough discussion about this elsewhere. If someone wants to know my opinion, feel free to ask, but if that's what you're looking for, it isn't going to be in this post.
That being said!
Why is Solomon telling us this story about his pact with Asmo again? I mean, he already told us about it several lessons ago. Not only that, but he tells it differently. The first time he says he met Asmo in his hometown, but this time he says it was just some town after a festival. The stories aren't the same. So either he's just too drunk this time around and he's misremembering things or he lied to us the first time.
Either way, the fact that they have made him bring it up so much means it has to be relevant to the story in general. I mean, that's Storytelling 101. If you keep bringing something up in your story, you have to do something with it. That's Chekhov's gun, you know?
If the purpose is for us to notice that his story has changed, then maybe my theory about past!Solomon is more true than I thought? It might even just be a completely different Solomon from a different branch of time.
Because I noticed something else - Solomon is the only character whose outfit changes regularly throughout the story. (Aside from the latest one where everybody wears their RAD uniforms.)
He starts out in what they call his casual outfit - it's the sorcerer one with the cape. But then he switches to what they used to call his human world outfit - the one with the trench coat and fancy necklaces. He stays that way for several lessons, then switches back again. He switches back and forth between them one more time throughout the lessons we have. And he's wearing the human world outfit the first time he tells us about Asmo and the casual sorcerer outfit the second time when he's drunk.
This might not mean anything at all, but it just seems like we may be dealing with rotating Solomons.
ANYWAY. Every time a new lesson comes out I say I'm not going to analyze it too much because my theories always get out of control. And yet here I am doing the very thing I say I won't do!
Pfff. I can't help it, this game has taken over my brain.
It also seems a little out of character for Solomon to straight up get drunk because MC was gone for one day. Like this is the guy who spent most of his life alone and all that? Hmmm. It was pretty funny when he was hungover the next day though.
Second: RAPHAEL
WHAT DID THAT ANGEL JUST SAY?!
They want the brothers to go BACK?!
Listen here, I am not okay with this development. I hope they're not gearing up for a season 2 about a war in the past. I want to go back to the present already. I want to know the truth about who Nightbringer is. I want to know what the HELL is going on! I wanted all this story line to wrap up in one season! But we're already on lesson 17, I feel like we're no closer to knowing who Nightbringer is and NOW the Celestial Realm has basically declared war on the Devildom?
I mean, there's no way the bros would actually go back. Not after everything they've been through. Though I could see Lucifer trying to take on the responsibility all by himself somehow. All I know is that MC better pull out their OP abilities and fix this before the end of lesson 20, thanks.
Okay, that's all I had to say, I'm gonna get back to writing some fluffy fics now lol.
75 notes · View notes
mageofseven · 11 months
Text
MC Talking about Trauma they Experienced (Luce, Dia, Satan, Beel & Belphie)
Edit: this has been in my drafts for a while now. I started this one day when my depression was really bad and this was actually very therapeutic to write.
However, I got super emotionally exhausted from it and sort of abandoned it and since then, I've been debating whether to finish it, delete it, or post it as is.
After some thinking, I decided to add another character or so to the post and then post it.
Please, please check the trigger warnings below and do not read anything you can't handle.
Please protect yourself and always check for trigger warnings.
Now everything below this message is what I wrote originally that night.
Stay safe and if you do still read this, thank you for your time!~
~~~~~~~~~~
I wanted to write this because it's been on my mind; I'm autistic so I tend to have zero filter and over share things, but often in a nonchalant way, like I'm telling you about a cat I saw outside and not about things I talk to my therapist about on a weekly basis.
Basically, this is a post where MC shares bad memories (whether in an upset or nonchalant way) and we see how the Boys react.
So like, angst ahead, but the kind that might hit too close to home for some people.
I'll keep it all below the cut so you don't have to read anything potentially triggering for you if don't want to.
TW: physical abuse, emotional manipulation, child abuse, alcoholism, parents with anger issues
•▪︎▪︎◇°●♡●°◇▪︎▪︎•
Lucifer:
"MC, we're not having that for dinner for the 4th night this week."
"But...what will I eat then?"
The man sighed.
"I don't know. I'll have to figure something out." He told them. "Honestly, meal planning would be a lot easier without your food sensitivities."
The human stared into space, mind seemingly far away.
Lucifer raised an eyebrow before stepping closer.
"MC? Is something wrong, Love?"
"I'm remembering the time my mom slapped me on the face at a community barbeque in front of everyone there because she wasted money on buying me a ticket for an event without any food I could eat; I ran away and hid so I could cry and hyperventilate without people judging me."
His eyes widened.
"When did this happen?"
The human shrugged.
"I dunno. A few years back." They guessed. "I didn't get to have any food at all that day because my mom was so mad at me."
Lucifer took their hand and squeezed it.
"Well, you aren't with your mother anymore." The man smiled bitterly before adding. "I suppose we could just order pizza for tomorrow's dinner."
"No peppers? No olives?" The human asked, surprised.
"No peppers, no olives." He nodded.
"No iguana eyes? No anglerfish lantern?"
"None." He promised, despite knowing Beel's disappointment at the last two toppings not being on the pizza.
MC smiled and squeeze their boyfriend's hand back.
"Thank ya, Luce~"
The man's smile became softer.
He made a mental note to ask for Barbatos' help with finding more foods his Love can eat, but for now, the demon just didn't want MC thinking back on such horrible memories.
Like always, Luce just wanted to treat his Love how they deserved and not how they've always been treated.
Diavolo:
The two were discussing the prince's relationship with his currently deep-slumbering father.
It wasn't a topic Dia liked to speak about, but as his relationship with MC deepened, he found himself confiding in her with things he used to avoid discussing.
"...so in fairness, maybe we were never going to be close, considering the circumstances."
MC looked away, tears in their eyes.
"My Queen..." Diavolo brought his hand to their cheek. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to upset you with this."
MC shook their head.
"No, its not you." They told their boyfriend. "I just...I kinda relate in a a way..."
The prince brought the human into arms before kisskng their forehead.
"I can tell you have something in mind to share; you can share it with me."
MC was quiet for a moment before nodding.
"Once when I was a kid, we had a speaker come to class to teach us about child abuse. They handed out these pamphlets and explained to us that if our parents do any of the stuff that we talked about that day then we could call a number in the pamphlet..."
The demon tightened his embrace around them, not liking where this story was headed.
"I...I remember learning that a lot of stuff my parents did to me and my siblings was bad," They continued. "So I went home and told my parents that a speaker came to school and he told me that if they keep doing bad things and mistreat me that I could call the number on the paper..."
The human's tears fell down their cheeks, followed by Dia kissing them away.
"My Queen..."
"Ya know what they said to me?" They asked rhetorically. "They said 'Do it. I dare you'. Told me those people would take me and my siblings away, put us in foster care and split us up. That I would never see them or my brother or sister or my grandparents or anyone that I loved ever again...and told me they wouldn't even care, that they could just 'make another just like me' and that I would be responsible for my siblings' and my own suffering while my parents would just be happy to get rid of me."
The prince pulled MC into a tighter embrace as they cried.
"I wanted a good relationship with my parents so badly, but how do you become close with people who tell you at such a young age that you are replaceable and a burden they didn't even want?"
"You don't." He said softly in their ear as he stroked their hair. "Your parents were miserable people who never deserved having you as their child; they made sure of that."
The man leaned back to look them in the eyes.
"My Queen...I'm sorry you went through that. Please remember that you didn't deserve it though."
MC nodded.
"I...I know. Logically anyway...but it doesn't feel true, ya know?"
"Oh MC..."
Diavolo took the rest of the day off work, regardless of any urges or reminders from Barbatos.
This man wanted so desperately to comfort his beloved and heal the hole in her heart.
Still, the man knew there was not much he could do for the latter; this was just something his Queen had to work through on their own.
That wasn't going to stop this man from showering them love and reminding them just how perfect and sweet they are to him.
Satan:
Satan had gotten into an argument with Lucifer, resulting in one of his fits of rage.
They were so rare now of days; this was essentially the oldest bringing up the wrong thing at the wrong time and pushed it too far
Causing Satan to destroy half of the living room and the two 'brothers' screaming at one another.
This went on for a while till the two men noticed the human in the corner hyperventilating.
That knocked the blonde out of his anger real quick as he raced to their side.
Lucifer allowed the argument to pause for now, considering the human's condition, and so left them be.
Eventually, MC calmed down enough and launched themself into their boyfriend's arms.
"I'm sorry..." He spoke softly into their ear. "I shouldn't have lost control like that...especially in front of you."
MC shook their head within his arms before sniffling.
"It's not you..." They mumbled. "When the crashing started...I-I just...I didn't see you...I didn't see House of Lamentation..."
"What do you mean, Kitten?" He stroked their hair before pulling back to meet their eyes.
"I...I was in my head." They explained. "It reminded me of a time when I was a kid...my dad was drunk and got angry at my little brother. I...didn't see what happened, but I heard curses and crashes and my brother begging him to stop...and I didn't save him. I didn't save him. I hid in the kitchen and sobbed with my arms over my head, begging for him to stop in my mind but not being able move or even speak..."
"Kitten..." Satan hugged them tightly to his chest again. "You're not there; you're here with me and you're safe."
"But my brother--"
"You would have just gotten hurt too." He told them. "You were a child just trying to to survive. It's not your fault."
"But--"
"It's not your fault." He repeated.
This time, the human just closed their eyes and hung their head.
Satan picked them up and carried the human to their room; the...scare, I guess you could call it, had really tired his partner out.
He laid his Kitten on their bed and kissed their forehead.
Satan vowed to never himself lose control in front of them ever again.
Even if this time it had less to do with what he did and more about something they experienced long ago, the wrath demon needed to keep himself in check so he never brought such bad memories to his Kitten's head again.
Beel & Belphie:
The human went on a walk with the twins and, as per usual, Beel made a stop at Madam Screams to get a few dozen pastries.
Beel carried all of the bags of sweets himself and, no matter how often MC saw him carry so much food and never drop any of it, it still amazed the human.
"Dang, that's even more than yesterday..." Belphie commented. "Did you already spend all of your grimm this month?"
"Almost." The gluttony shrugged, still not dropping a single bag.
Suddenly, MC's steps slowed till they were frozen in place.
"-C? MC?" Belphie called to them.
The human slowly raised their gaze up at the men.
"You okay, Muffin?" Beel asked, concern evident on his face.
MC nodded.
"I was remembering one of the fights my parents had when I was a little kid." They explained calmly. "My dad spent over a $1,000 at the bar in a week 'cause he kept buying his friends drinks. Mama told him that he can't keep doing that because they were barely able to put food on the table as things were; Dad yelled at her for telling him what to do and Mom yelled back that she hopes he ends up dead in a ditch somewhere--what?"
The human was genuinely confused by the two demons, who stared at her with a mix of shock and pity.
Belphie shook his head.
"Let's just get home, butthead."
And with that, both twins wrapped an arm around them protectively
Causing Beel to drop two of his bags.
Still, the tallest demon never looked back as he and his brother took their human home, a place where hopefully better memories will come to their mind.
65 notes · View notes
heliza24 · 1 year
Note
I have really enjoyed reading your analyses of the YR sex scenes. Thank you so much for putting it in writing!
I have a question I think you might be perfect to answer. The cinematography of s2 is obviously really different to s1 and I don't think it's only the new team they brought in. There is a lot more 'shakyness' in the hand held cameras, there is a lot of going in and out of focus, a certain blurryness that underlines the plot.
One scene that really sticks out to me is the kiss in 2.4. As you already mentioned, we don't get to see Simon's face, the angle during the kiss is also a little off, the focus is on Simon's hands, on Wille's shoulder, but never on their lips. What do you make of that?
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Hi there! I'm so glad you have been enjoying the analysis posts, and thank you so much for this question!
I have seen some speculation that the increase in handheld photography/shifts in focus constitutes a mistake or indicate that the camera team in season 2 was less talented than season 1. I don't think that's true, for a few reasons. First, that just isn't how TV works. Every scene is shot multiple times, from multiple angles. If the directors didn't like how something looked on the monitors on set, they would just do another take. And the editors and directors have all of those mulitiple takes to choose from when compiling the final edit, so they're going to pick the shots that they like the most, from an acting and also camera perspective. So if they're including a rack focus or shaky shot that's an intentional inclusion.
Second, while there may be an increase in this technique in season 2, it is already an established part of the show's film language in season 1. Specifically, hand held shots are used to convey heightened emotions.
I went back and watched the first kiss scene in 1.2, because I wanted to compare it to the kiss in 2.4 since you mentioned that in your question. There's three significant camera things going on in the 1.2 kiss in my mind. The first is the POV shots, where we look directly into Wilhelm and Simon's faces like we are the characters. This feels very stylized and deliberate. This technique actually appears in season 2 as well! Think about that moment in the party in 2.1, when the boys see each other and they're backlit by the swirling party lights. So not everything in season 2 is cinema verite; there are intentional moments of framing, slow motion, etc.
Going back to the kiss in 1.2: there's a wide shot, where you can see both Wilhelm and Simon in profile. This shot feels removed and uncomfortable, and it captures the anxiety that Simon is feeling when he's not sure if Wilhelm is going to return the kiss/his feelings. But then Wilhelm pulls him back in, and he does return the kiss and the feelings, and the camera becomes much more fluid as we're looking over Simon's shoulder as he kisses Wilhelm. As soon as the emotions swell, the camera becomes reactive, moving along with the characters. This happens in other scenes in season 1, like in the fish scene in 2.5 which I discussed in the last post.
With that in mind, I'd like to propose that the more hand held camera work is a deliberate choice used to convey heightened emotions in the Young Royals universe. And season 2 has much more heightened, strong emotions than season 1. The stakes are higher than the first season, and even when the boys aren't together they are always feeling intense emotions about each other. The kiss in 2.4 is one of the zeniths of that frustration and desire. There's a desperation in their reunion, and I think the way the camera comes in so close and switches focus adds to that. It's the third person in the kiss: breathless, excited, not sure what to focus on because it wants to feel all of the things at once.
This is also extremely nitpicky, but I think the reason that their lips are sometimes out of focus is because they're not the visual anchor of the scene. Their noses/forehead are the first things that touch, and I think the camera prioritizes keeping the focus on that part of their faces through the scene. Not that their noses are perfectly clear the entire time, because of what I mentioned above. But I did want to point out that just because they're kissing, that doesn't mean that their lips are by default the most important things in the frame.
As you mentioned, I do wish that they had included more Simon coverage in the run up to the kiss. But I think the decision to keep the camera on Wilhelm was a probably deliberate choice to center his reaction in that moment.
The other way the hand held camera works super well in season 2 is capturing movement, and sometimes a combination of movement and intense emotions, like when Simon completely whiffs Wilhelm with the ball in gym class earlier in 2.4 (this is possibly my favorite 30 seconds in season 2; righteously angry Simon is one of my favorite Simons). There are wide establishing shots that are pretty stable and set up the layout of the game they're playing, interspersed with more hand held closeups on Simon that capture his anger and the effort with which he throws the ball.
I think the choice to increase the amount of hand held work in season 2 really works. It highlights the intensity of what our characters are feelings and breaks down the distance between character and viewer. Obviously your mileage may vary depending on what kind of style you like, but I do think this was an intentional and well crafted part of the season.
125 notes · View notes
lokisbiiiitch1993 · 6 months
Note
Hey, it's me again who asked about Jotun loki, I know this question is not about Loki x SO so I hope you will answer.So my question is.How Loki and Thor reacted to Norse mythology for the first time. Which myths are true and which are not.Ps. You are the best and my favorite writers on tumblr and have a nice day/night.
Hey ..thank you soo much ❤️ have a nice Day too
I just got the idea and had to write it down
I know I changed it up a bit but I still hope you like it ❤️
Imagine MCU Loki and Thor reacting to Norse Mythology - about them
Tumblr media
At first you wanted to spend time with your Best Friend Jane - you missed her
She is with Thor all the time and you got recently together with Loki
Maybe it wasn't a good Idea after everything that happend but you still wanted Jane to know that Loki changed - you suggested a Double Date - like a Movie Night at home
Jane and Thor discussed it for a while but then agreed to it
You really hoped this will work out so you could catch up with Jane and you really wish the Brothers get along without fighting
The day finally came - you cooked for Dinner , Jane brought Wine - after eating and drinking together - everyone sat down on the Couch, Jane and you are sitting in the middle
" What are we watching? " Jane asked "well ..I thought ,we could watch a movie about Norse Mythology..it might be interesting" you answered "yes good idea let's see how our Boyfriends react to their Counterparts" you replied
At the beginning of the Movie they showed Thor with long red Hair , a matching Beard and bushy Eyebrows "Whaaat ,that should be me ? " Thor complained
"This Loki was such an Asshole for cutting Sif's Hair" you ranted "Well..my Love that really happened " Loki confessed
" At least in the Movie Thor got Mjolnir out of it and Sif new Hair " you stated " Well ..and the Dwarves stitched this Loki's Mouth shut" he complained now ,seeing later scars around the Norse Loki's lips you felt bad for this very mean trickster
In the Norse Mythology Loki and Thor aren't Brothers but their relationship is also very complicated - Thor keeps him out of trouble most of the time
"Your children are terrifying" Thor teased "Yeah, especially the eight legged Horse Loki birthed " you added .... "I think we saw enough " - Loki turned off the TV embarrassed
" well ...it was an interesting watch some things were true ,most don't" you smiled taking Loki's Hand
After saying Goodbye to Jane and Thor , you hugged Loki and kissed his Cheek
My Masterlist
35 notes · View notes