Maybe I'm late to the party and everyone has already caught this same vibe, but if I don't say this I will burst.

I was reading Sebek's Outdoor Wear vignette, and I read this line:

"Well, Malleus IS a great man. Anyone else would certainly pale in comparison…"

And something just physcially hit me.

Sebek, half human half fae man with for sure some complicated issues in regards to internalized racism, is telling on himself. This is exactly how he feels. Like, of course we all know Sebek reveres Malleus, but I think it could be a thing of, Malleus is basically THE fae. While Sebek might also think (and honestly be right about thinking) that most people, Sebek included, pales in comparison to Malleus's abilities, I actually think that in his heart, it's more of a race-related thing than he realizes.

He wants to be more like Malleus, wants to be around him, is so enamoured with him to the point of obsession, for the same reason he calls other humans 'human'; as though to distance himself from the very notion that he, too, could be human at all.

He holds Malleus up as a symbol because to Sebek, that is what he is. The pure essence of 'fae-ness', if there could be such a thing. And so it seems to me like some part of him, conscious or not-- though probably not, I don't see Sebek as the type to want to think deeply about these sorts of things— thinks or feels that if Malleus approves of him, then other fae will, too.

As though Malleus' approval could somehow erase the human blood in his veins that he seems to ashamed of. Or at least make other fae overlook it. Forgive it.

It's a mix of both. He truly does revere Malleus, seeing him as a representation of everything he wishes he could be: fae. Accepted by other fae. And he's going to be the future fae king's #1 supporter so that all fae will know just how fae HE— Sebek Ziegvolt— is.

single most important thing i've ever contributed to my shared animal crossing save........

Ok I don't usually do this but this one take about the Octatrio I scrolled past on my dash the other day has invaded my brain like a parasite and latched on and absolutely refuses to let go, so I just need to get it out of my system or it's gonna drive me crazy

I don't remember the OP's name, but if I remember correctly the post was basically about how, apparently(apologies in advance if I got something wrong or misrepresented the OP's words):

People who have soft, fluffy headcanons for Azul, Jade and Floyd are kids who had the jokes the characters were based on, such as:

Jade likes mountains apparently not because he just thinks nature is fascinating but it's supposed to be a joke for mountains being good places to dump bodies

The Leeches are implied to be a literal fish mafia

The Octatrio are dressed like American prohibition-era mobsters

Jade and Floyd want to eat Azul

fly over their heads.

And I just—

The only word I can think of to explain what I feel every time I remember it is 'baffled'. I mean absolutely 0 disrespect in any way, shape or form to the OP, but I am genuinely fascinated by how they could have come to those conclusions.

My first thought was 'no actually I'm pretty sure people get it' And there are people over the age of 18 who have fluffy headcanons about them too, you know?

My second is 'why can't it be both?' Like, why can't Jade genuinely find mountains and nature fascinating while having it on a more meta level also be a small joke about how mountains are good places for dumping bodies?

Why can't Floyd like Takoyaki while also NOT wanting to eat his best friend?

Why can't the Leeches be a mafia family while still having Jade and Floyd, who are literally still teenagers, be multidimensional characters who have priorities and like other things than just 'haha murder'?

Sure, those jokes and influences are there, but they are not the end-all-be-all of the characters? This just feels like a very one-dimensional way of looking at these characters.

And isn't TWST's entire thing that appearances can be deceiving? In a way I feel like Jade's love of mountains being viewed as 'oh he dumps bodies there because he's a scary ocean monster and has thus probably killed people before so of course that's why' is a very surface-level reading and understanding of him as a character— it just sounds like something some random student who has only seen him from afar and doesn't actually know him as a person would think.

And it's a similar thing with the Takoyaki. The surface-level reading would be 'if he likes eating Takoyaki, which has octopus in it, that must mean he wants to eat Azul too! Because Floyd is big and scary and has probably killed people before' To me it also sounds like something Ace or Grim might think before Book 3.

And, while I'm not gonna deny the Tweels have almost certainly murdered (or at least gotten close to it) people before, in a way it just feels kinda...idk, mean-spirited? To say, for example, that Jade can't just have nature be a thing he enjoys for its own merits, that he's not allowed to have that as just a thing he genuinely likes and there has to be some deeper, meta reason for why. Or that Floyd can't just enjoy Takoyaki and probably tease Azul with it but also not actually want to eat him because he likes him and wants him around. To me that kinda feels like sucking all the joy and interesting nuance out of a character, in a way.

And implying that the people who don't ascribe to the same view as you are kids also feels somewhat infantilizing? Like, it just comes off as saying that the people who disagree haven't thought about it hard enough or just aren't smart enough to get it, and I just feel like that's not a great stance to take in any kind of discussion. Quite a flimsy way of trying to discredit the opinions of those who disagree, too.

Already I'm thinking:

The 'role' of Sally could be played by either Yuu or Epel Because Sally's father, the doctor, seems to have a relationship with her that could parallel either Yuu and Crowley or Epel and Vil And Sally literally being patched together makes me think of the generally poor state Ramshackle was in.

So either Yuu or Epel- perhaps both?- encounter the twisted version of Jack Skellington And maybe they see that he does have good intentions and want to help him, until they realize doing so could be a bad thing

I'm also obviously imagining Ace, Deuce and Grim as the little kids who abduct 'Sandy Claws'

As for who will actually be the Santa Claus / Sandy Claws stand-in... I can't help but think of Ambrose LXIII, the RSA Headmage

These were just random thoughts I had

"...Why do we bother to stay? Why are you running away? Don't you feel like severing? Everything's just come together at last It's broken, I don't want to play

We grew up closer than most Closer than anything, closer than anything Shared our bed and wore the same clothes Talked about everything, spoke about so many things

What shall we wear tonight? What shall we eat today? Can we go ice skating? But we just did that yesterday...

...

We grew up so very close A parasite needs a host I'm only trying to do what is best for us

Well, I never asked for this, I never wanted this All that I want is some time to myself Looking in your eyes, I'm coming home

Just get away from me, please just stop touching me You're always trying to be somebody else Now I realize, I'm not alone

Well, you're only scared of me But you never cared for me Why don't you let me free? 'Cause you'd never dare to be

'Cause you never listen, you're always insisting (I'm just/just stop) reminiscing

Jamil with this song

Lyrics translated to English (by myself actually!):

Hey, 'I want to love you' is that the truth?

Is it in bad faith to just want to be loved?

What should I do…

Oh, what should I do…

Today as usual the city is inflamed with mad, passionate love

Of course, extras like me always just return home

But it's not like I'm sulking about it

And then you suddenly appeared

As though cutting through those days

And shattered my heart with a numbing smile

Hey, 'I want to love you' is that the truth?

Is it in bad faith to just want to be loved?

What should I do?

Hey, what should I do?

I just don't know!

I don't know what's going on in that head of yours

But it's not fair that you're being so nice to me

Once more I'm being swept along by your rhythm

And you've got me wrapped around your finger again

I'd locked up my heart to avoid getting hurt

And ended up falling asleep leaning against the closed door

If I keep being stubborn, nothing will change

I know that, but still...

Because I don't want to keep losing things I cherish

I'm scared of someone becoming important to me

I know I'm pathetic, so go ahead and laugh at me

Come on then, let's love and let ourselves be loved

Let's just let ourselves act like fools already

I'm sure it'll work out somehow

Things will turn out fine as long as we have faith that they will

Is it alright if I go to see you tonight,

Even though there's nothing in particular I want to talk about?

Is this love? I want to know

From here on out keep beguiling me as you please

I got from the first song until the end of 'Ruthlessness' on my morning walk

Safe to say I'm gonna be obsessing about this for a while

First of all my favorite is 'Keep Your Friends Close'

I love how Aeolus goes UP the musical scale in ‘kelp your friends close and your enemies closer' and then the chorus goes DOWN in 'never really know who you can trust'

It really gives the whole song a feeling of going in a circle, just like the wind

My 2nd favorite is 'Ruthlessness', partly because of how many thoughts it gives me about Azul, Jade, Floyd, Octavinelle and the Coral Sea in general!

I saw this post a while ago about how Azul is actually kind— I can't remember the EXACT reasons rn (if anyone can find the link to the original pls share it with me)

But the lyrics in Ruthlessness really just explains it so well to me?

I misheard the lyrics as 'ruthlessness is mercy upon THE SEA' instead of 'OURSELVES' and that just really elevated the text for me

Bc yeah