Hey, was the stance on "pretending to have a past life" based on fictionpaws? You do realize they are just roleplaying right? They don't really pretend to the point they lie. They make up stories for their self insert songs that involve past life which makes them roleplay as having one. Please don't believe the misinformation kinrads say, if you want to go against them then don't share one part of the belief that is inherently kinradicalism
Oh it was not about fictionpaws. Oh pretending is fine. Roleplaying is fine. That's definitely not the problem.
I was thinking about some pretty young otherpaws or therians I know. Lots of them thought or were told they needed a past life and they made one up so they could be "real" therians and enjoy the masks and quads.
That's a misinformation I've seen a lot in TikTok and Discord communities, especially in French communities. That part of the message I think was mostly for younger alterhumans/otherpaws : You don't have to lie to be seen as a valid member of the community.
So yeah I'm gonna research a bit bout fictionpaws, you look very cool, you're not a problem in any ways and sorry if I offended anyone.
omg do you have a source for the sdr2 bonus disk thing
Yep! Here is the video for Peko! It actually has translated captions, too! So now you too can hear the weird fucking noises she makes as she attempts to smile.
edit: I forgot that she criticises the jokes he tries to tell her SO MUCH MORE than in the original FTEs lmaoo
here's a playlist with everyone in sdr2 as well, though I can't guarantee all of them have actual captions.
waittt hear me out fuyupeko as step on me by the cardigans BUT Fuyuhiko’s pov/singing the song
(Little context if It doesn’t make sense)
Yk how Fuyuhiko lowkey hates it when peko calls herself a tool with “ no human emotions “ ?? If we’re going into ship or even just slightly platonic territory I bet he could see that as crushing his heart
or maybe I just made this all in my head who knows
(sorry this took so long to answer, song recs are unfortunately one of the highest things on 'media recs my brain will inexplicably drag its feet in getting to'. that being said, feel free to send me more peko-related song recs! i'll get to them eventually!!)
Thank you for the song, and this take! However... when I listened, I actually got a lot of Peko POV vibes when she thinks of herself as a tool, with Fuyuhiko unintentionally hurting her through his emotions lashing out because of the incredibly unhealthy way he was raised. I think I read the lines 'oh I think you're holding the heart of mine (my heart is yours) / squeeze it apart, that's fine' as Peko loving Fuyuhiko, yet thinking he hates her and is rejecting her, and accepting that because she's just glad she got to know him at all.
('My heart is yours' really takes a double meaning in this context, considering Peko literally sees herself as belonging to him.)
Honestly it reminded me a lot of the fact that the two of them contorted themselves into people they didn't want to be for the sake of others. Particularly Peko, who, as I've said multiple times and I'll say it again, is implied to have only taken up the 'tool mindset' because it's the only way she knew how to be Fuyuhiko's side. My heart is yours.
Can you explain your take on Peko’s ribbon symbolism? I always thought Peko’s ribbons represented her clinging to her femininity. Her birthday tweet last year has Peko flat out say she doesn’t think anyone sees her as cute or feminine (specifically Fuyuhiko). Although she sees herself as a tool, she still takes the time to decorate her hair with simple ribbon. Then in her anniversary outfit, when she’s supposed to look nice, she has a detailed hair ornament. So Peko does want to look nice but doesn’t think she’s worth the time and will only do it for fancy events.
WOO FIRST ASK. I'm going to actually use proper capitalisation for this one, for clarity's sake.
First things first, I struggle to explain things outside of stories. I find it's easier to lay out characterisation when it's woven into its natural context, rather than trying to isolate it and pick it apart. And for this sake, let me point you to the fic woven by sunbrights. It is INCREDIBLE and speaks more eloquently on this topic then I ever could here.
But let me try, anyways.
Usually, the very first piece of characterisation you see is the character design. There are many important elements to it, but an important one is the silhouette, and two main things stand out in Pekoyama’s: the sword bag, and the ribbons. I believe these represent the two most important aspects of her character.
Overall, Pekoyama is dressed very practically without much individual flair, I believe there's even a reference sheet that states that everything other than her swordbag was provided by the academy (and while I think that's a little bit of an overexaggeration, she probably had a glasses prescription), I think it says a lot about her character context. She's wearing a standard uniform, and her hair is tied into braids, which is practical and not super unique.
And then there's the ribbons, which contrast this image by offering a softer, more individual touch. I've always seen the dichotomy between these two elements of her design as symbolising those two key elements of Pekoyama's personality: her duty, and her softness.
The thing about the ribbons is that wearing them is a choice Pekoyama has to make every single morning. It is a choice she has continued to make, despite the fact that so much has changed from the CG of her as a child where we first see her with them. And I think that says as much about her character as the ribbons themselves do. (For more in-depth looks into this, read woven.)
(I do also agree with them symbolising her clinging to her femininity, I just see it as a smaller part of this wider element.)
Peko flat out say she doesn’t think anyone sees her as cute or feminine (specifically Fuyuhiko).
I don’t think being ‘cute’ or ‘feminine’ (or reflecting on her aesthetics other than for practical contexts) is something Pekoyama really thinks about. Especially since she’d see them as useless in regards to her duty.
I think what that birthday tweet tells us indirectly is that Pekoyama’s use of the ribbons is something she does purely for herself, without thinking about how it affects other people’s perceptions of her. Pekoyama doesn’t think anyone sees her as cute or feminine, because I don’t think she sees herself as cute or feminine. She allows herself that small, personal pleasure, but not anything deeper, otherwise it will become more apparent that it clashes with her main motivation (her duty).
I said that Pekoyama has a dichotomy in her personality. I think she gets over it by pretending the more personal motivations aren’t there. (Though they still inevitably drive her, because she is a human being with wants and interests, no matter how much she doesn’t believe that.)
Then in her anniversary outfit, when she’s supposed to look nice, she has a detailed hair ornament. So Peko does want to look nice but doesn’t think she’s worth the time and will only do it for fancy events.
Drawing conclusions about Pekoyama's character from her anniversary outfit is iffy to me, because it's sort of in a vacuum from her character. Like... it's not an extension of a story about the characters going to prom, its purpose first and foremost is to be a cool design. There just isn't enough context for me to make any firm analysis (e.g. we don't know if Pekoyama is in her tool mindset or not, to give one example.)
But to give at least some kind of answer, perhaps this is an example of Pekoyama leaning more into her own desires about how she wants to dress, perhaps rationalised and downplayed under the excuse that she needs to dress formal, and these are the expectations of her.
I.e. the parts of her character that led to her wearing the ribbons in the first place being put more in the spotlight.
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Now, let me talk about something you did not mention but I mentioned in my reblog, because I think it's also relevant. Which is why I like seeing ribbons appear in post-canon Pekoyama designs, also for symbolism's sake.
A lot of post-canon Pekoyama designs have Pekoyama let her hair down from her braids, which can also be seen symbolically as her departing from the practicality that her duty required. (hair loose = greater opportunity to be grabbed and dragged, and a counterweight you have to account for with every move you make.)
However, Remnant Pekoyama’s design also has her mostly let her hair down, also to contrast her original design, with the the symbolism here probably indicating that this woman is off the rails.
Does this mean that I automatically associate Pekoyama with her hair down with her Remnant design? No. But I think if the hair down and the ribbons are combined in post-canon, it takes on this new symbolism of representing those two key eras of Pekoyama’s life, and thus showing how she’s lived and grown from those experiences.
Also, I think that Pekoyama’s ribbons can take on meaning if she wears them post-canon from the fact that they are absent from her Remnant design. Therefore showing that she’s returned more to herself, and specifically is doing what she wants to do, rather than what she’s been manipulated into believing she should do.
Conclusion:
Pekoyama has two key driving elements of her personality: her duty and her humanity. I think the contrast of the ribbons, which have no practical reason to be worn other than her own pleasure, symbolises the latter. I think Pekoyama downplays this fact to herself in order to keep her worldview in tact. I think the ribbons can take on new meanings of growth and humanity if used in post-canon.
If anyone really read through all that, thank you very much! I am sending you a little virtual kiss (or high-five if that's not your thing)
:DDDDD me and her are feeling the same emotions right now. i just want her to have Good Things, and here she is, having Good Things!!!!!!!!YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
thank you for your offering, mortal.... it is... excellent.....
