God bless the CN Sylus Girlies for having all our backs 🫶
I'm hoping this will finally make Infold release his content from their basement and stop treating him as their cash cow. B/c right now? He is essentially P2W and even for spenders he is extremely difficult to main. Raising his affinity is hell compared to the other LIs. Whaling and R3ing his cards is basically a necessity at this point. Especially if you're a newer player.
It's just not fair and we should all demand better treatment.
(Note: This is NOT a question of asking for MORE Sylus content compared to the other LIs. Most Sylus girlies — myself included — know and accept that Sylus will never truly catch up b/c of him being newer. No, what we're asking for is literally just to have the same amount of stuff that the other 3 had upon release and which Sylus still does not have months after his introduction)
So Papergames finally officially responded... by trying not only to gaslight their consumers but also by subtly threatening to take legal action against CN Sylus girlies for "spreading false information". 🫠
What false information??? The numbers speak for themselves 😭😭😭 Also way to not even address the issue which is the severe lack of Standard Sylus content. Literally all we're asking for is the bare minimum
https://x.com/TheLunaRiegrow/status/1878922473875673209 (another informative post, going into detail on what Sylus is lacking (calculating that he is missing 16,550 affinity points) the timeline of his and other LI's development (Sylus was planned as far back as in June 2023, perhaps even earlier), and more! Please check it out!
https://www.reddit.com/r/LoveAndDeepspace_/s/wg63ZSQfBc (this post lays out the vast gap in cards and affinity points between Sylus and the OG3. I'd also advise you to read this comment by another user which explains why non-Sylus mains should also be very concerned. B/c this is in no way an issue that will only affect Sylus girlies in the long run.)
https://www.tumblr.com/yes-no-maybe-soo/772593769512157184/you-know-what-fuck-it-now-that-im-at-it-i-might?source=share (my own post on the issue)
If you were to ask me, the biggest and kind of final nail in the coffin of the "The Phantom Troupe didn't commit the Kurta massacre" assertion is not what's said during the Uvogin vs Kurapika fight, nor the PT members acknowledging the massacre and saying one of the Kurtas survived, nor even the fact that they've more than showed themselves capable of torturing and murdering innocents (children very much included).
Some have bent over backwards to try to explain away the above
"Uvogin was just playing the role of villain to the end! He's only saying those things about the Kurtas to rile up Kurapika!"
"Well, the Phantom Troupe are naturally aware of the massacre. It was all over the news. Doesn't mean they were guilty. But they've accepted blame to increase their infamy, so they'll play along with the narrative"
"Maybe they'd slaughter adults, but never kids. They couldn't, not after what happened to Sarasa" etc.
None of these arguments hold up to scrutiny in my opinion (I myself made a detailed argument against the last point, where I essentially say that to the PT there's a world's difference between a MC child like Sarasa, and non-MC ones like the Kurtas for instance. The latter they'd have 0 issues killing or even torturing if need arose)
But to get back to our abovementioned nail in the coffin, this is what I'm referring to
Or rather, how this scene plays out (or doesn't play out)
Do you see what I'm getting at?
Let's look at this from Pakunoda's perspective.
Her boss, her childhood friend (and, as per the vol 38 special page, her most cherished one) has been taken hostage by an individual with a vendetta. This individual — who Pakunoda now knows to be Kurapika, "the chain bastard" – has already killed Uvogin, the most physically powerful of the Troupe. He's incredibly dangerous, and he means business – touching his ransom note has further confirmed his intellectual prowess, meticulousness and ruthlessness
This is not someone you want hunting you down.
Pakunoda is well aware of the source of Kurapika's burning hatred, namely the Kurta massacre. Not only did the Troupe piece as much together, but his scarlet eyes confirm it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Pakunoda also knows – like Chrollo does – about Melody's ability to hear heartbeats. She's a living lie detector, only more effective. But perhaps even more important for the point I am making she's also a truth detector.
This is what Pakunoda – a woman desperate above all else to save her friend – knows.
So, with this established, if the Troupe were innocent of the Massacre... why would Pakunoda not just tell Kurapika as much? Why not clear up this misunderstanding? Melody would be able to confirm that Pakunoda's telling the truth, leaving no room for doubt.
Chrollo would be released. Kurapika would have to direct his revenge quest elsewhere. The Troupe is saved and they can all go their separate ways. The end. It's been awkward, but crisis averted. Let's never talk of this again.
"But Pakunoda wouldn't betray the spider's image like that"
No? Not even to save her dearest friend?
Reminder that Pakunoda says this only pages prior
Pakunoda coming to the hostage exchange by herself is already a betrayal of the Spider. She is willing to sacrifice not only her spider ideology, but her very life to save Chrollo. Neither of which would have been necessary if she'd just cleared things up with Kurapika first thing (in a scenario where there was something to clear up)
Chrollo, crucially, neglects to do that too during the car ride with Kurapika. "He's sticking to his rol–" no. He wouldn't do that when the lives of his loved ones are in very real danger from Kurapika. If there was a way to easily save his troupe and get Kurapika off their asses, he would've taken it, rather than anger the Kurta further by being a huge dick.
Chrollo isn't Hisoka, he's not looking to get off to a death match against a strong opponent. Why antagonize Kurapika needlessly when (in this hypothetical scenario) an easy solution is literally right there?
Pretty spectacularly moronic (not to mention careless) of Paku and Chrollo, if you ask me.
Or well, it would be, if there had been something to clear up with Kurapika. But precisely because of how idiotic it would make Chrollo and Paku, I really don't think there was. I doubt Togashi would do either character dirty like that. He's too good a writer.
The only logical takeaway – The Phantom Troupe are guilty as sin.
That being said, this does not mean that there aren't motivations and context behind the Massacre that we don't know about yet, possibly even additional parties. Togashi has been on record saying that there is a B side. But I don't think said B side will turn out to be "Sike! The PT were innocent all along!! Guess Kurapika and the PT were just a bunch of knuckleheads, huh? :)"
I just can't for the life of me understand what on earth the story would gain by making the PT innocent and Kurapika's quest completely pointless. In my mind, all this would do is take away from the characters and from the masterpiece that is the Yorknew arc.
Let me add some more arguments against the idea that the PT are innocent of the massacre. Because I'm in a HxH yapathon mood again.
So the most common argument (or really, theory) used by proponents of the "the PT are innocent" camp is that the PT did clash with the Kurtas, but it was an event separate from the massacre. They say that the PT fought against (and presumably killed) perhaps 10-20 or so Kurta warriors for an unknown reason. That explains why Uvo says the Kurtas were "strong" and also why the PT are aware of the Scarlet eyes and why they put the pieces of Kurapikas identity together (they think he's out for revenge for this specific warrior clash).
To them, it might also neatly explain the dilemma of my post (why didn't Pakunoda tell Kurapika the PT were innocent? Well because there's a misunderstanding. Pakunoda thinks that Kurapika's pissed about the "warrior clash", of which they were guilty. She doesn't think he's out for revenge for the massacre).
However, there are significant issues with this theory, which I'll point out below.
1. There is literally no mention anywhere in the manga of this supposed clash.
Kurapika certainly never mentions one. Nor is it alluded to in his backstory at any point.
The clash must have happened during Kurapika's lifetime, and it would for sure have been a memorable event in his sheltered life. Surely he would have made some reference to it somewhere?
If a major event like this were revealed in the story out of nowhere, with no prior mention to it where there should have been at least one by the character most concerned, it would feel like lazy writing or a major retcon; a way for the author to write themselves out of a corner.
As things stand we only know of one bloody conflict faced by the Kurtas and that is the massacre. There is no proof of another. All it is is a theory invented to absolve the PT of guilt.
And if the clash did happen then we must ask ourselves why. The Kurtas were a highly isolated tribe. They were by all appearances peaceful, deliberately staying hidden away in a backwater forest. I find it highly unlikely that they'd go out seeking fights with strong Nen users. That would defeat their whole purpose of staying hidden.
As for the PT, they rarely start conflicts without a reason or goal in mind. They would not randomly stumble upon the Kurtas and decide "fuck it, kill 'em". Either the Kurtas would have to provoke them or they would be after something that the Kurtas have (like highly valued and unique supernatural eyes)
2. Uvogin's testimony
It's true that Uvo, in the Japanese text, doesn't explicitly state that Chrollo was interested in the scarlet eyes specifically. The english translators (for every version, mind you) only inferred that to be the case. And reasonably so, I'd say.
But what Uvo does say is
- that the Kurtas eyes turned red when they got mad (meaning he had to have done something to anger them, or that he at the very least knew the connection between anger and the red color)
- that the Kurtas were hiding out in some backwoods (which sounds like the place where they lived)
- that it was a "major task" (suggesting that the encounter was a job, not something random)
-that Chrollo had an interest in the Kurtas. Like stated above, Uvo does not specify what that interest was, however the most logical conclusion is indeed the Scarlet eyes, like the translators have assumed. Because the eyes are really the only thing separating the Kurtas from regular humans. They are quite literally one of the wonders of the Hunter x Hunter world, and might even be deemed as a "national treasure" (which, if you've read chapter 406, you'd know would be a hugely significant detail).
I think Uvogin makes it fairly obvious that his encounter with the Kurtas was not a random one, but a job, and one that Chrollo had a personal interest in (for whatever reason, though the scaret eyes remain the most likely reason).
Also note that Uvogin calls Kurapika "the last [Kurta]". This implies knowledge of the massacre, as well as understanding of why Kurapika is looking for vengeance.
3. The connection that the other spiders make
They specifically tie Kurapika's revenge against them to the Scarlet eyes. And what is the event tied to the harvesting of said eyes? The Kurta massacre.
"But why don't they refer to the massacre here? Why don't they explicitly admit to it?"
They do refer to it; "I remember now", "So one of them survived".
Why would they admit to it amongst themselves? They know they did it. And they don't care. Because it was just a job, one done five years ago.
The fact that they don't sit there reminiscing about it is not proof they did not do it. If anything, the point of them being so nonchalant is to show how detached they are, how numb to the pain and violence they inflict. And also to contrast how the massacre affected Kurapika vs the Troupe; to the former it was an event that shattered his world and formed he rest of his life. To the Troupe? Just another Tuesday on the job.
Or at least, that's my reading of the scene.
I'd go further and argue that the Troupe not making much comments about it is weirder if they are innocent. If they were innocent I'd expect one of them to say something like "so the chain dude thinks we did it/we had something to do with the harvesting of his people's eyes", and, idk maybe be annoyed that a misunderstanding has robbed them of a (for many childhood) friend and is posing a continuing threat to all of them
(I do not subscribe to the theory of the Troupe going around taking credit for other people's atrocities. That does not seem in character. They don't need the extra PR; they've been shown to be fully capable of causing death and destruction by themselves. Them "stealing credit" would in fact be detrimental to them should such knowledge be widely spread; it would damage their reputation and put all their deeds into question. That said, if admitting to such a thing would save their Boss's life, or get a major hazard off their backs, then they would admit to it; someone like Pakunoda especially who would sacrifice anything if it meant preserving Chrollo's life)
4. Chrollo doesn't clear up any misunderstanding with Kurapika
I talk about this in the post above, but it bears repeating
- Chrollo knows about Kurapika's vendetta (he has connected the dots to the scarlet eyes, and Kurapika has explicitly mentioned the Kurta's being slaughtered for their eyes; ie the Kurta massacre)
- Chrollo's main aim in life is the survival and continuance of the Spider. A core trait of his is also his love for his friends and devastation whenever one dies (he's the fakest idgafer out there, basically)
- Chrollo knows about Melody's powers.
So let me ask again; why the fuck would Chrollo not clear up the misunderstanding if doing so would clear this whole mess up?
You cannot honestly tell me that Chrollo cares more about the Troupe retaining credit for a crime that they, in this "innocent" theory, did not commit? And, moreover, don't particularly care about anyway? Remember how blasé they are whenever the topic of the massacre comes up? They don't gaf.
And it's not like it's even common knowledge that the Troupe were responsible? That's Kurapika's deduction (which, being Kurapika, he would not have made lightly. To suggest otherwise is to dumb down one of the smartest character in the series). Most don't even know that the Troupe are from Meteor City (hence why the note left at the Kurta massacre is not enough to frame the Troupe, nor would it be enough in itself for Kurapika to draw the conclusion that the Troupe are guilty. He's more thorough than that). I don't for a minute believe that the massacre was done for notoriety, nor do I for a second believe that the Troupe would take credit and hold on to it to suicidal degrees for an event that they plainly don't give a shit about in present day.
5. Pakunoda doesn't clear up any misunderstanding with Kurapika
See post above.
Neither Chrollo nor Paku are anywhere near stupid. Nor are they willing to throw the lives of their loved ones away just to cling to a credit that only Kurapika cares about anyway.
Since we established that they are aware of the reason for Kurapika's vendetta (we saw them connect the dots), them being innocent of the massacre would make their behavior in these chapters idiotic and exceptionally OOC.
Do you see the amount of hoops you have to jump through to make the "innocent" theory make sense? The "guilty" one is so much smoother.
Note that "clearing up the misunderstanding" never once occurs to Pakunoda or any of the PT. Which would be so weird if there was a misunderstanding. More than that it would be clumsy and outright bad writing to never have the thought occur in this scenario. And Togashi is neither clumsy nor bad as a writer
6. Chrollo (& co) has killed civilians/innocents before. Mostly to serve a purpose but sometimes because they're simply shitty people.
I am adding this last point because I still see so many claim that Chrollo wouldn’t kill regular people; "he only kills other bad guys"
Erm
Also I think it's kind of optimistic to think that no civilians were caught up in the requiem. Like did you see the scale of destruction the PT wrought upon Yorknew?
Then there's this scene
Notably Chrollo doesn't deny that he kills people that have nothing to do with him (and his very next words are to order Machi to kill Gon and Killua – two twelve year olds — if they try to run. "Wouldn’t kill kids" my foot)
Also there's what he said as a wee child
Notice that he does not specify killing "bad" people. He says that he'll kill "many" people.
He then specifically casts himself in the role of a villain.
Not an antihero or vigilante.
Can we just... please stop being allergic to the idea that the PT are horrible people in order to justify liking them? They can be awful while also being charismatic and cool and likeable, y'know? Liking horrific fictional characters is not a moral confession.
Also, a plot twist where the PT are revealed to be innocent would just be plain bad writing. It would add nothing good to the story, but only take conflict and complexities away. It would feel like a cheap twist, just there for the sake of being shocking.
That's my two cents on all this. Togashi might prove me spectacularly wrong (always leave that possibility wide open when it comes to Togashi), but I still maintain that such a twist would feel unnecessary and disappointing.
I think it's time for someone to address Chrollo's biggest crime
It's shocking to me that amidst all the posts about the Kurta massacre, the requiem, the heaven's arena destruction etc., I've yet to see anyone bring this one up.
It's a habit (or a conscious act of malevolence) of his that does make my estimation of him plummet.
It's not the mayhem
It's not the mass murdering
It's not the
No, it's the manspreading
(Dayum, them muscular thighs though... 🫦. Makes sense too, considering that Chrollo primarily uses his legs in physical combat)
</3
Whenever I see these panels, my estimation of Chrollo as a man does plummet, I have to admit.
Sure he's living his life as a villain by choice and he's also a consummate actor but did he really need to go this additional mile?
We get that you're awful, my guy. But this feels like overacting the bit. I know this ain't you </3
(This ↑ panel is the only time we see slicked back hair Chrollo sit like a decent civilized human being, btw.)
He even manspreads in the car whilst he's actively held hostage
(Had to keep the punch in because it's so cathartic atp. Making this post genuinely annoyed me. Enough of your bs, Chrollo. Close your legs when you sit down. Or, well, keeping them open a little is fine I guess, I don't mind getting a free peek at your bulge. No more spreading your knees wider than your shoulders)
I think all of this points to Chrollo taking his role a bit too far. I refuse to believe that manspreading all over the place is something that comes naturally to him.
ft. the sakamakis & yui | masterlist. | currently playing: premonition - toby fox
disclaimer: i haven't consumed a lot of the official media from Rejet regarding diabolik lovers, so some of my posts will be inaccurate. please take everything with a grain of salt.
[sakamaki mansion - 逆巻邸]
ok, look. the idea of vampires having a giant mansion in the middle of buttfuck nowhere seems very hot in theory. especially with the implications behind the ability to afford said mansion. but realistically, the sakamaki's mansion is probably a lot more menacing in practice.
the mansion itself is centuries old. you can see it in the gothic architecture and the various pieces of 19th-century furniture. it's even more obvious when you realize the kitchen has no electric stoves or a microwave. there's not a need for it. vampires don't eat, not entirely, and the girls that get sent don't last long enough to use it.
location-wise, the mansion likely is build someplace far, far away from the nearest city. evidence by the fact that the brothers and yui have to take a limousine just to attend school (flex, much?). it's isolated, surrounded by sprawling forests that block out the sun and completely theirs. ideal for what those sick bastards get up to. reiji tells yui that she's more than welcome to "leave" if she's not satisfied with her living situation. likely because he knows that they're miles away from any sort of civilization, and she has no other means of getting there except by foot. obviously, yui can't just leave, which is how they like it. prey that can't escape is probably their favorite kind.
who knows how many bodies are buried underneath that place. the sakamaki brothers have been doing this for years, centuries even. reiji can't be bothered to keep count of those poor girls who get sent like lambs to a slaughterhouse. the others couldn't care less. all that really matters is what their blood tastes like.
the church certainly seems to know the type that the brothers prefer. docile, meek, and pliant. look however you'd like; at the end of the day you'll eventually meet the same fate. if you're pretty enough, kanato might find you a nice place in his dollhouse. that'd be nice, don't you think? your skin smooth like porcelain, left as a lifeless corpse while he gets to stroke your hair and put you in frilly dresses. he'd be doing you a favor by keeping you rather than letting the bugs eat your body.
you might think that with the six brothers around, the mansion would seem small, but you really underestimate just how massive the place is. it's easy to get lost in the endless hallways that seem to stretch on for miles. each one looks exactly identical. stray too far off and you'll find yourself staring into a dark hallway where the servants forgot to light up. stay longer, and you notice shadows crawling where they shouldn't. the locals call the mansion a "haunted house", and i don't think they're just talking about the sakamaki brothers.
thousands of 'brides' were probably sent by the church. each one just as confused and in the dark as yui was. again, the brothers can't be bothered to learn their names. not when there's six of them and only one of her. there's never enough to go around. in the end they all wind up a mound of dirt in the graveyard.
with the amount of death, it's no surprise that the mansion is lingering with vengeful spirits. not all of the ghosts are mean. if you're just like them, a sacrificial lamb sent by a cruel shepherd, they might take pity on you. sheep have to flock together, don't they?
late at night, you can still hear quiet sobs escaping from one of the locked doors in the upper wing. where some poor bride spent her last dying breath piecing together her neck after she'd pissed off subaru for the last time. whispers breathe over your shoulder when ayato's calling out "oi, tit-less!", telling you to stay put. disembodied hands encourage you into the closet when kanato's on his rampage, screaming about how someone has touched his precious teddy.
yui wonders how many girls came before her. they're all nameless, and during the times kanato drags her to his dollhouse, she can't bear the thought of meeting the eyes of those wax figures. when she spends the night bent over the porcelain edge of the bathtub, holding a rag over whatever gash one of the brothers has bitten into her, she contemplates whether they were just as frightened as her.
which is why, under the full moon's guiding light, she'll head to the graveyard. she tries her best to ignore the thought behind why the sakamaki's have their own. on one of the many empty headstones that litter across the graveyard, she sets down a small bouquet of roses; freshly picked from the garden. she'll press her hands together and pray—not for their salvation, but for god to put their souls to rest. she understands more than anyone that they've suffered enough. it's not a lot, not nearly as much as they deserve. but it's all she can offer.
it becomes a small tradition for her to do. sometimes before she heads out, reiji will spot her from his bedroom window. he'll watch her kneel down with a pair of shears and pluck out the best-looking roses for the bouquet. he finds it ridiculous, though he never goes out of his way to stop her. mainly because he'd be forced to admit he was watching (and he'd rather die than do that), and quite frankly, it's beneath him.
[underground - 地下]
the tunnels underneath span for miles. the longer you walk, the farther the distance from the end seems to grow. well, if you can make it past the smell. they probably span past the actual sakamaki estate itself and keep going beyond that.
given that there's a literal toture chamber connected to these things, i wouldn't be surprised if any brides of the past were dragged down here for "punishment" by laito or ayato's hand.
a happier headcanon is that this is probably how some of the familiars travel unseen. you know how victorian aristocrats made hidden passageways for servants to move about without being seen? yeah, same concept except much damper.
ft. yui | masterlist. | currently playing: first kiss - jeon hyo sung (전효성)
disclaimer: I haven't consumed a lot of the official media from Rejet regarding diabolik lovers, so some of my posts will be inaccurate. please take everything with a grain of salt.
oh, my sweet girl, yui.
- her natural hair color is blonde, much to everyone's surprise. you'd think she dyes it all the time but nope! she inhereted genetics from her dad that blessed her with the softest and waviest blonde hair that curtains over her shoulders. at least that's what seiji tells her everytime she asks. he doesn't plan on telling her that: a) he isn't her actual father, and b) he isn't a natural blonde
- loves desserts. she likes the ones with fresh fruit, like strawberry shortcake, where it's the perfect mix of sweet and tartness. probably why her and kanato get along—when he isn't threatening to stab her with a fork.
- by god, she is genuinely the kindest person to grace this earth. you can see it with how sweet she is to any of the diaboys. being raised in the church, she tries to find forgiveness in everyone. even if that "everyone" consists of twelve sadistic vampires who'd rather catch her skin between their teeth than catch feelings.
- that being said, choosing to believe that everyone has good inside them hasn't always led her down the right path. as a child, yui definitely got into some major trouble because the other kids at church threatened convinced her to tag along. she was always a shy kid and desperately in need of friends that weren't just her stuffed animals or god.
- even as she gets older, yui struggles to build friendships with other girls her age. it's not as if she's incapable. she's a sweet person to be around. but, given the company she keeps—a harem of hot dudes at school—it makes her an easy target for envious onlookers. whispers move around the hall that she's just a slut that's being passed around the family.
- OBVIOUSLY, that isn't true. but the more you try to fan the flames, the worse a burn you get. she can only deny the same rumors over and over again until she eventually just has to tolerate it. thankfully, reiji quickly dispelled those nonsensical ideas within a matter of days. oh, don't be naive, it's not cause he likes yui (foolish mortal), no. he simply can't stand idly by and have the sakamaki name tainted by the likes of scum.
- the other half of encounters with girls is whenever they ask her to pass on letters to any of the brothers. it's not hard to guess what kind they are. if lipstick imprints weren't enough, the curly written names with hearts over the 'i's and flowery aromas are plenty. it's too embarrassing for yui to do so, so she just secretly keeps them all underneath her bed in a box.
- she's just desperately in need of a friend. somebody get her away and save her from those toxic assholes.
- i don't think yui would've worn a lot of makeup. her father probably drilled her with some "god made you beautiful just the way you are; why would you sully his creation by putting on makeup?" bullshit. that being said, when she was fourteen she begged for a makeup kit she caught a glimpse of in one of the mall displays. he refused. yet, on christmas day the gift had miraculously appeared underneath the tree.
- it's a very basic palette, four colors and a limited range, but it's perfect for her. i think her look would be fairly simple, consisting of a hydrating primer, concealer, blush, mascara, and a clear lip gloss.
- since she didn't wear a lot of makeup, a lot of focus was put on her clothes and hair! she learned how to do cute hairstyles and picked up a lot of her fashion from magazines or online. pink is her signature color, so her closet is filled to the brim with it. however, at some point she got tired of all the pink, so she went with some other colors like teal to spruce it up.
- bows, bows, bows. she loves em, it's also one of her signatures.
- she also accessorizes with a lot of head-related pieces. stuff like hairclips, headbands, hats, you name it, she's probably got at least one of those things.
- given yui was raised by her father, she's always been a daddy's girl. but i think she would've longed to have a mother, or some sort of maternal figure. seiji adored her, doted on her with every ounce of love that could rival his dedication to god; but naturally, there were some things that he just couldn't give yui.
- once, as a young child, yui desperately prayed to god for a mother. hoping that maybe this one time she could be selfish and that god would forgive her for such a request.
- it didn't work.
- she then had to lie about why she was falling asleep the next morning during prayer.
- aside from that, yui's faith is constantly tested when she's with the diaboys. mainly with laito. we've all seen the way he mocks her devotion. but she doesn't let it get to her. she still holds onto her rosary with conviction. her faith is really all she has left after she's forced to live with the sakamakis, and everything else that follows. it gives her strength to keep going, and no matter what happens, she won't allow any of them to shake her faith.
- at a certain point, yui probably does wonder if all of this is some sort of test from god. wonders if everything she's gone through is a trial of faith. when she's at her lowest, she can't help but slip into the belief that maybe she's done something against him to warrant it. but yui has always seen the good in people, including herself, so she's sensible to remember that it likely isn't her doing.
- she wasn't allowed pets, but i think yui would've adored having a cat.
- there was a stray that hung around the church that she'd always stop to pet. even when her father instructed against it, there she was, running her hand along its back as it rolled around in the cherry blossoms.
- it was one of the only times when she actively disobeyed seiji.
- if she had her own, she probably would dress it up with cute accessories, and it'd be the sweetest cat ever. given that yui can cook and bake, i think she would try and make homemade cat-safe treats for it to try.
- she'd probably have cute-ass molds that make all the treats fish-shaped or some shit.
how do you think chrollo would feel if you wanted pakunoda to erase your memories of traumatic experiences with him because they haunt you so bad?
some part of me thinks IF he allowed it, there would be temptations to have her do it again eventually. because he will inevitably do the chrollo thing and fuck up big time. now that he knows again what it feelt like to experience the original you he met before he chrollo-ed.
but that’s if he said yes. i feel like he wouldn’t. but you asking that would have him annoyed at your audacity but experiencing… almost guilt for making you ever feeling the desire for it. one of those first times you have him genuinely shocked asf though. idk. guilt is hard for him. he’s such a little shit.
who’s to say pakunoda even allows that though.
pakunoda's ability to tinker with memories is, in chrollo's mind, a failsafe. the ultimate reset button. he can appreciate the appeal, why you would gravitate toward it. nevertheless, it's a panacea he'll keep out of your reach. he'll hear you out, silently listening, taking in your argument for why you want to forget and begin anew; only to say no. with some of your requests, he'll entertain them, even if he has no intention of following through. not for this. what you're requesting is to escape, to purge yourself of him. it's the ultimate rejection. as such, he's affected by your proposition to an extent that surprises him.
from his perspective, if he's willing not to take the road of least resistance despite its advantages, why should you? he could have pakunoda reform your mind, leaving you a tabula rasa and granting him infinite chances to do things 'right'. by doing so, this version of you would cease to exist. the idea leaves him feeling strangely lonely. he acknowledges that it's selfish, cruel beyond measure, but he's never pretended to be a righteous man.
your malformed psyche is his masterpiece. flawed, yes, but it has his thumbprints smeared all over it.
chrollo won't ever explain in detail his twisted reasoning for rejecting your plea. he's self-aware enough to acknowledge that even by his standards, his is low. what he will do is make it evident that this is a subject you shouldn't broach again.
i like when fiction treats love as a more complicated force and not something that is inherently pure or redemptive. portray it as flawed and complex as any other human impulse. give me love as prejudice, love as possessive stasis, love as addiction, love as blindness, etc.
