A Captain’s Love

Luffy still not realizing that he is who the Iron Giant is talking to when it is calling him Joyboy is very funny

but it also reinforces the themes surrounding Luffy and the concept of Joyboy and Nika.

Because while Luffy in gear 5 looks similar to how Joyboy has been depicted, he is not literally a reincarnation of Joyboy. He is not the second coming of a god, he is - first and foremost - Monkey D. Luffy, the man who will be King of the Pirates. And him still not acknowledging that he could (even potentially) be the "Joyboy" that the robot is referring to solidifies that.

And what is particularly impressive to me about this thematic throughline, is that it is able to coexist with the belief of characters like Bonney, Kuma, the giants etc. that Luffy is the second coming of Joyboy, of Nika. Because Luffy isn't that. We the audience know that Luffy awakened his devil fruit, and that his resemblance to the Nika and Joyboy of history is because they both had/have the same fruit. We know that Luffy is still Luffy. He has not been possessed by a god (hell, we don't even know if deities actually exist in the would of One Piece, as we have only ever seen the worshipers of them), or by the previous wielder of the fruit. Luffy is still Luffy. If anything, his awakening has amplified who he is, not changed him. And it is in this way that Luffy sort of becomes a Schrodinger's Chosen One.

Because the narrative of One Piece does not present him as a chosen one. He awakened a devil fruit, but not because that was his destiny, or because he knew of some greater prophecy surrounding it. Luffy's actions are for no one but himself and his friends (as in he is not making his decisions with the knowledge of a prophecy, whether it be to fulfil it or avoid it). He is not guided by fate, and anytime we see Luffy follow in the footsteps of another by inheriting their will, it is his own choice. Luffy chose to pursue being the next pirate king, and chose to keep Ace's promise to Tama (and the people of Wano). But certain characters within One Piece do view him as this pre-ordained return of Joyboy. And they are not treated as idiots for this, their faith in the return of their god is treated seriously, and with respect. And their faith IS rewarded, just not necessarily in the way they were expecting. They DO get Joyboy, but not as a reincarnation or a possession, but as a person who can choose to take up the mantle of Joyboy, if he so wishes. And even if he doesn't, Luffy cares enough about freedom (both for himself and others he cares for) that they will still get Joyboy, even if that isn't his name.

ngl this goes crazy

Tim: *drops food by accident*

Dick:

Tim:

Dick:

Tim: *slowly reaches for it*

Dick: Timmy no

Tim: *holding it*

Dick: Tim no

Tim: *holds it close to his mouth*

Dick: Timothy. Timothy Jackson Drake Grayson-

Tim: *puts the food in his mouth*

Dick: TIMMY

Tim was fr stressing Dick OUT as a kid like he was twenty years old with grey hairs because SOMEONE (ten year old Tim) couldn't understand the concept of looking twice before you cross the road. He's twenty-four now and still gets heart attacks daily because what do you MEAN Tim befriended the dangerous ghost-thing (that's apparently a girl????) he was supposed to turn into the police? What do you MEAN the ghost is now one of Tim’s best friends?? Why is he flirting with EVERYONE remotely his age and why is it working?? (<- he gets it from Dick) Why do half the guys in his grade invite him out on dates that Tim doesn't know are dates?? Why is Tim befriending literally everyone??? (<- he also gets that from Dick) Why did LADY SHIVA take an interest in him??

He's also got to deal with the new sibling and sibling-adjacent figures that Bruce and/or Babs took in, plus Tim just. Bringing people into their home. Also did he mention his boyfriend is having an identity crisis? Because his boyfriend is having an identity crisis.

nasa: we're going to shoot three rockets directly at the sun during the total eclipse. for study and research purposes.

me: oh cool

nasa: we have named the rockets apep. this stands for atmospheric perturbations [in the] eclipse path.

me: oh cool

nasa: apep is also the ancient egyptian deity of chaos and darkness, who ceaselessly seeks to extinguish the sun. we launch these rockets directly at the sun in the name of apep.

me: oh... cool?

What about ‘far too young to die, far too old to live.’ For the fic ask game?

Definitely Tim! A study of his non-aging and how so much has happened to him yet he's not allowed to pass his teen years. He's eighteen and hey, his little brother is fourteen now. Remember when he was six years younger than him? Tim was sixteen for, um, fifteen years? He thinks? He's seen countless of his loved ones die and move on and age and grow and he's eighteen. He's eighteen and he can't die, it won't let him die, they will not let him die, but they won't let him live either, and he's so so tired. He's so tired, but he's Robin! (He. He left Robin behind didn't he? Isn't Damian Robin? Why are there two Robins? Why did he go back?) Robin doesn't give up. Robin doesn't die, except when he did and she did and he did and he did and wow, Tim's the only one that hasn't died? Maybe he wants to die. Maybe he doesn't want to be Robin. Maybe he wants to be Nightwing or Batgirl or- or, maybe even Batman! (No. Not Batman. He's seen what happens when he's Batman.) But, please, he wants to live, but everyone keeps going back, regressing, forgetting what they've been through together, who they are, and Tim too, but suddenly they're back to normal and it's like nothing ever happened. And Tim's the only one that knows. He's too young to die. He's too old to live. He wants. He's stuck in a funny kind of limbo, isn't he?

...

He's so tired. He's so, so tired.

If it keeps you from killing yourself it's not stupid. This applies to anything btw.

FEMBOY OBI-WAN IS CANON TO MEEEEEEEEEE