It’s a pity the characters we meet in malevolent are so limited. I know it’s supposed to be a one man show, but also, it’s a one *man* show. I feel like there’s wiggle room here.
you guys are all for arthur and john going on a date until they get to the bar and it’s just arthur (never danced before) trying to dance ‘alone’ while people awkwardly watch and there’s just second hand embarrassment everywhere. what then. john wouldn’t even be having a good time he’d be bitching about the whole thing
What follows was intended to be a brief elaboration, but turned into a progressively more unhinged essay looking at a component of Arthur’s descent into madness. I’m not keeping this shit in my notes app, so if it survives, it will have to be here.
In the Sad Parent Poem -as I like to call it- Arthur tells his younger self that it wasn’t his fault. Growing up in that family structure, at least in my experience, you don’t see your parents as people like you. It’s like feeling weird when you see your teacher buying groceries. They are your world, and you are theirs, and that’s it. So for them to decide to dip- I can only imagine how a child would interpret that.
Maybe after investigation(by family or police) Arthur learned that this happened because his parents were Cultists. It was Their fault and not his. In the Sad Parent Poem, he also tells his younger self to “swallow all the hate.” I first interpreted that to mean ‘don’t blame your parents, the hate will only weigh you down.’ But now it seems like he stopped expressing his hatred, and swallowed it - pushed it down and let it fester for years. But a part of him always believed that it *was* his fault, and in reality the hatred was a way to distance himself from that feeling.
And then he (ostensibly) impregnated his wife and she died in child birth. But hey, at least your daughter survived to be all that’s left of her, to be your whole world, to prove that you are better than your parents… Whoops, you hyper focused on piano for a few minutes too long and now she’s dead and it is undeniably Your Fault.
I hc that it’s at this point he goes to the US to, ya know, Escape the Pain. After a few years, he lets himself get close to another person- his business partner, Peter “Parker” Yang🕷. Whoops you opened a book and now your bestie’s dead. Bonus points, you hid his body and then practically forgot about it due to Imminent Danger.
But hey, at least you have a voice in your head who you can’t possibly lo- Whoops he’s gone too. But hey, at least Cultist Bad. It’s Not Your Fault Because Cultist Bad. At least you have that. Oh wow eye bestie’s back! Something good actually happened to you. Maybe you can hold on to someone! This reminds you of that dead bestie… oh fuck you have a whole dead bestie that you haven’t even thought about. And then you became besties with his murderer. You didn’t even have the courtesy to mourn him. What the fuck is wrong with y- What’s that, Eye Bestie (murderer of Dead Bestie)? You say Cultist NOT Bad? You say ME bad for not helping?! I try to help, but yoU SAY CULTIST DEAD AND IS MY FAULT?!!? SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUTUPSHUTUP I HATE YOU …hence the negative reaction, probably
Arthur is what you would get if Jon and Martin did the gem fusion dance change my mind
sitting on the floor staring at the ceiling do you think John would like the violin. Do you think John would play the violin. Do you think John and Arthur could duet.
I know the timeline doesn't line up. I don't care. Martin and Gerry eould be the most gorgeous couple to exist. Gmart nation rise
It can line up if Martin was dating Gerry BEFORE he died.
Stoathur.
i have nothing else to say, and nothing in my defense. Arthur as a stoat. or weasel? i don't know at this point.
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[ID: A digital illustration of Arthur Lester, as an anthropomorphized stoat. His fur is scraggly and unkempt, most of his fur a rich brown while the fur of his chin and his throat is a light tan. His suit is a darker shade of brown than his fur, and his shirt, tie, and pocket square are off-white. He wears a pair of glasses. The expression on his face is tired as he stares at the viewer, his eyes a glowing yellow. /end ID]
The scariest part about Malevolent 26 is the happy-ish ending. So much optimism. Meanwhile, Kayne's out there in his heart-shaped sunglasses, white wine cooler in hand, halfway unbuttoned collared shirt just waiting in the shadows. Shit's about to hit the fan.
*rings town bell*
HEAR YE, HEAR YE! NEW FAN FAVORITE CHARACTER!
And be careful of tears blurring your vision whilst driving
Finally started listening to Malevolent and first of all holy SHIT is the eye control thing a great way to have an in-universe reason to give the listener visual details, and secondly, is this series going to be Toxicly Gay or am I a dumb idiot queer who hears a British man being tormented and goes 'oooo they'll be SO unhealthy for each other~'
No major spoilers or anything (as of writing this I've only finished episode two) but do feel free to do to me what I do to new TMA fans, aka vaguely implying shit that the new listener will squint at for being ominous, then return later going 'YOU BITCH YOU DIDN'T WARN ME!! FUCK!!'