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vinillain · 21 hours

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Great wave chapter 2 spoilers// analysis cuz ahahahaha Adamai… when I get you…

Alr, rant because I’m the biggest Yugo & Adamai fan of all time. And I overanalyzed this chapter to death.

And how the way Adamai treats Yugo is one of the main reasons he’s distant from Amalia.

This pattern of behavior isn’t new, in s4 he was quick to come to Yugo’s defense when Nora was chastising him. Using words like “we” and because both of them were still feeling the euphoria of their reconciliation came to each-others defense in a new unfamiliar environment. But after he sees how shady and “heroic” their family is he ops to leave, and does so without explaining himself (about the dofus) to Yugo or trys to convince him to come along. Something he definitely would have done in s1-2. (And this is because they have grown so far apart the bond they once had is distant, albeit still there)

This behavior is similar, and again appears here in their entire conversation.

Yugo who was brooding and trying to be alone after his vision is greeted by Adamai, who IS genuinely worried about Yugo, since Yugo now carries the dofus of their people he and Adamai’s bond is “strengthened tenfold” allowing him to “almost hear his thoughts” and definitely feel his fear and dark feelings. And he immediately calls Yugo out when he tries to hide how upset he was (which tbh he likely does because of Adamai’s next reaction in a bit, meaning this is a common cycle)

Eventually after some talk Yu breaks down and is honest that he isn’t okay. That his visions terrified him, and here Adamai isn’t dismissive right off the bat, he states that he could feel how bad it was because of their bond, and knew it must have been bad if it shook Yugo up this much

And Yugo tells him about the vision and how “I am the cause.” To which Adamai questions as he seems to think internally, and Yugo like in chapter one with Amalia doesn’t question anything, again he only says “It was real.”

(I am roughly paraphrasing their dialogue so it’s not 100% accurate)

At this point Adamai scoffs at him to which Yugo who’s still upset by his vision flips out on him starting an argument. Asking if he “bores” Adamai

And Adamai tells him he needs to think with his head. He possesses the power of a god and can’t afford to think with emotions. Which is true, TOT said that Adamai was the logic to Yugo’s actions. He is the thought and the anchor, but while he isn’t wrong for saying this, the way he went about it is making things worse, but it also it makes sense why he did act this way towards Yugo.

Adamai is not someone who bases his feelings on emotions anymore.

He’s spent his entire childhood training and getting ready to meet Yugo and find their people. After the loss of Grougal he has spent his entire life trying to fill the void with an adult parental figure who holds power and wisdom that can help him achieve his goals the way he knows mortals can’t. Hence the “we needed someone with more guidance” like in s4 to Yugo. We don’t see exactly what happened to him from the OVA’s-s3. But we know it had a drastic change on him physically and especially mentally. And a big part of that is that he essentially became a vessel to their peoples dofus. In order to cope with his own trauma and feelings and taking on that responsibility of all this power he surprised any emotions or feelings that could cause him to act rash or get in the way of his main goals.

And when he did let his emotions take over because of his blind rage, he ended up hurting people he cared about which left him even more apprehensive to show any ever again. (Hence why he left his newly found family in s4) But in doing this to such an exstent the way he does, he never actually solves any personal problems of conflicts. Especially with his loved ones. He can’t rekindle his bond with Yugo or try to fix their relationship because he refuses to show any vulnerability. Which makes sense after he was left behind, betrayed and hurt so many times, and more so when he realized that he hurt others in his own pain. He doesn’t want to get hurt or hurt others again.

And as he states, Yugo has power beyond any mortal comprehension. He now carries the weight and responsibility of their people, and their siblings dofus. Honestly just their peoples future in general. He holds power, power many people want to steal from him or rid him of. Adamai compares Yugo’s situation to how he had to handle the dofus. That he needs to swallow any emotions and think logically. Which he has always done more out of the two of them. Vulnerability is a weakness to him. And Adamai doesn’t want Yugo to get hurt or hurt others like he has in the past.

He is cruel and harsh in his words. Telling Yugo he does “bore” him. And completely downplays his twin’s feelings because he sees them as being weak. But he DOES care about Yugo, in his eyes Yu will end up suffering more if he shows this vulnerability. It’s why he is mean and tells Yugo he can’t be acting like a child when he has all this responsibility and power in his hands. This isn’t the same when they were little kids, the stakes for them and their people are much hire now.

But to Yugo, who’s tried to fix their relationship countless times, is naturally upset at this. He feels unheard, that’s he’s being over dramatic and that his feelings don’t matter. That he isn’t allowed to be upset at his own trauma. Which is something i think paralells Goddess Eliatrope. How people dismiss her feelings and say she’s overreacting. That she needs to “get over herself” because she is a great goddess with all this power. Etc. something I hope we see more with Yugo aswell.

Being a king already isolates him enough, being a demigod with all this power does so even more. To Yugo, Adamai is the only one he can turn too when he’s upset. It’s why he was so desperate to find him in s3. Over growing old and being immortal. The problems that mortals can’t comprehend. (Something that definitely upsets him because the more power and godhood he gains the more distance he has between himself and his loved ones.) But when he opens up to Adamai about his fears and issues he is shut down or ignored. And that’s why he won’t open up to Amalia. If Ad dismisses and scoffs at his feelings then why should he try to open up to her? He adores and loves Amalia and fears the rejection she might give him. It’s why the moment she was slightly dismissive with her “Calm down, it was just a dream” he immediately leaves to be alone. He already has to deal with Adamai, he doesn’t want her to do it to him too.

But by doing this he is hurting her too. Like him Amalia is STRESSED beyond belief. She has a ton of weight and responsibility on her shoulders. And she can’t manage the conflicts of her people (especially with the eliatropes) If Yugo isn’t there to help her, If Yugo won’t be vulnerable to her. If he doesn’t trust her or won’t rely on her with his problems then how can she? How can she be open with him if he runs away from her at the deepest issues when they share so much intimacy and love.

Their is already clear tension among the Sadida’s and the (VERY FEW) Eliatropes who now live among them. Many are unhappy with the changes, some openly voicing how “Armand would never have allowed this” suggesting they don’t like Yugo as their king either. And the old man talking about how he lost his son in the war, that the eliatropes haven’t faced sacrifice. (And this is despite that fact that they don’t know anything about their past or the war they went through, how they lost their own families- claiming they don’t understand Sadidan culture or tradition but never trying to learn the other sides either.)

Communication is the key to relationships. Being open and vulnerable is how we understand eachother. Something reflected in the main three so far and the Sadidans+Eliatropes. Yugo keeps shutting Amalia out because of how Adamai treats him. Creating this endless cycle of distrust among the two and it’s reflected in their own people. Both could be amazing rulers and created a better place if they were both open with each-other. But they won’t, and unless Adamai and in turn Yugo open up and show vulnerability. They don’t have to show all of it, trust is slowly gained. Little by little in a healthy manner. But if Yugo doesn’t then the discourse and tension will continue to grow among all their people. (And if you’ve seen the teaser for a certain upcoming chapter you can see how that’s going 😭😭😭)

Anyway, in conclusion: someone please get them therapy

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y2klostandfound · 9 months

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How to win - Jet Set Radio Future on Game Players New magazine Vol.29 (Video game magazine)(Hong Kong)(2002)(06/03/2002)(Part 1)

Translation in English:

XBOX

2002

On sale

ACT - SEGA

6,800 Yen - 1-4 players

Corresponding to 5-1ch audio equipment

Attention!

This game is only suitable for and anyone who may imitate or reference the in-game characters should also avoid touching this game as much as possible. If anyone engages in similar behavior after reading this article, I or the publication will not be held responsible, please pay attention!

JET SET RADIO FUTURE

Hello everyone! I am a DJ PROFESSOR K, the embodiment of beauty and wisdom, and a heroic companion!! Do you feel that life is boring? Looking for something fun to do? Come on! Listen to my Tokyo underground radio station! ! Don't forget the name, yes! ! It's "JET SET RADIO"! ! YEEEEEEEE~~~~HAAAAAA! ! !

Let's start with an introduction to the current situation! Tokyo is now dominated by Gouji Rokkaku , whose "Rokkaku Group" is more powerful than the local government, and no matter what level it is, such as real estate, society, culture or entertainment, it is also controlled by them, and the people have no freedom of choice at all, day after day, month after month, they live according to the meaning of the Rokkaku, without a soul and without their own selves. Recently, Rokkaku succeeded in becoming the mayor, which completely fell to the hands of Rokkaku in Tokyo, even the law can be changed by him at will, of course, the police are not spared, and they have become Rokkaku's Corps and they are fighting against those who are against him, OH MY GOD!

However, where there is darkness, there is light, and a group of young people who are passionate about life are determined to vent their inner grievances with graffiti and to awaken the sleeping people with crazy actions. But there was one thing that surprised them, When it happened, it turned out that "Rokkaku Expo Stadium" was in full swing, and the surrounding vigilance was also strengthened a lot, which made the struggle between these young people and the Rokkaku Group heated up. Although the enemy is a group with great power, fortunately, many capable people have joined in the process of protest, which has ignited new hope for this group of young people. And this class of ideal Stormy Teenagers, they call themselves "GG"! !

Members of GG

CORN

The person who already existed when GG was founded is now GG's leader, very competitive, and often considers himself a genius.

GUM

She is another main member of GG, is responsible for the operation of the organization together with CONE (CORN), she is so calm that the men who have a crush on her automatically give up after ten minutes.

YOYO

The new member of the GG, the typical storm boy, is arrogant and often calls himself a cannon king.

BEAT

The mysterious boy who appeared on the streets of Tokyo, since his appearance, things have changed rapidly.

ROBOY

The robot that CONE(CORN) retrieves, everything else is unknown, only known to be as arrogant as CONE(CORN).

ROKKAKU GROUP

Rokkaku Police

The front-line personnel of the Rokkaku Group, everything that will hinder the people and things of the Rokkaku Group is also their goal.

HASHED (HAYASHI)

The police commander of the Rokkaku Police Force, Division 0 is a very troublesome policeman. If he is targeted by him, he will never have a good life.

Gouji Rokkaku

The chairman of the Rokkaku Group, who dominates Tokyo's economy and culture, is a very authoritarian careerist.

Getting Started

Controller

Buttons MENU In-game

Left Stick Select Walk/Run

Right Stick -- Look around (while standing)/Map

rotation (in PAUSE)

Arrow keys Select --

A button Decide Jump/Decide

B button Cancel Accelerate/Use props during battle

X button -- Continuous TRICK/HANDPLANT

Y button -- Continuous TRICK/TURN

START button Decide PAUSE on

BACK button Cancel Cancel

Left button -- The camera direction is corrected

to the front

Right button -- Spray GRAFFITI/ Dialogue unfolds

Various Actions Basics

Walk/Run

Left STICK is to control the character's movement. After inputting a few directions, the character will make a sprint start and then move forward at an even speed.

Jump

The A button is for jumping, The distance and height depend on the time of pressing the button, if you press it for a long time, you will jump higher, different characters will have more or less jumping power.

Turn

On the way to several directions, press the Y button to make the character turn his back foward and make a backward movement.

Dialogue

Some characters can have a dialogue with the player, as long as you approach the player, the dialogue icon will appear, and you can press the right button

Accelerate

Each time you use it, you need to consume 10 cans of spray paint, press the B button to use it, and you don't need to use it while jumping.

Camera Correction

During the game, the camera will turn with the character's movement, press the left button to correct it to look straight ahead.

TIC Tips

When fighting against the enemy or Rival, the left button can be used to lock the target. When the opponent is in front and the CURSOR is yellow, press the left button, and the CURSOR will turn red. At this time, press the B button to accelerate, and there is a chance to make a straight line to recover the gap, but it still needs 10 cans of spray paint.

TRICK

GRIND

Basically all handrails or fences can also do this action, just walk close to the above facilities, press the A button to jump, the character will automatically slide on the handrail or fence, and is not limited by the slope, even if it's vertical.

AIR

Using speed or an inclined platform, you can jump higher than normal, and the movements you make while flying are classified as AIR.

WALLRIDE

Specific walls (such as advertising boards) allow players to slide on them, and they are not limited by the slope, as long as the character touches the wall, and the speed is faster than that on the ground.

HANDPLANT

In some "U" shaped terrain, it is possible for the character to make this action, and when the character is about to reach the edge of the item, press the X button to make an upside down posture, which has the effect of accelerating.

COMBINATION

GRIND COMBINATION

On the railing-shaped terrain, it is possible to make GRIND movements, but in fact, combined actions can also be added to GRIND movements. And the method is simple, just press the X and Y buttons, and press continuously to make a series of actions to increase the score, as for what the use of the extra score is, I will introduce it to you later.

AIR COMBINATION

AIR COMBINATION is almost the same as GRIND, as long as you enter X and Y in the air state, the character will make fancy.

Spray Painting Tips

In the game map, there will be a rotating round plan (GRAFFITI POINT) on the wall, which represents a place that needs to be painted, the player has to make the character approach and then press the right button to spray the pattern. Each GRAFFITI POINT needs to consume a can of spray paint, but one thing to note is that pressing the right button anywhere will also consume a can of spray paint.

Continuous spraying

If there are more than one GRAFFITI POINT side by side on the wall, it means that the spray painting is of a larger size. Players can start from the first pattern and press the right button until the last one.

The type of spray painting

There are five sizes of spray painting in the game, namely SS, S, M, L, and XL.

NEW GAME

After selecting NEW GAME, you will start the main game mode for one person only and in order to spray GG's spray paint all over Tokyo, the player must travel through all the different areas and solve the obstacles in front of you. The game consists of two main parts, "STREET" and "GARAGE PARK", which will be introduced in detail below.

STREET

Based on Tokyo, each "STREET" can be regarded as a level, and certain conditions must be completed before moving on to the next one. As for the conditions, it is different each time, the player can ask other team members at Garage Park or listen to JSR'S DJ PROFESSOR K for information. But there is one thing common to all STREETs, that is, all spray painting must be completed. Another thing that we must mention is that each STREET will have certain hidden things that will not be provided with intelligence, how to find out, you have to look at your skills.

GARAGE PARK

The base camp of GG, all team members will also gather here, players can freely practice here, and listen to the ADVICE of teammates. In addition, if you talk to ROBOY, you can enter the GARAGE MENU screen, which has functions such as game setting change, SAVE, custom spraying, basic skill training, and character rotation in use. And every time you finish a street, you have to come back here once, so GARAGE PARK is definiteky an important place.

GG Handbook

In the GG Handbook, you can clearly understand the "STREET MISSION" of each version, so what is STREET MISSION?

In fact, these are the conditions for the appearance of the hidden "GRAFFITI SOUL" and every time you complete a STREET MISSION, a GRAFFITI SOUL will appear. GRAFFITI SOUL is an optional spray pattern that can be viewed and selected in the GARAGE MENU after obtaining it. However, in order to make STREET MISSION appear, you must first find and get the "MYSTERY TAPE" in this section, then the STREET MISSION can be found in the GG Handbook.

PAUSE Screen Diagram

1.Instruction - Indicates the condition or goal that is currently a priority.

2.The street where you are - Displays the name of the street where the player is currently located.

3.GRAFFITI SOUL/ GRAFFIT in the map -

Top:The number of GRAFFITI SOULS acquired in the same layout.

Bottom: The number of GRAFFITI completed in the same layout, calculated in GRAFFITI POINT.

4.Number of GRAFFITI SOUL - Number of GRAFFITI SOUL acquired.

5.The Direction of the PLAYER - The arrow represents the front of the player.

6.ICON-

CHARACTER CHANGE: Available only at GRAFFITI STOP.

SAVE:Available only at GRAFFITI STOP.

GG Handbook: The conditions in each map and the content of "Mystery TAPE".

Back to the game

Game Screen Explanation

MAIN GAME Screen

The usual game screen, STREET is the same as GARAGE PARK.

1.STAMINA GAUGE - After receiving damage, it will be reduced, and when it is reduced to zero, it will be game over.

2. Number of spray paint cans - It can be collected on the street, and you must have spray paint before you can spray paint.

3.Number of GRAFFITI - The number of paintings on the same layout, the number completed is on the left, and the total number is on the right.

4.GRAFFITI POINT - You must have this logo to spray paint on the wall.

5.SPEED METER - Indicates the current speed of the character.

Use continuous TRICK!

When using continuous TRICK, additional points will appear on the upper left of the screen. The more consecutive TRICKs you perform, the higher your score will be. When you reach a certain level of score, there will be "prizes". Let's work hard! !

BATTLE screen

There is a slight difference between BATTLE and MAIN GAME game modes, so the screen representations are different.

1.TIME - An item that will appear in RACE MODE, which will give the player a better understanding of the current situation when racing with RIVAL.

2.CURSOR - Whether it is BATTLE with the enemy or a RIVAL, CURSOR will also appear. When you approach the opponent, CURSOR will appear on the opponent.Press the left button at this time, and the CURSOR will turn red, indicating that the person has locked the target.

PAUSE screen

Press the START button during the game to enter the PAUSE screen, which is a decisive help for playing the game. You can also enter this screen when you are in BATTLE. Press the left and right buttons to switch map mode and view the entire map. In addition, the "GG Handbook" can also be viewed on this screen.

Continue to Part 2

#jet set radio future #xbox #jsrf

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ecogirl2759 · 6 months

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~~~NEW UPDATE~~~

(I'M A DUMBASS WHO DOESN'T KNOW HOW TUMBLR WORKS SO IF YOU SAW THIS ALREADY NO YOU DIDN'T)

I'm glad people liked my 4コマ KINGS post so much lol. I love spreading the word about obscure lore :)

Under the cut I've responded to some of my favorite tags, given a little more backstory into the source of these pictures, as well as posted a few new ones :D

There's also a question at the very bottom that I'd love to hear opinions on, but no pressure if y'all don't feel comfortable answering ^w^

You're welcome >:D

Same, bro. I was basically thinking that the entire time I was reading these books lol

I feel like I should give a little context to these comics and where they come from lol. I wasn't very clear about the backstory in my original post. I do agree, when I found these, I thought they were super important, too, particularly because I don't think a lot of the fandom knows about these books lol.

The Danganronpa 4コマ KINGS anthology series was published in the early 2010's featuring a bunch of different artists. The series is 4 volumes long and published by Spike Chunsoft, meaning, while these aren't necessarily canon, they ARE official :)

There is another series of anthologies in relation to both the first and second games, but I don't have those.

The first two volumes of this series is relatively well documented. There are sites where English translations have already been added to all of the comics in them (I'm pretty sure), as well as some screenshots popping up on places like Pinterest.

The third and fourth installments, however, are really poorly archived. The third has some content from it floating around, but it's hard to come by. The fourth had almost no information on it no matter where I searched.

I say this because a while ago I found the ONLY pictures of the Mastermind!Taka comic on this really old Tumblr blog from 2014 and REALLY wanted to figure out what it was about. (Didn't help that I couldn't read some of the bubbles in those photos.) First I searched for an English translation (there wasn't (so I'm working on one hehe)), then I tried to find which book it was even from, and NOTHING!

These books, since they were in circulation around 2014-ish, have stopped being printed, so copies of them are very hard to come by. Luckily, I was able to get my copies from a kind stranger on Ebay :)

-NOW-

Here are a few more pictures that I thought were funny/interesting that I couldn't add in my first post because of the picture limit lol.

Sorry for the really long post, I just thought it'd be interesting to share :)

Here's the page of artists that contributed to this anthology! Please go check them out (or see if they have any socials since it's been so long). Some credits change per volume, hence how many photos there are. (And sorry for my hand, it's hard to hold these open lol.)

You've probably all seen the covers, but have you seen what's behind the covers? (Also including the opening illustrations. These have probably been posted online already as well, but they're worth including imo.) (Again, please excuse the fingers, I'm trying my best ;-;)

^ Sayaka came with a smudge :( she still pretty tho

So, uh, remember when I said Hifumi made ship fodder? ......Here it is. Eat your heart out lol

Also remember when I said that Mondo's hair was fluffy and bouncy? Here's the proof:

Sakura has been de-buff-ified twice LMAO

ALSO remember when I said Syo was a fan of BL? ...... :)

ALSO remember when I said Kyoko was kinda socially awkward?

(Context: Kyoko sees Kiyotaka and Mondo calling each other bro and, thinking it'll strengthen their bond as well, calls Makoto "Makoto-oniichan," or "big brother Makoto" lol. Also, second picture says "I have come to save you, Makoto")

Chihiro Shinji chair meme

I'm at my picture cap, but there's a lot I haven't brought up lol

-SO-

For a different thread, would people like me to find pictures of certain characters? (i.e. just photos of the characters looking cool/hot/stupid without a lot of the text.) Because I am totally willing to do that :)

I've already got a lot on Byakuya, Sakura, Aoi and Mondo for all you simps out there, and it's not hard to find even more lol.

So lmk :D

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dragons-and-handcuffs · 9 days

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https://www.tumblr.com/dragons-and-handcuffs/739372322140651520/i-just-had-an-interesting-thought-what-if-harwin

I just found this and now I’m wondering

What if after the dance begins, initially Rhaenyra’s daughter is betrothed to Cregan, to strengthen their alliances in the north?

While Rhaenyra’s other children very clearly held the traits of their Strong father, her daughter…. Was slightly different. The Strongs are well known in Kings Landing. The boys features are clear. However Rhaenyra’s daughter (through some odd luck) inherited her mother’s silver hair.

Despite having few other Valyrian traits, she has the Valyrian hair. If anyone suspects her as a bastard, they cannot say it. Because who then would the father be? Surely not Harwin.

Where her brothers have round noses and faces, and show signs of growing into well built men, she is the opposite. Like a little ghost. Post of her can be described in two words. Pale and thin. She cannot in any way be Harwin’s daughter. She bares no resemblance to any Strong woman.

Only because the people of Kings Landing do not know exactly which house she oddly resembles….

The hair color could throw one off. But as soon as her daughter starts growing, her features becoming more clear, Rhaenyra knows exactly where they’re from. She does her best to hide it. Insisting her eyes are just paler violet. Dressing her in only black. And styling her hair in Valyrian ways.

Anything to make the child resemble her. And not…. Him.

She’s fortunate. The people at court don’t know northern houses as well, aside from the Starks. At least not enough to notice those traits. But one night…. In the light of the fire late at night, Rhaenyra sees her daughter. She scares her by how suddenly she appears. The girl means no harm. But the way the low light catches her eyes…. Making her red dress look almost pink….

She is given no red dresses after that.

When the dance begins, Rhaenyra makes a mistake. Allowing her daughter to go north with Cregan. The second the others in his house see her, they recognize those features. And unfortunately for her…. So do others.

They’re cold to her. And when Cregan rides off, they avoid her out of uneasiness. Feeling unwelcome, she spends much of her time alone. But she isn’t familiar with Northern lands. Riding much too far one night, ending up in the land of House Bolton…..

She is left asking for shelter at the Dreadfort when a storm hits.

The girl ends up sitting in the same room as her kin, knowing nothing of it. They’re clever people…. They know how to spot a Targaryen. But more importantly, they know how to spot one who isn’t fully Targaryen….

They aren’t all unkind. A few of them ask her questions about herself. Ironically showing her more warmth than many others since she came to the north. She finds herself oddly at ease in these halls, with these reserved but seemingly generous people.

She finds herself at first staying longer than expected. Then returning a few times when Cregan is away. Rhaenyra writes to her daughter once. And the letter she receives back horrifies her.

She talks of visiting the Dreadfort. Of feeling welcome there! Rhaenyra, despite fighting a war, sends a letter hastily, ordering her to stay far away from that house!

However…. The seeds of doubt are already planted in the mind of the princess. Her mother says the Starks and their allies are trustworthy and the Boltons are not….. yet the Starks avoid her for some reason. And the Boltons welcomed her as if she was their own….. why does her mother not trust them? Does her mother even care?

Rhaenyra has already sealed her fate. For while she’s ordered her daughter to stay far away, the Princess is instead returning to the Dreadfort. What her mother doesn’t know, can’t hurt her

#hotd #house of the dragon #game of thrones #game of thrones imagines #hotd headcanon #hotd fanfic #hotd imagine #hotd imagines #hotd one shot #house of the dragon imagine

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exstasyplague · 8 months

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UnPopular Jujutsu Kaisen Opinions (with arguments) PT 2

hi god. it's me again. :)

—manga spoilers!

☆ Sukuna is not stronger than Gojo

right.

i've noticed that both hardcore gojo fans and sukuna fans are delusional; almost on the same tier as the kpop stans that say their oppar is an angelic virgin who will marry them. they are willing to trash the character fighting against their favourite in a genuinely petty way 💀

in the manga it's said clearly that even back in the heian day, sukuna's presence didn't cause much uproar because times were rougher back then. the ones alive had a certain type of blood thirst so you were strong by default if you weren't dead. was sukuna the strongest back then and eventually made himself a name? yes.

gojo's birth caused a disbalance in the world.

let's not forget that. in shibuya, when he expanded his domain for 0.2 seconds, the people subjected to that received 6 months worth of information and had to be hospitalised for weeks.

(that's one of my favourite manga panels, btw. will get to that in a second)

let's do some maths.

a minute has 60 seconds. 60÷0.2= 300. 300x6months=1800. in a minute, you get 1800 months' worth of information. 1800÷12= 150. 150 years in a minute. 150÷6= 25. sukuna got information input worth 25 years of non-stop intense brain activity.

that's not only a face of brain damage. sukuna is shook by how powerful that shit was. mad props to him for enduring that. 👏

what's the point of this? to understand that gojo's power is terrifying. that shit hits you properly? it's over. it's not even instant death. it's absolute. no way, chance of recovery.

but sukuna is more well-versed in curse energy. he has a deeper understanding of it. that's his strongest skill— knowledge. gojo with his 6 Eyes can't sense people from a big distance well. sukuna could feel megumi hurting from kilometres away just because he dissected the theory of cursed energy that well, no innate technique. his use of RTC also shows that— it's one thing to get the hang of it, an entirely different one to understand it. sukuna could literally cure cancer if he wanted. (au! doctor sukuna? 🤭🤭 hanibal lecter way since he's a canon cannibal. that's how he became besties with uraume, they KNEW how to cook.)

but then you guys will be like: "ok plague, but doesn't that mean their power is equal since they both excel on their separate things?" no. LOL. knowledge can be attained— if gojo with his natural skills would have sukuna's knowledge... yeah. it would be over. but gojo is gojo and doesn't like putting in effort so he is balanced like that.

this fight is mastery vs innate talent among many other things. one of the main messages in jujutsu kaisen, especially in the plasma vessel arc, is that being powerful is sometimes not enough. and that's exactly gojo is so damn strong; he's the perfect one to prove that point. that's why he struggles against my fraudulent sweet prince. 😍

☆ Maki will never be Toji

never. lol.

people compare them, especially the ones in the jjk world because there are no other heavenly restricted people to draw a parallel between. toji's strength doesn't only come from the fact that he maxxed up his body. it's also his mentality and life philosophy— which maki will never be able to embody. giving up on everything. being all alone. giving up even on yourself and your pride, living to kill and killing to live. that's a certain desperation that's so powerful and strengthening it can not even be called desperation, just something rooting from a VERY similar place with it. toji was rejected by everything and he rejected everything around him. until he didn't and well... we know how that ended. 💀

her own principles will take her on a different path. this is not an opinion about power scaling or whatever, it's as simple as it sounds. SHE IS STRONG. BUT WILL EVOLVE DIFFERENTLY. maki is accepted by some people, by her friends. maki also has her sister; with whom she had a love-hate relationship wtv but in the end mai becomes her greatest motivation and unleash point. plus, maki became besties with that blood clan guy for whatever reason, i don't mind but that's more so to solidify my point. she was able to forge new connections and maintain her old ones.

+ all great villains/ op protags have some backstories. some curses wanted to become the real humans. some mfs were homeless. maki ain't broke enough for this toji shit bruh.

☆ Kashimo is overhyped

🤓

"when kashimo wipes out his SUPER SEKRET CURSED TECHNIQUE—" bro. shut. the. fucx. up. my man can wipe out his d1ck and all it's gonna get him is an honorary spot on rule 34.

he's has an unhinged mentality but that doesn't mean he is a goat. his only purpose in life (reason why kenjaku tapped that ass a bit) is to duel sukuna. very cool. but come on bro. YOU KNOW he is gonna have max 1-2 cool badass moments before he goes like "lul, xd. guess my life nice. bye bye minna-san☺️. the true jujutsu kaisen is the friends we made along the way."

DON'T GET ME WRONG.

if he actually does something cool and badass that will influence the plot beyond adding few cold ass panels, GGs. but there is literally no reason for all the WILD dick buffing this man is getting as of now. no basis.

you know he low-key shitting his pants watching that fight going on— would it be totally in character for him to get excited and hop in for the lols just to see how much damage/influence he'd have? yeah. but that's only because of his ambition. kthx

☆ Nanami has one of the best mentalities

i don't know and i don't care if this is popular/ unpopular.

NANAMI. THE. GOAT.

in a shonen world filled with adults that push all the responsibility on children while they fucx off to party, he is refreshingly aware of the importance his position as an adult holds. (itachi, kakashi, sasuke and naruto could've really used a nanami. you didn't hear that from me though.)

even if in the beginning he didn't really like yuji and only viewed him as sukuna's vessel, a mistake for the jujutsu world, his mentality was: "you are a kid. my priority as an adult is to make sure you are safe." (not exact quotes. when tumblr lets me post more than 10 pics i'll spam you with manga panels, i promise.)

then, he grew fonder of him etc.

"even if you are a sorcerer, you are still a kid. you shouldn't be the one to blame yourself for x event. that's the the business of adults."

in the first light novel, even gojo told nanami that he is the type to be able to save a child's heart from the poison the jujutsu world has to offer. gojo says something among the lines of "for grown ups, the poisons this world has to offer are many and we learn how to deal with them. but for a soul as enthusiastic (as yuji's and many others' teens) one poison like is enough to mess them up for life. exactly because you are the type of sorcerer to know that i'm asking you to look after yuji, even if once, as the individual he is, not sukuna's vessel."

as he was dying, a death filled with doubts and frustrations towards everything— he still thought about yuji's sake. he didn't want to become a curse to him. he could've said "well, i won't see his misery anw so i can put all this sh1t pissing me off on him". (would've been me fr, my self control 0)

that is peak adulting. peak. peak. peak.

RIP. you were one of the best, nanamin 🙏

another proof that you don't need to be mad powerful to be great and impactful.

☆ Interfering in the fight between Gojo and Sukuna would be dumb

small jjk history lesson with your favourite sensei~! ✨

who is this individual? 🤔

haruta shigemo!! 🎉

haruta shigemo was recruited to help the bad scawwyy villains to help with their plans!! yayy. all clear so far. gr8. he is not as strong as a grade 1 sorcerer but his innate technique is luck so he is super duper useful in battles!! (very cool, i know ^^)

now, let's see what happened with haruta shigemo once he faced sukuna (who was busy exorcising mahoraga).

it's fuck1ng OVER man. i've just explained how powerful gojo is and he is striking sukuna with the intent to kill. also let's not forget: sukuna himself is very fuck1ng strong. those two want to rip eachother's throats out. gojo doesn't really care so much about megumi's safety and that's a very sensible smart choice since anything is better than letting him be as he is.

"but— plague 🙄, if he is close to geting backshots then ofc people should help!! they should go against the 2 shikigamis!!! they should've stepped in from the moment gojo's nose bled."

the ONLY instance where it would be ok for someone to step in is when Gojo is literally laying on the ground DEAD or in a state similar with the thing he had with toji. (hopefully it won't happen, my majestic king gotta see another day 😔 👑)

NEVER FORGET.

haruta shigemo 🙏

☆ Side characters are meant to be side characters

crazy.

like sure bro. i cope too. IT'S FINE TO COPE. as long as you know you're coping.

but people get dead ass pissed off at gege because they "haven't seen todo in 10 years. haven't seen utahime in 1000 wet dreams. haven't seen gakuganji at the retirement home in 306 days."

i wonder why. wow. maybe it's because they are the supporting cast. stop. take a break. it's hard for everybody. i miss some characters too. but the focus on the story simply is not on them.

let me know what other copium I should debate 😘

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greenhappyseed · 1 year

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Very spicy salty and lengthy rant incoming. This is part 1 of 2, focusing on All Might (with Izuku and Katsuki), while part 2 will focus more on Ochako and the 1A reunion. I’m trying to help myself feel better about how deeply I dislike the “Dark Deku” and Star & Stripe arcs because I need to excise the real-life anxiety I’m feeling over this coming up in the anime. IMO, these arcs did not age well at all, and are absolutely no better in light of the ~35 subsequent chapters. It’s just that the subsequent chapters feel more cohesive and well thought-out despite Horikoshi’s physical pain and burnout.

While I’m not emotional over fictional characters, it is true that these arcs have impacted the fandom; namely, many people who were fans of All Might, Aizawa, Midnight, Mic, and the overall UA vibe dropped out. I get that sense from some LOV fans too. Overall, it means far fewer fics and art pieces with my blorbos, and it’s also meant far less interaction with my blog. (I don’t give a damn about “engagement” or followers, but I like talking about my hyperfixation with others who share it!). Obviously the story has to change as the series end draws near, but spending SO much time with Endeavor, Hawks, and Jeanist has worn me out, even if I think Horikoshi is handling Endeavor’s character growth well. (FWIW, I’m utterly disinterested in “Hawks the Optimist” who inexplicably became the expert on how OFA works, and Jeanist is…well…you know…a male model.)

Aside from everyone’s basic rant about how Horikoshi introduced two hot middle-aged women only to more or less fridge them (after killing Midnight!), my real complaint in this post is that the Dark Deku & Star arcs made a complete mess of All Might’s character arc and in-universe relationships. Don’t get me wrong — Chapter 326 with Stain seemed like something Horikoshi had planned since the early days of the manga, and that one hit HARD. But the rest felt like an improvisation. It’s horribly inconsistent on (1) when All Might speaks up and when he can’t bring himself to talk, and (2) how his relationship with 1A is handled compared to Star.

When it comes to All Might’s failure to speak up, it feels like Horikoshi was nerfing All Might and reducing what we know the former No.1 is capable of doing. I mean, in Chapter TWO he stops Izuku from overdoing his training. After Kamino, All Might helps Izuku develop Shoot Style by telling Izuku point blank that he’s trying too hard to imitate his mentor. In the Overhaul/Nighteye arc, All Might refuses to support Izuku’s desire to take on a work study because he thinks it unnecessarily exposes Izuku to villain activity AND Izuku needs to strengthen his Shoot Style first. (The awkwardness with Nighteye is his third reason.) When Izuku persuades him about getting stronger under Nighteye’s guidance, All Might carefully asks himself if Izuku is being impatient just because Izuku is his successor before agreeing to let Mirio do the introduction. When Izuku confronts All Might over Nighteye’s prophecy, All Might makes SURE Izuku is ready to hear an uncomfortable truth and then proceeds to tell him everything. In the next arc, All Might encourages Izuku to use whatever support items he needs, even though All Might always chose to fight with just his body. All Might is protective of Katsuki and Shoto too — when they want to jump out of the taxi and fight the Cider House gang, he tries to get them to slow down and “assess the situation first.” In all these situations, All Might can’t physically stop his students (and is usually on the losing end of the argument, as happens with argumentative teenagers™️), but he uses his voice to speak up and make his opinion known.

At the beginning of Dark Deku, things are looking okay. All Might gives up on the secrecy that defined him early on and tells Hawks and Jeanist everything when he realizes secrets didn’t keep people safe. That’s good, I think, but he didn’t seem to consult Izuku about it. Based on context clues, and how All Might initially wanted Izuku to stay at UA (again, he spoke up!) I think his motivation was to recruit the pro heroes to protect Izuku at the hospital and at UA. It sort of makes sense he would move fast and wouldn’t ask Izuku’s permission to do that…but in front of Inko after Izuku wakes up, All Might DOES ask Izuku’s permission to tell her. A minor inconsistency, but all right. It’s made clear All Might is worried sick about Izuku, warning him not to go overboard (once more speaking up!). Hawks even picks up on All Might’s hesitation, telling him that Izuku has the right strategy and it’s on All Might to keep the kid propped up. All Might does not look pleased about this as he looks up in the sky towards Izuku.

In helping Izuku, All Might fends off assassins and talks about how Izuku’s idolization of him weighs on him. It’s not just that he promised Inko he would live and look out for Izuku; he’s acutely aware his boy is just like him in ways good and bad.

Yet when All Might sees Izuku struggle and he begins to see why Nighteye wanted him to retire, he can’t bring himself to talk to Izuku. Even though he understands Izuku’s feelings, he just can’t say a word. You would think seeing Izuku get shot, or barely escaping AFO’s mansion explosion, would prompt a conversation. But no, he says nothing. (Then again, nobody seems to remember Izuku was shot; no mention in the bath scene either.)

At the same time, we see Nighteye pop up in All Might’s thoughts, but we don’t see All Might struggling with telling Izuku what Nighteye told him (that is, we have no idea if All Might still feels violated in some way by Nighteye’s actions). We also don’t see All Might worrying about Izuku realizing the Symbol of Peace was just a human being. All Might isn’t trying to keep up Izuku’s hope by hiding the real burden of being the symbol (besides, didn’t he pull back that curtain in, oh, CHAPTER ONE???) We aren’t given any solid motivation or thematic through line — he simply procrastinated on what he knew he had to do for an unsatisfying hodgepodge of invasive thoughts. That is inconsistent with the All Might we know.

Before anyone comes at me, All Might not telling Izuku about Nighteye’s prophecy is very different. In that situation, All Might honestly did not think Izuku needed to know because knowing would put MORE pressure on Izuku than necessary. In Dark Deku, it’s the opposite, and All Might knows talking to Izuku could help relieve pressure.

I understand this is supposed to be All Might’s low point to lead into the Stain conversation. All Might is supposed to feel like “doing his best” didn’t prevent society’s downfall and didn’t stop his boy from repeating his mistakes. But…it feels like Horikoshi tied his tongue because that’s what needed to happen for plot reasons, and Horikoshi just wanted it to happen quickly. We still don’t have a good character reason why. Would it have been so unbelievable that Izuku, in his panicked state, brushes off All Might’s advice to rest? Or would that “break” Izuku’s idolization of All Might in a way that Horikoshi is still saving for the finale, where Izuku finally becomes his own hero without imitating All Might at all? I don’t have an answer, but it feels like we still could have had the same basic story beats without the bizarre characterization.

The strangeness of All Might staying quiet also makes Katsuki’s argument to Endeavor in Chapter 319 feel funny to me. Katsuki is spot on that Izuku doesn’t take himself into account and All Might does the same thing. While Katsuki understands far better than Izuku that All Might is human, Katsuki doesn’t consider how protective All Might can be of Izuku. Katsuki doesn’t see (or understand, perhaps?) how All Might doesn’t want anyone else to be a Symbol of Peace the same way he was. Maybe that’s part of Katsuki’s idolization issues? Post-362, with Katsuki seeing All Might’s vestige and showing him the trading card, I think Katsuki never let himself appreciate that he had the former #1 in his corner, or that a person can, in fact, use their willpower to become a symbol that inspires a nation. Not to sound like Prince Harry in “Spare,” but maybe there’s also a tinge of lingering resentment over feeling left behind? There’s just something about Katsuki screaming to Endeavor, of all people, that you can’t leave Izuku and All Might alone together when Endeavor knows Izuku has already ditched All Might AND Endeavor and Hawks have already realized they’re “too slow” compared to Izuku. Of course it’s Hawks — who was saying Izuku made the right choice like Second and, uh, AFO — to announce that Izuku left All Might. There’s also Shoto yelling about how Endeavor “let them operate together,” but it’s not like Endeavor has enough credibility to control either Izuku or All Might.

How does a #2 protect their #1 when they’re too slow? Can you ever “run alongside” someone whose power vastly outpaces yours, or is idolization all you can do? I think these are fascinating thematic questions, and Dark Deku makes a mess of them.

These problems compound in the reunion chapter, 327, which is really cute when it comes to the bath scene and the 1A kids, but is inexplicably confounding when it comes to All Might + the kids. Izuku clearly calls All Might multiple times to reconnect, but the man doesn’t pick up his phone. (I think we’re supposed to assume All Might is talking to Stain when Izuku calls, but…he couldn’t use the Hercules speech-to-text feature to tell the kid he’s driving over?) Then All Might just happens to show up at UA as Izuku talks about him, and gives Izuku a deep bow while saying sorry “for being of so little help.” He says nothing aloud about how he feels towards Izuku, and nothing aloud about being proud of 1A (though he basically thinks that in this chapter and again in 335). When Mina asks for an apology because he just disappeared post-war and left 1A with the Wild Wild Pussycats, he briefly says he’s sorry for any anxiety he caused, but quickly pivots to the need to prepare for “the battle that will decide it all.”

Like the Stain conversation, I understand that this is supposed to be All Might stepping up and figuring out his place in the world post-retirement. He’s realized he passed the torch to Izuku and 1A, but that doesn’t mean he’s useless. He wants to join the fight with the kids; to catch up and run alongside them. And to do that, he….ditches them to join Tsukauchi and Endeavor. I do appreciate that All Might is open with Tsukauchi (and Sansa!!!) about his OFA experience. But he basically disappears from UA for two days to deal with Star and TomurAFO before coming back in 335 and then seemingly disappearing again before joining the UA faculty to discuss the Aoyamas. (As pictured above, Ochako and Tenya, then Katsuki, all rightfully call out All Might’s “I am not here” act in 335.) Are you really telling me that the man who cries over Aoyama’s reveal isn’t emotionally attached to the class and wouldn’t, you know, BE HERE for them?

What makes All Might’s absence from 1A even more problematic is that now he’s…Star’s mentor??? See, All Might sends out the call for help from his international super friends and Star comes riding in acting like she’s his successor. Chapter 364 later reinforces this, with Agpar’s monologue about “children observing adults and adults supporting the children as they pass it forward” showing a Prime All Might reach out out his hand to Star. It’s stupid because All Might has a direct successor already, plus two students (Katsuki and Shoto) that are direct heirs to other parts of his legacy, and another group of students that he’s been hands-on teaching for the past year. But Horikoshi decides to ignore all that setup and focus on “All Might + Star” rather than have him spend more time with 1A. Once again, if the point is to introduce thematic questions of inspiration and imitation, and how there’s a difference between someone imitating their idol based on their own interpretation vs actually receiving mentorship from the human behind the idol, it’s utterly lost in the execution. I just can’t bring myself to see Star as anything other than an interloper. I’m glad her pilot bros stayed in Japan to help out, and her sacrifice was heroic I suppose, but it suffered the same flaw as All Might. She tried to take on TomurAFO alone, and the best she could do is slow him down temporarily.

That’s all I can manage for now! In part 2, I’ll take a closer look at Ochako and the chain that leads to Izuku’s retrieval and where we are now.

#I just want a little Dadmight ok?#Maybe one last tea time with Izuku and Katsuki?#bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha salt #bnha critical #all might #toshinori yagi #izuku midoriya #Deku #dark Deku #bnha meta #Mha meta

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the-lark-ascending69 · 27 days

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Thoughts about the Ronance childhood friends AU?

Ronance as childhood friends! There are so many possibilities with this one! Maybe instead of Nancy and Barb, it was Nancy, Barb and Robin, their little nerd girl group that always got together to study and talk about nerd shit until Nancy found herself someone else (Steve) to be doing all of that with even though he's so fucking stupid and now Barb and Robin are looking from afar, judging Steve like a pair of mean lesbians and teasing Nancy relentlessly about it. Robin is mostly mirroring what Barb does, because she's afraid that if she expresses her opinion on Steve the way it'd be natural for her to do, it will be obvious that she has the biggest crush on Nancy and has for yearsssss.

So when Barb goes missing, Nancy and Robin have each other and work together to find her, until Jonathan comes it and suddenly Robin is getting third-wheeled again and the jealousy is killing her because she knew Nancy since they were like 4 and they're best friends and she knows her better than all of these dumb boys and Nancy will never look at her the way she looks at them, and it hurts so fucking much.

They probably have a fight about it at some point - Nancy is talking about Steve or Jonathan or Barb and how lonely she feels and Robin is like !! I'm right here! I've always been right here! Maybe Robin feels hurt because she still wants them to be friends the way two single tee girls are: she wants them to keep being the most important person to each other. She wants them to priorize each other and do what they always have. She wants Nancy to stop cancelling sleepovers to go se Steve or Jonathan and she wants Nancy to still think of her first when a new movie comes out in the theater so they can go watch it together instead of finding out Nancy was even interested in the film when she's at work, in the theater ticket booth, awkwardly selling tickets to Nancy and her boyfriend. She already lost Barb and now she feels Nancy pulling away as if they didn't both miss her, as if they weren't the only two people in the world to understand and if Robin didn't need Nancy to be there for her, too.

But whenever she brings this up, Nancy tells her things change, that they'll always be best friends, but she has a boyfriend now. They won't be each other's person forever. Maybe Robin should find someone, too! Anyone would kill to be her boyfriend once they learn what an amazing person she is. Hearing Nancy say this breaks her heart into a million pieces. Not once in their ten years of friendship did she ever think Nancy would chose a boy over her, and she can't believe she was so stupid to believe that.

Still, that doesn't stop Nancy from feeling oddly jealous when Robin starts hanging out more with Tammy or Vickie. She tells herself she's just scared of losing her. She feels like she was a terrible friend, and that she needs to take better care of her relationship with Robin. In reality, she hates the idea of Robin not being only hers, and she starts putting her boy aside to be with her, because it's unfair that she gets to demand quality time with Robin but Robin can't ask that from her. They soon become inseparable again. When Jonathan leaves to California, their friendship is only strengthened. At this point, Robin has become close friends with Steve, to everyone's surprise. In fact, he's the only one who knows about her feelings for Nancy, and he's always encouraging Robin to go for it, even if he's too stupid to realize Nancy's hateful, jealous glare when she sees them share inside jokes and go everywhere together as if they were attached to the hip. She starts getting oddly possesive with Robin, dragging her with her whenever they need to investigate something and making it a point to spend one-on-one time with her whenever possible, even if it's only to have breakfast together or clean some guns.

Nancy doesn't dare to name what she feels. She doesn't want to lose Robin, hates the idea of Robin getting a boyfriend, and hates seeing her become so close to Steve, even though Robin tells her over and over again that he's more like a brother. Nancy is scared. She holds Robin's cheek in her hand and tells her she's not losing another friend. It has always been them. Them and Barb against the world, and then it was them fighting to avenge her, and they're bonded for life. She wants Robin to be by her side forever, with no boys coming in between them. And Robin's beath catches and she wants to tell her the truth so much, but then Dustin calls them to discuss plans and Nancy's hand leaves her face, and Robin is left with thoughts running so fast she can't even name them.

Another alternative would be a sort of Barb-Robin role swap AU, in which Robin was Nancy's one friend who pokes fun at her stupid new boyfriend and goes with her to the party and gets dragged into the upside down, only for Nancy to move heaven and earth to get her back. I like to think she'd survive, unlike Barb, which means Nancy is left with less survivor's guilt and more with an overpowering urge to protect Robin from everything. She does everything as she did in the first season - teaming up with Jonathan, fighting the demogorgon, etc. But she actually finds Robin and brings her back. She stays by her hospital bed until she wakes up, and hugs her so tightly she can barely breathe, and from that moment on she swears she'll never let Robin out of her sight.

Robin's parents adore Nancy, actually, because she's like Robin's personal bodyguard who won't let anyone touch a hair on her head. They barely let Robin go anywhere of Nancy's not going to be there. Nancy is the one to drive her to and from school, and she even tries to join the band just to be with her, though Robin thinks that's a bit too much. It's beginning to make her uncomfortable. She's not a little kid and she doesn't need Nancy to play helicopter parent with her all the time. Can't they just have sleepovers and talk shit about useless boys like they always have without Nancy bringing a gun to her house? Maybe that's another reason for her to get a job. To have a space away from Nancy. It's becoming overwhelming, really. They fight about that more than once, actually.

And then Will Byers gets possesed and Nancy is terrified of the same thing happening to Robin. Unlike him, Robin isn't psychically tied to the Mind Flayer and Vecna. She doesn't get chills and doesn't get transported back there. Maybe because the vines never caught her and fed on her the way they did with Will. She's not at such a high risk. But when she wakes up in a cold sweat from a nightmare and she dials Nancy at 4 in the morning and she shows up at her door twenty minutes later, having cycled there in the middle of the night under the pouring rain, she can only feel grateful to have a friend as loving and protective as Nancy.

I don't think Nancy dates Jonathan in this scenario. I think she'd rather focus on Robin, even if Robin thinks that's a bit too obsessive. Why would she turn down a nice boy who clearly likes her just to hang out with her? Nancy answers that question by saying "to be honest, I like you a lot more", which has Robin wide-eyed and trying to hide her blush.

Nancy falls first in this one. Maybe because she's so scared of losing her again that she doesn't even bother to repress her feelings. She loves her, she loves her she loves her and she can't lose her. Even if it shocked her to realize she felt this way. Even if she doesn't think Robin will ever love her in the same way. Even if she's scared of her love being too much and scaring Robin away.

She just needs Robin to be safe.

#ronance #ronance chilhood friends #my posts #now thinking about nancy trying to shoot a gun and robin missing so much she's like #''let's try something else'' (before robin accidentally shoots her)#she still insists that Robin needs to learn to defend herself in ways other than using her silver tongue #she can't talk the monsters into not killing her #and Nancy can't be there always #no matter how much she wants to

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darklight-owl · 3 months

Text

Owl Reviews Stuff She Just Finished: Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright

So yk I didn't know what to expect going into this game, I'd seen really funny dialogue of it and mostly got it because I was extremely hyperfixated on Layton. But I did NOT expect such an emotional rollercoaster of a game with themes that tie into both Professor Layton and Ace Attorney and utilizes the strengths of each series so efficiently. I did not expect this game to make me cry. I did not expect this game to become one of my favorite Professor Layton AND Ace Attorney titles. But it did so I have to talk about it.

With two successful IPs on the cover this game could have easily been halfassed but every corner of it is full of passion for both titles. I mentioned before how they build off and complement each other and I think that's a result of the people working on this game having an in-depth knowledge of what makes PL and AA work and what their shortcomings are.

For example (I mentioned this in the liveblogs but may as well repeat myself here) Ace Attorney games are often limited to just the courtroom and investigation, not to mention you're not going to see 90% of the characters ever again after the case is done. This is serviceable for the kind of game AA is but it makes the world itself feel a bit uninteresting. However Professor Layton games have you confined to one town and make you explore it in depth, with recurring background characters who all have different (yet basic) personalities. Because of this, the Layton segments where you walk around town become crucial parts of the game where you can interact with future or past witnesses as they go about their lives, making these witch trials feel like they're taking part within an actual community, which make the emotional beats in the trials hit REALLY hard.

In turn, AA strengthens PL by adding variety. Layton games can be a bit monotonous if you're not engaged since the gameplay mostly consists of talking to people and solving an occassional puzzle, and there's a lack of interesting smaller mysteries to keep the audience engaged while they work on solving the bigger ones. But Ace Attorney games thrive on side stories, they're what make the trials so interesting! So by adding the smaller mysteries in the form of witch trials and mixing in clues about what the Hell is going on in Laberynthia you make a much more dynamic story that never feels like you're getting nowhere.

Enough about story structure and nerd stuff like that though, let's talk characters!

I love the main four and have always loved the main four so I'm not gonna talk abt them. The original characters for this game were freaking amazing. I see a lot of people really dislike Espella (which is understandable since she's probably the weakest of the cast) but she's pretty alright imo. She's going through a lot of things with the entire town despising her and [SPOILERS] so it makes sense why she would act the way she does, even then I feel like most heartfelt moments with her were a bit forced, which kind of lessens the impact of the last scene. I LOVE the relationship between her and [ANOTHER SPOILER] as well as the dynamic she has with Maya though.

I LOVE BARNHAM. He's one of my favorite prosecutors, he may not have any deep angst or trauma like so many of my favs do, but he's just a well meaning dude who thinks he's doing what he needs to to protect his town, even if it means casting wiitches into the flames. He also goes through a little character arc of his own where he also starts to bend the rules, the only laberynthian to do so. It's fun. Barnham is my best friend.

Unfortunately I can't talk about Darklaw or The Storyteller without getting into spoilers but basically: I love Darklaw and think she deserves the world, I'm on the fence about The Storyteller and feel like parts of his character were extremely rushed.

The secondary characters are also great, you have your classic goofy witnesses but also some really heartfelt characters and relationships in the trials, this is nothing new for Ace Attorney but when you include the conscious knowledge that these characters are going to be cast into the fire then these mini stories are enough to move me to tears (Looking at you, Golden Court).

Anyway, overall a fantastic experience that caught me completely off guard. No notes. I give it 10 burning witches out of 10.

Oh. And also:

#once again spoiler free so i can convince you to like the things i like #sorry for the incomprehensible rambling these 'reviews' are essentially excuses to ramble anyway so #i have a lot more concrete thoughts on this than i did for ghost trick i think thats bc im familiar with these series and ik how they work #owl reviews stuff she just finished #plvspw #professor layton vs phoenix wright #plvsaa #professor layton #ace attorney

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lathalea · 1 year

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It sadly seems many in this fandom don't even know Thorin at all. He's a traditional man who would never agree to any of the modern quips of today. He would be in a committing relationship with one woman, if he were to ever have one, and there's no way that him or any of the dwarves would agree to strange gender ideologies and gay pride. This group of beings from middle Earth would know nothing about this stuff and if they found out about it, I'm sure they wouldn't agree to it. The issue is, too many people are flooding your ask with these strange questions, being completely alright with retconning their favorite Tolkien characters with modern day tactics. It just doesn't make sense. Do you ever wonder how weird this stuff can be?

Dear Anon,

Thank you so much for your ask!

There is a lot of information to unpack here and quite a few questions to reply to, so bear with me while I do it. In the meantime, have a nice and hot Thorin pic:

(If you hear a sigh, it's Lathalea swooning.)

“It sadly seems many in this fandom don't even know Thorin at all.”

The Tolkien fandom is a huge group of people from all over the world united by the love of JRR’s works. There are hardcore fans and casual fans. Some of them only read the books, some saw only the Rankin/Bass animated version of Hobbit or the 1985 Soviet television play, and others fell in love with Peter Jackson’s movies. I’m sure you know that in all these adaptations, Thorin’s character is portrayed differently from the book. You can argue whether these adaptations were close to the source or whether they served the purpose, but that’s not the point here.

It works similarly when it comes to Thorin fans. Some of us prefer one version over the others, and others create a completely new interpretation of this character in their minds. And some of them put their ideas on paper (umm… computer screen). Even if this or that specific version of Thorin is not 100% the Thorin you or I like, it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t exist.

Various versions of this really inspiring character fulfil each person’s specific needs. Personally, I don’t think there is anything sad about making people happy this way. When I read a fic or an imagine where Thorin does not act in the way I prefer, I simply stop reading and move on. Someone wrote a story that made them happy, someone else liked it, and that’s fine. Not every work of fiction has to cater to everyone's needs.

The same goes for writing asks or requests about Thorin – if someone feels the need to be comforted or supported by a specific version of their favourite character, I’ll be happy to create a story about it if I can. We are living in crazy times, some of us are directly influenced by war, health issues, abuse and so on — and that is the least I can do to help.

(Here Lathalea makes simping sounds.)

“He's a traditional man who would never agree to any of the modern quips of today. He would be in a committing relationship with one woman, if he were to ever have one…”

If we are talking about the canon version of Thorin, I agree with you here. If he was to survive BOTFA, he would most probably marry a Dwarf-woman of childbearing age, mostly to strengthen the line of Durin and provide the heirs to the throne of Erebor, plus to secure some alliances with another large Dwarf house by the way of marriage.

Of course we can also say that he would not marry anyone because he is a Dwarf focused on his craft — and that would also be valid, especially since he has Fili and Kili as heirs (if we’re assuming they survived BOTFA as well). If you read my stories, you have most probably noticed that the first version is the one I choose most often – because I like my fics to stay as close to canon as possible, and I imagine that the Dwarven culture draws from the early mediaeval traditions (plus the Scandinavian culture because we know that Tolkien was partially inspired by it when creating Aule’s children). But that’s my own private headcanon and it’s okay if you see it differently.

(Here Lathalea dreams of combing his hair.)

“...and there's no way that him or any of the dwarves would agree to strange gender ideologies and gay pride. This group of beings from middle Earth would know nothing about this stuff and if they found out about it, I'm sure they wouldn't agree to it.”

What if I were to tell you that for Tolkien’s people of Men in Middle Earth, Dwarves most probably had “strange gender ideologies” too? Some examples:

— People of Men thought that there are only male Dwarves in existence and that their children were “born” out of stone. — Dwarves respected their women greatly and considered them extremely precious (while people of Men often treated women as subservient to men).

— Both Dwarven men and women had beards and wore similar clothes in the outside world, so they all looked like men to the outsiders. Among the people of Men, it was the opposite — and women often had a limited amount of roles to fulfil in their lives.

Having said that, if we were to follow Tolkien’s canon, we have no way of knowing exactly how the gender dynamics or ideas look among the Dwarves. This was the race not created by Eru, but by Aule, in secret, and therefore they are different from the Children of Illúvatar. We only know the Dwarves are very secretive and there are many misconceptions about them. We don’t know what they would think about any concepts we take for granted in our modern societies :)

The same would happen if we invert the situation: for someone raised in, say, the USA, in modern times, the various concepts of gender that have existed in our world throughout history (for example in the North American indigenious cultures, in the ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, India, and so on) will probably feel strange, too. And it is totally understandable, mostly because we weren’t raised in those cultures. The same goes for the world of Tolkien. You probably know of his times, his background and worldview that influenced his writing, so I’ll skip it and go straight to fanfiction.

When it comes to fanfiction that is less focused on staying in line with canon, anything can happen there. It is every writer’s creative playground. Some even say that it is both its greatest blessing and a curse ;) But, as such, this playground gives every fan an opportunity to experience certain concepts and ideas in a safe, controlled environment. To experiment. To think out of the box. There is nothing wrong with playing around with different ideas if one feels inclined to do so. That’s how great stories and classic pieces of literature came to be. And there are many great fics that deviate from Tolkien’s writings at the same time being inspired by them.

But of course if those kinds of stories are not your cup of tea, that’s totally fine, too. One of the basic rules of fanfiction says “don’t like it, don’t read it”, after all, and I follow it every time I read anything new.

(This is the scene where Thorin kills Azog and survives and lives happily ever after and Lathalea will die on that Ravenhill. See what I did there? ;) )

“The issue is, too many people are flooding your ask with these strange questions, being completely alright with retconning their favorite Tolkien characters with modern day tactics. It just doesn't make sense. Do you ever wonder how weird this stuff can be?”

I hope that what I wrote above explained my point of view. And if you read Thorin's my replies to these asks, you have most probably noticed that I imagine Thorin as a person firmly set in his times and having completely different concepts and worldview than the one many modern people have.

I completely understand that the ideas offered by many Thorin simps that stray from canon don’t have to make sense to you, and that’s okay. My headcanon of Thorin is also close to Tolkien’s canon and being a writer, it makes me happy to explore this character within those bounds. Each of my “iterations” of Thorin in every of my fics is slightly different from the others and yet I try to follow the path staked out by Tolkien to the best of my ability.

There are, however, many writers or artists who choose different paths and interpret our beloved Thorin in other ways — and that's okay, too! They are very much free to do so as long as they are having fun! The possibilities are endless and so is our imagination.

We all have different definitions of “weird stuff”. There are probably many people saying that my fics are weird because, for example, I don’t write Bilbo x Thorin romance. It is all relative. I don’t feel qualified enough to judge others. I just believe in unrestricted creativity and say ‘no’ to gatekeeping.

Thank you for coming to my Thorin TED Talk ;)

(Thorin's brooding skills are legendary. But it's not surprising. He's a very skilled dwarf, is he not? 😈)

Tagging all the Thorin simps, including @fizzyxcustard @linasofia @xxbyimm @legolasbadass @middleearthpixie @i-did-not-mean-to @shiinata-library @frosticenow @sweetestgbye @onlywifetothorin555 and everyone else who adores our majestic dwarf :)

#thorin oakenshield #lathalea speaks #ask box #thorin #character headcanons #headcanon #fanfiction #lotr #tolkien #Marxist anon

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priscilla9993 · 9 days

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Chess Allusions: Pawn Parallels

Rogers: “So you can use [her info] as leverage against [Belfrey]?”

Weaver: “Well that’s how this game works, Detective.”

Talking in the park, Weaver and Rogers both want the information that Tilly knows, the kind that causes Victoria to feel threatened, enough to blackmail Weaver with Tilly’s imprisonment and some CCTV footage of his misdeeds. Although both detectives covet finding and questioning Tilly for what she knows, their motives differ.

Weaver has a “means to an end” approach, valuing Tilly only when she can be useful in his schemes. His selfish nature sides with his freedom and power over her wellbeing, and he’s okay with that. Tilly might be his informant with the ‘best eyes and ears in Hyperion Heights’, but at the end of the day, she’s replaceable, someone worth losing if it means he gains a stepping stone in the long game against taking down Victoria Belfrey.

Rogers: “Is that all this girl is to you and Belfrey? A pawn? Then why don’t we split up, since one of us actually wants to help her?”

But to Rogers, who doesn’t even know Tilly at this point, he sees Victoria and Weaver’s game as something where people win at the expense of somebody else and goes into full papa bear mode. Rogers wants to help Weaver as a partner and wage justice against Victoria, but not at the cost of using Tilly. He sees Tilly as a vulnerable person caught in the crossfire of a game they didn’t even know they were playing, rather than a soldier in a chess match, and wants to talk to her on equal terms.

His opinion of Tilly being a bit off kilter but innocent at heart only strengthens when Weaver, in the hospital, unexpectedly pardons her of assumed criminal charges, telling Rogers an obvious lie about a masked robber being the one who shot the gun. Upon meeting Tilly outside of the hospital room, Rogers sees a confused, distraught, and guilt ridden young woman playing a game of chess alone. He tells her the facts with a kind opinion, “Look, you weren’t in your right frame of mind. He doesn’t blame you.” They build up an acquaintance and the budding start of a camaraderie over chess.

However, this all changes when the monster that is Gothel/the fire nation arrives Eloise Gardener gets into the playing field. Victoria and Drizella play cat and mouse, Weaver uses Tilly in a game of lies, and Rogers tries to make sense of things, inadvertently rescuing Gothel, the big bad spider.

Rogers to Weaver: You lied! And you made Tilly lie. Why did you do that?!

Weaver: Because you don't know what's going on around here... But I did it for one reason: to protect you from your bloody self.

(gratuitous physical violence scene bc I love the dynamic)

What Rumple could mean by ‘bloody self’ could be that Rogers lets his temper cloud his judgment first before he goes seeking revenge on/fighting for justice for those who deserve it most. I think that's where Rumple sees the most Killian come out from the supposed "Eagle Scout" detective, stubborn and determined to stick to his guns until he gets to his desired conclusion, which in this case is finding Eloise Gardener (Gothel).

Rogers defends Tilly, despite only meeting her a few times, going so far as to bodyslam Weaver as he confronts him. However, he loses his respect for her after finding Eloise, where no explanation could outweigh the cost.

Rogers: What do you want?

Tilly: To say I’m sorry about the page. Weaver said it was for the best and I can’t always figure that out for myself.

Rogers: Take a look at what he was covering up. Now tell me, was that for the best? You know what? I understand. I’m just disappointed. You weren’t the person I thought you were.

Rogers is a man of many things, holding grudges being one of them and being rational in the other. The blonde informant had gone so far as to even lie to him about Eloise, dead of all things. As much as he wanted to forgive Tilly, he didn’t know if he could.

At the end of the day, in Rogers’s mind, Eloise needed help, rescue, and emergency aid, something that only happened because of his deep obsession with finding a missing girl from a cold case. And Tilly deterred him from saving a life, unintentional or not.

Roni: “Henry told me about how Weaver used that girl, Tilly.”

Rogers: “Well, it seems to me like she wanted to be a pawn.”

Rogers feels his trust was betrayed and remains disappointed in Tilly. He saw Weaver being a shady bastard from a mile away, but he didn’t expect her to be complicit in Weaver’s dirty schemes. He wanted to believe Tilly was the kind of person who questioned whatever she was told and made her own path on decisions like he did, not so easily roped into following plans, especially ones of slimy bastards like Weaver. If Rogers saw Tilly as an innocent victim of society before, moved around like a pawn, he feels wronged in his judgment and probably thinks she was content to be a sheep to Weaver’s mysterious whims.

Who was he to believe she could be more than a pawn when she chose to be one?

Luckily, Roni was there to whack the obviously menacing poisoned cake from his hands and knock some sense into him.

Regina as Roni: “You know, people only let themselves be used when they don’t have any other option. How about you give her one?”

Tilly, even if a marmalade sandwich was needed as incentive, had been willingly helpful to his case. The only moment she hadn’t been was when she was under Weaver’s thumb, someone she had known and trusted like a father figure, unlike him who was a stranger in her eyes. People came and went from the older detective’s team, knowledge of informants and detective partners leaving frequently unless they had a special skill set or blackmail hanging over them. If anything, she wasn’t fully to blame.

What Tilly and Rogers can't see until it's too late, being cursed and all, is that they are good natured people afraid of getting hurt, wanting to help others, but unfortunately victims of manipulation, of those with ulterior agendas that use them as playing pieces, making them no better than pawns.

Roni was right. People like Tilly wouldn’t let themselves be used like pawns if they didn’t have any other option. She had been brave enough to show up to the crime scene to apologize to him in person after what she did, not caring about being forgiven, and he hadn’t even given what she had said a second thought. Knowing Weaver, Rogers would have concluded that the old bastard probably didn’t even give her the entire picture and used her good intentions in an ill manner befitting the man’s deceitful ways, leading her to think it was for the best.

This leads to Rogers making a step in the right direction. It doesn’t take more than Roni’s small nudge of advice to get him to internally forgive Tilly and go in search of her, eventually offering a chess set to help pass the time with a weekly game and a friend who’d listen if she’d accept. From then on, Rogers and Tilly both grow and begin to trust again, trying to protect the other from getting harmed as the consequence of another’s scheme.

#chess allusions #ouat meta #knightrook #detective rogers #detective weaver #ouat tilly #ouat s7 #ouat 7x04 #ouat 7x07 #ouat 7x08 #this stayed unedited in my drafts for too long #I'm starting to think belief and intent are powerful things

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leoneliterary · 1 year

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[POTENTIAL SPOILERS]

Hello! I hope you’ve been well these 2 weeks, and I hope you don’t mind us still submitting questions now and then!

I actually have quite a bit of questions about magic in the HAT universe, but feel free to skip if it’s too spoilery!

Since our MC has mentioned taking Amatus to a healer by the docks before Merikh’s appearance, are healers/magic-users common in the universe?

Is the term “healer” only used towards people with healing magic or can it be used to address a doctor/medic in general?

How does magic work? Does it come from a specific organ in the body? Like concentrated pumping that flows through your veins? Or is it more of a spiritual thing? Do you need magic scrolls? Some kind of writing?

Is magic only limited to a specific type of person? Can it be taught? Is it hereditary?

Are there any serious physical or mental consequences from using too much magic?

Thank you for all the hard work put into this story!!

YES LORE!!

Okay so I'm going to restrain myself and not give too many in-depth answers so that I don't spoil too much. But I'm so glad we're getting more into the fantasy aspect!!

So magic users with healing ability aren't super rare, the issue is that there is no quality control, and most are self taught. This means that every town might have a healer, but that doesn't mean they have a good one. Magic users are somewhat rare, not because a bunch of people don't have it, but because most never find out that they have it.

2. It can be used for both! Healing magic helps with physical injuries, but struggles to address things like sicknesses or poisonings, so medics, shamans, and physicians are still in high demand. Just like their magical counterparts however, it's hard to find a good one.

3. So it depends on who you ask! There are different schools of thought. Some think that the heart is the core of magic, and just like the heart pumps blood, it also allows for the flow of magic. These magic users train similarly to soldiers, because of their belief that strong magic comes from a strong body. Others believe that the Architect of Heaven imbued certain people with it, and that it can be strengthened through prayer. You'll find many monks and theologians in this area. Different spells require different things, but all require effort and/or sacrifice. The bigger the spell, the more preparation and effort. The more targeted spells may require writing, but there is more than one way to get things done...

4. It's something you're born with, but as long as you have some amount of ability, you can be trained. Strong magic users tend to have children that are strong magic users, but it isn't uncommon for a child with no known magical heritage to be born with a strong baseline ability. Hard work usually beats talent. You can be gifted but if you never have your magic identified or learn a spell, the most you might be able to do is have a hotter hearth or an extra productive harvest. And sometimes, having extended contact with magic either in your life or at some point in your lineage, means you might not be able to use magic in terms of spells, but might have something...a little different about you.

5. YES!! They can vary in severity and based on what type of magic you're using. Some magic is more strenuous that others and other magic just shouldn't be attempted.

Spoiler territory but side effects may include: Heart attacks, blindness, madness, loss of physical form, headaches, nausea, diarrhea, loss of taste, burns, frostbite, vertigo, hallucinations, spell backfire, and more!

#Honor Amongst Thieves #worldbuilding #if wip #interactive fiction #interactive games #hat if #game development #interactive novel #magic system #you've already met some magic users!#HAT Lore

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apatheticlexicographer · 1 year

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okay but real talk

if m!leven was really, genuinely, unquestionably endgame then there would not be this much doubt and disbelief about it. there would be some, sure, but it would just be a tiny vocal minority like the byler community was before s4. somebody always wants to be contradictory. hundreds of thousands of people don't invest themselves heavily in that contradiction. millions don't feel casually favourable toward it.

it's an undeniable fact that the way season 4 was structured, on many levels, caused a large (large!!!) amount of people to doubt the stability of m!leven. for SO many people to switch over the course of just a month from either favourable to or actively shipping mike and el, to at the very least disliking their relationship and in many cases actively supporting the idea of mike and will instead??? that doesn't happen. it just. doesn't.

it's also an undeniable fact that, having been given an unfavourable perspective on m!leven's relationship by s4, many people have looked back on the previous seasons and noticed in retrospect how both the flaws of their relationship and the strengths of mike and will's have been present since the beginning. s4 didn't change the core of either relationship. all it did was finally strip back the layers that had always been a little transparent and put those cores on full display.

if m!leven was truly engame that wouldn't just mean that s4 was bad and it did such an inadequate job of making people root for its ship that it turned them away; it would mean that the entire show has been terribly written from the beginning concerning only these specific relationships.

it truly baffles me that so many diehard m!leven supporters (or at least, diehard byler antis, and we all know what that's code for😒😒) will happily take that as an explanation. they WANT their show to be badly written, because if it's well written then it's all too clear that the narrative is no longer in their favour. more than that: it never really was.

think about all the other relationships in the show, that fandom and GA alike concur are well written and compelling. think about jonathan and nancy, how the tension between them was evident from the beginning, but nancy was stuck in an increasingly unhappy relationship with steve. think about joyce and hopper, who have had painfully obvious chemistry for the whole show but took until well into the penultimate season to kiss. think about lucas and max, about the growing pains their relationship has gone through and how they only served to strengthen their connection. lumax in particular is the ultimate anti-m!leven, going through the same motions but with a natural chemistry and genuine connection that mike and el have never quite made believable. both the contrast between all three of these relationships and m!leven and the similarities they share with byler have been painfully clear for at least two seasons, and the elements that clash have been built since s1.

all of these relationships have had broad arcs that span across the seasons, and the dynamics have shifted accordingly every time. but mike and el??? their dynamic is the same as it was in s1, on the surface at least. and that's not cute or romantic, as much as the shippers would like to think it is. that's bad for them on an in-universe level and on a writing level as well. a static relationship is never compelling. the writers know this. they have demonstrated their ability to develop relationship arcs in new directions, that are predictable not because they're badly written and trite, but because they're well written and have been foreshadowed and eased into by the narrative whole seasons ahead of time.

if mike and el were truly meant to be, there wouldn't be this clash between them and every other pairing in the show. if mike and el were truly meant to be, their predictability would be like that of jancy, or jopper, or lumax. we know they'll work it out, we know they'll get together in the end, we know they'll grow closer as they grow up.

but, they don't. they don't work out the issues in their relationship. they argue about them, and then they ignore each other, and then they ignore the problems, and then they argue again. and again. and again. they don't get together in the end. if you count their first kiss as the unofficial beginning of their relationship, then they've been together in some capacity since s1. that's a whole season longer than any other endgame couple in the show. they don't grow up together. they grow up separated while el is hidden away, and then separated by tension from their breakup, and then separated by states' worth of distance and all the lies they build up between each other to lengthen it.

if they were "true love" then not only would these issues be either addressed and resolved in a satisfying manner or clearly primed for resolution in the next season, as is the case with the other ships, they wouldn't have been included in the first place. they wouldn't have been strewn throughout the early seasons for later consideration. they wouldn't have been overwhelmingly present in s3, but brushed off as comedy. they wouldn't have been put on full blast in s4 and shown for just what they truly are.

but coming up to s5, the show truly is reaching its climax. none of the relationships have been fully resolved yet. jonathan still needs to come clean to nancy, and nancy needs to let steve down. joyce and hopper still need to have their date at enzo's, and properly establish their relationship. max still needs to wake up, and i'm sure lucas will be responsible in some way for finding her. all of these relationships, however, have mirrored the main plot in their progression toward a climax. they're on the tipping point. if mike's monologue is to be taken at face value and the tension that follows it for the remaining runtime is ignored, el and mike have already reached the climax of their arc. never mind that their problems only continue to fester, unaddressed. never mind that mike and will sit on the same tipping point as the rest: half-addressed, with will's confession hidden in plain sight in the same way his feelings have been all along.

the last points to resolve in both relationships are obvious to us, not because we are "geniuses" for noticing them, but because they should be obvious, just like they are with every other relationship. not now in s4, when they aren't the focus and frankly shouldn't be, when the writers want to preserve one last layer of transparent mystery for the sake of an unbeatable talking point. it will be obvious in s5, when your dad and screenrant and the myriad reaction youtubers will all see as much as they always do: the surface level. and then they'll think back, remember the scenes that flashed by in the season recap. they won't feel decieved then, or even particularly subverted. they'll just see the story that has been told since the beginning. they'll feel satisfied, and if they don't then it has nothing to do with the quality of the writing and everything to do with their own prejudice.

#byler #okay sorry this is so rambly but the brain decided to go back into september mode or whatever #it's just. they are written into the show. into its DNA.#i'm not talking abt subtle coding either i'm talking about very clear narrative beats that confused people at the time #but become obvious to them looking back #this isn't me talking from a 'let me stare real hard at every frame of the show til i can remember every blue or yellow prop' POV #this is me talking from a 'basic narrative structure. like literally just the beginning middle end shit u learn when ur a kid' POV #byler meta #byler analysis #stranger things meta #stranger things analysis #stranger things #byler proof

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hadit93 · 8 months

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I recently read on a reddit thread that doing banishing or invocation rituals daily are bad for your practice because they essentially banish every spirit around you, including the ones you are working with. Also, it makes the room you are doing it unbearable to everyone else and your life might become a desert.

Is this true?

I can't tell you what is true. It seems people have mixed feelings about this. I will give you my opinion. I imagine you are speaking about the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram and Hexagram type rituals.

The people who believe 'banishing' banishes everything have usually learned this from a book such as "Modern Magick" by Donald Michael Kraig. Jason Miller has also echoed that banishing sets a wall up between the spirits and the sorcerer. He learned from Modern Magick also. It is one of the rare times I disagree with Jason Miller.

I learned from Modern Magick initially too, but since then I have learned from people involved with direct lineages to the original golden dawn (not simply the Regardie revival) as well as performed my own research and drawn my own conclusions.

The Lesser Rituals of the Pentagram and Hexagram do banish entities, however, it does not banish all entities. It doesn't create a sterile bubble, it creates a state of equilibrium and lvx within the body of light of a magician. It operates in assiah up to the beginning of yetzirah. This means it banishes the etheric and lower astral only. In my experience spirits that are actual, autonomous beings operate in higher yetzirah and are rooted in at least Briah. The ritual will not effect them, and this, in my opinion, includes demons.

However there are beings, husks. Empty vessels that are cast off from workings and from normal human interaction. They can be born out of intense emotion. They will feed off the energy of the magician and begin to take on form and autonomy. These are what the LBRP banishes.

The LBRP is like washing your hands, it is not like dipping them in bleach. It will clean an area, but will not banish all that is within it.

Then again, it is highly malleable to intent. And so I do believe the intent of the practitioner matters. A lot of people banish with th mindset of 'get rid of everything!' and I do not believe this is the right mindset. The mindset should be 'Balance' not 'banish'.

The banishing rituals should also not be the only form used. I believe the invoking ritual to be the most important. Obviously learn to banish first, but I perform more invocations than I do banishing. Some people like to invoke in the morning and banish at night, I am fine with that approach. In time you tend to know what you need- sometimes you need to banish, in particular if you require etheric cleansing and have had a bad day or been in a toxic environment. Before a tarot reading you would invoke if you feel calm already, or banish if you have traces from the previous reading still lingering.

I do think banishing three times a day every day would be extreme. Washing your hands too many times will destroy your natural skin barrier. But I do not believe a daily banishing will be detrimental unless it is all you do- do not let the LBRP and LBRH become the only things you practice, you will get nowhere.

It is about creating a space or circle that is strengthened and under the control of the magician and their guardians, in this case the Archangels. It is about banishing spirits that are not spirits or are detrimental to your own spiritual progress. The Archangels will not allow a harmful spirit to come through, however, they would have no issue with a being of light. The Lesser rituals are general banishing- they are not banishing all things, but the dross that other workings or emotions may have left behind with the agency of the archangels overseeing a balanced state.

In truth, as with much of the Golden Dawn rituals, what you are really influencing is your body of light. Your circle is your aura, and it is certainly true that you want a strong aura that is impregnable. You can still reach out and invite spirits in, they can still enter if it is for your benefit. But you don't want to be bothered by every spiritual energy around.

"It is usually sufficient to perform a general banishing, and to rely upon the aid of the guardians invoked. Let the banishing therefore be short, but in no wise slurred --- for it is useful as it tends to produce the proper attitude of mind for the invocations. "The Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram" (as now rewritten, Liber 333, Cap. XXV) is the best to use." - Alesiter Crowley.

Here you see the assertion is that the banishing rituals are brief, general, and rely on the guardians to be effective at warding the space. Therefore it isn't nuking an area, it is sweeping it and allowing beings of light to monitor what can enter and what cannot. You also see how banishing is useful as a preliminary only to get into the right mindset for invocation. Banishing in my opinion is more about balance within the Self than it is about clearing an area. You are establishing equilibrium within the aura.

My personal advice is 'Invoke often....banish when required'.

You do not need to banish at the beginning of EVERY magical act. You certainly can, if you are distracted I recommend it, but it is not necessary. Invoking would sometimes be more helpful and the invoking forms also invoke balance etc. Some people will use a statement of banishing 'Hekas, Hekas, este bebeloi' and ring a bell to clear a space then invoke. They then use the banishing at the end to return to material consciousness. This is how I usually work these days.

If you are seeking to explore an isolated force, feeling stressed or unbalanced, have excess energy from ritual- banishing is a good idea.

But if magicians who performed the pentagram ritual could not communicate with spirits there would be an issue. It is perhaps one of the main points of magick.

All my opinion of course. You just need to understand the point of these rituals, what they actually do. The majority of books are absolute rubbish and represent misunderstandings of the authors who have often not undergone proper magical training nor have decades of experience.

My experience and understanding of the LBRP and LBRH now is far different to what it was 15 years ago.

#banishing #spirits #LBRP #LBRH #Thelema #Golden Dawn #LBRP does not banish all spirits

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morimakesfanart · 9 months

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Sindria's Prophet #35

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [Intermission] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34]

[AO3] [wattpad]

*Mori has an emotional flashback through the 1st half, Self blame *There's a multi paragraph summary of the breakup with my ex fiancé. Coerced polyamory does not reflect healthy polyamory

~POV Mori~ As soon as Sinbad picked me up I felt a wave of relief that I would get back to the Palace safely. Then I realized I could smell him and it finally clicked in my head what I had agreed to. And just like that I lost the ability to perceive how much time was passing as he carried me back.

I felt Sinbad's voice through our contact as much as I heard it. "Are you really going to hide the whole way back?"

"Mhmm!" He smelled good. If it wasn't for his metal vessels pressing into me, I'd be extremely comfortable. This was too good to be true! How was any of this allowed to happen?? He has refused to use marriage politically for over a decade even though it's the strongest method for a Kingdom to guarantee peace between different countries which is his entire life's mission. That's how much he hates the idea of getting married. Why would that King want people to think we were together?? The only way this made any sense was if Sinbad had somehow actually fallen in love with me! This was fanfiction, right? So anything was possible? I was allowed to be a little greedy? It took all of my will power to not wiggle my feet.

What could possibly attract him to me romantically? He called me 'Beautiful.' No, he's met many beautiful people around the world, and he was never romantically interested in any of them. Was it because I can feel the waves? I definitely get the feeling that he views me differently because of that. If it makes him see me as an equal that wouldn't be a bad starting point for a relationship... But he sees being able to feel the waves as something special.

There was a sharp paint in my chest. Regardless of why, if he does really feel that way about me, I have no way to live up to his expectations. Sinbad expects greatness. I already know how that ends! 'I need to tell him I changed my mind and to put me down, but-but-' I could feel his warmth. Just like on the ship, I felt distinctively safe in Sinbad's arms, and I was actually fully conscious to enjoy it this time! 'I don't want him to let go! But I can't handle this right now! Why can't I just be happy??' My heart beat was already creeping up my throat.

Sinbad invited me to enjoy the moment with him. "And here I was hoping I could finally give you my full undivided attention."

The reference to my new rule told me to disprove the hope that was straining my damage heart. I spoke past my hands, "That's only because I'm the only available option right now." I needed to shut this feeling down asap for my own safety. How could I think he developed feelings for me when he is the Womanizer of the Seven Seas??

"That's not true." His warm tone was so genuine I believed him. "I've wanted to have you all to myself since I first saw you this morning." The waves were adding the exact meaning to his words that I was afraid would be there. "But every time I had a chance, you left before I could talk to you." My stomach went cold. This is why I had been avoiding him. "I actually wanted to follow after you the first time you left for the festival." He sighed and I couldn't breathe. "If Hina hadn't distracted me while I was following after you, I know we would have spent the whole night together."

I took a few slow breaths through my hands before I could respond, and when I did I could hear the growing desperation in my voice. "Why do you suddenly want to strengthen the rumors?" I knew the reason. "Who in their right mind would believe you're in love with me when you asked me to join a bunch of call girls only a few hours ago!?" Sinbad changed his mind about romance? No. I knew this pattern. Even if he loved me now it was only a short term novelty. He will break me down and give me just enough attention to keep me following after him even after his feelings dry up because I'm useful. My chest ached with the exact pain I knew would follow the hope he built up in me. "I get that you're a womanizer but, I..." Even more than my anger at Sinbad, I was disappointed in myself for repeating my past mistakes. "I didn't expect you to- ask me to do that." Damnit. I sounded distraught. I was, but I wanted to hide it. I was going to lose what little respect he had for me. My eyes started to burn from the tears threatening to escape.

The King came to a halt during my rant and said nothing. Every time someone calls him out on something he can't honestly deny, he doesn't answer. That was actually something I liked about him. Even his lies have a bit of truth to them, and when he can't find a truth to twist he doesn't say anything at all. I felt his chest expand as he took a deep breath, and sighed. Even he knew I was right. This is who he is and how he treats people. He didn't actually see me as special.

His silence only strengthened my will to defend myself. "Not to mention: you promised you wouldn't say anything that sounded like genuine romantic interest in me!" I should have called him out when he first said he wanted to strengthen the rumors; it felt like a damn confession!

Sinbad's voice was quiet. "You're right. That was one of the rules..." There was no reason for him to sound so shocked.

Ignoring my boundaries was proof that he didn't actually respect me; I already knew that deep down. Hot tears pooled between my fingers on my cheeks. "I didn't place those rules to make the game more challenging, you know?" I did it to protect my heart from this exact pain I was feeling. I should have known it was a promise he'd only keep when it benefited him.

Sinbad's gentle voice only cut me deeper. "I figured as much. But Mori, I'm not playing that flirting game right now." The waves begged me to believe him. The fear of reliving patterns fought against the excitement and hope that this time could be different. "I can see why my past actions make it hard to believe me." Nonono. Don't say it! "I want to strengthen the rumors now because I only just realized that I-"

"ST-STOP!! Please." My voice was shaking with feelings too strong to properly show on my face. If I let him finish, I knew it would break me. It was my own fault I got hurt. I was just fooling myself, and giving myself excuses to be self-indulgent instead of protecting myself. No amount of rules in the flirting game would protect me from being swayed when I already liked him. I knew that. I thought that since this was a fanfic that things would work out for me at least a little bit. 'Damnit.' I took a slow breath. "I agreed to this because I can't walk and had a lapse in judgement. I don't like the rumors around us!" This was about more than just what Sinbad did. I had been triggered by memories of my ex-fiancé all day. I couldn't tell how much of my feelings were a trauma response. I needed to explain why I was so upset. "I was engaged once. Marrying him would have been the greatest mistake of my life. And it's a mistake I promised myself I would never make in the future."

"I... I had no idea."

"How would you know when I never told you?" My arms were burning from being in the same position so long. I dropped my hands from my face but didn't look at the person carrying me. Now that I had started, I couldn't stop pouring out the memories I had ran from all day. "He hadn't faced the reality of death until after we were engaged. His grandmother died, then my mom went on her deathbed. He demanded we go on break until my mom died, and barely a week after she did, he said that if I wanted to be with him, I'd have to accept him seeing multiple people. I was desperate for my life to not fall apart completely so I agreed, but it was a mistake. He basically stopped paying attention to me except to ask for help with his other relationships and things. On top of that, he didn't want anyone knowing he was engaged."

I could feel Sinbad tensing, and the waves moving around us.

Explaining this was helping me calm down. "It took 10 months for me to accept the truth -especially since I was in mourning. After I broke up with him, he admitted that he felt emasculate by my successes and hadn't wanted to be with me romantically for a long time -he just didn't want to lose access to me and knew I wouldn't want anything to do with him if we weren't in that type of relationship. He didn't even want to stay with his other partner for very long after I broke up with him."

I glanced at the man holding me. Sinbad was looking away, so I couldn't see his expression regardless of lighting. "You are a known womanizer even to people helping you with your dream. I like flirting with you, but I don't want to be led around by your lies. And I don't want to date ever again in general -let alone someone like you."

Sinbad's voice was void of emotion somehow. "I can see why." He didn't say anything else. I had studied his character enough to know that whatever thoughts he was having were intense.

My eyes started to water again from self pity and fear. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said any of this." I turned my head towards his shoulder in a poor attempt to hide.

Sinbad started walking again. "Why are you apologizing? I'm the one that got drunk and acted foolishly." Why did he sound so frustrated and genuine when we both knew he wasn't going to change? "I should be the one-"

"I read your Fate." I didn't mean to cut him off that time. "I've seen you tell these lies countless times. I know you're lying when you tell them to me." My voice was muffled by his clothes. I felt him tense again. It was a mistake to tell him this -especially that last part. I already told him yesterday I wasn't able to trust him. Why didn't the waves remind me? I felt the ability to talk leave me.

"No, Mori." I could hear genuine melancholy in Sinbad's voice. "I thought that because you read my Fate and flirted with me anyway that it couldn't possibly bother you. But I was wrong. You clearly set boundaries through the flirting game, and I ignored that you even felt the need to do that. I won't make the same mistake again. I am sorry."

. . . Did Sinbad actually apologize without an excuse? This isn't how the pattern goes! -Not for my exes and certainly not for Sinbad! I couldn't process this at all.

When he realized I couldn't accept his apology, he added. "It looks like I have a long way to go."

After a while he continued. "Mori, I'm not the King Sinbad from your visions. During our dinner last week, you told me that I will repeat the worst mistakes of my life. I don't want that; I decided to find a new path." I had said that but was that really enough? "I discussed it with Ja'far, but it looks like it will be a much longer path than I expected." Sinbad's hands squeezed my shoulder and knee.

I looked up at the man holding me to try to find some answer in his expression even though I couldn't see his face. This would definitely explain the changes in the waves at least. But there was no way he'd accept that in such a short time. "Wh-why do you believe me?" I was surprised my voice returned.

The King stopped walking again so he could look down at me, and even though I couldn't fully see it, his soft smile made me freeze. "Because you've proven multiple times that your visions are real, and you can even feel the waves like I can. How could I not trust you?" He paused, and looked pained somehow. "It's like you said. I used to think these waves were a sign that I was chosen by Fate. But I'm not the only one." He took another deep breath.

I couldn't help but stare up at him. Did he mean it? His expression looked nothing like his normal mask. And the way the waves were moving... But he was Sinbad: egotistical with a god complex...

He continued. "Thanks to watching how you interact with the waves on top of your explanations, I have a better understanding of more ways I can use them to my advantage." Ah. There it is. "I want you to be right: that I don't have to dirty my hands for the sake of my dream. When I can't find the right answer, the waves direct me to the people that do. And this time, I'll listen to them."

My voice was lost to me again. I was barely comprehending what Sinbad was saying. Did he really mean it? Did he really talk to Ja'far about this?? His reasoning was off, but he said he was going to ask others for help. My vision was blurry from tears. I couldn't accept this new hope growing in me either. Was I actually changing Fate? Ja'far always pushes Sinbad to dirty his hands any time he wavers; how could he reach this conclusion so confidently??

The arms holding me lifted me, and Sinbad leaned down, pressing himself against me. He whispered, "I'm going to find a new path. One where my Beautiful Prophet feels like they can trust me."

I couldn't handle his words nor the look in his eyes when I could see his face. He wanted me to trust him? 'Why did he say it like that?? Did he mean it?? Even a little bit??' It felt like it might actually be safe to believe what he was saying, just like those times when he called me 'amazing.' But that didn't mean I had to act on it or try anything now. I was too overwhelmed. I turned my head and pressed my face into his shoulder to hide the tears I couldn't stop. It hurt to force words past the block, but I needed to answer him somehow. I managed to say, "Me too."

I wasn't eloquent or nuanced, and I was barely audible, but I knew Sinbad heard me and understood what I meant in how he whispered, "Thank you," back. He lowered me back out of the hug, and after a few moments started walking again.

Relief was washing over me as much as the waves. Even if this was just more of his manipulation, in this moment I didn't care. More tears escaped, rolled past my glasses and soaked into the white fabric pressed against my cheek. If Sinbad noticed, he didn't say anything. I was too exhausted to talk anymore. His words repeated in my mind; I wanted to trust that he really meant them. Both him choosing a new path, and that thing he said before I snapped and cut him off -that he wasn't playing this time, etc. That should have been good for me. Most people want their feelings reciprocated, but not me. Not anymore. Getting that close to someone again is frightening. I'm not sure how long it will take me to be able to trust someone enough to try again. --- ~POV Generals~ Ja'far, Drakon and Sahel decided to wait for Sinbad to get back with Mori. Ja'far would have stayed regardless because of his position, while the other two stayed because they were worried about their King. Sin was either going to return with Mori happily and possibly officially a couple or Sin was going to come back defeated after offending Mori more. What none of them were expecting was for Sinbad to make it back to the platform with Mori limp in his arms.

Ja'far was the first to rush over. "Sin, what happened?? Why is Mori unconscious??"

The King shushed him. "Calm down. They're fine. They just got exhausted and fell asleep." He was using his normal tones, but his smile was slipping, and he wasn't making eye contact.

"Oh, I see." It was rare for Sin to be like this. Ja'far spoke slowly as he decided whether or not to push his King for more answers. "I'll have an area set up for them to rest until they wake up then." He turned to go summon a servant.

"That won't be necessary." Sinbad started walking towards the Palace steps.

"Wait. Sin, are you planning to carry them the whole way to the Palace??"

Their King didn't answer as he kept walking.

Sahel held her hands together. "Oh, it's worse than we thought."

Sin looked back at her with that stiff smile. "They're just sleeping. I promise."

Drakon clarified for his wife, "Not Mori. What happened for you to be making such an expression?"

Making eye contact with his old friend broke the cracked mask; Sinbad's expression fell. He didn't say anything, and after a moment looked down at the person in his arms.

--- ~POV Sinbad~ When they first met, Mori called Sinbad a scoundrel, and yet she still chose to follow him. Mori knew his deepest regrets and what he was capable of, and yet she still chose to follow him. No, it was because he was going to repeat those mistakes if she didn't convince him to stop. She said she liked him, but Sinbad was probably the type of person she hated the most. Ja'far had told him that Mori admitted to having a strong sense of responsibility -a 'noble's obligation' or something like that. That was why she chose him. He could see that now.

When Sinbad had finally reached the platform he knew that it would be for the best to put Mori down so they could rest easier. They could climb the steps on their own or get help when they woke up. That was the most appropriate course of action. However, as soon as Ja'far voiced the same idea, the King knew he didn't want to put Mori down. After her rejection, it felt like the line between them had only gotten bigger. Her weight in his arms was the only thing connecting them, and he wanted to hold onto that link for as long as possible.

Drakon asked a question Sinbad didn't know if he could answer. "What happened for you to be making such an expression?"

Was he supposed to tell them that he made made her cry? That his Generals were right every time they warned him that being a womanizer would come back to bite him someday? That he got disappointed when Mori first told him that he never fell in love or got married in her visions? That he repeated that fact to deny his disappointment? Was he supposed to tell them how much it hurt when Mori said she hated the idea of being with anyone? So much so that she cried at the idea of people thinking they were together? And to make matters worse, even after learning how she felt he continued to carry her because he still wanted to strengthen the rumors that she was his. What else was he supposed to do? She didn't accept his apology. There was no fixing this since Mori had read how he was a womanizer his entire life and only hours ago Sinbad showed her directly that was exactly who he is. Even so, that didn't mean he didn't have other methods. He was a King; he had plenty of options to keep her next to him even if she'd never accept his feelings. But then she would hate him. How was he supposed to accept that inevitable Fate???

The waves directed his attention to the worried expressions of his trusted people. 'That's right.' He just told Mori that he would start trying to rely on others when his back was against a wall; that was the best way to avoid repeating the same mistakes. And he didn't want his Beautiful Prophet to have any more reasons to call him a scoundrel. "I didn't stand a chance from the beginning." Damnit. "Mori was once engaged to a man that took advantage of her. And when she finally left him," admitting this hurt in a way he never experienced before, "she promised herself she would never be with anyone again." Let alone someone like him. "She told me when I tried to tell her I..." How could he say it now when Mori wouldn't let him tell her?

Mori stirred in his arms. There hadn't been many people on the walk back, and now there were a handful talking very close by. She would wake up soon. Maybe that was for the best.

Mori said that she couldn't read her own Fate so she had no idea how her existence would change things. He had been ignoring that part all this time because it was convenient for him. He didn't realize how much pride he had in not wanting to get married or fall in love. And Mori had rejected him multiple times, so he didn't want her to be wrong. The chuckle that slipped out of him was pained. To think it was Mori rejecting him so openly that would make him fully accept what he was feeling. There's no reason for a rejection to pierce his heart like this if he wasn't longing for the opposite. Even Sinbad knew that.

((So... uh... See you in a month when I finish the next chapter?

Not a lot of art in this one because I didn't want to draw the PTSD attack.

Gosh I need to practice drawing Drakon more. It shouldn't take me 3 hours to draw his face.

Also, I've officially reached the point were this fic will start directly conflicting my false truths and fears, so I'm not sure how quickly the next arcs will be written. I have the next chapter (the last of this arc) all written already, so I can get straight to drawing the art for it this weekend! I'll try not to leave you guys on this cliff for too long ;3 I hope to take less than a month this time))

#magi prophet fanfic #sinbad x oc #sinbadxoc #magi fanfiction #king sinbad #sinbad magi #magi sinbad #magi fanart #angst

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wanderer-moonchild · 2 years

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OK, BUT KAEYA’S LORE?????

I'd just lowered my expectations for the Hidden Strife quest and hyv gives us more crumbs. I’m one happy girl. Time to theorize! There are maaaany implications about where the story can leads us with this new info.

Spoilers ahead!

Let’s talk about Kaeya first bc he’s my best boy. My understanding is that Kaeya's right eye can somehow identify him as Khaenri'ah. He was already playing pirate before his eye was injured, which is very ironic not only because of his lie, but also because of Khaenri'ah's whole one-eye symbolism.

So... Does he have a very specific type of heterochromia that only occurs in a select group of Khaenri'ahns or a seal in his eye or what? He wore an eye patch long before his eye was injured, and it’s implied that he showed Diluc his eye as proof of his identity, SO?

There’s also the discovery that the Alberich Clan are regent royals rather than actual royals. Kaeya doesn’t really have royal blood, but his clan is the one in charge at the moment.

I've speculated before that Kaeya's family, or whoever survived the cataclysm, is conducting experiments to either break the curse or strengthen themselves to overthrow the gods. We don't know if that's the case, but I find it interesting that the letter Kaeya kept says, “although he could not restore Khaenri’ah to life”, meaning they've already tried that?

I also thought that maybe they were overconfident in their abilities and knowledge, which I think is possible since the rest of the letter says, “We of the Alberich Clan should lead lives as those who blaze like fire rather than those who wallow in the embers.” It seems that the Alberich clan acts on their own, but still have Khaenri’ah’s best interests in mind.

Another minor detail that can meaning nothing: in the letter, it says ‘when the strength of the one-eyed king Irmin failed’. This can be just how they talk, but in the context of the letter it looks as if the Alberich clan considered themselves more capable of ruling a nation than the king and seized the opportunity to take command after the fall of the Eclipse dynasty.

I wonder how much Kaeya knows about the curse, the Abyss Order, and everything else concerning his people.

I've a feeling that he was trained as a spy as a child (and probably a warrior too since he has a different type of swordsmanship) and probably was born just for the purpose of... Destroying the gods? Avenging his people? Exposing the true of the world? We still don't know exactly what the Alberich clan wants.

The king of Khaenri’ah

We also have a name for the one-eyed king: Irmin, which is VERY interesting, because you know... Irminsul trees?

They're sacred trees that act as pillars between heaven and earth, and in Genshin also store memories of the world and give blessings to people (like the eternal grinding we do in this game because we're all crazy).

I did a little research and in Old Norse Irmin is called Jǫrmunr, which is also known as Yggr, one of Odin's names. There are many connections, so this is a very brief explanation.

I'm far from an expert on Germanic/Nordic mythology, but from what I've read, Odin travels to the roots of Yggdrasil and trades his eye in Mimir's well for knowledge. He gains a divine wisdom and a recognized perception of the world, even though he lacks an eye. This also gives him some powers...

Can the king Irmin in Genshin have done something similar? He gained a terrifying amount of knowledge and Celestia felt threatened by it? He has close relations to the Imirnsul trees and Celestia didn’t approve of that since they wanted to create a world suitable for them?

It is implied that the gods had several reasons to destroy Khaenri'ah - their advanced technology, their alleged thirst for knowledge, the experiments of Gold, their claim of being a godless nation...

Jean calls the king of Khaenri'ah "heroic," so maybe he wasn't so bad, and the people around him, like the sages and alchemists and probably unknown forces, were the ones in the wrong.

The Alberich Clan

Alberich is a dwarf who's the "ruler of supernatural beings", which makes more sense to me now. Kaeya's clan is the ruler of the present day Khaenri'ah, a nation now made up of supernatural beings.

If Genshin is going by the multiple epic tales featuring Alberich, I think the Alberich clan has magical artifacts or some other kind of power than we’ve known so far. They tried to restore Khaenri’ah and failed, so they might have started to search for power somewhere else.

They might have created them with Gold’s help? In Der Ring des Nibelungen, Alberich steals gold from the Rhinemaidens in the river Rhein and forges a magical ring. I don’t know if Genshin is going to follow this, but I find the connections very interesting. We’ve Rhinedottir and Alberich in the game, so maybe?

Also, Kaeya talks about a sword his grandfather had that gives its wielder unlimited power. This could be something like the Tyrfing, a powerful magic sword in Norse mythology, or could this be an allegory for Dainsleif?

I say this because Dainslief is the sword of Hogni, the Old Norse name of Hagen, who's depicted as the son of Alberich. He’s half-human and half-something (sometimes elft, sometimes dwarf?), and there are some theories that Kaeya isn't fully Khaenri'ahn, because he has a different appearance.

Maybe Kaeya and Dain will team up eventually? I would love to see that.

A bit more about the eyepatch

When Pierro appeared with a mask covering his right eye, I thought it might be a custom of Khaenri’ah to show that they belong to a select group associated with royalty. Dain doesn't cover his eye and because he was only a knight, but still connected to royalty bc he was a royal guard, he wore a different outfit.

But Kaeya's right eye, as we know, seems to be important, so maybe it wasn't just a custom. Maybe there's indeed a connection between Pierro and Kaeya and maybe the Alberich clan was looking for the same source of power as the king of Irmin and in return their right eye was corrupted.

This may also be a side effect of the curse, as Dain seems to have been corrupted on his right side. Since Khaenri’ah worshipped the one-eyed king, was their right eye (or the entire right side) corrupted first or in some other way? It would be a very specific condition for the curse, but Celestia is known to be a bit sadistic, so...

#wow this is very long #lmao #kaeya is always making me think too hard #pls don't come for me for my limited knowledge of mythology #i just want to link things to genshin lore #genshin impact #genshin theories #genshin thoughts #kaeya #pierro #genshin spoilers

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cerastes · 1 year

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Hey I was wondering, who do you use as your core starting group for Iron Carrot and Toron to get to Depth 8? I can only get as far as Depth 5 before I get overrun. My main strat is going 3x Sniper, 1x Caster with Goldenglow, 2x Vanguard, 1x Guard, 1x Defender with Mudrock, and then whoever else I can get put into Thorns, SilverAsh, Chalter... But eventually, the big units get too beefy and I can't kill them in time...

Listen to me carefully. Listen. I am grabbing you by the head and making very aggressive but somehow comforting eye contact right now, like an orangutan. You need three units to start with.

Mudrock S2. Suzuran S2. Goldenglow S2. “Don’t you mean S3 for the glo—“ Listen. Goldenglow’s S2 has infinite duration. Once it’s set up, it’s a permanent buff with permanent upkeep. You don’t have to time shit. You don’t have to deal with downtime sans the period of time it takes for the skill to go online. Suzuran S2 is the same, plus it allows her to attack three targets at once (with at least M1, get M1), and targets that are Slow in her range get slapped with Fragile 20% (23% with Potential 5). Mudrock S2 spins to win.

The rest of your starter team is a couple of Vanguards, a handful of Supporters, a bunch of Snipers, a Defender, and a Medic. Their names do not matter. Names are immaterial and superfluous in the Mines. They are tools to be used in order to strengthen our main stars. Their purpose is to be chewed and masticated and digested so they may make them strong. History will remember them as nutrients, if it feels merciful.

Goldenglow and Suzuran must be given Sniper stacks. Ideally 5 each but make do with what you can get away with in each map (4 is enough sometimes) because remember you need to account for the time it takes for their skills to online after deployment. Mudrock is to be fed one Defender and as many Vanguards as possible. This will make her spin. This will make her win. Supporters are there to help you go through your deck faster, like Pot of Greed.

When forced to add more cards to your deck, Snipers are the top priority, Supporters after that, Vanguards after that, Defenders after that, Specialists after that (they can help with building stacks in a pinch with A-Equipment, especially Shifters since they have no tile restrictions), and anything that’s not those, go with your preferences.

The idea is that GG and Suzu with blast the life out of anything in their range, with Suzu slowing and putting Fragile on three enemies at once while GG hits them very hard and procs her Talent’s AoE explosions. This is very effective in killing pretty much everything even without damage stacks, you just need Sniper stacks. Mudrock will be your main line holder, ideally spinning perpetually like the love child of a ballerina and a bulldozer.

Skadi the Corrupting Heart and Gnosis are useful to build after these three are online. Corrupting Heart’s buffs and healing are effective, while Gnosis is an excellent controller. Raise equivalents if you don’t have them. Having another Defender is good, for when multiple lanes must needs be dealt with. Your Medic is there for the latter half, when ranged tiles start taking damage. Personally, I got a lot of use out of Weedy (S3 with Vanguard stacks), as pushing people really far out and having them go through the Suzu Zone again was very useful to stall for time when RNG was bad to me and I couldn’t get GG online fast enough. A Pusher is a good idea. I personally like Angelina and Ling as well to Control in a pinch. Ranged Vanguards like Blacknight or Beanstalk are useful in giving units like Corrupting Heart or your Medic faster SP charge.

Prioritize getting GG online first on the first four maps, prioritize getting Suzu online first on the last four. Control is much more important early later on. Feel out each map to know when you should be placing Mudrock.

This isn’t a comprehensive guide, this is a gameplan that worked for me (based on Yanfly’s method of dealing with SSS) and that hopefully works out for you. Make pew pew go very fast, make enemy go very slow, rake in profit, succeed in front of the girls.

#prince of space #dreamknights #arknights

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