I Go First • Nov. 2023
It is beyond our concept to recover.
The hole goes right through our exposed
nerves, and below it lies a thin layer
of ice that anesthetizes the wound.
Skin intrudes into skin. Cities topple
off of glaciers into the sea. For months we
fed on the damage as the melt threatened
total collapse.
We drill to the break. When the water arrives,
I go first. I melt into my suit and gloves,
take our last freezing hour, dive through
that unstoppable opening.
Poetry assembled from a National Geographic article on melting glaciers.
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screaming from the rooftops until Wyll gets more romance greetings!!! you’re telling me this beautifully poetic man doesn’t have several romance greetings where he’s just showering his partner with shameless flattery? expressing the sheer joy he feels after you kiss him? i am in your WALLS larian!
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I seriously think Emmelyn's role is going to be pivotal in giving Unicorn back their humanity and empathy.
As seen at the end of A Fateful Encounter and the beginning of What Lies Beneath, Emmelyn was more proficient with her powers and more effective when Melinda took control of their body. She immediately gave chase to the Evil, cornered her and was about to vanquish her once more, all by herself...
...until she saw the damage her powers caused to that poor family's home and lives.
From then on, it's Emma who asserts herself over Melinda's soul again, horrified at the damage she caused.
But here's the thing, she's the only member of Unicorn who pays the poor woman and her kids any mind. Edred, despite witnessing the state the house is in, quickly brushes it off because Melinda let the Evil escape, not once sparing a glance to the innocent people whose lives they just essentially ruined.
And that seems to be Unicorn's recurring flaw: they are so laser-focused on defeating the Evil in the name of humanity, they tend to overlook the individuals they're supposed to be trying to help.
This episode showcased this brilliantly: when Melinda's fire destroyed the bridge and threatened with harming lots of innocents, Edred and Copernicus were quick to solve the problem. The civilians even cheered for them!
But when it comes to dealing with people's problems individually, they tend to disregard them in the name of the greater good. Unicorn will do what's objectively right or best, which is usually the needs of many over one person's issues or desires, but they won't stop to think about the possible consequences of their actions beyond vanquishing the Evil.
This is especially prevalent during Emma and Melinda's confrontation last episode. Through Melinda's callous treatment of Emma and refusal to see things from her point of view, as she is devoted to their cause and Emma's refusal to merge with her directly threatens their mission, she also fails to understand asserting herself over Emma only serves in alienating her more.
If only Melinda had tried a gentler approach in explaining to Emma she is not responsible for the turn her life took but they really need to work together or hers won't be the only life that prematurely comes to an end, then chances are Emma wouldn't be resisting her and her powers as much as she's doing right now.
Edred has this same problem too, as evidenced through his interactions with Winston. Instead of explaining that the woman he loves isn't exactly there anymore, he coldly tries to push him aside, to get him to leave Emmelyn alone. He doesn't even try to relate to the boy's problem, even when they're essentially one and the same! Both Edred and Winston are terrified of losing their beloved because she's not acting like herself and, no matter what they do, she is constantly pushing them away. But because Edred has grown unaffected by people's struggles outside of saving them from the Evil, not helped by the fact that his actions are also fuelled by jealousy, he makes no effort to sympathise with Winston or even offer an apology or words of comfort. He just wants him out of their way and away from Melinda.
But with Emmelyn, it's precisely the fact that Emma can actually get Melinda to snap out of it and take control over their body that she realised their current actions are doing more harm than good to the people they're supposed to protect. Meaning, once she explains to the others why she's holding back, how fully giving in to Melinda means more people will suffer in the long run unless they start doing things differently, maybe it'll help Edred, Seng, and Copernicus realise they need to understand those they're trying to protect better and that tackling things as a whole won't always be the answer. Otherwise, they're only going to do more harm than good and, as with their reincarnations, the cycle will only begin once more.
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Mysterious Lotus Casebook moments that make me insane, 2/∞ : Li Lianhua's soft, genuine smile in response to Fang Duobing's "I love you just the way you are. Now sit down, shut up, and eat this food I made you."
1/ FDB: “Do you think I’ll regret [going against Shan Gudao]? The more clearly I see it, the more I know which path to take. I’m glad that I’ve seen all the facts.”
2/ FDB: “I rarely cook. You’re lucky today. Come, sit down! Eat while it's hot. What are you waiting for? Eat before it gets cold. Come! Sit down, help yourself.”
3/ FDB: “No one is perfect. Neither was he. There are shadows wherever there is light. Yes, maybe Li Xiangyi was too proud. But he established the Sigu sect to make the martial world a better place, where the strong didn’t prey on the weak…”
LLH: “If Li Xiangyi knew that someone would understand him so well ten years later, he’d be very glad.”
4/ LLH:“It’s a pity you’re not a cook.”
FDB: “Ha! This is just one of my knacks.”
5/ FDB: “You and I have already been honest with each other. There’s no need to show every inch of ourselves to each other. That’s how people get along well.”
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thinking about stupid shit again... i know, i know... but what if fibula and metal had a Super Serious, Very Important "who can hold their breath the longest" competition... and fibula loses because while they're sitting at the bottom of the lake together he sees his face reflected on metal's forehead like a funhouse mirror and just absolutely loses it. and like, he doesn't need to breathe (neither of them do--that's the whole joke) but he chokes on water laughing anyways. and metal (who thought this whole thing was ridiculous from the start) is like >:) i won
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