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da-birb-writes-sometimes · 4 months

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The Fire & The Selkie

In the ocean, especially this far North, warmth can be hard to find and harder to keep. But a spark starts on an island, far into the frigid waters. Will it flicker out, smothered by the winds and the mist? Will it ignite? Or, will it burn everything to ash?

Main character; Keith Howell

Content; Gender-neutral reader (they/them pronouns), maritime and selkie shenanigans

Content Warnings; Swearing, some fear

Word Count; 2.9K

You should have heeded the elders' warnings.

“Red sky in morning, sailor take warning.”

But you couldn’t afford not to go out on the water, and an old rhyme wasn’t about to dissuade you from missing out on earning some money from checking the crab lines and cast nets.

But now, several hours away from the safety of dry land, you found yourself fighting the waves and winds to keep your boat from capsizing. And with no crew, you were burning both from the cold, and exhaustion. You knew that if you survived this storm, you would most likely be sick if not with a cold, but also hypothermia.

It wasn’t the time to imagine the consequences of today if you didn’t live long enough to see tomorrow.

You spat out the salty water from your mouth and braved the storm. This was hardly your first one, but a dread weighed you down. The quiet part of your conscience, a part that was much older, was screaming caution.

Not caution about the storm, but of something else.

Nothing but fishing tales made larger than life. Is what the rational part of your brain argued, but it was unsure.

While there was no such thing as monsters that lay in wait under the waters waiting for a boat to devour, you did know that if you were to capsize, you wouldn’t be coming out of the water alive. The frigid water would sap all warmth from you, and you would slowly sink to the bottom. The only evidence of you being a destroyed boat drifting to some coastline.

You gritted your teeth as a particularly freezing wind blew back the hood of your coat, causing your eyes to sting from the salt in the air. You didn’t even bother trying to fix it, knowing that it would be a fruitless endeavour trying to keep it up — you could use that energy elsewhere.

You gripped onto the wheel tightly, barely being able to feel it, and pressed forward.

Did you know where you were going? Not in the slightest. If you didn’t at least steer into the waves, the only place you would be going was Davy Jones’ locker, where many of your more reckless and overly confident community members had found themselves before.

Some would say you were reckless and overly confident as well, it was always a calculated risk. Even today.

Just today was by far the largest risk you had taken yet, but the potential yield from those traps and lines would be able to not just feed your community but also could prove to change your life from being just an errand runner, to finally running your own boat.

To finally be a captain of a crew, and not being some lackey for the drunkard in town. To be the one making orders yet still treating your crew fairly. To be fully in charge of your own life and not be at the mercy of others.

A flash of lightning struck the horizon, providing a blinding light in the darkness that was the storm. And from that darkness, you could just make out a tall, dark mass that pierced from the ocean.

Please, please, please. You silently begged the sky to send another bolt of light to illuminate the way. Just long enough for you to figure out how to navigate there.

BOOM!

A crash of thunder. Any second now, light would follow.

As if answering your call, lightning danced throughout the sky, just long enough for you to steer the boat to face the island.

Fighting the waves, and screaming back at the howling winds, you were also laughing like a madman, all sense of sensibility — and perhaps sanity — thrown out the window. The time for that was long gone, and you were rapidly running out of both energy and willpower, but also gas. The needle tipping right above zero.

It was a last-ditch effort, and you didn’t slow down as the boat practically crashed into the rocks at shore.

Another boom and flash of lightning seemed to congratulate you on surviving and welcome you to the island. And while you were relieved that by some stroke of luck that you had made it through the storm and made it to some semblance of land, you also knew that this island — a speck in the middle of a frigid sea — was not just a lifeline, but also a death sentence if you couldn’t call for help, or someone didn’t find you.

But fighting the panic that was starting to build in your chest, and threatened to choke your breath, you hauled the boat further up shore to where the waves and the thick mist couldn’t reach, and flipped it to the side, watching water pour out. Once only a few drips trickled out, you flipped it upside down, creating an artificial cave, blocking out the roar of the wind, and the outside world.

After hours of noise, the relative quiet made your ears ring. But you couldn’t relax just yet, knowing that if you fell asleep now, you wouldn’t wake up.

Adjusting the boat — how a dingy piece of metal managed the storm avoided you — you shuffled like some absurd hermit crab to where you could place the damned (or blessed?) piece of metal so you could get some airflow.

To survive, you needed fire, but you also didn’t want smoke inhalation to be the death of you, nor hypothermia.

You poked around in the few storage containers you had on board since they were the only dry things you had on hand. A pot, a steel wool sponge, some batteries, and a threadbare blanket, that was what you were willing to sacrifice.

“Come on,” you whispered, a white cloud escaping from your mouth, “work for me.”

You placed the battery on the steel wool sponge and mentally sighed in relief as you saw it slowly turning red before catching on fire. Gently, you placed the small fire on the blanket, anxiously waiting for it to spread.

Soon, the cold from the hours of exposure was traded for the warmth of a fire. But the burning from the cold was replaced with shivering that shook your whole body.

Knowing that it would take much longer for you to warm up if you kept on the layers of soaking fabric, you gently peeled away the layers until you were just wearing the slightly damp thermal leggings and top.

Scooting closer to the fire you made yourself comfortable, as comfortable as you could knowing that finding help was nearly impossible and sat there, knowing better than to fall asleep.

…

Sometime throughout the night, you had drifted to sleep from exhaustion and the comforting warmth of the fire. The cawing of sea birds waking you from a dreamless sleep.

The storm had passed, but it had left its mark.

You had bruises, the aching kind that would definitely be an ugly shade of purple and oh so tender, and now in the weak light of day, you could see large dents on the boat, from where the waves had continuously struck at the haul.

Crawling out from your makeshift shelter, you stretched out, feeling and hearing all sorts of cracks and you groaned at feeling the tension release. Sleeping on cold rocks didn’t do you any favours, but you were thankful that you made it to see today.

But since you could actually see more than an arm's length in front of you, you took the chance to inspect the craggy island, to see if there was anything of use besides the abandoned fishing nets and other man-made debris that had also found its way here.

You walked down the narrow shoreline you had beached yourself on until it slowly opened up to a larger beach. There wasn’t much, a seabird here or there, but what caught your attention was a seal, basking in the weak sunlight.

You had seen seals before, but never for long since they would slide into the water at the first sight of humans. And you stood there, just looking at its content sleeping face.

The seal was cute, just look at them, but you kept on moving, going towards a small cliff by the water that was encrusted with marine plants. While not super appetizing, they would be enough, plus you didn’t feel confident in trying to catch one of the aforementioned seabirds currently. So the algae would be enough for now.

Happy with your collection of assorted marine plants, you started making your way back. You looked back though, hoping to see the seal one more time for an added dose of some much-needed serotonin, but they were gone, the only evidence that they were there was the slide track going towards the water.

Your mouth twitched, nearing a frown, before you shook your head and continued back to camp, not really looking forward to your meal.

It was more or less the same when you got back, but the same feeling that you had while in the storm, to be cautious.

But what danger could be found on some craggy spire in the midst of the sea? As far as you knew, you were the only other person here. But your brain and your body were on high alert.

Ignoring your breakfast of ocean-provided greens, you carefully looked around your camp. All seemed as it was before you left, but upon entering under your boat, you found a large fresh halibut on the rocks, dead.

It couldn’t have washed up to shore, the tide didn’t come up this high. Upon flipping the fish over you found one large puncture mark.

Something had killed this fish and left it in your camp while you were gone for less than three hours. And while one part of you was grateful that you wouldn’t just be dining on seaweed, another part of you felt sick with dread.

You weren’t alone. They knew about you, maybe even have seen you, but you haven’t seen them.

You felt dizzy, and running out of your boat tent, you vomited into a rocky crevice.

“Tch,” you huffed, wiping your mouth. “If you think this is some sort of game you can fuck right off!”

Spinning around you hoped to see someone trying to hide, or to at least hear some sort of sound, but all you found was a seabird sitting comfortably on your boat, and another (or perhaps even the same) seal sitting at the tide line.

They looked at you curiously and turned their head to the side. Like they were surprised by your outburst.

You furrowed your brow, “Maybe I’m just going mad. Swallowed too much seawater.”

Shaking your head, you crept back under your shelter. But there was no denying that the fish was caught by someone and not by yourself. Your stomach gurgled, and putting aside your suspicion, you started a fire and prepared the fish. You might have not caught it, but like hell were you going to let it go to waste.

Soon, the suspicion was replaced for contentment at finally getting some hot food into you. And you looked outside, wondering when you would be getting an answer.

…

...

Keith didn’t have company very often besides the seabirds, so he took to sunbathing when possible, fighting away the cold of the ocean. Warmth was a hard thing to be found.

Sure, that jangly fellow visited every few months, but he hardly counted as good company. Something about him irritated Keith, but he couldn’t put a finger on it, so he just stayed polite, waiting for the man to leave. Their interactions were icey, much like the ocean waters that he knew.

But there was now a new visitor, they crawled out of the raging sea, a fire burning bright in them. Even though they were shrouded by darkness and mist, there was a warmth. Keith could only watch in curiosity as they fought their way out of the water and made a camp.

Fire was a rare and precious thing, not easily made or kept here, the cold and damp forcing it to die out sooner or later. But the new human, who was looking half drowned and half dead, was burning so brightly that Keith could only watch as orange light slowly illuminated the makeshift shelter they had made.

Humans rarely ever brought anything good with them, the litter on the beach being evidence of that, but he couldn’t help but be intrigued. Even while exhausted and barely holding on, they were fighting where some may have just given up.

In a place that was typically cold and isolated, Keith couldn’t help but think that maybe the ocean had finally answered his call for a companion.

So he watched, and took notice of their shivering form. Unlike himself, humans weren’t made for this type of weather. He couldn’t just waltz in though, not wanting to scare them away.

After what felt like hours, the human finally fell asleep, somehow getting comfortable on the rocks even though they would definitely leave bruises on their skin. Keith slowly made his way towards the shelter, and looked curiously in, making sure that there was no chance that they were still awake.

But nope, you were out cold.

Keith slowly took off his seal coat, morphing into a man, and gently placed it on you, knowing that it would warm you up.

A part of him was a tad disappointed that you didn’t turn into a seal like him — you would have made an adorable seal — but he felt his face warm up as you burrowed subconsciously into his coat, curling up into a ball. Warmth in his face? That was new… but not unwarranted.

And he stayed on the other side of the shelter, by the entrance, but still close enough that if you woke up suddenly, he could take his coat and high tail it out of there if need be.

Giving your coat to a human? What am I thinking?

But he also didn’t want you to die. You brought vibrant warmth to the cold landscape. While he knew the fire could bring warmth, he also knew it could burn and destroy, consuming everything in its path.

He also knew that in order for him to be bound to you, like the old wives tales told, you would have to not only take his coat, but also give it back. The tales said nothing about him lending and then taking it back without you knowing–

The rustling of the pebbles moving took him out of his thoughts and he snatched his coat back and made a beeline for the water, quickly throwing it overtop of his self. Once back in the relative safety of the sea, he peered over the waves to see you crawling out of the shelter and stretching out, much like he did when sunbathing.

And then you were making your way down the shore, heading west, towards the haul out beach. Knowing that you were headed somewhat in that direction, Keith made his way there.

Its not so I can see them, no, just trying to warm up is all.

But he usually didn’t get a flutter in his chest from the prospect of sunbathing.

Naturally, he arrived before you did. Judging from his prior trekking experiences with that Silvio fellow, he reckoned that he had at least an hour before you stumbled your way to his haul out site. So, he stretched out, much like you did, however without the aforementioned cracking of every joint of his body.

He had a nice chat with some seabirds that were passing by, and mainly just enjoyed the weak sun that peaked through the clouds.

Then he heard your footsteps, and looked at you.

You looked back, only for a brief moment though, before continuing to the shoreline, picking up seaweed and algae. And even from the distance between the two of you, Keith could hear the gurgle of your stomach.

So, he went back into the water, into the depths, and hunted down a good sized halibut — surely a 5 pound fish would be enough for today? And left it in your shelter as a sort of welcoming/please don’t die gift.

But he wasn’t expecting you to come basically running out of your shelter and hurl into the cliff side.

“If you think this is some sort of game you can fuck right off!” You snapped, and Keith shrunk into the water.

Did you not like the gift? Did you find it offensive? Did he do something wrong?

But your ire, or what he assumed to be ire, cooled down and you went back into your shelter and Keith could smell the distinctive aroma of fish cooking. He usually preferred his meals cold, but he couldn’t help but wonder what hot fish tasted like.

He knew though that he would never have the chance, one human knowing of the existence of selkies was dangerous enough — what with the folk tales that still circled around after centuries — and while you may be intriguing, he couldn’t risk endangering everything just because you piqued his interest.

But he also couldn’t just ignore you.

You were a fire, and he couldn’t let you run rampant on his island because of the slight chance that you would burn everything to the ground.

...........................................

Masterlist

#ikemen prince #ikemen prince x reader #ikemen prince au #ikepri #ikepri x reader #ikepri au #keith howell #keith howell x reader #keith howell x gn reader #hi yes i am unwell about selkies and my brain went 'hey what if keith was a selkie?'#yes silvio is mentioned but he'll probably won't make an actual appearance #*goes and hides away under a boat*#watch me kick and scream trying to stay committed to yet another fic (probably not this one since this is an original story line)#hope you enjoy keith kissers

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neon-ufo · 1 year

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Luv's Monthly Makeover 2022

I wanted to show all 12 pieces of this project, and add a little paragraph about each of them, their themes (if applicable), and their inspirations.

The point of this project was to redesign my mascot Luv every month, trying out new art styles and techniques in the process. Luv changed every month, but still remained the same recognizable character throughout. The idea was to embrace the beauty and challenge of change, and grow with it.

💕January Luv is generally a very androgynous-looking character largely due to cuteness and fashion, but for this piece I wanted to give him a somewhat more masculine look, which created the little fire goatee. Technically this piece was drawn in December 2021 before I thought of this project (in February), but it hasn't been posted until January and it fit the bill so I counted it as the January piece.

I wanted this to be a more ‘serious’ piece, so there’s no exaggerated fashion or detail to it, aside from the realistic heart in place of the usual love heart on his chest. This is the oldest of the pieces, but I’m still very happy with how it looks!

The Japanese text is from the song Hello by Fire Bomber, saying; "We fear nothing, We go on along this path”. The vibe of the drawing was inspired by this song’s classic rock tune.

💕February This piece was largely just playing around with clothing textures and such, and the main idea was to present Luv's heart mask in a different way. Some looks had a much stronger thematic vision than others, and this is definitely one of the weaker ones. I don't have much to say about it tbh

The jacket is inspired by a Coach x Keith Haring collaboration jacket, and the mask is a "Lover" mask design by LikeADrugg.

💕March This was done when Ousama Ranking was airing and I fell in love with the demon's heart-shaped mouth, which I referenced here. Contrary to popular belief, Aku from Samurai Jack was not the inspiration for this.

There isn't much more to say about this one, I wanted him to look creepy and spindly. I had a blast with the rendering, very proud of how it turned out!

💕April I was really excited for the concept of this one, but it did not turn out how I wanted it to.

He was supposed to be essentially mask-less on this piece, with the visor of his hat casting a heart-shaped shadow on his face. I also wanted to push more in the fashion aspect in this one, the main inspiration being a pair of RoseCut pants & Vivienne Westwood's Love logo, which I used a few more times in my work after this.

💕May Ok I suddenly got struck by an extreme passion for punk fashion at this point, and I poured it heavily into this iteration. Another different play on the heart mask, this time it changed to heart-shaped glasses. Various spikes become a pretty recurring element from here on lmao. There's also the Westwood Love logo again.

A fun fact; this is actually largely a re-used design of a GothPunk Luv I tried drawing once, but scrapped because I didn't like how it was going! I loved the ideas behind that design and am really glad I got to bring it back here. <:

💕June This is a very simple one, as I was dealing with the loss of a beloved pet, and I simply didn't have the energy to draw anything bigger.

This actually turned out to be one of my favourite designs for Luv, as it's very simple but very fun, and easy to draw. It became my go-to design for doodles. Lyrics is from "It Gets Harder" by Good Luck

💕July Tried something very different with style here. I wanted the style and colours to be a little bit more ethereal in vibe, hence the very bright soft shapes and floating gold bits. The doll-like face also adds o the dreamyness, with the matte black eyes and no shine. I think that adding some thick lineart in the centre of the drawing makes the image a bit disorienting, which I quite like.

Main focal point is the golden Jeremy Scott + Adidas Wings sneaker, which was basically what this entire piece was built around.

💕 August This is another one of my favourite looks. I really love the outfit elements of it, as well as the colours, and I can definitely see myself drawing it again sometime, which is not something I can say for most other looks in this project!

Despite it being one of my favourite designs in this series, I don’t have much to say about the piece itself though. The shirt was inspired by a shirt worn by Donquixote Doflamingo on one of the One Piece manga covers.

💕September This piece has recently been chosen to partake in a group exhibition in the capital city of my country, which is quite a big deal for me!

Luv is sporting a very casual streetwear look with a graffiti can in hand. This was the first time I familiarized myself with gradient maps, experimenting with which helped me choose the final palette. The "Love & Peace" sign in the background is taken from a Trigun episode title. The decorations on the pants were inspired by Lirika Matoshi's S/S22 collection, and the shirt evokes several Junya Watanabe/Comme des Garçons shirts from the early 2000s.

💕October Spooky Luv for spooky month, I really love this piece. It's one of my favourite recent pieces!

Again a lineless piece like the month before, but I took a very different approach to shading, and honestly I expected it to be so much harder than it was. It was a blast to work on this one and I love the effect that pitch black shading has on a monochrome body. I did a lot of experimenting with the background and used gradient maps again to get a cool background effect. I was aiming to get some kinda old video game cover look with this. The text on top is my favourite quote from Dracula. The background is a photo from the Croatian coast that I took last summer.

💕November The aim of this one was to capture the nostalgic early 2010s anime & deviantART style. I looked to a few anime for reference, but I think in the end Lucky Star was the most helpful.

I tried to channel deviantART character designs I remember from that era, using typical design features I remember from it, such as demon wings, stripes, collars, off-the-shoulder oversized shirts, and checkered belts. The fashion inspiration here is largely the signature Chrome Hearts crosses, while the shoes were inspired by the fantastic toothed heels from the GCDS spring/summer '23 collection which I only now realized does not fit the Y2K theme I was going for with this one lmao

Either way, I'm very happy with this one, I think I achieved what I went out to do!

Oh yeah, and the text in the background is the entire lyrics of the album Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge by My Chemical Romance.

💕December Last piece of the challenge was almost entirely re-drawn, as I didn't like the first look of it. There isn't much specific inspiration for this one, but I wanted to make it vaguely connected to the December season.

As a reference to Christmas, there are elements of angels in the design, with a bright halo and tiny wings. The symbol I personally associate with new year is the peace sign☮️, because I remember that my dad used to give family friends a New Year's card with nothing but a peace sign in it. He stopped doing it recently, so I'm taking up that mantle instead.

The little sleepy Luv on the right side is taken from a different Monthly Makeover piece that I scrapped.

I'm not sure if it's clear, but the shape at the bottom says 2023.

Thank you

#oc #luv's monthly makeover #long post #luv

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thelandscapingemployeetrap · 3 months

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Keith Kalfas Keynote Talk at the SYNKD Live Event in Atlanta - Talking about my P.O.P.P Framework

In today's episode, I've explored the emotional impact of creating motivational videos and a personal story of overcoming fear to inspire others as I share some inspirational thoughts in this event as a guest speaker.

I dove into content syndication strategies and social media engagement tips. You don't want to miss these actionable insights! Oh, and I also shared my journey in growing my brand through video marketing, so stay tuned for that. Remember, it's time to start making videos and sharing your unique story. Let's go all in and make an impact and tune in on the show.

"I want you to take your passion and start a podcast, start making videos, you wouldn't believe how many leads come into your business"

- Keith Kalfas

Topics Covered

00:00 Inspire to create videos, engage, and grow.

04:40 Passion overcomes pressure to be unique.

07:16 Using vulnerability to share business challenges.

11:57 The Character faces an impossible challenge, and commits to change.

16:27 Status plays an individual identity in society.

18:07 Authenticity leads to success and connections.

22:13 Started small, now offering luxury property services.

25:02 Optimized video length varies, tailored to the audience.

30:24 Be mindful of what you share online.

31:55 Using videos to boost confidence and motivation.

36:43 Optimize social media use for maximum engagement.

39:45 Hiring media person to share content widely.

Key Takeaways:

Authenticity is Key: Understand the importance of being authentic and showcasing your unique personality when marketing businesses on social media. Authenticity builds trust and connection with your audience.

Utilize Different Platforms: Analyze the importance of using different social media platforms for business and content marketing. It's important to understand and leverage the strengths of each platform to reach a wider audience and engage potential customers effectively.

Embrace Vulnerability: Discover the power of vulnerability and authenticity in creating marketing videos. Sharing genuine stories and behind-the-scenes moments can connect with potential customers and earn credibility for your brand. Embracing vulnerability is the new credibility in marketing.

Connect with Keith

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithkalfas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelandscapingemployeetrap Website: https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keith-kalfas

Resources and Websites:

🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇 Here: https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series

Landscaping Course: https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs

LANDSCAPING BUSINESS How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16 Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs

Get Ballard: https://www.ballard-inc.com/

Identify Your Superpower: keithkalfas.com/superpower

Free Budget Opt-in: Keithkalfas.com/budget Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone Identify Your Power: Keithkalfas.com/superpower

Check out this episode!

#Landscaping #windowcleaning

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bookclub4m · 2 years

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Episode 154 - Battle of the Books 2022

This episode we’re giving our book pitches for our Battle of the Books 2022! Each of us has picked one title that we think we should all read and discuss and you get to vote for which one it is!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards

Books We Pitched

Vote for the book you want us to read and discuss!

Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols & Other Typographical Marks by Keith Houston

Hurts So Good: The Science and Culture of Pain on Purpose by Leigh Cowart

Our “Long List” of Titles

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

The Unbroken by C.L. Clark

Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch

Track Changes: A Literary History of Word Processing by Matthew G. Kirschenbaum

Crying in H-Mart by Michelle Zauner

Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez

Amoralman: A True Story and Other Lies by Derek Delgaudio

Podcast Episodes

Just Plain Wrong - Zombies, Sharkfarmers, and Beavis & Butthead: Discussing Comics and Graphic Novels with Amish Characters (Featuring Matthew!)

Episode 058 - The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

Episode 079 - Which Book Should We Read?

Episode 083 - The Fifth Season

Episode 103 - Battle of the Books 2020

Episode 107 - Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

Episode 130 - Battle of the Books 2021

Episode 134 - Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Episode 007 - Cozy Mysteries

Links, Articles, and Things

PEDMAS - Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction

Order of Operations (Wikipedia)

Dim Sum of All Fears by Vivien Chien

What Should I Read Next?

At sign (@) (Wikipedia)

Soft sign (ь) (Wikipedia)

Financial domination (FinDom) (Wikipedia)

“Our cats opened the bathroom cabinet drawer, thereby blocking the bathroom door from opening.”

30 LGBTQ+ Non-Fiction by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors - to help readers to diversify their reading and library professionals to diversify their readers' advisory. All of the lists can be found here.

Angry Queer Somali Boy: A Complicated Memoir by Mohamed Abdulkarim Ali

Before Night Falls by Reinaldo Arenas

A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt

¡Hola Papi!: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons by John Paul Brammer

Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broome

A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder by Ma-Nee Chacaby

When We Were Outlaws: A Memoir of Love and Revolution by Jeanne Cordova

Asegi Stories: Cherokee Queer and Two-Spirit Memory by Qwo-Li Driskill

Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution by Shiri Eisner

Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir by Akwaeke Emezi

Brown Trans Figurations: Rethinking Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Chicanx/Latinx Studies by Francisco J. Galarte

Histories of the Transgender Child by Jules Gill-Peterson

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib

Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness by Da'Shaun Harrison

Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Riotous Black Girls, Troublesome Women, and Queer Radicals by Saidiya Hartman

Becoming Human: Matter and Meaning in an Antiblack World by Zakiyyah Iman Jackson

All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson

How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones

Some of Us Did Not Die: New and Selected Essays by June Jordan

Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde

Continuum by Chella Man

The Black Trans Prayer Book edited by J Mase III and Dane Figueroa Edidi

Antiman: A Hybrid Memoir by Rajiv Mohabir

nîtisânak by Jas M. Morgan

Borealis by Aisha Sabatini Sloan

Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C. Riley Snorton

I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya

I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl's Notes from the End of the World by Kai Cheng Thom

Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon

Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights by Kenji Yoshino

Give us feedback!

Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read!

Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!

Join us again on Tuesday, August 2nd we’ll be discussing the genre of Literary Fan Fiction!

Then on Tuesday, August 16th we’ll be discussing an update on what media we’ve been enjoying outside of the podcast!

#episodes #battle of the books

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hakuoyuki · 3 years

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IkePri Act 2 New Characters (Gilbert, Keith, Silvio) Full Profile + Voice Lines Translation

IkePri New Suitors’ full profile were added to the official website together with their voice lines and voice lines of other character introducing them! From the existing suitors, we have Leon introducing Gilbert, Yves introducing Keith, and Nokto introducing Silvio.

In addition, IkePri had also added extra description to Chevalier’s and Rio’s motif animals to distinguish them from Gilbert’s and Silvio’s motif animals. Chevalier’s tiger is now a “White” Tiger, while Rio’s dog is now specified to be a “Beagle”.

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Character Trait: Absolute Evil × Trampling

Obsidian’s 1st Prince ： Gilbert von Obsidian

Character Voice: Asanuma Shintarou

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1st Prince of the military country Obsidian.

At first glance, he seems like an eloquent young man harmless to humans and animals, but beneath that appearance is a king of trampling.

However, this walking symbol of evil everyone watches out for in fear, has a secret that will get you killed the moment you find out....?

Birthday: 12/21

Height: 178cm

Motif Animal: Black Tiger

Voice Line 1ーGilbert: Hey, ladies and gentlemen from Rhodolite. Are you ungracefully struggling well today too.

Voice Line 2ーGilbert: This has nothing to do with whether you like me or hate me. A villain tramples over and dominates what they like and make it their own. I won’t let you escape.

Intro by Other Characters

Voice Line 1ーKeith: Even though at first glance he got such an eloquent smile, he's the kind of guy who spew out tons of scary things of his mouth. To be honest, I find him quite hard to deal with. But I'm interested in him, in whether this guy who seems so perfect has a weakness somewhere.

Voice Line 2ーLeon: To people in Rhodolite, he’s the most alarming existence. If someone who doesn’t know him sees him, they would totally think that he’s a friendly guy, but the moment they let their guard down... that moment would be their last. Just like his name of the “king of trampling” implies, he tramples over anything and everything, instilling fear that never goes away. Be careful of him.

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Character Trait: Gloomy × Beast Personality

Jade’s 1st Prince ： Keith Howell

Character Voice: Hatano Wataru

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1st Prince of the neutral country Jade.

He seems gentle and kind but he draws a line to everyone.

Despite being as such, he has a ruthless side that makes him seems like a completely different person....?

Birthday: 2/20

Height: 183cm

Motif Animal: Stag

Voice Line 1ーKeith: I'm an empty human without anything. I'm not suitable to be a prince. ....That's why seeing Rhodolite's princes makes me feel pained

Voice Line 2ーKeith: The fear of being betrayed, the fear of betraying others, I know what it’s like. ….Even so I… hopelessly want you.

Intro by Other Characters

Voice Line 1ーSilvio: Keith... That gloomy bastard huh. I can't stand him. He have neither the countenance nor the frame of mind meant for a royalty. Although, when you least expect it, his savage side appears and disappears away. Hmph. He’s without a doubt, a beast that’s for sure.

Voice Line 2ーYves: He, I, and Licht, the three of us often have a tea party together. He’s quite meek but he’s very gentle-mannered and is very easy to talk to, that’s why I think you would be able get along well with him pretty fast too. But the other day... I saw him with such cold-hearted eyes as if he’s a completely different person. It might have just been my imagination though.

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Character Trait: Tyrant × Favoritism

Benitoite’s 1st Prince ： Silvio Ricci

Character Voice: Sato Takuya

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1st Prince of the ally country Benitoite.

A flashy conceited man who force everyone and everything to obey him through money and violence.

However, despite his arrogance because of how he seems to have everything, there is just one thing he’s afraid of.....

Birthday: 7/23

Height: 180cm

Motif Animal: Dog (Dalmatian)

Voice Line 1ーSilvio: I make things works out with money. What, the weapon used is just changed from swords to money, isn’t that all to it?

Voice Line 2ーSilvio: Devote your entirety to me, I’ll *treasure you and keep you for the rest of your life

(*Translation note: the word he used for “treasure” here means “make a pet of”)

Intro by Other Characters

Voice Line 1ーGilbert: Silvio doesn’t seem to have any friends doesn’t he? That’s just pitiful, so I’ll be his one and only friend. His shy boy side that leads him to snarl at me every time we meet is so cute don’t you think? From now on I better be friendly with him.

Voice Line 2ーNokto: Flashy and rich, that’s the kind of prince he is. But despite his appearances, he’s very quick-witted and shrewd. I suppose he’s a good rival when it comes to deceiving people. That arrogant attitude of his, is it a show of his self-confidence or perhaps it’s the flip side of his inferiority complex or something? From your point of view, what do you see it as?

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Look forward to the trio’s cameo (with sprites and proper nameplates) ahead of Act 2 release in Clavis’ Route which will mark the end of IkePri Act 1!

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xzho-writes · 2 years

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Hiii i wanna know why do you like diluc and/or zhongli 🤔 what makes you like them or what is in them that attracts you??

OHHH LAWWWD… my nonnie… my precious nonnie… you asked the exact question i feared someone would ask one day 😭

i could honestly write essays about why i love diluc and zhongli so i’ll try to keep it short; unless, of course, you want me to write more about them!

let’s start with zhongli!

first of all, his voice sends me to heaven. praise keith silverstein for his godtier voice acting-

zhongli was the whole reason i downloaded genshin wayyy back in nov/dec 2020! my sister showed me a pick of him and i was iNsTANTLY attracted 😭 so one of the reasons is purely cause of his design. then as i downloaded and played genshin, i got to learn more about his character and i was drawn more to him.

also it’s the fact that zhongli loves to speak a lot and i prefer to sit back and listen to people. as an introvert, i tend to naturally gravitate to people who are either: a) okay with speaking for the both of us, or B) are okay with sitting in comfortable silence. he could ramble on for days and i’d be more than happy to just sit there and listen to what he has to say.

but it can also work the other way round. zhongli knows how to listen. he’d be someone you can turn to whenever you have something you need to get off your chest. if you ask for advice, he’d think of what the best course of action would be! if you just want someone to rant to, that’s okay too! he’s more than happy to just hold you through it all.

there may be a lot we don’t know about him, but we already know how much of a gentleman he is and how much he’s sacrificed for the sake of liyue. i find that very admirable. not only that but it’s the fact that he’s grown so much over the millennia he’s been alive; we know he wasn’t always so caring and considerate but it’s thanks to the friends he’s made along the way that he was able to change for the better.

it just shows that, although he was a god, he still has human qualities. he still bleeds and grieves like the people he always protects. he’d be such a gentle and tender soul towards you and akxnaoqndn. he definitely knows what it means to value those closest to you.

and because he knows how important it is to value those you love, he’d do his best to show you his affection.

you’ll never feel unsafe with him by your side: his presence is so warm comforting.

as for diluc…!

again i could write essays but for the sake of keeping this short: i love everything about him.

his voice too i love his voice good god it makes me weak

he is one of the most caring characters in genshin and nothing anyone says can change that. it’s a fact, it’s not debatable.

have you SEEN his voice-lines??? he’s so sweet and unintentionally soft whether he knows it or not

he may seem rough and callous on the outside but if you delve deeper, you’ll never find another person with as much love as diluc ragnvindr.

similarly to what i said in zhongli’s, i gravitate to people who are okay with sitting in comfortable silence. though diluc may open up more as the bond between you strengthens, he still has moments where he’s content with just some quiet.

he’s fiercely loyal.

if you’ve read the manga and know kaeya’s backstory you’d get where i’m coming from. although they have an estranged relationship, he doesn’t properly shut kaeya out. he cares for him despite all their bad history. for gods sake he knows that kaeya is a spy but he never exposes him or reveals his true identity to anyone. that shows just how loyal he is.

in short, once diluc loves, he loves deeply. he cares deeply. you will know that he loves you, and you can bet your ass he’ll do his best to show this to you.

yes he may be busy, he may be emotionally withdrawn but he tries. that’s what matters the most. he loves more quietly than most, but that doesn’t mean he loves any less. if anything, he’d be the most loving person you can ever imagine.

think of cuddles by the fireplace as you lay tangled in each other’s limbs :(((

in short: i love diluc and zhongli because they are what i look for in a partner 😭 their lores are so rich and i feel like they’re written really well!

this was rlly fun to answer, so ty for the ask!

okay i’m done 😭 i rlly will write more if you want me to! just ask and you shall receive :)

i just love them sm it’s not okay-

#xzho-speaks #xzho’s-asks #nonnie-speaks #nonnie-asks #xzho’s-beloved-nonnie #i hope this answered your question!#and i hope i didn’t write to much-#but i rlly could write more #only if you want ofc-#i love them :(#did you guys know i love them???

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azure-wolf-227 · 2 years

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Villainous Reincarnator

Noelia Flores is also a reincarnated girl from Japan who played Fortune Lover and recalls her past life memories after hitting her head. But, instead of becoming a better person, Noelia decides to take advantage of her knowledge to usurp Maria’s role as the “protagonist” and conquer the Capture Targets (specifically Prince Gerald).

(The reason Noelia doesn’t become a better person after getting her past life memories back is because she was a spoiled alpha bitch in her past life too. Besides, the Flores actually want Noelia to be the type of noble who is entitled and looks down on those deemed inferior, unlike the Claes).

Unfortunately, she doesn't count on Katarina no longer being the "villainess" in this world.

Noelia tries to "save" the boys from their "issues" but it's confused and frustrated when they don't have them anymore. Meanwhile, everyone in the group is confused by the weird things that Noelia is saying, like, how Prince Gerald hates Katarina, Alan feels inferior to Gerald, Keith is a playboy, and Nicol... I don't know what to do with Nicol cause when don't have much info on how his Fl counterpart was like.

They also get very upset when Noelia starts saying that Katarina is a villainess and stuff like that.

She then tries to expose Katarina’s ��bullying” but that backfires since all of Katarina’s friends (including Maria) defend her. In fact, Noelia is the one who has been bullying Maria in an attempt to get her to stay away from the boys.

Katarina does suspect that Noelia is also a reincarnator but believes, at first, that she’s actually a good person who wants to help the capture targets. That is, until she discovers that Noelia is bullying Maria. From then on, Katarina acts to protect her friends from Noelia and prevent her from stealing the heroine role (ironically, Katarina has already changed the story and taken the heroine role, albeit unintentionally).

The plot is mostly comedic due to Noelia’s attempts to become the “heroine” backfiring because the current world doesn’t match her past life’s memories.

There are some dark parts, though.

Instead of putting Katarina in a dark coma, Sirius manipulates Noelia into attacking her. Like, in a role-switch from FL's bad ends, Noelia attacks Katarina before the graduation event only for Katarina to be saved by the harem. Noelia luckily doesn't die but she definitely gets her status stripped and is imprisoned (Katarina begged that she won’t be exiled). (Edit: The attack happens some time after the accusation event, not immediately after).

The reason why Sirius is able to manipulate Noelia, despite the latter’s knowledge, is because Noelia never played the secret route so she’s not aware that Sirius has dark magic.

Sirius/Raphael does get freed from the dark magic spirit but I haven't figured out how it would happen.

This idea could work with an original character but I chose Noelia cause she was already a rival and foil to Katarina in VoD. Noelia using her memories for selfish reasons versus Katarina helping others despite her fear of doom flags. Also, why use an OC when a canon character works so well.

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masterhandss · 3 years

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Who do you think katarina will end up with?

Anonymous asked: Who do you ship katarina the most with ?

I got these two questions consecutively, I'm assuming they are coming from the same person so I'll combine them to a single reply, if that's okay.

People who have been following me since the first season can probably tell that I really like Geordo x Katarina (GeoKata) the most out of all ships. At first it was mostly just because I have an unintentional biases towards characters with blonde hair, which is why favorites were GeoKata and MariaKata, but then when I slowly got into the series more, my biases permanently shifted to the G-boy.

I'm not really a fan of laying out why I like certain ships through test to be honest. I usually get super frustrated when zine mods ask contributors to explain why they like a character or ship for contributor spotlight graphics because I can never really say everything I feel correctly hgdsjsdgfj, which is a good thing someone had already asked me a similar question before so I'll just copy paste my response here if that's okay :DD

TLDR; I ship Katarina with Geordo (Maria, Sora and Cezar behind him), and I think Katarina will end up with Geordo :))

You didn't really ask why but I'll give it anyways :)) -> major light novel spoilers, by the way <-

I'm not really the most deep person, if a ship has the bare minimum of something that I like (a trope or a hair color combination) then I stan it hard. That's why I used to be so equally adoring to both Maria and Geordo, because hurrdurr blonde hair hurrdurr. But the more I read the books and got into the community, I eventually liked him more than Maria. I didn't understand how or why at first, since Geordo and Maria are undergoing a very similar character arc: both characters wants to become better people in order to become worthy of Katarina (Geordo emotionally, and Maria physically? magically? in terms of her position/social status? I can't think of a right word but you get it). Again, Maria and Geordo's struggles are similarly written but one of them is more compelling to me. I feel like Maria's problems are easier to solve (her inability to rely on people, her attention seeking and her desire to be more magically powerful) imo, since she's already a well-liked figure in the Ministry and she's already a high-level magic user. Geordo's though; the series doesn't put too much attention on it, but despite the fact that Katarina gave his life color, he still somewhat sees the world in a desaturated light even post-childhood according to the novels and his lack of empathy still prevents him from completely absorbing all the colors. He's still learning how to see and he is happy that Katarina is always there to help him learn how.

I just love the irony that Katarina sees Geordo as a Perfect Prince and feels that she is inferior and unworthy of him, but then Geordo also seems himself as flawed, inferior and unworthy of Katarina and sees her as someone perfect. Geordo constantly wants to be better for Katarina (and for the people around him), and in time, maybe he could become a motivation for Katarina to be better too (on Katarina's side though, because on Geordo's she doesn't have to because she's already perfect the way she is). Geordo, while being self-centered and aggressive in his pursuits, isn't always selfish and thinks about what Katarina wants too. He'd fight tooth and nail for her and will do whatever he can so that Katarina will love him in the same way, but that doesn't mean he wont respect her decision if she falls in love with someone else, he just wont lose without a fight that's all (and fight, he'll give that's for sure).

Geordo is crazy in love with her; wants to protect her happiness, keep her safe whenever he can, and is even willing to both fight to become king and throw away the life he currently knows if it means he can live a life where he and Katarina can be together wherever she is most content and happy. He wouldn't lock her up in the castle like a caged bird like what Keith and some fans of the series thinks, whenever he does have thoughts like that like in Volume 6, its his internal response to the lack time they can have together alone, rather than being indicative of how he wants to treat her (like in his desire in Book of Desires, he conjured up a literal honeymoon because a honeymoon is the only time where he can spend it with her alone without someone butting in! It's weird and exaggerated, but his desire is simply to just be able to spend a day with her and be able to pursue her romantically without the threat of people like Keith and Mary).

Katarina sees him for himself, and she extends her hand of friendship to him despite all her fears of her bad ends involving him. She knows he's a "sadistic prince" but doesn't always tie him to that title. Out of everyone, Katarina has just as bad, if not worse, initial impression of Geordo compared to almost everyone around him (Others sees him as a Perfect Prince while she sees him as a Sadistic Prince and Future Murderer), and yet she accepts him and wants to learn more about him. She supports him and wants him to find happiness in love with Maria, even if it means she'll get exiled to another country or to a far off farm! (i'll edit this with citations later)

I can't help but want that for him, someone who there for you through thick and thin, who supports him despite everything she knows about her future involving him. Katarina is everything he would ever want in a partner: someone who isn't disturbed by his past, can see through his fake smiles, constantly cares for him, sees him beyond his princely façade, is one of his first friends who has helped him create friendships with other as well that prevented him to wallow in isolation and hate of the version of himself that society created for him, is genuinely interested in him as a person, is endlessly fun to be around and unpredictable, and is overall beautiful inside and out.

Again, a lot of Maria and Geordo's struggles are very similar to each other, but I'm more interested in Geordo's side. I find it more compelling. Geordo's scenes always almost provides something new, we get to see him angry, flustered & embarrassed, scheming/conniving, possessive, grateful, sad & frustrated and so much more. Maria has that too (we get to see her sad and thankful), but this might be my own perspective of reading the novels, but Maria's scenes kinda feel the same to me. It almost always starts with Katarina helping her and her realizing time and time again how much she loves her and become more motivated to be a better version of herself. I mean its unfair to say that they are all the same but that might just be me. (Maria: wow I'm so grateful for everything Katarina has given me, I want to be with her forever (rinse and repeat for the next 5 books))

Yes I know it's beautiful to see Maria falling deeper and deeper in love with Maria, but I'd rather see moments of someone who is trying to advance on those feelings rather than someone who is still trying to understand what they feel. Declarations and descriptions of love are beautiful in literary works and it always gets my heart fluttering, but I can read fanfics if I want to see that be written in 8 or more ways. Give me some action, some internal conflict!

It also doesn't help that it makes me really really happy for Geordo that he's made a dent in Katarina's baka shield? Katarina's heart skipped and fluttered for a second when Geordo was patting her head, and it makes me want to root for him even more! (Yes, go break the bubble! You can do it!!)

It's not even the same doki-doki as when she gets charmed at how pretty Maria is, to me its different in a way that my small vocabulary can't explain.

And besides, it really is just a battle between the protagonist that almost ruined her life (Maria) and the love interest that almost ruined her life (Geordo). Keith is part of that equation too, but he was never a threat after they became close (narratively, its seriously just Maria vs Geordo vs Keith, ignoring the changes to that narrative by FL2). It's always about Geordo (and Maria), everything she's doing in the Fortune Lover 1 Arc is because of Geordo (and arguably, Maria & Keith too) and the consequences of where he decides her future to would lead to.

It has to be Geordo, in my opinion, to show her that things aren't the same as the game (and he already kinda has, just a dent though) (If not Geordo, it should be Maria). He, who she feared and yet cared for so much

(I know Fortune Lover 2 basically removes that importance of Geordo and Maria specifically to Katarina's narrative by making her an active problem in all routes, finally becoming loyal to the title "All Routes Lead to Doom", but its not like the story is digging into Katarina's brain that she's sword training for the purpose of fighting back against all the boys, its still just Geordo, so idk I still count that in my shipper brain)

It also also helps that Geordo is basically the poor bullied animal in the hamefura community's eyes, regardless of how far he is into the battle (like in the reddit discord lmao). Yeah he has the best chances which is why many people both in and out of the series find it so fun to drag him under because of his unfair advantage, which is fair, but just like how you feel when you see a small wounded animal, you can't help but want to help someone who has the whole world against him (there's literally a canon manga page with that joke lmao), which is how I eventually felt over time. He's so misunderstood and bullied by people despite the authors dedication to flesh him out more beyond being a possessive prince fiancé of Katarina because of the anime's adaption, so I'd rather give my biases to someone who needs (and deserves it) rather than other contenders who are already overflowing with love and support. Also who doesn't love a perfect guy who breaks when his beloved is harm/who opens up to the person he cares about most?

I know people will read this and find it unfair that Katarina is giving so much to Geordo, but he isn't really giving anything to her. One thing I'll agree that Maria has over Geordo is that Maria makes Katarina want to try and work hard. Seeing Maria improve her magic wants Katarina to do the same, and whether or not it's from motivation or fear of getting left out depends on the reader. So far we don't really have anything like that for Katarina with Geordo because most things involving Geordo intimidates her, compared to Maria who is surrounded by mysteries and adventure (though arguably it's Katarina and not her lmao, but Kat doesn't know that).

Katarina is already the most well-adjusted character in the story even as a child so the only thing to really explore from her is mostly just her relationships and skewed sense of reality. That's why I hope that Geordo will not only help her realize that she can be loved by her peers romantically despite her self-perceived position/role, but also be one of the persons to make her completely realize that she isn't living inside a game. I mean like I said a few paragraphs ago, he's already kinda doing it by constantly confessing his feelings to her, reminding her that he is a person with his own feelings and not a character programmed to fall for a heroine.

So yeah, I ship Katarina with Geordo for those reasons and believe they should end up together for those reasons.

If you ask me who I think would she end up with objectively, I'd still say Geordo. The author's focus jumps between Geordo and Maria so that really depends on who you're asking. It also doesn't help that Geordo is always in the marketing with Katarina in the books and games, which pretty much cements his Male Lead status to Katarina's Female Lead status lmao

Thank you for the ask lmao, I'll be updating this with more thoughts and possibly citations later :))

#mh ask #hamefura #my next life as a villainess all routes lead to doom #my next life as a villainess #geokata #geordo stuart #katarina claes #i want to add more but i'll do it later :))#I just copy pasted this so i'm srry for the typos ;;w;;#bakarina #destruction flag otome

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0aurelion-sol0 · 4 years

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The importance of the number "3" in SNK.

(This is my second meta so please be gentle with me.)

You might think this meta or theory might be a little bit of stretch but I want to do it anyway because I think there is an interesting pattern with this number throughout the series. It is either something something intentional, the favorite number of Isayama or nothing particular.

But I don't so let's get into it.

Trios.

Throughout the series, there has been an important number of groups composed essentially of three people.

They are even right now in the story, three important trios.

The classic one, the E.M.A trio. ( Eren, Mikasa and Armin.)

The veteran trio. ( Hange, Levi, Erwin.)

The warrior trio. (Reiner, Annie, Bertholt.)

And even Jean, Sasha, Connie are a trio.

They essentially all are a big part of SNK and represents each of them, an important of SNK's narrative.

The E.M.A trio is our first and main trio of the series, they represent friendship and even family to some entent in the face of war and conflict. It is also a trio especially built around the relationship about each other. They are also the basis for many of the other trios out there.

The veteran trio is literally about veterans and how they face their responsabilities against war and themselves, they are with the warrior, an extremely tragic trio built around the importance of carrying your dury to respect your fallen comrades even at the expanse your own health. They are essentially a representation of our own veterans who went through war and hell. They are also what the E.M.A trio could become if they become veterans just like them.

The warrior trio. They are a parallel and a mirror of the E.M.A trio. Their relationship aren't the best, they are child soldiers and essentially are a representations of the dangers of war. They are also the other side of the coin and represent the contrast that has largely changed the story.

Each of these characters reflects in another character from the E.M.A trio.

Eren reflects in both Reiner and Hange.

Hange through their obsession with titans and sometimes extreme violence as shown during the uprising arc and even lunacy in her suicidal approach mirrors Eren sometimes. They are both extremely strong willed. But Hange is also what Eren could have been if he grew up in a different environment. They are also extremely androgynous.

Reiner. I don't think it needs an explanation. You can find plenty of other metas out there about how they mirror each other. They are the hero of two different worlds. Isayama has made an interview about how he is the main character now in the manga during the Marley arc. It is also to be noted that their both suicidal. They also have a strong driving force that can push people to follow them. Their character design are also contrary to one another.

It is also good to note that Hange almost killed Reiner during the Shiganshina arc. Perhaps representing or foreshadowing an older Eren confronting Reiner.

Mikasa is reflected in both Levi and Annie.

Levi. Of course I don't think there is an explanation do here. Ackerman. Heavy and important connection to someone else. Strong characters. Very cold and closed people. He is a representation of what Mikasa could be if she lost Eren. Just like he lost Erwin, Mikasa could potentially become like him after losing Eren. Their character design are very much alike and they are both extremely muscular.

Annie. They mirror each other through how different they are to one another. They have a few common aspect. They are in a relationship that is impossible to one another. Annie - Armin, Mikasa - Eren. They are both excellent fighters. They both are cold but care for their loved ones. However Mikasa is a natural born fighter or atleast one that became a fighter through natural ways. Whereas Annie has trained with her father to get there. While Annie runs away from conflict, Mikasa isn't afraid of it as most her life has been built around it. Just like Reiner and Eren, their character design are also very contrary to one another.

We can also note that Annie killed the whole squad of Levi and fought against both him and Mikasa at the same time and that both of them have fallen asleep and dissapeared for a long period of time, at least in the manga's publishing of the chapter.

Armin reflects in both Erwin and Bertholt.

Again with Erwin, there is this representation of what he could become or what he wants to become. We know Armin has always been against his revival and doesn't think he can live up to the commander. They are both extremely smart and have very good results in their strategy and military operations, they both aren't scared to sacrifice themselves.

Bertholt. They both feel weak. They both feel useless. They both use the same logic in some kinda way. They both have hidden talents. They both have a hidden monstrous side in them. They were and are the Colossal Titan. They both have "romantic feelings" for Annie. However, Bertholt doesn't have the same strategic skill as Armin, he even needs people to tell him what to do sometimes. Their character designs are extremely contrary to one another. Armin is bubbly, small and blonde haired. Bertholt is stone faced, tall and black haired.

Erwin and Armin were at the center of Bertholt and their own fates. The Serum event changed the manga. It is only fitting that his parallel gets the Colossal Titan.

If we now look at Jean, Sasha and Connie...

Eren is what Jean can never become. Jean doesn't have the same power or should I say mentality to be able to kill those children in Liberio. No matter how cool he thinks Eren is. He will only have what Eren has failed to use : empathy. And the not-so-much rival of Eren, is in the traditional sense of shonen, the one who respects him the most. Mikasa "loves" Eren and Jean loves Mikasa but she doesn't have the same feelings back just like Eren.

Sasha is what I think Mikasa could have been if she had a family and who she was before losing that family. They have the same moment of definitive action which overcome their insecurities. Sasha facing off against the titan which threatens Kaya, Mikasa killing the man who killed her parents.

Connie's illogical breakdown when he tried to sacrifice Falco is what Armin fears, the feeling of wrong that is inside of him, the feeling of not living up to Erwin. The man who he sees as always putting logic over emotions something that didn't happen when he was revived. The fear of one day responding with emotions rather than logic and will then confirm he was not the right choice.

Historia's trio.

Historia has three different people in her life representing something important to her.

Frieda = Family

Ymir = Love

Eren = Friendship

But they also represent many of her dualities in her development.

Frieda = Selflessness/ Inaction

Eren = Selfishness/ Action

Ymir = Pride

It is very interesting that one of the most complex character of SNK whose themes still rings true today has this particular set of three people who defines her or at least helps define herself. She then must have some importance to what is going on right now.

Three groups.

The latest arc has been a war in all the sense of the word with three groups fighting for supremacy.

The Jeagerist, nationalistic organisation and fascistic of the oldest Eldian King's ideology we know. Led by Eren Jeager and Floch Forster with the help of Marleyan Volunteers, Zeke Yeager.

The Marleyans, colonialist, genociders and fascists fighting for the supremacy of Marley and the genocide of Eldian. Led by Theo Magath with the Eldian Warriors.

The Eldian Army ( Survey Corps at most. ) built around the patriotic values of the 13th Commander of the Survey Corps Erwin Smith or the Survey Corps at large. Against the genocide, the euthanisation and hopes for a peaceful and non-violent future. Fights for Freedom and Humanity. Led By 14th Commander Hange Zoe.

So there is atleast a definitive pattern here. Maybe it's all a coïncidence or a stretch.

But I have more.

So let's pass some of them right now.

_________________________________________

There are nine titans. 3 x 3 = 9.

The Eldian Military has three branches : The Survey Corps, The Garrison and the Military Police Brigade.

The soldiers use an equipment called the "Three" Dimensional Maneuver Gear.

They can use three weapons : Swords, Guns and Thunder Spears.

There are three titans that attacked Eldia : The Colossal Titan, The Armored Titan and The Female Titan.

In Shiganshina, three titans were actively on the opposite side (not counting Pieck as she barely fought unlike Liberio and The Attack on Eldia by Marley.) : The Beast Titan, The Armored Titan and The Colossal Titan.

This resulted in three groups :

Eren and Armin vs The Colossal Titan.

Levi and Erwin and the rest of the Survey Corps vs the Beast Titan

The 104th and Hange vs The Armored Titan.

The 104th has lost three main characters that were on their side eaten by titan: Marco, Ymir and Bertholt.

Eren has lost three who formed his family : Hannes, His Father and His Mother.

There are three commanders from the Survey Corps that we know who have died. Keith Shadis, Erwin Smith and Hange Zoé.

There are three warriors who attacked Shiganshina with Marley : Reiner, Pieck and Porco.

There are three walls.

There are three royal families.

Ymir Fritz has three daughters.

Eren has three titans : The Founder, The Warhammer Titan and The Attack Titan.

We have only seen three Ackerman fighting: Mikasa, Levi and Kenny.

Titan Shifters have 13 years to live.

Erwin Smith is the 13th commander of the Survey Corps.

We have only seen three nations physically: Marley, Eldia and the Middle Eastern Alliances.

Only three nations plays a significant role in the story: Marley, Eldia and the Azumabito's nation.

The Manga has been divided into three different period.

1. The Fall of Shiganshina to the Female Titan Arc.

2. Clash of the titans to the Return in Shiganshina.

3. The Marley Arc to the War for Paradis Arc.

Now let's look at the page cover of volumes.

Volume 3 shows us our first look at a titan shifter.

Volume 1,2,3 act as a representation of the E.M.A trio.

Volume 1 = Eren

Volume 2 = Mikasa

Volume 3 = Armin.

Volume 13, volume where the Uprising Arc start. The most important arc of the manga in terms of this thematics still relevant today.

Volume 23, volume where the timeskip happens and shows us the other perspective of this manga.

Volume 30, shows us Paths and The founder Ymir.

Volume 31, Future Memory of Eren seeing Mikasa facing the Colossal Titans.

Volume 32, Possible Hope, the Alliance happens. Marley and Eldia helps each other to save the world.

_________________________________________

There is still more. My first meta has been about how SNK's afterlife is real.

This makes up for three different dimension.

The Living World.

The Afterlife

Paths

_________________________________________

The Anime also followed that pattern with:

The Third Opening.

Literally called " Shinzou wo Sasageyo " taking the catchphrase of this manga and making an anthem about it while also having many subliminal message about the story.

The Third Ending.

It spoils the whole manga and the origin of the story. It reveals the three daughters of Ymir and is the creepiest thing ever put out in this world.

_________________________________________

Now for the last point. Yes there's more but It's the last one I promise.

We need to take a look at every chapter who has a three in it. And we can see that in every single chapter something very important happens.

_________________________________________

Chapter 3 : Presentation of the three branches of the Military, of all the characters and return of the Colossal Titan.

Chapter 13 : End of Trost Arc, A possessed and uncontrolled Eren Yeager, " I'm willing to be the butcher " while we are being shown an untamed Attack Titan. Possible Foreshadowing of the last Arc with a Possessed Eren Yeager, Mikasa fighting titans and saving people and Armin trying to get Eren to his senses.

Chapter 23: The First appearance of the Female Titan and our first look at the possibility of another Titan Shifter. Also our first look at Ymir Fritz appearances in the form of the female titan as she was a woman herself and because there is no male titan.

Chapter 30-39 : Foreshadowings left and right about what lies inside the wall. The Warriors and about the existence of Marley.

Chapter 33 : First appearance of the Colossal Titans inside the wall.

Chapter 43 : The Clash of the titan begins. The Armored Titan is revealed with the Colossal and fights with the Attack Titan.

Chapter 53 : Our First Look at Frieda Reiss and the powers of the Attack Titan and the Founder.

Chapter 63 : Eren and Historia learns the truth about Grisha Yeager. He's the one who killed her family and sister Frieda Reiss. Historia is confronted to a choice.

Chapter 73 : We return to Shiganshina and establishes our main trio's thematics.

Eren = Rage.

Mikasa = Pride.

Armin = Hope.

We also learn how Eren started to know he wasn't free, through Armin's eyes and passion of the outside world.

Chapter 83 : The Serum Event or Serumbowl start. Levi fights with Eren and Mikasa to choose who will get the spinal fluid and eat Bertholt, the Colossal Titan. Armin or Erwin, who is the right choice ?

Chapter 93 : Marley Arc, Zeke pressures Marley to go and attack Eldia, something they didn't want to do which will result in the festival, the attack on Liberio and the retribution for Liberio and the Rumbling. Reiner prepares Falco for their dark future.

Chapter 103 : The Liberio operation is a sucess. The Warhammer is taken, the port is destroyed and Zeke is retrieved.

Chapter 113 : Zeke And Levi fights, Zeke start his operation to euthanize Eldian. Levi is defeated by Zeke putting him out of the action for a short time.

Chapter 123 : The Rumbling is starting. All Eldians see Paths and hear Eren's speech. Mikasa question her perspective of Eren.

Chapter 130 : The Rumbling has finally arrived in Marley. Eren's motivation are slowly being revealed and deconstructed. Historia reappears after a long period of time.

Chapter 131 : The effects of the Rumbling happens. Horrible death for Ramzi and his friend. Ymir Fritz appears. Eren and Armin connect through Paths. A partial answer to "that sight" is revealed.

Chapter 132 : Floch Forster dies bringing an end to the Jeagearist. Hange Zoé dies making her the third commander of the Survey Corps to die. The afterlife is revealed, the plane takes off and our heroes goes to see Eren.

_________________________________________

Again, it's a pattern. I don't know if this is something important or a way of Isayama showing he likes the number three. I don't have a definitive idea as to what this could mean but there is something to dig here.

This leaves us on a interesting and ominous note.

The chapter 133 is right in the corner, if my theory is right. Something important is going to happen.

We've hit our lowest point in the series and the Jeagearist arc has officialy ended. What is going to happen now ? Well...

The possibilities :

1. Historia's pov. It has been a long time, we've asked of her. And it's also been a long time her attitude has made no real sense. At least character wise, she has regressed like every character and it's intentionnal on Isayama's part. She must have some importance.

2. Levi's pov. We've got Armin's, Hange's and Mikasa's. But we don't what he really thinks about all of this of Eren's change.

3. Ackertalk. Levi and Mikasa needs to talk about it. They need to go through this for their development.

4. Levi and Armin talk about his choice to save him over Erwin. They never really got to talk face to face about it. They need this closure and now that Armin is the commander, he needs Levi support the most.

5. Possible talk with Annie about what she did to them. If she ever got on the plane with the kids, I think Annie needs to be confronted with that.

6. Possible new about how or where Zeke is ?

_________________________________________

Whatever it is, we're entering the final phase of this manga. This chapter is going to set up the final plot points of the story and now, more than ever, our characters are going to face their biggest challenge.

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the-lightning-strikes-again · 3 years

Text

Posting this for @pilotkinkade in response to their recent post made here, regarding concerns about VLD and how it includes white savior complex or potentially smears Allura’s character with that complex. I’m not reblogging directly because this is a long response lol. Thank you pilotkinkade for chatting earlier; I hope you find this post interesting at least and would be curious of your thoughts in return!

---

I do agree with your general sentiments, that VLD takes on a disquieting savior complex throughout a good portion of the show, even more so than in previous Voltron iterations. For me, it feels most apparent in the way that Voltron as an all-powerful machine in VLD is piloted by its second generation.

To compare: In the original OG alliance (Alfor, Zarkon, Trigel, Gyrgan, and Blaytz), multiple major races were represented, functioning as one to save their own collective galaxy from threats. So even among the OG paladins, there were checks and balances (maybe Zarkon had the strongest military skills personally, but Alfor had the alchemy, etc.), with mass racial diversity. This seemed like a pretty innovative and cool addition to the Voltron franchise. The s3 finale also clarifies that, unlike VLD’s second-generation, all of these paladins were leaders of their people. This meant they had political and legal authority/experience that an average warrior or citizen wouldn’t.

By removing that whole structure and retrofitting Voltron with (mostly) a group of unprepared teenagers from a single planet entirely uninvolved in the universal conflict, it created a lot of strange hierarchies...

We see much of the known universe raise up people who had zero prior experience with war, and little to no military or diplomatic training, as well as very little awareness of the traumas or people groups involved in this war. (Shiro is possibly the exception here.) But suddenly, all of these paladins also had unfettered, largely unquestioned access to ultimate power to carry out whatever vision they felt was right in the moment. Because simply “might is right,” we see even highly experienced commanders like Kolivan become castrated in authority compared to Team Voltron. Various alien groups express upset or side-eye Team Voltron’s well-meaning actions but obvious insensitivity to/ignorance of their problems or fears. Even at the paladin-level, a princess trained to fight and lead is subordinated to a boy with zero leadership training whatsoever (which is very different from previous iterations where Keith was actually very competent, more experienced, and wanted to be a leader).

And when Voltron plays the unchecked judge, jury, and executioner across the entire universe, the new paladins as a whole also do not have the political or legal authority the OG pallies did in the boundaries of their own galaxy. The second-gen paladins are not authorities of their people or representative of the people groups affected in the war they’re now leading. The OG pallies built the actual legend of Voltron in less than 28 decaphoebs, clearly going beyond their 5 nations to help others suffering from natural disasters or unknown needs, which might raise some eyebrows perhaps because we don’t know what all that entailed. But while we see that the Voltron machine eventually got celebrated, the OG pallies are never shown personally soaking in some kind of savior celebration…

(Photo ID: Alfor says, “Why I joined up this band of scoundrels, I’ll never know.” Trigel responds, “Because we’re the only band of scoundrels that would have you.” Third screenshot is of the paladins celebrating their alliance win by themselves.)

…compared to second-gen paladins (or some anyway) who pretty clearly soak in the love and prestige they’ve received based off the historical and legendary precedence of the OG alliance’s work:

(Photo IDs: Lance taking selfies with aliens excited to be around paladins. A second screenshot of Lance daydreaming about being a universal savior, stomping on Zarkon, planting a flag to mark ownership, and having Allura stare up at him in worship.)

In fact, a lot of the pro-Voltron war propaganda relies heavily more on recreating the legend already built for them, than on the actual competency or experience of the current paladins:

(Photo ID: Pidge complains about the war propaganda scripts, “This isn’t even factually accurate.” Coran replies, “Well, this is the Legend of Voltron, not the documentary of Voltron.”)

On that note, we even see the scripts reverse who is actually the most competent or capable of performing.

(Photo ID: Coran says, “Ladies and gentle-aliens, bear witness as the Paladins of Voltron attack Zarkon’s base to save the helpless Princess Allura!”)

Coran’s script, however well-meant, pretty massively infantilizes Allura as someone who needs to be saved by an external force, rather than mentioning her as someone who is an active and critical ally of the Voltron paladins in this war.

Unlike Coran’s script, Princess Allura isn’t helpless. In terms of the second-generation paladins, she’s has the most war-time experience, and is also the one that the paladins lean on constantly to create a meaningful connection with other people groups who are otherwise hesitant about Voltron.

(Photo ID: Allura speaks to the Balmeran people, “Balmerans, this is Princess Allura. You don’t know me, but I am here to help. I know what it’s like to watch your home planet die.”)

Allura is the successor to the Altean monarchy and a direct victim of the OG galaxy wars. So unlike other second-gen paladins, she has some semblance of legal/political authority that she was actively trained for, as well as personal skin in the game. She is ultimately the only paladin who has experienced a mass omnicide of her home and people, similar to other victims of the Galra regime. She also still accepts the authority of her father, whose AI tells her in season 1 to be prepared to sacrifice everything to undo his mistakes.

We see Allura from that point onward functioning under that directive from her father and king—to sacrifice everything she has to end Zarkon’s regime. One could potentially make the argument that, within this structure, Allura might suffer from a certain subset of “white knight syndrome,” in which one feels they’re worthless if they’re not sacrificing for others. If I have my facts right, it’s a different psychological state from white savior complex (in which I define white savior complex as “when someone outside the issue at hand barges in to make a change that may or may not benefit the recipient, simply to make themselves feel better or appear useful, without regard to the recipient’s wishes or real needs”). But I feel even the comparison of “white knight syndrome” gets dicey. Because Allura is shown as acting happy without necessarily sacrificing things (in fact, she acts progressively depressed s7-s8, the more she has to give up intrinsic things about herself or her identity). But when Allura chooses to assist or sacrifice, the sacrifice she makes has a very relevant and functional impact for the people she helps.

In season 1, she chooses to sacrifice herself to save Shiro. Shiro was, at that time, the Black Paladin and leader of Voltron, so Allura saw herself as functionally the less important of the two to save since she did not pilot the universe’s only weapon against Zarkon.

With the Balmera, she similarly chooses to act because the Balmerans themselves acknowledge they are entirely out of options, and also because the Balmerans (and the Balmera itself) accept her help she offers. At this point in time, she has already established a deep personal connection with them by virtue of their shared trauma of losing their home planets.

(Photo IDs: Shay says, “We’re lost! All are trapped with no chance for escape!” Allura says, “We can’t give up.” Shay responds, “But what can be done?” The group realizes the Balmera is regenerating beneath the ship, and Shay wonders why. Allura says, “The Castle!”)

Here, Allura assumes that the Castle—which is powered by a Balmeran crystal itself—could be regenerating the Balmera. But a Balmeran elder corrects her:

(Photo ID: A Balmeran elder says, “Not just the Castle, but you, as well.”)

So Allura did not even recognize at first that she was in any way a part of the solution to the Balmera regenerating.

Regarding the Balmera act itself, I’m not sure it satisfies the conditions for a white savior complex? I’m curious about your thoughts here, because I guess I saw it happening differently, from a witchcraft perspective...

We know from both Coran and Shay that originally, Alteans were one of the historical races who sacrificed some of their own energy to replenish the Balmera when seeking a crystal:

(Photo ID: Coran saying, “In the days of old, when Alteans were given the gift of crystals from a Balmera, we would repay its sacrifice by performing a ceremony. A sacred Altean would re-infuse the Balmera with quintessence. In this way, we had a symbiotic relationship.”)

We see that Balmerans were a voluntary part of this energy exchange by virtue of their unique connective powers (which is likely why we see them kneeling and activating said powers during these ceremonies).

Shay herself seems to indicate she is highly aware of these old ceremonies:

(Photo ID: Rax says, “Everyone comes to Balmera and takes, but gives nothing in return!” Shay says, “In the past, those who took the Balmera’s crystals would replenish her with energy. It was an equal exchange.”)

Shay agrees that the ceremony itself involves a sacred exchange of life force.

So I would argue that in this case, the Balmerans are not kneeling to Allura specifically or worshiping someone—it seems to be just the imagery associated with magical spells/magical transfers (where one object in the middle is the main conduit/focal point, and the other objects surrounding help to create and sustain the spell/protective barrier, etc).

One of the basic practices in real-world witchcraft is casting a magic/ritual circle. The circle creates a space where the spell, ritual, or form of protection can be performed. Forgive the stock image, but here’s just a super basic example:

(Photo ID: A magic circle in the form of a pentagram, with a candle in the middle, compared to a screenshot of 5 Balmerans surrounding Allura in the form of a pentacle, creating a sacred space with Allura glowing in the center.)

The five points in particular mimic standard pentacle-based ritual circles designed to create a sacred space of some kind. We do see various configurations of witchcraft imagery used in other instances throughout the show, such as when the druids have to help Haggar sustain her spells:

(Photo ID: Haggar centered in a magic circle, surrounded by druids helping her complete the ritual. Haggar kneels against the glowing symbols to complete the ritual.)

I think, similar to the druids that Haggar relied upon to help her complete a spell, it can be argued that the Balmerans were an active part of the regeneration spell with Allura. We see across the entire Balmera that they magically connect to help sustain the energy transfer, because it’s a planet-wide, massive undertaking:

(Photo ID: Balmerans activating their connection to the Balmera in the middle of the sacred ceremony to regenerate the Balmera.)

To me, it felt like the Balmerans were necessary to complete this ceremony--without their agreement to this energy exchange, and without them connecting to the Balmera to assist the transfer, Allura might not have been able to connect her life force and transfer power to the whole planet.

And to complete the ceremony, Allura herself kneels as well, just as Haggar did and just as the Balmerans around her do, in connection with the Balmera:

(Photo ID: Allura kneeling alongside Balmerans to complete the ritual.)

(Which means she’s technically kneeling to at least three other Balmerans in front of her.)

So I think the kneeling imagery would not correlate to some white savior complex event as suggested.

One other thought I had is that I feel help from a “white savior” is often haphazard and pushed onto recipients regardless of their thoughts or real needs. In comparison, we know that the Balmerans were willing to try this spell with Allura and accepted her idea of attempting the ancient ceremony. The only person who expressed hesitancy is Coran, who warns Allura that this attempt could kill her.

(Photo ID: Coran warns Allura, “To heal an entire planet, it could take more energy than you possess.”)

I do think it could again be argued that Allura seriously undermines her own value and worth in an attempt to help everyone, no matter the cost, which potentially gets more into white knight syndrome born out of trauma than white savior complex born out of privilege. She snaps back at Coran for being concerned about her well-being, and then she proceeds to enact the ceremony, not knowing for sure whether she’d live or die. But Allura also knows that her life force is uniquely tied to Voltron and that she is the only one with this kind of connection to the Castle ship’s battle-class Balmera crystal—all of this makes her a very powerful capacitor in a lot of ways. Which is why she looks like this after the ceremony:

(Photo ID: Allura having collapsed in Shay’s arms after regenerating the Balmera, but her physical features are not otherwise affected.)

And not like this:

(Photo ID: A screenshot of an Altean named Petrulius from season 6, whose features are distorted after having had the life/quintessence sucked out of him.)

So to me, it seemed that Allura was enacting an ages-old, magical ceremony approved by and wanted by the Balmerans—simply on a scale that no one had ever before attempted. And it’s likely that no one else would or could attempt it, because Allura is the single character in the entire universe whose personal life force is tied to Voltron’s regenerative energy (by virtue of Alfor’s alchemy on her as mentioned in episode 1). It’s an even deeper tie to the whole machine than the transient bond between paladin and lion. No other Balmeran or Galran or Altean had that kind of tie in their life force. Likely, even Alfor would have died if he’d attempted this act himself without being connected to an infinite power source.

And after Allura saves the Balmera with assistance from Balmerans, we also do not see her like this with the Balmeran people:

(Photo ID: Lance soaking up a savior fantasy as previously mentioned in this meta.)

Instead, post-Balmera resurrection, we see it’s actually not even the Balmerans themselves who thank Allura. The Balmerans simply convey the will of the Balmera, which Allura cannot hear:

(Photo ID: A Balmeran says to Allura, “Yes. The Balmera lives. It thanks you.”)

So backing up for a second, I do think there are much larger issues happening in the narrative with Voltron itself, with the unequal power dynamics of having young, inexperienced people from a single planet make and enact all the big universal decisions. But in the instance with the Balmera, it seemed like Allura was openly welcomed to help save the planet, using magical ceremonies as approved by the Balmerans themselves for millennia, and that the Balmerans were not passive in those ceremonies but a necessary part of their success.

In general, Allura doesn’t seem to embody the “white savior complex” vibe at all to me, unlike some others in the show. Even in season 8, when Allura planned to make The Really Big Sacrifice, she asked her team to keep her actions a secret. She literally didn’t care for any respect or acknowledgment or prestige in exchange for sacrificing her life. She was doing what needed to be done because she was, once again, one of the few who could even perform at that level:

(Photo ID: Shiro says to Allura, “Most of them won’t know the sacrifice you made so they could live.” Allura replies, “And they’ll never need to.”)

(As an aside, I would argue that it was entirely unnecessary that the narrative would demand Allura sacrifice herself at all when she was literally standing in the universe’s seat of power alongside other powerful beings like her own father or the billions of other magic-wielding dead people, because apparently the lines between life and death blur in that space.)

(I also think there are some questionable “master race” vibes in the VLD universe in general, given that it forcefully pushes, even against the wishes of Alteans themselves, that Alteans are the only ones who can wield the big power to do big things. It’s clear that other groups and beings can wield magical abilities, but the larger narrative very oddly pins the “purest quintessence/bluest blood” back on Alteans time and time again in later seasons, leaving Allura in basically a no-win, no-help-available situation until other Alteans come along.)

So yeah, I hope something in this meta might help settle some concerns about Allura as a representation of white savior complex? Or at least that this would open conversation for further discussion about what could be done in future iterations to avoid that messaging. Because yeah, I agree with you that the unquestioned savior complexes in this show are a topic that can and should be discussed! And also that, despite early world-building to suggest otherwise, the narrative especially in s6-s8 pushes that Alteans have a “purer/more alive” life force compared to any other race or form. Which is just…hm. Like, the master race vibes of all that are weird and definitely not even inherent to the Voltron franchise. (In previous iterations, humans, Galrans/Drule, and Alteans could all perform incredible levels of magic. For example, in Dynamite Voltron, Keith, Lotor, and Lotor’s siblings had all been taught magic.)

There’s definitely some weird images and unnatural power dynamics in VLD at times. It seems like more often than not, the narrative does strive to make Allura sacrificing something the only viable resort for anyone ever. In those circumstances, I’m just not convinced that she herself functions as an embodiment of white savior complex, by virtue of her behavior in those instances. But it’s definitely weird that the narrative places so much weight on her when the larger Team Voltron narrative is supposed to be about found family and strength in unity.

(If you read this far, thank you! Sorry I’m not succinct.)

#Voltron #Voltron meta #Voltron critical in ways #Allura #Balmera episode #discussions of white savior complex #I ultimately state that Allura doesn't seem to meet the basic behaviors for that #but the show does get into some strange master race stuff in terms of abilities #and we do see several iimages of white savior complex throughout the show by virtue of some other characters #which idk why that got dropped in without at least a reflection on it #like I can handle problematic stories but prefer it when they know they're problematic lol #in VLD it felt like I was supposed to be cheering for those issues #that I wasn't supposed to question it or that I was supposed to actually connect with that fantasy #I feel like this is a really interesting topic because in other iterations there were other Voltrons #as in more people had similar machines #which I feel like helped to control the savior complex inherent in manning a powerful weapon #and in fact one iteration goes as far to say that voltron ISN'T special at all #which surprises various characters #Just a very different vibe from VLD entirely #I'm really fascinated by that #Anyway thanks for reading my rambles!

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madebycoffee · 3 years

Note

I’ll be nice and won’t ask about lovers but : 2 - 11 - 19 - 21 - 31 - 42 for Gian obviously, tell me everything !! 👀

02. What is one of your character’s biggest insecurities? Are they able to hide it easily or can others easily exploit this weakness?

Gian's always felt a little insecure about his intelligence. Especially after failing classes in college. (tho he did get in) He's not "school smart" but he's smart in other ways.

11. What is something that would make your character fly into a rage?

Very few things: If anyone were to REALLY hurt or mess with Tai. Any interactions with Keith's birth family.

Otherwise he keeps it threat level chill.

19. Would your character be the kind to get into fights? (physical or verbal) Would they be a good fighter or cave in rather easily?

I think that Big Brother showed us he ain't one to shy away from a verbal fight lmao. As for fisticuffs, while he's never instigated a fight he absolutely has gotten roped into some bar brawls (courtesy of Keith lmao). And he was also on the wrestling team so he and Keith would be able to hold their own. Probably are even with losses and wins on that front I'd say.

21. What is one of your character’s biggest fears? How would they react when dealing with this fear?

He fears subjecting his own kids to a messy home life growing up like he had. Soooo I'm sure you can imagine that the task of choosing the right ladee during the gianlerette is a stressful one for him.

31. Would your character be the kind capable of killing? Would they enjoy killing or only use it when necessary or, perhaps, refuse to kill no matter what?

Gian can't even kill a spider. Let alone a person.

42. Is there anything in your character’s past that they regret, haunts them, or they wish they could change?

Ooooo a good one. Something small he regrets is not sticking with college. Had he made it past that first semester he completed he probably woulda come around to the idea of a culinary career sooner. But he's getting around to it now so EH no big deal.

#asks #nilonne #lmao if u had asked any of the 'lovers' centric questions i woulda answered for each of the remaining three #i've been thinking heavily about what his future would look like with any of them #giancarlo nyugen #get to know my character asks

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lady-griffin · 4 years

Note

The extra comic in volume 6 is max adorbs. Any thoughts about it?

I just saw the comic. Super cute and rather insightful.

I love that those small details expanded on the characters and fleshed them out some more.

I’m sure if you asked me what the harem’s most precious items were, I would’ve given items solely tied to Katarina - so I’m really glad that wasn’t the case, actually.

For some of them yes, but it made sense for said characters.

Geordo - First Snake Toy

I don’t know if ever wrote it down in one of my theories or in a response to question, but I had the head-canon that either Geordo or Alan kept the first snake toy. I thought it would be very endearing if it was Geordo, but I was leaning towards Alan being the one, as it was overall such a happy memory for him and the day when things truly changed.

I’m really happy that Geordo kept the snake. It’s sweet. I am curious to how he thinks it will help to get Katarina to do what he wants, because I’m not exactly following his logic - perhaps it’s explained more in the actual novel? (Haven’t read yet, no spoilers)

I think it encapsulates their relationship rather perfectly.

It’s a “weapon” that Katarina developed to save herself from Geordo.

Similar, to Alan, I think Katarina learning Geordo is afraid him of snakes made her realize (to some degree) that he’s real and not the perfect two-dimensional prince from her game who had no weaknesses or flaws.

It’s also a literal representation of how weird and different Katarina is from literally everyone else. And just how truly unpredictable she is.

I mean think about it from Geordo’s perspective.

Not only did Katarina learn about his fear of snakes, but what did she do with that information? She literally weaponized his fear against him No one else would have ever done that. Even some of his rivals at the time (Keith or Mary) wouldn’t have done that, but his fiancé did.

And there is no logical explanation for why Katarina would do such a thing. A prank? To try to scare him? Why?

It’s such a great example of the complex, unpredictable puzzle that is one Katarina Claes. A puzzle that Geordo, despite how well he knows her, still hasn’t figure out.

Also, this was probably the first time, Geordo ever showed her his Dark-Hearted self. His scary look, terrifying both Katarina and Alan, and when he smiled sweetly and asked what’s she doing and where her mother is. As well as him threatening to tell on her and despite her begging him not to, he goes through with it.

And from Alan’s POV we know that Geordo’s smile was also a happy one, he truly was having a good time with Katarina – teasing her and making her suffer just a little bit.

It’s just extra sweet and really endearing.

Alan - Musical Sheet

I love that his most precious item was something that Geordo gave him and that he was embarrassed by it. So cute.

Keith - Pocket Watch

Really, if someone asked me what his most precious item was, I would assume it would be a gift from Katarina. But it being a gift from his parents (and Katarina as a way of them showing him he is a Claes and their son, and is one of them, is just so much better.

I loved that!!!

Mary - Mother’s Necklace

I liked that it was her mother’s necklace. It’s very normal and simple, but I think that’s what makes it effective. I also like that while it has nothing to do with Katarina, but she brings up that Katarina thought it was pretty.

Which makes me think that Mary showed it to Katarina when they were younger and she was probably very nervous of what Katarina thought about it as she knew it wasn’t very fashionable for the current time and her sisters probably made fun it.

So, when Katarina said it was pretty, Mary must have been so happy, not just for the compliment, but just because someone was being kind to her.

While I think Mary and her love is very similar whether it’s for Alan or Katarina, there is a slight difference, I can’t help thinking of.

When Mary improved herself to be the perfect wife and a worthy partner for Alan, I think it was also out of a need to prevent any future bullying. Looking how talented, skilled, smart and perfect she is – what is there to even criticize. But I wonder, if she had the fear that if others learn (including Alan) of how much work she had to put in to become that way, would they think less of her or make fun of her?

When Mary improved herself to be a worthy companion of Katarina, it started out the same as it was from Alan. But Katarina learned about the work Mary was doing and how hard it was and instead of making fun of her for trying so hard, Katarina was impressed and in awe.

And in general, I think Katarina’s kindness and always being supportive of Mary, made Mary realize she deserves better treatment from others.

Maria - Scarf (Mother’s gift)

I have the headcanon that this was the first gift that Maria’s mother has given her in sometime do to their strained and repressed relationship. So, it’s just very sweet that it’s Maria’s most precious item.

It’s also just a nice symbol of their relationship improving and overall the fact that it is in a far better place than it was earlier on.

Nicol - Fountain Pen

I really loved that it was something he inherited from his father and it’s a very practical gift (but has meaning for the two of them). That just seemed very Nicol and something I wouldn’t have thought of.

I also like the connection of his father using it when he was aiming for Prime Minister (to be with the one he loved) and he hopes that Nicol will do the same for Katarina -- not become Prime Minister, necessarily, but actively fight for her.

Sophia - Sophia and the Emerald Princess

This would’ve been my choice and it just works.

Katarina is Sophia’s first friend and this is the book they bonded over. Also the way Katarina complimented her appearance was similar to the book. And just, Katarina was the Emerald Princess for Sophia and her hero and in a way, Katarina was like a fictional character out of a book to Sophia (which is a nice little twist, unintentional or not).

This unbelievable person, who is a highborn lady, beautiful, and impossibly kind and she thinks Sophia is also beautiful and has no fear or disgust in her eyes when she looks at Sophia. The person who showed Sophia the beauties of the outside world and introduced her to new people and new friends and who saved Sophia.

I just…of course that book is Sophia’s most precious item

Raphael –

Poor baby, just let him rest.

Sora – Katarina’s Jewel/Brooch

I loved that it’s the Jewel that Katarina gave, because of course it is. I personally have two head canons about it -

1. Sora wears it as an accessory (a brooch) and is very open about how it’s a gift from Katarina and it represents their bond and relationship. And everyone, particularly Geordo and Keith, just hate him for it. Geordo definitely wants a present like that from Katarina, but has no idea how to ask for it and Sora is just so goddamn smug when he rubs it in everyone’s faces.

2. Sora tells no one how he came by the jewel but the others have seen him playing with it in his hand or staring at it and smiling softly to himself. Raphael asked and to his surprised Sora actually blushed and quickly pocketed it, while rambling on with a very obvious lie from where it came from. Raphael quickly realizes it was something to do with Katarina and while he feels jealousy, he is honestly just too tired to deal with the prospect of another rival.

Anne – Everything Katarina has given her

Super sweet and lovely. I also love the running gag of Anne ending the questionnaire and everyone (especially Geordo and Mary) are super jealous of her answers.

But everyone is jealous and desperately wants a passionate letter from Katarina telling them not to got through with a marriage to another person. Because of course!

It was simple and cute, but I thought really expanded on some of the characters and each item fit each of them nicely.

I do wish we got a specific item form Katarina, that would’ve been interesting. (Doesn’t have to be from a member of the Harem)

#Hamefura #Katarina Claes #Bakarina #Otome Game No Hametsu Flag #Destruction Flag Otome #My Next Life as a Villainess #browntiger15

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septembercfawkes · 5 years

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Never Confuse Characterization for Character

Lately I've been revisiting Story by Robert McKee, a famous book on the craft of storytelling. It can be pretty intense and heavy at times, so it's not something I would recommend for beginners. In fact, the first time I read it, a lot of it was so deep and new that it went over my head. It's been interesting reading it again. Now, parts seem to be validating my ideas, rather than turning and twisting them.

One thing in particular stuck out to me this last week: character vs. characterization.

Regularly, I see writers hyperfocused on characterization.

Characterization is all the surface or near-surface stuff: voice, demeanor, likes and dislikes, hair and eye color, clothes, habits, etc.

Honestly, I personally consider these things to be part of character, but for the sake of this post, we are going to look at them as two different things, to communicate specific ideas.

Characterization can be really important and really effective. Give us the right voice, mannerisms, and appearance, and we can instantly be drawn to someone. Jack Sparrow is a good example. Johnny Depp combined Pepe le Pew with Keith Richards to come up with a unique, iconic characterization. In fact, Depp is often very good with characterization. A lot of actors have the same demeanor for all of their characters (I'm trying so hard to not name anyone in particular right now), but Depp's Jack Sparrow, Mad Hatter, Willy Wonka, Grindelwald, Mort Rainey, etc. all have unique characterizations.

You are very familiar with characterization. All over online you can find long questionnaires to fill out to get to know your protagonist (or any other character). Back in the day, I would fill these out because they were fun (and they are, and that's okay!), but I often found that despite how personal the questions could get (i.e. "What is his/her greatest fear?"), I wasn't quite satisfied with the person on the page, not to mention that a lot of the stuff I ended up brainstorming seemed irrelevant to the story. And in some cases, I had to change what I'd filled out to write a better story "for some reason."

I've actually heard/read a few writers get on the character vs. characterization bandwagon and go on to kind of . . . knock down characterization. I don't agree with that. I strongly believe in the power of rich characterization. And I have zero problems if you want to be like Johnny Depp and give each main character a super unique demeanor. In fact, as long as it doesn't get too outlandish for your world, I enjoy that and think it is a good idea.

After all, if Jack Sparrow had a demeanor like the Mad Hatter, Pirates would be totally different.

But here is the problem that past me, and I see a lot of writers run into, characterization is not the sum of character. You might be filling out questionnaire after questionnaire, trying to find The Thing™️, but it's not coming together, because you only know about characterization.

Characterization is part of a character, but it isn't fully "character." When it gets down to it, when you want to get really, really deep, characterization isn't going to get you there.

As J.K. Rowling famously wrote, it's our choices that determine who we are.

You can be the gothiest goth kid, or the preppiest prep kid, but who you truly are is what you choose to do, and perhaps, I would probably add, why you choose to do it. When encountering a stray dog, do you kick it away or give it some food? You can cut out all the external stuff; you can cut out the hairstyle, the age, the clothes, the likes and dislikes, and at the heart of it, is choices.

But it's not just any choice.

As Robert McKee and others have stated, to get into that inner gem of character, it's the choices the character makes when there are significant stakes. If a character chooses vanilla ice cream over chocolate, that doesn't really tell me a lot, unless I want to read symbolism into it (which could be there).

Maybe your protagonist tells the truth to his parents about putting a frog in his sister's bed. Does that really matter if there are no potential consequences involved? Telling the truth when there are no dire consequences is easy. Telling the truth when there are important things at stake is harder. What if telling the truth meant he would be grounded and could not participate in a talent show he's been practicing for, for months? There is prize money involved, and he was hoping to use that money to buy a chemistry set. Chemistry is his passion and he wants be a world-renowned chemist someday. Which is more important to him? A potential chemistry set or telling the truth?

This can be a great way to add depth. Well, it is depth. Especially if their characterization seems to be at odds with who they truly are. A vampire who craves human blood but chooses not to drink it is interesting. A prince who'd rather be a beach bum is interesting. The bully who, when it gets down to it, sticks up for an enemy is interesting. It makes them more complex. It draws us in so we want to know more. Why doesn't this vampire drink human blood? Why doesn't this prince want to be a king? Why did this bully stick up for someone? The answers to those questions makes them complex.

We all have layers after all. And we all have boundaries. I almost never lie. But if I was stuck between telling the truth or lying to save a loved one's life, well, I'd pick the latter. But if I picked the former, that would say a lot about me as well.

Some writers throw in contradictions to create character depth (a vampire who refuses to drink human blood), which works, but if it's a main character, and I never get an idea or hint of the "why," I sometimes find myself feeling . . . cheated. Like it was just thrown in (and maybe it was). I also then get stuck, fixated on the why that I never get, so it's distracting. I don't know that we always need to explore the why, but I would say for main characters, it's almost always more effective, more powerful, more meaningful, to address the why, to some extent. Unless, of course, the reason is ridiculous, in which case, maybe you need to reevaluate that and come up with something better.

There is an important part to all of this, which is that we need to see your character making significant choices, which means they must be placed in situations where they can make decisions. If you don't give your character opportunities to make significant decisions, it's probably going to be a problem. This is another reason why people ask for "active" protagonists. They must want something and make choices with stakes attached.

Don't be afraid to make your protagonist's true self a bit negative or flawed--after all, they need to grow during the story (usually). Maybe near the beginning of the story, you show your character being selfish, but at the end, we see he is willing to sacrifice his life, literally or figuratively. This is called character arc.

The way your character changes through the course of the story can also bring more "character" to him or her than characterization can alone. If we have a character that starts as a villain, but ends up being a good guy by the end, well, that's interesting and complex, and the transformation demands depth to be satisfying. This can all get more complicated real fast, because there are degrees and variations, and I don't want to muddy the water quite yet.

But if you are only trying to find character by filling out endless characterization questionnaires, you might never write a fully formed, deep, complex character. Instead, consider choices, contradictions, and arcs.

#writing tips #writing tip #writing tips and tricks #writing references #writeblr #character #characterization #oc #writing advice #writing helps #writer #editor

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milkmateartist · 3 years

Text

HEAVENS Black Garden English Translation 【 Shion's Route Pt. 1 】

[ — I do not own Black Garden, HEAVENS, Utapri, or any of the characters. This is a fan translation using a combination of google translate and my own japanese knowledge — ]

// Translated by MilkmateArtist

-------------------------------------------------

▽ You

"There he is ..."

I didn't ask for his name, but I quickly realized it was Simon.

He was leaning against a big tree, sleeping comfortably.

▽ You

"Simon, please wake up."

It hurt me a bit to wake him up so soon, but I shook his shoulders lightly.

▽ Simon

"Hmm……".

His eyes opened slowly.

▽ You

"It's nice to meet you."

▽ Simon

"A stranger ……! !! "

"The moment he recognized me he backed away looking at me with fear in his eyes.

▽ You

"I'm ( ___ ). I received a letter and came here."

▽ Simon

"You are ... a relative of the Lord."

▽ You

"I'm sorry I woke you up. Eric and I were looking for you, you see."

▽ Simon

"I see. I guess it took a while...."

Simon stood up and bowed.

▽ You

"What were you doing at the edge of the garden?"

Spending so much time with Eric, he must worried about me being in an unfindable place.

▽ Simon

"I was looking for a bird ... The blue bird cherished by the Lord has escaped. It's still young, so I'm worried..."

Simon's sad expression suggested he cherished the bird as well.

▽ Simon

"Looking for it exhausted me, so I thought I'd rest."

He must have searched pretty frantically if he had to rest like that.

I wondered what to do.

(A) Wait for its return in the garden

(B) Go back to the mansion for a bit

(A) Wait for it's return in the garden

▽ You

"Let's wait for the little bird to come back to the garden."

I thought it would be better to be near the garden.

A small bird wouldn't have been able to fly that far.

▽ Simon

"Oh, that's a good idea. Would you wait there with me?"

▽ You

"Yes!"

We decided to sit under a tree and wait.

…………. ……………………. ……………………………….

Despite waiting a long time, there was no indication of the little bird's return..

▽ Simon

"It will be too late after dark so ... Let's go find it."

▽ You

"I agree."

I also obeyed Simon, who stood up anxiously.

(B) Go back to the mansion for a bit

▽ You

"Would you like to return to the mansion for a bit?"

He must have been looking for it before I came here. If he couldn't find it then, then it might be unlikely that we would find it now.

▽ You

"I'm sure it will be back soon."

That said, Simon's complexion changed.

▽ Simon

"You're sure……? Even though I'm not... If the Lord were to find out .."

There was a ghastly look on his now pale face.

▽ Simon

"Although, even if it is just a bird in this situation, for me it is irreplaceable."

▽ You

"I'm sorry. It doesn't mean that your intention ..".

▽ Simon

"It's fine. I'll search on my own."

Then he ran into the forest.

▽ You

"Please wait!"

I followed, but I lost sight of Simon. Not only that, I didn't even know how to get back.

I wandered aimlessly until completely all my strength was gone. My life was cut short in that forest.

BAD END

▽ You

"Let's find it together! Please let me help too."

Seeing Simons depressed expression, I couldn't help but say that.

▽ Simon

"...... Is that alright? That's encouraging. You're a kind one ( ___ ). "

Simon smiled happily.

▽ You

"Well, that's ... That's because you conveyed your feelings to me Simon."

▽ Simon

"I think I'll get along with you. Thank you for your warm consideration."

▽ You

"We'll definitely find it!"

We went back to the garden and looked for Eric, but there was no sight of him.

I wanted to report that Simon was found, but feeling the search for the little bird was the top priority, and we returned to the forest.

▽ You

"What kind of work do you do here in the mansion?"

I thought that having a conversation would make him feel better, so I tried asking a question I was curious about.

▽ Simon

"I take care of the animals that the Lord has brought back from all over the world."

▽ You

"That's pretty sweet. It's probably really hard though."

▽ Simon

"Yeah…… All of them are unique and adorable. If you treat them well they return the favor."

His shining eyes and passionate words conveyed his honest feelings.

▽ Simon

"It was in my care as well. That bird ... However, the door of the cage was broken."

▽ Simon

"I want to find it soon. I'm sure it's trembling from loneliness."

▽ You

"…… But we've come a long way."

A steep slope continued in front of me.

▽ Simon

"This is called Jigokuzaka ... It's that tough of a trail."

▽ You

"Jigokuzaka……. That sounds intense."

▽ Simon

"There is a hill with a good view at the end of the climb. I wonder if the bird would prefer such a high place.."

We looked at each other and made up our minds.

▽ Hugo

"What are you guys doing here?"

▽ You

"Hugo!"

Suddenly, he emerged from the bush behind him. He always seemed to be coming out of nowhere.

▽ Simon

"What a good time.. Will you take us to the top of this slope?"

▽ Hugo

"Oh, that's easy. Well, let's go."

▽ You

"Huh ...! ??"

Just like that, Simon and I were easily carried on both of Hugo's shoulders as he started running on the slope.

▽ You

"Aren't we heavy? I can walk on our own, so please let me down.. "

▽ Hugo

"No problem at all. This is far easier than my usual training."

I wondered what he usually did... I was curious about Hugo's daily life.

▽ Hugo

"More importantly, it would be bad if Simon collapsed. He doesn't have the strength."

We couldn't find the bird after we got to the top. After we were done searching, Hugo took us on his shoulders again and climbed down.

▽ Simon

"Thank you Hugo ... I'm grateful."

▽ Hugo

"Don`t worry. Well, I'm in the middle of patrolling, so I'm gonna head out."

Then Hugo disappeared into the bush again.

▽ Simon

"Next, let's look around the building. I had it in it's cage when we went on walks."

Relying on memory, we searched the area where it might return to.

▽ You

"……! !!"

Suddenly something glazed in front of me.

Looking at where the noise came from, I saw a sword stuck in the wall. Overwhelmed, I fell to my knees.

▽ Keith

"During training ... it slipped from ... my hand. I'm sorry. Are you hurt ...?"

Keith ran up to me while I was on the ground, reaching a hand out. .

▽ You

"I'm okay. A bit surprised but..."

It's scary to think that it would have hit me should the timing have not been a little off.

▽ Simon

"Keith is burdened by his role as guard... Training is necessary. Please forgive him."

▽ You

"Don't worry about it.. Nothing happened after all. More importantly, did you see a bluebird at all, Keith?"

I wanted information on any clues.

▽ Keith

"I have not ... You might find if you... get some bait ...from Eric ..."

▽ You

"That's a good idea!"

We went around the hall to find Eric.

▽ You

"There he is!"

Eric was looking for something in the wine cellar.

▽ Eric

"Ah……! Simon, you found me."

Seeming to be in a hurry, he put the vial he had in his hand in his pocket.

▽ Eric

"I was looking for wine to cook for dinner."

Although I felt something was wrong, the search for the small bird came first.

When we explained the situation, Eric gave us some bread crumbs.

▽ You

"We should definitely be able to find it with this."

▽ Simon

"I hope that will happen. Above all, it must be hungry. If we don't find it soon ..."

We headed out of the mansion again.

When we got out of the front door, we encountered Mika.

▽ Simon

"Mika, what good timing. Would you help me look for a bird?

▽ Mika

"Nope, as much as I would like to. I have to go to deliver letters from here on out."

▽ Simon

"If it's official orders then ... it can't be helped. That's a shame."

▽ Mika

"Jeez, are you really that depressed?!"

▽ Simon

"Your observation skills are keen and are very clever. Without your help I can't manage to motivate myself.

▽ Mika

"I guess that's so but ... That's it! Why don't you ask Virgil? I'm sure he's "free" at this time."

We found Virgil where Mika had told us he should be.

He was humming some song in a relaxed manner.

▽ You

"It's just as Mika said."

▽ Simon

"It seems so.. Virgil is skipping out while on duty."

▽ You

"Um ... I'm sorry to interrupt your break"

▽ Virgil

"Wha! What's that, are you implying I'm slacking off !??"

Surprised at our appearance, he jumped up, corrected his posture.

▽ Simon

"We're looking for a blue bird ..."

▽ Virgil

"That sounds grand! I'll help too! In exchange, can you keep what you saw before a secret?"

▽ Simon

"Okay, I won't tell the Lord. Then, do you have a plan?"

▽ Virgil

"It's darkest under the lamppost. The answer might be closer than we thought?"

Virgil looked outside the mansion while we decided to look inside the mansion.

▽ Simon

"It may have returned to the place it normally is."

With the idea in his head, Simon seemed to be walking with a purpose.

▽ Abel

"Where are you going in such a hurry?"

Abel called us and we stopped.

▽ You

"We're looking for a little bird that Simon is taking care of."

▽ Abel

"I see. I hope I can find it by dinner. You can't find it when it gets dark. "

▽ Simon

"…………."

To be honest, there was no guarantee that it would be found. Finding a bird that can fly around freely is a difficult task.

Perhaps he felt that, Simon closed his mouth.

▽ Abel

"Simon. ...... Believe, and give strength to your wish."

Abel grabs Simon's shoulder and speaks to inspire him.

▽ Abel

"Feelings surpass everything. Make the impossible possible!

The strong words touched our hearts like a spell.

We stopped in front of a room and opened the door.

Only an empty birdcage was there.

Let's give up already

I will do something

Be speechless

(A) Let's give up already

▽ You

"Let's give up already. It's impossible to find an escaped bird".

It's painful, but sometimes you have to face the reality.

▽ Simon

"No, that's not true……! There is no way I can give up"

His voice changed like he was a different person.

▽ Simon

"What do you know! This sadness, this pain ... "

My shoulders were strongly grasped and violently shaken.

▽ You

"Kya ……! !!"

I couldn't help but lose my balance to the momentum.

I hit my head hard on the desk holding the birdcage and fell to the floor.

A burning pain spread through my head. I couldn't even say a word, and it was pitch black in front of me.

I felt like I heard an eerie laugh in my consciousness.

BAD END

(B) I will do something

▽ ▽ You

I'll do something about it!

Before I noticed, the words had come out.. I didn't want to see Simon's sad face.

▽ Simon

"Really……?"

I didn't have a concrete solution, but if I didn't put my feelings forward then our hopes would be lost.

▽ You

"Yes……. I promise."

▽ Simon

"The power of Kotodama is strong. I wonder if your feelings will cause a miracle to happen."

When he spoke, he gently took my hand and smiled happily.

▽ You

"…………."

I had no words.. I was overwhelmed by the hopeless reality.

▽ Simon

"It's only when you lose something that you realize its importance..."

Simon's sadness was immeasurable. The expression of despair was unbearable to see.

▽ You

"I will do whatever I can. So please ..."

I muttered, praying to heaven.

CONTINUE:

Time passed mercilessly, and the night fell.

Waiting for the morning to come, I vowed to search again and went to sleep.

----------------------------------------

Go to Black Garden English Translation Directory here for more routes.

#black garden #heavens black garden #black garden english #black garden english translation #heavens black garden english #heavens black garden english translation #heavens #utapri black garden #heavens shion #shion amakusa

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ceryanie · 3 years

Text

I've been practicing with drawing Voltron characters lately, and I couldn't avoid noticing that Princess Malocoti needed a change in her design. I really want to do the things well, and I think I have the mission of doing the best writting I can for Voltron Ascenders: Rebels of the Stars (VARotS). I'm going to try to develop this character the best way I can, because I really want her to be compelling. I have a lot of things to say through her. Many ideas and headcanons... I wish I could do something good if the comic existed.

But let's talk about the scenes represented in these sketches! (o´▽`o) The sketch in the video has had some changes. Remember the reference sheet I did for her? Well, she now has the same outfit, but I thought I should change her hairstyle to make it look more "alien". I added rings and a three-pieces braid.

I want her to have more insteresting weapons apart of the two daggers she has. Something she could use to fight with bigger enemies, so, I put a pair of axes. She's expressing a kind of fear, since she's not exactly someone who likes to fight and prefers diplomacy over all in this headcanon. She has a kind and gentle demeanor almost all the time, and fights are not for her at all. But when it comes of defending, she's able to fight if necessary, however, she hides that part of herself for a while. Krellians have a very lethal fighting methods and strategies and their different alien powers and skills play in favor, that's due to their large history of conquests and invasions. This is shown in the biggest sketch, when Malo is using another outfit. Of course, some years have passed and she was with the "Lettuce Team" (Team Voltron) living hard experiences, facing psychological conflicts, cultural and social shocks. She really had the necesity to fight if she wanted to survive.

The other two sketches are poses that represent a scene in the story. The frist one is Malo in her classic dress. I did it in order to make the reference more compelling and Canonical, also, it represents the moment when she started to join to the Lettuce Team (Oh, yeah! Keith thought it would be a more discreet name) and know more about them. She always asks Earthlings words and terms. She also knows a lot of history, so she likes to take her time when speaking about the culture of other planets. You know? I find it interesting for her to have born with Eidetic Memory and being good at Chess. She is often seen playing with Pidge. These two have a friendly rivalry when it comes to table games. It's also kind of funny how I made her grow to 2.5 meters o(≧▽≦)o now Pidge is a dwarf in front of her despite having grown up!

The second sketch is when Malo starts speaking with a certain character and Pidge enters to the room to just to ask her about the "Girls night" they were going to have after an Altean party. Talking in a huge bed, that person asks her if she "likes likes" someone, leaving her nervous and without and answer, to which Malocoti responds, blushing: "Can you ask those kinds of questions?" In this sketch, is seen a "Royalty Mark" in her left arm. It is, as its name says, to represent royalty members, and the ones who are heirs to the throne, have a mark that differentiates them from just princes and princesses. Her Royalty Mark is particularly light brown.

Speaking about the rest of her body, due to scientific facts about Malo's heritage in this headcanon, her legs are strong and light, allowing her to move and "stick" to surfaces quickly, propel herself, and avoid short- and long-term attacks. You can also see how her four ears are in different directions, and that's because she can move them anywhere consciously, and having four ears, means that she can listen from long distance, hearing things that even the human ear can't.

I tried to replicate her body the best I can to make her loyal to me comics, so yeah, you can see "huuuge" details in it (¬‿¬ ).

I wanted to put her another dress, oh, God! I have a lot of dress ideas for this beautiful girl! But, in this case, it was part of... you know, the Altean party they were having.

There is this name "Leka" in the page. If you have seen some of the Malo's Headcanons, you can see where it says that mentioning a Krellian's last name means disrespect. For reasons that happen in the story, people refer to her as "Malocoti", instead of her first name "Leka".

By the way, what's your favorite ship with Malocoti? Mallura? Midge? Let's have a conversation in the comments below! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ

Don't forget to dm me if you want!

#voltron legendary defender #vld #princess malocoti #voltron characters #dragon princess #drawing #voltron post s8 #voltron girls #voltron fanart #voltron #Malo #malocoti #Lettuce Team #Team Lettuce #Pidge #Keith Kogane #Keith #Katie Holt

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