#but if i don't post this now I'll never post anything about desire and they're my favorite character!

[wings-of-flying]

the thing about chip is that he's a little too unassuming. an orphan kid with no name and no memory of anything beforehand, yet is old enough to beg to join the black rose pirates. sure, you can believe it, even if the other orphan aboard definitely has a name

that orphan kid then goes on to survive the hole in the sea, amongst few who lived and made swift recoveries, but unlike lizzie he had no protector, and unlike roofus he was a child, only nine. alone in the recently corrupted black sea and with no magic, he managed to make his way to land, which we've learnt is at least a few days travel when on a ship. he didn't drown, or freeze, and he doesn't seem to remember it. it's odd. almost impossible, you could say. but fine, we move on

with gillion and jay, he's so clearly the odd one out. standing between the chosen one and a descendent of the sun, he seems out of place (especially from a meta perspective). but even then, fine, it's probably just meant to be funny

but then there's all the other things. out of the three deals we've seen, he's the only one who's found niklaus rather than vice versa. he slipped through a dream into the realm of who we can only imagine to be one of the most powerful people in mana. and you have to remember he didn't possess any magic until after the feywild. the deal happened after joaldo

he's undead now. his heart was ripped out, his flesh is decaying, but he lives. sure, the other crew members of captain widow were technically undead too, but the fact remains true that this is unusual. the undead thing lead to him following the compass (which is something else i'll get into, because doesn't he seem oddly interested in it yet unaffected) into that sack where he met with niklaus for a second time, the only riptide pc we've seen met him more than once. and the wish doctor seemed more than happy to share some of his secrets with chip

now the compass. it's made by niklaus, linked to desire, and when ollie used it just a few times in joaldo it had instant effects. chip keeps looking at the compass, so much so that it's now magically increased his desire to find arlin, and yet he's had no other effects

when he made the deal with niklaus, his price seemed hardly anything. "don't interfere". it doesn't exactly align with gillion's favour or jay's name and a command she must obey. also it technically gave him two things: knowledge of arlin's whereabouts, and reverting the effects on ollie. and once again niklaus shared more of his plans with chip than any other captain. like he trusts him, almost

inexplicably, chip can speak celestial. a language which just so happens to be key to unlocking all these clues surrounding the hole in the sea (the map, the door in the place beneath the sea as well iirc). jay's understanding of primordial is explained by navy lessons (makes sense if they're dealing with the undersea), but chip's celestial never is

and now the place beneath the sea -- where the cumagoon (do i have to write that in a serious analysis post?), now unlocked by the compass, led -- a voice welcomed him home

i think chip's more deeply connected to the black sea than even he has ever considered. it runs much deeper than simply the loss of arlin and the black rose pirates. i think he, like niklaus, is intrinsically tied to the entity known as the nameless prince, and thereby the egg. he might be more significant magically than we previously thought

#long post #blorbo analysis #jrwi #jrwi riptide #jrwi chip #jrwi spoilers #egg theory

[xhanisai]

KISS IT BETTER KISS MARIBLANC, THAT'S IT THAT'S THE POST

"Is this everything? Or are you hiding any more injuries from me?" Chat Blanc muttered into her hair after giving the newly bandaged forehead a soft kiss, his ice blues flickering to the war-torn environment for a second and then back to her. Thankfully luck was on their side and all of Monarque's brutal sentimonstre titans had their hands full with the resistance.

"No. I got away with just simple scratches this time round." Marinette sighed, leaning into her Chaton's warmth as she watched their surroundings with bittersweetness.

"That wound on your head isn't just a simple scratch." He was rightfully firm, his grip on her hand tightening. "You'll become a liability if you don't get some rest. We don't want that wretched man to finally get his hands on your earrings, do we?" She hated how right he was, she hated how she couldn't just get everything done on her own terms,

She hated how much he loved her.

.

Because his selfless, neverending love and devotion towards her had him take the akuma butterfly that was meant for her and now he was constantly plagued with a never-ending mental war against their enemy and the desire to become one with pure destruction.

He's winning so far.

But he was also so, so exhausted.

And there wasn't anything she could do because Monarque had his akumatised item.

"Hey, you're making that face again." His tone was so warm, so Adrien, and all she could see was the internal agony that wailed within his blues. "I promise you, I'll find your family. I'll make sure they're safe and sound."

"They're strong. I know for sure that they're out there fighting against Monarque's army somewhere in the country." She couldn't help the fond smile that played on her bruised lips for the first time in forever and it had her partner soften his features at the sight. "I'm worried about you too. You haven't been resting either-"

He could only silence her with the soft press of his lips against her own, all sweetness and tenderness with the ghost of blood that never left their skin.

"I don't need rest. I'm strong too." He smiled, only for the sound of explosions to snap them out of their bubble. "Stay hidden. I'll get rid of them all."

"A lot of members of Monarque's army are akumatised people just like yourself- don't kill them." Her grip on his wrist was tight and she hoped, hoped that he would listen.

.

"Some of those people were willingly akumatised because they wanted to see your downfall, Marinette." Chills ran down her spine from the ominous glow of his eyes. "I won't let them get away with that."

And he was gone.

Kiss Ask Prompts - CLOSED

#my art #my asks #miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug and chat noir #my writing #mariblanc #marinette dupain cheng #chat blanc #sORRY I COULDNT HELP BUT WRITE A DRABBLE HAHAHAHHA #light blood #slight angst

[factual-fantasy]

26 ASKS!! :DD THANK YALL!! 🎉🎂🎉

@ardent-38 @lime-ether @piperjistic @elegysonnet @storylover2 @forestrests

AAAAAA THANK YALL SO MUCH!! :DDD YALL ARE THE BEST!! :}} 💖💖💖

(Sorry I'm a bit late!)

:DD Thank you!! My favorite might be plain vanilla 😋💖

@unpopularartist14

I have definitely heard of it and seen it around. :0 And I got a good taste of it from SMG4s video on it XDD I've thought about watching it in the past. Though hearing about that widely accepted ship.. Ehhh,, I'm not so sure now.. <XD

@sunshine-vr6

@wdillustration

:DD THANK YOU!! :}}}

@badlyblurry (Post in question)

XDD It really has. The poor guy is so conflicted. This really seems like a romantic moment. But surly she's just excited about her new form and doesn't understand the typical boundaries friends have.

Surly someone as beautiful and desirable as Blue.. wouldn't be interested in a old cookie like him.

..Right??

@jesterpiecethejester

They're still on my blog, I never deleted them or anything. You just gotta go to my #undertale tag and scroll down a bit-

@minnesotamedic186 (Post in question)

AWW!! Its might be a bit out of character for Blue, but its still a cute scene!! :DD

@keakruiser (Sorry for replying a bit late!)

:DDD THANK YOU!! I had some giant cookies and cream cupcakes! 😋😋

Huh, suprising!

....now what does Urchin taste like.. 🍴🍪

@edgywithaheart

Ooooo interesting!! :DD Though I wonder if this would change Barnaby and Howdy at all <XDD

GASP!! Nooo not my boy! He would never do a crime. XD

@jenny-the-fox

XD I think I have a couple of OCs that belong there--

(Post in question)

Oh! Thank you for the info! :DD

@candyglumboy (Post in question)

That could be an interpretation of it yeah :00 but to be totally honest, I haven't thought it all through yet..

The intention behind that comic is its showing that Eddie used to be a human. And now he's.. well. He's Eddie.

The comic was trying to show that there was someone he used to know when he was human. His sister? His mother? Someone.. He knew someone. And now that he's in the neighborhood.. she's gone. What happened to her? Who was she? Why do I miss her so much?.. Why.. am I crying? Why am I shaking?

"..What was I talking about.?"

@astaherussy

EATING THIS SCENARIO LIKE GARLIC BREAD FR!!! AAAAA JUST IMAGINE EVERYONE'S REACTIONS!!

I think the 3 of them are no strangers to bloody scenes, but that wouldn't make seeing their Octokids so hurt any easier.. <:(( Now I'm not much of a writer, and idk if this is the kind of response you were expecting.. but none the less you have inspired me! :}}

I can see them offering their services if needed, but mostly just staying out of Peso's way and letting him do his thing. when everything winds down and they're able to see each other.. it would be tough. :((

Kwazii would be in high spirits as always despite the injuries. He would proudly tell Calico Jack about how he was bravely able to fend off multiple sharks! He expected a lot of enthusiasm from his Grandad.. "..Y-Ye did great Kwazii, ye protected yer crew well. I'm real proud of ya for that.." Instead he got a more.. somber response.

With the time Kwazii has spent with the Octonauts, he's gotten a lot better at reading people. Its not hard to tell when someone is shaken. His ears are pinned back, his tail is puffed up and flicking back and fourth.. its clear that Jack isn't taking this sight well.

Kwazii would probably sit up straighter. "Hey,, Grandad I'm.. I'm alright, ye don't need to worry." He'd gently grab Jacks arm, getting his attention. "I'll be alright, this isn't a big deal! Really, I'm ok! It looks a lot worse than it actually is."

Jack might take a deep breath and nod "..I know. I know you'll be alright, lad.." His ears were still pinned back. Kwazii frowns. "..I'm alright now Grandad. This is small, trust me.." Jack would pause.. but then nod. Seeing Kwazii so beaten is hard for Jack to stomach. But Kwazii is one tough cookie.. Just like him. He knows that things will be ok. Kwazii will be ok.. They're both ok..

~~~

When Marsh came in to see Tweak, he almost lost his composure. He knows Tweak is tough. And she's gotten hurt a lot growin up, this ain't nothin she cant handle. But gosh, this hurts. That's his little girl. It hurts so much to see her like this. She's collapsed in medbay, and has her leg all bound up in a cast.

"Pa! Heh, uh- sorry about all this. You an I were supposed to go out swimmin after that mission. I guess uh.. it'll have to wait.. heh.."

A deep breath, "Now don't chu worry bout none of that," He sat down beside her bed and pat her on the shoulder. "You just put all yer energy into gettin better. Ok? We can always go see the reef another time." His droopy ears and shaky voice wasn't helping his tough façade..

Tweaks pauses for a moment. But then offers her hand to Marsh. He takes it, confused at first.

"..I'm sorry I scared you pa.. I'll be ok.."

...Unable to reply, Marsh just nods. He sighs and wipes his tears away. Gripping Tweaks hand tighter. He sniffles, and just nods..

~~~

Natquik's meeting with Barnacles went a little smoother than the others. He is no stranger to the sight of blood. And knowing that Barnacles is tough as nails, he wasn't too worried about him.. but still. Seeing Barnacles in such a state.. it wasn't easy.

When Natquik came in, he placed a gentle paw on the bears shoulder. "Barnacles, how do you feel? Are your wounds bad..?" Barnacles' voice was gravelly and slow. He had a nasty headache after that facial injury.. "..Oh.. I'll be alright.. its nothing I.. cant recover from.."

Natquik pulls up a stool and sits beside him. "You gave me a big scare, you know. You must not do that to me! No more dangerous missions for you!" He said wagging his finger.

Barnacles chuckled. "That wasn't meant to.. be a dangerous mission. Things just.. got out of hand." Natquik nods. "Yes yes, I can see.." His tone seemed off at the end there..

"..Are you alright, Professor?" It takes Natquik a second to respond.. Seeming to think over his words. "Don't worry for me, Barnacles. I am better now that I have seen you. And you will heal fine, yes? So all is ok." His hesitation wasn't reassuring.. But he knows how Natquik is. So doesn't push it further. "Yes, despite the scene we caused.. most of these injuries are minor. We'll be.. alright." Natquik puts on a smile that cant truly be read. "That is all that matters, my friend."

~~~

ALSO WAAHAGA THANK YOU SO MUCH!! :DDD I'm so glad to hear you like my stuff!! And you're interested even when you don't know thE CANON? BESTIE I AM HONORED!! 😭😭💖💖😭💖💖

And of course I would respond! :DD I LOVE receiving comments/interaction with my work. Its the #1 thing I hope my posts receive! Now I cant respond to every single one unfortunately, but I do read them all and respond to as many as I possibly can!! :D I'll take this moment to give a big thank you to all that leave me messages/comments/asks! They're my favorite thing!! 💖💖🥰💖

@couchwow

Thank you! :D Also OOOO CREATRURES! :DDD

@peaspods

I don't have a master post for those, no.. it would take a ton of effort for me to comb through my entire blog to compile it all so I haven't done it..

You can find all/most of that stuff under my #octonauts tag and my #deltarune tag. I hope this helps!

I did have a blue blanket for a time.. though that blanket doesn't actually exist irl-

Also man, that would take me forever to make. Bibi and the other's quilts were really small and easy to work with. I cant imagine all the time it would take for me in this state to make a full human sized quilt-

Plus I would have to draw the quilt with me whenever I draw my sona. Which would suck because then it would take longer for me to draw myself <XDD

XD Thank you!! :D I'm so glad you like them! :}}

WAAAAA THATS SO GOOODD!! 😭😭😭😭

#my response #tw descriptions of blood #tw descriptions of injury #octonauts #welcome home #eddie dear #factual fam #cookie run #cookie run kingdom #cookie run ocs #my ocs

[percheduphere]

honestly I'm more at a loss when people say sylki is canon. I am...very confused by what people mean by that. they were never anything romantic together? I honestly feel like I've missed a whole season of the show when that gets said. that's not from a shipping standpoint; that's from nothing happening that'd make them "canon"

like, to ship sylki is still to ship something that isn't and didn't become "canon". it's still wanting something that didn't happen between them

like, even if sylvie was an intended "love interest" (was she? even? on the basis of her being a woman that loki connects with?), I don't call that alone a romantic relationship between them being "canon". Like, if elizabeth bennet and mr darcy never became anything, they're not "canon". that's just something that could have been but wasn't.

they were never actually anything?

LET'S TALK ABOUT "CANON" & BISEXUAL REPRESENTATION, THE SERIES' MIDPOINT & THE THEME OF BETRAYAL, AND THE SUBJECTIVITY OF ROMANCE

I've been sitting on this inbox comment/ask for a long time because I wanted to make sure I respond in a way that feels productive, kind, and doesn't step on other fans' joy. Having said that, as a Lokius shipper, I think it's really important for Lokius shippers and Sylki shippers to unite on at least one subject and that's positive bisexual representation. This isn't meant to be a harsh reply--I understand what the anon is saying from their point of view--but I also want to delineate between canon and personal interpretation/taste.

I also want to note that it's unfair to disavow Mobius and Sylvie's impact on Loki, Loki's impact on each of them as a result of his individual relationships with them, and thus the impact Mobius and Sylvie have on one another separate from Loki. Doing so really halves the overall richness of the story, and taking this into account is why my metas are so annoyingly long. This one, in particular, is a mess but hopefully I've managed to wrangle it into some kind of coherence that addresses the anon ask that is respectful to Sylki. Fear not, Lokius shippers, I discuss Lokius in this post, too. But first, let's talk about canon and bisexual representation ...

CANON AND BISEXUAL REPRESENTATION

Canon is often defined as: 1.) what is actually written in text (as opposed to subtext), AND 2.) what the creator(s) verbally confirm.

I've said before and I'll keep repeating: the most important aspect of art is art's relationship with the reader/viewer. Individual interpretation is what escalates a medium to a deeply personal and, at times, spiritual level. Art is supposed to make us think and feel. We're supposed to interact with it and do with it what we will. This is particularly important when we consider that much of consumable art is hampered by the demands of capitalism. Fan-interpretation democratizes what people without power want to see and hear, whereas canon (especially mass media canon) often self-censures to sell to the widest audience.

From the creators' standpoint, Sylvie has always been intended to be Loki's romantic interest, and Loki was always intended to have romantic feelings for her. This is what the creators tell us. Whether or not one likes Sylvie and Loki together is subjective.

As for the text, the plot between Loki and Sylvie has the markers of a romance, albeit one that doesn't come into full fruition. By full fruition, I mean a happy ending with each character affirming one's love for the other and committing to being together. Now, a relationship doesn't have to be successful or reciprocal to be considered romantic. Heck, it can be absolutely toxic and still be romantic. Whether or not the plot is convincing in its execution of romance, however, is also subjective.

What romance requires is: 1.) at least one of the characters desiring the other, and 2.) at least one of the characters willing to sacrifice for the other. Sacrifices don't have to be big, either. They can be small and cumulative.

Canonically, Loki fulfills both of these romantic requirements for Sylvie. (More on Sylvie below).

Subtextually (that is, not canon as defined above), Loki and Mobius fulfill both of these requirements for one another.

I'm gonna soap box for the next two paragraphs, so you can skip over this if that's not your jam. Both romances, canonical and subtextual, can exist concurrently without erasing the existence of the other. Even if Loki and Mobius had miraculously become canon in S2 (it's Disney, this never would have happened but let's explore the hypothetical), that doesn't erase Loki's former romance with Sylvie in S1. To erase that history is bisexual erasure, which isn't okay. Likewise, quashing the importance of queer subtext in order to "kill the other ship" isn't okay either, as it reinforces optical heteronormative romance in mass media and is also a form of bisexual erasure.

What's more important than either ship "winning" is the positive portrayal of a bisexual character. This means a character who demonstrates genuine love and devotion to people of more than one gender. If we accept the canon AND the subtext (we don't have to like it; Sylki's not my cup of tea personally, but I accept it as real), Loki fulfills positive bisexual representation, however restrained that representation may be. The social goal is to get to the point where a media juggernaut like Disney allows its franchise characters to experience relationships with more than one gender canonically and positively. We're not there yet and I'll probably be dead before Disney ever gets there, but Loki can be seen as a historical stepping stone distinct from Aziraphale and Crowley (Good Omens) and Steve Bonnet and Edward Teach (Our Flag Means Death).

(NOTE: Polyamory is a whole separate subject matter, which I'm won't get into here.)

ON SYLVIE

There's fan dispute over Sylvie's interest in Loki. I've previously written meta on Sylvie's sexuality and how she responds to Loki's romantic advances here. In S1, while she starts off frustrated, I think Sylvie slowly develops interest and was cautiously hopeful that she and Loki could figure out their futures together. Loki has been consistent about wanting to be with Sylvie and supporting her up until the necessary plot conflict of the series midpoint (S1E6; the S1 finale). This midpoint is the root cause for why Loki and Sylvie's relationship becomes strained. Again, this doesn't mean that the romance never existed--the plotpoints are there--but it does mean Loki's character development got in the way.

So let's talk about the series' midpoint and the interplay of Mobius, Loki, and Sylvie's mutual impact. The three are so deeply entangled that it's worth untangling their cause and effect on one another.

THE SERIES' MIDPOINT & THE THEME OF BETRAYAL

I keep stressing in my other metas that the series' midpoint (S1E6) is the most critical. Structurally, midpoints are where the story turns. Midpoints occur on multiple scales: at the episode level (typically in acts 3 or 5, depending on how the screenwriter divides their screenplay), at the season level, and at the series level. Midpoints are what provide the overall narrative and character arcs with movement.

As a whole, there are 3 key midpoints in the entire series:

1.) S1E2/E3 - When Loki betrays Mobius for Sylvie (midpoint of S1)

2.) S1E6 - When Loki betrays Sylvie for the "bigger picture" (midpoint of the whole series)

3.) S2E3/E4 - When it's revealed HWR betrayed Renslayer; Victory Timely is brought into the mix, and Sylvie reluctantly joins the TVA (midpoint of S2)

There is another betrayal that runs near-concurrently with #2, which is Mobius's betrayal of Renslayer (it begins in S1E4 and continues into the S1 finale). Thematically, we can take Loki's betrayal of Sylvie and Mobius's betrayal of Renslayer as mirrors of one another because these are the only betrayals that are motivated by good rather than selfishness. The selfish betrayals of #1 and #3 bookend betrayal #2 to highlight the beginning Loki's readiness to become a hero in S1E6. Where S1 focuses on Loki exploring who he is, S2 focuses on the hero Loki will become. S1E6 therefore serves as Loki's turn, his launching point to get to where he lands in S2E6. The story is really well-structured!

The poetic irony is that Loki's S1E6 betrayal was not an act of villainy, but an act of character growth.

There is plot set-up for Loki's betrayal of Sylvie, and that set-up is 2-pronged: 1.) from Sylvie's end, her misinterpretation of Loki's intentions, and 2.) from Mobius's end, the provision of unconditional friendship. Building up to these prongs are S1E1 - S1E3, in which Loki's self-interest and impulsivity are emphasized. S1E4 pivots Loki from self-interest and impulsivity to consideration for others and caution. Sylvie did not bear witness to Loki and Mobius's interactions in S1E1-S1E2 and S1E4 in the time loop chamber. She has no context for why Loki would hesitate killing HWR. I'll discuss this more under "Prong 2".

PRONG 1: SYLVIE'S MISINTERPRETATION

In the scene below (S1E5), Sylvie makes an assumption about what Loki wants and Loki admits via subtext that ruling a timeline actually won't make him happy.

Sylvie smiles in response, implying she understands what Loki means, however Loki often speaks in double-meanings (he cannot be trusted) and Sylvie has doubts (she cannot trust). From Sylvie's point-of-view, Loki has discussed the desire to rule with her 3 times (writers' magic 3s again). Above is the third. The previous 2 are:

1.) In their first confrontation in S1E2, when Loki offers Sylvie the opportunity to be his lieutenant. (Can't find the gif of this. Grr ...)

2.) On Lamentis (S1E3) in the scene below:

By S1E6, Loki has no interest in rule.

He's honest when he says he's worried about the greater ramifications of killing HWR. Sylvie doesn't believe him. The question is how did Loki arrive at this point in his character arc? Why slow down now? Why worry about the consequences now?

The answer is in S1E4.

PRONG 2: MOBIUS'S UNCONDITIONAL FRIENDSHIP

It's established in S1E1 that Mobius knows Loki better than Loki knows himself and consequently better than Sylvie knows Loki. A lot of Mobius-haters despise Mobius's cold confrontational tactics but it is those same tactics that force Loki to self-reflect. And to be clear, Mobius uses cruelty in S1E1 because 2012 Loki would not believe in, let alone listen to, softness and compassion. Cruelty is a language 2012 Loki understands, therefore Mobius communicates with him on that level to get him to listen and start thinking about the answers to the hard questions.

Not exactly the gif I wanted, but close enough. In this scene, Mobius wonders why Loki, who "has so much range", wants a throne. He then asks Loki, what's next? The implication of these questions is that Mobius knows Loki will never be satisfied. He knows, deep down, a throne is a poor substitute for what Loki really wants: love, acceptance, and companionship.

Mobius's tone is mocking, his note that Loki has a wide range is complimentary, and the question is serious. Further, and this important, Mobius gives Loki respect in conjunction with his cruelty, his compliments, and his seriousness by acknowledging Loki's intelligence ("I am smart"; "I know") and his potential to be more than a villain ("That's not how I see it"). Understandably, this strange, dizzying mix of seemingly contradictory truths puts Loki off-balance.

Their tenuous allyship becomes a friendship in Mobius's eyes near the end of S1E2. Mobius is practically squeeing about Loki's multiple breakthroughs and how well they work together to Renslayer:

And Loki genuinely looks excited to help Mobius. Look at that fist-pump. Mobius doesn't see it, he's ahead of Loki, so his enthusiasm isn't an act. The seeds of mutual trust (rather than doubt) have been planted.

Unfortunately, Loki's poor impulse control and need to hedge his bets out of self-interest lead him to betraying Mobius. Both Sylvie and Mobius take Loki's betrayals poorly.

The key difference is that Mobius cannot resist the desire to trust Loki, to want to be his friend. This desire creates Mobius's doubt in Renslayer, which in turn leads to his betrayal of her.

Forgiveness isn't easy. It requires the ability to accept disagreements and another person's shortcomings. It requires good will, faith, and a willingness to move on. It requires compromise and, at times, letting go entirely.

Mobius torturing Loki with the Sif memory loop was awful. His personal hurt is directly tied to the below admission, which informs Loki what Mobius thought of their relationship:

And that revelation startles him. It forces him to evaluate his actions that led to Mobius saying such a thing (impulsivity; self-interest). Loki, who doesn't want to be alone, desires Mobius's friendship.

So when Mobius returns to Loki with an olive branch ...

Loki offers Mobius an olive branch of his own by affirming the friendship Mobius believed in but felt betrayed by.

Thus, Loki and Mobius accept each other's olive branches. They forgive each other and repair their relationship from there. This is critical thematically because Loki and Mobius each extend olive branches to Sylvie and Renslayer respectively, both of whom reject those olive branches more than once. Sylvie and Renslayer represent opposite ends of the chaos versus order ideology, for which neither is willing to compromise. Loki and Mobius also start out at opposite ends before meeting in the middle.

Sylvie unfortunately does not know anything about Loki's interactions with Mobius and how those interactions have impacted Loki's motivations. She doesn't know that Loki wants to "slow down and think about this" because the last time he acted on impulse, it turned out he almost threw Mobius's friendship out the window without realizing he had his friendship in the first place.

For her, the seeds of doubt have already been planted: Loki betrayed the TVA to pursue her, Loki expressed shock at Sylvie's desire to "walk away" rather than taking advantage of the "ultimate power vacuum" once the TVA is destroyed, he expresses the desire to rule 3 times. Therefore, it's perfectly reasonable for Sylvie to assume Loki would betray her for power even though she had hopes to the contrary. Romantic tragedy? Absolutely. Believable? Depends on who you ask and what your personal taste is.

There must be some kind of sentiment on Sylvie's part, however, because she chooses not to kill Loki. Instead, she kisses him goodbye and throws him through a time door.

Mobius's friendship is therefore the catalyst for everything that unravels between Loki and Sylvie in S1E6 (the series' midpoint). I think it's safe to interpret Sylvie's tearing into Mobius in S2E4 as not only due to being in the TVA and having all her traumas brought to the surface, but also due to experiencing jealousy. This level of anger matches Mobius's outrage about Sylvie in S1E4! Note, however, that this interpretation of Sylvie's interaction with Mobius is subtext. Subtext goes many ways!

THE SUBJECTIVITY OF ROMANCE

Are Loki and Sylvie a believable romance? It depends on your taste.

A fictional couple's overall successful reception by the audience (which is rarely if ever 100%) is contingent on a few things:

1.) Character development

2.) Story execution

3.) Chemistry between the actors

Reception and interpretation of the above are all subjective. In addition to these elements, another important factor is couple trope. Depending on your preference, some tropes might be nope while others are yum. You might even like most tropes but the actor chemistry, character development, and/or plot are just not doing it for you.

Loki and Mobius follow the tropes of:

Opposites attract/Complementary set

Sunshine and cynic

Enemies to allies to friends to lovers

Sherlock and Watson

Slow burn

Ride or Die

Loki and Sylvie, on the other hand, follow the tropes of:

Exceptionally similar but with key differences/Matching Set

BAMF duo

Enemies to allies to lovers

Bonnie and Clyde

Fast and passionate

Ride or Die

Loki and Sylvie's romantic dynamic may be compared to the following couples in other media:

Batman and Catwoman

Jack Sparrow and Angelica Teach

Benedict and Beatrice

If you notice, they all have very similar personality traits. They also fight and fight a LOT. It's part of their charm and can add to their chemistry.

Personally, I didn't feel any chemistry between Loki and Sylvie, I didn't feel like there was enough warmth between them, and I really wanted Loki to be loved by someone who makes an effort to understand him rather understanding his core traits off the bat by being the same entity. Loki and Mobius hit all the right story beats for me. Tom and Owen's chemistry as actors is remarkable. I'm also a sucker for ball of sunshine and cynic dynamics.

But that's just me. That doesn't mean I don't see what the creators tried to do with Loki and Sylvie in terms of plot, character development, and couple tropes. Some people felt chemistry between Tom and Sophia, others (like me) didn't. Whatever the case, the canon exists and the romantic tropes are there. I just feel the subtextual romance between Loki and Mobius is stronger and that, again, is my subjective judgment.

#loki #lokius #mobius #loki series #loki season 2 #loki meta #my meta #asks #sylvie #loki analysis #my analysis

[angelsdean]

sorry i'm still thinking meta-ly about deancassie's goodbye. like first there's what i said in the linked post. dean notably isn't the one driving in this scene. it's sam behind the wheel, steering them away. because leaving cassie again is painful. it's the last thing he wants to do. and dean is someone who struggles to do the leaving when it comes to the people he loves. at four years old he establishes this sort of idea about love and leaving. he tells mary as he comforts her after john left, "i love you too. and i'll never leave you." he sees how john leaving hurts mary and dean promises to never be the one who leaves. and while, later, his life circumstances often get in the way, he continues to struggle to do the leaving. and it hurts him deeply when he gets left.

so, this goodbye, he can't be in the driver's seat. he just can't do it. and then on the road, sam asks, "You meet someone like her, doesn't it makes you wonder if it's worth it? Putting everything else on hold, doing what we do?" and dean just smiles and pointedly does not answer. because we know what his answer would be. we know already, despite the facade he puts up, that dean doesn't really want to be doing this. he scoffs at the apple pie picket fence life in a "the lady doth protest too much" sort of way. we know he had his own dreams, desires. he wanted to go to college too. he wanted a normal life. so, if he could just put it all down? if he could stop hunting and not feel guilty about it and build a life with someone he loves, would he? yes, of course, yes. but he doesn't feel he has that choice. he still feels bound to this duty, this mission. so what's the point in answering that question when the answer won't change anything? instead he puts on his sunglasses and reclines back and tells sam to wake him up when it's his turn to drive. (because he still can't drive yet. they're still too close. he could easily turn the car around. he doesn't trust himself not to)

but, back to the other part of deancassie's goodbye that really gets me. it's dean's insistence that they will see each other again (even if we know this to be false, being the omniscient audience we are with the power to see into the future.) because dean has.....faith. dean got his crash course in faith in the previous episode and now, well, he's a bit of a believer in things that seem impossible. cassie says she's a "realist" and "doesn't see much hope" for them. but dean says he's seen stranger things. cassie says "goodbye" with an air of finality but dean responds with, "I'll see ya, Cassie....I will." determined and believing every word. because, again, dean can't bear to leave the people he loves. but if he must or if circumstances / other powers force them apart then he'll do everything he can to find his way back to them.

he is literally, literally the kind of person who does not say "goodbye" but "see you later." a fact that is made all the more heart-wrenching when you think about 15x18 too. "why does this sound like a goodbye" dean asks, his whole body filling with dread. "because it is." and dean pleading, "don't do this, cas." and then cas, like cassie, says "goodbye" with an air of finality. and what do we know about dean? well, he doesn't accept goodbyes. "I'll see ya....I will."

anyways dean's last goodbye with his first love and dean's last goodbye with his last love, two people that also share very similar names, is just. well. it sure does make me feel some kind of way.

#mymeta #vics spn rewatch #dean studies #spn 1x13 #spn 15x18 #parallels #deancassie #deancas

[writingquestionsanswered]

Ace Writer Wants to Write S*x Scene

Anonymous asked: Hi, thanks for what you’re doing. You’re really great. How do you write s*x scenes? Graphic s*x scenes? I want to write a story about love, but I don’t know if I could do the s*x scenes as I’m asexual, but I know that love stories include s*x. How do I do this without messing it up?

Note from WQA: Words were censored in this post due to previously being asked to do so. Now that content filtering has been around for a while, I'll stop, but I'm leaving this post up as is... Okay, first things first... love stories do not have to include s*x and many actually do not.

When it comes to writing romantic fiction, there are different "heat levels" that dictate how much s*x the story contains. The exact definitions vary from place to place, but generally they are:

Mild/Clean- Nothing beyond a bit of hugging, hand holding, and kissing. Nothing you couldn't see in a Disney family movie. Anything more can only be gently hinted at having happened off the page, but never openly discussed. The reader is not privy to the s*xual desires of characters.

Warm/Sweet - A little more hugging, hand holding, and kissing that can lead to "fade to black"/"behind a closed door," but only if love has been declared by both partners. S*x can be implied after the fact through word play, such as: "We went into the bedroom and fell into a world of our own making." However, s*x is not openly discussed and the reader is not privy to s*xual desires of characters.

Sensual - Plenty of romantic interaction and making out, s*x can occur on the page between characters who have declared love, but not in graphic detail. Description of the act focuses more on character emotions and sensation. Body parts can be named, but only using proper names (no coarse words).

Steamy - Consummation is described in graphic detail, with coarse language being acceptable. Participants are not necessarily in love but eventually will be. However, s*x is not the primary focus of the story, and is only used to further the emotional journey.

Erotic - Heavy emphasis on s*xual activities, which are longer/more involved and described in graphic detail using coarser language, sometimes exploring acts that are considered more graphic, experimental, or taboo.

So... as for how to write a scene were s*x is described on the page, I can't tell you that because I don't write it. But what I can tell you is you can absolutely write good ones even if they're outside your range of experience. Google is your bestie when it comes to finding out how to write them. There are tons and tons and tons of romance writers who have written guides on how to write great s*x scenes. Just Google that, and you'll see them. I think it's also helpful to watch movies and TV shows that feature s*x scenes if you want to write them.

I hope that helps! ♥

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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#writing tips #writing help #wqaadvice #tw sex

[antiendovents]

(same person who made the last ask, pls delete it cause I got some stuff wrong and don't want to spread misinfo, remaking it)

got inspired by the anon venting about sysboxes to make this

1 - am I the only one who thinks its weird that they made an exception for the pro endo mod just because they're friends?? especially since many of the mods have said they've been harrased by endos, yet they let a pro endo mod

2 - "The DNI of this blog still stands. I’m simply an exception due to being the type of person I am." ok so you don't actually have a dni

3 - no you're no anti endo if you let a pro endo mod. you're just traumagenic exclusive.

4 - I think I could write a whole essay on how much this thing they said annoys me: "look past a syscourse label and understand the desire to make the lives of CDD systems a little bit better surpasses petty online drama."

5 - petty online drama. wow. yeah lets support a group that has manipulated, lied to, and confused so many cdds but also say we want to make their lives better.

6 - they were like the biggest anti endo account. why are cdds never allowed spaces away from endos.

(obligatory they can do whatever they want with their blog, they don't need permission for anything, also harassment is stupid)

((we posted the other one before we got this, but it's deleted now, don't worry anon ^_^))

but yeah, we agree with you! We'll format our opinions in the same way you formatted yours!

1- it is weird in our opinion and reminds us very much of those kind of discord servers that for some reason let the staff break the rules without consequence yet blow up at the members of they do the same.

2- yeah, it doesn't really feel like a DNI, more or less just words slapped on there at this point.

3- same as above, it feels like their blog is basically just endo-neutral and traumagenic exclusive under the label of anti endo. If that makes sense. Like It feels less like they're anti endo now and more like a "oh, I say I don't support it, but if they're nice sure I'll let it slide" type thing.

4- we see people say that a lot and we can't stand it. No, we will not look past "syscourse labels" because we do not want to interact with or even be near anyone who supports endos, who have and still do spread harmful misinformation.

5- yeah, it's not "petty online drama", it's survivors of literal childhood trauma wanting a safe space where they can avoid people who mock their disorder + people who support those people who mock it (endos + pro endos)

6- mhm, they were and still are very big, and sure they still claim to be anti endo, but like— if someone claims to be anti trans-ID but then supports someone that is pro trans-ID and even lets them mod their anti trans-ID blog, then are they really anti trans-ID?

((and yeah, don't harass them. That's not cool))

#anti endo #did #did system #endos dni #plural #actually did #alters #system #endos fuck off #did osdd

[johnny-slaughter-me]

— “ 𝐌𝐚𝐦𝐚'𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐲. ” | Johnny Slaughter x Female Reader.

Oneshot. Based off this post by @abundance-of-fic-reblogs.

Notes. English isn't my native language so typos and grammar issues are likely.

Warnings. This fic is sfw. Canon kidnapping, cannibalism and gore mentioned, along with arranged marriage and children.

Enjoy. I hope you enjoy the content. Much love, Cherry. 🍒

You were supposed to be just another victim. You and your friend group's car broke down and the only sign of life near by was the rundown gas station. Luckily- or so you thought, it was still open and there was and older gentleman working the counter.

It became a blur, you don't even remember how you ended up tied in someones basement. A loud rev of a chainsaw woke you up followed with a scream that sounded like it belonged to one of your friends. You panicked trying to break free from the ropes restraining you from leaving. A scream escaped your lips as you felt a firm hand on your back. "Now, now, no need to be so scared, darlin'. Be quiet, and I'll take you to a safer place." The man said. He picked you up and carried you over his shoulder. Despite not knowing who he is, you didn't resist, too scared to disobey. Johnny doesn't know waht came over him. He initially went there to grab you and bring you straight to Leatherface's lair, where you'd be met with the same fate as your friends. But when put his hand on your back and that small yet terrified scream escaped your lips he look into your eyes. For the first time Johnny didn't feel the desire to kill, no, he desired other things. And now here he was taking you to his shed. He dropped you down and made up a little corner for you, "hide here for now darlin', should be safe. I'll come check on you. But don't you dare go away they're out there and I won't be able to help ya'." The man, who you'd later come to know as Johnny, said; leaving you behind.

Time wasn't as kind as you'd wish, you never got to go home. Instead Johnny had managed to keep you as his "girlfriend" meaning he's family dinner directly harmed you. You spent most of your time in his shed, he only let you in the house if he was there with you. You could even tell if he had locked you in his shed everyday because of some twisted fantasy or because he genuinely thought his family is out to get you and did it as a means of protection. Anything was possible with him, or his family. You couldn't even begin to understand them and why they behaved the way they did. Nancy, Johnny's mom, scared you the most. You definitely thought she was plotting your murder. She never spoke to you, but she would and continues to speak of you, even infront of you, and it is never kind things she has to say about you. Johnny would sometimes argue with her, but it was never necessarily to defend you, but rather his decision for wanting to keep you. "You are my boy Johnny, I know you better than you know yourself. She is distracting you away from the family." Nancy scolded him during dinner, with you and they entire family present. You kept your head low and ate quietly as you did every night. Not wanting to give her anymore reasons to kill you. "She's nothing but trouble, you could find even whores who will provide what she does and more. You can do better my boy, I don't want you settling down for something like that when you can do better." Nancy insulted you once again, "I think she's nice and pretty!" Sissy randomly said, you turned to look at her, no one in the family had ever stood up for you except for Johnny. You smiled at Sissy as your cheeks got a bit pink, but then you heard Nancy growl under her teeth so you quickly lowered your head and pretended to not exist anymore. As Nancy was about to talk some more shit, the older man from the gas station that you visited before being kidnapped, spoke: "as long as Johnny doesn't spring no love child around here, she don't bother us. If he gets too distracted imma smack that Johnny boy of yours in the head!". Suddenly, Johnny stood up, his eyes lit up and he made his way towards you. Resting his hands on your shoulders, you looked up at him, you locked eyes for a brief moment before you followed his gaze towards Nancy. "Mother." Johnny said, "I know you are looking out for me but there's just some needs of mine you can't fulfill. If you really love me you won't be mean to the woman I choose now, would you?" Nancy took a breath before starting to say, "of course not Johnny, I love you and am so proud of you. You are my bo-" but Johnny cut her off before she continued, "then ma', how 'bout I marry Y/N, and after she'll become part of the family, we can give ya' a mini Johnny? You can help raise him! It'll also keep the family going ya' know? We always gotta put family first, but Y/N is family, let her be your family too!" You nearly choked on your food as he spoke, sure you too have been intimate already, it was one of the reasons he kept you alive. You've accepted the fact that you are never going back home, and this is your family now, but aside from Johnny only Sissy really made any efforts to make you feel welcomed. Nancy looked at Johnny, she gave a thought to his words, he wasn't wrong. The family eventually needed to grow, you and Johnny would be the perfect ones to do so, and unlike Johnny she was now to old to raise a child all on her own, but motherhood- no matter how twisted her version of it was, did fill in the void she tended to feel. She walked up and extended her hand out to you. You shook it, feeling safe to do so since Johnny was right at your side. "Welcome to the family." She said, "I can't believe it! We are going to have a wedding! Can I help with making the dress?" Sissy said with puppy eyes and excitement you've never seen her express before. Everyone seemed excited and welcomed you to the family.

"Congratulations, you are now Y/N Slaughter." Johnny whispered in your ear that night when you both rested in his bed. You just looked into his eyes, as twisted as this relationship was, you have grown in love with this man. Maybe life won't be too bad afterall, you thought to yourself. You gave Johnny a peck on the lips and whispered "goodnight, hubby." Then closed your eyes and curled up besides him.

#Cherry Writes 🍒 #Johnny Slaughter #Johnny Slaughter x Reader #Johnny Slaughter x Female Reader

[greyskyflowers]

I've discussed it before and since one of my older post about is it being liked again, I'll discuss it again!

Feral Zoro

Feral Zoro gives me so feelings.

The crew goes nuts during battle sometimes and that's not something you can just turn off. And sure, the others can be wild and fierce but Zoro has battle carved in his bones. The rumble of war drums and old prayers said before battle to wrathful gods are all layered in his pulse.

And all that desire, that relentless fury and strength, went from protect myself and my dream to protect them and their dreams.

Protect Luffy.

Nami.

Sanji.

Usopp.

Robin.

Chopper.

Franky.

Brook.

Jinbei.

Sunny.

I imagine that mantra is louder than anything else during those fights, the urge to protect and defend.

Don't you dare let them get past you. Don't you even think of losing this fight. You have to be the best because if you aren't that means someone else is... And what if that person is the enemy?

Failure is not an option because someone is relying on you.

You can cry with grief until your eyes are swollen and dry like the world feels at that moment, or curse every god you can think of with snarled anger at the sky, or let yourself drift away for a little while all the agony and pain you put your body through comes racing in with thunderous noise, later.

But now... Right now you hold it together.

There is no other option.

You stop when your blood has soaked into the earth so much it's started pooling on the surface or until your body gives up and moving is almost a foreign word.

You can rest when they do. When they are safe. You don't stop before then because you can't.

And while I think Luffy is fantastic at leaving it all out in the field, Zoro really lets himself slide into that mindset in a way far different from Luffy.

And I can't imagine it's easy to settle down after those battles. I'm not talking about the small battles or the ones where they leave a little beat up but okay overall.

No.. I'm talking about the ones that change them. Where at some point, or perhaps multiple, the thought crosses their mind that this might be it.

I've never been in a situation like that obviously, but I know how I get when I get anxious and overwhelmed. Even once the problem is fixed and things settle back down, I'm running around checking on things and watching everything. Heart still ready to start running laps again and nerves pulled tight.

That's a work environment. Granted a very important and stressful work environment but no one will die at my job. My loved ones will not be hurt because of something I do or don't do at work.

Now take that to a scale that comprises of the big battles they've had. That's a whole lot of feeling and adrenaline to just let go of.

And I love after fights where the crew just kind of all go limp and happy because it's done and Luffy won because of course he did.

But...

I think Zoro probably paces a lot those nights, silent and one with the shadows. Heavy boots making the softest thud, the gentle chimes from his earrings, and the quiet noise his swords make as they knock against each other.

Pacing the deck over and over if they're on the Sunny.

Up and down hallways if they're someplace different.

Even around the room.

He just embodies that caged tiger vibe.

They can't rush him. He has to relax on his own but they all help.

He's a little unpredictable and wild eyed like this but they're not scared of him, could never be truly scared of someone who is such a huge part of who they are.

They settle him like a tiger.

With space to spread his legs and get out any extra energy. They let him pace his territory and check on them, even though tigers aren't pack animals. They coax him into the kitchen to eat and replace the energy his body burned through, even though he doesn't register he's hungry. They patch him up with slower movements than normal and try to calm him each time he tenses up and his muscles jump.

Sometimes he stays bloody and raw until several hours later, when he's finally calm enough to take off all the grime and blood like it was a final layer of armor left from the battle.

Sometimes it takes longer, and they wait it out with him until he's ready to come back.

And they'll die before they tell anyone but Zoro's a cuddler, especially after episodes like that. Cat like cuddles all the way.

#one piece #zoro #luffy #sanji #tony tony chopper #nami #brook one piece #usopp #franky one piece #robin nico #jinbei #mugiwara pirates #straw hat crew #mugiwarapirates #strawhats #thousand sunny #setting sail with greyskyflowers

[molsno]

minecraft would need a lot of changes in order to be less colonialist, and I don't think it would even really be possible to completely strip the game of all colonialism (it still fundamentally is a terra nullius fantasy at its core) but I've been thinking a lot about how I personally would redesign it as a developer, and I have so many thoughts that if I were to list them all, this post would go on forever. so I think for now, I'll focus on one particular aspect: villagers and illagers.

as a disclaimer, these are just my personal thoughts. I wouldn't consider myself an expert on decolonization, so my analysis may very well be limited. I have a strong passion for storytelling through the use of game mechanics, and that's the angle I'm approaching this from. if I were planning to make any changes to minecraft (which I'm not), I would consult with people who know more than me about this topic first and involve them in the process. anyway, since this post turned out way longer than I expected, I've put the rest under a read more.

the primary critique leveled against villagers and illagers is that they're antisemitic caricatures. a lot has already been said about this, and I'm not jewish myself, so I don't particularly have anything novel to contribute to that conversation. I think that their models should be changed, and all forms of golems should be renamed. I believe there's a mod that renames them to constructs, so I'll be using that to refer to them here.

I think that overall, the biggest problem that villagers have is that you are not incentivized in any way to engage with their mechanics. the most productive and rewarding way of engaging with villagers is to ravage their homes and steal all of their valuable resources, then build slums so that you can shove a villager of each career into a 1x1 hole. to further benefit from this, you can make a zombie effectively kill them, then bring them back to life using a splash potion of weakness and a golden apple. they will then have discounted prices on all of their trades.

there are so many problems with this I don't even know where to begin. to put it simply, you are not incentivized to treat them as inhabitants of the world that are equal to you; you're rewarded for essentially turning them into slaves. this is a fate far more cruel, far more evil, than anything the pillagers do to them (which I'll get to later).

if I were designing the villager system, then the first thing I would do is make them less useful to you if you treat them like this. if you steal the resources from their village, including the items in their chests, then I think that should affect the trades they offer you. think about it: why would they have anything to trade with you if they don't have any resources in their village? if you completely restrict their movement, then they shouldn't trade with you at all; how could they? on top of that, they should fight back! if you start mistreating them, then nearby villages should start taking defensive measures, like building walls around their villages to keep you out and iron constructs to fight you if you attempt to enter. I think this would further humanize the villagers by conveying that they communicate with each other, that they have thoughts and feelings beyond just desiring emeralds. and indeed, having other villages respond to your behavior would demonstrate that they communicate with other villages, not just as trading partners, but as allies.

speaking of trading, it desperately needs to be overhauled. I think one of the reasons people tend not to engage with trades is because villager trades are generally terrible deals, and that's mostly because emeralds are an extremely rare ore. yes, you can obtain emeralds through trading, but the quantity is never enough. the minimum number of emeralds an armorer who hasn't been zombified and healed will ask for in exchange for an enchanted diamond chestplate is 21. given that emeralds are quite literally more rare than diamonds, it makes far more sense to spend your time mining diamonds than mining emeralds to take advantage of that trade. you will likely find 21 diamonds far quicker than you would find 21 emeralds, and with 21 diamonds, you could create 2 chestplates and 2 enchanting tables, and still have 1 diamond left to spare. and most villager trades are similarly worthless! I think that increasing the generation rate of emeralds would help assuage this problem.

another issue I have with villagers is that they're generally depicted as "primitive". they live harmoniously with nature, which is good; considering the fact that the main audience for minecraft is children, I think encouraging kids to see value in protecting the natural world is a good idea. however, the villagers as they are don't really demonstrate this idea, and many of minecraft's game mechanics actually encourage you to destroy nature in order to extract more resources. I think that showing the villagers using more sophisticated technology would demonstrate that it's possible to collect resources more efficiently and sustainably without destroying the environment.

the main way that I would go about demonstrating this is adding redstone devices to villages. perhaps they could have farms that use pistons to release water that automatically harvests the grown crops and delivers them into a chest using hoppers. or maybe they could have houses that are lit automatically at night using daylight sensors and redstone lamps. maybe armorers' houses could have automatic smelting mechanisms. perhaps they could have a redstone clock that rings the village bell at set intervals to indicate the time of day. not only would all of this demonstrate that the villagers are capable of using technology, it would also teach the player what redstone does and how it can be used, which is something that minecraft sorely needs; as it stands, there are almost no uses of redstone in natural world generation. I think this would additionally demonstrate that technology is a very effective tool in making the lives of people easier, without destroying the environment through extractionist practices.

I think this is a good segue to talk about illagers. it seems to me that the primary purpose of illagers is to contrast them with villagers by making them more violent, and in many ways, colonialist. I think that expanding on this would be a great idea!

if villagers had redstone devices, for example, then illagers could have more complex redstone devices that are more destructive and unethical. while these would undoubtedly produce more resources, their negative effects would be made more apparent. for example, they could have automatic chicken cooking farms that produce enormous amounts of pre-cooked chicken, but the meat is of a lower quality - perhaps restoring fewer hunger points and with a lower saturation value, and has a noticeable chance to make you sick when you eat it. perhaps they can have tnt dupers that are used for tree farming, but leave giant ugly craters in the landscape. perhaps pillagers could construct large rail networks that disrupt the landscape and make those areas spawn fewer wild animals. they could have giant, ugly farms for resources like wheat, pumpkins, and iron that produce low quality items in an obviously unethical way.

further, I think that illagers need to be more destructive. they're already an unpleasant sight due to their hostility, but I think that their presence in an area should be felt even when they're not physically there. for example, abandoned mineshafts should have ominous banners hanging at the entrances, and all of the ores that were in them should have been mined out. there should be large, barren fields with empty canals for water where nothing grows anymore, indicating they used it for farmland until the soil was no longer useful. there should be giant holes in the ground that go deep into the stone layer, indicating they used to mine there until they extracted all of the ores they could.

on top of that, I think that making the world more responsive to the players' actions by changing the appearance rate of illagers would do wonders to encourage the player to take care of the world. if the player frequently raids villages, then nearby villages should become more and more hostile until they eventually decide to compete with the player by engaging in more extractivist colonialist methods themselves, thereby turning them into illagers.

essentially, if the player chooses to play the game as a colonizer, then the inhabitants of the world will respond in turn, and begin acting in the same ways to secure power for themselves. pillager patrols would become more common the more destructive the player becomes, and they would become more destructive and powerful themselves, acting as a real threat! if the player has fully enchanted netherite armore and tools and engages with the world in a destructive way, then illagers should do the same and gang up on them in order to take over their home and steal their resources. in effect, colonizing the world would be extremely punishing, as it would make minecraft a more frustrating experience.

it's disappointing that minecraft doesn't have any of these mechanics, because without them, I struggle to see how the message minecraft communicates is anything other than "colonialism and extractionism are good and rewarding". mojang seemingly wants to portray the world of minecraft as a beautiful world of nature, but the game is not at all designed to encourage you to view it that way. every feature in minecraft is treated first and foremost as a resource to be extracted in the most efficient way possible, and it's really troubling. it's not at all surprising, given that the game was initially designed by a white supremacist, but while mojang has attempted to distance themselves from him publicly, his philosophy is still central to the game's mechanics. minecraft is by no means unique in this regard, as many video games are built around these ideals, but as one of the most popular games of all time, I feel it's a grave mistake to reinforce these philosophies, especially in the minds of children. I don't necessarily think my ideas are perfect solutions, but I think that at the very least, it's worth acknowledging the problem and trying to come up with alternatives.

#my writing #minecraft

[moonsb1996]

Villains are those who have been abandoned by superhero society. TW: long post

It's something I've been wondering about for a while and how true it is. If that's the case, let's talk about it.

From the picture above we get the idea of LOV using violence against violence. This is a good starting point for questioning MHA's superhero society: "The use of violence Solving the problem of violence” is it a good solution in this society or not? Of course, this is not a very elegant point when we come to Shigaraki's true, deeper reasons, what his true desires are.

On the red circle layer is The entire cause of Shigaraki Tomura's character is his entire cause. "Destruction" has no other reason beyond that. Just because of what happened to him, "Shimura Tenko"

The above scene is how Tenko felt. He wanted someone to lend a helping hand to him. And in the end, the person who came to help him was nothing short of an AFO, which is not all I have to say. Because there was another episode that happened and I felt like this was the little boy that Midoriya Izuku wanted to save?

Wait a minute…I understand that it is about your father. Emotions take you…but Tenko's (Tomura) mother tries to hug him to comfort him. “My dear, everything will be fine.” But she died because of your power. Isn't that a matter of tragedy? Shigaraki ?? Are you relieved that you destroyed everyone in your family except your father??? What is this?? Okay, I'll try to calm down a little more. yes ! The story of Shimura Tenko or Shigaraki is really sad. And it's true. But is there anything else that makes me feel like this? This guy can't turn back.

Okay….damn it! Is this a character worth reforming?? So ?? Blame nothing but others. I personally can float away, I'm not wrong. Everything is just me, me, me! Don't you believe it? Okay, let's continue.

Oh! Here we go again with me, me, I'm not wrong! Society is too difficult to live in! In this ENG dub, it made me almost vomit about throwing shit at other people but never myself. Because that's what Toga, Himiko, and everyone else mostly do.

I really hate this picture. Don't think too much about the black box.

And LOV's most famous words are!!

And !

There's nothing but me, me, you, they're the ones at fault, not me, no. (And I don't deny that Happening right now, but hey! You will talk to the Super Cop (Hero) for betraying the Villain. Even though he was sent to become a member of an underground organization? No need to say that they are different! In MHA, the hero is actually a super policeman, just applying stupid rules from cartoon heroes that aren't true in real life!)

And don't forget about you guys!

oh ! These are truly the words of a "good person".

FAN : But but but ! The people of MHA deserve to die! Ps. And I don't mean the children who deserve to die.

okay ! Tell me, what do you see in these 2 pictures??? If you don't see it, open your eyes and look wide!! okay ! That's all I'm going to complain about. Because some villains are… they can't reform!

#mha critical #bnha critical #hori is a bad writer #anti horikoshi #anti lov

[studywave]

PDF Readers: What Do You Want? What Do You Need?

Hey all! I promised a series of posts on resources that have helped me during undergrad, and I'm going to start with the basics: how to read your coursework. I'm going to tag a few people who mentioned being interested in this series, but please let me know if you'd like to be untagged!

@anyto @wocinstem @youneedtostudyives @studyblr-perhaps

Now, I'm an English major, so I can't speak on behalf of the sciences, but almost all of my course materials have been given to me in the form of PDFs. I also download almost all my research in PDF format, and when I find books for free online, they're usually PDFs. Clearly, this means I need some easy way to read and edit PDFs. Below the cut, you'll find information on how to choose a PDF reader that's right for you, as well as information on Xodo, my personal favorite reader.

What should you consider when choosing a PDF reader?

Well, first, there's cost. There are all kinds of PDF readers at all kinds of price points. Xodo, my favorite, is free. I've never used the paid version, because for my purposes, the free version is more than enough. Now, let's talk about those purposes.

As an English student, I'm mostly concerned with annotation. I want to be able to mark my documents up, highlight them, write on them, leave comments, all that good stuff. However, what I need might not be what you need. Do you need to sign a lot of documents? Do you need to build PDFs from scratch? Are you more concerned with appearance, or with functionality?

Once you've answered these questions, you'll be able to search online for reviews dealing with the specific kinds of functionality you need.

Why should you use Xodo?

Well, for starters, the free version has more than I will ever need. I can edit, I can annotate, I can sign, I can highlight. I can do pretty much anything my English major heart desires, and I can use my Apple pencil to do it (I'll make another post about ipads and Apple pencils and link it here once it's finished).

This screenshot shows a lot of my favorite parts of Xodo. I can highlight in different colors (I use green to make information on further reading stand out) and I can write (also in different colors) with my Apple pencil, all while scrolling and navigating with my hand. I don't have to constantly click back and forth between marking and scrolling like I do with some apps, and I can lay my hand on the screen without disturbing anything. This, the ability to confine the text marking to the pencil, is really important to me. I don't like to be constantly clicking around and making accidental marks.

I've also been able to read almost every PDF I've put on here without much trouble. Between the size of my ipad screen (which will be the subject of another post), the high resolution, and the ability to zoom and scroll at the same time, I can read even pretty low-quality PDFs with very little trouble.

You might also notice the little box with the "4" in it in the upper right corner. This indicates the number of tabs I have open because yes, you can have multiple tabs open in Xodo. I've had over ten tabs open at a time, some containing 300+ page documents, and I've never had lagging or glitching problems.

Here's a selection of other actions Xodo allows. I've never scanned anything to PDF using it, but if the rest of the app is anything to go by, it probably works just fine.

I've had the occasional problem with glitching (maybe once per every five hours of reading I do, if that) which usually just involves a section of the text going black and can be solved by closing and reopening the app. Closing and reopening is no problem, either, because Xodo saves your place.

All this to say, I've used Xodo for a little over a year now, and I have no complaints. I cannot recommend it highly enough, and I'm sure the paid version is even better. That's all for now. Happy reading!

#studyblr #resources #xodo #studyspo #study blog

[zhong-leigh]

So I'm currently reading Unmasking Autism and taking notes for myself, and this sentence where the author says "wanting children holds no appeal to me" nearly made me jump up. Like... YES.

When I was 15-16 and said that I don't want kids, I always heard that I'll change my mind about it, and that I'm too young. Now ten years later I still say the same, and I very firmly reject the idea of me becoming a parent.

Kids are sensory hell, let's be real. And don't get me wrong, I don't hate them or anything. They're smart, weird, witty. But they make a lot of noise, they have loads of needs that I might or might not be able to meet. Loads of responsibilities. They have loads to say, they sing, they run around. They need a whole lot of attention. And that's a lot to deal with, at least for me.

I also never had this natural desire to reproduce. I'm not gonna lie, I don't even see the point in it. Some people naturally think about the next generation, and how many more will (or should) come, and keeping up the human race etc. I don't have that. I couldn't give a flying F if we go extinct or anything.

This post isn't to say that if you don't want kids or don't see the point in having kids then you're automatically autistic. I'm just relating my own thought process to this one sentence in this book.

#autism #actually autistic #asd #autistic #neurodiversity #neurodivergent #sensory issues #unmasking autism #unmasking #masking autism #autistic masking

[jdeanmorgan]

if you are willing to share, what is one of your most favorite dark fics??

well... normally i wouldn't entertain the idea of posting my faves on here bc you know... it can get depraved but honestly i don't care anymore so let's do this.

i know you're most likely looking to know my fave 9-1-1 ones but i'll also add a few from other fandoms.

disclaimer: i will not tolerate any hate for any of these fics i'm about to say I like/love. My tastes have always been depraved, and will continue to be depraved.. That said, I will say to heed the tags, and mind the trigger warnings!!!

These are in no particular order btw, now without further ado, here are some of my faves that i've read.

9-1-1 FICS:

Morning's Echo ★ BuckMaddie ★ 3K ★ ➢ this is an incest fic. they're only two years apart in age in this one. I think the dynamic was very interesting, and i defo wish this had been longer, let me know more about their past and how they became entangled like this.

The Long Way Home ★ Buck-centric ★ 100K ★ sequel here ★ ➢ during the tsunami, Buck is kidnapped by a sexual trafficking ring and forced into sex work. this is basically his journey from when he's kidnapped to when he's rescued, with some glimpses of how the 118 handles it all, multiple pov's. there's things I love about this fic and things I don't, but ultimately, I would consider it a fave because I really couldn't put it down. I think I read all of it in like... a day or two.

The Way You Did (Once Upon a Dream) ★ Buddie ★ 2K ★ ➢ Sleeping Beauty curse. Buck is in a coma, or in a deep sleep, or however it worked in sleeping beauty, and Eddie has to take it too far to wake him up. the writing is really good, and i am still awaiting a sequel so we can see the aftermath. (rape/noncon)

will you hit me where it hurts (i won't feel anything otherwise) ★ Buddie ★ 18K ★ ➢ Buck is a serial killer. Eddie has an encounter with him. very interesting and well written. I don't wanna say anything more than this lest I spoil anything.

still ★ Buddie ★ 9K ★ ➢ Eddie steps into a trigger. Has to stay still. He and Buck grapple with the fact he might die that day.

hurt locker ★ Buddie ★ 77K ★ ➢ I personally don't really consider this a dark!fic per se, but I still think it's emotionally heavy and packs a punch at times. Buck and Eddie are childhood friends, and when Shannon gets pregnant, Buck enlists along with Eddie.

Broken Like Me ★ BuckBobby ★ 15K ★ ➢ Buck and Bobby meet a year before Buck is assigned to the 118, and neither of them have good coping mechanisms. I genuinely really enjoyed this fic, and how it explored their dynamic had they met before Bobby was Buck's boss, and it's take on Buck's 1.0 days.

Eight Drinks a-Roofied ★ Buck-Centric ★ 21K ★ ➢ shows how Buck's gotten roofied eight times. what can I say, it was a fun read for me.

desire, i'm hungry (I hope you feed me) ★ BuckMaddie ★ 5K ★ ➢ Maddie has never had an orgasm. Buck is the one to change that. Very hot fic.

the devil wants to fuck me ★ BuckJosh★ 4K ★ ➢ Josh blackmails Buck into sex.

Get Down, Make Love ★ BuckBobby★ 5K ★ ➢ A/B/O fic. Bobby and Buck are dosed with a drug that induces their heat/rut to kick in. They fuck it out. s1 era.

Trust me, Darlin’ ★ Buck/Dean, Buddie ★ 77K ★ ➢ this was honestly just a really fun read. a 911/spn crossover fic where dean "kidnaps" buck. they have hot ambulance sex. very very fun fic overall.

SUPERNATURAL FICS:

With Understanding ★ Destiel ★ 427K ★ ➢ Sam is dead. Dean's told that Castiel Novak is his soulmate by Anna (the angel that rescued him from hell in this universe) and he decides to kidnap Castiel so they can meet and thus know they will share a heaven. this is genuienly my favorite dark fic. hands down one of the best i've ever read.

They Think I'm Possessed ★ JohnDean, Wincest ★ 27K ★ ➢ John decides to make Dean a replacement for Mary. Dean becomes Sam's mommy, and John's partner. He's essentially John's housewife and Sam's mother. I don't wanna give anything away but this was literally so well written and I read it all in one sitting, I could not put it down, it was so disturbing and depraved and I loved every second of it.

Ninety One Whiskey ★ Destiel ★ 401K ★ ➢ Castiel and Dean are both soldiers in WW2 in the same infantry. Dean is a medic, and if i remember correctly, Castiel is a sergeant. very well written, very slow burn, very good. haven't read it in years though, i just remember it really being good.

Fever Where You Run To ★ JohnDean ★ 3,9K ★ ➢ John gets hit with a lust spell / sex pollen. He either has to fuck it out or die. Dean offers himself up. (John has been having inappropriate thoughts about dean for years at this point, though)

mother is pretending ★ Wincest ★ 19K ★ ➢ basically them developing a mommy kink in the course of season 2. i am not into mommy kink, but i absolutely loved this fic. that's saying something.

because you want to die for love ★ Wincest ★ 27K ★ ➢ Sam joins Dean in heaven after the finale of s15. Dean slowly but surely starts to accept that he can want and have Sam. Originally I wasn't gonna but this in the list but there's just two scenes that I was like giggling, kicking my feet, twirling my hair all teehee. So good. Very well written, too.

ONE DIRECTION FICS:

The Truth Shall Set You Free ★ Ziam ★ 34K ★ ➢ They're lawyers and enemies and they have to solve a crime together.

Birds in Gilded Cages ★ Larry ★ 157K ★ ➢ Harry got kidnapped as a teen and forced into sex work. Louis becomes a client. they fall in love. brutal and dark but i routinely read the last chapter bc I love certain scenes in that one.

Love Will Tear Us Apart ★ Larry ★ 103K ★ ➢ I don't remember much about this one, I just remembered really liking it and how it showed that you can make mistakes and be flawed and still come together and forgive and be happy together.

Run Like the Devil ★ Larry ★ 139K ★ ➢ Harry is a demon. Louis is a hunter. Can I make it any more obvious?

at last, at last ★ Larry ★ 41K ★ ➢ Harry is born into a cult in a post-apocalyptic world, and Louis is the leader of the rebel group tasked with the mission of shutting them down. Together, they make a rather effective team.

once upon a dream ★ Larry ★ 33K ★ sequel here ★ ➢ Louis is psychic and gets caught in the middle of a murder investigation led by FBI Special Agent Harry Styles.

Landslide ★ Larry ★ 143K ★ ➢ a true fave of mine. I also routinely reread this one. Harry goes undercover to try and uncover what's going on on Louis' farm. Louis is the cult leader. It's so interesting and well written.

A Tear in the Sky ★ OT4 ★ 27K ★ ➢ Niall Horan is a consultant on cases that need a personal touch, someone to get close to prey and predators alike to discover the truth, and he's eager for the chance to work with old acquaintance Zayn Malik at Station Twelve. His attitude shifts when he discovers what waits for him is more than just three boys caught in the midst of a cult. A tight deadline presses on him to complete his report, yet the more he learns about the unique dynamic between these three, the more he starts to question his own sanity. Professionalism is hard to hold onto as the case and Niall's mind begin to unravel.

GLEE FICS:

A Political Romance / A Legal Romance ★ Klaine ★ 119K / 216K ★ ➢ Blaine has this darkness in him, a power of sorts. He sees Kurt and instantly falls for him and decides that Kurt will be his. Hard to explain this one but it did have a chokehold on me when I first read it as a wee teenager first discovering fanfiction. 10/10!

Dead in Ohio ★ Puckurt ★ 93K ★ ➢ zombie apocalypse. Kurt and Puck are stuck with each other and they fall in love. kinda enemies to lovers but also kinda not. this is a fic that I have not reread in years due to the actor who plays puck. but it's still a good fic and I wanted to include it for that reason.

#fanfics #you asked for dark so i found the darkest ones :) #i'm sure i'm missing some but these are all the ones i could remember or still had in my bookmarks

[psylunari]

For the ship ask game: kunikidazai, suegiku, atsulucy

NOTE: the post will be long as heck. I'll keep reblogging for every ship addition till I finish.

I'll preface this by saying, yes! I do ship all of these!

Kunikidazai

(nervous chuckle) buckle up, buttercup.

1. What made you ship it?

TL;DR: ironically enough, writing it made them take over my brain.

Mid-tier answer: It wasn't one specific thing. I watched the show and had 1 (one) plot bunny one year later (my most-read BSD fic). I was writing a MHA OC/canon thing at the time. While passionate about that OC/canon, it was a difficult fic, and I put it on hold.

Writing that knkdz fic proved itself easier. It was flowing. It forced me into a deep dive in their dynamic. The result is what you see.

Long answer: it took me 10+ years in fandom (legit) to like m/m ships. So it's kinda hard?? To watch things with m/m tinted glasses. AKA deliberately looking for m/m chemistry, or interpreting it always that way, or making it up in my head if I can't find it. If I come across a ship, I came across a ship. And I'm the same for any ship.

During my first watch of bongo straycats, I didn't ship much of anything. I looked at those two and went, “yeah, they're haha funny, if I were to ship something it'd probably be this”. I was done with the three seasons out, then, I “forgot” BSD.

I mean. Not that I forgot. I was in-between fandom phases with other stuff. So I didn't pay “the popular ships” much mind. They were there. A thing that existed. I didn't care for them.

Then it went like:

“Hey, I could use some change in my life, lemme style my hair like this anime twink.” “Fic idea for haha funny ship. What if instead of disappearing to commit the die, the anime twink was sick and didn't tell anyone?” ?????? “It is a CRIME that THIS dynamic is on the unpopular side, I'm declaring myself in knkdz hell till further notice and will do something about it.”

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

TL;DR: they are multifaceted, their relationship is a deep rabbit hole of symbolism, and a blast to write about.

Superficial answer: complementary personalities + look good together + attractive + hilarious banter + suspicious moments + annoyances to lovers.

Heartfelt answer: I look at them from a complete perspective. Never one without the other, never caricatures of themselves. There's the caring domestic side, the dumb disagreements, the synergy and mutual respect, the defiance of internal values, the angst past and present… They are complex. The more you dig, the more you find. It's entertaining. It made the brain go brrrrr.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

It isn't often I come across interpretations I disagree with. Dedicated knkdz shippers and I are mostly in the same wavelength. My unpopular opinion, however, boils down to “I interpret both as some flavor of bisexual, not gay” and “mischaracterization”.

Will elaborate on the latter.

On Kunikida: headcanon as the fandom might, IMO, this guy isn't confident about love and sex. Let alone super liberated.

Picture this. Inexperienced + perfectionist + “dear diary, today I dreamt of my perfect wife” + “do girls not like me because I'm a nerd?” = pretty romantic, huh? And out of touch with reality.

Don't get me wrong. He does have carnal desires or kinks, I feel. I see him as shy and easy to fluster in the beginning. He takes time to relax and do his thing, being his own biggest critic.

On Dazai: he isn't helpless and definitely has an edge. I have a catboy agenda to set. Think like a cat's claws. Can and will scratch if unhappy, they're part of him, do not declaw the catboy. The feetsies are soft and adorable. They're also a part of him.

In the love aspect: when he LIKES someone, Dazai goes “brain.exe has stopped working” and does/says the stupidest shit. I think he orbits them out of no idea how to deal with it. Staying in the same space, wanting closure, not asking for it. Literal cat behavior again.

Now, in sex matters, he's shameless for… the most part. Not vulnerable all the time. He can flirt when it's for meaningless flings. What IMO WOULD make him cry is emotional stuff. Which may be tied to a sexual moment. Just not necessarily.

#kunikidazai #kunidazai #kunizai #knkdz #kndz #kunikida x dazai #dazai x kunikida #国太 #太国 #bsd kunikida doppo #bsd dazai osamu #psyluna.ask

[yukirayu]

The Takasato-gumi's Tattoos, and Their (Possible) Symbolism

It had been some time since I last made a post for Slow Damage and I promised I'd make one a fortnight ago.

Though I'll be honest, this is more of a half-trivia/half-meta post than it is a full meta.

To start...

It's no secret that the Takasato-gumi is a yakuza organization. And it's common practice for certain members of the yakuza to get tattooed. And they don't just get any tattoo. The symbol they're branded with, as they say, is supposed to represent who they are as a person.

The funny thing is that of course, all yakuza run on crime. Organized crime, but still crime. And the players are shown first-hand how certain members of the Takasato-gumi are anything but pleasant, which makes it ironic that they're tattooed with symbols of Buddhism.

Just to clarify early on, Kotarou and Mayu's tattoos have nothing to do with their ties to the Takasato-gumi.

So we'll be talking about four other members of the group, and know that I did a *bit* of research about I'll discuss shortly below.

We'll start with Madarame, since it's his tattoos that we get to see in-game. 

Though the artbook never confirmed what exactly his tattoo is, it's highly likely that it's modeled after the Guanyin, a.k.a. the Avalokiteshvara Boddhisatva.

The reason this deity is called Guanyin is because its name means "perceiver of all sounds" in Chinese, which refers to how Guanyin - the goddess of mercy and the embodiment of kindness and compassion - hear all those who cry to it for help.

Guanyin is also known as the patroness of fishermen. This is why she's often associated with a dragon, as dragons are regarded as creaturers of the sea in Chinese mythology. Dragons are also seen as symbols of power and prosperity in both China and Japan.

Whatever your opinion of Madarame may be, no one can deny that he's NOT a personification of everything that Guanyin represents. He follows his own desires and instincts. Though some of the aspects associated with a dragon (mainly power/strength) do fit him to a tee.

That aside though, the artbook shows that there are other notable symbols drawn on the tattoos on Madarame's arms. It's not the black scale-like marks that serve as the background, the sakura petals, or the flame marks near his wrists. It's what's found between all that.

Among them are masks commonly used in Japanese theater, such as the Noh mask (on his right arm & on the upper row) and the Hannya mask (on his left arm & on the lower row). And with Slow Damage's attention for detail, they're likely not placed in the design just because.

The Noh mask is used to signify the age, gender and status of the character, human or supernatural. They're modeled in a way that they can show a completely different expression with only a tilt of the head and with the use of clever lighting.

On the other hand, the Hannya mask is more demonic-looking because it is used to represent a female onryo ("vengeful spirit"). Like the Noh mask, the mask can change depending on the level of the spirit's anger, envy and resentment.

The Noh mask can represent how Madarame is hard to read, so it takes having to read into the finer details of his words and body language to understand him.

On the other hand, the Hannya mask can represent his status as a "vengeful ghost" rumored to haunt Shinkoumi.

But the Hannya mask can also symbolize how Madarame's route is where Towa's more destructive aspects become dominant (anger) and where Madarame further worsens the strain in Towa's relationship with his friends out of the belief that they're trapping him (resentment).

Now the previous statement was something I explained (or at least attempted to) in further detail in a meta from a few months ago. I'll just link the meta here so as to avoid getting redundant.

Aside from the sakura petals, there are two other flowers that stand out in Madarame's tattoos. On his left arm, there's a chrysanthemum, and on his right arm is a flower that most closely resembles a peony.

Chrystanthemums are flowers that come in many colors. And in the flower language, the symbolism of a flower can differ based on the color of the petals. A common symbolism for chrysanthemums is love.

The red variant even represents love at first sight. And if the localization (of dubious quality) is to be believed, Madarame found himself enraptured with Towa (or at least his more violent and impulsive self) ever since he first saw him.

The white variant represents truth, honesty and loyalty. I've already said before that Madarame can be manipulative, he can omit truths, but he always speaks his mind and is always loyal to what he wants, whether it's to the benefit or detriment of everyone else.

Lastly, the yellow variant represents neglected or scorned love. Obviously, Madarame is an ex-lover (of sorts) for Towa.

And should Madarame decide to get involved in Towa's life, he makes his entrance like a scorned lover would, with desimposing and destructive force.

As for peonies, their beauty has them considered the "king of flowers". And in Japan, they symbolize bravery and honor. Madarame doesn't have much scruples, if at all. But he's someone with his own way of life, and he's someone who's feared rather than someone who fears.

With that, I'm done discussing Madarame's tattoos. But there's still three other people to cover. While we never see their tattoos in game, the artbook *does* confirm what Buddhist symbol, or more specifically, deity, they're tattooed with (on their backs, specifically).

Kaga is tattooed with the image of Kannon. But the interesting fact is that Kannon is only but the Japanese spelling of the name "Guanyin", which means that both Madarame and Kaga got branded with the same Buddhist deity.

To recap, Guanyin is the goddess of mercy and a figure of compassion and kindness. Certainly not befitting of someone like Madarame... though it is fitting to a degree with Kaga. He may be of the yakuza, but he's said to be fair and far from the greedy type.

He believed that organized crime should be used to help the oppressed, not to tyrannize them further. But this didn't align with how Sakaki and Toono wanted to run things. Since many respected Kaga and wanted *him* to become the next leader... you know what came next.

And so, there's Sakaki and Toono. I'll start with Sakaki.

Like Madarame and Kaga, the tattoo on his back has the image of a Bodhisattva, albeit this time, it's a different one. More specifically, it's the Akasagarbha Bodhisattva, which looks like this.

Akasagarbha is one of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas, and symbolizes infinite wisdom. In Buddhist temples, people would pray to him for wisdom and improvement of memory and of self in the hopes that they would reach enlightenment.

This applies to Sakaki... albeit in a very demented sense.  Improving someone's memory, guiding them closer to reaching their true self and achieving enlightment? That is what Sakaki believes he is doing to Towa, a.k.a. Maya's vessel and successor.

To sum up, in the final route, Sakaki decides to jog Towa's memory by giving him relics of his past, making him more curious and curious about his mother, until the decisive moment comes where Towa becomes "enlightened". Or in other words, "transform" into Maya.

But in the conventional sense, it's a very ironic symbol for Sakaki. Because, without softening any words, the man is batshit insane. I've spoken in length before how Maya's business is like a cult, and Sakaki acts like its most devoted acolyte.

And for reasons we can only guess, Maya managed to completely charm him into supporting her as her right-hand man. He very clearly supports her delusions of villainous grandeur, he sees things her way, and thinks that anything that defies her way is vile and wrong.

It'd be one thing if he knew he had to groom Towa into taking after his mother. But the final Interrogation shows that he genuinely believes that Maya's soul had literally possessed Towa, with Towa now having her memories. If that's not deranged, I don't know what is.

With that, that leaves Toono. Unlike the other three, the Buddhist figure tattooed onto his back is not a Bodhisattva, but another deity known as Kongōyasha Myōō. And as it appearance indicates, it is definitely fierce in nature.

In Japanese Buddhism, this is one of the Five Great Guardian Kings - wrathful deities that protect and uphold the Buddhist laws. It's also known as the "Devourer of Demons," its moniker earned for its task of destroying evil spirits.

So in a way, the Kongōyasha Myōō could be seen as an enforcer of justice. Though this would highly contradict with Toono, who openly admits to his corruption.

Though as said earlier, he's the only one among the four whose tattoo is not a Boddhisatva.

The fact that the deity on his back is a wrathful spirit, even if it's different from a demon, can represent how Toono is always a threat. If not to the main cast, then to Shinkoumi itself.

Even in the routes where he's barely the focus, it's still confirmed that his goals never take a pause. It's always in motion, just dealt with differently depending on which love interest is pursued.

That aside, I also have to point out what the figure on his back is.

As shown in the above images, it has three heads and six arms; hence the Chinese phrase "sān tóu liù bì" (三头六臂) come to mind. It refers to someone with remarkable ability, so in a way, this can describe Toono's ambition.

After all, what is his end goal? To achieve more influence, enough for him to run his own business and undermine Sakaki and the Takasato-gumi by extension, thus granting him control over Shinkoumi. So in that sense, the artist's choice of tattoos for Toono makes sense.

And that's end of it. I'm glad that the artist left these tidbits in the artbook for me to dissect, thus giving me the chance to talk about characters I otherwise rarely discuss.

#slow damage #fen writes meta