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kaladinkholins · 5 months

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Thinking about the crazy love triangle situation in Blue Eye Samurai and debating heavily with myself on how I'd like to see it conclude. And yeah this discussion can be thought of purely as shipping, headcanons, and fandom fun. But when analysing the show and engaging with it in a more in-depth, almost-literary level, it's impossible to dismiss who Mizu's potential love interests are and how different endgame romances would affect her character arc and the overall story and themes.

So in this post I'd like to look at the love triangle a bit more closely, and speculate on where the story will take this.

DISCLAIMER: It is my personal interpretation of the text that Mizu is non-binary—I use this as an umbrella term denoting any gender that does not adhere to the binary restrictions, norms, and expectations of what it means to be either a man or woman in a particular society; it's not just an androgynous "third gender" that exclusively uses they/them pronouns. Thus, while I personally believe Mizu is not strictly a cis woman, she does still identify with womanhood, despite definitely feeling a level of detachment from it due to living as a man for so long. With that being said, I will be using she/her pronouns for Mizu in this post, but please note that this is purely personal preference. Everyone is free to interpret the text the way they like. That's the fun of fiction. Now, without further ado, let's proceed.

Okay so, thinking about the pairings on a purely surface level, and even before i got into the show, I was pinning my hopes on some lesbianism going on between Mizu and Akemi, and the show does hint at this; in Ep1, during their first encounter in Kyoto, there is the famous slow-mo shot of their eyes meeting, Mizu's lips slightly parted as she is unable to tear her gaze away from Akemi, while sweet string music plays in the background. This is clear romantic framing, and a marker of attraction. If Mizu was a cishet man, there would be no question that this is a potential love interest.

But then, in the same episode, we meet Taigen, who is introduced to us firstly from hearing Akemi's father describe him as "a fierce and undefeated young samurai", the "best swordsman in the best school" and "a fisherman's son from Kohama [...] whose rise reminds [him] of [his] own."

In the next scene, we meet him in person as Akemi's fiance, and he seems sweet enough. He even gives her sweets! In exchange, Akemi gives him gold, and he feels a bit ashamed that he doesn't have anything better to offer her. But Akemi accepts him and his gift wholeheartedly and flirts with him a little, which makes him smile kinda shyly.

When Akemi confirms their engagement, Taigen is in disbelief because he has no status or noble background, but Akemi reassures him.

So from these first few scenes, we're introduced to Taigen as an honourable and strong samurai, but also as a man who is sweet and gentle with the woman he is about to marry, as well as aware of his own inferiority when compared to Akemi's high station.

Our view of him then changes as his true self is revealed: he is an arrogant and smug bastard among his peers, but more importantly, he is the terrible bully from Mizu's childhood.

And it is this side of Taigen--pompous jerk and unrepentant xenophobic bully--that we continue to see as the show goes on, and it's safe to say that this is his real self, sans any pretense of humility and modesty. Around anyone who isn't an outright superior in terms of class and power (ie. Akemi's father, the shogun), Taigen never hesitates to assert his own authority and "greatness."

But as the show goes on, he gets caught by Heiji Shindo's men, and then tortured. And that's when we see, okay, turns out he's not that bad. He's honourable; "honour" is not just meaningless and superficial pedantry for him, but an internalised, guiding principle.

He was a cruel asshat throughout Mizu's childhood, but in a prejudiced and xenophobic society, he was just playing by the rules. As a child, he knew he was at the bottom of society, but when met with someone even lower ranked than him (Mizu), he can project all those prejudices and insecurities onto someone else. This way of thinking--"if you can't beat 'em, join em"--is what allowed him to climb up the ranks despite being some dirt poor kid from an abusive household*.

*Well, that combined with his cismale privilege of course, because this would not be an option for a woman in similar circumstances.

Thus, his upholding of honour also exemplifies how Taigen embodies the ideals and rules of his society. His insistence on duelling Mizu is another more blatant example of this. He doesn't want revenge like Mizu does. He wants to be accepted by society, within the bounds that society has placed, and that means that his only two options following his defeat at the Shindo dojo were to either chase Mizu down and get his damn duel, or kill himself for his humiliating defeat.

Now! Moving on from Taigen, let's go back to the other end of this little love triangle: Akemi.

Mizu and Akemi only properly meet in Ep4. During their first meeting, when Akemi tries to poison Mizu in Madame Kaji's brothel, she compliments Mizu's eyes, calling them "beautiful."

This seems to genuinely take mizu off-guard for a second before she coolly plays along. We know that Mizu recognises Akemi from the get-go, and thus sees through Akemi's ploy from a mile away. It's also safe to assume she'd expected false flattery, because Mizu understands full well that this tactic is how women get what they want: by using their 'feminine wiles' and playing up their naivety and innocence. But even so, it's interesting that Mizu actually seems surprised by Akemi's compliment.

Then, after Mizu subtly taunts Akemi by lying about Taigen's death, she and Akemi have a bit of a scuffle, and then we get to Mizu saying this:

"Women in our world don't have a single good option. Except you, like some magical forest creature. You could have anything you want, but then you beg to eat trash."

(no screenshot because it's quite a long line but you get it)

Here we see Mizu's opinions on the marginalisation of (mostly poor and under-privileged) women stated outright, and underlying her words is also resentment. Because even though she and Akemi have shared experiences of female oppression, Mizu, unlike Akemi, was also poor, from a rural village, and is a racial minority. Mizu is triply oppressed, while Akemi only faces one primary form of oppression, and to someone as embittered by the world as Mizu is, to see Akemi "beg to eat trash" is a slap in the face, practically tone-deaf to the other injustices around her--injustices which Akemi has not shown much, or any, acknowledgement for at this point.

Then, after this scene, Mizu kills Kinuyo, and this unsettles her to a degree we've never seen from her before. She is visibly distraught, and the entire sequence hammers the theme of this episode (and arguably, a large portion of the show) into our heads: women in this world suffer. And even though Mizu is well aware of this fact, to commit this act is so visceral that is shakes her to her core, and it's what ultimately leads to the ambush of the Thousand Fangs.

But before the ambush, Mizu and Akemi talk a little again, and during this time Akemi taunts Mizu some more.

Right now, Mizu is exhausted to the point where (I believe) she even downs some sake, despite not usually drinking. Thus, worn down, she cuts Akemi's ropes and tells her, "Just go." Akemi recovers from her initial fear of Mizu's blade and taunts her some more, accurately seeing through Mizu's facade of coldness, recognising the raw anger there, and says this:

"I thought you had to be something special. Your face isn't even so scary. You're just... angry."

At this, Mizu is amused and compares Akemi to Taigen ("I see why he likes you. You're just like Taigen when we were children. A fucking brat.")

The reveal that Mizu and Taigen knew each other in childhood surprises Akemi, but before either of them can say more, everything goes to shit.

That's when we get to Ep5. This episode focuses primarily on Mizu, the central piece of this love triangle, and does the most out of all the episodes to shed some light on her character and goals, fleshing her out to be more than just the vengeful, highly proficient samurai we've seen thus far (symbolised by The Ronin), but also a person who is capable of love, domesticity and gentleness (symbolised by The Bride). But in the end, Mizu rejects both these ideals, instead becoming an Onryo, who is neither guided by pride/honour, nor love.

By 'reincarnating' into an Onryo, Mizu is able to win the day and save the women in the brothel. However, as she has now fully embraced her status as an Onryo, and is exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally, she lets the Tokunobu clansmen take Akemi away while Akemi's screams echo in her ear.

Mizu says this choice is for Akemi's own good, that Akemi's better off; because Mizu is jaded and weary, and cannot afford the luxury of idealism, and thus must always be strictly practical and realistic. So of course that's why, in her view, yes, Akemi should not be wasting her time in a brothel where women are exploited and abused, nor should Akemi be so naive to think that her marriage with Taigen is even still possible. However, regardless of Mizu's views, it is not for her to decide, because though Akemi is privileged in some sense, she is still trapped and voiceless, and deserves the right to choose her own destiny.

But as it happens, in the end, though Akemi did not choose who she gets to marry, she DOES get to choose her next move when Edo burns down.

"I want to be great."

This one line is the key to her entire arc, which is only just beginning. We see she quickly has acquired the affection and good graces of the shogun's son after their wedding night and consummation, and with Madame Kaji and the girls now serving her, Akemi will only grow to become a prominent political player.

NOW, only after analysing the characters as they are within this season, only can we speculate how their arcs will continue as the show progresses.

First and foremost, I will reassert the popular opinion that Mizu and Akemi are foils. The climax (pun intended) of Ep7 illustrates this as it parallels the turning points in both Mizu's and Akemi's arcs:

Mizu melts the steel of all her loves and shames, the people she's collected: the broken blade wielded by both Chiaki and Taigen, Akemi's knife, Ringo's bell, Master Eiji's tongs - this symbolises her beginning to accept herself, and in doing so, also accepting the help of others;

Akemi consummates her marriage with Takayoshi Itoh, gains his affection, and cements her position as a woman in the shogun's palace - this symbolises her taking charge of her situation, no longer playing the damsel, but using her position to her advantage, empowering both herself and the underprivileged women around her.

These are thus two directly contrasting, diverging journeys:

Mizu's arc moves inward (yin). It is an internal path of self-love and self-discovery, focused on finding peace and tranquility inside herself, and this involves allowing herself to let others into her life, opening herself up to friendship and empathy once more.

Akemi's arc moves outward (yang), it is an external path of growth, transforming from a naive, caged princess to a powerful woman and a force to be reckoned with.

Akemi is always dressed in red, even her eyes are a bit of a reddish-brown rather than brown-black like most other characters, and in her penultimate scene she stands against a backdrop of flames. She is fire: quick-tempered, passionate, full of energy. Red is powerful, authoritative, and in eastern cultures, it is associated with prosperity.

Mizu is blue: her eyes, her sword, her clothes. She is also named after water; it's where she goes to recover, reflect and meditate. Water is fluid like a brook weaving around a stone in its path, always changing and adapting, it is graceful, it is beautiful and ruthless, tranquil yet swift.

Thus, in the future, I expect we will see plenty of political manoeuvring and intrigue in Akemi's plotline, where she fully embraces control of her life, and begins to take action to help others as well, realising that her own oppression is just one piece in a much larger picture. Her main conflict is with society.

In direct contrast, Mizu's main conflict is with herself. She must realise that her desire for vengeance is a projection of her own deep-rooted self-hatred. Her arc must move towards unpacking her feelings and trauma so she can be at peace with herself and allow space for love in her heart. Because as we saw in Ep5, Mizu had come extremely close to achieving peace and joy, as she had not only loved Mikio, but also had briefly believed that Mikio had loved her (and accepted her for who she is) as well.

Thus, assuming the story is not planned as a tragedy, Mizu will likely end up getting her vengeance, but it will not satisfy her, because it is not what she needs. What she needs is to let go of the Onryo within her and to reconcile both The Ronin and The Bride within herself, as she is both a fighter and a lover, but not a monster.

(Edit: I recommend checking out this post by @stylographic-blue-rhapsody for a much clearer analysis about Mizu'a symbolism as Ronin, Bride and Onryo!)

And now that we've mostly covered each of the characters individually, we can finally get to the main point of this post: the love triangle.

Let's talk about Option A: Akemi.

As I covered extensively earlier, Mizu and Akemi are foils, a yin-yang pair. But while they play off each other very well in a thematic sense, I personally believe that a serious romance between them will be more complicated if they become endgame. This is because Akemi's natural resolution is to embrace a position of power and influence, where she has both freedom and control over herself and to make much-needed changes in a prejudiced society. Meanwhile, Mizu's natural resolution is the opposite; her happy ending would to find a peaceful life where she is safe and free from prying eyes, and able to be her true self.

Thus, it would make very little sense for Akemi to forfeit power and run away with Mizu and start a humble life together. Akemi wants to be great, and that is absolutely what she deserves. On the other end of the spectrum, it would also make little sense for Mizu to dedicate her life in service of Akemi, such as acting as a bodyguard or something similar, because a life in a palace full of court intrigue and conspiracies is far from what Mizu needs to be happy.

With that being said, if Mizu/Akemi is endgame, and assuming their overarching character arcs do not shift directions, their love story would likely be either tragic, doomed, or bittersweet. I do absolutely love this type of story because personally I'm a sucker for catharsis, so it would be very interesting if the writers do decide to take this route.

Also, as a note, please do not take this as me dunking on this pairing. This is just my personal opinion and analysis and I completely understand if you disagree!

Then, of course, we have Option B: Taigen.

Between Akemi and Mizu, Taigen is a bit of a free-floater here, because Season 1 leaves off at a point where his arc is very ambiguous as to where it's headed. While Akemi climbs for greatness and Mizu goes on a journey across the ocean to (presumably) discover more about her heritage, we have little clues about where Taigen is headed. And if I'm being honest, I'm sure he has no idea either! He still hasn't reclaimed his honour, so he would be unable to rejoin the Shindo Dojo; he's been rejected by Akemi; and while he showed loyalty to the shogun, the shogun is now dead, and all the shogun's men who had witnessed his "humiliating" death were left to die by Lady Itoh, who is now pulling the strings within the palace.

Therefore, Taigen has very few options here.

And when considering his role in the story is as Mizu's begrudging ally, his arc will undoubtedly be focused on unlearning his xenophobia and misogyny, the latter of which we have not seen yet, but is surely present. Now, whether he will do this in Mizu's presence or absence will be unknown until we see Season 2. Following the Season 1 finale, he might return to Kohama and wait for Mizu there as he learns humility and remorse over his past cruelty; or maybe he will follow Mizu to London, and the two of them will continue to butt heads until he finally admits to himself that he cares for Mizu more than he would like to admit. There is no room for doubt that his growing feelings for Mizu are more-than-platonic, because we all saw him get turned on by sparring with her in Ep7 lol. Thus, regardless of the exact choice he makes, I am sure that his overall arc will be focused on redeeming his character.

Now, when it comes go redeeming him, I know there are many who simply don't want him redeemed because he was such a jerk to Mizu, and while yes I agree he was awful, I do believe there is also nuance to his character.

Previously I've discussed in great detail the colour and elemental symbolism with Mizu and Akemi, but have yet to touch on how they relate to Taigen. So, let's talk about that for a second.

While Akemi is red and Mizu is blue, Taigen is green.

Green is a complementary colour to Akemi's red. Complementary colours are directly opposite each other in the colour wheel; when mixed, they neutralise each other, but when put side-by-side, they form a pleasing and impactful contrast that boosts the brightness and prominence of both colours. This mirrors Taigen and Akemi's relationship. They are an "ideal" pair because they complement each other very well, and bring out each other's most prominent traits. Mizu's comment about their similar "brattiness" comes to mind here.

Green is also an analogous colour with Mizu's blue. These colours are sitting right next to each other on the colour wheel; their natural similarity makes it easy for them to form a cohesive overall appearance, but using both in equal amounts will make a design overwhelming and too busy. Thus, the best way to use analogous colours is to make one the dominant colour, while the other will serve as an accent. I feel this also speaks to the dynamic in Taigen and Mizu's relationship. They came from the space place, both from nothing; they're both strong fighters who love the sport, and work well together when fighting side-by-side; however, they butt heads too easily, mirroring how analogous colours can be too overwhelming when used in equal amounts. Thus, to work together in harmony, one has to be the dominant colour, while the other serves as the accent. In this case, the dominant force would be Mizu, as she is the protagonist of the story, while the accent would be Taigen.

By fulfilling this role as an "accent" to Mizu, Taigen's character would easily be slotted in as a the love interest. This is in contrast with a Mizu/Akemi relationship, whereby Akemi is Mizu's foil before she is Mizu's love interest. This is because, by being a love interest, a character usually takes a backseat in the story, serving the plot and the themes by playing a purely supportive role, and this is not possible in Akemi's case because her character exists to parallel and contrast Mizu (red and blue), and not to support her.

It is possible to serve as a supporting love interest in Taigen's case however. And this is because he, unlike the other characters, does not currently have a definitive place within the story. He initially served the plot as an antagonistic force, but now as he is slowly unlearning his prejudices and becoming a better person, he can no longer serve the story by acting purely as a rival.

Instead, he will serve the story by literally supporting Mizu. And this relates to Taigen being earth, which is steady, firm and reliable, unwavering in loyalty and principles, hardworking and rooted in stability, which is seen in Taigen's staunch and inflexible obedience to the traditions and rules of society. These traits are what make him a perfect samurai, but not a good man. However, unlike most people in their world, Taigen is still capable of change and redemption, which is why Mizu says that he has the potential to be great. Not great by way of power or glory, but great in character. Already, he is honourable to a fault, and does not betray Mizu even after she technically robbed him of everything he was striving towards. And when he was shot by an arrow in the chasm, he did not hesitate a second to tell Mizu to use him as a human shield and save herself.

The trigger for his redemption is Mizu. If she had never beat him in that duel, Taigen would live on to become a man like Akemi's father. Cruel, power-hungry, controlling, conservative. But through Mizu, Taigen's sharp edges are ground down, much like water that wears down the stones in a river.

Where Mizu and Akemi's possible love story would be a clash of wills, full of passion and even heartbreak, a possible love story between Mizu and Taigen would be the wearing down of souls. Mizu would make Taigen a better person, and in turn Taigen would dedicate his full respect and support to Mizu as his equal, thus getting her to slowly open up and love herself. Already, Taigen has grown enough to admit (begrudgingly, and in his own Taigen way) that Mizu is better than him; though, clearly, he still has a long way to go, as he still calls Mizu a demon shortly after that.

But basically, Taigen is a very simple man (his main goal now is "to be happy"), and Mizu has great depths that he cannot yet fathom. For this love story to work, it has to begin with Taigen changing for the better. If he succeeds in that, and is able to accept Mizu for all her complexities, I believe that they will make a formidable pair. And though he'd likely still throw a jab or snarky remark at Mizu every now and then, I think he'd come tl wholeheartedly admire Mizu as a brilliant swordsman and a kind soul. Thus, should things work out and this be endgame, Taigen would be able to provide Mizu with what Mikio could not: an idyllic life that is not built on a lie, but mutual trust, respect, admiration, and equality.

Or hey, maybe they could both make their own dojo together! I don't know.

(Edit: This post by @rinandsketches does a great job at delving into Taigen's character and a potential Mizu/Taigen relationship if you'd like to read more about this angle!)

Now, as I move on from Taigen, there are a couple more options on how to resolve this love triangle and that includes Option C: Ringo.

In this option, Mizu does not have an endgame romance with either Akemi or Taigen. In this route, she finds peace and love through friendship, solidarity, and a found family between herself, Ringo and Master Eiji—a bunch of outcasts in society who make a strong trifecta of sword-makers.

Also, as an aside while I'm talking about Ringo, I'd like to point out that I believe his element is air and his colour is a neutral grey; he is talkative, easy-going, wise, curious, light on his feet (stealthy) and free-spirited, which are all traits linked to air, and traits that complement Mizu nicely, as he is capable of getting Mizu to open up and trust others again, while Mizu helps him reach his true potential for greatness.

And finally, there's Option D: Polyamory.

This is basically an "all of the above" option, in which everyone wins and it's a super duper happy ending. It would also be awesome to get some polyamorous representation, and seeing the dynamic between Akemi/Mizu/Taigen play out would be very entertaining and refreshing. So, you never know, this just might be the true endgame!

AAAAND with that, I close my extremely long analysis of what is essentially Mizu's love life. Whatever the final outcome of this love triangle though, I just hope it will be well-written and satisfying to all the characters' respective arcs. (Also I just want Mizu to be HAPPY goddamn it because she deserves the world and her coochie eaten out)

Now, I highly doubt anyone will read any of this (especially not until the end!) but that's fine. I just have so many thoughts and feelings about this show and I just needed to get this out of my system lol! But if by some miracle you did read this far, I wholeheartedly welcome any sharing of thoughts and ideas because man am I obsessed with this show! But of course, if we have an opposing opinions, please be respectful when letting me know; I am very open to friendly discussions.

#blue eye samurai #mizu x taigen #mizu x akemi #mizu blue eye samurai #mizu x akemi x taigen #blue eye samurai meta #also if you ask me PERSONALLY. based on my own analysis which you can read above. personally i'm placing my bets on option b (mizutaigen)#and this is simply bcs i think mizu deserves nice things and that includes getting dicked down and pampered and worshipped #whoops who said that #also mizu deserves to live a life where she can hand taigen's ass to him on a daily basis. ykwim.#BUT i am def open to a change of opinion regarding the mizuakemi rship as the story progresses #i just dont want the writers to reduce akemi into nothing but a love interest for mizu #the only way i can see a happy mizuakemi endgame scenario is if blue eye samurai becomes purely an angsty romance story #in which case then yes i fully endorse the akemi ending <3 #but that would probs require a whole genre overhaul? bcs currently the show is firstly an action-epic where the romance is just a subplot #but even tho i dont reeeeally want a mizuakemi endgame i still DEF want mizu & akemi to be romantically and/or sexually involved plsss <3 #like they cant have that slow-mo shot between the two of them as their first encounter and NOT DO ANYTHING W IT!!!#also i want mizu to be at LEAST a little sapphic plsplspls #shut up haydar #meta dissertations.pdf #haydar's fandom posts #i wrote this whole thing while delirious and covid positive

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punkeropercyjackson · 2 months

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A minor rant: the way a lot of people talk about feminism these days really makes me feel like feminism is going backwards and recircling into misogyny. Allow me to explain.

I remember when people used to protest the use of "like a girl" and "for girls" as an insult, by rebranding it into a compliment and showing that just because something is seen as for girls doesn't mean it's stupid because girl isn't inherently an insult. And now we're seeing women on TikTok and Instagram use "girl math" "girl dinner" "don't ask me, I'm just a girl" "explaining math and cars and movies and politics and ethnic cleansing for the girlypops" "girl money" and overall using girl as a shorthand for being stupid, insipid, frivolous, ditzy, and lacking substance. The very idea that girl means inferior that we used to fight against is now something that is being parroted unironically by internet misogynists who unironically think that "girl=stupid" is the pinnacle of feminism.

I remember when feminists were calling out the idea that femininity is a bad thing and means weakness, and showing that being feminine doesn't mean that you can't also be strong, badass, or capable, when Legally Blonde and Sailor Moon and Friendship is Magic were praised for showing unapologetic girly girls whose love for pink and fashion didn't at all stop them from being ambitious, or kicking butt, or being a good fighter, or showing the world who's boss. And now whenever a female character who is feminine also shows traits of strength or intelligence or doesn't adhere to misogynistic stereotypes that women should be passive or demure, people are complaining that she acts "like a man" or is "masculine"(as if being masculine is a bad thing) or "why can't she be feminine and strong?"(when she is, but what they really want is for her to be meek, submissive, and docile because they see those as feminine traits while being outspoken, assertive, and bold are somehow masculine traits, and then praise that somehow) People complained that Princess Peach was being made masculine in the Super Mario Bros. movie and in Princess Peach Showtime!, just because in the former she was a badass fighter and in the latter they changed her face on the box art to be more realistic...but I thought we wanted female characters to be both feminine and strong, and now that we get them people are claiming that they act like men...

I also remember when people used "not like other girls" to refer to women with internalized misogyny who thought that liking girly things made you inferior, who tried to be "one of the guys" because "girls are too much drama", or who went through a phase of being ashamed of their girly interests because society taught them to hate them. But eventually that just morphed into people(even self-proclaimed feminists!) unironically declaring that any woman who wasn't feminine had internalized misogyny and was a "pick-me"(when that is aave) who thought that they were better than other girls and wanted to be a guy and that if they didn't eventually become pink and girly then clearly they were still stuck in that phase. And now if women so much as critique legitimately harmful gender roles like the makeup industry or shaving, other women will tell them that they are pick-mes or not like other girls who hate the women who partake in those things.

And don't even get me started on the bimbo crap. That was funny at first when people were just using it to project hyperfemininity without downplaying their intelligence(and I saw some guys partaking in the bimbocore trend, too!), but eventually it did just devolve into women pretending to be dumb idiots who cater to male egos by acting superficial and clueless and like they can't do a damn thing by themselves...even though a large part of feminism is not dumbing yourself down to make a boy feel smart, I remember learning at the age of like 11 that if you have to do that because a boy is intimidated by your intelligence then that boy is not worth it(no boy is worth it now but anywayz), but apparently according to modern-day faux-feminists it is cute to pretend that you need a man's help for everything because you're "just a girl".

I also remember when we used to fight back against the idea that teenage girls are dumb, naive, and insipid, and that they are shallow and not worth being taken seriously, only for grown adult women to call themselves "20-year-old teenage girls" as a way of saying that they're immature, silly, and incompetent, and it drives me up the wall. Not only are you infantilizing yourself, you are throwing teenage girls(many of whom do not act like this) under the bus to do so!

And it just makes me so drained and exhausted to see how normalized this is and that this is what passes for feminism these days. And before people say it, yes, I know the sexist attitudes I complained are so widespread nowadays were always around. I'm not saying that they're new or only became prevalent through the rise of TikTok. I know that's not the case. However, it definitely feels like these ideas are becoming more normalized than ever before, and hardly anyone is speaking out against them, because if you do, people will come at you with "so you hate women having fun? just let women enjoy things! what's wrong with femininity?" and everybody will ratio you, which is incredibly frustrating and invalidating.

And ykw I noticed is that most if not all of these people I see doing these things are white women. I haven't seen many if any Black or brown women engaging in the self-infantilization and bimbofication of their entire gender. I know I shouldn't have to explain why that is. But this just proves for me that white women can really pick and choose whether they are allies to the feminist cause or not. They can choose whether they want to be oppressed for their gender or privileged for their race, while women of color don't have that "luxury". They can appease the male status quo because it was made for them in the first place, while also seeking the oppressive power that white men have. It's really sad. It's like we're doing male misogynists' work for them by playing into the "women are bimbos and shallow and can't do math, being a girl sucks, teenage girls are stupid, femininity is shallow but also if you're a tomboy or butch then you obviously must hate your sisters" ideas that have been forced on us for literal fucking centuries and it is just so depressing to see. I hope people come to their senses soon because this is legit getting concerning.

But hey, what would I know? I'm just a teenage girl.

THIS WHOLE RANT.BEAUTIFUL,THE TRUEST TRUTH EVER!!!!!!

#thisismisogynoir #misogyny cw #white feminism #💌#askies

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antiromanticbaby · 9 months

Text

Roses - Lucifer

Crown Prince! Lucifer x GN!Reader

[✧] ー Just a short scenario with soft Luci <3 set in victorian era. Reader is GN because my man doesn't care about gender. Let's imagine love between the same sex wasn't taboo, alright? Danke :3

[✧] ー Reader is also innocent and of course, adhered to the society's beliefs and etiquette. (Did I use the word 'adhere' correctly? My first time doing it and it's so late already goodness me.)

Summary: Lucifer wishes to give his lovely betrothed a sweet little kiss. But it seems like they're not really up for it. Oh well, his beloved has a very endearing idea to solve this problem.

The two of you had been courting for a while now, and had yet to share any intimate moment. It was given of course. The both of you had decided to keep everything until your wedding. That way, it would be more special. It would hold much more meaning than something either of you could get anytime they wished.

Being engaged to the crown prince seemed perfect from afar, but it was harder than what it looked. Eyes were on you n matter where you went, and danger lurked around anywhere you stepped at. It was only natural for the crown to have enemies too, no matter how silent they were. But at the end of the day, the stress was worth it. Both for you, and your Lucifer.

"Is it appropriate for us to be alone like this, dearest?" You asked, gazing around at the private garden of his castle. You had heard from many of those servants just how mesmerizing the garden was, designed and cared after by Lucifer himself, but you had never seen it on your own. At least, not until now. The garden was truly a sight, with black and red flowers filling the ground, and the trees full of colorful blossoms. Even the rest of decoration, such as the marble fountain and the vases added to the garden's beauty.

Still, it was no appropriate for an engaged couple to be alone together without the supervision of an elder. You looked back at Lucifer, awaiting his reply. You didn't want to get on his nerves, but you knew that he cared about etiquette a lot too.

"Do not worry yourself, precious." He spoke calmly, putting an arm around your waist with a hint of possessiveness as he guided you to the center and near the fountain. "I just wished to have a private moment with my lovely betrothed."

You nodded, not that calmed down by his way of reassuring you. It wasn't long before you had let go of his arm and began admiring all the different and magical kinds of flowers in his garden. Of course, you didn’t expect any less of a private garden that was only for Lucifer, your beloved fiance. A certain rose caught your eyes in the midst of black roses and flowers. It had fallen down from its place, not having the natural glow of other roses but having its own kind of messages. Like a deep story hidden within those red petals. You bent down, picking it up and staring at it lovingly.

Lucifer couldn’t help but gaze at you as you stared at the fallen rose, wondering what you were thinking that had you so deep in thought. He stepped a little closer, peering at the rose. He saw nothing special with the fallen rose, unlike you.

“Your eyes.” You looked up from the rose and towards him, handing the rose to him. Fallen, like your fallen star. Red, like his ruby eyes. And magnifying, even at its worst. “It is the same shade as your eyes, Lucifer.”

Lucifer’s eyebrows lifted up as he took the rose from you. Although he couldn’t help but smile when you said that. You were such a lovely little creature, always thinking of him before everything else. His eyes moved from the rose towards you, stepping even closer. Close enough to make you just slightly uncomfortable. You wouldn’t push him away, though, as you did crave his touch as much as he craved yours. “How very observant, beloved. Would you like me to speak of my own observations?”

He then put the rose behind your ear, making sure the thorns wouldn’t hurt you. He couldn’t help but find your innocent smile lovely, in that moment.The Elegant prince cupped your cheeks, the pair of red roses residing in his eyes looking into your own gems. "You look so precious, love. Did you know that?”

You knew where this was headed. He wanted to tease you, make you blush, and have you a stuttering mess. You then noticed his loving gaze on your lips and not your eyes. He continued. “May I kiss you, my sweet?”

"But... it is not appropriate..." You whispered softly. But you had an idea how to do it, not to disappoint your fiance. You wanted that kiss too, after all, even if you would never admit it. You brought the rose out of your hair and put it on your lips, looking into his eyes softly. “Let us do it this way for now, until the day the bells of matrimony ring above us.”

Lucifer opened his eyes in surprise, as he saw the red rose on your lips. It was something he never expected and he was both surprised and pleased to see that you still cared for your innocence and proper etiquette, even so much so that you wouldn't let just anyone get a taste of your lips, not even your soon to be spouse. Lucifer then smiled warmly, while still caressing your cheek. "Thank you, my beloved. You are right, this isn't appropriate, but a rose like yourself deserves a kiss nonetheless."

Lucifer then pressed his lips gently against the rose, his hands holding yours as you held on the rose’s stem.

A sweet and innocent kiss, for his true love. For his beloved betrothed, and the one he chose to share his life with. As soon as he pulled away, he put the rose back on your hair like a hairpin. You were truly his, and he was glad to have such a caring little betrothed on his side. He grasped both of your hands and brought them to his lips, planting a soft kiss on the back of them.

“Until the bells of matrimony ring above us, my darling. I shall only wait and dream of that day.”

Check it out! [cursed records] [sweet dreams] [heavenless]

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wiltkingart · 2 months

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Would love to know more about taelle'teth too, like...does he have a family? Or was he vaguely born (also valid)?

Does he have any strong relationships?

What does he feel about others' perception of him, like does he care at all, or does he not think abt it all together? Is he more concerned about how he feels about himself, does he want others to perceive his appearance or personality any particular way(s)?

What inspired u to draw the bones for him? Does our guy have a favourite bone, or bone section..? Do u?

Are u going to be writing anything with him (like a story)?

Answer any or none of these....or literally anything else abt him because I like him a lot and he's hot. And I'm really curious about your thoughts for him

he was in fact conceived and spawned naturally, but he flew the coop a long time ago, and even among other elves he's an outsider for his affinity with death and curses (though he gets more respect from elves than humans, typically). he has strong relationships with others who make their livings on the fringes of society, especially those who practice likewise unpleasant and unsavory magics. and even though he's fond of casual hookups (if you have horns or scales or claws. or tusks. etc) he tends to stay friendly, after, if the other party is similarly interested. his closest friend is a talking skull that wants nothing more than for taelle'teth to help him find the rest of his body.

as for others' perceptions - he's aware that most people find him offputting at best. for his intensity, nearness to death, abilities, and refusal to adhere to human customs. it's been his reality for so long that he doesn't think much of it, especially when people will still come to him to make a difficult prosthetic or locate a lost lover using only a tooth. he wont soften himself for any one, and he's soft enough for the nonhumans who appreciate his company anyway. as for gender, his mixed physical traits often make others confused, but it pales compared to everything else. and he likes his body. he makes an art out of his prosthetics, and bone devices, and views his body as an extension of that.

i decided to draw bones for him because i like bones and wanted an excuse to get weird with it. his favorite bones are ribs because they can be used for many things. mine are tail bones.

i would like to write something with him (and i have ideas) but he's on the backburner, as i am working on other things. for now please enjoy the art :]

#he also has a strong and strange relationship with his surgeon (another elf) but i'm not sure if i would call them friends #and i will not be unpacking that. yet.#ask wilt #taelle'teth #thank you for the questions!!

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whetstonefires · 1 year

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What is your Hogwarts house?

I don't think that's considered a question in good taste anymore lmao.

And, actually, I never liked it much even as a kid, because sorting discourse did not adhere to the framework shown in the text. It consistently drifted to rigorous application of the ruleset laid out by the hat in its little song, which was blatantly called out as a convenient simplification about one page after the formula was originally presented.

Like. The fact that each cohort is broken down into four roughly equal pods and lineage is clearly a major determining factor, as is personal preference, is made clear very early. This is a cultural institution, that shapes the characters who grow within it quite as much as it's assigned based on their innate traits, and within the framework of which people actively look for identity elements to define themselves by.

People in my high school would be sorting adult fictional characters and doing elaborate balancing of their True Natures as revealed by their various plot events and defining life choices and patterns of behavior in their own generally dramatic canons and I'd be like. Okay, what do you think they were like when they were eleven though.

What were their values at eleven? What parts of their potential to be Like That were developed enough to show up on a psychic scan by a sapient hat, at eleven? What backstories are we assuming they're coming into this from; this man is a duke from fantasy medieval europe are we going to analogize him to a posh normie family, or the magic snobs, or are we dimensional-teleporting his baby self into wizard school?

Look, assigning Hogwarts houses to grown-ass adults on the basis of their adult developed identities doesn't make sense, that is very clearly not how anything works, this is a child-sorting algorithm. You have to apply it to children or it's invalid.

...also I was a Ravenclaw. I knew this. Everyone who had ever met me knew this. Any and every online quiz I was convinced to take knew this. I was so boring. I could not even make a serious case for my being one of the people who'd argue my way into another category I was minorly qualified for, or get there on family values or something, because I didn't want to not be a dumb nerd and my family is also dumb nerds. I was such an easy sort it was no fun at all, I was a walking stereotype.

It was embarrassing, is what it was. I was a flat character with no depth, rip child me. It was like if you could fail astrology by adhering precisely to your horoscope.

(My younger sisters wanted to be Gryffindor but consistently tested Hufflepuff and vice versa respectively, and I do not at this time remember which was which. The tests that gave you percentile rankings did give them minors in the ones they wanted tho.)

Anyway looking back on this in reaction to your ask, I find myself reflecting that House affiliation actually worked very much like gender, in that the way it was assigned was treated in-story as being based on absolute inherent qualities that defined a whole person, but quite clearly per the text actually worked by finding a schema you had an acceptable percent overlap with at a young age, and then setting you up to be perceived and instructed through that filter for the rest of your life.

The affiliation had meaning! But it was mostly meaning derived from the affiliation, and its social weight.

The ability of characters to find the sometimes deeply hidden Potential to live up to the person they aspired to be, thereby retroactively justifying the Sorting they had cajoled their way into, is like a major story element, you know?

I feel like this is yet another one of those places where rowling is a fairly gifted drawer of engaging caricatures; where when she was drawing on her actual lived experience (as opposed to hearsay and stereotype) to create something imitating that thing (in this case Belonging To Category) by intuition, the result would have nicely proportioned parts and some solid symbolic details, and work on an internal level more-or-less consistently, if not necessarily according to any strict logic.

Rather than being realistic it had a feeling of reality, which is in itself a perfectly reasonable way to approach light fiction. I often find myself wishing I could work in this more gestural manner sometimes, instead of drilling relentlessly down to detail.

The trouble is that things like those verisimilitudinous gaps between what people do and how they interpret their own doing, which lend the setting a great deal of dynamism, are only sometimes intentional, and the longer she extends any one bit and the more seriously she attempts to take it, the more likely she is to fall into the gaps and loudly deny that she has done any such thing, while digging herself into a pit of stupid.

#ask #hoc est meum #Anonymous #harry potter shit #i forgot the word horoscope for fully seven seconds there #i think trans sister wanted to be a hufflepuff #painfully cis ravenclaw is a funny concept tho #note that the funny language used here was not something i was capable of at 14

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mimigoey · 2 years

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M!IK Chapter 273: My overall reaction on the origin of Gaap

I'm going to sleep on certain matters in this chapter like Agares did!

First of all this is what a real Gaap demon looks like! A manifestation of "chaos" that look like fumes rising from the ground with glowing eyes. It evolved. This narration reminded me of Fushi from To Your Eternity. So basically, the Gaap people attained a humanoid form as part of evolution.

Even though it evolved, their countenance looked terrifying and repulsive to demons. Again this reminded me of Gugu from To Your Eternity. I wonder if the eyes are a trope used by mangakas to depict deformity. Gugu has the same eyes when he lost his face-

Now the gender of it is revealed. It's a he. He was bestowed with silver hair by a deity? Stop. Pause. I want more clarification here. Is this really a deity or an angel? I want to speak about this later

So..upto this part I'm not very satisfied.compared to Ifrit sensei's chapter, this is not enough for me. We know that the Ifrit clan rose from the ashes of a demon who challenged the great fire demon. Actually ifrits, djinns, iblis etc are born from fire. They're little fire balls as babies and re very fragile. Even if it doesn't adhere to the actual legend, Ifrit clan's short background was satisfactory.

My question is, where did this chaos come from? Like music, it doesn't have an origin? It was born "from chaos". Like war? Poverty and famine, tears of mothers who lost their sons, or wives who lost their husbands? Or an amalgamation of restless souls? I want to know what it is.

Then regarding the face, it is something that I expected too. I thought either it looks something like the one we got in chapter 272 or it's a normal face but if you look at it, you'll be cursed. Again, there's no clarification on that. It is obscured in 272 and we see the ancestor's face on 273. They could surely be the same and ofcourse I love him regardless but there should have been more clarity on things.

It's true that the deity bestowed a meaningful life upon the Gaap. Also,Gaap is not the demon Gaap as we thought? Gaap is a demon who transports the summoners and is a good doctor to women. He doesn't look like this either. So here Gaap actually means "pitiful chaos"? This is why I want to know more and will I see it in the next chapter?

(Talking to this picture - I love you so much. This is what it looks like under your facial hair and I love it. ❤️ Love everything about you ❤️)

So..in conclusion the future generations were born with the silver hair! That's what I derived from this. Look at the cute lotus 🪷 baby 🥺❤️

It's not an attachment. The hair covering is an undifferentiated part of the Gaaps. So when we look at Goemon, what we see is kind of like the skin covering our flesh. If we remove our skin surely we too look fleshly like this and it's incapable of showing emotions. This down here is Goemon ❤️ His eyes speak his emotions. He can show facial expressions without a mouth and that's awesome.

So my beginning lines "I'm going to sleep on certain matters like Agares did" means this - it's the present that matters. Goemon has a special place in every one of his friend's hearts. That is not going to change even if they become traumatized by seeing his face by chance. I also think that the original form has the ability to induce fear magically and psychologically. Anyway Goemon doesn't have to worry about it ❤️ this was my whole point of writing this post. Even if the true face induces magical trauma by chance, our feelings will NEVER change ❤️💘

#welcome to demon school iruma kun #mairimashita! iruma kun #m!ik #mairuma #gaap goemon #garp goemon #gap goemon #agares picero #picero agares #Osamu Nishi #manga #anime #to your eternity #gugu #fushi #fumetsu no anata e #gaap #goemon

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specialmouse · 6 months

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If being transgender is inherently reinforcing gender roles, then isn't transitioning as a transgender woman also inherently sexist? I ask this in good faith as a closeted transgender woman who doesn't want to transition in order to avoid reinforcing misogynistic values.

I think first and foremost it's important to understand that misogyny is baked into almost every facet of (at least my and many others') society. Cis women are not somehow magically not sexist for being "female" just as "males" aren't biologically predetermined to be sexist. It's just what happens when we live in a patriarchy. We all suffer for it because of how it's structured. Please don't take what I said as reasons not to transition. Anything you do within a gendered society is going to be reinforcing gender roles/expectations to a certain extent. I view gender as a construct that doesn't NEED to be around, yet still is incredibly pervasive and will continue to be for tens of thousands of years, if not the rest of human existence. There's nothing you or I can do to change that, on a fundamental level. When I, as a closeted transgender man, wear makeup and low-cut tops and lower my voice around men, etc., I am also enforcing gender roles. I'm doing what I feel like I need to in order to be treated better by those around me. It doesn't make it more righteous or fair because I'm a "female" and less so for you because you're "male". What you would be doing as a transgender woman by transitioning is no different, and in some ways it is even more important for you to adhere to those roles for your own safety, as deviation from the "norm" stands out to people, makes you more visible.

Forgive me if this is undue projection, but I understand the feeling of... almost interloping into a community that may or may not view you as an oppressor. As a closeted transgender gay man who 100% presents as a cishet woman in day to day life, it worries me that I'm somehow fetishizing gay men and their (our?) struggles and joys because I haven't experienced what most of them have. That's not my fault, I didn't choose to be like this. It's important to realize that there are facets of this community you don't understand that are important to a lot of people, and you should learn them. Here's the thing, though: transgender people have been around for tens of thousands of years, in different forms under different names. Contemporarily, I believe we are in a time where we are under more scrutiny than ever before, and we turn that inwards on ourselves as well. So, as someone who is female, or whatever, you are not being sexist by transitioning. You have one life, and that life should be spent doing what makes you feel best, not adhering to some people's moral codes. It's good that you're aware of the fact that you could harbor some sexist ideas, especially growing up "male" in a patriarchal society you are told certain things that could engrain themselves in you later on, but then again so does literally everyone else. Some of the most sexist people I've ever met have been cisgender women. And once you do transition, you lose that "male privilege" almost immediately. It's entirely conditional.

The only people that truly think the act of transitioning is sexist are TERFs, who have a very black-and-white view of the world on "biological" lines. Does biological, sex-based oppression exist? Yes, in varying intensities around the world. Does that mean that you being more feminine, going on estrogen, getting SRS, etc., is part of that? Of course not, it never has been. I want to make that very clear.

I hope this answer makes sense, I'm really tired but I wanted to answer this in good faith for you. I struggle a lot with the "morality" of my transition and have recently come to the conclusion that it doesn't fucking matter. We are going to die, perhaps sooner than we thought. Grow your hair out, make your voice higher, put some lipstick on whether in your bathroom or out in public, if that feels good to you. Go by another name, kiss someone who likes girls. You are not a bad or sexist person for doing that, not even close.

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tarnishedxknight · 19 days

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OC Muse: Munoh, an Independent (Heretic) Occuria

[Bio and other information below the cut!]

Type of Character & Fandom/Source Material: OC character, Munoh (Mew-NO) the Occuria, from the FFXII fandom.

FC: Themself! I actually sat down and edited a pic of an Occuria, putting together an entirely new one from parts of at least four of them, heh. So they should look like an Occuria, but not like any of the canon ones. I tried! XD Below is the whole version of the pic that I used for the banner, sans their magical glow so you can see the detail in their body. =)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Race: Occuria

Age: Ancient (in other words, nobody really knows, heh)

Gender: Agender (without gender)

Preferred pronouns: They honestly don't care if you use she/her or he/him, that really doesn't bother them, but they prefer they/them. They do take offense to the use of "it," as they see that as condescending.

Personal identity: They refer to themselves as "I," not as "we" as most Occuria do. They share this practice with Venat, for the same reasons. Having defected from the views that humekind needs to be guided to perform the will of the Occuria to maintain balance, Munoh no longer considers themself part of the collective, and therefore, quite rebelliously, refers to themself as "I," "me," and "myself," instead of "we," "us," and "ourselves.")

Sexual/Romantic Orientation: None

Family: I suppose the other Occuria, but they're pretty damn angry at Munoh right now. XD

Potentially Triggering Material in Threads: war; violence; trauma; mental illness; manipulation; depression

Positive Personality Traits: They are empathetic, curious, determined, understanding, and helpful. They are also very good listeners, and genuinely care about the well-being of humes and other mortal races.

Negative Personality Traits: The biggest one is arrogance, which all Occuria share due to their age and immense power, but as far as Occuria go, Munoh is not nearly as arrogant as some of the others. They can also become nervous and tend to fret if they are worried about something or someone. They will lash out against anyone or anything that threatens their current chosen mortal that they are overseeing.

BACKGROUND:

Not much is known about the Occuria. At the time FFXII takes place, they are considered gods by the hume (human) race because of their ancient age, their magical power, and their ability to hold sway over mankind. The Occuria are essentially the last members of an extremely powerful, magical race of incorporeal beings with the ability to shapeshift, make themselves invisible, make themselves inaudible, and to bestow power and magical ability onto mortals. Centuries ago, they bestowed magical powers upon King Raithwall, the first Dynast King and Ashelia's ancestor.

The last remaining members of this race have formed a council of sorts who feel it is their duty to maintain balance and order. If one hume nation, country, kingdom, empire, etc. becomes too powerful, it is punished and reduced in some way. If one has been wronged, it is raised up, assisted, or granted help through the process of selecting a "chosen savior." This is a hume the Occuria have chosen to act on Earth and in Ivalice to push the tide of war back towards balance.

For example, in FFXII, Ashelia is chosen by the Occurian council, partly because of her blood connection to Raithwall and partially because of the injustice done to Dalmasca, and granted a magical sword to help her create powerful nethicite weapons from a much larger cryst. With the shards she could cut from that cryst with the sword the Occuria granted her, she could obliterate the Archadian Empire, thus restoring balance and avenging her kingdom. Billions of innocent people would die in the process, but this was necessary to restore balance the Occuria said.

In FFXII, there is one Occuria named Venat who defects from the council. They believe that mankind should control its own fate, not be forced to adhere to the guidance of the Occuria. They do not need guidance, and should be permitted and free to explore and reach their full potential, whatever that may be. To prove this point, he chooses Vayne Solidor as his "savior" and guides him to amass as much power as he wishes by developing a manmade form of nethicite (manufacted nethicite) that is made in a laboratory (through Dr. Cid's research) from magicite ore. This would allow Vayne an endless supply of nethicite that does not need to be granted him by the Occuria. Deifacted nethicite is only bestowed by the Occuria using a sword given to their chosen one with which they cut a large cryst the location of which is only shared with that person. So Vayne eagerly accepts this guidance from Venat, wanting to expand the Archadian Empire indefinitely.

Now... where Munoh comes in... is that they have also defected from the Occurian council, so they do not believe in guiding (or coercing, manipulating, tricking, etc.) humes into potentially committing terrible atrocities for the purpose of "resetting the world balance." However, unlike Venat, Munoh does not believe humes should run amok and take what they want at the expense of others either. Munoh believes in not pushing humes to do anything they don't want to do, and instead, just letting them live their lives. If they destroy themselves, that might be their destiny, but it could just as easily be that they will restore balance on their own through their own means and with their own minds. They don't believe the Occuria should intervene at all.

Their views have gotten them rejected from the Occurian council and thrown into exile on Earth, something they... really don't mind. In checking up on the last remaining living descendants of Raithwall, Munoh saw that the council was already manipulating Ashelia Dalmasca. Their searches took them to a very distraught Caelen Dalmasca (see his info post for more detail on him), one of Ashelia's brothers. Seen as a pathetic failure by the Occurian council because he lacked the drive and rage Ashelia possessed for exacting revenge on the Archadian Empire, he was ignored by the ancient beings. So Munoh... took him under their wing, so to speak.

Again, you can read up on Caelen to find out more about his relationship with Munoh and how other humes viewed him because of it, but essentially Munoh encouraged Caelen to make some kind of difference in the world... but in a way he wanted to, not because anyone told him to, or because he felt like it was expected of him. Munoh celebrates the free will and unpredictability of humes and finds it very beautiful. Sometimes it is used for and brings about evil, but sometimes it is used for and brings about goodness too. Munoh believes Caelen has a good heart and wants to support him in his endeavors, offering aid here and there when it is needed but otherwise simply keeping Caelen company as he tries to sort out his life. They are fiercely protective of him (or of any muse they might decide upon as their "chosen one") and will protect him if need be.

Potential Starter Ideas:

Your muse might encounter Munoh with Caelen if he's the focus of a thread, or Munoh might approach your muse if they're someone Caelen has been interacting with. Maybe your muse thought Caelen had mental health issues, talking to and interacting with thin air, until that thin air appeared before them and starting talking to them too. XD

Or your muse could be chosen by Munoh, which means they'll offer their guidance and help for whatever your muse wants to achieve in life. Maybe they've taken an interest in your muse and have some questions, wanting to know more about them. Maybe your muse's motives confuse them and they want clarification. They are a very curious sort. =)

Munoh might be convinced to help in certain battles or to oppose Venat, for muses who might be in a FFXII setting. But this would definitely take some convincing because they usually like to stay out of human conflict.

I'm not sure how Munoh would fit into a MCU verse, but I'm sure we could work something out!

#{ out of dalmasca } ᵒᵒᶜ #oc muse: munoh

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mysteryshoptls · 2 years

Text

SSR Vil Schoenheit Halloween Personal Story: Part 2

"Becoming who you want to be."

(Part 1) Part 2 (Part 3)

[Pomefiore Dorm – Lounge]

Ruggie/Ace/Floyd: Huh?

Silver/Ortho/Jamil: Something feels wrong…?

Floyd: Everyone's faces are so pasty white they look like they're not connected to your bodies, ahaha～!

Vil: How are you finding it, o great makeup artists who rule Halloween Week?

Vil: What are your thoughts on the makeup you've applied to match your costumes this year?

Ace: Uh… I thought I applied it just like the plan said to…

Ruggie: It kinda feels like I'm losing to the costume, or something weird like that～

Jamil: Ace, Ruggie and I are naturally pretty good with our hands. We shouldn't be making any mistakes with our application.

Ortho: I would say that Ace and most of the others have applied the makeup design at least 80% correctly. Floyd-san is the only exception.

Floyd: Aha! You said it, Clione-chan～

Floyd: But, yeah. Not really scary enough for Halloween, I don't think?

Silver: …Hrm. The more I try to understand why, the sleepier I become…

Rook: For all of you to recognize your impetuous enthusiasm and continue to strive for further heights! Beauté! 100 points!!

Rook: Vil, why not be a guide for all these young lads struggling with the climb towards peak beauty?

Vil: I suppose I should.

Vil: All of you are misunderstanding what makeup is.

Vil: In these modern times, all ages and all genders can use cosmetics to adhere to their own personalities and policies.

Vil: It doesn't seem like any of you actually applied the makeup as something that deserves more effort than that of your daily use.

Ruggie/Ace/Floyd: !!

Silver/Ortho/Jamil: !!

Vil: This is for Halloween, a special day when this world intersects with the other world.

Vil: The costumes here are a haute couture for that exact purpose, and you all are trying to wear the makeup like you would always. Don't make me laugh.

Vil: It is as if you are trying to put a full course meal from a high-end restaurant into a tin mug.

Vil: An ordinary day, or a special day. Film, or stage. Natural light, or artificial lighting. Makeup can be applied different depending on the situation.

Vil: The Fairest Queen of the Great Seven would use magic to her advantage, and whenever she would encounter a hostile force…

Vil: It is said that she would apply the proper makeup and outfit depending on the situation at hand.

Vil: Just what is makeup? …It is the optimal solution to connect you to the world.

Vil: It seems that the space-time rift that makes sure your face is connected to your body has distorted.

Ace: I-I don't really understand what all that means, but it felt really intense!

Ruggie: This festival gets a ton of guests, so I guess we can't look too ragtag.

Jamil: Vil-senpai, could we start over and have you teach us the Halloween makeup one more time?

Silver/Ortho/Floyd: PLEASE!!

Vil: As long as you all understand. But before that, all of you will need to wash your faces and start from a fresh face.

Vil: Cleanse it carefully and remove all particles, you baby buttered potatoes!

Vil: Vil Schoenheit presents: Beauty Session for Halloween Week

Vil: Now the real show begins.

Vil: For Halloween, in addition to costumes, our venues are all decorated specially.

Vil: Those places will be illuminated with a variety of lights all day long, and our guest will be trying to take in the sights from near and far.

Vil: Essentially, this means that strong shadows and heavy makeup will be needed for this stage.

Vil: First, Ace. Since you all are skeletons, you'll need to create an atmosphere of emptiness and lifelessness.

Ace: We're students, y'know. It's not like we can go into Sam-san's store and get some cheap cosmetics with a student's discount!

Vil: Price is irrelevant. You want to put a strong shadow on your cheeks to erase any vitality. Try emphasizing the T-zone!

Ace: Huh!? It's definitely different from before. It's like I'm not of this world anymore?

Vil: Heartslabyul students usually wear more casual clothes and have more POP-y makeup, but

Vil: This time, you'll have to refrain from that style. Understand?

Ace: 'Kaaay. Thanks!

Vil: Next is Ruggie, pirates. Many of the Savanaclaw students have a stocky frame, and are far from having a ghostly appearance.

Vil: Keep is similar to your costume, don't use too much color. Blur the black eyeshadow greatly.

Vil: Pirates were said to have used black charcoal to paint their lower eyelids black to prevent reflections from the water, so thicken the makeup there.

Ruggie: So, instead of just doing minimal makeup there, we're gonna emphasize the pirate element of the ghost ship, huh.

Vil: Jamil, werewolves. I see you're using Scarabia colors for your costume.

Vil: Since you're portraying a ghost of a beastman, it's fine to have a bit of vitality.

Vil: Make sure you put red into your base makeup and eyeliner.

Jamil: I see. Even if it's my skin tone, or black, if I use something with a bit of red in it, it'll stand out from the costume. This is good to know.

Vil: Rook and Ortho… I'll skip over.

Rook/Ortho: WHY!?

Vil: Rook, you're in Pomefiore, same as me. There isn't much I have left to teach you.

Rook: And here I was hoping to learn something new from you once more… Le misérable!

Vil: Makeup doesn't matter to Ignihyde either, especially since you plan to cover your faces with pumpkins.

Ortho: Eeeh～ I was kinda looking forward to it, too…

Vil: I'm only joking. The inside of masks can get quite stuffy, so I'll pick out some basic cosmetics I would recommend.

Ortho: Thank you, Vil Schoenheit-san! I hope it'll be available online.

Vil: Silver, dragons. You're the most distinctive one this year. Vermillion eyeshadow and gold paint is the key.

Vil: It's vital to keep those two things from fading. Powder your face firmly to apply the base makeup carefully.

Vil: Diasomnia usually wears more gothic makeup, but this time it'll be the opposite. Perhaps Heartslabyul would be able to lend you a hand?

Vil: Why don't you and Ace try to apply the makeup to each other's faces? I'm sure you'll grasp how to do it then.

Ace: If it's flashy face paint, leave it to me! I'm totally used to it.

Silver: Understood. This is all for Halloween. Ace, I leave it to you.

Ace: Hehe, I always was kinda interested in the cool gothic makeup you guys in Diasomnia wear.

Ace: Looking forward to it, Silver-senpai～

Vil: Now, finally is our main problem. Octavinelle's theme is mummies.

Vil: I understand that Jade was not able to come because he is on the steering committee, but why did they send me this one…?

Floyd: You talkin' 'bout me? What, you got a problem?

Vil: You're the only one who completely overdid it on your poor skin!

Vil: The makeup liaison heads the quality control of the makeup and costumes for all of their dormmates.

Vil: In any case, do you think you'll be able to take back to the other students what you learn from me and teach them?

Floyd: Hmm～ I think so. Right now, at least.

Vil: Siiigh～ Well, fine, whatever. Floyd, sit in front of the mirror.

Floyd: Okaaaay.

Vil: If you move at all while I apply your makeup, I'll hang you out to dry in the sun!

(Part 1) Part 2 (Part 3)

#twisted wonderland #twst #vil schoenheit #ace trappola #ruggie bucchi #floyd leech #jamil viper #rook hunt #ortho shroud #twst vil #twst ace #twst ruggie #twst floyd #twst jamil #twst rook #twst ortho #twst silver #twst translation #twst halloween event

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canyoufucksoniccharacters · 4 months

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CAN YOU FUCK KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA?

Here he comes, rougher than the rest of 'em. The best of 'em, tougher than leather. You can call him Knuckles. Unlike Sonic he doesn't chuckle, he'd rather flex his muscles. He's hard

Our oldest character thus far, in terms of game release dates! Not counting Metal Sonic, since his fuckability status is currently MIA until Sonic himself is tackled. Funny enough, this one's gonna be pretty easy, despite how major of a character he is- but I'm getting ahead of myself. As usual, we'll start with Sonic Channel archives, because clearly those are a reliable source of information. Clearly. No sarcasm there whatsoever. Totally.

Hm. So... Sonic Channel says he's 16! Oh no! He's not fuckable! Welp, you heard it here folks, you can't fuck Knuckles Th

Oh. This again. Gentle reminder that these ages are nowhere to be seen in the original Japanese manual. They were likely made up on the spot by some guy Sega USA with very little communication between anyone who may be an even remotely qualified to say anything on these ages. Oh, and here's proof that the age is not listed whatsoever. Alongside a link to the entire Japanese manual.

So, that's out the window! How will we ever know if Knuckles is fuckable? How could we ever, ever know?

... Oh.

So, as we've covered previously, Rouge is, in fact, very thoroughly fuckable. She is the most sexualized character in the series, and her often suggestive nature and behavior is pretty integral to her identity. So, she's an adult... Who has been Knuckles's shiptease ever since Sonic Adventure 2, and continued to be so in official material, canon or not. Although it's not explored often, it's still thrown in here and there. Not a subscriber myself, but the fact that the official content is so willing to have this going on shows that they're at least even in terms of maturity. Otherwise, this would be weird! Really, really weird! And I do not wanna live in a world where my favorite gender-envy-inducing bat lady is going after minors.

So, his interactions with Rouge already ensure that, unless Sega is promoting really creepy behavior, Knuckles is most certainly an adult who can consent and could absolutely be in a relationship with another adult. On top of that- even if his age of 16 from his Heroes manual was true at the time of that game happening, there's something the series almost never touches on that would instantly invalidate it-- completely ignoring the fact the ship had already been teased before Heroes, in SA2, which would, again, make it really weird--, which is that believe it or not, despite these being funny anthro cartoon animals with magic powers or whatever, time does still pass in the Sonic universe. Sonic Generations shows the cast celebrating Sonic's in-universe birthday, and Sonic Forces has a 6-month timeskip in the middle of the game. Add on top of that the fact that a metric fuckton of games have come out since Heroes and likely didn't just happen within the same week, there's absolutely no way that Knuckles could still be 16, assuming he even was 16 in the first place when Heroes came out, which he most likely was not.

Yes, it's a series with cartoon animals that often adheres to cartoon logic, but if it was completely batshit insane and had no sense of time whatsoever or any ability to take its timeline and worldbuilding seriously, there wouldn't be an entire lorekeeping team at Sega now, would there? Yes, that's a thing. As of somewhat recently, matter of fact! But, that's a side tangent.

So, with all that, let's answer the question;

Can you fuck Knuckles The Echidna?

I mean... Yeah? Obviously?

He's literally being soft-shipped with the sluttiest character in the series by a long shot in official content, he's been around the longest out of anyone in the cast, already being incredibly familiar with the island he inhabits and skilled in his debut game, and overall has no traits that could point at him being that young. Again, he's probably about on average with Rouge on that end. So, yes-

You can, in fact, fuck Knuckles The Echidna.

I know some of y'all are going to be very happy about this one. Buncha furries. Again, hey, I'm not judging. You go have fun.

#knuckles the echidna #sonic the hedgehog #sth #status: fuckable

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angel-bruises · 5 months

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The 60th was so fun!

Things I liked:

The Doctor being like "Oh yeah of course the entire universe doesn't adhere to he same gender binary as British humans, I don't even really"

David Tennant and Catherine Tate really slipped right back into their roles with ease

Love that the new TARDIS interior is inspired by the classic interior but on a much grander scale

Meep

The only things I didn't like were:

It's physically impossible and beyond suspension of disbelief that the damage done to the streets of London could just be reversed

They really said "y'know what they can just magically get rid of the metacrisis actually nbd"

Why the fuck is the sonic so OP now??? It can create forcefields and holograms? It's too OP it's ridiculous, it's meant to be a screwdriver!

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borgevino · 1 year

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similarly brando sando's non human race the parshendi. they have an array of forms they can change into at will! however they still have a binary concept of gender. this doesn't stand up to any kind of analysis lmfao. and andy weir's aliens having a gender binary and a language made of sound-based syllables.

i think this is part of a broader problem, particularly in so called "hard" sff, that i'm going to call "Nice Anglo Culture, Dipshit. What Lies Outside It?" the "hardness" of a sff book seems to be determined by how closely its base values approach those of white masculinity in anglo cultures. magic adheres to rules and has explanation. gender roles are binary & well defined, and ambitious women break them by becoming more masculine. science provides absolute empirical answers. queerness, when it exists, is tolerated by the dominant culture as an oddity, usually in a patronizing way. etc etc. *

i'm just rambling here but i do wanna include these two screenshots, one out of a brandon sanderson book, the other from an article on how the nazis made homosexuality compatible with their hegemonic masculine ideal

* there's nuance here, like where the dominant culture in the baru cormorant books is That Way due to imperialism, but b.sands plays all his cultures straight lol

#going to cause chaos on reddit by recommending sci-fi tinglers when people ask for recs #'are u hard 4 hard sci-fi? that's kinda gay dude' etc #anyway.#edification

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silverity · 10 months

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this is going to be a very long response so i'll just go point by point.

"the pro-trans side argues in favour of gender identity and the irrelevance of sex. but this doesn't really do away with gender stereotypes, does it? it just allows a few to switch to the opposite side of the gender binary" -- strong disagree. firstly, nonbinary people exist, which completely does away with gender sterotypes (though that's such a big discussion that i'm not going to focus on that here). secondly, it is a huge theme in trans-positive spaces to re-affirm ideas that actively break down gender stereotypes, and this is a DIRECT result of recognizing the fact that not all women are going to conform to a strict steroetyped appearance (with the same applying for men, of course, but i'm going to focus on trans women in this discussion). the idea that women don't have to be petite little waifs, that women don't have to have a marilyn monroe hourglass figure, that women can be tall with broad shoulders, that women can have short hair, that they can have deep voices, that they can have muscle, that they can have facial hair, that they can be all of these things and still be respected as women -- these are all absolutely fundamental to trans acceptance. and this is to say nothing of stereotypes about women's interests, women's careers, women's clothing, and so on, so forth. there are trans women who are chemists. there are trans women in computer science. there are butch trans women, and tomboy trans women, and trans women who are engineers, and so on, so forth, with all of the diversity of experience and presentation that you would see in cis women. some trans women will get gender-affirming surgeries, and other trans women don't, and this is precisely because of the way trans-positive and trans-inclusive spaces have decoupled gender and gender stereotypes. this understanding of womanhood being whatever it is you would make of it is the most radical abolition of gender roles and stereotypes imaginable.

as for the idea that women's oppression occurs on a sexual basis -- while you see sex as the ROOT of misogyny, i see it as a SYMPTOM. misogynists don't write anti-choice legislation because they have a particular hatred for the uterus itself as an organ, they write anti-choice legislation because they believe all women have a uterus and, within that framework, understand that forcing control over that organ will therefore force control over women. when you talk about how "femininity is only demeaned because the female body it is assigned to is demeaned", we're talking about the same issue of "root versus symptom". just like how a woman who isn't feminine isn't magically free from misogyny, a woman without a vagina (or whatever other characteristics you might consider to be 'fundamental' to being a woman) is not magically free from misogyny. she still experiences misogyny in other aspects of her life, and this perception of her being a "incomplete/incorrect/improper woman" may just subject her to even further scrutiny and ridicule.

"treating gender as an identity in the trans way naturalizes the traits ascribed to the sexes as innate qualities to the sexes. womanhood is femininity, such that any feminine man or man who prefers feminine forms of expression is really a woman. & manhood is masculinity, such that any masculine women or women who wear their hair short are really men. this idea of gender identity also tries to pretend women are only oppressed because we adhere to femininity, so it's our own fault for not simply opting out" of femininity" -- i'm just going to point back to butch trans women here and the fact that decoupling "traditionally feminine" and "traditionally masculine" from "female" and "male" is foundational to trans acceptance. this idea that trans people are claiming "womanhood is femininity/manhood is masculinity" just isn't something you actually see in trans spaces.

"people should receive treatment, not affirmation" -- this has been tried. it has been tried repeatedly. it has repeatedly failed. the only thing "treatment without affirmation" gets you is dead trans people, and i'm not talking metaphorically. denying gender affirmative care to trans people has only ever led to trans people committing suicide. searching "Mental Health Outcomes in Transgender and Nonbinary Youths Receiving Gender-Affirming Care" will pull up a study from 2022 for you to look at. this information is readily available. i very strongly recommend looking into it.

how many people "identify" as nonbinary? how many are trans or agender or whatever else? i've seen some research suggest less than 1%, some say at most 5%. i'm not interested in supporting an ideology where the majority of women would still be oppressed and exploited GLOBALLY but for the privileged few, usually white, western, and middle class, who would be able to consider themselves nonbinary and potentially afford "gender affirming" hormones and surgeries. i support the collective liberation of all women. nothing less.

your claim that "trans women" encourage non-conformity to femininity seems like bullshit to me. it really does not add up with what i have seen from "trans women". a lot of "trans women" are guilty of saying the most misogynistic shit— from reducing womanhood to superficial "feminine" behaviours to outright saying their male biology makes them superior women to actual women. you can't say you're eradicating the oppression of gender when it's only through the locus of gender that "trans women" can claim to be women. if it's not female biology, and you're insisting it's not femininity from the perspective of "trans women", then what is our shared characteristic? what is the unifying trait that makes us all women? Black women, lesbian women, Muslim women... are all women because they are all female. genuinely, what do i have in common with "trans women" that makes us both women?? not only is it nonsensical to separate us from our female biology, it also erases our ability to organise around our shared interests as women, to discuss our experiences, to protect ourselves via the law, and again, recognise the inequal and exploitative sexual dynamics between men and women. women's interests frequently clash with those of men because they benefit from our exploitation. the inclusion of male "trans women" in the category of woman only further silences women and renders us second-class even within our own damn category and feminist movement (id like to note i keep getting called a cunt and told to kms in my submissions inbox 💀). we're already deemed second to men but now we gotta be second to male "women" as well? it's wild out here.

also, when you mention "trans women" and their careers, do you really think women are not discriminated in the workplace because of our bodies? because of our perceived inadequacies, both our perceived physical and mental inferiority, the nonsense that we are inherently weaker and less logical and overemotional? & what about pregnant women, or menstruating women, or menopausal women? "trans women" face none of these barriers, in fact it seems as though most "trans women" succeeded first in their fields as "cis men" before later "coming out" as "trans women". there may be diversity in presentation and experience among "trans women" but only of the male variety, only of male experiences. "trans women" do not and cannot represent women and the female experience, yet increasingly they are taking our places in activist spaces & organisations, university scholarships, sports, even on a damn women's gender equality committee— it seems anything reserved for women they can get their hands on they'll take for themselves.

like i said, if you don't understand that the oppression of women stems from males (and later the state) seeking to control female reproduction then you seriously need to read some radfem or marxfem theory, history, anthropology, theology... even Engels gets it mostly right in Origin of the Family. ill try to provide you with the briefest summary i can: by nature, males have no control over reproduction. their only control is over their own ejaculation. because of our bodies it is women who are by nature in control of our own pregnancies. it is also only women who (prior to the development of paternity testing) were guaranteed by nature a direct bloodline, which is what we see in the matrilineal/matricentered primitive societies that existed prior to the onset of class society and the creation of patriarchy. men's only means of ensuring their own fatherhood and rights to their children (for private property to pass to the male heir) are the social institutions of marriage and the family, through which women's sexuality and reproduction can be controlled and policed. the church and the state were also instrumental in reducing women to a subordinate status as the property of men (and so the capitalist incentive to have women birth workers is a factor too). for centuries women's oppression under patriarchy has been a mode of guaranteeing men sexual access to women (via wives or whores), control over their sexuality (to ensure legitimate children), the exploitation of their labour (unpaid domestic work, but for a long time even working women's pay went to their husbands) and reproductive labour (birthing and raising children), and control over their children (sons as heirs/male workers and daughters as another resource to exploit). i'm posting a link that provides a good explanation, but it's limited to only a marxist feminist viewpoint and it is a little outdated. but it's the briefest i've got for you.

i didn't really want to get into transgender surgeries or treatment all that much because i don't think it's my place to be involved in all that, but is it not true that all of it is completely novel and experimental? it seems like transgender health providers keep having to roll back some form of treatment. aren't they now worried in Europe that puberty blockers prescribed too early will permanently stunt brain development and maturation? ill look into what you've referred me to but ive also heard the opposite, that surgeries tend to be so disappointing for trans people (bc the reality is we cannot make a male body function as a female body or vice versa) that the risk of suicide actually increases years post-op. i hope it goes without saying that i don't want trans people to kill themselves, and rather than the GOP way of banning the fuck out of any mention of anything trans we should be funding more research into healthcare and treatment for gender dysphoria.

but even if we do have to accept that some people with gender dysphoria have to "transition" for their own well-being, in the case of "males to females" this is still a separate reality from being a woman. a male experiencing a disconnect with their male body and notions of masculinity is not a female experience. genuinely im not sure why being trans can't be it's own thing. why do trans males need to claim womanhood, why do they need to claim they're female, and in some cases even that they menstruate... clearly sex is actually very important to trans people. it only seems to become irrelevant when it's time to delegitimize women, our boundaries and our experiences as female people.

i think the both of us are forgetting the fact that in certain countries and some areas of society, we are already seeing the effects of trans-inclusive policies and a pro-trans culture: lesbians are told they're bigots for refusing dick, incarcerated women are raped by males in prison, female minors assaulted by male minors in mixed-sex spaces in schools, males winning women's sports and competitions, males in politics and activism speaking over women as to what womanhood is and how feminism needs to prioritise the males, confusion over women's healthcare and our bodies bc of this new incoherent language around gender and sex, males funding research into harvesting our uteruses (as though we don't have enough shit going on when it comes to the exploitation of our bodies).... just to name a few. evidently, "trans rights" already are clashing with women's rights, and if the trans movement goes any further it's only going to get worse for women. as a marxist feminist this isn't anything i can support.

#original posts

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