#no but i do think it's very impressive that he provokes the same response from readers as yjh provoked from him

[metanarrates]

really do love how orv fans are constantly posting shit like "KIM DOKJA SAVE ME." the man is living up to both his constellation title and his status as a constellation

[sunder-the-gold]

How halo-empathy re-contextualizes our Sankta Operators

I'll ignore Ezell (Enforcer) for this post, as we got to know him at the same time as we learned about halo-empathy.

Adnachiel

"In a show of humility, Adnachiel stands helpless in the face of loftier, theoretical topics, though everyone assumes he's just being modest. After all, as soften spoken and kind as he is, Adnachiel gives off the impression of being a clever and considerate young man."

Adnachiel didn't have to deal with that sort of misunderstanding in Laterano, where other Sankta would feel that he isn't being modest when a topic falls outside of his understanding of deterministic, mechanical principles.

On the other hand, he left Laterano before he was the requisite 12 years old for receiving his patron gun. We don't know how long he's lived in virtual exile before he became Infected (and thus exiled for real), but it seems like long enough for him to have adjusted to managing the expectations of non-Sankta.

Of course, that doesn't mean he can stop people from spreading exaggerated rumors about his intelligence and foresight, especially when he's got enough of both in reality.

Probably, his perceptiveness and analysis also helped him adjust to the necessity of watching and listening to other people to guess their state of mind. Philosophical theory is one thing, but facial expressions and vocal tones tend to have clearly observable meanings.

(Though I'm left wondering if his parents lied to him about the reason why they took him away from Laterano as a child. When a potential bully and a potential target both feel each other's emotions, would bullying still happen? Maybe this was an early-writing fluke?)

Arene

Where Adnachiel opened up to other people and studied them in return, Arene displays more introverted, self-focused tendencies.

Arene's troubling lack of sympathy for other people could owe to the several years he's spent exiled from Laterano following his infection with Oripathy, "from an early age". Younger than 12 years old, when Sankta normally receive their patron firearm.

Spending his formative years separated from his parents and surrounded by people from whom he could sense no emotions, with an underdeveloped ability to read emotions normally, and possibly with a unconscious sentiment of Sankta racial superiority, it's perhaps not surprising that Arene displays sadistic, solipsistic tendencies.

His third Archive File further mentions that he "tends to be a little sheepish around some of our other Laterano operators". One assumes this refers to other, unfallen Sankta who not only remind him that other people have internal lives of their own, but that there are some people who can still see right through him.

Ambriel

She's not just evading her taxes; she wanted to live where no one could empathically sense her desire to slack off. Possibly.

For that matter, her choice of weapon not only lets her avoid direct confrontations of a physical, mortal nature… the farther she could deploy from other members of the Lateran Guard or Notarial Hall, the less likely they could see or feel her slacking off.

When the Notarial Hall employed her to watch out for and locate students playing hookie from school, did they hope to inspire her to change by confronting "herself"?

Executor

He and Oren confirm that despite his apparently darkened halo and the unexplained device clamped onto it, he's not fallen. He's very much capable of sensing the feelings of other Sankta. He just doesn't care. Possibly, he thinks that feelings do not change facts, and he bases his decisions on facts.

This does not contradict what he says in his third Trust line. Rather it must mean that when he says, "I cannot understand other people", he cannot understand the reasoning of other Sankta despite knowing their emotional state. His actions could anger another Sankta close enough for him to feel their anger, but he doesn't understand WHY his actions provoked that response.

Exusiai

Texas: "Exusiai is my polar opposite. She seems to get along fine with anyone, but lets very few people close to her." Exusiai: "Texas is a handful. Even when she lets you close, she won't spare more than a few words. It took me a long time to figure out whether we were cool or not."

Exusiai grew up never needing someone to say more than a few words; she could know how they felt. She had to learn how to read someone as tactiturn as Texas because Sankta don't understand subtler body-language or unspoken words within words. Texas outright tells us that Exusiai finds it very hard to really TRUST other people; Texas had to prove herself through actions because Exusiai can't peek into her mind.

Which makes Exusiai's pledge of loyalty to the Doctor more impactful; even without halo-empathy, she's utterly convinced she understands and agrees with the Doctor. ("Leader… No, savior, I pledge this gun in my hand to protect you until the very end of this world.")

Mostima

This explains so much about Mostima, whom probably already wasn't the most social of Sankta. Before she fell, she had the Sankta empathy to assist her. Fiammetta didn't, but Fiammetta was raised by Sankta and knew how to bridge the gap, so Mostima still didn't have to learn anything. But after she fell, she lost almost all connection to other people that she'd taken for granted, and the effort to reconnect didn't seem worth the trouble.

Exusiai goes crazy not just because Mostima won't use her words to explain, but because words are all Mostima has any more and she was never good with them. Exusiai can't feel Mostima's feelings anymore.

This also brings a new dimension to how the Doctor managed to reach Mostima, and convince her that maybe making new human connections wasn't such a hassle (for her) after all. ("…I see now. When I thought of having a friend like you, the spark of joy I felt wasn't fake after all. Scrap what I said before, Doctor. Maybe I do need a bit of warmth in my life.")

[arziaisfrench]

▪︎ IPKKND Ep 80 : Khushi sees the effect of her tears on Arnav

"You have gone too far from your limits, miss Khushi Kumari Gupta. Keep your marriage thoughts for yourself."

Thanks to Barun Sobti's incredible acting skills, you can sense the shift in Arnav's energy. He's dealing with something dark inside him! His parents' death anniverssary is coming soon. He feels very vulnerable today.

"Who the hell are you that in order to talk to you, I have to go through all this?" I think he's very frustrated and angry because of what he thinks is, an imbalance in their emotional power dynamic !! This is a very important point to notice to be able to understand the way he's gonna badly behave in the future episodes ! He thinks she holds much more power on him than he holds on her, because he know he loves her and but still believes she don't. She can ruin his mood whatever she wants, whatever she rejects him (her hanging up his phone call) but he (thinks he) doesn't have that same power on her ! Of course he's wrong, but he doesn't know that yet.

He never felt this much frustration before. He's about to explode. He only thinks of her, of what she might think of him. He loves her. But he also hates her for making him fall in love !

He wants her so bad, emotionally, physically and completely. The frustration is in his mind, his heart & his body. ENTIRELY!

But notce his reaction when she puts him in his place (the way he let go of his hand with a subtle smile on his face). He loves it. It always impresses him and turn him on. What is provoking this reaction? Khushi's courage of course, and this since the first time they met. 👀

"Marriage is the purest of all relationship in the world. When someone promises to live their whole life with their partner, when someone doesn't want to get detached even after death, when someone prays that all the problems in his partner's life become their, every pain become their and if needed they can give their own life to protect their partner … with this promise life gets complete." I have to say this was a beautiful speech about marriage. Khushi can articulate her point of view in such a thoughtfull way. Arnav knows how clever she is.

"You make relationship for your own benefit. And when your purpose is over? No responsability, no engagement, no promises. Nothing." She ain't lying. But her views on a live-in-relationship is definitely problematic. She's judging it as if all people must have the same ideals as her.

Khushi insulted him by saying he had a "loose" character, implying he uses women as a tool to enjoy himself and to then throw them away. That's what makes him lose his sh*t. It reminded him of his father, unintentionally, she compared him with his unfaithful father, responsible of his mother's death !

And therefore all the anger and frustration came back at once in a split of few secondes ! He feels too much in such a short time, that he can't think clearly anymore, blinded by his fears and desires.

This scene triggered me a lot. This is the third scene that disgusted me soo much (first: the scene where he made a sexual thread, second: when he held her arm too harshly, then the camera were zooming on the marks he left on her arms, YIKES) !

He knew how he almost traumatized her the first day they met with his nasty behavior. His body language is way too agressive. And here he is, doing the same thing. This was digusting and triggering to watch!

This is the first time Khushi read Arnav's pain when he's realizing he's hurting her. She watches his anger disappear as he watches her cry.

This is the type of scene I was talking about in previous recaps. Tf is that?! Literally romantizing abusive behaviors. Why is her hand lingering on those marks?! I really hates these scenes!!

As I wrote earlier Arnav was definitely dealing with something very dark inside him. He was struggling to not break in tears all day thinking about his parents and how they d'ed. He let his impusilvity take the best of him once again because of how any insinuation about his parents trigger him.

Arnav at this point should've broke up with Lavanya. It's getting very umconfortable for me to see them exchanges intense stares while she's literally there in the same room !!!

The whole scene was about him getting worried about Khushi but honestly this scene happened way too soon after that "incident" in my opinion. I was so over it, we saw him earlier crossing a limit he should'n't have !

He insinuated to show her what it was to have a "loose" character, obviously making another sex-al threat just like the first time they met ! And him feeling very terrible that day doesn't give him an excuse for that disgusting behavior toward her everytime he gets deeply triggered.

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Well, I’ve done it. Finished the Bugle back catalogue. Original run was 295 full episodes, 217 hours. Reboot is currently up to 267 episodes. That’s a lot of Andy Zaltzman. I have heard a lot of Andy Zaltzman, in the last year and a bit. Arguably more Andy Zaltzman than is recommended for your mental health.

To commemorate the end of this era, I thought I'd post a few things I have saved in my Bugle folder. Because it's always fun to go through that. This isn't exactly the same as posting the best moments of The Bugle. I heard plenty of fantastically funny moments that I never cut out and saved. This is just a small selection of Bugle moments that, for whatever reason, I decided to save to my hard drive. Probably so I could put them in a post or something (going with ones from the original Bugle only here, stuff from the reboot could be another post).

An old one, from June 2009, that I saved just because it made me laugh so hard. The time a listener remixed John Oliver’s impression of Delonte West going on a date. Beginning of the era of listeners making weird remixes of The Bugle and sometimes having it played on the podcast.

@lastweeksshirttonight, this one's entirely for you (I don't remember why I first cut it out, but quite probably I did that for you in the first place), the time when John Oliver played a phone message on The Bugle in which his Daily Show colleague Rob Riggle called him a "piece of French garbage" while threatening to murder him.

From late 2014: they found a news story in which the Chinese government tried to ban puns, Andy Zaltzman responds with a nuclear-grade Chinese-themed pun run.

John Oliver: I think we're all aware that they're waving a red flag at a very excitable bull, with you, with this story. And, just before you say anything else... just, over-responding, Andy, would that not be what the Chinese government wants? Are they provoking you into action, and is not the really strong thing here to do to show restraint?

Andy Zaltzman: Uh, no.

Andy Zaltzman's idea for a football chant at a funeral - it's up there with the hardest The Bugle has ever made me laugh. I was on a bus when I first heard it. It was a problem.

The time Andy Zaltzman tried to tell a regular "walks into a bar" joke. About the Queen Victoria. As a way to explain why he has so many stories about people hating him when he tried to perform in comedy clubs.

John Oliver trying to get through his prepared material on the band Pussy Riot, Andy Zaltzman keeps interrupting and making John Oliver laugh, I cut this one out so I could use it to illustrate how well their double act works, based on the fact that they find each other so genuinely funny.

Episode 61 of The Bugle, from January 2009 - Andy Zaltzman missed Obama's inauguration because it happened on a Tuesday so he spent that time playing comedians' football, but did interview some of the other players (Lee Mack, Russell Howard, Daniel Kitson) about the inaguration they'd all missed, and played the interviews on The Bugle.

I didn't have the clip saved, but found it on YouTube because I need to include Andy Zaltzman's iconic dog-themed pun run, featuring the memorable "bored her colleagues" (border collie) and "cold and wet weaver" (golden retriever).

Tumblr won’t let me upload any more audio files here, but I can still add a Google Drive link, and I need to also mention the clip from Bugle episode 112, from April 2010, when it was John Oliver’s birthday and he’d just taken the job of voice acting in the Smurfs and he was so excited to announce that, because it’s the cutest shit I’ve ever heard.

While I’m at this, I’d like to end with a couple of Bugle compilations I made last year. I actually made a few of those, but here are my favourites. One is the one that got wildly, unstoppably, incredibly out of hand. It was meant to be just a short collection of audio clips from a few different Bugle episodes, like my other compilations were. Then I added some pictures. Then a Daily Show clip. Then another Daily Show clip. Then some more pictures. Then some video footage. Then there was more and more of it. And basically, I accidentally made a feature film. It's 74 minutes long.

It features all the aspects you want in a good feature film. Tension, suspense, one man’s descent into darkness, tasteful nudity, explorations of the human capacity for anger and confusion, a battle for the soul of a nation, a tumultuous relationship between two opposing figures at the centre, increasing conflict but a note of hope at the end. At once point, Andy Zaltzman, in his role as one of the main character’s best friends, compares it to a romcom like Groundhog Day. I referenced that in the title. Because I had to give it a title. Because it’s a feature film.

…It’s just a bunch of Bugle and Daily Show clips, in chronological order, taking us through the journey of John Oliver having to cover the career of Sarah Palin. He didn’t enjoy it. He really, really didn’t enjoy it.

Some of the audio clips are overlaid with pictures and videos of the stuff they were talking about. One of those pictures took me several hours to locate, I finally got it by putting the Daily Mail into Wayback Machine, and then going through ages of their archives. But I think it was worth the effort.

And finally, the one thing I’ve made that I actually put on YouTube, because it took me a large number of hours and a lot of work and I was actually quite pleased with the result. The story of the time, in 2011, that John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman talked a lot of shit about everyone involved in the News International phone hacking scandal, even though The Bugle was funded by Timesonline which was owned by Rupert Murdoch, and quite soon after that, they were dropped by The Times.

At the time, they both said this was not a political decision, it wasn’t because of their comments, it was just that they didn’t bring in enough money. Which is probably at least partially true, decisions can be about more than one thing. John Oliver said a couple of things that at least kind of implied it might have been retaliatory, but Andy Zaltzman was more careful, insisting they were parting amicably (even though they clearly weren’t). I suspect the difference in reactions is because John Oliver had a lot of shit going on outside The Bugle so could afford to mess around, while Andy Zaltzman had… in the episode where they announced this, he used the words “Jack K. shit” to describe what else he had going on, and may have been too invested in keeping The Bugle going to say anything that would risk alienating potential funding sources (they succeeded, of course, managing to fund it via listener donations).

In a very recent episode that I just listened to this weekend, from May 2023, the topic of Rupert Murdoch came up on The Bugle, and Andy Zaltzman briefly told the story of how they used to be funded by his company, but were then dropped by that company, “suspiciously shortly” after they talked a lot of shit about Rupert Murdoch and everyone who worked with him. That’s the first time I’ve ever heard Andy Zaltzman acknowledge that there may be a connection between those two things. So that’s a cool sign. Twelve years later, and Andy Zaltzman has finally attained enough success and job security so he can say what he likes as well.

[hannahsmusings]

Matt

*Matt’s eyes widen as you start to speak, realizing that he had got everything wrong, he thought you’d be upset by the physical issue and not by the way he acted, believing he did nothing wrong besides defend himself against someone who was clearly trying to humiliate him and make him feel insignificant in front of his own girlfriend* I didn’t mean to embarrass you, Hannah… I was drunk. You left me all alone at that bar, what else was I supposed to do? *he stared at you incredulously, truly believing that you’d chalk up his bad behavior to his drunkenness, totally assuming he’d just need to apologize for hitting you accidentally and that you’d understand the rest* He insulted me first, Hannah, and you know it. The way he was acting, he was show boating to impress you. It’s a male thing, I could smell it off him a mile away! He wanted me to mess up, he wanted me to embarrass myself in front of you so he could be the knight in fucking Dolce and Gabbana or whatever designer brand he wears and come and save you! How do you not see that? *his control on his temper was already slipping, unable to stop from seeing red when he thought of Jackson fucking Ford, his smug face and the way you two communicated so easily and in your own little private way, sharing memories and jokes that Matt wasn’t privy too* I never should’ve even been there last night, and I wouldn’t of gone if I knew you were just going to “network” the entire time… you left me all alone, Hannah. *his voice dips low at that, feeling like such an pathetic man for feeling abandoned in a crowded room but how could you not of stayed by his side?* I thought we’d have a great night all dressed up but it just proved to me how I don’t belong in that world, and neither do you. You don’t belong near that man. He’s no good. I’m sorry you feel like I embarrassed you, but it’s his fault. He provoked me!

_________________________________

*the small spark of hope in me died instantly as soon as you became defensive and blamed it all on Jackson, having so wished you’d taken time to reflect but I could see that was wishful thinking* What were you supposed to do? You were supposed to be the supportive boyfriend, to be the bigger man, to not drink too much and then attempt to punch my boss! *my voice raises just a little before quickly reigning it in, not wanting another fight but it was hard when you were making Jackson out to be some evil mastermind and not taking any responsibility for yourself* Well then, if that was his plan all along then you made it very easy for him. *shakes my head as you begin to try and guilt trip me, not prepared to deal with that and keeping my voice measured and quiet* It was a work event, an important one that I wanted your support at. You could have stayed by my side and been there for me, instead you got drunk and childish and aggressive. Even now you won’t take any responsibility for it. *I was so so disappointed, you’d been my boyfriend for years and my best friend longer than that, I felt like I was looking at a complete stranger right now, I had no idea who you were when you behaved like this* *i look down at my lap and take a breath, knowing I had to do this despite it being hard* I-I don’t want to be in this relationship anymore. I think I’ve felt that way for awhile. *looks up, tears springing to my eyes and chewing on my split lip* We’re not the same, it’s not working, all we do is fight and I’m tired.

[radicalbotanicals]

A Musing on Montage

I remember the very first time I saw Dziga Vertov’s Man with a Movie Camera (1929)  during my Concepts and Theories film class while undertaking my bachelor’s degree, and it has sat living in my brain ever since. It truly is a masterpiece of film work and deserves every piece of recognition it has been given over the generations. The near breakneck cuts, usage of techniques such as super imposition that were extremely new and cutting edge at the time, the almost musicality of the piece as it jumps from scene to scene; you cannot help but become bewitched by it.  “Without use of intertitles, without use of screenplay, without use of theatre” as the film states, it attempts to create a language of its own, giving you the impression that it is not really saying anything, all it wants to do is capture life itself, in all its facets, from the simple domestic pleasures of a women laying in bed, to a symphony orchestra. There is so much beauty to be had here, and yet the film exists as a piece of propaganda, to ingratiate the people to the causes and ideals of the Soviet Union. The beauty of the imagery I am seeing is weaponised. With no text, no clear narrative, no formal thesis statement, it does everything it can to have me buy in to Lenin’s dream.

The eye of the man himself – what a world he saw. (The final shot of “Man with a Movie Camera,” dir. Dziga Vertov, 1929.)

It would be difficult to argue that most art created is art for art’s sake and I am not trying to make a bleeding-heart statement stating that the film and films of its type should be admonished for the fact that they are not purely art, I think that is a pointless argument. Every creator has some sort of motive or agenda, whether it is transparent or not is entirely dependent on their intention, do they wish to deceive you or merely provoke you into action? But I think it is worth looking at montage again as a tool that can be used as its own type of subversion, as noted in a recent article I came across regarding the work of Malaysian film director Amir Muhammad titled “DOCUMENTARY AS MONTAGE The ambivalence of post-authoritarian Indonesia in Amir Muhammad’s The year of living vicariously” by Carlo Bonura.

He mentions that one particular work, The Year of Living Vicariously (2005) did not receive the same critical attention as Muhammad’s other work Gie (2004), despite it being a sort of documentary about the production of this film. What makes this work stand out is how he subverts this expectation of a pure documentation of this event by including interviews with individuals surrounding a variety of topics (Vespa scooters, the fall of Suharto, retelling of myths, etc.) that are juxtaposed with each other in this mosaic of fragments, linked to present ideas in this non-linear way. “As such, Amir Muhammad’s film transcends the status of a traditional documentary and instead presents viewers with a montage of ambivalence, raising new possibilities for thinking about montage as the basis for documentary itself.” (Bonura 2015) The tool is very apparent and is presented to the viewer as such, you are meant to think about the seams and cracks you see, they jolt you out of the lull you find yourself in sometimes when you become too absorbed by the content you are consuming.

This of course, has its drawbacks. Perhaps the advent-garde nature of this work is what resulted in it falling by the wayside and receiving less attention than the film that is responsible for its creation. It is the same problem Sergei Eisenstein’s October: Ten Days That Shook the World (1927) faced as audiences could not connect with the layered symbolism too dense for any one person to wade through. There must be a balance between form and function I think, if we want to see montage continue to flourish as an effective tool for sharing ideas and moving people to action. I wonder if it will continue to have a place in this new world where information is constantly being spoon-fed to more and more impatient audiences, but that remains to be seen.

Bibliography

Bonura, C. (2015) ‘Documentary as montage’, Indonesia and the Malay World, 43(127), pp. 413–430. doi:10.1080/13639811.2015.1062593.

[quinnverse]

"I--" Unable to form a proper response, Emma pursed her lips and let out a disgruntled sigh. He was a pig, a scoundrel, a disgusting, horrid man and she could not let him win. Not when her own life was on the line. She would die before she allowed her father to marry her off to someone like John Bolton. She would throw herself into the Charles before she shackled herself to someone like this.

"Do you plan to get on your knees for my father, too?" With a curl in her lip, Emma couldn't hide the disgust in her face. The more he spoke, the worse he became, it seemed. At first, he had merely appeared to be a haughty man who thought lowly of women. Now, he seemed to be the very definition of a rake. No, she thought to herself. Rakes at least knew how to please women.

"I'll have you know there are people who are interested in marrying me. It is I who am not interested in marriage." She didn't expect him to believe her. Her own father would've had a hard time believing her if her Aunt Caroline hadn't vouched for the fact. After all, the suitors had been forced to ask her aunt and uncle for their blessing since her father was across the pond. Emma had declined both of the proposals with a glimmer in her eye, knowing that each refusal would get her a step closer to winning her father over. But now she wasn't so sure she'd be allowed to refuse another proposal. "And if all men are perverted pigs like yourself, then I shall consider spinsterhood to be a welcome reprieve."

His vulgar words weren't the final straw as much as her own body's reaction to them. Her blood boiled and her skin stung with rising heat, but there was a fluttering in her stomach that was becoming harder to ignore the more he spoke of her in such a perverse way. How this man had ever managed to capture a woman's attention was beyond her, and yet at the same time she couldn't imagine anyone walking away without being at least somewhat impressed by his audacity.

Before she could think better of it, her hand was raised from her side and flying towards his face. If he wanted to behave indecently, she would treat him the way she would any other miscreant. If her father knew the way he was speaking to her, he wouldn't blame her for lashing out. The rest of Boston society might have a word or two to say, but if John Dunster knew just how cruel their sparring had gotten, surely he wouldn't force her to marry him.

Perhaps it would all work out in her favor. Or perhaps it would all go exactly as he planned it.

As soon as her palm made contact with his cheek, she regretted her actions. Emma recoiled, clutching her hand to her chest as though it had moved on its own. She had never been the violent sort, and yet she had never been provoked quite as much as she was being provoked tonight. An apology hung on her lips, but she swallowed it back, refusing to give in to her altruistic side in the thick of an argument.

"You, sir, are a damned pathetic excuse for a man." Lowering her voice to a mutter, she seethed. "You would be wise to keep both your hands and your bloody useless pego far away from me, lest you wish me to tear it off and throw it into the Harbor as well. Now, I suggest you let me walk away or I will hit you again, and I will not be so gentle about it next time."

Tossing a glance over her shoulder in the direction of her father, Emma's mind began to spiral. How quickly could she board the next ship back to England? How much begging would it take for her father to annul any possible arrangement? With a soft huff, she began towards the double doors that lead out to the front entrance, hands balled into fists by her sides. This night had gone from terrible to worse in such a short span of time that her body couldn't seem to keep up with the swelling anger in her chest.

“I despise you. You ought to consider yourself lucky that I love and respect my father or else I would destroy you right here."

Oh, she was a delight. A hellcat in sheep's clothing, yet every bit as harmless as an errant housefly. Did she truly think she was threatening, when she hardly stood up to his chest?

"What did I tell you about foreplay? Stop teasing me, Miss Dunster," Benjamin warned, barely fighting off a laugh. The angrier she became, the larger his grin grew. He didn't realize that his espionage could be fun, too.

Emma's hands returned to her hips. “Yes, you’ve expressed how useful you could be but you have yet to prove it. I can’t imagine someone like you being useful to me in any meaningful way, so forgive me for not believing your claims. Especially for as long as you remain on both feet."

Benjamin hummed, tonguing the corner of his mouth in thought. "Unfortunately, Miss Dunster, I cannot in good conscience demonstrate my worth here amongst prying eyes. The scandal wouldn't behoove either of us, were I to suddenly kneel at your feet -- especially since I can guarantee that you would no longer be standing upon yours."

Despite the bold claim, his earlier admission seemed to give the proper effect. Emma looked positively horrified, her eyes wide and wild, and her cheeks properly pale.

Teeth gritting, she warned, “I may remind you that you have not proposed yet, sir, and even if you had, I would not accept. Harlots might find you and your payments irresistible but I, for one, cannot stand to be around you. There’s not enough money in the world to make me marry you."

"Well then, I suppose it's quite fortunate that I don't intend to pay you a single cent," Benjamin replied. "The only person I truly need to convince is your father. And given his pleasure with our arrangement, I don't imagine that'll be too difficult. I can be very convincing."

Her request to not be perceived nearly made him grin. Emma was so bloody dramatic. Was it truly any wonder she was still unmarried? Lovely though she was, spinsterhood was clearly nipping at her heels from miles away.

"Oh, come now," he admonished. "You can't tell me anyone else is interested in marrying you. Why not just cut your losses and accept when someone is finally, finally willing to give you a chance? After all..." He shrugged. "I doubt very few are capable of handling that tongue of yours."

Emma's temper swelled. “I am not blushing," she seethed. "And even if I was it is not because of you. It’ll take far more than a pretty face to make me swoon. Especially when your mere presence is all but nauseating."

Benjamin chuckled. "Let the record show that you've called me 'pretty' on this night at least three times. You're not very good at dissuading me..." Nor was she very good at acting. At least he had performed several plays at Yale, all of which were now aiding in his ridiculous (if not wholly entertaining) ruse.

Emma's tone turned dangerously calm despite the stormy quality of her eyes. She threatened avoidance -- probably wise, given their not-so-veiled threats -- and it wasn't until she gave her final warning that he finally laughed, incredulous.

"I have never taken what isn't offered to me, and I don't intend to start now," Benjamin rebuffed. "This is a business transaction, Miss Dunster, not one of your silly little feminine fantasies, so I wholly intend to 'keep my hands to myself.' Just as no one would ever pay you to accept my proposal, no one could ever pay me to slip into your chambers for a dalliance." He huffed. "You're so frigid that I'd probably freeze my pego right off."

All right, perhaps this was finally the quip to push things too far... Despite the sneer he forced himself to wear, Benjamin could feel his own head reeling at such ribald cruelty.

[anotherhumaninthisworld]

Hello there! .. may i ask .. why robespierre didn't want desmoulins and danton to die? Why he hesitate? What's the reasons for that ? If you have any infos sources anything I will be so grateful to you and thanks ! ..

Interesting question!

I wouldn’t go so far as to say Robespierre didn’t want the death of Danton and Desmoulins. We do know he worked towards bringing them to trial since at least late March, when he openly admitted their ”faction” needed to be purged (March 20 and 21), albeit without naming it. He was the one who provided Saint-Just with notes to use for his indictment against the dantonists, and if you look them over you’ll notice they’re mostly very petty and unserious. On March 31 he was among the 18 people who signed the dantonists’ arrest warrant (which it could be argued was equal to a death sentence) and afterwards he was not a stranger to stengthening the decision made by shutting down those suggesting Danton should be allowed to come and defend himself before the Convention (March 31) and helping pass a decree taking away many rights of the accused (April 4). After the death of Danton and Desmoulins, Robespierre only ever referred to them as traitors and conspirators, both publically (1, 2, 3) and privately (see these notes written on certain ”suspect” deputies, half of which he denounce for having been friendly with Danton). These are all deeds that are a bit too active for him to not actually have wanted their heads.

That said, historians are pretty united on the fact that Robespierre wasn’t the one that provoked or the first one who asked for the death of Danton and Desmoulins. This has to do with his behaviour towards the two in the months before their arrests, openly protecting Danton on December 3 when no one else would, as well as, according to Billaud-Varennes, on an unspecified date at the CPS, and coming to the defense of Desmoulins not one, but four times (December 14, January 7, 8 and 10), saving him from an expulsion from the Jacobins. 

So now to your question, why did he choose to act this way? I would say there’s four main reasons, although I won’t dare to guess if one weighed heavier than another.

First off, we have the personal aspect. Danton and Desmoulins were Robespierre’s friends. Desmoulins and Robespierre had gone to school together for ten years when they were young (and while it’s hard to know just what their relationship was like back then, I think the the few pieces  that we do have give the impression that they at least were more than mere acquaintances). Robespierre had then attended Camille’s wedding and held his young son in his arms on multiple occasions. Multiple eyewitnesses also described the two as enjoying each other’s company (1, 2, 3). As for Danton, when his first wife died in January 1793, Robespierre adressed to him what is probably the most sentimental of his conserved letters, writing ”I love you more than ever, until death. In this moment, I am you.” I think it’s safe to say that it hurts to watch a friend die, much less two, and even more so when you are the one responsible for it. Put simply it is something we all want to avoid at all cost. Throughout five years of revolution Robespierre had already lost many friends due to differing political views, and I doubt he was eager to lose two more, this time being much more directly involved in it than he had in the cases of those he had broken with before. A personal relation with Danton and Desmoulins is also something the CPS deputies traditionally described as wanting to proscribe them before Robespierre did (Saint-Just, Billaud-Varennes and Collot d’Herbois) didn’t have.

There’s also a political aspect to it. Robespierre, Danton and Desmoulins had been political allies and fought for the same causes for more or less the entire revolution, and still did not long before the two latter went to the guillotine. What united them in late 1793 was the rejection of ”hébertism” in general, and dechristnanization in particular. On November 21 and 22 Danton and Robespierre both held speeches denouncing dechristnanization, and this was also the goal of the first two numbers of Desmoulins’ new journal Le Vieux Cordelier, the drafts of which Robespierre had read and given his approval to before they got sent to the printer. So Robespierre had the motive to perserve Danton and Desmoulins not only out of friendship, but also because they still proved useful to him in his battle against ”hébertism.” This held true even after December 18, when Desmoulins started using the Vieux Cordelier for things other than criticising ”hébertism” (in numbers that had not been proofread by Robespierre), and the later reveal that his and Danton’s intimate Fabre d’Eglantine had been involved in a serious scandal, which made the two suspect by association. Even though they were now no longer Robespierre’s allies, they were still Hébert’s enemies. Striking them would also mean letting the latter grow stronger, and it’s clear Robespierre didn’t want that to happen (even though he would go on to say that he thought Hébert and Desmoulins ”were equally wrong” on January 8 I think it’s safe to say that he disliked hébertism even more than the ideas Danton and Desmoulins stood for). If we want to get cynical, while it’s true Robespierre wanted to preserve the two while the hébertists were still a force to be reckoned with, there’s no real evidence of him trying to protect them once the latter were down for the count… Something else worth mentioning is the fact that, even though they no longer looked the same at certain topics, Danton and Desmoulins were long time political allies of Robespierre that had more or less always had his back. In his first journal Révolutions de France et de Brabant (1789-1791), Desmoulins had praised Robespierre innumerable times, while his second paper, La Tribune des Patriotes (1792), was created partly with the intention of protecting Robespierre from the many attacks he faced at that time. Even now in the Vieux Cordelier, although he went against many of his standpoints, Desmoulins never openly attacked Robespierre, instead praising him (1, 2, 3) or imploring him to change the revolutionary course (1). This is again an area where Robespierre’s situation differed from those of his collegues who might have wished to proscribe Danton and Desmoulins before he did, as Desmoulins wasn’t so kind as to spare them from any attacks in the Vieux Cordelier (1, 2). As for Danton, as already stated, he and Robespierre had long looked after one another. They were sometimes described as the two ”pillars of the revolution,” and Robespierre must have worried that removing one pillar would also mean weakening the other, along with the entire infrastructure. Even now when their views started to differ, Danton (like Desmoulins) never went on to denounce either revolutionary government in general or Robespierre in particular. Robespierre was a skilled politician, which means he can’t have been unaware of the the importance of having trusted people who can back you up around. Striking what can actually be described as people who had more or less always had his back can hardly have seen like the ideal thing to do, even as they started displaying opinions that were no longer entirely in line with those he himself held.

Then there’s a cautious aspect. Even though Danton and Desmoulins might have been seen as suspect by some of Robespierre’s collegues and several others, there remains the fact that the two were still famous revolutionaries that it could be dangerous to go after, not only because they still had supporters that would be appalled in seeing them get sent to the scaffold, but also because they might actually have the power to turn things around and win if placed before the Revolutionary Tribunal. Then it might be the heads of Robespierre and his allies that ended up in the basket instead. And as it turned out, this almost was what happened, which is why the CPS had to pass that decree on April 4. Robespierre, being a highly cautious person, probably had this in mind when it came to hesitating to strike down Danton and Desmoulins.

Finally, there’s also the question of how long it took for Robespierre to decide weather Desmoulins and Danton were actual counter-revolutionaries or men who had simply been ”misled.” At least in the case of Desmoulins, we know he leaned more towards the latter. This is shown through his interventions in his favor in early January (1, 2) as well as in an undelivered speech where he, although criticising Desmoulins, doesn’t treat him as entirely given over to the counter-revolution. Even after throwing in his weight against him, there are signs Robespierre didn’t view Desmoulins as a full-blown counter-revolutionary. In the notes he provided Saint-Just with to use for the indictment of the dantonists he described Desmoulins as simply having been ”the minion” of Danton and Fabre, and on July 1, three months after the execution, Robespierre referred to him as ”the friend of the conspirator Danton” instead of a conspirator himself. The same thing can be said to an extent for Danton, although here it’s much more clear that Robespierre did eventually come to see him as a conspirator. When defending Danton on December 3 it’s clear Robespierre still views him as a patriot, while he in the above mentioned undelivered speech completely spares him from any attacks. Multiple times Robespierre underlined his wish to punish only ”the leaders of a conspiracy”, but let those who had simply been ”misled” by them walk free (10, 11, 12). I don’t think he would have wanted to go after people unless he was sure they were actually involved in something sketchy, especially when said people were his personal friends.

Hopefully this makes Robespierre’s motivations make somewhat more sense! If you want to hear a professional historian’s opinion on the affair, some works covering it that you can read for free are:

Choosing Terror (2014) by Marisa Linton

Danton (1978) by Norman Hampson 

Robespierre (2014) by Hervé Leuwers (in French)

[istanfluffycontent]

Txt when they have a crush on you but tries to act cool and deny it (being a tsundere)

warnings: cursing Masterlist/wip list/things i might do later

Soobin:

not really a tsundere, but i guess he would act like a responsible adult

“it takes skills being a leader of 4, you know?”

but on the inside, he’s like a little boy who just got their crush

i mean, look at you though. who wouldn’t get a crush on you??

so.. he’s conflicted. He doesn’t know if he should stay away from you or get closer to you, ending in chaos

he values you so much he just doesn’t know how to express it

and it really shows, especially when you compliment him

“Hey.. y/n. Uh.. maybe shut up?”

panik

“Wait no! please don’t be upset, keep telling me how much you like my music! START TALKING”

Sends mixed signals and cant keep his muttering in

“y/n.. I love you pabo”

“What did you say?”

“Uh- UH- I sai, y/n! I’ll shove you pabo!”

Overall he’s a sweet but salty little shit who is 6′3 needs you around him badly but is scared to show it

Yeonjun:

runs his hands through his hair every time you’re near

he maintains eye contact on purpose with u just to tease you

this boi has high attack but weak defense

If you do the same, he’ll be satisfied but also get really flustered

“I knew it! They cant resist me.”

however, if you ignore it or act annoyed, he’ll be very scared that you might think he’s too cocky

give you nicknames and acts like it’s no big deal

“just because i called you baby girl doesn’t mean anything! why would you even think that, huh?”

prideful bastard cause he knows he’s hot, meaning he has a big ego and needs even more boosting from you

known as the best dancer in txt, he’ll go even above and beyond when you’re there (as if his moves were not perfect and sharp enough already)

when you hang out with others, he gets jealous

so he gets your attention by provoking you

constant resting bitch face around you to hide the fact that he’s head over heels for you

He also pulls risky behavior shits to be in the spotlight

Beomgyu:

He’s so bubbly! How can he be a tsundere? But if he was-

he would try to look extra good in front of you (if that possible)

LOTS of hair flips

he acts distant towards you.. But also wants your undivided attention at the same time

he’s scared he’s scared you won’t like him back

So when you hang out with others it just scares him more, making him wanting to know everything about you and what you did

uses sarcasm a lot with you

“Hey gyu! I saw this recipe for cookies you guys might like. Should i make some?

In his mind, he’s like “Uh- ‘you guys’?? They should be only for me. But yes. Now ask me to make it with you.”

And it comes out as “stop trying to kill me with your cooking”

when members ship you guys together, he’s going to throw a tantrum

“Gyuu, i didn’t know you liked me ;)”

“W-what? You too? No I don’t! I really don’t! WHY ARE YOU GUYS LAughINg?”

That leads to some overthinking and then to confession 

Taehyun:

acts like he doesn’t have time for your shits, but secretly wants you to bother him 

like- a lot

goes to the gym extra often and does more magic tricks just to impress you

And he pants, like, a lot with his sleeveless shirt during work outs or dance practices if your there 

he acts unemotional around you unless you trigger him

Oh and i almost forgot- wet hair and licking his lips 

all of a sudden, he’s not embarrassed to causally flex his muscles i wonder why

he’s also known for being a good cook

when you want a bite, he smirks and teases you

Of course you’ll tell him that it tastes amazing! and now he leaves food everywhere for you to eat

“What? You ate them? But they weren’t for you!”

But the members and you all know that Kang Tae Hyun would never just leave things around like that

“Who were they for then, terry? Your secret lover or something?”

“UH- no- i-.. yeah okay. BUT ITS NOT YOU THOUGH- no- you know what? give me back my food!”

Kai:

Cant really see him as a tsundere but..

Doesn’t want to bother you and doesn’t want to seem needy so he asks his hyungs for advice

They tell him you make you fall for him first, and pay it cool

well that’s not helpful at all

this baby is scared the others will outshine him by a thousand mile

so he acts cold in order to not all for you any deeper but he would literally die for your smiles and praises

actually, i think he would love your encouragements even more than his hyungs

And every time you do, he gives you charming eyes and a sweet smile.. And then attempts to cover his joy up (keyword: attempt)

“Kai! Do you wanna go get food with me?”

“um- no”

You cling to him arm “but.. Why noott??”

suddenly, he’s a bomb of emotions, stream’s coming out of his ears

“OKAY OKAY ILL GO JUST LET GO OF ME PLEASE”

A/n: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! if you have any requests, please feel free to submit them also here’s some ideas i might do in the future <3

[thefuseoftemptation]

I was picturing the Lost Boys and a disabled s/o. (I have to use forearm crutches due to spinal trauma but grew up in a dojo, so I know how to kick butt even now; it just causes me more pain when I have to.) How do you think they’d feel about having a pigheaded s/o with forearm crutches?

You got it, srry it’s late.

—PIGHEADED

THE LOST BOYS X GN!READER

(GENDER AND RACE NOT SPECIFIED OR MENTIONED)

A/N: none.

WARNING(S): cussing.

. . .

They met when they saw you hand it to a surf nazi. You could say you caught their eyes that night. 

The had come up to you when you were leaned up against the wall. Which honestly wasn’t very wise of them since 1.) it was just you and some fuckin guys you’d never seen surrounding you and given how you grew up it put you heavily on guard and 2.) they just saw what you did to that surf nazi with crutches. And they’re gonna get that close???

“Hey hun, look—”

“Unless you’d like my foot up your ass, then leave."

They kind of just stared at you. And then simultaneously, three out of the four took a step back as you were already looking to hand it to them. Paul though, not so much. The guy only got closer chuckling at your words, and before any of the boys could pull him back, you sent a kick his way. 

There he was on the ground clutching his stomach releasing quite a few curses. And as for you, you were leaned to the wall once again, but this time—wincing.

“You alright?” The brunette asked in concern, slowly coming up to check on you

“Yeah yeah I’m alright. Don’t touch me!—”

He backed up with his hands in the air as if to show he meant no harm. He was just trying to help. 

“Is that so? You don’t look it.” The bleach blonde spoke

You sighed and looked to the them, before telling. You had crutches due to some trauma you experienced to the spine and while it didn’t stop you from going ‘bout your usual, it hurt sometimes when you did so.

They listened and nodded. Then explained that they just came to talk to you which earned them a snort followed by a response on ‘how they shouldn’t do that because you never know who you’re dealing with.’ 

“Thought you guys were going to try something.”

From there, you guys were constantly together. Every night the boys coming to look for you where ever that was at. 

You also had given your sorry to Paul, even though it wasn’t really necessary since you had warned him and he shouldn’t have kept going. He took it well though, like nothing even happened, and proceeded to commend you for your moves. Which then brought up the question of where you learned them.

You told them you grew up in the dojo. Explaining what it was and how martial arts was basically in your veins.

They were impressed.

Marko would ask you all sorts of questions, so interested in knowing what it was like and even asking how to do certain moves. Which concerned Dwayne and David because 1.) they didn’t need you exerting yourself more than you should—cue you rolling your eyes and ignoring them and 2.) Marko was already quite the fighter, they didn’t him need him learning any more things. They had pulled him from enough fights, no more please. You two were the same when it came to your stubbornness so good luck to the boys in trying to get you to listen.

Paul was interested to know too but kept a fair distance and didn’t try to provoke you. He’s seen what you could do, felt it too. Though there are nights where he does forget.... 

“That hurt hun!”

“Then why’d you try it! You think I was just going to stand there and let it happen!—”

But he also never likes seeing you hurt after, he’d end up pulling you in for a hug and then bringing you to the couch so you could rest and he could hold you.

Dwayne liked how you could hold your own, it impressed him so much. He liked how your disability didn’t stop you from nothing. But he just didn’t like how you were so fuckin stubborn when it came to it. It worried the boy so much when you would wince or suck in a breath whenever you tried something or over exerted yourself. He wasn’t trying to keep you from doing what you were used to and had grown up on, though at the same time he couldn’t help it! 

David was much like Dwayne in that sense. Though he tended to be more  subtle ‘bout it. He would reprimand you every time, expecting you to listen and take in his words. So vision his face when you just didn’t. It would fuckin send him. He wasn’t too fond of you ignoring what he says. Like, excuse him for worrying...

Your stubbornness was quite amusing and might I say, a peeve of theirs—mostly David and partly Dwayne. Just a little. 

Though I doubt any body would try anything with them nearby and surrounding you basically all the time. And if they did, well you weren’t the only one who was going to be handing it to somebody. Not only that but, that person just put themselves on a missing poster.

They care for you oh so much. 

.

.

.

a/n: none.

[ninjakk]

I really love your mdzs analysis and meta.I want to ask you this,From your point of view what do you think LWJ thought at the beginning when WWX was teasing him to sleep on one bed and to bath together,did he thought that WWX was making fun of his feelings or He knew that WWX was acting as MXY.but at the same time didn`t LWJ knew who was MXY was?also,when JC makes fun of their relationship,did he thought all this time WWX was returning his feeling as why he was so shocked when he heard WWX?

Hi Anon,

Thanks for the ask! I'm delighted to hear you are enjoying my meta ☺️

At the start of the novel, when they met on Dafan Mountain for the second time that night, LWJ assumed WWX was not hiding his identity from him. In fact, he thought WWX was practically calling out to him by playing Wangxian. Then JC arrived totally ruining the moment as usual - learn to read the room (or forest in this case!) will you JC!

So when WWX starts putting on the MXY act right then and there, LWJ assumes he is trying to hide from JC. But WWX continues with the pretence that he is MXY even after they leave for Gusu. At this point I think LWJ assumes WWX is playing with him, teasing him just like he used to. The only difference is, LWJ has matured and accepted his love for WWX - so he embraces WWXs teasing and even teases back! Not long after, LWJ calls WWX's bluff and reveals he does indeed know who he really is. To be honest, WWX hasn't done the best job of hiding it anyway! Which is probably why LWJ thinks he's just teasing as always. LWJ also thinks that him jumping into bed and insisting on sharing a bath is WWX trying to show gratitude towards him for saving him from the Bloodbath of Nightless City. After all, LWJ is under the impression he remembers his confession and is unaware WWX has been having issues with his memory.

LWJ did not know who MXY was. He might have heard of him in passing, but he was certainly not familiar with him. Sometimes I think people might get a little confused at JCs comments around this when he confronts WWX after he taunts him with Fairy. What JC said was just to provoke and insult WWX. It was a lie to hurt WWX.

When JC confronts WWX and LWJ at the ancestral hall of Lotus Pier, he tries to insult and provoke WWX once again. He knows the best way to do this is by spewing slander about LWJ, as WWX is fiercely protective of people he cares about. JC is also a homophobe, so he can't help but express his disgust at them - after he caught them acting intimate outside, as he creepily watched from a bush afar. LWJ was understandably hurt at hearing WWX draw a line under their relationship and practically friend-zoning him in response to JCs cruel remarks. But in truth, WWX was sticking up for LWJ and protecting his reputation. I think LWJ was probably very confused at this point, having conflicting information and emotions. Nevertheless, LWJ still chooses to protect him and stay by his side after this because he wants WWX in his life, any way he can. Obviously in his heart, a romantic relationship would be the ideal. But I think LWJ always has these invading thoughts that WWX 'rejected' him back in the cave when he confessed his love, pulling him away from accepting any of WWXs actions as anything other than out of appreciation or friendship.

I don't think LWJ fully allowed himself to think WWX was truly returning his feelings for him until they had their passionate romp at the inn - and that was short lived! After this, LWJ mistook what WWX was saying as him insinuating that what happened was out of gratitude. There was a moment prior to this, when WWX jumped from the tree and LWJ caught him. He was about to accept that WWX might reciprocate his feelings when they embraced - but WWX said "thank you" and he hesitated because this sounded again like gratitude and drawing a line between them as he had in the past.

I hope I've been able to answer your questions 😊

Thanks for the ask! ☁���🐇💕

[endlich-allein]

I really like your answers to asks... do you write fanfiction?

Oh thank you very much for this compliment ❤️

It touches me a lot because English is not my mother tongue and I am very unsure of myself when I express myself in this language 😖

No I've never written fanfiction, I'd love to but I don't have the talent or the imagination to do so 👎🏼

The most beautiful thing I have ever written and of which I am very proud is this response to a hateful ask ⬇️

Why I love Till Lindemann... ?

Sometimes in life, we have the impression of meeting people who don't come from the same planet as us. “Extra-humans”, different from the others, who live on a different wavelength. Till is one of those beings. He is so different that it becomes difficult to understand him. But it's good to be different, it proves that he's brave enough to be himself... I like his unruly mind : he thinks against the mainstream, but he always speaks accurately about his ideas.

Till falls into that category of person : I've saved a lot of people, except myself. There is something broken about him, he is a tortured soul. And like all the "flesh-flayed", he seeks to provoke, to scratch others to feel alive. You shouldn't blame him, even if it sometimes hurts. Rather, we must remember that there is light in him, that there is in his heart this generous, solitary and sensitive child. Till often reminds me of this sentence from Gustave Flaubert: "I am endowed with an absurd sensitiveness, what scratches others tears me to pieces."

And Till is torn, he has so many scars, on his body and on his soul... I love Till because I love people who wear their scars with dignity. Those who suffered but still smile. Those who lost but are still trying. Those who have been mistreated but who have remained nice. Those who were disappointed but still show their heart. Those who, in order to shine, don't need to turn off others...

Till also gave me life lessons, through his life, his songs, his poems. In particular this lesson : You are not a single way of being, a single way of acting, a single way of thinking. You are a fireworks display of emotions, certainties and contradictions. You are human.

That's why I love Till, because he is human, and not trying to be something else.

Why I love Till ? Just because... that's it all.

[a-crimson-dawn]

Hey I love the last request with Julius's girlfriend😁💖💖

So i'm asking for another😭

Can you do one with the catains first impressions of each other?

Absolutely!

I hope this is alright.

Warning: contains one (1) innuendo, but otherwise nothing much inappropriate, just one innuendo in Charlotte's section in Yami's response to Rill's words. So feel free to skip Rill's impression of Charlotte if that stuff makes you uncomfortable.

Captains' First Impressions Of...

Yami Sukehiro || Black Bulls

William: *Watches from a distance at first before approaching. Uncertain, but the guy seems to have potential so he's not surprised Julius invited him into his squad, and he has no idea whether the foreigner can handle the bandits on his own or not, so William eventually joins the fight. ((I've decided to make their first meeting work with the first grey deer flashback from Yami in the anime))*

Nozel: Irresponsible, infuriating, insolent, chaos incarnate... but then again, what do I expect from a peasant foreigner... *He has to admit though that he has never sensed so much mana surrounding a foreigner before, so he's clearly powerful.*

Fuegoleon: I can see why Julius chose him - he does have a lot of power, and courage - but I wonder how well he plays in a team.

Julius: I've never seen dark magic befo- ahem... he strikes me as the type of person who could benefit from being in the magic knights but I also think that the magic knights could benefit from having more people like him amongst them.

Kaiser: He seems a little rough around the edges. Considering Julius appears to have high hopes for him though, he might turn out to be a diamond in the rough.

Jack the Ripper: This foreigner's got balls talking to me like that, and he seems like a fun guy to slice up! Though I wonder if that sword of his is functional or just for show. *Eager to get into a fight with Yami already and starts provoking him from day 1. Honestly, Yami does the same to Jack though.*

Rill: Ooh, he sounds like a fun guy, maybe he'd even get my jokes! *Is really hoping that he'll take to them better than Nozel does.*

Charlotte: ... Disrespectful foreign male... (How is he this attractive?! This isn't fair! No man who is so insolent should be this hot! *indignant, flustered, the thirst is real... yes, since day one, don't as how/why, I have no idea about how this woman's brain functions...*)

Dorothy: We have a himbo among us, girls! (Also maybe a cowboy casanova...) *Falls asleep almost immediately after this, so Yami can't ask her what the hell she meant by that... and neither can anybody else.*

Mereoleona: He's dense enough that he doesn't even seem to fear death - but he fears me, so clearly not all his screws are loose - or understand where he is and isn't wanted and he's stubborn and apathetic enough to not care about it even if he did understand. And once you get past the ridiculous nicknames he's not so bad in a fight either - not that he's got anything on Acier. I can see why my brother respects him.

---

William Vangeance || Golden Dawn

Yami: Weird pants, weird shoes, weird shirt... and that mask... it's shady as hell. But, you know, if I can get away with doing less work because of him, sure, why not.

Fuegoleon: I can see now why Julius wanted him to join the magic knights, but... he seems so- Nozel: He's thirteen. Whatever you think is lacking is just going have to stop lacking once he gets his grimoire. Fuegoleon: ... on the other hand, he's polite and respectful. Nozel: Very reserved though. Fuegoleon: I'm sure he'll open up, you took a while to open up to me too, and we're related. Nozel: Yes, well, you were an idiot. Fuegoleon: I object to that! Nozel: And I object to your objection. *Anyway, spoiler alert, William doesn't open up.*

Julius: World tree magic is just so pretty- I mean, my squad could use someone as easy to get along with and respectful. I'm sure Fuegoleon and Nozel will like him once they meet him, the two boys do share some commonalities... (like having interesting magic!)

Rill: Ooh, I like the mask - it's so colourful. I wonder if it was homemade! Also, does he like, have some massive secret to hide, or something since he's wearing that mask? *Imagines that he's either some kind of superhero or something akin to the Phantom of the Opera...* He seems friendly though! And at least he doesn't seem to hate me, unlike Nozel.

Jack the Ripper: Plant magic? We'll see how long that'll last against my slicing magic... *In all honesty, Jack and William never do end up getting on very well, and Jack mostly hangs around William because of Yami, because I mean, they have very different personalities and hobbies, in my mind. They tolerate each other - and William has a one-sided respect for Jack - but that's about it.*

Kaiser: He seems like a fairly down to earth person, very polite. But not that talkative.

Charlotte: Ew, a guy! *Because it was not uncommon for people back in the day to arrange marriages, her parents at first tried to arrange one between her and William, safe to say she didn't take to him well at first... and even once they no longer were at threat of being talked into a marriage she assumed him fruity, and then she started being paranoid because she thought he was after Yami, but then they became friends eventually...*

Dorothy: I like his style, it's quirky! Although, he does strike me as the bad boy vigilante type - it must be the mask. ((How, Dorothy? Just how do you come to these conclusions???))

Mereoleona: For a tree mage, he's not half bad. Although, I question his sanity given his lack of rational fear. (Of her)

---

Fuegoleon Vermillion || Crimson Lion Kings

Yami: Total buzz kill, but I'm sure once I get under his skin it'll be real satisfying... Also, at least he doesn't have a stick up his ass, unlike Braid Face.

William: *Seems to him like a respectful person who's got his ... stuff... together, unlike William who only appears to have his ... stuff... together, so he can't help but admire the older man. Also, he seems open-minded so it's tempting, to be honest with him but at the same time he worries that things will go horribly wrong if he does so anyway...*

Nozel: Smartass. *The two try to one-up each other in their smarts since the day they've met, and when they weren't sparring physically they were sparring verbally. At the same time, Nozel does come to respect him fairly early on.*

Julius: Such talent, just like his parents! And such a sensible disposition, he'll make a great magic knight one day!

Rill: He's so awesome!!! He'll make for a great portrait! *frowns* But he's also so serious and stern looking *gets an idea* Well, then I guess we'll just have to turn that frown upside down! *idea fails for the longest time*

Kaiser: A respectable, honest and passionate young man. I'm sure he'll be very pleasant to work with.

Jack the Ripper: Dammit, the guy's so serious it almost kills the fun of slicing people up... almost.

Charlotte: *Acts all cold and aloof but actually respects him quite a bit, especially because he gets his work done and he's respectful towards womenkind.*

Dorothy: *Somehow thinks of him as this massive flirt/casanova spanish-guitar-playing boyfriend type that breaks girls' hearts... and that's when she first opens his eyes to him*

Mereoleona: *Not gonna lie, I imagine her as being initially very jealous of her newborn baby brother for receiving all the adults' attention but then overcoming this jealousy in favour of being very enthusiastically invested in fighting him and yeeting him at every possible opportunity*

---

Nozel Silva || Silver Eagles

Yami: Geez, what's stuck up his ass? Just because he's so cool doesn't mean he needs to look down at as peasants for being so, well... not-as-cool...

William: *Though he's maybe a little unnerved/shy at first, he quickly grows to respect him and find him intelligent, if perhaps a little... cranky? He also initially envies the rivalry Fuegoleon and Nozel have going on. This is prior to meeting Yami*

Fuegoleon: He could be more open-minded... *The two regularly butt-heads but also respect each other early on....*

Julius: Mercury magic is so - I mean, he seems like a sensible and bright young man. Clearly, he's reserved and not very good at expressing himself, but he's definitely got potential! Some day he might even surpass his mother.

Rill: So cool... but so angry.

Kaiser: He's a sensible young man with a strong work ethic and plenty of determination, but a lot of sharp edges, and it seems to me like he's putting up a cold front.

Jack the Ripper: Ke ke... someone needs to take that stick out of his ass... but otherwise he looks like he'd be fun to slice up!

Charlotte: Men. *Is a bit put off by his coldness, though she respects his work ethic, but actually can relate to said coldness a little and eventually comes to wonder if maybe he's on a similar boat to her in some ways...*

Dorothy: I'm sure he's the sweetest most overprotective older brother! He's very handsome too. ((Dorothy, put down the sake girl, you've got work tomorrow))

Mereoleona: Stuck up, pompous brat. But he's also Acier's child and he clearly has potential. *Clearly wants to spar with him. Her opinion of him improves, but, still...*

---

Kaiser Granvorka || Purple Orcas

Yami: He sure looks like a moustache twirling villain and smells kinda' fishy, but something about him also screams human teddy bear and now I'm questioning everything... dude's weird, what can I say?

William: *Finds him to be a friendly, decent guy. He doesn't necessarily trust him - because he doesn't necessarily trust anyone - but he also has hope that he'll be good to work alongside*

Fuegoleon: A perfectly respectable man.

Nozel: Not an idiot. (Basically thinks the same as Fuegoleon but in his own language)

Julius: He seems pleasant, hardworking and agreeable and when it comes to his magic-

Rill: I wonder if he'll find my jokes more funny than Gueldre did?

Jack the Ripper: As long as he's a fun enough opponent to slice up, that's all that matters, ke ke!

Dorothy: A teddybear!

Charlotte: Another man. (But this one seems respectable, unlike Poizot.)

Mereoleona: He seems pleasant but I wonder if he'll stand any chance against a strong mana region...

---

Jack the Ripper || Green Praying Mantises

Yami: Slashy scar-face sure looks shady as heck. But hey, maybe he'll be fun... or maybe he'll just be a provocative, creepy, lanky bastard. *Provokes the heck out of Jack the Ripper since day 1, and sees him as a fun rival pretty much from the get go, although they do butt heads A LOT*

William: *He's certain the guy is powerful and that if he's working alongside them he's probably a capable magic knight, and Yami seems to like his company, but at the same time... he isn't and never will be that close to Jack. As much as he respects him.*

Fuegoleon: *Finds his passion and enthusiasm both admirable and... concerning. Especially since his passion and enthusiasm appear to be directed towards "slicing people up" and this guy tends to take things seriously.*

Nozel: Annoying commoner. *Acts irritable and sometimes is irritated but he can't deny that Jack does his job fast and efficiently and has a lot of potential in terms of his magic for a commoner.*

Julius: Cutting magic-! Ahem, Jack seems like a very capable knight. Although, I worry about his... inclinations towards violence.

Rill: Scary captain scary captain scary captain! But also so cool! *Honestly when he meets Jack the first time around the guy looks like he just stepped out of a slasher film and it doesn't help that he was on a mission, so there's blood n' stuff on him*

Kaiser: Although quite rambunctious looking at first, he does appear to do his work and I am sure he'll become quite a respectable captain if he works on his social skills a little.

Dorothy: Ooh, he looks like a pirate! But I'm sure under all that he's the nicest, softest guy...

Charlotte: How many men are there in this world? *Is kind of creeped out by this one, but won't admit it, although she does have to give it to him, he gets the job done... even if the results are questionable...*

Mereoleona: I'll crush him like a bug- but maybe I'll at least have some fun doing so.

---

Rill Boismortier || Azure/Aqua Deer

Yami: Funny kid, total menace, I wonder if he could paint a picture of me and my baby over here - *talking about his katana* - but if he tries to joke about me one more time, I swear... Also, does this kid's hyperactivity come with an off switch?

William: *Thinks of him as likeable on account of him being cheerful, friendly, and optimistic, if a lot more energetic than he is, believes he has a lot of potential and is glad to work alongside him. Isn't sure how much of his energy he'd be able to handle on a day-to-day basis though and is kind of relieved they're not in the same squad.*

Fuegoleon: He's a good cub - I mean, kid; my sister is rubbing off on me too much these days - with a lot of potential. He clearly has a lot of passion and energy, but perhaps he could take some things a little more seriously.

Nozel: Honestly, he's an artistic disaster. (Although he does paint well...) That said, he has talent, we can use that amongst the magic knights.

Julius: Such energy and ambition and magi- I'm sure he'd be a great magic knight. I wonder what his magic can do- (Marx: And I wonder when you're going to do your paperwork...)

Kaiser: He's a good kid. Though I wonder why he's not a full-time painter instead, it seems like it would fit him better than the job of a magic knight...

Jack the Ripper: Not too shabby for an artsy shrimp, but can I slice him up? (William: *concerned* I feel like the question here should really be "should I slice him up"... and the answer should be "no")

Charlotte: Another man in our squad. *Sounds annoyed, but actually, thinks he's kind of endearing... right until he compliments her, she thinks he's being lewd and ends up attacking her with her briars.*

Dorothy: Awe, he's precious! Can we keep him?

Mereoleona: Who brought the cub along? Then again, for a cub, he's got a lot of mana, no doubt about it.

---

Dorothy Unsworth || Coral Peacocks

Yami: *pokes her while she's sleeping* Hey, anybody home? Sleeping beauty, you planning on waking up at some point...? I mean, I get that you've got dream magic and all, but...

William: *sees her as a perfectly amiable person and feels comfortable around her on account of her being relaxed and friendly. Sometimes too relaxed though...*

Fuegoleon: *Is actually a little disappointed at first because he'd heard she was a passionate person and on his first time meeting her she's asleep, so... but then the next time she's wide awake and full of energy and it's kind of infectious. So his second impression is definitely better than his first one.*

Nozel: *Stunned, unsure what to say, speechless... mostly because at this point she's awake and full of energy than Nozel could muster in a life time.* A handful. (But interesting.) Crazy. (But pretty - wait, what?)

Rill: *Wonders whether she'll ever wake up, and also if he can get away with doodling on her face while she's sleeping. Otherwise he has no opinions of her other than that she could be fun to be around, possibly. (And maybe paint.)*

Julius: Such interesting magi- I mean, she seems like she has potential to be a good magic knight... maybe a little on the sleepy side though.

Jack the Ripper: Does she always sleep, or will I get to slice her up at some point while she's conscious?

Kaiser: I'm sure she has a friendly disposition, but it's hard to tell while she's asleep... I've heard good things about her from my wife though!

Charlotte: I-I do not have a-any feelings whatsoever for that-that foreigner, Lady Unsworth! *in denial. Otherwise is glad to have another woman amongst the Magic Knight Captains, but claims her to be delusional even though deep down she knows Dorothy is spot on when she says that Charlotte has a crush on Yami*

Mereoleona: If the Silva family have so much faith in her, then she is bound to be a strong opponent in a death match! Although... I question the woman's mental stability. *This was after Mereoleona and William argued at one point, and Dorothy was like "awe, they look just like an old married couple!"*

---

Charlotte Roselei || Captain of the Blue Rose Knights

Yami: Prickly could definitely stand to relax a little and learn how to take a joke maybe... but hey, she's attractive, not gonna lie, and she seems to hold her own in a fight. *You can tell he teased her mercilessly since day 1*

William: *Is happy to see another plant mage, but her cold and aloof attitude reminds him of his stepmother and dislikes the circumstances surrounding their first meeting. He does grow to respect her though.*

Fuegoleon: She seems to have a good head on her shoulders and a passion for her job... I'm sure she'll warm up to people eventually, there's no shame in being a little reserved as long as it doesn't get in the way of work.

Nozel: Well, she does seem to do her job well, unlike some people... *looks to Yami*

Rill: Ooh, those roses of hers are so pretty - I've never seen blue roses before - I hope she'll let me paint them some day! (Yami, whispering to William: personally, I'd prefer to paint another kind of flower of hers, just not with paint... if you know what I mean, Vangeance. > > William, obliviously: Lady Charlotte can only create roses with her magic though... Nozel: Sukehiro, get your head out of the gutter, you're setting a terrible example for the younger knights.)

Mereoleona: She has potential, but she doesn't seem to be entirely honest with herself or others and clearly, she's very awkward. But, she's entertaining. *She says this, having seen her reactions to being around Yami.*

Dorothy: Awe, Charlotte's super cute! And she clearly is deeply in love with Yami, isn't that so romantic? *This is happening while Charlotte is practically glaring at the Dark Mage*

Kaiser: Her independence reminds me of my wife... *nostalgia incoming* although... my wife is definitely less socially awkward.

---

Gueldre Poizot || Former Captain of the Purple Orcas

Yami: Shady ham.

Fuegoleon: He seems smart-

Nozel: Well, the word on the street is that he uses all that "smart" to do shady businesses on the side.

Rill: *Just wants to include everyone in his paintings, Gueldre also. He does actually get a chance with Gueldre though, technically. XD*

Jack: *Wonders how fun he'd be to slice up*

William: *Neutral opinion*

Charlotte: He's a man, so of course he's shady. (Also he's not Yamiiiii!!!)

Dorothy Unsworth: I'm sure he's the nicest- ooor maybe not.

Kaiser: I'm sure he has his strengths.

Julius Novachrono: Invisibility magic! *Eyes light up*

Mereoleona: What kind of person their captain is says a lot about his squad. I'm not surprised the Purple Orcas are one of the weaker squads in Clover.

---

Julius Novachrono || Former Captain of the Grey Deer

Yami: Pretty sure this magic geek will be the death of me. Either that, or I'll be the death of him.

William: *Is surprised and touched by the fact that someone a) isn't repelled by his face, b) wants to be around him, c) thinks he has potential and d) gave him a gift, no matter how tacky. Part of him kind of wishes he could just go with Julius now rather than stay with his stepmother who clearly resents him, but he doesn't want to cause trouble. Is very tempted to be honest with him, but fears rejection or judgement nonetheless even if it seems irrational*

Nozel: He seems flaky and obsessive and irresponsible... but he's probably a decent person. And obviously he's powerful to have earned the position of the captain of a squad.

Fuegoleon: He seems like a passionate person, and a good person to work with.

Rill: *Thinks he's really cool, especially since he has time magic and he even looks like an emperor/king. Can't contain his excitement. Also wants to paint him, big surprise. Not.*

Jack: Ke ke ke... finally, a strong opponent! I can't wait to slash him up some day! (Yami: And what am I to you, scar face, air?)

Kaiser: He seems like a respectable man.

Charlotte: He seems decent... for a man.

Dorothy, after finally being a wake to see/talk to him: He seems great! A little shady, but nice!

Mereoleona: Finally, a worthy opponent! *wants to have a deathmatch with him but Julius sneaks out for some reason.*

---

Mereoleona Vermillion || Temporary Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings:

Yami: What do you call it when a woman is both scary and hot at the same time?

William: Scute? (Yami: That's scary and cute, you weirdo! William: She's cute in her own way... Yami: That's it, I'm taking you to a shrink, Shiny Mask) Anyway, she's an admirable woman but she could stand to be a little friendlier to children.

Rill: She's so scary I want to paint her! (Yami: You always want to paint them...)

Nozel: She's a walking disaster... but if mother thinks she has potential...

Fuegoleon: *was a baby when he saw her first being that he is her younger brother, so like, no words... but she seemed like an admirable person*

Jack the Ripper: Terrifying. My kind of rival. (Yami: Dude.)

Dorothy: She's really cool! Or, well, hot, since she's a fire mage- I mean... She looks like the type to be good with children!

Charlotte: Finally, another strong woman amongst our ranks. (She'd better keep her hands off of Yami, though!) *definitely perceives Mereoleona as her rival in love even if Mereoleona has no actual interest in Yami beyond fighting him.)

[castleclysm]

N sat and let her talk. His own drink was Fairy themed, pink and sweet and complete with some sugar crystals around the rim of the disposable cup. He stared down into it, swirling the contents around just to watch how the sun hit it in odd new ways and splashed brightly coloured shadows along the ground.

He couldn't say he entirely understood her perspective. Despite his quirks, he knew how to talk when the need arose. It wasn't at all something he enjoyed doing, nor was human company something he sought out often, but... N could, at least, relate to the feeling of being misunderstood.

                     ❝ ...Humans like familiarity. They like... When people act like others they know, when they can point at a behaviour and accurately predict how it reacts in different circumstances. They want to reduce a ball of individuality down, until there's one or two distinct traits they can recognise and judge. It's very reductive; shallow. People are complicated. But many will look at these defining traits and invent a whole personality centered around them, even when it doesn't fit the truth. ❞

The PokéDex entries were a great example of this. Look at a small handful of a species and use that same brush to tar all the others. How many times had he seen a species described as violent, or uncaring, only to later discover that the Dex researchers had unwittingly provoked their observational subjects into aggression?

                     ❝ They want to know others. But they don't want to spend the time it takes to learn. By making these snap judgments and broad extrapolations, they feel as though they're getting to know a person without needing to put in the work. It's- It's like jumping straight to the solution of an equation, without understanding why all the steps in-between are necessary. ❞

Human arrogance refused to acknowledge that their weak first impressions could be wrong, and he wished he could say he was surprised to hear that they turned that same attitude against their own. Lettie was quiet, yes. It was something he'd noticed even during their early meetings. Cheren was stern, rigid and unmoving from his chosen path. Bianca was soft-hearted and timid, so woefully unsuited for the battle sphere but doing her best to pursue it regardless.

Lettie had been... more complex. Almost frustrating in how difficult it was to read her, only ever able to get a glimpse of her thoughts every time he demanded a battle. It had annoyed him, back then, each new stretch of silence just another opportunity for the King to seethe and ponder and imagine the day he would take control of Unova and eliminate all of this confusion.

But that was then, and this was now, and... He'd grown to appreciate her company. Grown to understand her a lot better, too.

                     ❝ People don't like silence. It frightens them, I think. Many have forgotten how to sit with their thoughts, always so desperate to drown them out and search for their next distraction. When they see someone comfortable with staying quiet... It doesn't make sense. It must be a shield, or a facade, or a tragic, bone-deep loneliness that makes you unable to see the benefits of rushing to fill every waking moment with your own voice. ❞

N sipped at his drink. It had gotten warm, held out in the sun like this, but it wasn't unpleasant. Neither was the silence that settled over them, a much-needed pause to stop and collect his thoughts.

                     ❝ I like talking to you. At you. I don't- need responses all the time. You don't say anything when I trail off or change topic. I trust you're listening, and that you'll say something if you do have any input to add, but... It's not an invitation to fill every silence. We can just be. ❞

He shrugged, neutral expression finally cracking into a small but genuine smile.

                     ❝ ...I like your quiet. It's nice to talk without the pressure of conversation. ❞

"... ."

Perhaps N was the wrong person to ask. No, it's not that - maybe it's more that the question sounded different to his ears than it did in her head.

And that was the problem, wasn't it? Communication. Lettie was... content with who she was, but only in a vacuum. Alone, adventuring, she felt at peace; when with Pokemon she did not have to worry about herself.

The trouble arose when there's other people. Which was a problem because, unlike N, she didn't always want to avoid other people.

Lettie didn't think in words, not really. She understood them, but her thoughts were more like little clouds of emotion and concept, linking together to form sequences, playing out like scenes or lines of code. She'd read about people who think in clear, precise language, and even tried herself; it was too unnatural, too rigid and specific. She liked her thoughts as they were.

But it made talking work, when she had to turn those thoughts into words, especially the right words. Kind of like now.

She envied N, sometimes, for how easily talking came him. He did a lot of it, but it seemed effortless.

(She knew, of course, he had to try very hard to get a lot of other things. She was under no illusions that he was some sort of paragon of human capability. But he was honest, and that was worth more than skill to her.)

"...I don't think so." She looked down into her empty cup. The drinks here were all type-themed - she'd gotten electric citrus. It was very tart. "But... sometimes... mmph." She looked away from him, pursing her lips.

"...A lot of people think that silence is... a mask? That I keep things... bottled up. Or secrets. Or that I'm being... there was a word... obscure on purpose. But I'm not."

A sip of her drink. It was sharp, but right now she needed that. This was hard, and she sort of wished she'd just asked N if his friends wanted a practice battle. They communicated better through that than this.

"I just... am. I'm here. I'm learning, and seeing, and we're having snacks. That's it. But people expect there to be more. There isn't more. And if there is... why do I have to share it? Why can't I just be here and enjoy my drink with my friends? Why do I need... a story, or a secret, or another face under this one? Why do I have to have to be hiding something?"

A long sigh.

"...talking's hard. Being is easy. This," she gestured to the rest of the park, on this gorgeous early winter afternoon, "with friends and food. Easy. It's good. I don't see why there has to be more than that. It's enough."

She took another sip of her drink. "I think I'm done. Your turn now."

[sendouakira]

A comprehensive essay on the effects of Sakuragi Hanamichi on Rukawa Kaede from Slam Dunk

 Over the years, there have been quite a few rivalries portrayed in great detail between “dual protagonists” from famous shounen manga. Yet the relationship between Sakuragi Hanamichi and Rukawa Kaede from the most influential sports manga Slam Dunk was and still is regarded as “the gold standard” for this particular type of dynamic. However, as great as the bond that these two share, it’s puzzling that there seems to be a greater focus on the impact that Rukawa has on Sakuragi. I have read some analyses that even claim “Rukawa, at best, thinks of Sakuragi as a really hard-to-get-along-with teammate,” or that, “Sakuragi only helps Rukawa build better teamwork to some extent”. 

In this essay, my goal is to explore the natural progress of the relationship between these dual protagonists as well as the apparent development and growth of Rukawa Kaede as a character after he meets Sakuragi Hanamichi. For the purpose of this essay, I will focus only on Rukawa Kaede’s perspective as the effects that Rukawa has on Sakuragi deserve another essay entirely. 

The first thing that we all need to agree is that, we, as readers, rarely have a chance to know what exactly Rukawa is thinking. Even when he does open his mouth, he has nothing but nasty things to say which may make him look detached and distant (minus very few instances when he actually encourages Sakuragi). We always get a glimpse of other characters’ internal turmoil, their struggles and emotions such as Mitsui’s regret, Akagi’s memories, or Sendou’s plan. But Rukawa is always this mysterious character who never truly reveals his thoughts and his intentions to the reader. This is precisely why he is often misunderstood as a cold person, or that the relationship between him and Sakuragi is overrated.  

If we look at the early dynamic between the two, we can see that  Rukawa indeed doesn’t care about Sakuragi. “An annoying teammate” is likely how he would describe Sakuragi. 

Slam Dunk chapter 20, when Sakuragi is learning how to do a layup shot, Rukawa shows annoyance as he is forced to teach Sakuragi the techniques. 

If his senpai is not there, he would not lift a finger to help Sakuragi. 

Similarly, he’s again put on the spot and has no choice but to teach Sakuragi how to defend in the practice match with Ryonan (Slam Dunk, chapter 43).

Or in Kainan match, Rukawa instructs Sakuragi what to do as they are the first to arrive for defense. 

Initially, Rukawa really has no interest in helping any of his teammates improve, let alone Sakuragi, even though he instinctively understands that the improvement of his teammates benefits him and Shohoku as a whole. 

In the early stage of Slam Dunk, Rukawa doesn’t have any regards for Sakuragi whatsoever, even if he does give Sakuragi guidance from time to time. The only reason he does it is because he’s forced to do so, and he only guides Sakuragi enough to help Shohoku win since he himself wants to win as well. 

So when does the shift in his attitude towards Sakuragi take place? In actuality, it’s a gradual, slow process. It starts with his encouragement for Sakuragi. Note that he doesn’t encourage anyone on his team. He may recognize other teammates’ abilities and talents but still, the only person who has this “privilege” is Sakuragi alone. 

Let’s take a look at the first scene that Rukawa gives Sakuragi encouragment in chapter 95, when Sakuragi is afraid of committing fouls in the match with Shoyo

Even if you argue that, in this scene, he only does it because not being able to catch rebounds seriously hurts Shohoku’s chance to win against Shoyo, such words from Rukawa are profound and unprecedented since this is the first time Rukawa actually acknowledges out loud Sakuragi’s ability to catch rebounds. But what’s even more interesting is another scene from the match with Shoyo. 

 While previously we saw Rukawa helping and encouraging Sakuragi just enough to help Shohoku win, the same interpretation doesn’t work here. Sakuragi is leaving the basketball court. What good does it do to encourage him now? In my opinion, this is the first time that Rukawa temporarily sets his ego aside to acknowledge Sakuragi’s talents, not just because he wants to win; but because Sakuragi deserves it. 

Then comes our most favourite scene between these two, when Rukawa “consoles” Sakuragi after Kainan loss. 

Again, we have no idea what Rukawa truly thinks. We only know that other Shohoku players never blame Sakuragi for passing the ball to Takasago of Kainan. 

Let’s shift our focus to Inoue sensei’s intention of not showing Rukawa’s thoughts. It’s very clear that Rukawa is...planning something. The panel which shows his eyes only is subtext, and the underlying message is that Sakuragi is no longer the annoying teammate that he couldn’t care less about. Here, it is HIGHLIGHTED by Inoue sensei (Rukawa is being SINGLED OUT) in that one panel that he’s thinking about Sakuragi not showing up for practice.

We can only guess what’s going on in his mind at the time. Is Rukawa thinking about finding Sakuragi and confronting him about not coming to practice? I think not. A safer bet is that Rukawa is thinking about how to talk to Sakuragi about it, and the reason which leads me to believe so is this scene. 

This is Haruko’s failed attempt to cheer Sakuragi up after the loss against Kainan. This scene is the key reason why she fails. She unintentionally confirms that it’s indeed his fault by saying, “even geniuses make mistakes sometimes.” Thus, Sakuragi is still stuck in the same thinking pattern that he is to blame. 

It takes Rukawa, who understands a newbie’s feelings and who previously thought carefully about what to say to Sakuragi to cheer him up. Rukawa knows Sakuragi still thinks it’s his responsibility that Shohoku loses against Kainan, therefore, the only way to get him out of that thinking pattern is for Rukawa to assume that responsibility. 

I firmly believe that this scene shows that Rukawa really cares about Sakuragi as a teammate. Everything may look coincidental, that Rukawa happens to see Sakuragi in the locker room, that he arrogantly takes the blame for the Kainan loss which so happens to cheer Sakuragi up. But it’s only on the surface. Rukawa has now from this point on, grown to care about Sakuragi. 

The direct impact that Sakuragi has on Rukawa doesn’t stop here. Sakuragi always has his own way to rile Rukawa up like no one else can. We know that Rukawa loves challenges, and characters like Sendou Akira or Sawakita Eiji are the ones who can provoke Rukwa on the basketball court but it’s because Sendou or Sawakita are truly skilled players, so it is understandable that Rukawa would be provoked to go all out in order to defeat them. 

However, why does Rukawa go all out in a one-on-one game with Sakuragi back in chapter 191? Is it because Sakuragi is so arrogant that Rukawa wants to teach him a lesson? Is it because he takes basketball so seriously that he must always do his best?  Or maybe it’s his personality since Mitsui and Miyagi somehow know that he would not go easy on Sakuragi?

Again, we never find out why Rukawa does the things he does. The narrative on his thoughts is always left out, silent, mysterious. What’s true is that unlike Sendou or Sawakita, Sakuragi doesn’t have skills on par with Rukawa in order to actually demand him to give it his all. It must be something else in Sakuragi that has this effect on Rukawa. 

There is another curious detail which I would like to point out. When Rukawa consults coach Anzai about his decision to go to the US, he is advised to stay in Japan to become the number 1 high school basketball player first before moving to the US. This matter is of Rukawa’s concern only, yet somehow Sakuragi is involved. 

I have always asked myself this question. What does Sakuragi have anything to do with this? Actually, a better question is: why does Inoue sensei intentionally let Rukawa become aware that coach Anzai values Sakuragi as much as Rukawa himself? Not to mention that Sakuragi is never brought up in his conversation with coach Anzai, but Sendou is. 

Rukawa has shown us repeatedly that he’s actually impressed with Sakuragi’s raw potential, but this time is different. This is the first time Rukawa understands that in coach Anzai’s mind, the 2 of them are equal in terms of talents and it would be wrong to assume that Sakuragi is not regarded as highly as Rukawa himself. 

Back to the question above: why Rukawa goes all out with Sakuragi in that one-on-one game. Is it because of what coach Anzai’s wife reveals to him, Rukawa now truly sees Sakuragi in a new light? I find it interesting that right after Rukawa’s flashback in the two pictures above, we have the match between Rukawa and Sakuragi in which Rukawa shows no mercy. 

We will get back to this point later. Let’s move on to another important scene. 

In the death match with Sannoh, when Sakuragi is hurt, Rukawa is perhaps the first person to notice something is wrong (it’s not clear if coach Anzai notices if first or if it’s Rukawa). Either way, he actually knows something is not right even before Mito Yohei. 

By the time Shohoku meets Sannoh, Sakuragi has been playing basketball for only 4 months. In the span of 4 months, Rukawa has learned enough about Sakuragi to notice Sakuragi’s small slip of concentration, as if he’s been watching Sakuragi play all along. 

Next, we have one of the clearest examples of how Rukawa truly feels about Sakuragi. 

In this entire page, we see Sakuragi’s emotions, thought process, his flashbacks, and his gaze. But there is one panel that does not belong to his internal monologue: the closeup of Rukawa’s expression. I don’t think I have much to say about this panel. Rukawa’s worry is written all over his face. 

Of course, this is not the first time Rukawa shows his worried expression like this. When Akagi leaves the court in the match with Kainan (chapter 105), he also shows the same reaction. 

Or when Mitsui collapses in the match with Ryonan (chapter 180).

While it is shown that Rukawa is just as worried when other Shohoku regulars have to leave the court, it is important to note that he only shows this expression when an important player is hurt or injured. Rukawa may taunt Sakuragi for being a newbie, for looking clumsy; but just like Akagi or Mitsui, Sakuragi has earned this worried look from Rukawa as an important player in the Shohoku lineup. 

And even more than that, it’s also hinted that Rukawa seems to be the person who understands Sakuragi the most as a fellow athlete. 

The scene in chapter 270 which shows Hanamichi gundan (his loyal friends, including Mito who is his best friend) understand that Sakuragi has made up his mind, that he will not be persuaded to do otherwise. 

And there is Rukawa who understands Sakuragi without the need for words. 

Rukawa seems to know an aweful lot about Sakuragi, even more so than Mito Yohei when it comes to basketball. While everyone wants to convince Sakuragi not to come in, Rukawa is the only person that understands Sakuragi’s stubbornness without having to talk to him. 

Finally, the infamous scene in which Rukawa encourages Sakuragi for the last time. 

At first glance, it seems that Rukawa is only encouraging Sakuragi here. But on the 9th reading of Slam Dunk(yes, I have actually read the manga 9 times), I suddenly realized it may be deeper than that. This scene takes place right after Rukawa gives Sakuragi a compliment on his desperate attempt to win against Rukawa in the one-on-one game (chapter 191), which is also around the time when Rukawa becomes aware that coach Anzai values both him and Sakuragi equally. 

I believe, this is not just encouragement. Here, Rukawa also indirectly acknowledges Sakuragi’s genius AND shows his willingness to pave the way for Sakuragi. He is no longer the person who is unwilling to guide Sakuragi, or to instruct him on the spot like what we saw above. After the suicidal save, Sakuragi has earned Rukawa’s respect and admiration as a fellow athlete. Rukawa now readily shows Sakuragi the way as long as he is willing to follow his examples. He always knows what’s best to do to cheer Sakuragi up or how to encourage him to keep going. He’s not the cold scoring machine that everyone hails him to be, but a caring teammate who understands Sakuragi well.

In conclusion, while it seems that Sakuragi has very little impact on Rukawa as a character, it’s actually the opposite. Rukawa rarely reveals his thoughts and intentions to anyone and initially, his method of communicating is unconventional in a sense that it always makes him look distant and detached. However, as the story progresses, Rukawa gradually becomes more sympathetic and caring towards Sakuragi. He shows his obvious admiration towards Sakuragi and eventually regards him as an equal. 

[shotorozu]

yuh

fem!reader whose absolutely ruthless on the battlefield and cones off as very reserved and stern overall— babying shinsou/bakugou/kirishima DDDD:

she has the warmest smile and she does that thing mothers do where they cup their cheeks and then run their fingers through their hair

MMMF ‼️😩☝🏽

stern s/o with motherlike traits

character(s) : shinsou hitoshi, bakugou katsuki, kirishima eijirou

legend : [Y/N = your name] female! reader, at the request of anon, you have a powerful quirk (i won’t be specific with this)

headcanon type : fluff, kinda crackish

note(s) : ugh i’m such a simp for this type of concept, i guess you could call it gap moe?? is that the right term? idk.

»»————-　♡　————-««

shinsou hitoshi

was honestly really intimidated by you at first.

he first saw you in the sports festival, and even though he wasn’t actually fighting you

he felt so intimidated by you, because he doesn’t know how he should approach someone like you.

you’re just so aloof during battles that even he’s not sure what your personality’s like :(

but your power was always kinda hot to him <3 (but he’s not making the first move, nope.)

he meets you again when he’s up against class 1-A with class 1-B, and he swears on this but,

his life has definitely flashed before his eyes.

but he’s so shocked when he sees you smile at him for the first time like.. are y’all actually the same people? or was he tripping?

your smile is so warm!! it’s almost contagious. (too bad you don’t smile a lot :()

you make the first move (thank GOD) and he comes to realize how much different your personality is compared to your demeanor in battle

then he finally gets the courage to ask you out, and ever since then— he’s been over the moon.

he won’t say it out of the blue, but when you dote over him— he just falls deeper into love

cup his cheeks and weave your fingers in his hair please! he’ll probably fall right asleep

sometimes he wonders why he deserves you </3

after discovering such detail, you make sure to do it every night so he could have top tier rest‼️

but don’t be mistaken, you will scold him if you need to. and shinsou really tries his best to not accidentally provoke you.

no one is really safe when you’re mad 😔

bakugou katsuki

wasn’t really intimidated by you at first!

which was his first fatal mistake. he learns to not piss you off or provoke you from now on.

but grr. he’ll think like, why are you so powerful, huh? i thought there were only extras here.

if he sees someone provoke you, he could only wish that you won’t absolutely obliterate them too much.

your smile really weirds him out when he sees it for the first time because..

he’s just not used to it. and what the hell? why is your smile so warm

“your smile’s making me weird, stop it.” is just “your smile is so pretty it’s giving me butterflies.” in baku’s words.

but the both of you guys eventually become a team, since you guys are really powerful. y’all could practically fold anyone that comes in your way

and that’s also how you guys became an item. after training, he grew tired of his feelings going haywire

so he ended up confessing, and practically demanding you to go out with him. (which you gladly did.)

okay but.. when you baby him for the first time, he’ll make that face he made at the training camp. he’s just so confused.

and there’s a chance he’ll swat you away for the first time, saying things like “what the hell are you doing?” as an attempt to hide his soft side.

but he’ll give in pretty easily.

he’ll eventually grow accustomed to it, and he’s really fond of your touch.

he loves it so much because he was craving physical touch from the very start, so please cup his cheeks and brush his hair

you’re the only one that’s allowed to touch him.

at times, you remind him of his mom a lot. it’s kinda in a good way though.

like.. he’ll never, and i mean never— talk back to you. he’ll just silently think to himself like “they’re acting like my mom again smh.”

but at the end of the day, he loves you so much, please know that. even if he’s acting like a compleye tsundere.

he wants you to spoil him, and he’s not even that mad when you’re angry at him (your power is pretty hot to him <3)

kirishima eijirou

your strength is really manly to him, the first time he sees you fight, he’ll be in awe like

:0

but he was just,, unable to talk to you?? despite having such a good impression of you

since you’re very reserved, and quite intimidating on the battle field, he wasn’t sure how to talk to you

and he couldn’t just walk up to you and go “hey! do you wanna spar with me?” because he’ll know what’ll happen lol

but turns out, you’re very different from the battle field (which he��s very thankful for??)

he was like ??? the duality??

he managed to get along with you well because of this, you’re just an entirely different person on the battle field

at some point, he’ll probably ask how you did it, and you’ll just shrug in response, because it’s always been that way for you.

when he started developing feelings, he was so nervous for you to find out—

he’s always pretty casual with his feelings like “yeah? i do like them!” but on the inside, he’s quite anxious for you to find out.

when you started babying him, he’s taken a back at first, because he wasn’t expecting it

but he’s just so in love lol

kiri just feels like he wants to be babied sometimes, y’know?

hold his face in your hands and brush your thumb over his cheek pls

will let you mess with his hair, because there’s a 50/50 chance he’ll fall asleep because of it.

he finds it really endearing when you make him little snacks after he’s finished training, and it’s quite motherly to him

okay but he does a really good job at not accidentally provoking you, but even so— it’s bound to happen

he’ll immediately apologize to you! it feels like his heart had stopped working for a second (don’t get too mad at him pls)

but he can only feel bad about anyone that continuously provokes you (rip)

»»————-　♡　————-««

likes and reblogs are appreciated, thanks for reading!

i do not own bnha/mha and it’s characters. boku no hero academia/my hero academia belongs to horikoshi kohei, i only own the writing.

do not plagiarize my work :))