#[ i know this may seem so... well; not creative of an opinion. but i can't quite describe it. i know it's been said before but... ]

[yuelun]

As I'm finally writing more, I needed to just note how much I love Guizhong of Liyue, again.

I cannot describe how much it thrills me to my very core to write a character that is so otherworldly and divine, but is so absolutely humanly curious about seriously everything and honestly, even the little, trivial things that one would think don't matter. And it's the latter that gives me such serotonin to write, to witness in these mental images in my head.

[accio-victuuri]

i see this floating around cpf accounts so might as well share. I’m also a fan of SDC related cpns so this adds to that. OP shared it but please treat as a fake story cause we can’t fully confirm repos like this. they are saying “JM” but comments, and i personally think this is supposed to be J5, referring to the show street dance of china. There is also a use of JM like it’s used to pertain to a dancer that asked the question.

First of all, JM really talked about XZ, and he would cue him implicitly, including some players who are his fans, and even chat with him. Everyone is very friendly and he is also friendly and will chat. But some obvious things that appeared in JM really bothered him. I hope some fans will not be led by the rhythm.

But there was one thing that I felt was a thorn in the side. During the team-building gathering, some dancers talked about when they got in touch with street dance, which was basically the evolution history of their own street dance. When asked, it seems that the person is also good at dancing. The dancer may not dare to say the name, so it is better to ask directly who?

The dancer said: I have watched some videos of XZ, and I think he is pretty good at street dancing.

WYB: (Direct reply): Not suitable, he is not suitable.

The dancer disagreed and continued: I think his dancing is very sensual, sexy and tasteful.

WYB: Silent and didn't speak

(I was confused at the moment, my mind was racing. Could it be that the relationship was really bad? No, that's not right. I can't just deny others. I just imagined a lot, sorry for saying too much)

WYB: This is a long story. He is not suitable for this. He is good at some normal stage dances but not street dances. He is also analyzed for his personality. He seems to be a gentle and elegant person. Anyway, he is not suitable for this. He also said that I don’t like him dancing these. He is a very artistic and quiet person.

When he said "gentle and refined", I immediately thought of "elegant and upright". Maybe I was CqL poisoned so I mentioned the word "elegant and upright".

(I thought at the time, my god, he is a decent person who is not suitable for doing these actions. This is a bit similar to the feeling in CQL, but the roles are reversed. I won’t say more about the rest, you can experience it yourself)

It’s not a secret that SDC, especially season 3 was riddled with CPNs and the others after that. so i find this really plausible. WYB was also very gracious with how he interacts with the dancers and he created an environment that made people feel it’s okay to say what’s on their mind. What i love about the interaction is how WYB tells the person his professional / personal analysis of XZ. tho he always praises XZ, he is also not afraid to tell the truth.

Fans are putting this side by side the BTS of XZ saying that he likes WYB better without makeup. Some haters took that as a jab at WYB, but it was actually sweet. Plus it shows a deeper relationship, where they can say what’s on their mind. Where they can give an honest evaluation of the other.

I think for their work as creatives, it’s important to have that someone in your life. They will support you, but won’t hold back in telling you what’s up. XZ have always valued WYB’s opinions and vice versa. I just love the idea of them giving their thoughts on each other’s projects — that side of their relationship. It’s not all lovey-dovey. It’s a serious relationship where they can talk about important matters. That’s why i think it’s able to last as long as it did.

I will share this interpretation i found which i liked too. ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

It's really like that... Because these words are not about evaluating Xiao Zhan as a passerby, but a very clear position, with a confidence and attitude of "I know him, it's not suitable, it's not what you said", which is not the reaction of ordinary friends at all. It must be a tone of deep and private cognition.

And he didn't interrupt the evaluation of the other dancer, but then he extended from analyzing the dance itself to personality and dance style preferences, and finally said that I don't like him dancing these. This is completely a manifestation of the desire for control... It's not about controlling him as a person, but controlling this definition (I don't know how to describe it). For example, "I know him much better than you. What you see is sexiness and dancing, but I know that he is not that type in his bones, and he doesn't need to rely on this to be established." It is completely the right to speak between lovers. He doesn't accept others praising Xiao Zhan's sexiness, but he is unhappy that others look at him and understand him in a superficial way.

And he didn't say that he danced badly, but analyzed his personality. These things don't belong to the context of occasionally chatting about celebrity gossip, but a position of "I know his daily state".

It's not just saying that the style is not suitable, or using a lot of theoretical words to evaluate, but from the perspective of "I know him best", maintaining his image, defining his suitability and unsuitability, and even expressing my own preferences.

If he doesn't care, there is no need to say so much, in fact, it is still expressing that I am the one who knows him best, and swearing ownership 🤟🏻

-END.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

To clarify,I don't believe in porn makes you evil and I don't believe in like fantasies are evil. I'm pulling this quote off Scarleteen "“If we aren’t both careful and creative we can get stuck in fantasies that don’t mature and politicize with us."" I'm also new to being about to vote, so I'm trying to be careful about what I consume and what stereotypes media perpetuate. Like I'm not moralizing about kink or anything, and my ask was how can I get aroused with media wo my kinks or wo media

hi anon, welcome back! I'm genuinely very glad to hear some follow up.

for anybody who doesn't stay vigorously up to date with all of my anons, this ask is a continuation of this one.

so I went and checked out the Scarleteen articles you mentioned in your first message, or at least I tried to. How to Approach Sexual Fantasies and Desire on Your Own Terms is here, and while I couldn't find anything with the exact title 50 Shades of Abuse, we do have 50 Shades of BS - How to Tell the Difference Between Kink and Abuse as well as 50 Shades Crappier: On Selling Abuse for Valentine's Day, both of which cover how the 50 Shades series isn't a great model of real, responsibly-practiced BDSM.

now, here's what I didn't see in any of these articles: an assertion that anybody needs to, as you've decided to do, avoid any work that depicts anything less than perfectly healthy sexual practices.

the closest we get to that is the quote by adrienne maree brown from How to Approach Sexual Fantasies, which you mention above. now, here's the thing: first of all, I actually disagree pretty substantially with brown's assertions that one's sexual fantasies need to "politicize." I know what my politics are; the fiction that I enjoy can't change that, because I don't have the moral backbone of a chocolate eclair. I actually just talked about that earlier today in another ask.

(also, and this may be an unpopular opinion, but adrienne maree brown is kind of a dork who doesn't really say much of anything in Pleasure Activism that Audre Lorde didn't already say better and more succinctly, and I personally lost interest in Pleasure Activism pretty much the moment she casually dropped that she practices reiki healing because that's a pseudoscientific alternative medicine that doesn't do shit or fuck. but I digress.)

listen, I'm not trying to peer pressure or bully you into watching anything you don't want to watch. your porn consumption is up to you. but what you're doing here is absolutely moralizing, I think maybe because of an underlying assumption that media that involves sex is just, like, innately different than any other type of media, which is in itself an idea that stems from sex negativity!

I don't know, let's just try to play out a little thought exercise here. like, would you consider it reasonable if somebody told you that they've decided not to read or watch anything that depicts problematic behavior because they don't want to normalize it. like, first of all, they're never watching anything but Bluey again. except actually not even Bluey because I just remembered about Bluey in the genocide, which actually makes for a great illustration of how nonsensical and impossible it is to try to only engage with media that is 100% ideologically pure.

and again: that's fine! that's literally fine! it is 100% okay to watch or read or play things with morals that don't totally 100% align with yours. it's okay to enjoy them, even. it's a lot healthier than trying to avoid upsetting or incongruous things entirely, because that gives you the chance to actually think about it rather than trying to shut it out entirely! that article actually provides an entire list of questions you can run through with yourself to critically analyze the things you watch if you feel so inclined! that's a much better skill to practice than avoidance!

I get that when you're new to sex, as you said in the previous ask, this might seem daunting, but your brain isn't just a sponge that will uncritically soak up and adopt anything you expose it to. you very clearly have the ability to research, differentiate between fiction and real life, and form your own opinions! and it is absolutely fine if you want to just watch porn with your kinks!

like, listen, I see what the question is, and the easiest answer is just. do whatever gets you off.

[arminthada]

sorry im kinda new to the thai film industry no i am not new but i dont really get into the whole company shenanigans lol i just watch thai films i only became curious and started getting into it because of skynani, but it got me curious coz of sky and i keep seeing people mention nadao. from what ive seen, they seemed like a powerhouse with a lot of really well-known actors. like if you were from nadao, people just ''assumes"" you are a great actor .. seems like they are a really respected company w big actor names are they really that popular???? omg.. im curious how they were as a company for people to still think that way even nowww !! like !! just realized that sunny and ter were from nadao.. those are like big actors ... cool

hiiiii nonnie

Okay soooooo they are kind of but also not really a powerhouse. First of all Nadao Bangkok is initially an artist management/development company. You can check out this interview I've posted here with P'Yong who discussed the origins of Nadao. I'll just copy some of the related gists here.

P'Yong got asked by Jina Osothsilp, CEO of GDH 559 (then GTH) to lead the artist management company that were signing actors who had starred in GTH/GDH films.

P'Yong initially refused but eventually gave in to help Khun Jina under the condition that they have a production house so he can continue fulfilling his filmmaking desires.

It's hard for artists who are signed to GTH/GDH/Nadao to get in-house works because when they make films, directors are constantly finding (new) actors who are suitable to the given roles in strict casting procedures, hence there are less works guaranteed for actors who are signed with them.

P'Yong started training his actors (rigorously) so that they were capable to get cast and play in the roles that were written by GTH/GDH/Nadao creatives.

So essentially Nadao Bangkok is an artist mangement company that signs artists but because their in-house works (GDH films) are complex, demanding, and selective, Nadao Bangkok had to train their artists in terms of acting in order to fill that gap that GDH creatives require in their actors for the projects. In a most recent interview with Anne Thongprasom (producer of My Cherie Amour), Tor shares that because he feels lucky that he grew up in Nadao because since he's worked with P'Yong Songyos as a director, he's never been afraid/initimidated/stressed on any other sets working with any other directors (implying that his daddy Yong is the hardest/stricted director he's ever worked with 🤣)

I can't attest that all their actors are "good" or "excellent" because I think that's rather subjective, and in fact there are many actors who came from Nadao but they're less popular, I made a post dedicated to them here. But actually, I think it's the female actors under Nadao Bangkok like Frung, Thanaerng, Punpun, Fon, Belle, Nana, Claudine that are truly overlooked by the general public/doesn't have good rep for their acting (very underrated girlies in my humble opinion, the true underrated Nadao peeps).

However, it is undeniable that they have a reputation among the general public because the general public knows that kids who grew up at Nadao Bangkok are raised to be artists with 100% determination in whatever they do, whether they end up pursuing acting, singing, being doctor or lawyer, or filmmaking... I once added a reblog to someone else's ask so I'll copy my additional reblog there here for archival keep sake because I think the question is a bit similar.

I think the reason why Nadao Bangkok actors are so good is because the company is managed by directors/writers/creatives from GDH. Most Nadao actors go through BRUTAL workshops and have often recalled Director/CEO P'Yong Songyos going very strict with them when directing them. Not limited to P'Yong but most GDH/Nadao directors are VERY strict with their works, you may hear stories of Sky and his 40 takes for one scene in Project S: Side By Side (dir. Boss Kuno) or Nonkul breaking down on the set of Bad Genius for his character or Nana In Family We Trust... But it's also for that very reason that Nadao Bangkok actors are very good.

They're also very competitive/strict in terms of internal casting actors for their in-house work. They're an artist management company first, a production house second so every once in a blue moon that they make series, the casting is strict so it's not always the case that people get a role written for them. The exception to this is probably Great Men Academy/In Family We Trust where the dramas were made specifically to star 9x9 members. But even then the characters were casted as well, rather than a script serving the actors, it's the actors who cast to see which available roles would fit them.

Anyway that being said, not all Nadao artists focus on acting. I bet most people wouldn't know the more unpopular non-acting artists/actors who were under Nadao Bangkok. Some like to venture into other businesses/careers like being an MC, a doctor, yoga teacher, photographer, music producer, professional chef... And Nadao Bangkok was always very supportive and accomodating of each artists' wishes. (picture for illustration below, please ignore the tier thing, i just couldn't find a picture with so many nadao artists that weren't a picture from nadao outing where everyone looks like an ant 😅)

So Nadao Bangkok is not really a monolith though, they had actors who don't act very often or people who are completely/semi retired from the industry. But what Nadao Bangkok/P'Yong did really well was inspired everyone who was there to do what they do they want with maximum passion. I feel like that passion reflects most in the acting works of beloved Nadao actors you see today who's now more recognisable for their performances in QL(adjacent) works that are more accesible to/acquainted with international fans.

[This is why] Nadao Bangkok is really beloved [among the general public]. In fact you will hear Nadao lore very often if you follow Nadao actors like Tor Thanapob (Spare Me Your Mercy) who will bring up P'Yong/Nadao in almost every long interview he has, JJ Krissanapoom (Spare Me Your Mercy) who explained in this interview that his process for accepting projects is that he'd ask for a short script and request to cast/read for the first because he's already used to this casting tradition with Nadao/GDH works and he thinks it's unfair if he just accepts without casting or more recently New Chayapak (Gelboys) who talked about how he doesn't have to worry about blocking and only needs to focus on the acting in order to produce the most natural and authentic performance (Tor echoed the exact sentiment here talking about how Nadao-raised actors were given this mindset not to mind too much about blocking because the camera/cinematographer will do their work to capture that, actors must focus on acting more)

TLDR: Nadao Bangkok is known as a company among the general public as a company with rigorous training that pushes their artists to the max as well as give completely freedom whether it's in the works their artists accept (hence you see many Nadao Bangkok actors in old GMMTV series like U-Prince, Angel Beside Me, Secret Seven, PS I Hate You, any GMMTV series that Punpun is in...) or to the creatives who work to create Nadao Bangkok series. But I think it's the good reputation among the general public is mostly the credit of former Nadao artists who always refer to Nadao Bangkok very fondly like their family, their close-knitted bonds, their committment to always helping each other, showing up for each other even though Nadao Bangkok is now gone.

okay finally some photos of more recent mini Nadao reunions (if I don't count all the mini 9x9 reunions that happens every 2 months)

At Gelboys Press Conference in January 2025

At Pea Sarit's wedding in December 2024 (not pictured is Jamyjamess who was also there)

Ice Paris, Billkin, PP, Thanaerng, Sky, Tou and all ex Nadao managers celebrating P'Yong's birthday (not pictured is Tor and JJ who were filming Spare Me Your Mercy so they video-called P'Yong) in August 2024

[cafeinthemoon]

It's a Fire - Chapter I

Chapter 1

Wordcount 3,5k

Title Retired Hashira

Fandom Kimetsu no Yaiba / Demon Slayer

Symbols ⭕ ➕ 🖤

Warnings: arranged marriage; age gap; mentions of increasing in criminality and poverty; grieving; non diagnosed depression (the condition wasn't properly understood by the time this story is settled)

Tagging ? (If you want to be tagged in any of my stories, just leave a comment on this chapter or send an ask or a message)

N.A.: So Kimetsu no Yaiba returned and I'm taking the opportunity to finally start posting this story that has been in my list of ideas for several months!

A while ago I made a poll where I included the option of writing a fic with the Rengoku family, and it was this one I was talking about. I know there are other stories I need to work on already, but let me tell you that this very fic just saved me from a creative block, which was caused by what I suspect to be the beginning of a burnout (I'm about to go on vacation and I just can't take it anymore, but I don't want to discuss this rn).

A few words about the ff itself: It's a slow burn, arranged marriage story between reader, who's 27/28 yo, which makes her closer to myself who's a bit older than this, and Shinjuro Rengoku, who's struggling with the same problems we see in canon, but somehow accepts her as his wife: she was the daughter of old acquaintances of his, so the marital contract is sealed to allegedly honor the friendship between the families. However, things are way more complicated in reality.

Of course, because of the things we see in the original media, such as violence, alcoholism and etc., I need to make it clear that my personal opinions on these subjects may diverge from what I'm putting in this story (due to personal family experiences), and each chapter will carry the necessary warnings. Also if you notice similarities with Beauty and the Beast, know that it isn't just a coincidence haha Finally, the title is a song by Portishead, which didn't influence my writing but its lyrics somehow fit this plot 🌹

I hope you have a good time reading this ❤

“You walk a lonely road 

Oh, how far you are from home” 

(Enya, May it Be) 

That fate didn’t care about your preferences and desires, you knew well. 

You wished you had your mother with you for long years, and that your relationship grew stronger as you spent your time together, dedicating yourselves to the art of the sword, but most of her time and energy were directed to her work as a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, and it was like this until the day you received a messenger from Ubuyashiki-sama to inform you about her death: she didn’t fall to the Oni, but couldn’t resist the injuries from a battle against a group of them. 

You also wished your father, after losing the woman he claimed to love, stood up to his remaining family, that is, himself and you, and took reasonable measures to protect his territory and the people who lived in it, but he preferred to lock himself in his office and ignore the demands outside it, firing half of the house’s servants for the sake of saving money and willing to leave the property to the dust and the insects, not seeing this happening thanks to you, who took the task of maintaining everything by yourself, even doing some of the physical work. 

There were, in fact, many other things you wished for, but didn’t have the chance to see them coming true. One of those other things were continuing to live in the house you grew up in, and using your education to dedicate your life to a career of your choice, though your options seemed limited by your sex. But even this was taken from you when, on an ordinary day, you saw your father leaving his office in the company of a man you’ve never seen in your life. You wanted to question him about this strange visit, but you didn’t have to: your father came to your chambers later, and without measuring his tone or giving you time to process such news, explained the meeting’s main subject. 

– I’ve recently contacted an old acquaintance of mine, someone who was also known by your mother – he started – And explained our situation here. 

You knew what he was talking about: after your mother passed away, your lands’ protection has been neglected, and appearances of demons have been reported more often by your servants and the people who live in the villages near. No one dared leaving their houses at night, and the local economy were deeply affected by this, since part of the basic work used to be done in this period of the day; this led to an increase in poverty and criminality. You, on your part, weren’t immune to these difficulties despite growing up in a privileged family. 

Your father addressing this situation to you, however, was something new, and you exposed this impression to him. 

– Things are getting harder for everyone here, that’s true – you agreed – But why are you discussing this with me now? 

– Because I asked this acquaintance for help, and he answered me – he took slow steps toward your window, half opened by that time; he closed it with firm hands, but without making much noise – The thing is that, at the same time our lands are now dangerous to people, specially to young women like you, it’s time for you to take the next big step in your personal life, daughter. After all, you’re almost twenty-eight. 

You frowned. 

Next big step? What is he talking about?… 

Your father might have noticed your confusion, because he soon clarified his words… and you wished he never did it. 

– I’m talking about marriage, y/n – he spat – You declined the last two proposals, and I respect your reasons for that, but this time the circumstances aren’t in our favor. This man who visited me earlier is a messenger from the Rengoku House, and he brought me a positive answer from their head: I offered your hand and a good dowry in exchange for your protection, and in respect to your mother, who worked for the same cause as him, Shinjuro Rengoku accepted you as his wife. You’re leaving the house this week. 

You were speechless. You tried to stand up and show a sign of protest, but your legs didn’t obey you; you opened your mouth to say something, but no word left it. You knew your father have been struggling, but you could never suppose he was becoming insane – arranging a marriage for you without your consent? Other men used to do this to their daughters, but the man who married your mother would never… But, apparently, he was no longer this man. 

Maybe he was expecting some disagreement, but seeing your silence made him frown. 

– Don’t you have anything to say about this? 

You finally seemed to wake up. You gave him a dead glare, murmuring your response. 

– And what do you expect a woman to say after being sold and sent away from her own house out of nowhere? – you moved your head to the side, irony leaking from the gesture – Thank you? 

Your father clenched his jaw. 

– I certainly don’t expect your gratitude – his voice was lower now – I know this isn’t the future you wanted for yourself, and I didn’t want things to be like this either, but… 

– Why marriage, father? – your tongue was released, interrupting his thread of thoughts like a storm – I could stay temporarily with them, work for them, anything! But marrying someone I’ve never met?! Don’t you remember that I’ve declined the other proposals after at least seeing the faces of those men? 

– You’ll meet him on the wedding day, and you’ll have all the time of the world to know anything there is to know about him – his tone was louder again, as his patience was running low – Besides, Shinjuro is an old friend of mine. I give you my word that he’s a decent man, besides being a formidable warrior. He was married to a respectable woman once, and built a good family with her. I trust him, and so did your mother. No problems should be expected from his part, so the same must be expected from you. 

Shinjuro. It was only the second time you’ve heard that name from your father’s mouth, and you didn’t know what to think. In fact, you’ve learned from your mother that among the Demon Slayer Corps there was an elite group known as the Hashira, and one of them was Shinjuro, the Hashira of the Flames. He was the current head of the Rengoku family, but personal struggles – including the death of his wife – forced him to a retirement despite his capacity as a warrior, so that his eldest son, Kyojuro, took his place. However, you also heard that this young man was dead, so it was impossible to tell how things were going for his family members now. And that was the environment your father was willing to throw you into, even spending money in the process. 

You sighed. 

– Father, when was the last time you’ve met this man? I don’t remember you talking about him – you crossed your arms – I’m only familiar with his name thanks to mother, but now you’re telling me that he’s an old friend of yours. How old is he, exactly? 

– Not as old as me, of course – his reply came with a mixture of embarrassment and indignation – I can’t believe that, of all the things involved in this arrangement, this is what concerns you more! 

You scoffed. 

– I’m not that futile, but if he’s old enough to have a son capable of replacing him in the battlefield, I think I have the right to be concerned! – you took a step toward him – If I have no choice, I want to know exactly where I’m getting into. Can’t you even make such a small concession to me, father? 

No, he couldn’t, and you soon realized that. 

Your father decided the conversation was over. He returned to the room’s door and opened it. 

– It is decided, already – and, with a sort of sadness in his eyes – I’m doing what I think it’s best for my daughter. I only wanted her to trust me, at least for once. 

You swallowed the lump in your throat. 

– I wanted this too, father. But you’re making it too difficult for your daughter. 

He stared at you for a moment, then left without any word. 

*** 

Things really happened the way you feared, in the path your father stated they would follow. He said that, but until the end he kept acting like he had no control over the flow of events, in a frail attempt to soothe his own conscience that only served to unnerve you, and not even seeing the disappointment in his daughter’s eyes each time he looked at you was enough for him to leave this pretense aside. Had he no shame anymore? 

During that fateful week, you avoided his company, leaving the burden of communication to the remaining servants and only speaking to him when utterly necessary. What was left for you to talk about when, as he said, everything was decided, and when you had nothing but sadness for him — for him, the adversities he’s been through and for the way he chose to behave in face of them? It was useless to argue on this, and whether you liked it or not, you had little time to put everything in order and couldn’t have the luxury of wasting it: would it be worthy to cause a delay in the arrangements under the risk of leaving a bad impression in your future spouse, even when he was someone you’ve never saw before? 

You sighed at the thought. 

And, as if I hadn’t enough things to worry about, I still have to consider this. 

In fact, you didn’t want to take much stuff from that house with you at the same time you didn’t want to cause any difficulties to the servants, who have already seen their load increase the last months, so you were quick to select essential items and packing them with the help of a maid, from your clothes to the gifts brought by your mother, and instruct her about what to do with the other things: some of them you gave to her, knowing that she had a daughter who was younger than you and who’d appreciate your charity, and the others, such as the furniture, should be sent to the villagers, for you wanted your things to be with people who would make good use of them instead of letting them rot in a place to where you’d never come back. 

Among all of this, the last object you packed was the only thing you made a point about carrying by yourself, and the only thing you didn’t trust anyone to pack but yourself: the sword of your mother, which was sent to your house by Ubuyashiki-sama and now belonged to you. Your mother has been teaching you lessons since you were a teenager, but she hasn’t lived long enough to see if you were going to develop your own Breath; well, until that day you haven’t, but you’ve never stopped practicing even under your father’s disapproval. You didn’t know what you would find once you stepped into your husband’s house, but you wouldn’t want to depend on his protection on everything; besides, having a wife who knew how to wield a sword must be an advantage, right? 

The train of thoughts, feelings and concerns was such that you were robbed from sleep the night before the ceremony. You knew women who had their marriages arranged as well, but you never got to talk to them about it; you had no idea of how you were supposed to feel, or how you were supposed to see the whole thing. How one should feel when they saw themselves trapped in a situation from which they couldn’t get out? Without having answers, you just relied on the feeling that seemed reasonable to you, that is, utter fear. 

The next morning came silent and inexorable, just as the ones before it, and you saw yourself leaving your bed and taking care of your duties without putting your thoughts on them. It was only your body working by itself, saving your soul from the burden of being conscious, or perhaps you were just accepting your fate after a night of tears and rage. 

Having dismissed the maid’s help, you bathed and dressed alone, and left the house where the most important moments of your life took place without one last look. To be fair, your eyes were so sore and tired that they barely registered the appearance of the weather while you walked to the carriage, but you guessed it was a warm, sunny day, though not enough for you to get sweaty. Your father was already in the carriage’s interior; you took the seat beside him with no signs of acknowledging his presence. 

The coachman shook the reins and yelled something to the horse, and the crack of the wooden wheels was heard as the vehicle moved along the road. 

*** 

The ceremony took place in a building in the city of (…), near your father’s property, which served as the head office of a group of law professionals, including the man responsible for your marital contract. 

You wouldn’t call it a ceremony, really: it was more of a sequence of bureaucratic procedures than a social event with the purpose of uniting two families; a mere formality to allow you to move to a man’s house without ruining your reputation. It was quick, direct and cold like a financial operation, and the people involved seemed to make sure it looked like this. 

Your father led you to a sequence of stairs and then through a narrow corridor, until he stopped in front of a door and opened it, entering the room and inciting you to follow him. You did it, and found out you weren’t the first to arrive: the officiant was already in his position, behind a table upon which you saw an open book; at its right, there was a small inkwell and a feather; around him, two officers which function you couldn’t guess and couldn’t care about. And, finally, in front of the table and observing your arrival with a stern glare, the man who was about to become your husband. 

Whatever you were expecting to see, Shinjuro was nothing like you might have imagined, except for the fact that he was younger than you supposed – and, indeed, younger than your father – and stole the attentions among all those men despite the quiet, composed manners. Well, he would do it in any place he’d step in, for his appearance was extravagant, to say the least: on his severe face he carried a pair of orange eyes under two thick, black eyebrows, a wild trait that made you think of a lion; framing his expression and matching his eyes, he had thick, blond hair that decreased to red on its edges, spreading over his shoulders. And, as if his looks weren’t enough to draw the whole room’s attention, he was dressed in sober, dark clothing, more like someone attending a western funeral than a wedding. 

As you walked to the center of the room, led by your father, and took the spot beside Shinjuro, you felt your skin burning in discomfort under his merciless eyes. You breathed deep and, when he nodded to acknowledge you two, you made an effort to greet him, as well as the other men. 

I knew he wasn’t the same person my father claimed to know. He stated that he was good and trustful, but everything in this man screams danger. What kind of hell I’m getting into… 

The officiant announced the beginning of the ceremony, and you turned to him in silence. After a few, composed words to the new couple, he gave you both clear instructions on where to sign your names, and you did as he said, Shinjuro first, then you; you glanced at his hand offering you the feather and took it in a second, taking care your hand didn’t touch his. You tried not to think of your gestures as you wetted its tip on the ink, but a tremble reached your wrist the instant you approached the feather from the paper. 

So… That’s it. I write my name in a book and enter a path from where I can’t go back. 

The realization was too much to bear and time was passing, so you bit your inner cheek to prevent your mind to entertain the thought and scribbled your name at once. When you moved the feather away and put it back on the inkwell, your hand acted by itself, and your arm gone numb once you recoiled it to your side. 

Your mouth was dry, and a hole seemed to have taken the place of your heart. You barely noticed when the officiant and the other witnesses analyzed your signatures and approved them, bringing the ceremony to an end. You refused to believe all of that was real until the man announced you were free to go, and both Shinjuro and you turned away, preparing to leave. He didn’t bat an eye at you while doing so. 

The head of the Rengoku family stopped to exchange some words with your father. You were close enough to hear the conversation, but didn’t want to pay attention; you just wanted to leave this place, even though you weren’t going to a familiar one after it. 

You only understood their conversation was over when you heard your father’s voice calling your name. You turned to him and your stomach curled in disgust when you saw the pleading smile on his face, the only thing that reminded you of home and now a sign of everything you lost. You’ve never felt so alone. 

Later, you’d try to remember his exact words for you at that moment, but you’d find yourself unable to do it. Maybe it was a formal wish of good luck or something. The only thing you remembered was your reaction: you stared at him for a few seconds, then, without a word, you turned your face away, walking toward the door. You knew your husband was observing, but his approval was the least of your preoccupations now. 

*** 

Little was recalled by you from the travel to the Rengoku house, except that it was silent, even calm period. The only abnormality was caused by you: unlike your other belongings, who were sent in another vehicle ahead under the supervision of a servant, you decided you were going to carried your sword with you in the carriage, to everyone’s surprise and your father’s discontentment. 

That occasion was also when Shinjuro spoke to you for the first time. 

— Why are you doing this? 

The question, made when you were already in the carriage, was direct but not devoid of politeness, so you granted him an honest answer. 

— This sword once belonged to my mother, and now it is mine. If my father had his way, I’d never carry it with me, but I refuse to leave it behind — and, glancing at him, — I couldn’t risk him checking my things and subtracting it from them without my consent. 

Shinjuro only murmured an “I see” in response, and the conversation died there. 

You were beside the carriage’s window and might have slept to the warmth of the sun and the constant noise of the wheels in movement, but you weren’t sure if you did. As your body was now avoiding visible reactions, your spirit was suppressing the emotional rush for your own good, since no advantage would come from a breakdown in the middle of the road, right in front of your new spouse who, just like you, didn’t seem all pleased with the whole thing: sure, he didn’t show visible discontentment whether with your appearance or your manners, but you’ve been dealing with middle aged men for too long to sense when they were seeing something they didn’t find appropriate; and, in the present case, it was clear to you that Shinjuro already formed his opinion: to him, you were a stubborn, spoiled brat who didn’t have her way and was decided to make it everyone else’s problem. Yes, the idea of acting like that wandered through your mind for a while, but you thought you were better than this, and opted for a balance between bitterness and decency, not wearing plain clothing and displaying rude manners, but also not being extravagant in anything; still, you couldn’t convince the man of your good nature, and he let it clear with the inquiring about the sword, so now you completely gave up on seeking his favor. 

You were just waiting for the travel to end. 

Chapter 2

[synergysilhouette]

10 Disney hot takes/unpopular opinions (Part 7)

I'm sure the title is self-explanatory. You know the drill! Check out part 6 here.

Phoebus is Disney's best main-supporting character--I know I stated this objectively, but obviously "best" is subjective. I always appreciated his kindness and strength, and while he doesn't really grow in viewpoint since he always has a strong moral compass, his allegiance changes, and we love to see it when a good guy stops working for the bad guy! Only wish he got to sing.

2. Aurora's dress is the best Disney princess gown--I think it's because of the uniqueness of it; the sharp elements instead of rounded aspects, as well as the pink color (which helps her stand out; blue pits her against Tiana, Jasmine, and Cinderella). Plus I love when merchandising gives her a blue AND pink dress.

3. Eric should've sang in the musical and he and Ariel should've gotten to talk after the battle--I'm glad other adaptations (the live-action remake, the Broadway adaptation, and the anniversary special) have fixed the singing part, but I do feel like it was a missed opportunity to not have Eric sing in the film. It's kind of disappointing actually that it's actually other characters who sing most of the songs rather than the main character (who only gets 1.5 songs) and her love interest. Plus I always wished we got a reconciliation scene between Ariel and Eric rather than a "back to square one" approach they did.

4. I think Disney could get away with more (censored) violence--Kind of an oxymoron, but what I mean is that "Pocahontas" and "Mulan" got away with violence in a way that was still digestible for a younger audience. Not saying that every Disney film needs a lot of violence, but when violence is warranted, they can do so by getting creative with how it's shown, rather than it being offscreen or skipped over.

5. Mirabel should be a Disney princess--I know some people see the DP line as kind of elitist and only admitting "a certain type" of heroine, but aside from adding diversity to the line by being the first Latin-American princess/first South American princess/first Disney princess with glasses, she's also a well-written character who's personality and heart makes her join the line without feeling like she's just there for the sake of optics.

6. "If I Never Knew You" is the greatest Disney love song--I've said it before, but not on a hot take post. It stands out as a song that isn't about the sweetest moments of love, but the darkest elements and consequences of love. Not saying I want the next Disney couple to have a sad ending like Pocahontas and John Smith, but a love song when all seems lost is really unique, and I kinda wonder if this song would've won an Oscar if it had been included in the final cut.

7. We need more complex stories with complex antagonists--I feel like Disney has started telling more complex storylines with "Frozen," "Zootopia," "Big Hero 6," "Encanto," and "Raya and the Last Dragon," and I want them to continue to. Obviously you want a story with a happy ending and something to please the kids who may want something uplifting, but that doesn't mean you can't have more grey-area movies with the protagonist having to change/grow their perspective, and the antagonist not necessarily being a villain.

8. "Tangled" is the wrong movie for Disney on Broadway to be working on--While I understand that it's a popular film, there are renaissance films that should've gotten that treatment before, as well as "Moana" and "Encanto" feeling like better ideas, especially in order to capitalize on their viral impact.

9. "Frozen 2" has the most (emotionally) impactful soundtrack of the Revival Era--I've thought a lot about this, but while Disney always has an emotional song or two in their musicals, "Frozen 2" is an emotional journey from start to end; even the fun songs like "Some Things Never Change," "Lost in the Woods," and "When I'm Older" have a profound meaning to them, a sense of change that Disney should've brought into the 2020s with them. While I found the film narratively clunky, all of the songs (even the ones I wasn't big on) still left me with a feeling of fufillment, like I had just went on an amazing journey of self-discovery. Mature movies like that usually aren't musicals, so I'm glad this was.

10. The Bronze Age is one of my least-favorite Disney Eras--If you know my channel, you know my opinion on animal-centric films; not a fan, with "Zootopia" being an exception because I loved the plot AND they were somewhat human in the world/setting. Almost all of Disney's films during this era were animal-centric, and none of them were good enough for me to be engaged. And while I find "The Black Cauldron" underrated, I do kinda wish Disney had made it a musical instead.

[italianpersonwithashippersheart]

I love a good planning session

That plan was totally bonkers I loved every minute of it.

Very happy about Mick being on the boys side

I also really liked this moment were Baifern saw that Gam wasn't at the concert and she knew exactely why

I know the evil lady sort of "redemed" herself. But as previously stated I do not forgive.

But I got my happy group hug look at them

The most important part of the all series, the message people should take from it the most:

This entaire conversation 10 out fucking 10.

I loved their reunion

And we got to see glimpses of the boys working to set up their own company

And Po working in the suit shop

The suits they made for them were very cool.

I am happy we got to see Pepper and Gam being happy.

Loved Nano pushing Dylan and Jun agenda

I only want shippers like Nano going forward ok??

I can't put any more screenshot but the scene were Po introduced his boyfriend to his friends was golden. Baifern had a very understandable reaction.

I still don't forgive the lady, I don't care that she is secretely happy they succeded. Evil lady. I will take the grudge to the grave thank you.

About the dating issues, I am pretty happy with the sort of non resolution. Largely agree with what @my-rose-tinted-glasses said in this post about the finale. There was no way to handle that during the time frame. And I am of the personal opinion that if there was a good company standing behind artists and protecting them from the harrasement and hate, the fans would adapt eventually the ones that can't leave, and new ones will come. And now Mars can protect each other.

I am so happy all the boys are happy and triving and that we got a moment to reaffirm how much Po is enjoying his life even without being a director.

They will never finish that movie. I wonder if they were ever able to actually watch a movie to completion. Probably not.

I really loved spending a day binging this series. It has great writing, great characters and a great romance.

I usually don't enjoy Idol BLs but I really loved this one.

On a final note, possible controversial opinion. But I am happy that Jun and Dylan stayed a suggestion. Don't get me wrong, I ship it.

However, MARS may be a fictional band, but all of these boys are in a very real band together. And writing a story where two members of a real boy band (that will probably have to do some fanservice irl) are dating while being in a fictional boy band is something that is very difficult to do well (see Bump Up Business a show I never finished but I know was not good). I have no doubt this team could pull it off. I am just saying that would have been something that needing time and a real dedication to nagivate that well not to mention the same (or more) ammount of creative leeway gmmtv seem to have given them for this series.

10 out of 10 series, highly reccomend.

[lullabyalikpoptarot]

NCT Dream Tea Sessions

Disclaimer: No facts, all alleged, just my interpretation of the cards

Now, time to look into the Dream members. Luckily it is only 5 members, since I did Mark and Haechan for the 127 installments, so this one won't require too much time and energy, but I am interested to see what they will share, since the older members had a lot of tea, let' see what I can pull from them. Also, their latest album is fire. I have that on repeat right now, yeah, just learned they released it lol Not sure how long ago it was released.

Okay, they gave me tea, especially Chenle and Jisung.

Renjun

He seems like someone who may run from his emotions. This is interesting we have this ace of cups. I can usually see that as these drinks they take, it is between two cards and both figures are looking at this cup, so that is significant, but not sure what it means. He may have lied and schemed his way out of it, or maybe he finds ways to stay away from these drinks.

He seems to be an independent person and wants to make his own way in the idol world, so I don't see him falling for traps, or getting involved in stuff that could give him the upper hand, that isn't authentic. It is like he wants to build his own fortune, with his own hard work. He could be delusional about things. He may see things better than it is. He seems like he has difficulties facing the realities of things.

He does seem to lack money, or support, and he may not get many career opportunities. I wanted more for this, because this seemed obvious to a casual fan like me, so I wanted to know what is the tea here. I got the Tower and the Chariot. It seems he may want to leave, or he is showing that the company is losing money, doesn't have much ability to support him as much, but it seems he wants to move on. It seems things surrounding the company seems chaotic and there is a lack of structure there

I asked for more about the ace of cups, and got 2 of Wands (of course) and 8 of swords. So, this is about sleeping with others, and being trapped to do it, but I am not sure he did it, and he may have found witty ways to maneuver out of it.

Jeno

He does seem like someone who wants to talk about and discuss his hurt and frustration about how things are. I like how the King of Wands is in the middle. It is like he wants change, to speak up and inspire change and evolution of how things are done with the company and industry. This man is quite creative and has a strong motivational energy around him.

Yeah, I just see him wanting to move forward from the bs of it all. The 10 of Cups in this deck just always give me these idols always having to appear like a family, a happy unit, even though it isn't that way behind the scenes. He may want that to change, or the fake image of them having a wholesome image to change.

I see him wanting to have the ability to express how he feels, the pain, the hurt and frustration, without trying to hide himself. I see him wanting to be more authentic and himself to others. I just see him as someone who wants to communicate, open up and defend his ideas and opinions more to others. He doesn't want to be a robot or fake. He may want to talk about the crazy sh** they do behind the scenes to.

Man, I like his vibe, I wish he could speak up more, but unfortunately not in the industry he is in, they can't do that.

Jaemin

Seems he was promised something in the past or he is nostalgic about the past, like the potential he may have had, or the vision he may have had in the past. Maybe things didn't turn out how he may have liked.

He seems to be weighing his options, not sure of which career path to take. He seems kind of neutral about things. He seems to play it safe with things as well. There could be this inability to mature and grow. It is like he is stunted.

He seems pretty passive, like he struggles to take action, take the lead or mature in a sense. There could be career opportunities opening up for him, but not sure he does much with it, or expands on much of anything. I just get strong passive energy with him. He just goes with the motions. He may play with ideas, but he lacks conviction, initiate and passion.

He seems to have his mood swings. Some days he is feeling great, others feeling pretty down. He just doesn't progress that much or try to make any moves or changes. He may have a fear of taking the leap and taking a chance.

I did ask if he likes being an idol, and he gave me the Queen of Wands, so yeah he likes the attention. He just doesn't like to do much work. He lets them do all the work behind the scenes and he just performs.

Yeah, he lacks energy, and the will to do anything, very interesting.

Chenle

Wow, lots of Pentacles with him. Does he come from money? Is he the company favorite or the favorite of some rich people. We got a couple here the King and Queen of Pentacles, so they could play a significant role in his life.

It seems he wants to defend himself or speak out against people he works with, or he is someone pretty vocal about things when it comes to his work life. He can be a bit of a loudmouth and can be hurtful. It is like he can say what he wants, because he is protected by these people.

He seems to get paid very well or fairly by these people. He gets what he works for, so he doesn't seem that unfairly treated. I just heard, he is a princess, my guides or whoever said that are savages lol He can be a bit of a brat and entitled as well.

He does seem to have a projected image of himself. What you see isn't what he really is. It is concocted by his team and the company. I wouldn't be surprised if his back story isn't true. He seems very surrounded by powerful people.

I asked more for this Justice card, because I had no clue what that meant, got the Queen of Pentacles again, and wheel of fortune. This dude is made of money or knows people who have it. It seems there could be deal this QOP's made with the company for Chenle's sake, maybe for him to get a fair deal and get compensated well. Or Chenle just has the right people on his side.

Also, another tidbit, if this boy does shady shit, we won't know, he knows people, or his parents do and they will find ways to keep that quite through money, but get that too. I don't know why that came up, but Justice means the legal system and government, so it made me think of that too.

Oh, this was tea! Very interesting.

Jisung

Hmm, he seems pretty stifled. There seems to be lack of opportunities for him. He seems kind of bored of it all and stuck. He could have a lack mindset. I don't think he gets enough support from the company.

I do see drinks offered to him as well, he is showing in the past. He may have been offered things when he was young and naive. He may have taken these offers as he had a drive to succeed, and he wasn't fully thinking things through. He wanted gratification and satisfaction.

I asked if it had to do with sex or anything. I am not sure what those cards meant. I got the Hierophant (company card, but also getting cult like mentality) I am getting you get access to things that need to be hidden. I also got the high priestess, which is things hidden, the occult, things behind the scenes. Yo, this is weird, what does this mean.

I also got the Tower and the 10 of Cups, this gives me appearing like a happy safe family unit, but things are crumbling and chaotic behind the scenes. I also get they may turn these idols into zombies and condition them to think a certain way. It gives me cult like vibes.

I am seeing the KOC's again, in this deck the dude is naked and his junk is hanging out, so did he have to sleep with this person, did this person just reveal himself to him, or is this Jisung himself tapping into his emotions. I didn't get strong clarifiers, like for Mark, that this was a dude he slept with, so not sure. I do see him being done with things, wanting to move on and move away either from this person, or he wants to move on from the company in general and he is learning to follow his heart.

Okay, going to stop there, man they also gave me tea. It will be fun to see what WayV gives me, since NCT likes to bring the tea, but got to get to SVT and some other groups first.

[pisceanpharies]

I don't want anyone to get bullied, so in this post I'm replying to, I'll not give the OPs username. I realize that some people will probably unfollow me for the stuff I say here, and that's fine. If you're so attached to what you're doing that you have a problem with my view and want to try starting something, I want to unfollow you too (and try not to waste your time responding, as I won't even read your whole reply if you're trying to be rude). The reasons for why I have the beliefs I do are not learnable secondhand. This knowledge has to be learned personally, through meditation.

"no hate to other blackpill takers but everything wrong with sex is hetero lol"

Starting out with a crazed sounding ego-based statement; 'My depravity is better than yours!', spoken similar to a child on a playground claiming their toy is better than another kids toy. People who add lol to something that's clearly not funny seem like they're losing it, while muttering stuff like, 'It's the heteros… I'm totally healthy… the heteros are the problem".

"I fundamentally reject the notion that lesbian sex is anything besides 100% good for the mind, body and especially the soul."

You're fundamentally wrong, because all sex, including between same sex couples (and masturbation) keeps people in karmic slavery. More about that in my pinned post.

"het sex is dirty because it's an indulgence in power imbalance which destroys the self-esteem of the female partner and enforces male belief in his own superiority.

lesbian sex is purifying."

Then why do lesbians also have dysfunctional relationships? It's because sex is a power game between people. Sex destroys love.

"there are some lesbians who espouse strict celibacy for reasons I do not comprehend but I think most of this line of thinking comes from unfulfilled bihets jealous that the unwomen who were supposed to be beneath them have anything good in this world, and I hope the lesbians who agree with them will consider my words."

You don't understand it because, like most people, you're an animal who refuses to tame your sex drive, to live a life free of your libido, and filled with healthy purpose and karmic cleanliness. The only reason you think that celibate people are unfulfilled is because you're addicted to sex as a drug.

"valerie solanas was a gay woman whose politics line up so well with modern blackpill takes that one could assume blackpill women are SCUM manifest at last, but she was also a profoundly traumatized prostitute who suffered countless STDs and died in the street. her attitudes on women's ability to just Turn Off sex drive are invariably colored by this. who knows if she would have thought the same of lesbian love if she hadn't been raped by men since childhood until death."

You're so obsessed with sex that you can't understand why a prostitute would have the experience to know how harmful it is to have a sex drive. This is one type of brainrot that sex does to people.

"Sex is not part of a relationship, but is, to the contrary, a solitary experience as well as being non-creative and a gross waste of time. The female can easily - far more easily than she may think - condition her sex drive away, leaving her completely cool and cerebral and free to pursue truly worthy relationships and activities; but the male, who seems to dig women sexually and who seeks constantly to arouse them, stimulates the highly-sexed female to frenzies of lust, throwing her into a sex bag from which few women ever escape. The lecherous male excites the lustful female; he has to - when the female transcends her body, rises above animalism, the male, whose ego consists of his cock, will disappear." - Valerie Solanas

What OP is experiencing is cognitive dissonance. Solanas was far too intelligent on this view to be understood by people who harm themselves and others by leaving their reason behind to be slaves to their libidos.

"anyways if you're bi or het you don't get to have the opinion that lesbian sex is impure. having the capacity to enjoy het sex < a lesbian fuckboi with a body count ascending higher than the throne of God. one thousand years in the dungeon"

Anyways if you're sexually active you don't get to have the opinion that sex isn't harmful, because you're too busy wasting your energy on the drug of sex to be able to understand its nature. If you actually had some real understanding of God / Karmic Law, then you wouldn't be behaving as you do.

There was not a single reason for why the claim was made that this one form of sex is supposedly better. I wouldn't expect anything more from a weak person with an attachment to their sex drive.

[felixcloud6288]

Dungeon Meshi Adventurer's Bible Characters Part 4

Kabru and his party

Kabru

Kabru is a major character in the story, but there were still so many things in his section that were new surprises to me.

His birthday is May 28.

First thing of note is his real name is unknown. Kabru always puts on a fake personality to get close to people. It's no surprise he'd also be using a fake name. There are moments in the flashback in chapter 61 where Milsiril said his name. That could either mean he lied to her about his real name, or he told us a slightly altered story similar to how Mithrun's backstory was actually Kabru's retelling of events.

His birthplace is the western continent. So he's from somewhere near where the Canaries are from as well.

He doesn't like elf cakes. Milsiril fed him elf cakes. He probably just doesn't like them because of the association.

Got surprised to learn he can use magic. Aside from the wildcard stat, they're exactly the same as Laios's. The parallel would be better if Kabru's wildcard was also "People skills".

Kabru's magic repertoire is the same as Laios's. The only time he ever used magic was chapter 83 when he mentions he'll need to use waterwalk to escape. The notes say he gets worn out from casting magic.

His mother was suspected of infidelity because of his eye color. I never paid any mind about his eyes. Their shade tended to be somewhat inconsistent especially early on when he was portrayed as a far more sinister and antagonistic figure.

A lot of details about Kabru's combat skills and stats seem to emphasize that the reason he can't make it through the dungeon while Laios was able to conquer it was the lack of experience, knowledge, and ingenuity needed to do so. Kabru's stats are the same as Laios's, and he actually has formal training in sword use. Kabru knows how to properly wield a two-handed sword, unlike Laios. But Kabru's combat experience is entirely about fighting people. He doesn't know enough about individual monsters to fight them efficiently.

And despite their magic potential being the same, Laios is able to use magic without wearing himself out too much. He only just learned to cast but he's able to cast healing magic on himself a few times before getting sick.

And of course, ingenuity and creativity are what ultimately helped Laios the most. He's the only adventurer who considered eating monsters and foraging in the dungeon would work. He takes bits of information and can concoct plans that no one would ever consider and would call him insane for trying.

Recall that when Kabru encountered mermaids, he went with the standard solution of using earplugs and that got his party wiped by a fishman ambush. Laios instead decided to sing with the mermaids and it kept him and Chilchuck from being hypnotized.

I said it multiple times when we first saw him in combat, and I'll say it again. Kabru is an assassin. He's not an adventurer. Kabru knows how to kill people, but the moment he's facing something that doesn't have the same weaknesses, he's out of ideas. He doesn't have the creativity needed to survive in a dungeon.

There's a year between Kabru reaching the island and forming a party. That was probably the time where he tried getting in contact with Laios and it would have been before Marcille came to the island and joined Laios's party. I kind of wander how things would be different if he'd managed to talk to Laios and potentially get into his party. He was with Rin at the time so she could have potentially gotten to join as a mage, but there wouldn't have been room for Kabru.

Several of Kabru's notes on others are just observations. In particular, he doesn't seem to have any opinions about Daya, Holm, and Kuro. Also, Kabru can apparently speak kobold, and Rin is tsundere for him.

Kabru's mantras are "I've been waiting for ages for somebody to unmask them", "Was she worth going to such lengths to revive?" and "I have a really bad feeling." I'd some his mantras up as "Always assume people are hiding something. Know them enough that you can disarm them with words."

And the Kabru comic just adds another big surprise about him. He had a childhood fear that he was part monster.

He only mentioned his eye color and the trauma surrounding how it caused his family to fall apart as part of this. The notes on him mention his mother sometimes drunkenly complained about the situation. I think some of his fear is also rooted in what happened in Utaya. The dead turned into monsters. He's seen people change into monsters, so maybe he was afraid that might happen to him as well.

Genetics is more complex than what you're taught in biology 101, but it's enough to explain Kabru's eye color. Brown eyes are dominant genes while blue eyes are recessive. If Kabru has blue eyes and both of his parents have brown eyes, then that would mean both of his parents had a brown eye and blue eye allele and Kabru inherited the blue eye gene of both.

Milsiril's attempts to assure Kabru implies that elves and Tall-men have the same genetic rules about inheriting eye and hair color.

Milsiril taught Kabru how to fight. And she specifically taught him how to fight humans. Since the Canaries are tasked with conquering dungeons, there probably has to be someone specialized in human-to-human combat so they can quickly kill the Dungeon Lord (or anyone who gets in the way). Mithrun is probably the person with that role in the story. When fighting monsters, he preferred to immediately teleport them away. And when they faced Marcille, he said he'd kill her and ordered the others to handle the monsters.

Helki did not like being used as a training dummy.

We've seen succubi in the story and they're capable of turning into men or women. The succubus demons being the ones that look like women means that the exploration teams that discovered them were all men (or lesbians).

Knowing Laios, this childhood story makes Kabru cooler in his mind.

Mikbell

His birthday is February 22. And he is correctly gendered here. It probably helps that the bio says he's male. He kind of hasn't been referred to by name since chapter 56.

His bio opens up with the most important thing about him: Why he hates Chilchuck. And it's because he thought Chilchuck's guild was some sort of scam.

Mikbell's relation to Kuro is a bit toxic. He's afraid Kuro would abandon him if he didn't have anything Kuro needs, which really says more about Mikbell's past experiences and thoughts. He saved Kuro from a slaver and Kuro killed the slaver when he threatened Mikbell. If Kuro became self-reliant, he would still stick with Mikbell and help him.

Kuro

Kuro was born September 22.

His bio says he wanted to see the world when he was captured and sold to slavers. His bio says he is from the Western Continent, but Mikbel found him in Kahka Brud in the Eastern Continent. He's been taken far.

Kuro's real name is Yodan. He probably has trouble saying his real name in common. I thought I'd look up the characters in his name to see if there's anything interesting, like maybe a barking pun. His name is entirely in katakana, and "wan" is the Japanese onomatopoeia for a dog barking. Da (ダ) and wa (ワ) look kinda similar I guess so maybe?

And yeah, he was snarling at Izutsumi because he sensed her chimera-esque body. I didn't find him interacting with Lycion. I'd like to know if he'd hate him because of the beastman magic or if he'd like him because he's a fellow dog.

Kabru can indeed speak kobold and Kuro is quite eloquent in his native tongue. And here's a fun detail about kobold speech in Japanese: The kanji are laid out and have to be read left-to-right, top-to-bottom like in most western styles. Kobold is also mostly in katakana.

Daya

The party member with the least focus through the story. She was born January 7.

She's from the same tribe as Namari. But based on some backstory info, it's probably more like she joined the dwarf community at the Island rather than being related in any way. The two of them probably would not get along.

She's currently betrothed. That's interesting.

Her real name is Diamond. Daya is probably just the first two katakana that would spell diamond.

The Shadow Lord is Daya's first cousin once-removed, which means he's the cousin of one of her parents. He introduced Daya to Kabru and I have to question why he did that? Did Kabru get into the Shadow Lord's good graces and he thinks Kabru is going to conquer the dungeon? Or was it more like he knew Kabru was trying to form a party and he just passed the notice to her?

And another interesting thing about the world that is a thing but is irrelevant to the story.

I want to know what Dungeon Keepers are. Do dwarfs live in the dungeons and the keepers are border security? Are they guarding a dungeon that previously grew too big like Utaya and making sure that doesn't happen again? Are they doing this because they don't want the elves to muscle in on their territories? Does every dungeon in dwarf territory have dungeon keepers?

Holm

Birthday is August 3.

What do you mean he researched ancient magic and has been previously arrested by the elves?!? Ancient magic research is kind of a big deal in the story!!! Does he know anything about the nature of dungeons? He didn't show any interest in Marcille knowing Ancient Magic even as Laios and Shuro were screaming at each other because of it.

I'd pointed out that he has what appears to be a sylph in the chapter 38 title image, and now it's confirmed that he does indeed have one of every elemental spirit. Fire spirits are called a salamanders and Holm's is named Catzie. His sylph is Clarier.

I'm curious how Holm would feed his other spirits mana, especially the salamander.

The joke at the end is that the undine is made up from all sorts of bodily fluids and Mikbell and Kuro using it as a shower is actually really gross. But honestly, water is water. Holm's words imply it only absorbs the water from whatever bodily fluids it eats. An undine is probably the cleanest water you could ever wash yourself in.

Rin

Her birthday is July 8.

She's ethnically an east islander, but she was actually born in the Northern Continent. She's probably from somewhere near Laios's village since her parents suffered an even more extreme persecution for magic use than Falin did. Falin was probably "safe" because she was the daughter of the village chief. Rin's family didn't have any such status and they were foreigners on top of that.

Kabru met Rin in 501 so that's likely when her parents were lynched and she was taken into Flamela's custody. And I 100% believe that the rumors about Rin's parents using ancient magic was false. It was just a bunch of superstitious people spreading rumors and inciting violence against foreigners with strange customs.

Helki was still part of the Canaries a few years after Utaya. And he's the one who told Milsiril about Rin. So he ultimately was responsible for Kabru and Rin meeting.

Rin's experience with elves is probably far more common than Kabru's. They're both refugees from a tragedy related to a dungeon, but Rin was taken in as a prisoner to interrogate. Flamela straight up called her an "impounded article".

Honestly though, Kabru and Rin's situations are two different results of the same mindsets. They were both treated more like animals than people by their caretakers. The only difference is Kabru was treated more like a kitten taken in by a cat lover, while Rin was treated more like a stray animal caught by animal control.

Everyone in Kabru's party has died at least once. Kabru, Daya, and Holm all died to things on the second floor. Rin and Mikbell's first deaths were to traps. Kuro's could have been anywhere.

Here's what I imagine are the series of events:

Kabru and Rin tried to run the dungeon by themselves and Rin got killed by a trap on the first floor. Then they decided to hire Mikbell and Kuro came along too. And then Mikbell screwed up disarming a trap and got killed on the first floor. Then Kuro tripped and fell on the way back. Then they got Daya and Holm. The party managed to reach the second floor and they suffered a total party wipe.

back

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

What do you think about opinions that Chloe’s development was ruined in season 3 finale because Thomas didn’t like that viewers like her more than Marinette? I Don’t think that it’s true, but it gave me idea that Thomas ruined Chloe’s already few character development because viewers liked her more than Gabriel.

I've heard this theory before and it seems like a massive stretch to me. It's always possible, but I don't feel comfortable making accusations like this without some hard evidence and I've yet to see any, though it's not like I follow this guy on Twitter or anything. My knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes is all based on random things that make their way to my Tumblr feed. So if someone has hard evidence, feel free to reblog and add it, but the most likely explanation is just bad writing. Why ascribe malice when incompetence makes just as much sense and requires a lot less motivation?

Think about what this accusation is actually saying. It's claiming that an adult man willfully ruined a major element of his passion project (or even just the show that he's known for, meaning that it will define his future career) because he was salty that people liked a character that he created. That seems like a conspiracy theory take to me.

It's also not like Thomas has full creative control of the show! Head writers have power, but they rarely have total power. They're still employees and a ton of things happen between an episode being written and the final version being aired. Producers, directors, censors, and many others usually okay a script prior to an episode being animated because that's the most expensive element. Plus it's not like he's the only one who wrote Chloe's story. Every season two and season three episode is credited to multiple writers. In other words, it seems like multiple people signed off on Chloe's story.

There's also the issue of the air dates. Queen Wasp and Miracle Queen first aired about twelve months apart (October 6 2018 vs October 15 2019). Production times for animated TV shows are about that long, which would mean that Miracle Queen was probably being written or was even already set in stone around the time that Queen Wasp aired. In other worlds, every element of Chloe's journey was probably at least sketched out before the audience ever saw it start. That would mean that nothing in that story was reactionary. It just doesn't fit the timeline.

While Chloe's season three ending was a total mess, it was hardly out of nowhere. It was glaringly obvious that Chloe couldn't stay Queen Bee from the moment that we met Queen Bee. You can't willfully out yourself to the world and expect to stay a hero (or, at least, that shouldn't be a thing Felix). I was honestly baffled when they gave her back the bee in Malediktator and relieved when Marinette finally acknowledged the problem in Miraculer:

Ladybug: I'm sorry, Chloé. I should've told you this a long time ago. I might never be able to let you be Queen Bee again.

Which was, of course, the setup for Miracle Queen, further complicating this theory because it looks like less than a year passed between the world premieres of Queen Wasp and Miraculer (October 6 2018 vs May 15 2019).

I don't know if this made it to your Tumblr feed, but the Miraculous writing team announced that the writing for season six was done back in late March. The show won't air until sometime this winter, well over half a year later, because that's just how animation works and they've supposedly done things to make the animation process faster this season. I just don't see how this Chloe theory works or why it needs to be a thing when her bad writing falls perfectly in line with things like the absolute disaster that was season five. She wasn't a fluke, she was a warning of things to come.

As best I can tell, the entire Queen Bee plot was just an incredibly awkward and forced way to show how dangerous identity reveals were. Which isn't a bad plot to have, but don't do that plot and then let a bunch of other temp heroes keep their miraculous post reveal! Writers, what are you even doing?

If you want my best guess answer to that, then I don't think that the writers planned to make their story feel massively hypocritical. I think that they just did a dumb writing mistake that I've seen multiple shows do: they wrote a really cool cliffhanger ending without planning how to make that ending work in the following season. And there was no way to really make the ending work, so they end up just kind of ignoring it.

The reason why this happens is pretty simple. Most shows try to end their seasons on cliffhangers so that fans will come back for the next season. It's extremely rare to have a solid happy ending that ties everything together. This can lead to writers making questionable calls because they're pressed for time and have to come up with something that will keep the fans wanting more even if that thing makes no sense. It can also lead to writers making questionable calls because they DO have a plan for how the cliffhanger will play out, but when it comes time to actually put that plan into action, it gets shut down and now they have to scramble to make the nonsense work.

Anyway, what I'm really trying to say is that, as much as I like the concept of a redeemed Chloe joining the team, it was pretty clearly never going to happen in canon. The writing only backed that read for a brief moment at the start of season two where we got a handful of episodes that made Chloe feel less like a cookie-cutter mean girl and more like a true character, but then the Chloe plot really got going and I was just waiting for the inevitable fiery end. I actually thought that Chloe was going to be treated as a tragic character and become a true villain in season four. Instead we got utter nonsense that tossed her character all over the place to the point where I have no idea what they're even trying to do with her.

[that-wizard-oki]

hi oki! youre kind of the only ki employee who people can talk freely to and access easily, so

forgive the topic of this ask - i havr absolutely zero ill intentions and do not wish for it to come off as an attack/something of the sort

but what's up with pirate101's updates? like honestly? the last one was really the cherry on top and people are actively disliking it, it feels incredibly lousy (for a lack of a better word) to constantly reuse areas and characters from wizard101.

and casting aside the queen? after such a cliffhanger and literally the whole story of the game being getting to el dorado in a race against the armada? that's borderline crazy

and then putting in such a cliche and overused theme of the villain wanting to learn magic and take over the spiral.... please, guys

the game has SUCH AN AMAZING story, right up until the end of valencia pt 2

it truly is captivating, with so many interesting characters. it is a shame the game is in its current state.

i am sure i speak for 99% of the pirate players left - if KI has no actual intention of investing time and effort (which i am NOT saying is easy AT ALL! and i respect the whole process very much) into the game, let it 'die' with its dignity instead of making terrible updates with no lvl increase, no real incentives and making monkeys out of the players.

i really hope you, at least, understand and would love to hear your opinion on this (big) issue, if that would not endager your position in any way.

I think I've had this ask sitting in my inbox for quite sometime now, and I believe there's been some update to Pirate's main story since I received this, but I wanted to answer as best I think I can:

I completely understand where you're coming from, I really do. Y'all know my feelings on Morganthe and how fumbled I feel her character was, as well as other things surrounding her and several other characters. and while I'm not as familiar with. I understand the disappointment, and honestly maybe even feelings of betrayal that can come when a story (at large, or per character) does not pan out the way it seemed it was going to. And I mean that truly, especially for those of us who really resonate so much with creative media. On a deep level, I Get It, and so I want to validate.

I don't know exactly the direction Pirate's narrative is going, but I have learned a few things recently, and... I would not write it off just yet. Even if it is not exactly what you had in mind, I think there will be at least pieces of the upcoming story/gameplay that players find enjoyable. I don't want to say too much, but I am personally intrigued by a few things I've heard about coming down the pipe...

Regardless of what the future holds for Pirate's narrative (or wizard's for that matter), YOU get to choose how to interact with it. I don't mean choosing to play the game or not- I mean that you get to choose what it important to you and how you want to interact with the narrative. The writers, as cool as they are, are not the word of god. Something I had to really learn was that, canon is not the end all be all. It's not the ultimatum of right/wrong for a story, a character, etc.

I'll use myself as an example... I won't/can't share details, but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist for any of you to guess that I've at the very least perhaps mentioned the idea of bringing Morganthe back for a redemption arc in some way. And this is not at all me saying that is never going to happen, it very well could- but honestly... the idea of trying to convince others who may just not be as interested as I am, is not how I want to constantly spend my time here or anywhere. There's specific, personal reasons why her character/story resonated with me so much. But at the end of the day, the writers are going to write what they feel is best and are, most importantly, VERY excited about. I could never say to any of our writers that they're going about something completely wrong- like, i'm not a fan of all the space stuff in wiz during arc 3/4. But heck who am I to say "dont do that" because it doesn't fit my personal enjoyment of strictly fantasy based stuff? In the same way, if bringing Morganthe back for a redemption arc is not what they're interested in, that's fine. I know in my brain how I would bring her back, and I know there's people who'd love to see that. And Frankly, rather than stooping in disappointment about that not being reality/canon, i'd rather imagine and create and discuss about the ways it COULD happen with people who are just as interested and passionate. And that's perhaps just as satisfying as it being canon. It's ok to feel disappointed by canon. But canon, honestly, does not matter at the end of the day. What the writers connect with is not inherently better (or worse) of what you connect with. What matters is what you connect with, and if what you enjoy and love the most is stuff Valencia part 2 and under, lean into that love and joy, and maybe keep an open mind for whats to come.

TLDR- Super valid to feel sad/disappointed/etc about the direction a game narrative plays out, esp one we may feel very in touch with and seen by like myself. But please don't let that take away from what you really loved and connected with in said narrative, even if it has changed or goes a different direct than expected.

Pirate will die with the dignity that you personally remember it with. So will Wizard. I'm going to remeber it with the same love and fondness it gave to me with when I needed it. I encourage you to do the same.

[alicepao13]

I’m starting to believe that something really bad must’ve happened for them to do this…. I mean this show is in its 8 season, you don’t make this kind of change unless something bad happened. Or was it all decided during the unfair and unfortunate circumstances during the production of season 7? With the loss of Diesel and John’s cancer battle?

Okay, first of all, everyone needs to stop thinking about sets as if they're this haven of support and creativity. They're not. They're places of business, and like places of business employing a lot of people, there can often be friction.

Having said that, I've not started to believe that something really bad must have happened. You want to believe Sherri Davis' side? That's your prerogative. But she also didn't say anything that we didn't know, she didn't give out any proof, and the only thing that's come out of this is that it seems she pushed her own people (or they did it themselves out of loyalty and fear for their job?) to make that Reddit post.

To me, it's a power struggle. She found the opportunity with John Reardon being away to show the production that she's more important. She worked her ass off (which is why she keeps talking about hard work, she doesn't mean S8 that's only filmed 2 or 3 episodes) to prove to them that Diesel's death did not affect her and that she could do the show without John Reardon with the rest of the actors. And then, when the productions started getting anxious about when John Reardon would come back, she was more than glad to "accept" an alternative, if she didn't propose it herself. She definitely has more power now on set with Luke Roberts instead of John Reardon, as I explained in another post (the executive producers part).

People like Sherri Davis are everywhere and are looking for every opportunity to make more money, stay in a job for longer, whatever. Now, however, no one wants to take responsibility for the fact that they're making a show that turns out no one wants to watch. They're trying to pin it on the one person who isn't there, and that as I said, is scapegoating. For anything else, I wrote quite a bit about this in my post: https://www.tumblr.com/alicepao13/785503444939227136/yeah-im-not-taking-this-well-anymore-to

Also, if I can make a plea: Everything we're about to hear (which may not be much because there are such things as NDAs) will come out of mouths of people heavily invested in presenting their own side of the story to influence the audience and convince us to watch Hudson and Rex again. Do not fall for it. They are finally feeling like they're in the court of public opinion. (Only now. Hilarious.)

PS: Kinda hard for a person with cancer to find the time to start a feud all of a sudden when he's not even on set, don't you think? So, if we were to assume that they had "bad blood" before that, then she truly took the opportunity to pretty much push him out. It's one way or the other, can't have it both ways.

[httyddragonfox]

Leola's Autism

it was confirmed that Leola was autistic. Autism is a spectrum, and seeing as autism is prevalent around me, I'm going to attempt to analyze hers.

My brother is autistic, but also has a learning disability. Meanwhile, I may be atypical autistic. I've also been to autism walks.

My brother likes to jump in place and kick out his legs at times. I stim on what's in my pockets (a smooth button, and a ball of colorful thread) and occasionally I flap 1 of my hands.

Autism you like to fixate on something, my brother it's large animals, for me it's storytelling.

We are both sensitive to loud (in my case also sharp) noises. My brother would occasionally sort beads, movies, his Figurines, etc. When I was younger I arranged all the picture books in front of me, to see and feel them all, I also sorted my fake food into groups, my lego into colors, my barbie objects into groups.

Details need to be exact, my brother (thanks to his learning disability) a fact is a fact, an opinion is an opinion, and it never changes. For me, things have to be done a certain way. If someone gets a detail wrong for something I like I get upset, and if something isn't done how I usually do it I get irritated (applying to protocols at work).

There's also when we get overwhelmed. I have an anxiety disorder, so normally when I'm very stressed I can't breathe and I clench up. My brother when gets frustrated or stressed he folds his ear. I feel calm when i muffle my ears.

There's a difference between high and low functioning autism, as well as male and female autism. I'm high functioning, but my brother has a learning disability. I've seen lower functioning autistics who can hardly talk, and higher functioning ones who choose not to.

I'm sensitive to certain things touching my skin, and I'm not sure about my brother. I don't like jewelry at all, meanwhile my brother seems to not like tight clothes or hair on his limbs. He prefers sandals, but wears boots when he feels he should.

That's all I know about Autism. There's Leola...

She had many friends, which is not easy for autistic people to forge bonds. However, she is female autistic, and they are more in tuned with their right brains (feelings and creativity), hence why my focus is storytellingand my cousin's is art. Girls are prone to be more emotional beings, so that might explain why she is so loving and accepting.

My brother only takes hugs because he was conditioned to be okay with them, meanwhile I love hugs. Which is probably why Leola sought physical comfort.

If I had to guess, Leola is a standard autistic, not atypical. She was also feminine autistic, so she's not closed off. Her focus maybe was on the stones of magic. When it comes to what we fixate on, we tell everyone we can about it. My brother loves spouting facts on large animals, I love sharing knowledge of stories as well as my own with others, so if her focus was the primal stones and how they connect to magic, of course she'd share it with humans. She'd want to share it with everyone.

[leebrontide]

Some thoughts about dedicated writeblrs

Ok BEFORE ANYONE EVEN STARTS This is completely my own opinions. I have 0 control over what you post and I am completely content with that. If having a dedicated writeblr is working for you, then none of this needs to impact you in any way.

But, it seems to me like a lot of people are creating a dedicated writeblr, and then finding that they get very little engagement, and feeling sad and down that their writing doesn't seem to get anyone's attention. That hurts!

People want community, and are met with crickets.

I don't really like dedicated writeblrs, and I follow very few of them.

We all get hit with SO MUCH advertising. If all I see is a product, even an interesting product that's still in development, you feel to me like a brand.

I'm not saying everybody needs to come on Tumblr and spill their guts and be vulnerable and exposed. Please do not put more of yourself online that feels comfortable and safe. Please be thoughtful and intentional about what you're comfortable with strangers online seeing.

But we've all gotten used to tuning out brands, haven't we?

We are drawn to people who seem to know something about the world- people who seem to have something to say that I want to know more about.

I've accumulated a bit over 5000 followers in not a lot of time. I get a few follows a day- most of them even seem to be human these days, which is lovely!

Rarely do they follow me after I've posted about my books.

They follow me because I talk about something I know something about, be it family or cops or gardening.

Then, once I've established that I have a perspective that they have an interest in, they may check out my work. They may become invested in my creative projects.

Even if your written work has a great concept- and my god MANY of you have some amazing concepts! Well, we've all seen a great concept fall flat in the hands of someone who just didn't have much to say about life.

Give me a reason to think you have an interesting perspective, and I am suddenly vastly more interested in your work.

And yes, a lot of you have a dedicated writeblr and then another blog where you post everything else. But I, personally, am never going to remember to link those things in my head. I have a worse than usual memory, so take that with a grain of salt, but that sure is my experience.

So if you're not finding the community and engagement you're hoping for, maybe consider what of yourself you're comfortable bringing for people to interact with. You don't have to make yourself into some airbrushed instagram celebrity. But write an essay! Show me a garden! Show me something that makes you feel like a human who I can interact with outside of advertisement of your work.

You can't participate in a community if you yourself aren't present.

Again, closing out with anyone can ignore this and if what you're doing works for you then keep at it! This is one humble writer's perspective.

But I would like to know more of you, as people.

[gammaray-13]

My first and perhaps final post!

So I'm an avid Levihan fan and any art materials that have Levi and Hange will definitely make me happy, regardless of it being official or fanart. Heck, in my mind I do believe that Levihan CANON!!!

However, if let's just say someone disagrees with levihan being canon, I won't force the person to trust and believe me. Instead I'll just subtly repost some facts/posts that could be intrigued because personally, approaching and influencing someone need to be in the most unexpected and create some curiousity way, not forcing others to get into it. Let things flow in its way.

It may seem odd of me to post this but I've seen enough of this person who I don't know what's with their head. When someone disagrees with their idea, specifically on 'Levihan not canon', they immediately go on to the mode of being the most toxic person ever. This person is too manipulative to the max, and bullying others like chill dude what's with that attitude?!! You're tarnishing the fandom's name! What a shame..

In the process of proving your points, you also mischaracterized both Levi and Hange's personality like dude you're not the author. Like okay fine, we get it, we can be creative with the materials but to push your headcanon to be canon and want others to believe your 'canon' sounds very... nahh, you're mischaracterizing the characters. I hate it so much. If you claim the work as yours, then maybe it's a little acceptable but to say it's from the official materials/author when it's actually not, damn you're so f**ked up..

Another thing to take note, isym don't even confirm any of Levi or Hange love experience/life so let that sink in alright (well, we do know Hange had a crush on Keith..). So, shouldn't it be a good thing for us where we can ship Levi or Hange with someone we like/prefer or even based on their relationship to others (not a minor fan btw)

Just please, stop being toxic. Try to accept people's opinions. Try to act nice if someone disagrees with you. The mute/block button is always there if you can't cope with other opinions. You don't have to post and brag to your fans about your fights online because it's really frustrating and you're embarrassing yourself and damaging the fandom's reputation. Don't take things too seriously. It's just 2D characters, let everyone enjoy what they want!