#El (the artist) and I actually discussed it in dms and now we have a bunch of different posters that just SCREAM the energy of dual cities

[sovamurka]

RETRIBUTION! BEAT PILTOVIAN SCUM

by @Elio_NorT (reposted with the artist's permission)

[l-l-kristofferson]

Characters I Relate To

In the real world, there are few I can relate to. There's only a couple I can really identify with that I've met in person and have talked to on a regular basis. When it comes to the digital world, there are countless people I can relate to. I'm going to discuss today. For those who are not familiar with video games, manga, or cartoons, I will name the characters and their shows. If they sound cool, give the show a watch or the game some play. There's a reason I relate to them.

1. Roxas (Kingdom Hearts II/Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days)

Roxas is a regular kid in the Kingdom Hearts II game. Come to realize, he is something called a Nobody, pieces or memories of a real person that were given their own will. Nobodies have no hearts and are seen as expendable. In 358/2 Days, it is a retrace of Roxas' consciousness in the infamous Organization XIII. Day seven was the first day he came into himself, speaking and actually engaging with the other nobodies over time. But by the end of it, he had to destroy someone who was also apart of him.

I relate to Roxas due to the struggle of finding a purpose. Some days, I feel like I don't belong. Even when I am with friends or family, I still feel lost in a sea of bodies. I was talking to a friend earlier and said how I felt this way. How one place was home for a while, just for it to be gone as quickly as it came. Like Roxas, I was drifting among other countless "nobodies", struggling to find my heart and who I was meant to be. I feel that I share a life with someone who is not me. That I hold and bear memories that are not mine. But in a way, this displacement of memory and time is my own and not my own. It is my own because it is real and in my mind. Not mine because I don't remember exactly where or what these things were. In this way, I am who I say I am. My friends and family are fragments of me. They make up memories, hearts, and time I have lived and experienced for myself. They ground me from drifting in the sea of Nobodies. I thank everyone for being the memories and the gravity that holds me down.

2. Dixie (Re-Gifters)

Okay, so this isn't a cartoon or video game. This is actually a character from one of my favorite graphic novels. It's the story of Jen Dik Seong, or Dixie. She is a lower middle class Korean American girl that has few friends. She is dedicated to the martial art Hapkido and her family, her father, mother, and twin brothers.

The graphic novel itself revolves around the adolescent struggle of love, acceptance, self, and direction. This graphic novel left a lasting impression on me. So much so that I remembered it and used it as material for my Senior thesis paper. I relate to Dixie because of her struggles. In finding love, it is never easy. When you feel you have found the one, they don't feel the same about you. In acceptance, it's hard to feel and be yourself when everyone has such high expectations for you. Any slight thing out of place and you are the shame of your family.

In self, it is always hard to tell which self to be. For my family, I have to be an edited version of my actual self. I'm usually silly, dorky, out and proud, and affectionate. I can't be as open and honest because not everyone is comfortable with my true self. Yes, my family accepts me as a whole, but only for some of the separate parts (more so for my dad than my mom). I still struggle to be who I truly am at times. But it is not going to prevent me from being that self. In direction, it is hard to know the right way. I expected my path to be similar to that of my mother's or others in my family. But it isn't. This path is truly my own, seeing as I've endured much differently due to my experience. The compass for a normal path doesn't exactly direct me. It is always unpredictable. But I would not trade it for anything.

3. Sora (Digimon)

Sora was my favorite character from Digimon aside from T.K.. But I relate more to Sora than any other character. Sora was the tomboy of the group (and I admit that she was pretty). She was the rough and tough girl of the group, always doing all to protect her friends.

When it was time to get their crests, Sora's crest was the Crest of Love. In her episode, it dealt with her fears of feeling she was incapable of love. There was a time, when I was deep in my depression and pain, that I felt I wasn't deserving of love. I felt like a burden to my mom because I was being so difficult for not being as she wanted me to be. Sora was a soccer player and her mother wanted her to stop doing it to help manage her mother's flower shop. It reminded me of the relationship I once had with my mother. We were always spatting and having disagreements. There were times where it became a shouting match between us. I admit it that I used to fear my mother and her judgment. I still feel that I seek her approval at times but she has allowed me to come into my own and blossom into the person I am. I thank her for that and I love her for that.

4. Ulrich Stern (Code Lyoko)

Ulrich was one of the main protagonists in the show. He was a star soccer player, skilled martial artist, but not the best in school. Ulrich struggled to make friends and tried to get his father's approval. He also sought to get the attention of another protagonist, Yumi Ishiyama. All in all, a normal teenage boy.

Like Sora from Digimon, Ulrich struggled with love from his family and at times, with those around them. I relate to Ulrich because he was also a star child. Because my brother didn't meet expectations growing up, it fell on me to fill them. I didn't party, I didn't drink, I didn't mess around, I didn't get in trouble, and I kept my head in a book. I got the grades and the GPA. I was the smart "golden" child. So when my sexuality wrecked the mold I was fixed into, it was seen as out of character. Like Ulrich did, I took a stand against those who tried to fit me into a mold. I'm proud I was led to that decision. Because I'm a happier person for it.

5. Raven (Teen Titans)

Raven was the dark and broody character from the original Teen Titans series that ran from 2003 to 2006. She had a troubled past and a hard time relating to those around her. When she did let her guard down, there was a side of her that few got to see. Though she didn't always show it, she cared deeply for those around her and wanted to protect them. She was even willing to be the martyr in order to save them.

Raven was me as a teenager: dark, broody, moody, and very mysterious. Aside from my friends, not many people knew about me. They knew of me but not the details. I had the label of the school homo and said I would target any girl to "force myself on". I trusted very little and kept to myself. I would try to escape the crowd either in the library or the counselor's office. It didn't always work so I socialized with people I knew and those I trusted. At home, I was always in my room. I listened to music and tried to drown out my problems. I was that gothic/emo kid. But like Raven, I came out of my shell. I learned to trust and grow with the right people. If you chose to grow in the wrong soil, you are bound to be weak at the bottom and destined to fall. But I have grown with a mixed blend and it has made me strong.

6. Satilizer el Bridget (Freezing)

Satilizer is the main female protagonist in the anime Freezing. She is the best female fighter and is known as the Untouchable Queen. Not only because no one can touch her in a fight but also that no one could touch her in general. Every female fighter that has stigmata had a limiter, which is a partner that assists them in battles. Satilizer didn't have a limiter and refused to have one. But that was until Kazuya Aoi came to West Genetics Academy. He was the first person to EVER touch the Untouchable Queen. When he did, she became nervous and shy, something no one has ever seen from Satilizer. Her history is muddied by a lot. But she feels that the Baptism ritual between female fighters and their limiters is dirty. Kazuya is the only person who could fight with her without a Baptism ritual being performed first. By the end, they become inseparable.

From personal experience, I feel very connected to Satilizer. At first glance, not many people would come and hang out with a dorky, loud, and gay Puertoricenio. I'm very different from most people. I can be easily triggered at times (PTSD) and not want to be around many people when I am. But my close friend (I'm not saying her name, it's the same girl as before) is like Kazuya. She's seen sides of me that not many other people have. She's seen, experienced, and has known the depth and extent of how I love. I can be sensitive and she knows how to handle it in her own unique way. She's always there, trying to reach me, even when I don't want to be reached. She's part of the gravity that keeps me down. I'm thankful for her and she's been sticking with me the past four years. It means a lot when you have someone stick around you for a long time.

Quick update for you guys. I now have a new email address for me to interact with you guys. It is also my business email for writing pieces. If you want to get that email, DM me here.

Also, I am looking for the person known as Oakley Flores. I saw your Kik message but it would not let me accept it. Please message me again if you'd like to talk. I apologize for the delay. Thank you for your readership. It is very heartwarming.

Thirdly, if you would like to get in touch with me, I will list my social media handles for you guys.

Instagram: lame_dude_20 (Picture of Roxas as the profile picture)

Kik: kingsebastianisdead (Picture of Ventus as the profile picture. Username is The Roxas Joker)

Thanks for listening. Write again soon.