#Freedom has never been an actual element of my life

[killbenedictcumberbatchagain]

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[novantinuum]

[Updated 11/06/24]

I've written a kinda ridiculous amount of content for this fandom at this point, so this post is intended as a fun way to organize all that content on this blog. I'll update this post periodically as I share more works.

Most of my works are gen fic- with a heavy focus on character study and "bridging the gaps" of canon with lil bonus scenes of what I feel certain characters might've been up to in between episodes. However, I do on occasion enjoy exploring the Connverse relationship dynamic... and actual ratings for my stories vary.

Ratings and pairings will be listed on this masterpost, as well as any particularly vital content warnings. For more thorough content warnings, please reference the tags on the linked AO3 listings.

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Multichapter AUs:

Crack The Paragon Series

Series Summary:

In the wake of an ill-fated discovery, Steven vies to pick up all the pieces. The Gems are in turmoil: Pearl can’t speak the truth, Garnet chose to separate, and Amethyst's confidence has hit rock bottom. Somehow, his mom is Pink Diamond. But what exactly does that mean for him? Why did his mom really choose to fake-shatter herself and obscure her identity? With the very foundation of his home life shifting around him, can Steven ever hope to find answers on his own? Or will his growing obsession with seeking this truth ultimately crack his world all over again? Canon divergent as of season 3 episode 20, Bismuth.

Stories:

Crack the Paragon- 70,705 words, 14/41 chapters. Rated T. Light Steven/Connie.

In another world, he doesn't have his mother's sword or shield to hide behind when Bismuth lands her strike. The bubble pops. Steven falls apart.

Content warning: Major character injury.

Everything Is Different Now- 1,014 words. Rated G.

After her unfortunate exile, Bismuth returns to her forge to work, and to reflect on her mistakes.

Seeing Pink- 2,475 words. Rated G.

Following a video call with Connie, Steven reacts to the discovery that... his eyes aren’t always human anymore.

Misalignment- 16,680 words, 20/? chapters. Rated T.

His family’s not present the third time he runs away... They never see the creature he becomes. Early corruption AU.

Content warning: Minor body horror.

Hollowed Moon- 8,046 words, 14/? chapters. Rated T.

Stevonnie doesn't crash the Star Skipper onto that jungle moon. Instead, they crash on a craggy fragment of rock suspended thousands of miles away from its associated colony, long forgotten. On that lonely hunk of rock is a domed garden. And standing in that garden, just as lifeless seeming as the rest of it, is a pink Gem.

~~~

Other AU/Non-Canon Works:

For the purpose of organization, this section contains two fics that have since had elements of it debunked by Steven Universe: Future. However, said fics were written to be "canon compliant" at the time of posting... thus, on AO3, they still are listed within my "canon compliant" series.

Shattering Atlas- 4,274 words. Rated T.

A boy can only carry an entire galaxy upon his back for so long before the weight of it all finally becomes too much. (Written about the Corrupted Steven Theory, long before SUF's airing.)

Content warning: Depression, body horror.

The Price of Freedom- 791 words. Rated T.

Even while sightless, even when she only exists as thin fingers of light rapidly spreading outwards from her gem, Rose can sense that something is deeply, dreadfully wrong. Written for Whumptober 2020, Day 1: Waking up restrained.

Bi the Way...- 2,886 words. Rated T. Steven/Connie.

Connie has a question, and also something to say.

(Originally written to be canon compliant after the movie, debunked by Steven and Connie not officially getting together until the end of Steven Universe: Future.)

Errands- 3,034 words. Rated T.

Steven has an endless stream of items on his to-do list, so many that he often forgets to properly take care of himself in between. Sneaking off into the woods on the daily to vent out his repressed emotions is merely one of them.

(Originally written to fit between Snow Day and Little Graduation, but the back half of Steven Universe: Future strongly suggested that Steven did not visit Jasper in between the events of Little Homeschool and Fragments, thus I consider it debunked.)

~~~

Canon Compliant Works:

This part of the list contains almost everything within my "Brandishing the Star: A Crystal Gem's Guide to the Universe" fic series on AO3. Fics are listed chronologically.

Tipping Point- 1,104 words. Rated G.

Garnet helps remind Rose of what she's fighting for.

New Star- 1,321 words. Rated G.

Organic life is a fragile, fickle thing. This much is true. What's also true is how the death and resurrection of a humble lion was enough to make Rose Quartz re-conceptualize everything.

On the Origin of Hybrids- 1,684 words. Rated G.

The question— incomplete, and yet bursting with long-held curiosity— emerges from thin air while he’s about to tuck Steven into bed in the back of the van one night. In retrospect, no parenting book could’ve ever prepared him for this one.

His Shield- 334 words. Rated G.

Greg attempts to comfort his son during a thunderstorm.

Donut Debrief- 1,578 words. Rated G.

And like a burst of sunshine emerging from between the murky grey clouds, the young boy swings the door open wide, face alight with a level of enthusiasm that before, she didn’t even think was humanly possible on an overcast Monday morning. Two days after their disastrous island adventure, Sadie and Steven talk about regrets, making amends, and discover something they have in common with each other.

Autumn Bliss- 546 words. Rated G. Light Steven/Connie.

Is there any better way to spend a crisp autumn day than playing around in piles of leaves? Written for Connvember, day 1.

Alienation- 1,151 words. Rated G.

“But... I’m human,” he whispers to himself, the words tasting more like a desperate plea for belief on his tongue. “Or at least, part human. Right?” - An awkward interaction with his dad and Connie leads Steven to realize that he's now too Gem to all the humans in his life.

Ramen Soup For the Soul- 263 words. Rated G.

Steven and Connie noisily slurp some soup at the dinner table.

Creative Outlet- 837 words. Rated G.

“Log date, 7 14 9. “Today, the hybrid creature Steven attempted to further secure my loyalty by introducing me to a concept he calls... ‘music.’

Taste of Ordinary- 12,756 words. 2/3 chapters. Rated G. Light Steven/Connie.

"Connie, can we talk?" When a much needed moonlight conversation with his best friend turns into an attempted (and failed) "spring break" from all his responsibilities as a half-Gem, Steven must finally come to terms with the full truth of his heritage and all six thousand years of its consequences. Takes place between The Question and Made of Honor.

Outer Strife- 4,282 words. Rated T.

Connie clenches her fists at her sides, envisioning a world where she still feels the safe, comforting weight of Rose’s sword strapped upon her back. But instead, it’s the Crystal Gems’ darkest, most forlorn hour... and she’s absolutely useless to them. Is there anything she can do to aid them in this struggle, anything at all? (Or: the beach fight in Reunited, but from Connie's POV.)

Content warning: Panic attacks

Ballroom Etiquette- 2,809 words. Rated G.

As much as it pains him to admit it amidst all the boring protocol, Pearl is absolutely right. There’s no room for imperfection at a Homeworld Ball. In which Steven is publicly introduced to the Gems of Homeworld as Pink Diamond, and he experiences the first true stage fright of his life.

Finally Free- 1,653 words. Rated G.

Lapis genuinely doesn’t know how many hours (Days? Months? Years?) have passed when light finally graces her eyes once again.

Vulnerable- 730 words. Rated G.

Three words. Three little words, and the intergalactic conflict he‘d been training his whole childhood to defend against was over. But the hurt... he's not sure the hurt will ever go away.

Fifteen- 1,607 words. Rated G.

Every year, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, Pearl runs away.

Cycles- 1,216 words. Rated G.

Amidst their danger-fraught mission to retrieve Pyrope and Demantoid's prisms, Pearl and Steven take a much needed break.

Freedom to Dance- 382 words. Rated G.

Stevonnie celebrates the first anniversary of Era 3 with their friends and reflects on how Homeworld has already changed.

Stardust- 618 words. Rated G.

White Diamond is testing out new terms of endearment. But no matter White’s intention with this little nickname, Steven doesn’t want it.

Contact- 16,002 words. 4/4 chapters. Rated T.

The first (and with any luck, only) time it happens, he’s almost 16.

Content warning: Major character injury.

Disconnected- 993 words. Rated T.

“What’s going on—?” he croaks to absolutely no one (weakened, vulnerable, alone, pathetic—), a jolt of fresh panic surging through his entire system. He’s never seen a gem flicker before. He has no idea what this means.

The Shatter Wish- 1,045 words. Rated T.

You’re 16 years and 2 months old (give or take a few days) when you finally realize you want to die. - (Steven's POV, second person)

Content warning: Depression, suicidal ideation.

Second Skin- 9,272 words. 12/12 chapters. Rated T.

Steven can’t help but dread the undefined cocktail of emotions that trigger this newest power... 12 shorts, each delving into Steven’s developing opinions and feelings about his “pink mode” in SUF.

Content warning: Light self harm, panic attacks

The Brother on the Other Side- 2,978 words. Rated T.

Lars has no idea what he was expecting the moment Steven texted him in the middle of the night to ask if he could come over, but being immediately tackled in an intense vice-grip of a hug the second he opened the door probably wasn’t it.

White Noise- 1,766 words. Rated T.

In which Steven opens up to Peridot a little about his anxieties surrounding his recent “pink episodes.” Peridot thinks she can help him determine the root cause of this problem, but Steven— marooned amidst age-old insecurities and his fears of hurting those he loves— still isn’t convinced he wants anyone’s help.

Content warning: Panic attacks

Like Clockwork- 509 words. Rated T.

Connie's got mountains of studying to do. (It's not just an excuse to avoid reminders of old traumas, of course it's not! Everything's fine.)

Fight the Future- 3,604 words. Rated T.

She’s poofed, he repeats to himself like a dying man’s mantra. She’s poofed. She’s stuck in the rubble, but she’s only poofed. She’s fine, and I’m fine, a-and— Above the scars of Steven's wreckage, thunder claps like mighty titans colliding in the heavens. (Or: what happens in the moments after Steven and Jasper's rematch.)

Oceans- 5,358 words. 6/6 chapters. Rated T.

Her fingers clutch onto the folds of his blanket with a protective fervor, but they’re still trembling. Stars, they’re trembling. Wordlessly, he understands. His are too. - A series of shorts detailing what might've happened in the moments after I Am My Monster, told from six different points of view.

Memoir of the Marks Unseen- 6,786 words. Rated T. Light Steven/Connie.

Steven’s messy self-corruption has scarred him in a manner that transcends the mere physical. Battling through suffocating waves of self-loathing and relapse, the path towards healing and acceptance is set to be his most challenging venture yet… but in a unexpected twist of fate, he eventually comes to find a cathartic solace in the tangible marks left behind.

Content warning: Depression, light body horror.

Intake- 6,427 words. 2/2 chapters. Rated T.

Steven fills out an important form.

Content warning: Depression, suicidal ideation.

Fear of Falling Apart- 1,961 words. Rated T.

Maybe it’s a bit selfish to wish for conflict in a time of relative peace, but right now Connie would give anything to face an opponent she could physically fight. A battle she could win. Because the fact of the matter is, no matter how stubbornly she might try, there’s no way she can fight off Steven’s inner demons for him. - In which Connie receives a panicked midnight phone call, and rushes to Beach City with Lion to try and help.

Content warning: Light body horror.

Ticklish- 2,675 words. Rated T. Steven/Connie.

In which Connie’s subconscious, innocent touch helps Steven realize just how nice the sensation of gentle fingertips gliding across the surface of one’s gem can be.

No Escape From the Weather- 5,756 words. Rated T.

Amidst an unusually stormy late summer’s day, Steven finally amasses the courage to confide in his dad about one of his greatest traumas.

Content warning: Panic attacks

Just a Little Something- 1,486 words. Rated T. Steven/Connie.

Steven surprises Connie with a handmade gift. Written for Glow Week 2024, for the prompt "Casual or Surprise."

(Our) Shadows Before the Dawn- 957 words. Rated T. Steven/Connie.

It's their nights that are the most difficult.

Content warning: Panic attacks

Advocate- 5,472 words. Rated T.

There’s more to this story, Lars can feel it brimming in his very bones. He can feel it squirming around in the tangled coils of his guts, a primal, virulent rot that threatens to consume him from the inside out. Something is off with Steven, something is distinctly wrong. And oh, does he hate being right. - When an unexpected visitor tumbles through the magic portal in his hair long after hours, breathless and bright pink, Lars must amass the courage to weather one of the most difficult conversations of his life.

Content warning: Depression, mentioned suicide attempt, panic attacks.

Tides of Renewal- 2,559 words. Rated T.

Now twenty years old and living on the other side of the country, Steven spends his morning relaxing on the beach, musing about his past, and having a chat with his dad.

Nightlight- 1,364 words. Rated T. Steven/Connie.

“So, wait— what you’re saying is that you want me… to glow for you—?” - In which a drowsy, throwaway comment inspires Steven to— fueled by Connie’s implicit trust and encouragement— test the very limits of his self-restraint.

~~~

OC Works:

This subsection is the home for any fics I post in my post-canon OC-centric series, "Echoes of Chalcedony." It follows the story of a young half-Gem named Jean Maverick and their journey towards learning about the Gem side of their heritage.

First Impressions- 11,026 words. 3/4 chapters. Rated T.

A young human-Gem hybrid- a soul yet unknown to the rest of the Crystal Gems- takes their first brave steps towards greeting their heritage firsthand.

~~~

NSFW Works:

Fics in this section will be posted on my NSFW AO3 alt, Astraliies. I personally consider some of them "canon" to my own extended fic universe, but they will not be sorted as official entries in my "Brandishing the Star" series due to rating.

It Takes Two- 2,865 words. Rated M. Steven/Connie.

It’s possible. The timing lines up. What Connie fears is one hundred percent possible. The problem is, a potential pregnancy this early into their relationship was absolutely not in their plans.

Content warning: Contains frank discussion of underage sex. Connie is 17.

knowing, loving, being- 21,450 words. 3/4 chapters. Rated E. Stevencest, Steven/Connie.

A uniquely charged encounter in Rose’s Room forces Steven to contend with matters of attraction and desire he never could have predicted for himself. To what extreme is he willing to journey in fulfilling these burgeoning fantasies? And in what ways will such an experience forever transform him? (One thing’s for sure, though… once Connie’s brought into the loop, the most intimate dynamics of their marriage will never be the same.)

Content warning: Selfcest, explicit sexual content

Love Handles- 7,178 words. Rated E. Steven/Connie.

In which a stray, innocuous comment from Connie pushes Steven to dedicate the bulk of his free time to ‘getting into shape.’ But when new stressors rise to challenge him, he begins to struggle to maintain this leaner, more muscular form for her. Not only that, but is this even the kind of body he desires for himself in the first place?

Content warning: Explicit sexual content, feeding kink

[finniestoncrane]

Dano!Riddler x Fem!Reader, word count: 1k giveaway commission: thank you @cml-san for an excuse to get back to this loser boy!! eddie is released from arkham on advise of his psychologist and is transferred into the care of a stranger from his past who has been inspired by him in their own life as an aspiring actress/singer🐀💚 request info • prompt list • send me a request • kofi • masterlist minors DNI!! 🔞 cw: it's kind of unhealthy attachment fluff i guess!!

He'd been granted parole, much to his own surprise. Edward was smart though. He'd studied psychology, books upon books in his apartment, trying to figure out what he might say in order to convince them he was sane, that he was safe to be returned back to society. And he'd tricked the psychologists, his doctors, the warden. The one hurdle, however, that he wasn't sure how he had navigated it, was the supervisory element of his freedom.

There had to be someone on the outside who was willing to take responsibility for his wellbeing, to facilitate his reacclimating to the world, and Ed had no one.

But someone out there had agreed to take him on. A gesture he'd never known. No one had offered to take him from the orphanage. No one had offered to take him out of the low level position he'd slaved at for years. So why would someone offer now?

Long gone were his hopes that it might have been Batman, looking to help Eddie find redemption, to have him as his assistant, finally understanding what it was that Eddie was doing for him.

As he was ushered out through the last of the doors that kept him prisoner, Eddie looked out towards the wrought iron gates. The last threshold. And just beyond them, a woman standing by a car. Someone vaguely familiar.

He had managed to place you by the time he was walking out of the Arkham grounds. You had gone to college with him. His quiet, unspoken crush. There you were, reaching your arms out to hold him, pulling him into a warm embrace.

"Eddie! I'm so glad to see you. I don't know if you remember me, but-"

"Of course I remember you."

You blushed at his words, a warm smile spreading into your cheeks. For a brief moment, Eddie wondered if he was actually dreaming. Freedom, reconnecting with a cute girl he'd been madly in love with? It didn't feel real. Even when you had driven back into the city, settling in at a booth at the back of a diner, he was certain he was going to wake up at any moment. But he kept himself invested in the conversation.

"So... you know what I've been doing lately..."

The topic was a difficult one, but he had to at least reference it, quickly, before changing the subject.

"... What have you been doing since school?"

As awkward as the topic might have been for him, it was just as uncomfortable for you.

"Well... truthfully, not much. There was a lot that I wanted to do. I wanted to act, but I never made it past any local commercials. And then I thought I could sing, but I'm kind of stuck at the lounge right now, doing late nights... only on week days."

You twiddled your thumbs, trying to turn things around, not wanting to sound so down on life now that Eddie had his back.

"I have a radio show too! In fact, I was inspired by you... by your words. Your streams."

Eddie choked on his sip of coffee, completely surprised by not only his effect on you, but the fact you were so casually bringing it up.

"R-really?"

"Yeah! I uh... I usually just talk, play some music, break some stories where I can. When I came across your streams, though... I knew there was more I could be doing. Like you. You're kind of my muse, Eddie."

You reached over the table, taking his hand in yours. It was warm and clammy, and you could see the nerves on his face, in his eyes.

"You know, I haven't done what I wanted to in life either. And anything I have done, it's been because of your inspiration. When I'm singing, it's like I'm serenading you, making a promise to you. And I owe you for all of this."

Eddie's eyes were wider now, dark pupils almost covering the iris as he watched your lips move with your words, not quite believing what he was hearing. Deciding that the silence couldn't get any more awkward, you made the choice to confess a long held secret to him.

"You know... I had a huge crush on you in college. I think we only shared two classes together, but those were my favourites. You never reciprocated though, which is fine of course, I just-"

"I thought it was a joke."

Your hand was still on his, but you let your grip loosen just a little, surprised by his statement.

"Eddie... I would never..."

Making up for the slight lack of contact, Eddie found it in him to squeeze your hand back.

"I know that. Now."

Another prolonged silence, one that felt a little more comfortable this time. You both finished your coffee, picking at the food on your plates as you both tried to figure out what to say next. Eddie was still wondering why you had offered your time up for him, and you were wondering how to tell him why. It was you that broke first, realising that he was vulnerable, confused, and deserved to know the truth.

"Eddie, you and I have a lot of work to do."

"What... what work?"

"I know what you want from life, Eddie. You want to complete your goal. Your mission. And I want... well, I want you.

He was staring intently, unblinking, a slight smile crossing his lips as the understanding sank in.

"You don't get many second chances in life. At love. At fate. At revenge. But I think if we work together, we can make it work for us. Don't you?"

Eddie nodded, his hand squeezing yours tighter than ever now. A giddy feeling pulsing through his chest. He'd been offered a second chance at everything, and he wasn't going to fail twice.

"I think we can. Just you and I. Real partners. Together."

Grinning, you sipped the last bit of coffee from your mug and held his hand as you left the booth, pulling him after you.

"Let's go get started then."

[findmeinthefallair]

I hadn't spotted these a year ago:

Oh my god, guys???!!! Parallels:

2. These are the same face - the Depression Face.

It tugs at my heart like nothing else, because...

3. Oooh never paid attention to this:

4. These lil' guys were moving and animated while sleeping here, aww:

5. The screenshot below, to me, is foreshadowing that Hunter may have expressed his wish to study at Hexside...but once that wish is actually granted, he too is gonna be depressed - at school, specifically - for months, and frustrated that he simply cannot be enthusiastic about classes the way he initially hoped. He'll push and push himself and judge himself for why he "can't even" enjoy lessons he's supposed to be excited about:

6. Do you think they took Hunter to the zoo's bird hall, before he carved Waffles (I personally view it as a good element of exposure therapy)? :

7. People usually put the S1 screenshot of Luz drawing light glyphs, next to the one with Flapjack fading away...but I saw this too:

It makes me wanna chew extra recycled cardboard about Luz and Flapjack parallels, specifically. Because of what they both offered to the world, if you think about it:

8. If Camila went through an outfit change like this in her nightmare:

Imagine the mayhem of Hunter's many nightmares with his many outfits :S

9. A really good reference for how Hunter healed pre-timeskip, is this sequence, where the order has been altered a bit below:

(who knows, maybe Willow recorded a lot of vids of him on her scroll T___T)

10. Wow this sums up the show doesn't it:

11. Ugh you can't tell me that...they wouldn't have had a similar-ish mirror scene with Waffles and older Hunter to these, if we had a full S3 or more seasons:

Him approaching a mirror with no palisman beside him...I can't imagine how that was in those horrible months. (Maybe he does this before heading out to conduct a Palisman Adoption Day)

12. I feel really happy, confidently believing that he unlearned this body language:

in the presence of adults, especially his new parental figures. Coercive control wasn't a dominating theme in his life anymore. And while we didn't see it onscreen, he would've found the space to even initiate connection via physical touch with his parents, like what Luz naturally does here:

I say "physical touch" specifically, because to quote @idlescree's amazing video analyses, Hunter's own physical body - not just his mind - was the ultimate and most intimate battleground for Belos to exert control, by possessing Hunter and using him as a puppet in the most direct way possible. So for Hunter to get physically close to family to express love after Flapjack's death, in spite of terrible spooky thoughts that he might still gravely injure others...that isn't a small feat at all.

13. I think his casual sweater is a plain gold colour, and his cosplay outfit has its yellow colour: because he's still influenced by Belos.

The black of the wolf tee and in the cosplay, feel to me like foreshadowing of his post-possession grief. Even after Flapjack is gone, Hunter still thinks about Belos and is still walking around in the same cosplay outfit. His newfound freedom and healing is reflected in his timeskip design (calm midtones of orange and blue): when Belos has no more hold on him via a painful history. We would see a progression from the predominant darkness of the black colour to those peaceful midtones on his clothing.

14. Best one saved for last! It's a headcanon, but I draw a few connections. @childlikegoblinqueen and I were talking about him likely returning to the place where poor Flapjack was slain, even if it takes a number of years before he can do so. Waffles will be with him.

Imagine...instead of running frantically in the night:

he calmly strolls during a beautiful Halloween evening, with autumn leaves blowing in the wind once again:

There are no horrors awaiting him, and very importantly, he can believe that.

And he visits the spot at the lake, and puts his hand to his chest:

but for once, he can smile while doing that specific gesture. All the times that he has put a hand to his heart in the show, he wasn't smiling (link). He then leaves and then returns to his family (walking in the opposite direction of the portal above) to have an actually joyful Halloween celebration.

[perseruna]

Pre Season Four press thread with Freya talking about Ciri and Liam.

Freya's been on a press tour for the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes for the past few months, and she'd sometimes share a morsel of information about S4 of The Witcher, so I thought I'd put all the quotes on it together to tide us over during the hiatus and bring in some more positivity!

Allan reveals that Ciri goes to "quite a dark place within herself… She's trying to pretend to be someone else and is becoming that," she explains. "It's a darker place for her but there's many moments of joy and freedom in many ways that she hasn't had. So it's this double-edged sword." To not succumb the story to the fantastical elements and magical powers Ciri has, Allan strives to still make Ciri relatable and as humane as possible. “I’m always fighting to prioritize and keep the story and character building to try to make it as real as possible. Because otherwise, it would just be soul-sucking.” Allan heavily relies on the books in which The Witcher is based for the upcoming season, more than in years past. "It's been exciting because I've been able to have creative input about things I like in the book, and I'll ask to put those elements from the book in the show," she smiles. She sees her journey with Ciri as one that both mirrors and seeps into her own life in its own strange way. "What I go through as Freya in some ways is what she's going through," she says. "We have kind of become those characters and the line has crossed over a bit. She was never particularly dissimilar to me. She's formed quite a lot of me." (via Flaunt Magazine)

"I don't want to speak for [Liam], but from what I've understood, I feel like he's really wanting to try and bring the heart. He's been training. I feel sorry for him, honestly, because, number one, that fan base can be very attack-y, and it's not an ideal situation to be in taking up someone else's role. But I'm really excited to see what he does. And he's such a lovely guy. I just hope that people give him the time of day, you know?" (via Collider)

"[Liam]'s so sweet and just such a normal guy and so willing to connect," Allan says. "And I feel bad for him because he's had so much weight and pressure on his shoulders, joining a new cast as one of the leads and replacing someone else who's already done three seasons. It's a lot. It's been important for the rest of us to really make him feel that he's a part of the family." (via Inverse)

"[Ciri]'s experiencing a very complicated romantic relationship for the first time and really falls into a very dark and brutal side of herself but also a very free one in some ways," Allan says, calling it liberating "to be able to do something different than before and surprising, hopefully." (via Variety)

“[Liam]’s lovely. Really, really sweet, a really, you know, grounded person. And I was dreading it for a while if I’m being honest, but now I’m on it, and we have, thank god, a great director starting us off which has made it so much fun. My storyline is… there’s so much great stuff to play. I’m actually quite happy, yeah.” (via Comicbook)

“I haven’t… I haven't necessarily really wanted to do [Season Four]. But now I really want to. Now I’m loving it. And let me tell you why. Because our director (Sergio Mimica-Gezzan) for block one is brilliant. You don’t always get directors that actually direct you, and give you ideas that you haven't thought of that are intelligent. And he is that. And it’s so lovely to have that. But I struggled at the idea of going back before shooting. Just because it’s been such a long journey, and it’s been very tough at times, for everyone. But now that I’m on it, and I’m with this amazing group of new actors who are just such fun people. And like I said we’ve got this great director, and so I feel suddenly very lucky to be doing it, and I’m glad that I am, having been kind of dreading it for the past year. Was it because it was just so intense to shoot? Yeah. I mean there’s lots of various factors, I think everyone found it difficult last season. And you know, sometimes there can be creative struggles, and that’s why it’s so lovely to have Sergio, our current director, to have someone lead us through it and have someone who's on the same page. And also, just like, you know, you hear this often with people that have been in something that long, and you played a character that long so it really does feel like… I feel like I’m about 100 on that show. I feel like the old women of the set, even tough I’m still the youngest. Still the bloody youngest, but I feel like I’m bloody ancient. Ciri, this season, is so dark. It’s so dark. I mean, this is really exciting, and this is why, now, I’m really getting into it, and happy that I’m doing it because she has such a great storyline, it really goes to a dark place.” (via Reign)

Allan teases that Ciri's storyline in The Witcher's next chapter will take "the biggest shift we've seen. It's so unbelievably different from anything that I've ever played with her," she says. "She has her first experience with romance, if you can even call it that, because it's not a good relationship. She goes into a very dark part of herself that I think is going to be terrifying to look at."  Some fans weren’t thrilled when the transition was first announced, but Allan dismisses the vitriol. Fans “just love to hate on something,” she says. “We’ve made it clear that we’re welcoming [Liam] with open arms.” (via Elle)

There's no relationship this season. Ciri's off on her own path and [Geralt]'s off on his own, and so it's, "Forget about Geralt". That's what Ciri's in the zone of. "Let's try and block that out. That never happened. Now I'm Falka; I'm not Ciri." But as you can see, I sort of haven't left it behind. I'm sort of still in it now. But Liam's lovely; he's a really nice guy. I haven't seen anything he's done because we don't really have scenes together, but he's so sweet. I've heard that he's smashing it, so I can't wait to see what he's doing. (via Screen Rant)

The other day I was fighting a monster [in the Witcher Season Four]. Spoiler. Yeah, no way! Who would've thought! [laughter] And they actually got those VR goggles, so I could see on the set where the monster would be, and how it looked like. It was kinda crazy. They’ve not done that before, but it was great. It meant that I really understood what it is that I’m actually fighting. (via HighVoltageLive)

"You actually also haven't seen that [Ciri] gets new hair and makeup, as well, which I think when you see that, it's a lot of paralleling the game. So, I think that will tie it all together, as well. But I think it was basically about getting a mixture between the books and the game. I was very heavily involved with the costume, and I really wanted it to be a bit of a mixture of both, just so that fans had that. The minute I'm in that costume and the new hair and makeup, it feels like a different Ciri. It's so much fun. We've just never seen her like this, and so I'm really excited for people to see what happens. It's fun." (via Collider)

[On when Season Four will come out.] Listen maybe 2025, maybe… I don't know. That’s me guessing, I’m just guessing. Because I actually don’t know. But I hope so! Because I want people to see it, because it’s actually really cool. So, please watch it. Please, okay. Because Liam’s gonna rock it, so. (via The Direct Extras)

[monimccoythings]

Wedding Crashers part 3

Whoah, life has been a mess these last months ,but in a positive way, got a job had to move across the country, worked a few months, got an even better job (like a huge promotion) and now have to move back to the other side of the country. But now I'm back! Hopefully.

Trigger warning, this contains mentions of attempted rape and violent and gory elements.

tags: @karma-reader

It was nearly noon when Kuroobi came to fetch you, saying Arlong demanded your presence. You reluctantly got up from the table you were currently playing a very tricky game of cards, silently thanking him for saving you from a very humilliating losing streak. Knowing Arlong didn't like to wait, you hurried your pace to match Kuroobi's.

"It's been quite a long time since you first arrived. I wonder if your family cares about you at all." Oh, he was being an asshole, but you weren't going to play his games.

"It was more money than we actually have. They need time." He hummed, not entirely believing you. He suddenly rose up from his throne and approached you slowly, it dawned on you how much bigger and stronger than you he was. He circled you like a predator. Way too close for comfort.

"There is something you said the first time we met that hasn't really left my mind. Please, humor me, because I'm a bit curious; why someone who has everything they could ever desire be so against the idea of being released?" You didn't know if he was really curious or just taunting you. You decided to answer anyway.

"I despised that life and the rules that came with it." He let out a low chuckle that lacked any kind of amusement. "Oh, poor little princess who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth." You jumped when you felt his hot breath in your ear. When had he gotten behind you?

"A silver spoon with golden chains to match." You couldn't help the resentment of your own. "What's the point of so many riches and luxury if you can't enjoy life the way you desire? They tell you how to act, how to talk, what to eat, what to wear, how to feel, and somehow you're always doing it wrong."

You nearly jumped when Arlong grabbed your shoulder and roughly turned you towards him. There it was, that passionate look in his eyes that you couldn't decipher. Was he angry? Was he happy? Probably not even Arlong knew.

You backed a couple of steps under the intensity of that gaze, until your lower back hit the desk. Arlong followed you trapping you between the desk and his hard body, there was no escaping him. You could literally feel the warmth radiating from his body. Whoever said fishmen bodies were cold had clearly never seen one up close.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Princess; but when you come from a place of poverty and suffering like my people I find that a little bit hard to believe. While you were whining like a spoiled brat in your fancy castle, we were kids fighting for survival. But don't worry, once mommy and daddy pay up, you can run away towards that freedom you so desperately want."

He titled your chin towards him, trying to look more intimidating than he already was; and, for a couple of seconds you just stared at each other, too lost in the intensity of your gazes to notice any of your surroundings . With a grimace, he let you go and ordered you to get out of his sight. Your heart was beating furiously inside your chest. What was that? What game was he playing?

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟

Your family still didn't pay, but they did send many mercenaries to 'rescue' you. You didn't know how to feel. So, they wouldn't pay the money but were willing to spend it on a bunch of fools that got easily dispatched by the Arlong Pirates in seconds?? You understood the price he had set was very high. But maybe some old family heirloom would be worth enough to pay for your rescue?

Arlong surely loved to rub in your face how each one of those pathetic attempts of rescue failed. The crew even had set bets over how much they lasted, who got the most kills... You'd admit without shame that sometimes you had participated in those bets. It was the only thing you could do. Plus, it was fun and helped you integrate with the crew. Sometimes you were the one who teased Arlong about who was going to win the bet, completely forgetting your position as a hostage in that crew. But, surprisingly, he let that slide.

It got to a point where they got very cocky... until one group actually managed to sneak you away. You didn't know where those people had come from, but judging by their looks they seemed to be the lowest of the low.

They forcefully dragged you into their ship and towards the captain's quarters. You tried to ignore their lecherous stares as best as you could but the way some of them were looking at you like a piece of meat... it sent shivers running down your spine.

You were roughly shoved on the bed by the captain, a middle aged dirty man who smelt like beer and sweat. You tried to resist his advances but he was way too strong for you. He slapped you on the cheek with enough force to make you see white dots. He kept groping you, forcefully grabbing your breasts with his disgusting hands and kneading them in a way that brought you a lot of pain.

"Your family didn't pay us enough to face those things, so we are taking a little extra." His rancid breath made you want to throw up. When his hands started ripping the top of what had once been your wedding dress, you started screaming and thrashing violently. You desperately called for help, knowing there was no way anyone could hear you. You were about to lose any kind of hope until...

Something crashed against the ship with enough force that left it shaking. The force of the impact made your assaulter fall off you, giving you room to scoot away from him. He let out a curse and loudly demanded to know the source of the impact.

For a few seconds, there was only silence. And after that, pandemonium. Men were screaming in terror, shooting their guns at something, some animalistic grunts and roars could be heard followed by spalttering noises that made you wonder if the ship had entered the territory of a Sea King. Soon those voices were quieted down until there was only silence.

No, not silence. You could hear footsteps. Loud and stomping. They were getting even louder, they were coming towards your room, until they suddenly stopped.

The doors were sent flying with inhuman force. The dust cleared and you let out a little gasp. Arlong was there, breathing heavily, his lips were pulled back in a feral snarl, his sharp teeth were stained with fresh blood that was also dripping from his chin. However, if there was something truly terrifying about him now, it had to be his eyes. The look in his eyes was something you have never seen in him and hoped you'll never see again. It was the deranged look of a wild beast, he was more shark than man at this point.

The captain of the mercenaries, seeing what was about to come, desperately fired bullet after bullet towards Arlong. He casually brushed them off like they were nothing. He grabbed the captain's head and smacked it against the wall repeatedly, ignoring his victim's pleas, even when they stopped he kept going, and going until there was nothing left of that head but a bloody pulp. You coudln't even look.

He turned towards you and for a second, you felt fear, wondering if he was going to punish you. But, surprisingly, and with a gentleness so uncharacteristical of him, he scooped you up in his arms and carried you away from that room. You would surely deny it later, but despite everything you have heard outside, and what had just happened, this was the safest you had felt in a long time.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟

To say he was angry was an understatment. Arlong was LIVID. How had this happened? How could some band of inferior beings sneak on his ship full of fishmen pirates and steal his prize without anyone noticing?

They had grown confident, sloppy. And those humans took advantage of it. A growl started forming in his chest. Never again. He would make sure it never happened. Your parents had already tested enough of his patience with their greediness. They thought of him a joke? They didn't consider his hold over their only daughter a threath worthy enough of consideration?

As he held your small body against his chest, he wondered about that sudden feeling of desperation when he saw you gone. He wanted to say that it was because without you, the chances of getting his money were slim; but he wasn't thinking about the money when he furiosly swam towards the mercenaries' ship, all semblance of rationality long gone. And that sent him crashing into an emotion he rarely made use of: panic.

You had to go. Whatever human charm you had was starting to affect him, just the way it had affected his crew. He couldn't have that. He couldn't trash his ideals and his goals for some little spoiled princess who would have him enslaved if she had the chance.

He and his brothers would pay a visit to your parents, and reclaim what was theirs. And then they would leave you there, to live your stupid human life with a lesson well learned: Do not mess with the Arlong Pirates.

Yet, the mere thought of leaving you behind stirred something ugly in him, something unwanted, something dangerous. If he allowed that to grow he would end up losing everything that he had fought so hard for in the last few years. All the people he had lost, all his rage, pain, and desire of revenge would be reduced to nothing.

He should make you hate him, he should treat you like he would treat any other human, torture you to the point of insanity just for his own sadistic pleasure. But he had just crashed an entire crew like a one fishman army just to get you back.

For a minute, looking down at you, he wondered if he really couldn't have it all. His revenge, his money, his prize... He was Arlong the Saw, soon to be lord of the entirety of the East Blue, he could take, maul and kill whatever he pleased and no Marine army would be able to lay a hand on him!

But that... would mean admitting he had some soft spot for you and he... he hadn't decided yet how to act on that.

[eyes-of-rock]

Two Dishwashers?

(Eric Singer X OC)

This fic was inspired by this post @sluttery-withoutshame posted. Hope you enjoy this! Imported note I don't really write reader inserts because I like the freedom of creating backstories and whatnot, so that's why it's an OC :)

I was relieved that we had pulled up to Eric’s house, which I found relatively modest. It’s a lovely house from the outside, in a nice neighbourhood, but it's not massive or fancy. It's just a regular house—the perfect size. From the outside, you'd never know the drummer of one of the biggest rock bands in history lives in it and thank god for that.

I’m not into flash and glitz. It's not my thing.

I'm not that kind of girl. I didn't grow up with money and still don't have much. So, being around that always freaks me out. I don’t know how to act. So, I'm beyond thankful Eric doesn't appear to live that lifestyle.

I was nervous about this date, to begin with. I never expected to be going on a date with Eric Singer. Of course, I've always admired KISS; they've always been my favourite band.

Yet, I'm not the type of girl to catch a rockstar's attention. So when my sister spotted Eric at the bar, they forced me to talk to him. She pushed me into him. I still feel wrong about that. What a way to meet someone. I didn't expect anything to come from it. After all, I'm awkward as hell.

It turns out he is, too. At least when it comes to women, something about that was oddly comforting. Plus, once he starts talking, he never stops. I find that super cute, personally. I could listen to him ramble all day.

The date has been lovely. Dinner was great, but the company was better. I loved hearing Eric's stories; sharing some of my own was nice. Of course, my life is way less exciting than his, yet he never made me feel that way when sharing.

I didn't want the night to end. So when Eric suggested we go to his house. I agreed. So here I am at Eric Singer’s house.

“Home Sweet Home,” Eric says as I follow him to his front door.

Eric unlocks the door. Then, he clicks on the light and holds the door open as I walk into his house.

I first notice the pile of opened mail sitting on what looks like a drum stool. It seems like he's using it instead of an actual shelf or side table at his entrance. The walls are all painted white. He plunks his keys on top of the pile of mail. Interesting.

There are two doors off the entrance, both leading to separate rooms. He first takes me to the doors to the left—their glass and double.

“This is the living room.” Eric tells me, “TV, couch, coffee table, all the typical living room stuff.”

That's true. He has a nice flat-screen TV, flair DC with massive speakers hanging above what looks like a 1970s brick fireplace—red brick with a wood mantle in that orangy wood they loved so much back then.

The ’70s was twenty years, give or take, before my time. I did grow up in a 70’s house, though, like I said, I didn't grow up with money. The mantle has a single, very dead-looking plant sitting on it.

The coffee table looks like I came with the house. It got that '70s flare as well. It is a rectangle with ornate legs attached to a rectangular bass. In the middle of the table is a place to store stuff, and it has those pulley nobs to open it.

On top of the coffee table are various magazines and papers, the remote for the TV, and a pair of drumsticks. The magazines have rings where people place cups on them. So they've sat there for quite some time, I'd guess.

The couch is just your typical brown leather loveseat. It's well-worn. He's probably owned it for years, which I respect.

One thing that strikes me about this room is nothing matches. No element has anything to do with the last except the colour brown. It's kind of refreshing. He's not living in one of those all-white homes celebrities seem always to have these days. I will say it could be cleaned, but that's okay. He is a single man, so he has no one to kick him in the ass.

I then follow him to the kitchen. The first thing that strikes me is that the kitchen looks a lot like the one in the house I grew up in. My home is more than 80’s style right now. The wooden cabinets are the same orange wood as the mantle.

The countertop looks like it must have been replaced at some point. However, the style is also outdated, and I'm betting it wasn't by Eric. Its speckle-looking stone is black and brown.

The walls are oddly painted grey. It looks like the previous owners were trying and failing to cover up the fact that the kitchen hadn't been remodelled since the house was most likely built.

On the window still, of the big window above the sink. There is a little collection of pill bottles, eye drops and what looks like glue. Of course, I can't get close enough to read the label.

Below that in the skin, he's an assortment of dishes. None of them match. They’re cleaned; he never put them away but left them in the sink.

Now, those two things are very everyday. I mean, we've left our pills out on a random surface and left clean dishes in the sink because we've been too lazy to put them away. So that's refreshing to see.

His kitchen is attractive because he has a massive speaker cabinet on the countertop beside the sink. It doesn't seem like a good spot for something like that.

Below the speaker is what looks like a vintage 1970’s dishwasher. Then, a sleek stainless steel dishwasher is on the other side of the sink. It takes me a second to process that. He had two dishwashers in his kitchen. I'm interested as to why.

It must be written on my face because Eric turns to me.

“It’s the two dishwashers, isn't it, Maxine.”

“Well, yeah-”

“This is the moment you make some excuse and leave,” Eric sighs, disappointed and hurt.

“What?” I say, taken aback. People have just skipped out on him over his kitchen. What the fuck? Who does that?

“No, of course not,” I reassure him. “You’re house is fine.”

“It doesn't bother you? That my house isn't perfect?” He sounds shocked as if no single woman has ever accepted that.

“It's a relief.” I admit, “I don't own fancy things, and it's nice to know that doesn't matter to you.”

“Unless it watches or drum-related, yes.” He laughs, “It doesn't bother you?”

“No.” I repeat, “It reminds me of the house I grew up in; it could be clean. That’s okay; I don't mind helping; I love cleaning and organizing.”

“You say that now, but wait until you see my office.” Eric laughs, “That usually sends the girl running.”

“I’m sure it's fine; it just could use some organization and decluttering,” I tell him. I haven't seen this office yet, but I can make an educated guess. It looks like he's never thrown out anything by the amount of clutter hanging around this house.

It's okay, though. It's not like it is unhelpable. It makes me sad to think so many girls have walked away from such a sweet, funny and sexy man over something so trivial. It just goes to show what they were after.

“I wouldn't expect you to clean it up.” Eric clarifies, “Sounds like an awful next date. ‘Yeah, he invented me to clean his hoarder's office.’ Nothing sexy about that.”

“I know, but I wouldn't mind.” I laugh, “I like spending time with you, doesn't matter what we’re doing.”

“I’m happy you hear it.” Eric smiles at me.

“But I'm a grown man, so I should be doing it myself, it's just well-”

“You hate organizing and cleaning?” I say, finishing his sentence for him.

“Yes.” He laughs, “I wonder what gave that away.”

I can't help but laugh a little at that. I’m still astonished that someone would give him up that easily. Well, their loss, my gain.

[irkendogma]

tak is the main antagonist for this crossover fic im writing and due to the lack of canon content beyond literally that one episode and some of etf, sometimes i worry im not doing her any justice or it’s too ooc. what do you think would be the best way to write tak in your opinion? (if you happen to have any advice on the matter. just wondering! byeeee💃)

i'm genuinely so relieved at the specification of "in your opinion" because i have such a strange long-lasting attachment to tak that i think i would second-guess my thoughts on her in an objective vacuum to the point of just saying "she should be purple". but as it is i now have the freedom to go stupid crazy about it

i think there's a number of crucial elements to tak, but i think the one that people miss most in writing her is that she isn't just meant to be a more competent counterpart to zim - she's a direct parallel in terms of her ego, motivation, and backstory (the latter particularly as a result of treatment by irken society)

like zim, tak has an enormous ego and an audacity that places herself above anyone else, even the empire itself (see: her custom invader insignia. that's like drawing a crucifix but substituting yourself for jesus after being refused by the church), and like zim, in spite of her disregard for the empire's rulings she's striving for recognition both by it and within it (to quote her: "the plan i have in store for this nasty rock will so impress the tallest that they'll have no choice but to make me an invader"). the same way zim "quit being banished", tak "escaped" from the janitorial squad she was placed under as a stopgap job until the next elite test in seventy years

i've seen some people write her as tall, but in my opinion her being only very, very slightly taller than zim is not just a stylistic choice but an essential part of her character that draws her backstory together: technically that janitorial job wasn't even a punishment, it was just deemed the most suitable position for her in the absence of official imperial proof that she was capable of anything "better" or "higher" that would've been afforded to a taller more easily

that she made it so far in the elite course at all in spite of her height gives context and precedent to the competence and sheer refusal to admit defeat she exhibits in her attempt to destroy earth, a planet she initially believes is already undergoing an officially-sanctioned invasion judging from how bitterly she tells zim about what should've been "rightfully hers", down to specifically mentioning the great assigning - loops back to her audacity, in that she has zimlike degrees of ego regardless of how hard the circumstances logistically are aligned to stomp her back down (see again her quote where she confidently states her plan to hijack an official invasion will impress the tallest to the point they won't mind her flagrantly flaunting the rules). she would've spent so much of her life striving to meet her own exceedingly high expectations, not the exceedingly low ones assumed of someone her height, that this likely isn't far from her standard procedure of "show them i can do it better than the rules say"

what sets her apart from zim, i think, is in how much she's allowed herself to let those miserable expectations get to her and leave her pettier, more vindictive, less grandstanding speeches like zim than showing off everything she's capable of as often as possible, no matter how necessary (ALL the stupid parkour she does for no reason) - which i think is admittedly less her fault than partially being the result of her having actually experienced her confidence failing her when the entire future she'd set up for herself was pulled out from underneath her

unlike zim, who experiences failure regularly but never has it truly sink in, tak had the entirety of her progress wiped off the board in a single moment as a result of circumstances entirely beyond her control: i think a large part of the reason she resents zim so deeply and sincerely isn't solely because of the practical consequences of her missing her test (though it is in no way insignificant to it) but because he was the one who broke her streak - he was the one who made her brutally aware that no matter how she built herself up, no matter what proof she offered, she could still fail and be crushed into exactly the nobody she was expected to be

and she just cannot abide that, no matter what, because even if the memory of helplessness and humiliation will never go away (not that she'd acknowledge it wouldn't), if she can make him hurt the same way maybe that will give back to her some of the power and control over her life and her identity that she lost in losing her potential status as a real, sanctioned invader

also, i do think she should be purple. she seems to have a great attachment to aesthetics and individual style, given her custom pseudo-elite uniform (which we see her wearing even in training, on her test day), the fact she designed and programmed her hologram specifically to have the distinguishing marking of a beauty spot in the same place she has one on her actual face, and her penchant for making nearly every damn piece of her tech purple some way (minus mimi, who while being her own bootleg SIR unit still follows the same red color scheme as a functional one) - even the cockpit of the spittle runner she pilots is initially purple before it's ejected as an escape pod, and the magma pump's interior looks like this:

girl likes giving things her own little touches whether that's in terms of her trademark color, her near-blasphemous custom imperial logo, or her doing a tactical slide between bars of a railing instead of just stepping normally onto the floor

[itsmeanyango]

ASTROLOGICAL TIMELINES: AGE 23-66

The information I'm sharing will put you YEARS ahead. If you'd like a personal reading, just reach out to me in my DMs or reach out to me on my WhatsApp business here.

I was writing reports for clients who wanted to know how Pluto in Aquarius would affect them and this inspired me to write the following.

Initially this was going to be life transits from age 25 to 65 but I've decided to start from age 23 because I know how HARD that particular year is.

I won't touch on every particular thing each year, I'm just touching on the events(astrological) that will make or break you given your personal choices.

Since you have this information now, please don't break you❤️.

I am also just copy pasting things from different readings I have done because source tells me someone booked a reading for a client who paid them a lot. In short, someone stole my reading to masquerade as their own work. I hope one day someone googles particular words from their reading and comes across my post then wonders, “hey, why are you using the exact same words from a reading I had done yet I never booked with you?”

I want to start by saying that although I've chosen age 23 as the starting point, age 17/18 is where the shift usually begins because that's the first “real” taste of freedom experience because you've just finished highschool + feel like an adult. The snare here is drugs, alcohol,sex and or romance. It could be all, it could be one or it could be some. Different circumstances make one fall into those snares, not just being idle.

If you get into substance abuse it tends to get out of hand and interferes with your relationship with money and even your education (university/college).

If it's sex, it greatly interferes with your relationships + attachment style(this is a good opportunity to work on your attachment btw). You will grow to be in dysfunctional relationships of all types from friendship to romance to work/professional relationships. Your perception of relationships will be skewed.

If it's romance, well that's where most people actually go downhill real quick because they let love get the best of them.

Are you doomed for any of the above three? No. However, it takes a special kind of someone to turn their wheel around and fix it all(especially in record time, which is before 23 or your first Saturn return). You can come back from all your poor choices, so many people before you have done it and so can you. It just takes extra strength and determination ESPECIALLY when you are in an environment that's set to be your number one enemy.

Age 23

The major event here is your 12H profection year. I have a deeper post for each element(fire, earth ,air and water) on 12H profection years here, go read it.

12H transits are not fun. 12H profection years are usually the longest 12H experiences unless one has planets in their 12H. The shorter the 12H transit, the harsher it is because you have a short timeline to deal with so much. That's why some months you wonder why everything is working against you. Some people already have particular months marked out as their worst months because they have noticed a pattern (this does not mean 12H transits are the main astrological reason why).

Let's say two people of the same age(maybe even twins), present with the same burn degree on the same body part. One is writhing in pain, screaming and crying. The other is just there, even eating a pack of crisps as if nothing is wrong. It may seem shocking and one may say everyone has their level of pain tolerance.

Then you find out that the one who is not flinching has been living with chronic pain and now this new pain is nothing new to them, they are in pain almost every day and without painkillers anyway.

That is how 12H transits are. Some people just shrug off the harsh experiences like nothing. Or share the most life stopping experiences like it's nothing because those experiences have been the order of the day. Everyone else is like, “are you okay?” and they are oblivious.

However, to those who have never experienced earth shattering things, 12H profection years and transits feel like they have been walking in circles in hell. People with 12H placements don't feel that 12H transits and profection years are all that bad. They feel it in their 1H profection year, because it's more quite and peaceful yet this(quiet and peace) is something they are not used to.

Next is age 24, which has the 1H profection year.

1H profection year Jupiter return. This is your first significant Jupiter return. Your actual first one was about 12 years ago but you were too little to understand. Chances are you had some good luck that year or you went through absolute mental anguish. This may have also manifested through your parents having some great financial fortune or opportunities. That fortune was supposed to be used on you, if misfortune ensued then it's because they did not give to Caesar what belongs to Ceasar.

Anyway, at 24 most people are graduating from university or have graduated from university. They wonder about the next step and it's usually in hope of employment and financial gain. However, what tends to happen is a magnitude of misfortune because whatever Jupiter touches expands.

It's really just a huge big tower moment that's meant to wake you up to who you really are, to shake off societal beliefs and values that have been drilled into you through different systems like your family and educational institutions as well as religion. If you handled your 12H profection year without resistance, this may not be as harsh of an experience. You will probably be in a state of Por qué? Not in dejection, but acceptance to learn the lesson or let whatever is next come so that you can move to the next chapter already.

Some people however, are very fortunate. This is because their parents married well(spiritually) or the nature of their birth chart is favourable for this astrological life event.

However, Jupiter has power over both money and the psyche. Money makes man mad. So whatever happens this transit, your psyche is impacted and it's up to you to be grounded or not.

Between age 28 and 30 you have already started your Saturn return, although some people begin to feel the shift(tends to come with challenges) at 27.

When religious leaders say “the day of judgement is very near”, they mean hell but what the day of judgement being very near means is your Saturn return.

Your Saturn return is the day of judgement, but it lasts way more than a day You became an adult in most places at 18, but this doesn't mean you are ready for the adult world. You are just learning. By the time you are 23 you have been five years an adult. A five year old child can talk, walk, feed themselves but bathing not really. They also can't go anywhere on their own. Five years as an adult, you are just finishing university and now wondering about the way forward. At age 12 you are almost a teenager and looking ahead thinking that high school is nearby. You are also probably wondering if your peers will like you, especially the gender you are attracted to.

Twelve years as an adult, at thirty you are wondering if you have made the right choices in your twenties and if the choices you currently carry with you from your twenties will be good or bad for you. Just like how at age 12 a child starts following the crowd to fit in, you might do just that at age thirty because everyone else turned out fine…but that's just what you see, or that's just what they show you.

Now when you followed the crowd at age 12 or watched people follow the crowd, how did that work for you/them?

At age thirty when you are before Saturn answering for the twelve years of adulthood (keep in mind that it takes the sun going round twelve zodiac signs to count as an astrological year), what do you think will happen for having followed the crowd? What about following Yourself?

Following the crowd looks like keeping the peace by not addressing what bothers you, looking the other way in the face of injustice when you know that what's going on is wrong( i.e being an enabler or perpetuating abuse) not standing up for yourself.

Saturn does not just punish you for being a bully to others. Saturn punishes you for not respecting and loving yourself. Sad but true, that's why people get baffled when the sweetest kindest person goes through horrendous things.

If you are the sweetest kindest person to others but an absolute horror to yourself, Saturn will punish you for that. So you better start self loving yourself!

At around 36 you get your Jupiter return.

It's your second one, the first one was around age 24. Jupiter returns are seen as the return that brings you luck. But why would luck come to your door when you don't make space for it?

Jupiter returns to see if you learnt your last lesson twelve years ago and prepared a space for the gifts he bears. It's like not putting milk and cookies under your Christmas tree for Santa yet you have the capacity to. So Jupiter simply tears down everything you consider fortune and this time expects to have found you ready in 12 years time.

At 24, Jupiter returns to see if you decentered your caregivers and the systems you have been through. If not, that tower had to come down like the London bridge song.

At this same age you have your Nodal return and Saturn opening square. Your Nodal return is the North Node simply returning to remind you who you are and where you are going. This transit is not harsh, it's like a reminder in your phone to make that call. It's up to you to follow the reminder or ignore it.

For your opening Saturn square, Saturn is back to see if you are getting it together or using his rewards well. It's slightly challenging and will remind you of a time you went through something similar. All you have to do is learn from your history, apply the relevant lessons and you will be okay.

Between age 41/42 and 43 you have your Saturn opposition and Uranus opposition.

Uranus is the planet of change. Change and transformation are very different. When someone says you have changed, it's because they recognise you but you are somebody they used to know. When you transform, you can slowly walk past people you used to be close to and they will not even stop to say hello because that is now a total stranger they see.

Uranus type of change is revolutionary. Consider how the coca-cola bottles have changed over time. Even without the logos you can tell that those must be coca-cola bottles. Uranus opposition manifests as midlife crisis. At this age you find families having issues when the parents are 41-42. If someone had their first child at 28, when they are 42-43 the child is now 14-15. The parents are going through a crisis and the child wants to be heard but nobody at home was there to listen. Then when the child grows up they talk about how it all started when they were 14. 15 and pregnant sound familiar?

Saturn opposition on the other hand is feeling like being selfish. You know you have responsibilities and people depend on you but you are just so tired of doing the right thing. “I feel something so wrong doing the right thing, I feel something so right doing the wrong thing”. That's counting stars by one republic. But is it worth it? Is it worth losing all the hard work you have put in so far because of a "short" stint in the sky that is simply calling you to discover uncomfortable parts of yourself?

The next transit happens around age 46 and it's your Pluto square and Nodal opposition Let's start with the nodal opposition.

Remember that Nodal return ten years ago that came as a reminder? Well, now whatever that was is facing some opposition. This is also happening after the quarter life crisis has been building up. You probably have a child who is now turning 18 and leaving home. Maybe there are other children but if not, you may be too distracted in your vices to even start feeling empty nest syndrome. So now you decide to do exactly what you wanted to do because your child isn't there to judge you, but you say that your reason is that you didn't want them to see the mess and get hurt.

The most destructive period of ones life is between age 41 and 48. Seven years a slave. This is why one should strive to start getting it together by 25 then thirty and ultimately at 35 so that all these challenges don't shake their foundations because they already did the inner work. When you are young and have the energy, use it wisely because when you grow older and your body just wants to rest you will find it easier to become everything you said you would never be than to be the version of yourself five year old you wanted to become.

At 48 you have your Jupiter return again.

At 24 Jupiter wants you to detach from your parents so that you can have some “wealth” of your own to start your life.

At 36, Jupiter returns to see if you'd like something to help you through 41 to 48 or you are still living in the past.

At 48 Jupiter returns to see if you have the capacity to be a custodian of generational wealth or if you have decided to live like you're in the tower of Babel that is built and falls over and over again.

I want to add that Jupiter rules Pisces but also Sagittarius. When you look at the pisces symbol, the fish are swimming in a circle. That's a loop. Infinity is a loop. If you don't learn from the past, you will forever be in a loop that will make you loose your mind. Sagittarius in this sense under Jupiter means, “you should have known better”. So everytime Jupiter returns, Jupiter expects you to have known better.

From here at 48 you now have your Chiron return coming in from age 49 to 50.

If you have done the work, nothing will scare you. Especially you being someone whose weakness has always been visible. Own your weakness and nobody will ever use it against you.

Age 54 is your nodal return,

it's not the first one you've experienced but this is a good time to look at memories back then. Good or bad memories. At 54 you are also looking at all the relationships you've had in your life so far. They can act as guides to the question, “have I been true to me?” That's a good journal prompt. You don't have to wait for 54, you can start now so by the time you are 54 you look back with fulfillment at your life choices. Your relationships are a direct reflection of who you are.

You'll also find yourself wondering what you are here for and you'll hope you have accomplished your purpose. This is not like the existential crisis of the mid twenties or the adult realisation of the thirties. This one comes with peace or bitterness.

Between age 58 to 60 you have your second Saturn return.

This is heavily about self judgement. It won't be Saturn on your case like at your first Saturn return. It will be you against you, Like Jekyl and Hyde(read this story).

Thinking about your choices in life. Wondering if you should have done better. Feeling like you have been in the same place forever.

You're looking at all the lessons you've learnt, all your accomplishments and deciding if they were beautiful or vanity.

Most people have soul eating regrets at this age and these regrets start manifesting as disease.

Finally between age 63 and 66 you have your closing Uranus square.

Remember that rebellion that started boiling up in you from age 21 to 24? The one especially if 23 was a tough year and you felt like you wouldn't make it through? That's what's coming in this age.

Now, is it(rebellion) worth it? That's the question you'll need then.

[tossawary]

Hi! Just wondering, for you what is the difference between transmigrating in as an infant and regaining memories of your past life later, and transmigrating in as a character who a bit older but remembering the past of the character you’re in? I guess it’s kind of moot considering he still feels the weight of both those lives either way, but I was curious about your thoughts on it.

Hey! I think this is a pretty complicated and broad question. Overall, as with any story, there are different ways to write both of those things, different directions to explore, which could make them feel very different or functionally identical. My personal feelings on this can change wildly from story to story, and character to character. SPOILERS for SVSSS.

Let's say that Airplane Bro is the first case (reincarnated as an infant and gained his memories of his past life on the way) and Shen Yuan is the second case (transmigrated into an older character's life and later unlocked some of Shen Jiu's memories). Just to use their particular situations to look at some of the practical realities. I know that it doesn't fit precisely, but it's useful to have examples.

I think that a big element here is personal life choices and personal relationships. Airplane never has to feel like he replaced someone else. He's Shang Qinghua now, sure, but there was never an Original Shang Qinghua in this world. Being there from the beginning, he's been able to control his actions and responses, and build his own personal relationships. His relationship with Mobei-Jun, for example, is entirely his own.

(We don't actually know how much the System interfered in his life, but he does seem to have a degree of freedom that's much more significant compared to his fellow transmigrator. The vibe I got by the end of the Airplane Extras was that the System probably would have let him do whatever he'd wanted if he'd really gone for it, honestly.)

Shen Yuan, on the other hand, knows that he replaced someone else, and Shen Jiu had a miserable life and then made some cruel choices. Shen Yuan has to bear the burden of things he didn't do, even if other characters are willing to sweep it under the rug of amnesia, which has permanently colored his relationships with Luo Binghe, Yue Qingyuan, and Liu Qingge. (The System then forced him to do something terrible to Luo Binghe, whom he loved very much. At the very beginning, it temporarily controlled his every single interaction with any other human being during the OOC restriction period. That's just fucked up.) By the end of SVSSS, Shen Yuan fully inhabits the new Shen Qingqiu he's created and has made peace out of the story he's been given and the relationships he's inherited and made his own, even though he owns a life that partially belonged to someone else (Shen Jiu and the System). He has to live with that history.

Rambling on about Airplane Bro for a little bit to take a look at these two different approaches from another angle...

I typically imagine Airplane Bro slowly regaining his memories over the course of his childhood, because I personally can't fully suspend my disbelief over a fully conscious adult in the body of an infant. I mean, I've read that kind of thing before, and some of the stories have been good. But brains just don't work like that. Newborn babies are such little fragile aliens, barely able to see the faces less than a foot from their face. It's important to me to physically ground fantasy (and sci-fi) somewhat to make magic (and tech) feel both believable and compelling. This is a personal nitpick.

(You could have the reincarnated/transmigrated mind/soul being held mostly separate, slowly integrating, and essentially controlling the body remotely, I guess? But yeah, the "adult stuck in a child body" thing inherently has powerful horror elements (and political elements in regards to children's rights) that a lot of reincarnated stories seem to take on unintentionally and don't always handle well. When I'm writing reincarnation stuff, I usually skip over that backstory stuff in part because it's just so complicated, and also because there are other plots I'd rather explore that I find more interesting. Getting bogged down in early childhood stuff generally isn't really my thing, reading or writing it.)

If Airplane is essentially haunted by the memories of his past life for his entire childhood, I think it would make him strange, unnerving, and generally unpalatable to other people. I think it would be confusing and scary to know things without being sure how you know them. To remember things that seem to belong not only to another life, but another world. It would contribute to his isolation, his emotional detachment, and his choice to identify strongly with his previous life in terms of personality.

And if it's a more gradual process, then he doesn't have to feel like he replaced someone else. He knows (as much as anyone can know anything) that this body has always belonged to him.

If he suddenly remembered a past life, then that would also lead to his detached Airplane Bro personality. But if he suddenly remembered a past life, depending on how you write it, it might feel functionally identical to transmigrating in in that moment but still retaining the body's memories.

Of course, even if it was a gradual process, depending on how you write it, it could seem to him that it was a gradual transmigration and that he replaced someone else. Both approaches are cool.

Transmigration and reincarnation must be such a disorienting experience, liable to make a character doubt reality or their "sanity". When a character transmigrates in but has access to the body's memories, there's often some plot device dream sequence (the transmigrator briefly gets to meet the ghost of the person they're replacement) or System interference to let both the character and the readers know that there's been a switch. What if there's no System popping up to explain exactly what happened? What if the character just has to guess based on these vague memories that they may or may not be able to tell came from another person?

Either way, transmigrators are usually dealing with feeling like an imposter. But I think the transmigrator generally might feel guiltier over taking up or ruining any pre-existing relationships if they know for a fact that they replaced a separate person.

Back to some physical practicalities between our two transmigrators in SVSSS... Airplane Bro has just had... more time to get used to his life here. Coming in as an infant, presuming a gradual adjustment of awareness, he's used to his own body. He's at home in it.

SVSSS isn't fully interested in exploring this topic, so we don't really see Shen Yuan dealing with it, but... suddenly being in a different body would be a WEIRD experience. I can handwave away a lot of brain stuff on "magical System weirdness", so sure, Shen Yuan's mind is somehow his own while retaining some Shen Jiu memories, and he has special muscle memory and spiritual memory that allows him to continue being a powerful cultivation with only minor adjustment.

But... what about things like taste buds? The physical human experience is so wildly varied. Humans are incredibly adaptable, but surely it would be weird at first to potentially have different favorite foods. To like different drinks. To maybe enjoy different smells. To dislike things you used to love. To be a different height. A different weight. To be far more physically fit. To have different teeth. Personally, I move slightly differently and have slightly different mannerisms depending on the length of my hair, having to keep longer hair out of the way. Shen Yuan would adjust in time, sure, but that dysphoria must've been something else at first.

As someone interested in these physical realities of magic, I was a little disappointed when none of these came up more extensively when Shen Yuan switched into a body made out of a plant. I think that even little things like breathing and sunlight would feel intensely different. I'm now tempted to write something exploring Shen Yuan enjoying the sensations of his super magical plant body now.

Okay, I don't know where I'm going with my rambling now, so I'm signing off. I think the weight of different transmigration experiences can feel very, VERY different depending on what you're personally interested in exploring when you write.

[possamble]

do you think falin went on dates/potentially even hooked up with people periodically during those 4 years she and marcille were separated? i know you ascribe to has-been-pining-since-childhood falin (and tbh so do i), but i find it interesting that there were at least Two people interested in falin if we are to believe chilchuck's party relations chart. at the very least, she considered toshiro's proposal -- even if her intentions for doing so were rooted less in mutual interest and more in her fear of being alone -- and it makes me wonder if anyone else were to like... show interest in falin, what would the circumstances have to be for her to be an active participant/if she would've reciprocated if it was casual enough (because i can't see her getting into a serious relationship with anyone while she's still in love with marcille -- unless?)

i could see it going either way. girl who can't believe people could actually LIKE her that way because she struggles with liking herself (despite probably being the most beloved character in canon, though her ostracization in her hometown and the magic academy could explain why...... wait hold on i'M GETTING SIDETRACKED!!) vs. girl's first time being freed from an authority's expectations going a little wild at, well, a taste of freedom (plus a dose of delayed sexual awakening due to prior ostracization + "don't think of marcille like that don't think of marcille like that doN'T. DO NOT." double whammy)

idk idk idk! i find it SO interesting that she's so beloved in canon but is simultaneously very passive about it? i really love how a little creature explores what a more proactive falin could look like, and i'm super curious about your thoughts on what falin's love life would look like/if a love life would even exist decoupled from her newfound dragon instincts and marcille

honestly this is the one aspect im never sure about bc... i've seen other people establish that falin's gone and kissed or gotten involved with some of the other girls at the academy, or other adventurers. and i respect that! mostly bc it's a way of painting falin as more independent and mature than the canon material, and i can't knock that.

but i guess? idk. she was as clueless about shuro's feelings as laios was until he actually proposed to her. she also believed that she wouldn't get another proposal, so there's an element of her not realizing that she's particularly attractive. that, or she's... still somehow working by her hometown logic, which im assuming is the old "if you're not married by your teenage years you're considered a really bad marriage candidate for men" type thing, considering how much of a small town it was/the fact that she and laios already had marriages arranged from a young age.

an intensely auDHD woman, who has spent all of her independent life focusing on at least one person she was inseparably close to, not having had any romantic experience at the age of 23? that's very likely. personally i'd consider it more likely than the alternatives, but that's just my opinion lol

[nichecomicstournament]

propaganda under the readmore

Gwen Lou Sabuki: Sabuki was a member of the original (junior) Invaders (the Kid Commandos) crew, along with Bucky Barnes and Toro. She has 6 total appearances, the most recent of which was in a flashback, back during the Original Sins event, in which she prevented the U.S. Military and the original Invaders from wiping out Japan with an artificial tsunami.

Blaine "Kid" Colt:

I WILL DEFEND COLT WITH MY LIFE

Ok, I know that nobody reads the Marvel Westerns except me (the vast majority of comments I see on comics sites about them are some variant of “I’m just reading this for completion’s sake”) but Kid Colt is the reason I actually sat up and paid attention to the 1940s-50s Westerns. He’s been through several new origins, and all of them are superficially similar to the first origin we saw laid out in his debut (Kid Colt, Hero of the West #1) but they ALL miss the POINT of the character.

In the first year and a half or so since his debut in 1948, Colt was written by a specific author, Ernie Hart, and he establishes over and over again that Kid Colt is, a violent, traumatized young man who has chosen the life of an outlaw and has no regrets about any of his decisions.

In the first Colt story, we learn that he’s very skilled with a gun, but chooses not to wear guns because he knows his temper means that he would probably draw and kill someone if he had them on him. He endures the ridicule of the other townspeople and even his own father, who doesn’t know his reasons for refusing to wear a gun. But his father is murdered by law enforcement to steal his land and cattle, and Colt is framed for it. He takes matters into his own hands, kills the lawmen (beating one of them to death with his own whip in the process), and leaves town.

For the next eight issues, and the other Western titles he appears in at the time, Kid Colt rides alone for the most part, but consistently goes out of his way to help other outlaws who need it, and affirms over and over again that being a criminal does not make you any less human or deserving of dignity- but he is merciless with lawmen and judges and sheriffs who abuse their power. Sure, he is sometimes lonely, and once or twice considers settling down, but ultimately embraces his new life as an outlaw, and enjoys the freedom it affords him.

The only times in the Hart run, iirc, he considers settling down is with an entire community of people who show him love and concern (particularly, and notably, there's a young man who tends him back to health, though this ends in tragedy). Colt also has no problem getting help from people because he is a charismatic, kind man- he very rarely finds himself in a position where he can’t get help from a local (unlike, say, Rawhide, who is perpetually a target but that’s a post for another day) But regardless, Colt is popular with ladies, but settling down with a woman for love is something that he can never do, and he says as much more than once. There are several ways to interpret this, but this aspect is another one that vanishes when Hart stops writing Kid Colt.

1950, the year Hart stops writing Colt for whatever reason, is around when the Comics Code Authority really started to get some teeth. You can even read letters in the actual comic itself in the lead up to 1950 put in by the publishers talking about the ongoing debate about the moral content of comics, and one of the first things the new writer does (Leon Lazarus) is revamp Colt’s backstory. On the surface, it’s mostly faithful - but it changes the fact that Colt kills both the Sheriff and his deputy to one shooting the other and Colt accidentally knocking the Sheriff off the cliff. The textbox epilogue says he was “accused” of murdering lawmen, implying innocence. But it also completely removes the rage element from his backstory- in this version, Colt doesn’t carry a gun because he doesn’t want his skill to draw in a bunch of gunhawks, claiming he had a brother (who had never been mentioned before, of course) who got shot in the back because of his skill with a gun.

Needless to say, these two changes remove the most compelling things about the character. Crucially, unlike a lot of other Western heroes who find themselves in this predicament, Colt as written by Ernie Hart has no interest in proving his innocence. Colt becomes an outlaw because he sees no other way forward- but he never looks back. He honestly does not believe he did anything wrong and has no interest in justifying himself to the world. But under Lazarus, and pretty much all the later writers, suddenly he hates being an outlaw, and wishes he could prove his innocence, except it’s impossible. He pines after women he meets once. He is suddenly respectful to lawmen and judges and won’t raise a gun against them even to save his life or the life of another. He says shit like “I might be an outlaw but I don’t act like one.” They might as well have just made a completely different person.

Don't get me wrong, there’s some good stories that show flashes of who Colt was in the beginning, but most of the life is leeched out of him, and this is definitely true in all the modern versions of Colt that we have. In The Sensational Seven, Colt is for some reason turned into a boorish douchebag who only thinks about sex. DeFalco’s Kid Colt oneshot, in addition to having a lot of Confederate apologism, goes with the blandest, most toothless version of Kid Colt possible, and that asinine “Moving On” oneshot by Tony Isabella in Marvel 1001 is just. It’s not any sort of a satisfying completion for his character arc, and there's untapped ground withi

Anyway, I know this is more than you ever wanted to know about cowboys, especially Kid Colt, but I lov him so much please....

[btheleaf]

As a Pema fan and expert, I'm curious your opinion on how Pema takes so many people becoming airbenders but not her. I imagine her relationship to bending and particularly airbending is rather complicated. Thoughts?

First of all, thank you 😂 my obsession has granted me a new title it seems. Pema Expert :)

Answer under the cut

When Pema was a child, of course she wished we was born with an element. What kid doesn't? She was born in the Earth Kingdom and throwing rocks around is COOL.

As she got older, she saw the pressure that all the benders were under to try and master their elements or use them in their daily lives for work. She was born into a family of non benders and primarily surrounded herself with non benders. She harbored no resentment for benders but was glad she wasn't one. She just wanted to be herself and was content to be how she was.

Pema becomes an acolyte because she falls in love with the teachings of the air nation and their way of life. In the acolytes, she finds herself as a person, she finds freedom, she finds joy and happiness, and she finds Tenzin. Never once did she wish for an element when she was getting everything she ever wanted without one.

The only time she ever truly wished she was born with an element (as an adult) was once after Book 2. A spirit pulled Oogi into the ocean mid-flight, and she had to pull Tenzin from the water after he exhausted himself from rescuing the kids and trying to save Oogi. He wasn't responding to CPR, and in that moment she never wanted anything more in her entire life to be a waterbender. He coughed up the water eventually and didn't die, don't worry.

When Bumi first shows his element in Book 3, Pema is shocked at first and then very disturbed by the development. Bumi and her were the only nonbenders in the entire group, and now it's just her and the acolytes again. To her, he basically left her alone with all these damn benders.

She jokingly tells Bumi how uncool it is that they can't bond over being nonbenders anymore and Bumi just,, fully starts crying. Pema is shocked and confused as he breaks down and tells her that she deserves it more than him, that she should have been an airbender because she spent her life studying the culture. He's afraid that she'll resent him now because of it.

Pema smiles and hugs him and tells him that she doesn't want an element, even if it's air. She hardly has time to raise four young children and support Tenzin when he's nearly dying all the damn time running around on Avatar business. She doesn't have the desire or time to learn an element.

She tells him that she doesn't want that responsibility, and she's actually sorry the element fell to him because she knows that he's proud of his illustrious career in the UF as a nonbender. He cries even more when she says that, and that solidifies the fact that she doesn't want an element.

She's glad the harmonic convergence skipped over her.

[carnelianwings]

More Seed Freedom thoughts with spoilers, this movie really be living rent free in my head.

Or, I've always loved the old nature vs nurture debate in biology, it's one of the things that drew me to Gundam Seed in the first place with the old Coordinator vs Natural argument.

I love that for the most part, aside from Kira, no one else really gets an upgrade for the final fight - they're all arguably side grades (or debatably a step down) and that the entire Foundation vs Three Ships Alliance/COMPS/Terminal/Orb battle in the end is a metaphor for the age old Nature (Foundation with the higher spec units and mind reading) vs Nurture (TSA/COMPS/Terminal/Orb with the lower spec units but higher skilled and more experienced pilots) argument in science, and one that's been simmering beneath the surface since Day 1 in Seed with the whole Coordinator vs Natural conflict.

The Nature side of the argument is pretty straightforward (as usual) - the Accords are all genetically enhanced to be stronger, but they've lived in isolation the whole time. They haven't had much life experience, relying purely on the superior specs of their units, the element of surprise, and mind reading/control (a skill granted to them via Aura's genetic manipulation) to gain their initial victory.

And for once, all of the Coordinators (plus Lacus, the sole Accord) are all on the Nurture side - Nature may have given them an edge via genetic engineering and enhancement, but it's their life experiences (both on and off the battlefield) that get them the clutch win in the end.

For Shinn, his "downgrade" from the Immortal Justice (stated to be a cut above anything from Seed Destiny) to the Destiny Spec II doubles as his redemption. He's spent his time with COMPS, trying to atone for everything he's done under Durandal's sway, but he never forgets the experiences he did have while he was an ace pilot with ZAFT. His Seed Mode is pure instinct (nature) but it's stronger now, having been tempered by his experience in Seed Destiny and in the interim with COMPS (nurture). Stella comes out from the depths of his mind when the Black Knights try to mind control him to drive them away and protect him (nurture). The Black Knights can't comprehend that "darkness", and it's because they haven't lived life on the front lines the way Shinn has, experienced loss the way Shinn has, and in the end, this is what grants him victory over a vastly stronger but less skilled opponent.

It's actually impossible for me to talk about Athrun in this context without bringing in Cagalli, that as much as the movie focuses on Kira and Lacus for the "nurture" side of the argument, these two do as well, and with much less screen time. Cagalli's a Natural, and aside from her Seed Mode, she is all about the "nurture" side of the argument - every fight she's participated in, every action she takes as the Chief Representative of Orb, even providing the upgrades for everyone - it's all from her personal life experience. And as for Athrun? He might be a Coordinator, but it's his training in ZAFT's military academy, his time on the battlefield, his time away from that battlefield with Cagalli (heh heh) that makes him the person he is in Seed Freedom.

Kira's upgrade from Strike Freedom to Mighty Strike Freedom with the Proud Defender was kind of a given - he'd just loudly confessed and professed his undying (unconditional, even) love for Lacus for the first time on screen, had it reciprocated, so Lacus sweeping in on the Proud Defender to grant him yet another upgrade is kind of a given. For him, the answer is Nature may have given him an edge, but Nurture (his experiences starting from Seed, meeting and falling in love with Lacus) is what truly gives him the edge in battle in the end.

(I believe Orphee calling Kira a "failure" is because Orphee sees himself as superior to all Coordinators as an Accord, even the one dubbed the "Ultimate Coordinator", and not so much that Ulen Hibiki tried to make Kira an Accord and failed.)

In short, Seed Freedom answers the "Nature vs Nurture" argument with "Nature may give you an edge, but ultimately success comes with life experience and nurturing and growing that edge, and that even if you have to start from nothing you can still grow and nurture a skill to get you to where you want to be and you can get better than someone who relies on that edge", and I, for one, really like that answer.

[8bitsupervillain]

Higurashi When They Cry Hou Ch. 8 Matsuribayashi pt. 9

I sort of wonder how much of a fundamental difference there is between people who experience this story in its different forms? How does the manga fan perceive the events compared to the visual novel enjoyer, or the anime watcher? I know that at its base level it’s all the same story, but in the finer details, you know? I can’t imagine that the anime kept all of the stuff from the VN, or the manga, that some of it got trimmed for time or content. The manga also gets these silly little omake comics that can flesh out stuff in a slightly different way (also I know from conversations with @felixcloud6288 that there are differences in the order of events from visual novel to manga). I’m not trying to say that reading the manga, or watching the anime is a less valid experience than the visual novels, but I just wonder if anyone read the manga, then read the VNs and was surprised at how much more in depth it went, for instance. I just remembered there was also the light novel versions of these arcs, pretend I brought those up in my examples above. Just about the only way I view as an invalid way to say you’ve experienced the events of the series is to claim you know all about it cause you watched a youtube video of some dingbat misinterpreting the entire series. But that’s a whole different argument.

This does seem to be playing out, and reading like a textbook case of divine intervention huh? Also, just an amusing little anecdote, when this occurs there’s a brief lightning/thunder strike that happens in the game. This actually caused the game to hard crash, and completely lock up GOG Galaxy. It was pretty funny.

How much time do you suppose has passed since Miyoko’s parents died in the train accident? Based on zero evidence I assume it’s been at least a couple of months. That is a preposterous amount of time to remember a phone number that you were told once, especially when at the time there was the slightly more pressing matter of her dying dad to consider. But, again, fiction, the plot can’t happen otherwise. I try so very hard to not let myself get bogged down in minuscule details like this because it just seems like aggravating nitpicking. Besides, with a lot of the other plot elements introduced in this chapter it seems like microscopic potatoes by comparison.

This seems a rather grimly ironic statement considering what’s about to happen. Speaking of getting bogged down in the details, I think it’s somewhat miraculous that with absolutely zero information to go on other than her name that Hifumi will be able to locate the orphanage Miyoko is currently in. Considering the extreme lack of help she got trying to find a college professor in this post-war situation, it’s extremely lucky Hifumi wasn’t given the brush off from these government officials in finding a random child named Miyoko.

This is a surprisingly optimistic attitude for Miyoko to take, the idea that Hifumi would find her with any sort of quickness. Also a pretty pragmatic one considering all she’s been through, just got to wait out whatever her life will deal her until one day she gets free.

I have to admit, I wanted this to work out well for Miyoko. That this car was just a random driver who happened upon her and would deliver her to the House of Love and Mercy. Of course I was also mentally preparing myself for an extended sequence where the driver would wind up taking her back to the orphanage she escaped from. Not even malevolently just by sheer coincidence that’s where they wound up taking her. The last sentence really just drove it home to me that, no, that won’t be the case at all.

I never really bring up the idea of the translation taking liberties with the original text of the visual novels. But I can’t help but wonder if they took a bit of creative freedom with the naming of the punishments, or if that’s more or less what they’re called in the original Japanese. Drowned Ducky, and Mashed Caterpillar, you can reasonably assume what those probably entail. Splayed Piggy, to me at least, seems to imply a much more severe and higher level of violence than the others contain. Ducky, and Caterpillar at least imply you’ll be walking away with your limbs attached, maybe broken at worst in case of Caterpillar. Splayed Piggy suggests to me something on the levels of a gore flick. Probably just because the word splayed is never used to suggest anything other than getting cut open.

This is another thing that does have a sort of pay off, but it won’t be happening for another thirty odd hours from now. This attitude of having to just endure the torment and suffering until you’re brought to absolution does, absolutely come back up again. Albeit in a slightly bleaker, more depressing way, but again, that’s dozens of hours from now relatively speaking. Dozens of hours and who knows how many parts from now.

For my own amusement I had decided to take a look at the original 2009 translations for Higurashi. Not the whole thing, definitely not, but just the odd moment here and there.

I can see why they later decided to retranslate the names of the tortures at least. I’m a big fan of overly literal interpretations and names, but I can understand why they would think people might want something a bit more concise than a punishment of a pig with torn arms and legs. Also looking at it, and thinking about a different version of the 2009 translation I looked at I think they might have changed the names twice. Regardless, I can understand why they’d switch it to Splayed Piggy, it’s somewhat more vague, and can imply a deeper level of violence. Of course a pig with torn arms and legs certainly makes me think of the act of quartering.

[outofangband]

Updated and Elaborated Eating Habits of the Valar

So the Ainur don’t have to eat or drink like incarnates do (and how exactly this works for the elves is perhaps up for debate) so here are my thoughts on how eating and drinking work for each of the Valar

I also headcanon that the Ainur can receive nourishment from non food and drink, usually through contact with elements of their domains. It is lack of this that can cause weakness and tiredness. 

It's also important to note that not all of the Valar consume food in traditional ways, depending on their physical form at the time.

When I make my second post about the nature of the Maiar (first one here) I’ll go into their eating habits too!

Manwë when taking a physical form will sometimes eat certain fruits or special pastries out of curiosity. He will also always eat what is served to him when elves hold festivals or ceremonies that he attends. He is energized by open air and winds. 

 Varda doesn’t eat or drink. She rarely holds a purely physical form. Even when she appears vaguely humanoid shaped, her body is made up of mists and vapors rather than flesh and blood. She is energized by stars and by natural sources of light. 

Aulë is intrigued by food on a technical level. He has stolen Fëanor’s lunch more than once out of curiosity. He doesn’t enjoy the sensations of it as much as some of the others but he is fascinated by the concept of it and by culinary arts. He is energized by the earth and its materials as well as fire.

Yavanna generally doesn’t although sometimes she will get offerings of fruit based things that she will eat! She receives energy through the natural world and growing things. She has more knowledge of energy and food than most of her kin even if she doesn’t often partake in it

Vána doesn’t usually eat either though she does it somewhat more than Yavanna. She especially likes the sweet nectar drinks of the elves. Like Yavanna, growing things can nourish her as can cycles of life and spring. 

 Oromë eats with the Maiar and elves he hunts with and at ceremonies.

Nessa and Tulkas both enjoy eating at events and ceremonies but it doesn’t really occur to either of them to eat otherwise.

Nessa, Tulkas and Oromë receive nourishment from open spaces and freedom, physical activity and movement, and even strong emotions. 

 I mentioned this in my domains of the Valar entry for him but Námo almost never eats or drinks. Occasionally he will have a sip of a ceremonial wine on very special occasions. But in general his head is veiled, surrounded by mists and what parts of it are actually there isn’t always clear

Vairë consumes even less than her husband. She’s never been known to eat or drink anything elves would recognize as food. 

Nienna is the same. She does not eat or drink even when her Maiar occasionally will on ceremonial occasions.

The Fëanturi and their spouses receive nourishment and energy from their domains and realms. Their forms tend to be utilitarian for their duties.

 Estë drinks nectar and fruit based tonics on occasion but doesn’t eat. 

Irmo is similar in this however he will sometimes sample foods at festivals! Of all the Fëanturi he is most able to leave his realm (through physical body or through visions or dreams). 

Ulmo loves attending human and elven feasts including occasionally incognito. He’s fascinated too by the food they serve. He is energized by the ocean, water and rain. 

Melkor considers eating beneath him and even after becoming locked in a physical form only does so rarely and usually for show, at ‘feasts’ in Angband and such. I headcanon that while he requires more rest and perhaps even sleep during his time trapped in a physical form, he still does not actually require nourishment in the typical sense. I’ve made lots of posts about food in Angband (and I’m planning on more!) but Melkor, while not requiring food himself, is absolutely part, at least occasionally, of the various food related cruelties and taunts. He knows perfectly well the need for nourishment among the incarnates and enjoys using anything that distinguishes them from the Ainur, especially after being trapped in one form