#Traditionally I think I draw them better because I feel like it gives them life and I tried to make it seem like that here

[frolicksome]

He's trying his best to show affection.

(Ref.)

[ryuichirou]

Replies

Catching up! So today we’re mostly having replies related to all the stuff we posted recently.

Starting with the most important question.

Anonymous asked:

Wait, Idia got called a brocon? When?

He did! Grim called him a brocon in 5-13 right after we saw Ortho for the first time :3 (timestamp on 5:42 just in case)

Anonymous asked:

How does that smoke beer donut taste?

(this is about this drawing)

Very smoky! And like something Gidel isn’t supposed to eat…

Anonymous asked:

I wanna see some of your traditional art

Actually, Anon, you’re looking at it…

The majority of things that we post daily was originally drawn traditionally, and then coloured digitally. I really want to do more art that is 100% traditional, but never get a chance to for a bunch of reasons :(

Anonymous asked:

I love your analysis holy cow! see its because of Book 5 that i cant stop seeing Vil and Rook as mom and dad. i love this ship mind you, (they are my comfort ship and it gives me life whenever you draw them you beautiful soul) but even if some didnt see them as a romantic couple--in my opinion they still have that VIBE you know? Like whenever they're there you just cant help but feel like BRO THEY WOULD BEAT UP YOUR BULLIES AND THEN GROUND YOU AND SEND YOU TO YOUR ROOM FOR FIGHTING IN THE FIRST PLACE LOL is it just a me feeling?

(this is related to this post)

Thank you for your kind words, Anon! I am very happy you enjoyed the analysis and that you like my RookVil art <3

Yeah, I think these two being very parental is pretty obvious and pretty intentional! All jokes aside, Pomefiore trio really feels like it was written in a way that they would read as a family. We don’t usually like this trope because characters playing house could get pretty boring, and a lot of family-related tropes don’t resonate with us at all. So I am surprised to this day that we love Pomefiore’s vibes so much. I’m guessing that it’s because of how unusual of a family they are, how Epel actually fights with Vil a lot, and how he grows from being a little brat to being a little brat that is eager to grow and excited to show his senpais his new cool magic tricks, while they tease him but still are very proud and excited for him. Like, they’re strict and would smack him (well, Vil would) but they also want him to grow. Woah, that sounds way too wholesome ew lol

Anyways! Even if we exclude Epel, and this is another thing I’ve talked about a lot, I genuinely feel like Rook and Vil were intentionally written as a couple that has been together for quite some time, at least coding-wise. There are just too many tropes and situations that they have that are usually used for couples… Alright I’ll stop myself or I’ll rant about them again even though I just did a couple of weeks ago.

blackbutlerfandomnerddomain asked:

I just love baby Vil so much, makes me wonder what happened

(this is about this drawing)

Adults with shitty opinions + kids that can’t separate reality from fiction happened… truly, two of the worst things that could happen to a possible friendship between actors.

A couple of asks about this drawing:

Anonymous asked:

Oh oh! I saw! Che'nya art! We (smiley kitty fans) are starving! Thank you for the food! It is delicious! May we have another plate, please?

Poor smiley kitty fans! :( I am so sorry you’re starving! Please enjoy your food.

Unfortunately I don’t have any more smiley catfood for you…….. yet.

Anonymous asked:

*see Chenya *

*starts biting at the bars of my containment*

Better question for him..... What that tongue do??? 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

What that tongue doesn’t do, Anon? Wink

Anonymous asked:

Question. How much of Riddle's body do you think Che'nya would lick to clean him?

In theory, he’d probably get bored pretty quickly, but I kind of want him to just keep licking… Riddle thought it would be over 15 minutes ago, but Che’nya’s still licking… The moment he would be done with his face, ears and head (cat saliva in Riddle’s hair…), Riddle would realise that Che’nya is determined to lick him all over. Time to call Trey…

blackbutlerfandomnerddomain asked:

Riddle gets licked my Chenya often in my lil delulu ass world

Sometimes Che’nya randomly appears, licks his cheek and disappears again.

Anonymous asked:

Bro I gotta know, what do the tweel's dick(s) look like on their merform? I was scrolling on ur bluesky and saw this one with jade and idia and something between idia's legs and I was like "is that his dick?" If so DAYUM! May that bussy rest in peace

Love your art and speedpaints btw💗

Thank you for enjoying my art and especially my speedpaints! I am very happy to hear that <3

Hehe I’m glad you liked that one! I had a lot of fun with that piece.

I feel like I draw merpeen differently every single time lol but I love the design we came up with for that Jade/Idia drawing, and in fact I do have a post in which I talk about how it probably works! There aren’t any pictures there, but there are some interesting thoughts…

[abyssalzones]

What's your comic writing process like? I'm starting to get into making my own comics and I really admire your work!!! Any advice?

Ah, intrepid traveler, you've done well to journey to this secluded mountaintop spire, in search of the answers you seek. I indeed can provide such forbidden comicmancy knowledge... at the cost of your mortal soul...

coughs. anyway, I'm going to warn you immediately that what works for me does not work for everyone else, and in my experience the way I do things can prove very slow and discouraging for anyone who is more interested in the actual "drawing the damn comic" part of the process. I only do it this way because I enjoy weaving a narrative web that feels not only fully contained but re-readable, but my projects are often so long and my memory so shitty that I can't just keep all of it in my head! It would spill all over the place and make a really embarrassing mess of brain-juice. Not ideal.

but as for my own process, uhh... I suppose a comic would be fitting, right?

a little choppy but you get the idea.

as for turning words into art, I've been experimenting with figuring out the best way to do that for a little while now. Originally what I was doing for something like Ad Astra Per Aspera was to take my "script" and sketch it out on paper very loosely, before transposing that onto my canvas and working from there:

...but, I've found that can make it kind of difficult to space everything around on your standard page-size, and the thing I'm having the most problems with currently seems to be finding the sweet spot of panel-size proportions. So, I've taken to printing out standard thumbnail templates (you can just find these on google) and sketching very tiny panels in those, which seems to give me a slightly better sense of scale... (mild chapter 5 spoilers, sorry ad astra fans)

but I have yet to totally pull through on this, so who knows, maybe I'll try something else in the future!

As for advice, this is probably most applicable to me, but as a disabled artist I have a very hard time managing my workload without literally working myself into injury. I don't think I talked about this publicly but when I was working on that ten year anniversary comic I was literally drawing every single day for 3 solid months. Sometimes, in my case, I really can't bring myself to stop once I've latched onto an idea, and sometimes I find the most rewarding thing I can do with my time is to draw- but I seriously cannot overstate: Do not fucking do this.

You will fuck up your wrist, your back, your neck, your eyes, and probably your mental health. It's a well-known fact that mangaka have a lower life expectancy than the average japanese person due to the intense workload imposed on them by deadlines and personal expectations. Comics are a very demanding artform, and even though I'm not on any sort of mandated schedule there are times where I've toiled away at something when I likely should have been exercising or taking vision-breaks. Therefore the best advice I can give you is to chill the hell out.

Namely, find parts of the process you can be lazy about, and embrace the laziness! You don't like digitally sketching? Don't do it! Skip it, or maybe find a way to traditionally sketch things out in advance like I do. Hate lineart? Don't fucking do it. You really don't feel like wasting your time writing 72k words of comic scripts? ...then, don't be like me. skip that part. I'm a flawed human being and what works for me might not work for you.

The second most important piece of advice I could give is to read comics. Of all kinds. The reason for this is pretty self explanatory: In order to figure out your own comic-making style, you should first pick out bits and pieces from the artist's buffet to add to your plate. Manga, graphic novels, american comics, european comics, weird niche little webcomics, funny papers, anything and everything. This advice rings true of pretty much any art form, but I find it to be essential to honing comic-making skills because so many things you feel will just come intuitively often don't. and that's okay! nobody is born knowing how to leave space for speech bubbles or shape their panels in a way that imitates stretches of time. The best way to figure out stuff like this, in my experience, is to study the "masters", and then after becoming well accustomed to the basics, figure out what rules you want to bend or break to create your own style.

I consider myself to be in equal parts a writer and an artist, which lends itself well to making narrative comics, but maybe you're a bit more of an artist and want to focus on panel-by-panel visual storytelling. Or, conversely, maybe your talents lean closer towards writing, and the art itself is more of a secondary skill. Regardless of your unique blend of talents you can and should make a comic, you should just also be aware of your strengths and try to hone in on those- there will always be opportunities to build up skills you lack, but focusing on what you do best will always lead you in the right direction.

Anyway, that being said, here are some recommendations in no particular order:

Monster, Naoki Urasawa (!!)

Bone, Jeff Smith

Witch Hat Atelier, Kamome Shirahama

The first IDW run of Transformers comics (namely More Than Meets the Eye and Lost Light)

Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (!!)

Through the Woods, Emily Carroll (really any Emily Carroll comics)

Kill Six Billion Demons (webcomic) (!!)

Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo

The Third Person, Emma Grove

Tintin, Hergé (can be super racist please be wary)

Dungeon Meshi, Ryoko Kui

Calvin & Hobbes, Bill Watterson

Maus, Art Spiegelman

Cucumber Quest (webcomic)

Jellyfish Princess, Akiko Higashimura

Golden Kamuy, Satoru Noda (!!)

Note that I did not grow up with manga so I am seriously behind on a lot of extremely influential japanese comics such as Dragon Ball, One Piece, basically any of the original Shonen Jump comics, but they're widely considered building blocks of the genre so if you love the artform I think you should give them a try! Same goes for classic non-shonen manga genres like various Shoujo, Josei, Yuri, Gekiga, ETC.

same as above applies to a lot of classic DC and Marvel works, I unfortunately am just not a big fan of superhero comics... but I'm sure there's good stuff in there. a couple of my mutuals talk about booster gold and the blue beetle all the time so I'm assuming there has to be something worthwhile.

...and many, many, many more that I'm forgetting! I noticed as I made this list that, to my knowledge, hardly any of these are made by black or just non-japanese-mangaka BIPOC artists, which makes me sad about the gaps in my own comic collection. Therefore, anyone is welcome to add their own recommendations in the replies!

now go forth, and combine images with text!!!!!!!!!!!

[finniestoncrane]

(Ednyxmatic here. Curse the limitations of sideblogs.)

Yooo! Congrats on the 1k. I love your headcanons and fics. You totally deserve the 1k. :3c

If you feel so inspired to write something, could I ask for number 9?

Here is a bit about me 😅 :

I’m 5 feet 3 inches and blonde with long hair. I have glasses very similar to the style that Daniel Jackson wears on Stargate: SG-1. I’m grey ace and look feminine, but I am somewhere under the non-binary umbrella.

For my personality traits, uh, well, I have two anxiety disorders, lol. Specifically social anxiety and generalized anxiety. I definitely try to be social when I can, /but/ it can be difficult. I’m definitely a hopeless romantic, often to a fault. I could best be described as … indoorsy. I like reading, writing, occasionally drawing, and watching movies. In particular I’m a pretty huge horror movie fan. I also very much enjoy movies from the 30s-50s, particularly film noir.

I also enjoy houseplants and love reptiles. I actually own two lizards. :D

I got an English lit degree and my job involves copy editing and writing, so analyzing writing and such is a big part of my personal and professional life.

Thank you very much for reading this! And no problem if you don’t get a chance to respond!

🎀 No.9: Ever Fallen In Love With Someone 🎀

tell me a little bit about yourself and i'll give you a rogue pairing a/n: i literally read this and was like "him" for serious u-u 1k milestone info! 🔞minors dni🔞 • kofi • tag: finnie1k

quick sidenote: had no idea who daniel jackson was, never seen a lick of stargate, will now be binging it because james spader in those glasses has me REELING

ok so, non-binary works so well for harvey. you can be everything, you can be nothing, it works for him because while there is no absolute, the absence of something is the presence of something

he's also more focused on a relationship that brings something to the table, something he can work with. the same kind of partnership (although on slightly better terms hopefully) as he has with two face

i'm not making light in the slightest but hey, it's the perfect number of anxiety disorders to have. and he'd be more than happy to do the talking for you in social situations, both of them would be

he'd also understand the need to will yourself to be social, it's easy for him to shut himself away, with the only person he can speak to being himself, so it would be good for you both to encourage each other

hopeless romantic? now we're talking. because i think harvey is one of the softest, most romantic boys out there. really traditionally woos people, charms them and romances them like he was in some terribly dramatic old movie

which speaking of, he is definitely a massive fan of film noir, so that would make an excellent date for you both, either at a film festival or watching them on the sofa

creativity, especially indoorsy creativity, would suit him. someone who is grounded in themselves and can work away quietly would be a nice calming presence. he's a house person really, you don't see him striving to get out and about unless he has crimes to commit, so having someone else kicking around the place with him would be nice

please, stop with the twos! you have two lizards? perfect. one is harvey's favourite now and the other is two face's favourite. i don't know much about them, but the spicier of the two, guess who's favourite that one is...

gosh you've got intelligence in scores, and that's so key. i think harvey's intelligence is often overlooked, his temper and attitude sometimes overshadow it. but the man was a DA, he passed the bar. so someone on an intellectual equal with him, especially in something as interesting for him as copy editing, would make the perfect partner

[saturnvs]

when and how did you get into digital drawing? is it better to get good at 'traditional ' drawing first and then consider digital? or we can start from basics with digital too? I'm having a dilemma and I think I'd like to hear what an artist I admire has to say. I really appreciate you! thank you!

my first encounter with digital art was,,, drawing my little ponies in ms paint with a mouse when i was a kid.

but if we don't count that nostalgic era, i got really into it in early 2021 i think! i had gotten an ipad the year before and finally decided to actually pick it up and try digital art seriously. it was around that time i started posting my spirit/horse stuff on this blog. (i had a very different style then, safe to say it's improved lol) i used procreate on my ipad, but now i've almost completely moved on to clip studio paint and an xp-pen display tablet :)

i've drawn traditionally all my life, so i would say that yes, it's good to have some knowledge of traditional art! you don't have to be 'good', but learning the basics and drawing to the point where you at least feel somewhat comfortable with it would be very good. it gives you a certain security in both yourself and your art, and it also gives you more freedom - because then you can do both traditional and digital, you don't have to confine yourself to one of them!

so i would recommend that you get comfortable traditionally, and then try digital! but of course, if you're very eager to try digital, follow your heart. it's quite different from traditional, but i think that it's much easier for you to adapt to the feeling of it if you're already used to drawing on paper.

hope this is helpful advice! <3

[nothoughtsthea]

A Journal Post.

This isn't Traditionally my sort of thing, but I need a place to categorize and sort out all my conflicted and disorganized thoughts and feelings that is, at least in part, burdenless, so feel free to skip this. Especially if you have issues with Parental abuse.

I feel like part of my problem as of late, is my inability to say No. Growing up, my father "Encouraged" (in the traditional fashion, cough cough) obedience, convenience and, more than both of those, guilt. Guilt for not being more masculine, for not being more aggressive, for not being like my brother, and, I'm realizing more and more, being Unusual. For enjoying bugs and critters, for loving flowers, for loving nature. It's why I forced so much of myself down, and honestly, why no school bully could ever measure up. How can they, when my biggest baddest bully was so close to home?

So I started cutting off pieces. I stopped drawing flowers, opting for muscular dudes and tights. (Man I should have known about being gay sooner tbh) One of my earliest characters was a hero because of that. No more getting excited about moths or butterflies, we're excited about boxing, and getting more Manly. Getting a couple rounds in with dear ole dad, getting hit for trying to refuse to hit back. Being taught to hunt and to kill, to survive and endure. Forced in to a mold, essentially.

I feel like lately I've been trying to reclaim some of what I lost, and what I was forced to gain. Some surprised me- my new favorite dnd class is Monk, and I actually do want to pick boxing up. Which I guess is me trying to develop a healthy relationship with what I have. I've started pointing out cool bugs again, catching frogs (gently!!) and befriending them, following the journeys of the different caterpillars and moth larva and allowing myself to enjoy flowers again. I feel like I'm finding me again, not fast enough, but it's There.

But unfortunately, that programming is still there too. It's manifesting in my relationship, and now that I see it, in past ones. Being too eager to please, too eager to set aside need and want just to ease suffering, too eager to burn myself to keep somebody else warm. I thought maybe, if I tried I might be able to convince Him to see it, to recognize it was too much for me and to take some of the burden. Maybe tomorrow he'll do the thing I asked, maybe he'll make himself dinner if I ask, maybe he'll do his laundry this time. Maybe he'll feed my lizard while I'm Away. But. Maybe is always no, for Better or for Worse. I can't love him so much that he treats me how I want to be treated. No amount of attempting to fill in the blanks will be Enough, because I'm only giving him pieces of me. And, for a while, I was convinced that those pieces weren't Significant. I could make do, with less, with working and managing. I can't. I think I'm ready to Admit that. That's what's Finally different. I know it isn't enough, for Certain. It feels silly that it took Two years. What's funnier about it is somehow my best friend went through such a similar situation. She's blossoming and I know I can too, but I need my effort to be for me for a change, and I need to be willing to fight for that. I've always been a protector and a supporter, but I have to do those things for Me. We'll be doing a counseling session, but I'm not sure that's enough anymore. I know I have a lot of reflection to do, and sweet holy FUCK DO I NEED SOME THERAPY BAYBEEE, but I think I'm Lucid again. I'm not sure what happens now, for once. I love him and I think, regardless, I may Always. Problems aside, he's silly, tries to be sweet, and I think genuinely has just had a hard life, there were and are good times. I think I'd genuinely love having him as a friend, but until I'm in a better place I don't think this relationship is sustainable. Part of me wants to hope, but the other part wants to use that hope for Me.

All I know is now, I'm tired of healing others and it's time to heal Me.

[seyaryminamoto]

Okay. I wasn't gonna respond to this, but considering it's in the only tag I visit on Tumblr and this was right up there at the top, it feels like pretending I didn't see it isn't a strat I should stick with :')

I hope I understand where you're coming from. I am perfectly willing to give you the benefit of the doubt in terms of NOT thinking this is some attempt to tell Sokkla fic writers or artists what to write or draw.

Nonetheless, while some of your reasoning is clear here, I think it would be fair to explain at least my point of view, and my position, pertaining as to why I portray Azula as I do.

This is bound to get long (as everything I do always does...).

First point: my tomboy credentials. For all my childhood, I was far more likely to relate to boys media, to enjoy stuff that was classically marketed to boys, to like action toys over dolls, and, of course, despise the color pink (ngl... I still am not a fan :'D). I resented family members who should have known I was NOT into feminine things and still proceeded to give me traditionally feminine clothes or toys (particularly makeup) for my birthday or Christmas that I straight-up never used because I didn't like them.

Now that I'm grown? I still wear no makeup. I still wear comfort over fashion (I in fact do not understand fashion, we are incompatible, I suck at designing clothes because I simply do not have a sense of fashion as refined as that of many other fanartists). Any friend groups I'm part of, predominantly comprised by guys? I'm not the girl they wanna date, I'm the average girl who's "one of the boys". To go even DEEPER into Seyary lore? I straight-up had a period during my teenage years where I questioned my gender identity without even knowing I was doing it. It took a ton of introspection, lots of thought pertaining gender roles and dismantling my concepts of traditional masculinity and femininity to realize that I was fine with my assigned gender and to accept that society's constraints and expectations did not codify who I was, or how I related to being a woman.

All this to say... if I were the kind of writer who exclusively writes what she knows, and nothing more, my version of Azula would probably align with what you've outlined here. Because that way, my version of Azula would just be a projection of myself. But I'd dare say... that would not be compatible with my idea of fiction, of character exploration and development. If every single character I write about is just me in a different universe, I'd never get to experience and explore what life could be like if I'm in someone else's shoes. And that's what fiction has always been for me, ever since I was an 8yo and the most exciting book in my life was White Fang. If a book could show me what life was like for an Alaskan wolf, a life I would NEVER experience personally, then it felt like the perfect means to produce empathy and improve my ability to relate to others, by experiencing thousands of lives that were not within my reach.

Writing Azula as a feminine character has made me a better writer. It has forced me to look at a character I relate to in many other regards, and appreciate the way she approaches her femininity, canonically. It has allowed me to understand that while some classic feminine things will never be my cup of tea, they don't have to be stuff I systematically reject, the way I used to back when I solely wrote tomboy main characters (which... is what I used to do right until I started writing about Azula). So that's one personal reason why this characterization of Azula is something I genuinely care about and cherish!

Second point: while you're not saying all available content is pointless because of Azula being feminine, I'd dare say that the best way to show us the virtues of a more masculine Azula would be to write her yourself. Maybe you already have, and I haven't seen it. But along with this, there are other things to consider: anything you post online will reach a massive audience that may not enjoy your ideas as much as you do. Much as you like the idea of masculine Azula, other people won't, and they might just drop by your favorite fics or the ones you write yourself to say the classic fanfiction reader line: "this is OOC". I've seen people rage at the characterization of Azula, when paired with women, because she's characterized excessively masculine and it only enforces stereotypes and heteronormativity, where two women cannot possibly be feminine and in love, since one pretty much needs to be "the man" of the relationship, a notion that a lot of people take issue with (rightfully so, imo).

Point here is to say... you have your reasons to want this. Other people have their reasons not to do it: mine were exposed above. While I can tell your intent was to bring up the possibility and compel people to try something different, I have to say in my personal case, my portrayal of Azula isn't the way it is out of instinct or impulse: I have given it thought, I have put in plenty of effort to characterize her as I do. Not everyone's cup of tea? That's fine by me. There's plenty of fics out there, and I'm sure something will eventually work for people who can't stand what I do. But my personal characterization choices have been given plenty of thought, and I'd like to think this is the case for most writers, whether they adhere to your interests or not. If you give this version of Azula all that thought and decide on portraying her that way, all the power to you. That doesn't mean our "empowering feminine Azula" is any lesser. All interpretations and headcanons are valid.

Third point: I am not entirely sure why this is a subject exclusively and personally expressed towards Sokkla and Sokkla alone. I saw someone else bring up something along these lines recently, also specifically leveled at Sokkla, and I don't have a clue if that post is what inspired you to make this one... but I struggle to believe that Sokkla is the only ship that portrays Azula with evident femininity. I doubt Jetzula makes her look any manlier. I've never seen anything Azulaang where it looks like Azula is more masculine than in Sokkla. And this is just talking about straight ships: most lesbian ships I've seen for Azula actively avoid portraying Azula as more masculine than she canonically was. They've had discussions and arguments about it too, as far as I know. Why is the Sokkla community the only one that needs to address the "masculine Azula" concept? Characterization is not locked down to shipping preferences. I'd dare say you'll find a lot of differing characterizations between different fic writers within Sokkla alone, more so all fic writers who work predominantly with Azula. It's hard to believe we're all doing the same thing. Ultimately, targeting this expressly towards Sokkla doesn't make a ton of sense to me since I don't think we, in particular, are portraying Azula in any way that breaks belief that much more than what other ships do (say, if our feminine Azula felt more like the most obvious feminine character in ATLA, Ty Lee? I'd get it. But... I've never felt like that's what we're doing. So I don't think I understand why Sokkla in particular needs to change this).

Now, then... perhaps the part that's most important:

Fourth point: the specific statements you wrote in your post.

"Would she clash with her mother if she returned?" Nothing about this statement requires for Azula to be more masculine. Azula's relationship with Ursa is canonically contentious regardless of how feminine or masculine she is. I think their problems were not about how Azula carried herself in that sense, and they were juicy enough on a storytelling level that adding this extra flavor to it might just reduce a complex dynamic between these two characters to "I can't stand that you're so manly when you should be a traditional girl like me", which takes away from the very fucked up fact that canonically, Azula lines up PERFECTLY with what Ursa and the Fire Nation should have wanted out of a princess, and even then, her mother never showed her the love and affection Azula was led to expect based on her culture and society.

"Would someone like Iroh or Zuko show sexist tendencies?" This one in particular bugs me, because even if I expect it was not your intent, it very much sounds like only if Azula were more masculine would she fight against sexism. As someone who very much wrote her embracing her femininity while being down to fight anyone who looks down on her for being a woman, I think I can attest that fighting sexism is not a masculine trait. Beyond that? Zuko and Iroh absolutely show sexist tendencies in the show already. Iroh did, Azula was disgusted by it (doll scene?). His preference for Zuko absolutely can be read as having sexist undertones, his dismissiveness of Azula for being a dangerous and active element in the war, rather than a wallflower who sits pretty in the Palace doing nothing, also can be read as sexism, especially considering how adamant he is about Zuko taking her down.

As for Zuko, he mocks Katara for being a "big girl", he dismissively acts like Mai should like seashells because "girls like this kind of stuff" and gets angry when she doesn't (even though he has a scene in the previous season where he dismissed seashells as trash, meaning he should be HAPPY to have something in common with Mai but instead he's angry because she's not conforming to his idea of what a girl should be like :'D), he tells Aang that "little girls won't save him" in the Kyoshi Warriors: in short, Zuko canonically is sexist enough that Azula, canonically, would be such a wrench in his worldview, feminine as she is, that he'd likely resent her plenty already for branching out of the traditional femininity he expects she should abide by and won't. Which... is why he'd want to "put her in her place." It all ties up rather neatly.

My point here is that Azula would not contend with sexism against those two in any more significant ways than she already does: there's enough sexism canonically, coming from those two, that a feminine Azula already has to deal with, whether directly or not. There's no reason why they would suddenly become MORE sexist if she's written to be more masculine, they're bad enough as it is already.

"Would her own struggles with misogyny lead to a deeper understanding of Katara?" I'd rather not repeat myself by saying Azula doesn't need to be masculine for this to happen, hence, I'll focus on the flip side of this statement: Katara, if anything, is the one who would get a ton more growth and development if this happened because, as much of a poster child of feminism as she is portrayed? The only sexism she ever contended with was the very blunt and direct Water Tribe sexism. And the shallow way in which it gets resolved (Sokka gets over it because a single girl beats him up, Pakku trains Katara after realizing she's the granddaughter of the girl he had feelings for, and then isn't shown taking ANY other female students in the same class as Katara and Aang anyway) doesn't suggest that Katara gave that much thought to sexism besides whenever it affected her personally. She never acknowledges Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom sexism. In fact? Her readiness to support Zuko when he asks her to "help him put Azula in her place" even tells you that Katara isn't paying attention to the sexist undertones in anything that isn't directly affecting her. While yes, Azula and Katara absolutely could build a rapport and a respectful relationship based on fighting sexism and dealing with this crap, this actively requires for Katara to expand her understanding of sexism and actually realize that it doesn't always turn up in the easy-to-detect format she's been dealing with thus far. So the sexism Azula would face would not look like what Katara has faced: we very much saw what Fire Nation sexism looks like already, and we saw Katara being utterly uncritical of it even when it was right in front of her. This is a bigger deal for Katara than it would be for Azula, masculine or feminine.

"Sokka's arc of unpacking his sexism would be further showcased here. With a partner that eschews gender norms." Considering how poorly handled and quickly resolved Sokka's sexism was by canon? I don't even think this is necessary or even something that the story, as was told, requires to be explored much more. I mean, it COULD be, but namely if you're not working within the constraints of making post-canon or parallel-canon stories. He never displayed any manner of disapproval of Toph's more masculine tendencies, which should go against his idea of gender norms if his sexism had been any deeper than a matter of pride or a means for pissing off his sister. So you'd have to write a version of his story where Sokka's sexism comes from a deeper, more complex place, so that a single encounter with a warrior girl isn't enough for him to just change his mind permanently, to the point where he never picks on his sister over sexist reasons again. You absolutely could argue that swapping Azula and Suki as "the one who made him stop the sexism" is doable (I know I did it!), but again, it's not something beyond his grasp with a feminine Azula, and considering how utterly unbothered he is by Toph's tomboyish, far more classically masculine behavior, it doesn't feel like Sokka is particularly adverse to girls who showcase any kind of affinity towards masculinity (... conversely, he and Aang are by far the male characters with the most "feminine" traits, and he doesn't exhibit any kind of embarrassment or shame over that either, meaning, he's nowhere near as dreadful when it comes to gender norms as many sexist assholes are nowadays.)

"There is also the whole unpacking of fire nation customs and what Azula would follow and what she would break away from." In this specific subject? There's a lot of stuff Azula needs to change her mind about in the context of a redeemed or on-her-way-to-redemption, as she usually is in Sokkla stories. The FN sexism that canon refuses to acknowledge can be acknowledged in fics, but you'd definitely risk what I think a lot of people thought I was risking when I started my big fic: Azula's agenda to defeat misogyny should not be the crux of her development, not in place of actually understanding the many regards in which the Fire Nation is fucking up and needs to change that go far beyond the subject of sexism. I personally used sexism as the first thing that triggered Azula's dissatisfaction with her nation... it was only a starting point, though. While it's not a subject that should be set aside or ignored in the long run, the Fire Nation's militaristic, invasive, violent culture requires for so much inspection, reflection, deconstruction and reeducation that I feel like, if done right, the sexist elements would fade in importance as Azula comes to understand all the levels of wrong her nation is/was incurring in.

Fifth point... yeeeeeeeeeeeeah, I told you this would get long...

The truth is that Azula exhibits very few "masculine" traits while exhibiting many feminine ones throughout ATLA's canon. And I put masculine in quotation marks because... what exactly is so masculine about her? She's ambitious. She's ruthless in combat. She's a great military strategist. She's arrogant. She's a leader. She set a doll on fire as a child. Lots of girls I know who are perfectly content with their gender identity as women have told me they beheaded their Barbie dolls as kids. Me? I didn't do it, actually, wild as that may be considering I 1000% would label myself as a tomboy who liked action toys far more than Barbies. Which makes me think that even the burning of the doll isn't a specifically masculine trait... much like the others aren't. Ambition is not exclusively male. Ruthlessness isn't, either. Military competence isn't (in fact, I'd dare say this show proposes it's female, since the only Fire Nation leader who gets anything done is the fourteen-year-old girl :'D). Leadership isn't. Arrogance also isn't. There are other female characters in fiction who embody some or even all of these traits. There are women in real life who do, too. None of it sounds straight-forwardly masculine to me. You'd have to adhere to extremely restrictive traditional feminine and masculine values to read any of this as exclusively masculine and nothing more.

And just so, you have Azula seemingly perfectly comfortable wearing a very feminine swimsuit, as well as a very feminine party outfit afterwards. She's shown wearing make-up most times she's onscreen. She goes to the spa for hair combing, to have her nails filed, her feet scrubbed. When told she's the prettiest and most perfect girl in the world, she says that Ty Lee is right about all those things, and she says she loves being a Princess who gets worshipped by people...? I'm just saying... I don't see remotely as much rejection and distaste towards traditional femininity in this character, IN CANON, as I do in one like Toph, who, even as a tomboy, would wear dresses on occasion and allowed Katara to put her through a spa day that, while in the end she enjoyed, clearly isn't something Toph is anywhere near as interested in as Katara is.

None of this means your interpretation is baseless or not allowed: what I'm saying is Sokkla fans are not interpreting Azula as they do out of nowhere. The show's characterization supports this interpretation fairly well. If you want to explore a more masculine version of Azula, that's fine, if you want stories where that's how she's characterized, good luck finding them and better luck yet writing them yourself... but this portrayal is not coming out of nowhere. It's not fickle, it's not a matter of projection or forcing of traditional feminine values where they don't fit: you actively would need to construct a masculine Azula from the ground up. I'd honestly think setting up a masculine version of her would require far more thought and work and careful writing than a feminine one, because you'd need to be very thoughtful about how she's portrayed or risk making her feel like a whole other character (as always, I fall back on Toph. I feel like the contrast between Azula and Toph is the perfect example that shows the difference between being a driven, violence-ready feminine-leaning girl and a driven violence-ready masculine-leaning girl).

So. Yeah. If you got through all that, great. Sorry for taking up that much of your time, and I hope this helps you see my side (at least mine, no idea if other Sokkla shippers feel as I do). I'm not saying your idea has no merit... I'm just saying our work across the past decades has plenty of merit of its own.

As a last thing... if you didn't want this kind of discussion (I don't know that you did), do keep in mind that tagging posts with ship names this way very much invites discussion. I wouldn't have said anything if I hadn't come across the post in the Sokkla tag as I did. You're welcome to continue headcanoning whatever you'd like, but while some people who see your posts may resonate with your ideas, others won't, and if you're not interested in dealing with the second group, probably consider the effect your post will have if you drop it in a fandom tag before posting it.

Sokkla fics almost always have Azula being a feminine woman. Most times in an empowering way.

But consider:

A more masculine Azula. She rejects some traditional aspects of the fire nation culture and gender norms.

Would she clash with her mother if she returned?

Would someone like Iroh or Zuko show sexist tendencies?

Would her own struggles with misogyny lead to a deeper understanding of Katara?

She could wear her hair short and if she marries into the SWT could wear a wolf tail.

Sokka's arc of unpacking his sexism would be further showcased here. With a partner that eschews gender norms.

There is also the whole unpacking of fire nation customs and what Azula would follow and what she would break away from.

@latetree123 @chaosmagetwin @wingchunwaterbender @zuko-always-lies

[fujoshina-faita]

OPM Manga Art Study #1 - Murata's Influences

The first thing I wanted to do when conceiving this project is to form a baseline of sorts. As expected, I can't directly dive into OPM if I want to understand Murata's approach going into it. As such, this first entry is more of a reading list. HOPEFULLY I'll get to actually breaking down illustrations next time.

Naturally, as a professional artist, Murata has spent his life accumulating influences from his own personal idols. It's something he pushes other artists to do as well.

Boy, are there some big names on his list. If I went into each of them, they would each warrant a dedicated series. Unfortunately, I do not have the time for that. So, think of this as a breadcrumb trail to go and research on your own. I have skimmed over these artists' careers and a common factor I've noticed is that their success was marked by their deviation from tradition. Make use of that as you like.

After the cut, I discuss the book and artists that helped Murata get to where he is today, and the sequel that he wrote later on.

First up: Hetappi Manga Kenkyūjo (鳥山明のヘタッピマンガ研究所/Akira Toriyama's Clumsy Manga Laboratories) by Akira Toriyama & Akira Sakuma (1985)

Murata sites this as the book that got him started on manga. Written by Dragon Ball's creators, it predates Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics by a decade. Like McCloud's book, it uses the medium of comics/manga to explain that medium. It seems to be targeted at a young audience and covers some basic drawing tips as well as comic storytelling fundamentals. It makes some suggestions for tools when working in traditional media, as most mangaka have up until recently. I have yet to find a complete copy to review, and unfortunately nothing that has been translated into English. I have found partial copies in Japanese, French, and Portuguese(?).

The 2nd book in the Hetappi series was written by Murata himself. I can't help but feel happy for him as he describes, in the forward, how honored he is to write the successor to the book that started him off on his career.

Hetappi Manga Kenkyūjo R (ヘタッピマンガ研究所R) (2008-2010) was completed 2 years before the OPM manga was published, during the last years of Eyeshield 21. It follows the artistic pursuits of Murata's restless editor, Saito, as he badgers Murata for the secrets to his success as a mangaka. This book (henceforth calling it HMKR) is available in Japanese on amaz*n, though half of it has been translated to English by reddit user DarkMeROTMG. I reached out to them recently and although it isn't up as of this writing, the rest of the translation may be coming in the not-too-distant future. I'm really looking forward to it, as the 2nd half of the book - according to the table of contents - covers more abstract concepts such as character design and how manga get published.

Like its predecessor, it covers the standard tools for traditionally made manga, though Murata acknowledges that in the future, many newer artists may work completely in digital media. (He was right)

I'm one such artist, but I'm still noting the effects of different tools because it will doubtless be important for understanding how he achieves certain effects in his work. Software like Clip Studio Paint, which has become an industry standard, has gone far to simulate them, making the transition a little easier.

HMKR is a goldmine for getting important insights into Murata's creative process and the strategies for mangaka in general. Just reading through it gives so many breadcrumbs to look into it's overwhelming. This book alone features: Mizuki Kawashita, Yusei Matsui, Shimabukuro Mitsutoshi, and Yoshihiro Togashi - each powerful mangaka in their own right. Murata sets a good example by roping these folks in whenever he feels that something is not his field of expertise. Among these, amusingly, includes drawing women and designing characters for a story.

"I have to do everything I can to become better! That's it. I did not hold myself to any limits on what not to do from the beginning. And I worked hard without worrying about what other people think of me." -Yusuke Murata, HMKR

There isn't much more I can say about HMKR that it doesn't explain much better itself, so - go read it and keep an eye out for the full translation. I have a lot of thoughts, particularly on how women are discussed, but I'd rather talk about those in more dedicated posts.

Another resource Murata uses according to this livestream transcription is certain boy-love (BL) manga for anatomy references. He doesn't say which ones, unfortunately, but it's easy to see how he works in that charm for his male characters. If anyone reading happens to know, please share with the class... 👀

Since this series focuses on OPM specifically, I can't list artists that influence Murata without mentioning ONE himself. By some stroke of fate, these men independently became mutual fans of one another's work. According to a Sugoi Japan interview, ONE's work affected Murata so deeply that he decided he would work with him at any cost while resting in what could have been his deathbed.

"...Each character has their own soul. ...When I pulled that all-nighter [to read the webcomic], I realized that this work has enough power to rival the best of the pros."

Murata has meticulously studied what makes ONE's designs so charming and has gone to great lengths to make sure those ideas translate into the manga. In the same interview he emphasizes how understanding the core of what makes a character appealing is essential to imagining the kinds of scenes you can draw them in. He has essentially made a professional career out of doing fan-manga and I respect his power all the more for it.

I might elaborate on the core appeal of OPM as Murata saw it in ONE's works in its own post, but if I have to boil it down to some key ideas going from ONE's interviews... A theme that comes up a lot is the contrast of Saitama's simplicity with the rest of the world he lives in. Visually and in personality, he is a simple solution to a bleak world's complicated problems. I haven't found any such sketches, but Murata has said he went over the first chapters of OPM many times, up to Boros' fight, before he was satisfied with the way Sai's face looked.

As I study, I'm reminded - not for the first time - why being a comic artist is a full-on career. I'm a hobbyist chipping at a mountain of knowledge for some shiny kernels I can use. I promise that if I've missed something, it's not for lack of trying or care - there is just SO MUCH. I've come into this with a little bit of background, but it really comes up short of those who have made it their primary field. There's so much that I have to neglect in the interest of time so that I can get this out for people to use rather than in some years as a thesis. I hope that if anyone reading this wants to do comics as their job that they'll keep digging for more.

SPECIAL THANKS

@nenrikid0 - for finding the livestream snippet and the saucy examples

@the-nysh - for reminding me to check out the livestreams in general - I'll do a deeper dive when I can

REPLIES TO REPLIES

I really don't know how to do this properly on tumblr so I'm just gonna save a section for this

@ganet '...It probably helps to study his previous works? ...'

For certain! Though I don't think I'll get to it for a while. Even just trying to list his most important influences yielded this whopper.

Please share any additional thoughts on this, or the formatting or anything, in the replies and I'll answer as I can, maybe in the next entry!

[ariespellz]

hello, good day !!! i wanted to request a monogamous and romantic matchup ^_^ i'm transmasc he/him and my sexuality leans towards men mostly. i'd like canon universe! i imagine myself having an anemo vision and polearm user from mondstadt, so i prefer someone from mond (it's my comfort region </3). my main love language is physical touch both giving and receiving, and sometimes quality time (giving). i like showing people my interests and hobbies, like showing them a movie or book, talking about certain topic in detail, etc. my favorite trope is definitely friends to lovers; i need to have a strong and intimate connection with a person to be sure i want them in my life, i love the inside jokes and knowing every detail about each other, taking care of e/o and the casual displays of affection.

personality: i'm pretty extroverted, very very passionate about my hobbies and likes and generally very funny. i'm a friendly person with everyone and i love having new fun experiences. i wear my heart on my sleeve almost all the time and i can have a lot of energy with the right people. i have a habit of analyzing/observing everything and everyone around me to the point where i notice many things that other people don't. i value loyalty above everything else, and im very protective and affectionate with my close friends and family. i have a strong moral compass but often worry about what other people might think about me for it; still i wish to inspire and encourage other people to be the best version of themselves : ]

hobbies: i love love drawing digitally and traditionally, especially making new characters and fanart. i like fiction and science-y stuff in movies, books, tv shows, anime, etc. i'm also a beginner at piano but i enjoy it a lot! i love music that makes me feel a lot of emotions and artists that are very passionate on their songs.

for some extra details i'm an enfp 7w6. my sun sign is leo, pisces moon, aries rising, gemini venus.

i hope that's good enough !! your works are SO so beautiful and sweet and they make my brain go soft and smooth no thoughts <3

hi hi!! thanks for requesting (and for the compliment :')) it made me smile so hard hehe)

after careful consideration, you've been paired up with...

... BENNETT !

my little mew mews. you're so cute I SWEAR.

your high spirits always make his day better, and he's always so nice and kind and he gets shy when you hug him and UGHH<3

you're the reason the cavalry captain and sister rosaria believe in true love. when they train you two and see you interact??? they have to repress a GENUINE smile. that's your power on people.

his dads love you. you are their new kid now.

even the people who usually avoid bennett like to watch you two interact.

you just,, ignore his bad luck!! and when asked about it, you're always honest.

"even grocery shopping is an adventure with him!"

and yeah that's true.

he's a bit dorky but we love him that way hehe.

his preferred love languages to receive are quality time, words of affirmation, and physical touch.

to give i guess the five of them? maybe a preference for quality time. but because he knows you like physical touch, he does his best<3 (he's a bit awkward about it, because he's scared something will happen ಥ‿ಥ)

he's inexperienced, and sometimes pure chaos, but still 100% worth it

FIRST STEPS: meeting.

there wasn't an "official meeting" per se. you both knew each other, either from getting a glimpse of the other in the city, or from the people's stories.

"the unlucky guy" you thought when someone mentioned him.

"the cool adventurer" is what his mind went.

out of curiosity (or boredom. maybe both), you found yourself asking katherine about him. she mentioned his adventure team, and how it needed members, an you pondered about it.

"i'll talk to him. and if he's nice, i'll join."

the first conversation went pretty smoothly. both of your extroverted personalities made it not-so-awkward.

you had approached him after he killed a few hydro slimes near windrise.

"hello! you're bennett, right?"

"oh, hi!" he looked bashful. "and you... uh... (y/n)?"

"that's right! it's nice to finally meet you"

he was easy to get along with.

yeah, a thunderstorm shook you both out of nowhere, and some abyss mages teleported right next to you when you found shelter...

but that was all part of the experience!

the uncertainty, the thrill, and a companion who is just as adventurous as you...

yeah, that sounds perfect.

"why didn't i talk to him sooner?" you both think.

and so, benny's adventure team now had two members.

FRIENDSHIP: spending time with one another.

adventures with bennett were never dull. something was bound to happen.

and maybe it was thanks to those experiences that you two soon became inseparable.

he (somehow) got the cavalry captain to train him with the sword, and wanting to do the same, you chased sister rosaria around until she accepted to do the same with your polearm.

(totally not because she likes your chirpy nature)

she wasn't very talkative, or especially nice, or even sober most of the time, but she was more patient than you expected.

oh, and when the two cryo users got together? bennett and you had a blast.

domains with him were awesome, even if the artifacts were mediocre at best.

you two could communicate with glances, reading one another like an open book.

so it wasn't had for you to tell when he was upset.

he had been unusually quiet today. you two had met up in 'cecilia garden', intending to farm for materials. he was there physically, but very... out of it.

"ah, don't worry!" he chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "i'm just a bit tired today." you didn't want to doubt him, but he was a bad liar.

it didn't take him long to tell you what happened

apparently some guy in the guild snapped at him

as much as that angered you a bit, you knew comforting your dear friend was more important

"he can say whatever he wants. i love spending time with you! you're great!" you ruffle his hair a bit and he giggles. "the domain can wait. let's go back to my place and play board games. we can invite fischl and razor!"

ah... good times, good times.

he loves your artstyle! he doesn't know a lot about drawing, but he can assume how hard it must be

so he's like, your n°1 fan

SERIOUSLY.

he'll praise every single line you draw on a paper more than the Mona Lisa, and he means everything wholeheartedly.

"sorry, bennett! i have to go home early today." you were stretching after an afternoon of training.

"it's fine! i'll see you tomorrow?"

"yeah!"

kaeya smirks as rosaria starts to drag him to the tavern

knowing damn well what he's doing, he turns to bennett right before he leaves and says something like "you two are a cute couple."

bennett did not sleep that night.

ADVANCES: feelings and confession.

let's be honest here:

you don't have to be a genius to tell wether or not bennett has a crush on you, even if he says nothing about it.

he becomes twice as clumsy AND his luck is even worse than usual

and that says A LOT

kaeya feels a bit bad about what he caused (maybe he should've let the guy live in ignorance?)

rosaria finds it both amusing and cheesy (and a bit adorable, if she's being honest)

fischl tries to help, but her weird wording makes it had to figure things out (oz has officially given up on the topic, and there is no way you're translating that)

razor thinks nothing of it, which (ironically) makes him the most helpful one (he offers his honest opinion and advice. something in the simplicity in them makes it reliable).

"but, let's reflect." the cavalry captain interjects, giving you room to talk. you had come to his office some minutes ago, and by now, you had completely forgotten the reason.

after months of hanging out, of inside jokes, of laughs and silences...

...did you truly see him as a 'best friend'?

it was so casual for you to think about how nice would peppering kisses across his face be

or the burning desire to walk side by side with your hands intertwined

and--

oh no.

"oh yes." kaeya says.

so you get up immediatelly, shutting your mouth after those blabbers came out.

he's smug about it, too.

he didn't need alcohol to get you to talk!

you stammer, nervous for once. his smile has reached his eyes at this point. he makes a gesture with his hand, dismissing you.

"go get him, tiger!" he exclaimed with a (weirdly enough) soft expression. you thank him with a shout.

using your vision to help you glide, it doesn't take you too long to spot the one you were looking for.

"bennett!" you call out, breathless. he stops in his tracks and fischl, who was next to him, looks at you full of confusion. "we need to-, i-, uh..." you send fischl a look and she realizes your intentions. she smirks, excusing herself briefly before leaving.

at that, bennett got a bit anxious; twiddling with his thumbs and kicking the ground beneath him lightly.

"so, we've been good friends for some time now, and i think i might have a crush on you?" you clear your throat as his eyes widened. "and you don't have to say anything if you don't want to, but i'd like to take you out sometime. like, a date?"

great day for the both of you.

DATING LIFE: how your days as a couple are.

he is the sweetest man out there.

it's not that different to how your friendship was, but now you get to kiss and cuddle him

so i'd say it's better

as stated before, he gets really shy with physical touch, even if he likes it a lot. you'll have to ask him to return it at first

also, you won't have a single normal date (poor guy :'))

he's super supportive and always encourages you! he manages to convince barbara to help you with the piano lessons (if you hadn't been able to do so before) and sometimes you go to concerts together

by the way, kaeya feels like a proud dad (kinda. we all know how strange the guy can be /hj). rosaria would rather die than to admit it, but she's very happy for you two.

fischl congratulated you two in the most poetic way you've ever seen. hand gestures included. oz was more humble about it, but still gave his best wishes

honestly? the people of mondstadt already treat you like you were married

it gets weird sometimes but they have no bad intentions

OH AND HIS DADS

OH BOY

they'll tell you either every single story about bennett being unlucky or how he talks about you in embarrassing, excruciating detail (embarrassing for him lmao. you have the time of your life).

your lucks balance out every once in a while and you have a nice afternoon outside without any surprise attacks

overall, you inspire him a lot. you have a good-hearted nature that makes him feel safe around you

he's a great bf, super caring and loyal :(<3

you two are so sweet. i want to adopt you (so does the entire city) /hj.

[hopeshoodie]

hi! what would the s2 lis be like when meeting mc's parents?

Arjun

Of all the LIs, I’d personally be most comfortable with Arjun and Noah meeting the parents, and I think Arjun would be better. Arjun’s a natural conversationalist, he knows where reasonable boundaries are and can sus out the touchy subjects based on people’s reactions. He would be extremely respectful and polite, but not in that stilted ‘I am uncomfortable’ way. He’s super comfortable jumping into discussions and just kind of makes himself at home. The most awkward he would get would be going in for a hug and then drawing back when he realizes MC’s dad wants a handshake.

Bobby

We know that Bobby gets really performative when he’s uncomfortable. And meeting MC’s parents is going to be very uncomfortable for him. First of all, he’s going to REFUSE to touch MC or even really acknowledge that they’re romantically involved. For some reason, having eyes of authority figures on him or too much attention turns his relationship from “future wife” to “my goofy bestie”. He’s going to go out of his way to be extra jokey and goofy, and the more people are unamused by him the harder he’s going to try to get people to laugh. I feel like that escalates from him making self-deprecating jokes that no one laughs at to him doing actual physical comedy like pretending to slip or drop things, all while MC buried her face in her hands in embarrassment. He’s also going to be super eager to serve- jumping up when the dishes need to be done, sticking his head in the kitchen and insisting he help cook (even if everyone else is in the living room), insisting he go out in the rain/snow to warm up other people’s cars if they’re planning on leaving soon. Like just generally doing Too Much and then when they leave he just deflates into a ball of shame and self-consciousness.

Carl

He’d be very polite, giving everyone a handshake and a smile, but he’s very very uncomfortable. No matter how welcoming or lovely MC’s family are, they’re still… New people, in a new place, a change in his routine. He’s going to be rather quiet (per usual) and only participate in conversation if he’s prompted to or if someone directs a question to him. MC is going to have to steer the conversation towards him a lot, like “Carl’s actually working on developing an app similar to that, right babe? Tell us about it!” If it’s a big family event like a reunion, Carl’s going to find the one (1) cool cousin and chill in the corner with them.

Elisa

I feel like she would be really out of sorts because she’s so used to using her clout and beauty to instantly charm people and others being taken aback by her bubbliness and hotness, but that’s not really a thing to MC’s parents/family. Like, she’s never been ‘someone else’s girlfriend’ because she’s always framed herself as the main character (and not gotten close enough to her partners to even out the scales in her mind). But suddenly she’s thrust into this really casual setting where no one knows or particularly cares about her status, and it’s jarring. She definitely shows up overdressed in something a little too revealing or edgy, and it takes her more than five dinners with MC’s family to really drop all pretense and be genuine with everyone.

Felix

He’s turning up his jokiness and argumentativeness to a 10 as a defense mechanism for feeling out of place, just like Bobby. Unlike Bobby, he gets discouraged when it doesn’t work and slowly lapses into silent pouting as more and more jokes flop or he gets corrected. It takes a little reassurance from MC, but with time his sweeter side comes out and MC’s parents walk away thinking “what a nice boy”.

Gary

I try not to have many thoughts about Gary, but I bet he’d either not want to meet the parents and be really dodgy if MC insists or be overfamiliar with them right off the bat, depending how into MC he is. If he’s hopelessly into MC, he’s going to be hugging everyone on first meeting, maybe call her mother ‘mom’ in that uncomfortable way that overconfident men do.

Henrik

Henrik’s probably the second best in this scenario because he’s so laid back, and he matches other people’s energy easily. He’ll just seamlessly fold into conversations, and laugh for the right amount of time at MC’s dad’s jokes. Henrik has that really warm, reassuring, kind presence that makes everyone feel at home and he’s used to being in big family units, so I think everyone would just be happy to have him around, regardless of how well they know him.

Rahim

My precious. Love of my life. He is so, so bad at meeting MC’s parents for the first time. First of all, he’s touching MC an uncomfortable amount. He’s pulling out her chair and guiding her into it before pushing it in, his hand’s on her knee, he’s holding her hand above the table, his arm is around her shoulders, his hand rests on her lower back. Super romantic, but like oh my GOD please do it in moderation and not in from of her parents omllll. He’s going to revert back to that awkward ‘I don’t really talk and if I do I’m going to stammer over my words and get really flustered when making a point’ thing. He shakes MC’s dad’s hand a little too hard and comes across as really high strung.

Kassam

I don’t think MC’s parents will like him at first because he comes off very disdainful. He doesn’t mean to, he just struggles to create topics of conversation that include mutual interest, and doesn’t really feign interest when her family is talking. He doesn’t particularly like little kids, so if MC has a niece or nephew he’s probably going to grimace when their pick their nose/get burped and throw up/make a mess of their food/say something weird. He thinks he’s being polite by declining to ramble about his own interests, but it comes across as him being rude because when you ask him a question he answers with 1-3 words.

Lucas

I would let my daughter or son marry Lucas, that’s how good he is at meeting MC’s family. He comes across so gentlemanly, worldly, refined, and confident. He’s making all the right moves to a traditionally minded parent (holding doors open, covering the check, fetching her coat, having perfect etiquette), he speaks eloquently and in turn, he asks questions and genuinely listens to the answers. He just seems like a perfect man. Until you know him too well or get too many beers in him, but he’s careful not to let that happen.

Marisol

If I brought Marisol home to my parents, I can picture them nodding and then saying “she seems very… Nice… But you know. A lot.” Marisol doesn’t know how to temper her own argumentativeness or assertiveness, and she has opinions on everything. So if MC’s family member says they recently saw a movie, she’ll go off on this rant about problematic themes within the movie for five minutes, not realizing that she’s putting everyone off of her. She tends to dominate the conversation and talk about her accomplishments with a bit more pride than it tasteful. But the way she looks at MC, with all the admiration and softness in the world, almost makes it worth it.

Noah

He’d be awesome meeting the parents, but even more awesome meeting the cousins/nieces/nephews. The more people there the more comfortable Noah is, because less attention is directly solely on him. But it’s very clear to everyone in the room the immense amount of respect and adoration he has for MC, and he’s extremely polite and agreeable. They probably assume he’s a bit bland upon the first few meetings, and maybe Noah doesn’t do much outside of a few well timed jokes to show them otherwise.

[song-of-oots]

Fuchsia Groan: my (un)exceptional fave

A while ago a friend of mine was asking for people to name their favourite examples of strong female characters, and my mind immediately leapt to Gormenghast’s Fuchsia Groan because it always does whenever the words “favourite” and “female character” come up in the same sentence. In fact scratch that, if I had to pick only one character to be my official favourite (female or otherwise) it would probably be Fuchsia. There are not sufficient words in the English language to accurately describe how much I love this character.

The issue was that I’m not sure Fuchsia Groan can accurately be described as “strong”, and until my friend asked the question, it hadn’t even occurred to me to analyse her in those terms… 

Actually this isn’t completely true; Mervyn Peake does describe Fuchsia as strong in terms of her physical strength on multiple occasions. But in terms of her mental strength things are less clear cut. She’s certainly not a total pushover, and anyone would probably find it tough-going to cope with the neglect, tragedy and misuse she suffers through. In fact, this is something Mervyn Peake mentions himself – whilst also pointing out that Fuchsia is not the most resilient of people:

“There were many causes [to her depression], any one of which might have been alone sufficient to undermine the will of tougher natures than Fuchsia’s.”

Anyway, this has gotten me thinking about Fuchsia’s other traits and my reasons for loving her, going through a typical sort of list of reasons people often give for holding up a character as someone to admire:

So, is Fuchsia particularly talented?

No.

Is she clever, witty?

She’s definitely not completely stupid, and her insights occasionally take other characters by surprise, but she’s not really that smart either.

Does she have any significant achievements? Overcome great adversity?

Not really, no.

Is she kind?

Yes. Fuchsia is a very loving person and sometimes displays an incredible sensitivity and compassion for others. But… she can also be self-absorbed, highly strung, and does occasionally lash out at other people (especially in her younger years).

So why do I love Fuchsia so much?

Well, I’ll start be reiterating that I don’t really have the vocabulary to adequately put it into words, but I will try to get the gist across. So:

“What Fuchsia wanted from a picture was something unexpected. It was as though she enjoyed the artist telling her something quite fresh and new. Something she had never thought of before.”

This statement summarises not only Fuchsia but also the way I feel about her (and for that matter the Gormenghast novels in general). Fuchsia is something I’ve never really seen before. On the surface, she fits the model of the somewhat spoiled but neglected princess, and yet at the same time she cannot be so neatly pigeon-holed. It’s not just that her situation and the themes of the story make things more complex (though that is a factor); Fuchsia herself is so unique and vividly detailed that she manages to be more than her archetype. She feels like a real person and, like all real people, she is not so easy to label.

Fuchsia is also delightfully strange in a way that feels very authentic to her and the setting in general (which is particularly refreshing because it can all too often feel as though female characters are only allowed to be strange in a kooky, sexy way - yet Fuchsia defies this trend).

She’s a Lady, but she’s not ladylike. She’s messy. She slouches, mooches, stomps and stands in awkward positions. Her drawing technique is “vicious” and “uncompromising”. She chews grass. She removes her shoes “without untying the laces by treading on the heels and then working her foot loose”. She’s multi-faceted and psychologically complex. Intense and self-absorbed, sometimes irrational and ruled by her emotions more than is wise, but also capable of insight and good sense that takes others by surprise. She is extremely loving and affectionate, and yet so tragically lonely. Simultaneously very feminine and also not. Her character development from immature teenager to adult woman is both subtle and believable. She has integrity and decency – she doesn’t need to be super clever or articulate to know how to care for others or stand up for herself.

Fuchsia is honest. She knows her own flaws, but you never catch her trying to put on airs or make herself out to be anything other than what she is. She always expresses her feelings honestly.

She’s not sexualised at all. I don’t mean by this that she has no sexuality – though that’s something Peake only vaguely touches on – but I don’t really feel like I’m looking at a character who was written to pander to the male gaze (though her creator is male, I get the vibe he views her more as a beloved daughter than a sexual object).

Finally, I find her highly relatable. I am different to Fuchsia in many ways, but we do have several things in common that I have never seen so vividly expressed in any other character. This was incredibly important to me when I was a teenager struggling through the worst period of depression I ever experienced – because she was someone who I could relate to and love in a way I was incapable of loving myself. Her ability to be herself meant a lot to me as someone struggling with my own identity and sense of inadequacy. It didn’t cure my depression, but it helped me survive it.

What am I trying to say with all this?

I love Fuchsia on multiple levels. I love her as a person and also as a character and a remarkable piece of writing. I mention some of the mundane details Peake uses to flesh out her character firstly because I enjoy them, but also because it’s part of the point. Her story amazes me because it treats a female character and her psychological and emotional life with an intense amount of interest regardless of any special talents or achievements she happens to exhibit. She doesn’t fit the model of a modern heroine but neither does she need to – she’s still worth spending time with and caring about.*  To me the most important things about Fuchsia are how different and interesting and relatable she is – and how real she feels.

* To be honest, this is part of the point of the Gormenghast novels in general. The story is meant to illustrate the damage that society – and in particular rigid social structures and customs – can do to individuals with its callous indifference to genuine human need. Fuchsia is one of many examples of this throughout the novels. These characters don’t need to be exceptionally heroic in order to matter – they just need to exist as believable people. And despite how strange they all are, they often do manage to be fundamentally relatable.

Why am I talking about female characters in particular here?

The focus on “strong” female characters and the critique against that is pretty widely acknowledged. Growing up, I definitely noticed the lack of female characters in popular media and the ensuing pressure this then places on the ones that do exist to be positive representations of womankind – someone girls can look up to. It’s very understandable that we want to see more examples of admirable female protagonists, given that women were traditionally left to play support roles and tired stereotypes. The problem is that the appetite for more proactive female heroines can sometimes lead to characters who are role models first and realistic human beings second (characters who I mentally refer to as Tick-All-The-Boxes Heroines). It’s not a problem with “strong” proactive heroines per se, but rather lack of variation and genuine psychological depth (not to mention a sometimes too-narrow concept of what it even means to be strong).

Male characters tend not to have this particular problem because they are much better represented across the whole range of roles within a story. You get your fair share of boring worn out archetypes. You get characters who are meant to represent a positive version of heroic masculinity (and now that I come to think of it, having a very narrow and unvarying presentation of what positive masculinity looks like is its own separate problem, but outside the scope of this particular ramble). We don’t usually spend time obsessing over whether a piece of fiction has enough examples of “strong” male characters though, because we’re generally so used to seeing it that we automatically move on into analysing the work and the characters on other terms. And because there are often more male characters than female, they don’t all bear the burden of having to be a positive representative of all men everywhere. They exist to fulfill their roles, and often exhibit more variety, nuance and psychological depth. They are also often allowed to be weird, flawed and unattractive in ways that women usually aren’t (which is a damn shame because I’ve spent my whole life feeling like a weird outsider and yet this perspective is so often told primarily through a male lens).

Tl:dr; Fuchsia Groan is a character who feels like an answer to so many of those frustrations that I felt growing up without even truly understanding why. A large part of why I love her is simply because of how much I relate to her on a personal level. I admire her emotional honesty and her loving nature… But there’s also a part of me that was just so relieved to find a female character who exists outside of the usual formulae we seem to cram women into. She is unique, weird and wonderful (but non-sexualised). Psychologically nuanced and vividly written. She isn’t exceptionally heroic or talented or a high achiever – but she does feel like a real person.

Female characters don’t need to tick all the right boxes in order to be interesting or worth our time any more than the male ones do.

[jasontoddiefor]

Title: threads spun

Summary: In another life, Obi-Wan Kenobi would have fought plenty of other Jedi Masters for the right to train little Luke Skywalker. In this one, Luke is 19 and just lost his family when Obi-Wan teaches him how to do a proper Padawan braid.

AN: I’M BACK FROM NANO WITH NEW FANFICS.

The boy just lost his whole world, and he clings to Obi-Wan's robes with shaky hands. His eyes are bright blue, his hair a fair gold color, and for just one short moment, Obi-Wan isn't sure whether the child in front of him is nine or nineteen, whether his name is Anakin or Luke.

It is the reason he gave Luke to his family in the end, even when the Force and all his selfish desires were screaming at him not to. The newborn, the son of his Padawan, the child that was Luke Skywalker, had deserved better than a broken man who didn't even know who he was without a thousand lights illuminating him. A man who'd risk forgetting that he was not holding the child he had raised, the child he had left to burn.

Obi-Wan closes his eyes and the moment passes. 

He doesn't ask the boy if he's alright because it is obvious that Luke is not and it would be cruel to demand an honest answer. Luke can't be standing straight after he experienced such tremendous loss for the first time, nobody would, and Obi-Wan is saddened that he can't give Luke the time to grieve.

Despite all this pain, Obi-Wan still dares to hope for light and life.

He is relieved to see that Luke doesn't take all the hurt and anger to hide it within himself. Obi-Wan has never taught Luke a single lesson about Jedi philosophy, the way they grieve and handle all the emotions that are too large for this world, those that are capable of tearing the galaxy apart. And yet Luke controls his feelings exactly as a temple-raised youngling would, not pushing them aside or letting them overtake him. He takes timed breaths, centers himself on the world surrounding him and not on his anxieties. Pride fills Obi-Wan's heart as he watches peace and balance return to Luke's mind.

In another life, Obi-Wan would have fought plenty of other Jedi Masters for the right to train him.

He can almost hear his family laugh at him, playful jabs about him being so eager to train yet another Skywalker and see what colors they could draw nebulas in. It isn't Obi-Wan's fault; he has always loved a challenge, and Luke, racing in Beggar's Canyon at an age no boy should step into that death trap, would have certainly been a joy to teach and guide.

He could have taught him so much, so much he still needs to teach him, but the clock is ticking and time has always been a cruel mistress. Not purposefully, she wouldn't dare, but she is absolute and eternal, and like death, she takes.

Obi-Wan silently wonders how much time he has left. He knows exactly where they are heading and despite the legends he has wrapped around himself in his exile, he's neither crazy nor a fool. They are attempting to pull off a plan that they wouldn't even have dared to suggest during the Clone Wars, not with so many untrained people. He's been called reckless plenty of times, his ability to talk himself out of seeming like an adrenaline junkie being his only saving grace. Still, Obi-Wan is acutely aware of the danger they are in.

But they have no other choice. They may have the Death Star plans in their hands – and wasn't it utterly predictable that it would be Artoo to carry the plans for a weapon of mass destruction? – but Leia can't stay in the Empire's hands.

Luke and she were so strong in the Force at their birth already. While Obi-Wan is convinced that Bail must have taught Leia at least some shielding techniques, half-trained children can't withstand a Sith Lord for long. Should Vader or worse, Palpatine, learn what Leia could become capable of, they would have so much more to worry about in the future.

The Rebellion might as well be lost.

"You have grown into a fine young man, Luke," Obi-Wan tells Anakin's son instead.

"I have?" Luke echoes, curiosity coloring his voice, highlighting a cadence similar to Padmé's despite his heavy Outer Rim accent.

"I brought you to Tatooine," Obi-Wan tells him. The journey hadn't been an easy one. They had to change ships multiple times and every time somebody had mistaken Obi-Wan for Luke's father, he had wanted to stop and cry like the infant in his arms. "You were a very sweet baby."

"Oh." Luke falls silent again, but his hands have stopped shaking. In his dirty white robes, he reminds Obi-Wan just a bit of a messy Padawan. He wears Anakin's lightsaber well, even if he doesn't know how to execute even the simplest of lightsaber forms. Frankly speaking, it is a bit terrifying to see how quickly he picked up the weapon and had gotten comfortable with it. The Force curled around Luke's every movement, guiding him like a beloved teacher.

Luke will need a teacher if he is to face the darkness that would catch up to them soon.

Obi-Wan feels much older than he actually is. The fault lies partially with the harsh marks that Tatooine has left on his body, but also with the life he has led. He isn't sure if he can teach another student, no matter how much he wants to, but he has to try at least for Luke's sake. That is, if the boy truly intends to follow the path of the Jedi.

"Luke," Obi-Wan says seriously, thinking of the one who gives life, the name granted to such a young child, "Do you truly want to become a Jedi?"

"Yes." There is no hesitation in Luke's reply. "I want to follow my father's footsteps."

No, Obi-Wan wants to weep. You don't. You can't ask me to cut you down as well; I couldn't bear it.

"It is admirable to want to follow the path of someone you respect," Obi-wan starts carefully instead. He can't tell Luke what became of Anakin Skywalker. The child deserves better. "But I am asking about your own inclinations. The path of a Jedi is not an easy one, and you have to follow it for your own sake if you want to succeed."

Now Luke does hesitate. He looks down at his hands, curls them into fists and relaxes them again.

"Yes," Luke finally replied. "Yes, I want to be a Jedi."

"Then I'll hope you'll give me the honor of teaching you. I'd like to take you as my Padawan."

Obi-Wan had said these words over three decades ago to another lost blond boy, the language a little different, their surroundings certainly more peaceful than the ship of a smuggler. He tries to banish the image from his mind.

"Padawan," Luke repeats slowly. "What does it mean?"

You should know, Obi-Wan thinks. You should know what it means and be overjoyed and celebrate this day.

He can't hold it against this boy, not even against himself or, dare he think it, Anakin because choices had been made, but away from it all, Obi-Wan can only blame the Sith who ruined them, continues to hurt them.

"It means that I want you as my student, teach you all I know so that you may surpass me someday."

Bring us back to the light, rebuilt all that we lost. Obi-Wan is asking him for so much when just days ago it would have been enough for him to someday see Luke marry that boy he's been crushing on for years and live the rest of his days happily, far away from the war.

And now he dreams of home again, the rooms full of plants and droid parts, poetry collections, board games, and warmth so kind and all-compassing that no nightmares can haunt you.

"You'd really teach me?" Luke asks as if he'd be honored and the right to be taught not already something he possessed since his birth.

"Of course."

"I'd be honored to accept," Luke replies with a shy smile.

Obi-Wan returns his smile and reassuringly squeezes his shoulder once. Luke leans into the touch and so Obi-Wan lets his arm linger around the boy's shoulders as he continues to explain traditions long lost. "Traditionally, we would now braid your hair and put in the first bead."

"Braid my hair?"

Obi-wan nods and thinks of all the times his Master ran his fingers through Obi-Wan's hair, tugging at his braid and saying one thing or another he hadn't paid any attention to because he'd been too awestruck by the fact that he had a Master at all. "Yes, all Padawans of the Jedi Order have a braid. It shows your dedication to your studies and how serious you are about them. It means that you know that this is not an easy task or an easy path to take, but that you are willing to walk it anyway."

Luke thoughtfully looks at Obi-Wan, then he reaches up with his hand, putting a strand of hair behind his ear.

"My hair is not long enough to braid it properly," Luke mutters, dismayed.

He's pouting more than he is actually hurt by the thought. Nevertheless, if he lingers on it, he might ask more questions about what other chances life has denied him and because of it, Obi-Wan wants to distract him quickly.

The distraction comes at the price of remembrance, a fourteen-year-old Padawan clinging to what remained of his braid, burying his head in his Master's chest, and crying after enduring days of torment. Obi-Wan had fixed Anakin's hair then as well so he wouldn't have to deal with too many looks once they were back at the Temple. His braid had been short, but it had been there. For a moment, Obi-Wan tries to recall who had assigned that mission to them, whether Sidious had already sown his seeds of discord then.

He lets the moment go. "Don't worry, I can help you."

He had done plenty of braids during his as a Padawan and later as a Master. When the war had been going on, he had helped frenzied Padawans countless times with their braids.

There was an almost meditative process to the act of braiding and letting others braid your hair. It had soothed innumerous over the centuries and now it will once more calm another. Luke sits still when Obi-Wan begins to part the stray strands of hair on the left side of his head into three. Luke's hair really isn't all that long, but it is definitely more than enough to work with. Slowly and withs steady fingers, Obi-Wan braids another bond with his second Padawan. Luke is a kind child and this war will hurt him incredibly. Obi-Wan can only hope that what he will pass onto him will be enough to have him keep his path, to wander in the light even when the darkness reaches for him with the intent to consume.

Once Obi-Wan is finished with the braid, he reaches for his belt, takes an old leather cord from there, and wraps it around the tip of Luke's hair.

"And finished," Obi-Wan announces.

Luke, who had closed his eyes, opens them and immediately reaches for the hair, twirling it between his two fingers in a fashion reminiscent of Obi-Wan in his youth. He had only managed to get rid of that nervous habit after his won braid hat been cut. Whether Luke would act similar, Obi-Wan doesn't know, but the thought of seeing Luke ascend to the rank of Knight of the Order, no matter how small, splintered and broken it is right now, it makes his heart beat a bit quicker.

"How does it look?" Luke asks.

"As it is supposed to," Obi-Wan replies. "I believe Mr. Solo has a mirror in his fresher if you want to take a look."

Luke races off before Obi-Wan can say anymore. He returns a few minutes later, already with more color in his face than he had in the hours before.

"Thank you. Master." Luke tags on the honorific only belatedly, unsure whether it fits and it is all the convincing Obi-Wan could ever need.

"You are welcome, Padawan."

Obi-Wan Kenobi has a student once more and he will not fail him.

[aros001]

First time reading through the light novels. Vol. 1 random thoughts.

A while back I'd seen the first episode of the anime and...didn't take it well because of that one specific scene. I was interested in where Goblin Slayer and Priestess would go from there but I was worried about my ability to handle the rest of the series. So months later I asked this Reddit if you guys would recommend I continue and you were very supportive and encouraging. I watched the rest and really enjoyed it. I just recently wrapped up another light novel series (at least the books that were available in english) and figured why not give Goblin Slayer's LNs a try?

These are just some random thoughts I had while reading the first volume. I did the same with Rising of the Shield Hero and it was fun to do, with other fans pointing out things I might have missed and starting discussions about what happened each book.

Right off the bat, I think Goblin Slayer is one of the few series I've ever read that brings up weapons getting dulled and damaged by blood and fat (or even bringing up fat from a slain foe at all). Shield Hero had a little bit that early on but most stories just have weapons that are so high quality that the quality never dips.

Also, back in the anime I'd found it interesting that goblins could make poison when everything else about them seemed so crude. But in a general view "poison" is basically a harmful substance that you don't want in your body. That the goblins can make poison out of their own shit and some herbs actually makes sense and works with the idea that they have the mental capacity of cruel children.

The first kill we see Goblin Slayer make seems to say a lot about him. Pinning a goblin to the wall with his shield before stabbing a burning torch into its face. Efficient yet feeling almost vindictive.He kills it in the most painful way he possibly can at that moment.

The Priestess blocked the one goblin with her staff on instinct and kept it from getting away long enough for Goblin Slayer to throw his sword into the back of its head. I'm curious if that's why he let her accompany him through the rest of the cave or if he would have done the same regardless? If he didn't see her potential would he have ordered her to leave instead of asking what she was going to do?

Are the gods of Truth and Illusion meant to be literal gods or just figurative? Either way, I'm looking forward to hearing more about them and the Earth Mother, Dark Gods, and Supreme God. I like mythology and that includes the party's talk about where goblins come from. I like that they, and we the audience, don't yet have a for-fact answer. All the possible origins they share are from legends, folktales, and stories you tell children (with some racial bias thrown in between the elves and dwarves). It really helps the world feel more real and lived in.

Out of curiosity, do Slimes exist in the GS universe? They mention giant rats and goblins as the monsters a lot of beginners take on and slimes are a famous kind of newbie monster in other fantasy stories, so I'm curious if they have those as well (or if it's a Konosuba kind of case where slimes are NOT a monster beginners should be fighting).

Oh jeez, the anime really wasn't exaggerating with Cow Girl flopping over the windowsill. Why is that so funny to me?

“Yes. A group of rookies are in the southern woods. That one is a request from a village near the forest.”

“Beginners,” he murmured. “Who was in their party?”

“Let’s see...,” Guild Girl said. She licked her thumb and began paging through a sheaf of papers. “One warrior, one wizard, and one paladin. All Porcelain rank.”

...

The day after that, showing no hint of fatigue, he joined Priestess in venturing to the southern woods. Cow Girl heard later that the rookies never returned from the forest.

I might be misremembering or thinking of a different group but the rookies came back alive in the anime, didn't they?

A big thing that helped me get through the anime was the introduction of High Elf Archer, Dwarf Shaman, and Lizard Priest. They brought a lot of life both to the series and to Goblin Slayer himself. He's a man who really needs friends and something other than goblins in his life. What he does is important but spending too long in nothing but that darkness would eventually break anyone. In fact, nearly all the characters help bring some enjoyment to the story. I was afraid Spearman was just going to be another Motoyasu but he quickly proved himself to be, overall, a pretty good guy.

I also like that this novel gives more insight into the extra characters. Not just the humans like Guild Girl, Heavy Warrior, and the Hero (which was a very welcome surprise. I want to know more about her), but also some of the goblins as well, like that one guard of the old elf ruins. Even if they can't talk in a way humans can typically understand, it's cool (and a bit uncomfortable) having a direct show of how an individual goblin thinks.

While it's not as much as Priestess, I do really seem to have a soft spot for Guild Girl. Why she seems to like goblin Slayer is just really appealing for me. She likes him because he's different but not in the traditionally tropey way of "Oh, he's so different from the other guys". He takes the jobs that no one else wants to do, not to brag about it or hit on her, but simply because they need to be done, which means a lot less newbie adventurers have died or worse at the hands of goblins, something she's indirectly seen happen way too many times, even if it's a reality she has to live with. Completely unintentionally, he takes a lot of burden off her heart and mind. I can easily see how her respect and appreciation for him would eventually lead into feelings of affection.

Goblin Slayer = Beard-Cutter? I can understand to an extent Orcbolg and that both names come from a goblin killing sword, but do Dwarves refer to goblins as Beards? And if so, why? Or am I missing something here? This confused me in the anime too.

“I owe it all to you, sir!” Her gaze, her beautiful eyes, bored into him. He caught his breath. What should he say? There was a long pause.

“Not at all,” he finally squeaked out. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You did so much!” she responded with a grin. “You saved me when we first met.”

“But I couldn’t save your companions.”

“True, but...” Her face stiffened for a moment. She couldn’t quite finish her sentence—understandably.

Even he still remembered the awful scene all too clearly. Warrior, Wizard, Fighter, who had all lost everything. Her party had been trodden into the dust.

I really like this. It's be really easy to just make Goblin Slayer a complete hardass who's oblivious to everything and cold to the world (and to an extent he is). But he does still have emotions other than anger. He's at a loss by Priestess' gratitude and doesn't know what to say. He has regret that he couldn't save her old party. He's used to the sight of what happened but still finds it awful. He appreciates the elf, dwarf, and lizardman's help and isn't against partying with them again, even if he won't go out of his way to join them again. He feels truly helpless when he tells Cow Girl he can't defeat the Goblin Lord's army. As the story goes on I imagine it'll be explored how much he's doing what he does to keep the past from happening again vs. him just wanting revenge on all goblins. Which side rules him more?

But all things must end—often too soon.

The end to his idyll appeared in the form of repulsive black blotches on the dew-drenched morning pastures. Trailing mud and excrement across the fields, they were unmistakable: small footprints.

This is the one part I think the anime did a little better, if for no other reason than that we had a lot more times of Goblin Slayer checking for signs of goblins every morning. It was a great Chekhov's gun. It was something the audience knew had to come back into play later...but that you really, really did not want to because you knew what it'd mean. Every time he checked and didn't find anything was a relief but it left worry about the next time, building up that dread and anticipation, until finally we get that morning where he sees all the tracks.

At a table deep in the room, High Elf Archer made to stand, her face a furious red, but Dwarf Shaman and Lizard Priest stopped her. Witch sat on a bench, a slippery smile floating on her face. He glanced at the front desk to see Guild Girl vanishing into a back room in a panic. It occurred to him that he was looking for Priestess.

Awwwwwwwwwww! He does like having her around!

I think the main reason the story works, at least for me, is because it isn't just one of those "Life sucks. The world is dark. F**k you." types of "adult" literature. Yes, the world of GS does get very dark and messed up, but what gets you through it are these very likable and sunny characters who do care a lot about each other. At least with the content of this volume and what was covered by the anime, the draw isn't supposed to be how "edgy" the story can get but rather these characters trying to fight back against the darkness that exists in their world.

Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/GoblinSlayer/comments/fq3z9a/first_time_reading_through_the_light_novels_vol_1/

[mageofseven]

Hello! I've been a little curious for a while so I wanted to see if you would be willing to take up an ask of mine. I was wondering which of the brothers would most likely know sign language, and if you're comfortable, how the brothers would react to a mute mc. If you don't feel like answering my request that's fine. Have an awesome winter and stay toasty!

Oooh! This is an interesting one! Thank you for the ask~

Also though, winter? It's only September, almost October. Its fall where I live 🍁

Spoiler warning: Year 1 spoilers

~

Most Likely:

Satan- probably learned multiple forms of it as a hobby (ASL, BSL, and LSF)

Lucifer- likely learned it as a result of the exchange program so he could understand the student

Belphie- learned it just so he and Satan could quietly insult Lucifer without him knowing

~

Lucifer:

Read it off their application originally so he wasn't surprised at all when he met them.

Learned their form of sign language in preparation for their arrival.

Wouldn't really say he's fluent, but has learned enough to communicate with MC so he can assist them with whatever they need.

It helps that MC is mute and not deaf; he and his brothers can simply talk to them as they do with anyone else and they can understand the demons; he merely needs to read their hands in order to get their responses.

Overall, doesn't really mind MC being mute, but does worry about how his brothers' interactions with them will go

Mammon:

Wait, so how's he supposed to look out for someone who can't even talk to him?

Is slightly uncomfortable in the beginning because of the silence between the two

But eventually likes how he finally has a person around him who isn't constantly calling him names or talking back to him.

Poor MC has to hear him gloat about himself a lot.

Swears up and down that he would never learn sign language for them; they just need to do what The Great Mammon says and not die, got that?

Actually gets pretty attached to them quickly. After being turned down by Satan to borrow some of his books on the topic, the demon simply searches online for resources to help him.

Very slow learner. Manages to get better at it when he finally admits to MC that he's trying to learn and they let him practice with them.

Some of his hand signs are slightly off when he does them, but since he just needs to be able to read them when MC uses them, it's fine.

Won't admit it, but he is very happy that he can have full conversations with his favorite human.

Leviathan:

Doesn't feel like it affects him. I mean, why would he wanna talk to some normie human anyway?

After the TSL trivia contest between the two of them, he feels like he's kinda obligated to because of the pact between.

Just kinda learns the basics so he can understand them somewhat at first.

As the two get closer though and he dubs them his Henry, this boy gets so into it. He really makes it a priority so that nothing can limit his talks with his Human.

Is super proud of himself and even has full conversations in sign language with them, despite the fact that he doesn't actually need to sign back to them.

Overall, doesn't really care that they are mute, but loves that conversations with his Henry feel so secret and special.

Satan:

Already knew the language long before MC moved into House of Lamentation.

Is extremely fluent in the language.

Honestly, he would have been their guardian throughout their stay in Devildom because of this if Lucifer actually trusted him.

He practically is once the two get close though.

Will translate whatever they say to teachers during the classes that they share.

Has most definitely scared off other demons who tried to joke about or insult them for not being able to speak traditionally. Their classmates learn quickly that Satan won't tolerate that shit.

Becomes the first person they go to if they need something, even before Lucifer.

Overall, likes having someone he can use the language with.

Asmodeus:

Really doesn't care at first.

I mean, that doesn't stop him from flirting with them, right?

But then he remembers: he can't hear them say anything back to him. No confirmations of whether they're actually comfortable with his words or advances. No way to hear them give him compliments or flirt back.

Big pouter at this fact.

Won't actually make any attempt to change it at first though.

Will just make his brothers translate what they say for him.

It's not until the retreat at the castle when they draw great power out of him so he can charm the snake that he's actually starts thinking that this human is interesting and he just needs them in his life more.

Will now learn sign language because he needs to be able to understand his bestie

And they are best friends. Of course, unless they wanna be more 😘

Overall, finds it very inconvenient, but gets over it and starts seeing it as nothing more than part of their charm.

Beelzebub:

Honestly, expect no conversation to take place between the two for a long time.

Beely is a quiet boy so having MC who has no choice but to be silent just kinda brings them to a stalemate.

When he discovers that they are trying to help Belphie and Lucifer make up however, he realizes that he needs to be able to talk to them properly.

Really, really tries to learn. Has never been one to easily grasp any foreign language though, let alone one that solely involves hand movements.

With MC's help though, manages to learn a lot more than he thought he would.

Can understand most things they say/sign now, but sometimes needs one of his brothers to fill in the gaps for him.

Overall, really wishes MC wasn't mute because it feels like a barrier keeping him from getting closer to them, but tries his best on his end so they can be friends.

Belphegor:

Knows sign language, but has never used it with anyone but Satan and that was just for a handful of times.

Was surprised that it actually came in handy when they first visited him in the attic.

He was honestly very annoyed at this, but tried to pretend otherwise. I mean, how was he actually gonna get help from them if they couldn't even speak?

Honestly surprised to hear that one by one, each of his brothers was learning the language for this human.

It bothered him that they had gotten that close with his brothers, but wasn't complaining; I mean, it definitely made things easier.

After the Incident™️, he feels guilty as hell and becomes very protective of them.

He sees them being mute as something someone might use to take advantage of them.

Becomes their sleepy little guard dog.

Overall, he found MC being mute as annoying at first, but later it becomes a source of worry for him.

Like, what if they get attacked and can't call for help?

He can't help but wonder if they had their voice, could they have somehow broke free and screamed for help the night of the Incident™️ and prevented things from happening the way they did.

Just doesn't want anything bad to happen to them and feels like he has to make up for their mute-ness.

[bluemoonbeam15]

What If: Part 2

@whenthedeeppurplefalls was interested in a continuation of my previous post, "What if the offering had never fallen when Flik threw down the Harvester?"

I also wanna try getting Hopper back into character. After writing him either during or after his character development, I lost sight that his personality then is not how it is BEFORE the events of the movie. As such, I'll also be adding in his internal dialogue in this part. I exempted it on the first one for a reason.

<><><><><><><>

Once again, his fantasies did not manifest themselves into reality. The obedient workers who followed his orders were actually stubborn back-talkers who refused to let someone like Flik tell them anything. The inventor watched day-by-day...the offering barely grew. The production certainly didn't move this slow with Queen Phyllis in charge. But she handed the responsibility to Flik, as per Hopper's executive order.

Flik barely noticed that gradual change in the weather, or the way the leaves were darkening. The only way he could tell the deadline was drawing near was his growing anxiety. He spotted Atta standing underneath the offering stone, expression cold as she regarded the inventor hurrying toward her. "Princess Atta, please, I think things would run smoother if you could tell the colony--"

"Apparently, I'm not in charge of this little operation of yours. You heard Hopper," she narrowed her eyes, "he wants you to handle the harvesting, remember?"

He pulled at his fingers, "I-I know. But..."

She pursed her lips as he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. "Isn't easy, is it? This is why we do things traditionally, Flik. We don't have time for a change. We don't have time to learn how to use your inventions. There's food that has to be picked, ants that have to be fed. That's not even considering all the other responsibilities around the colony." She walked past him, "But go ahead and try. No one's stopping you this time."

Flik looked up at the pile of food. It was pitiful, even through the eyes of an optimist. A part of him believed they were simply doing this out of spite. That if they proved Flik to be unessential to Hopper, then the grasshopper would have him disposed of. "Why am I the only one who can't help?" He let his arms go limp in defeat. "Why did Hopper even put me in charge in the first place?"

Contrary to his surroundings, every noise was muffled as the shell was blown in alarm. Flik blinked down at the ground, terribly afraid that the noise wasn't coming from his imagination. He turned to the sky, seeing the dark forms coming toward them. The colony hustled, not in as much panic as last season. Flik found anger rising in him at the sight. Their security only rested in his demise. Princess Atta directed any last offering pieces to the pile before ordering everyone back in the anthill.

Flik, simply out of fear and spite, didn't budge from his spot. Even as Atta met his gaze, he stared back firmly. She waited for a second longer before disappearing. If this was how things were going to be now, he'd just as soon distance himself from the hatred as much as possible. At least in the open, the only thing he had to fear was Hopper's hatred. He would take that over the colony.

As the roaring of wings grew louder, so did Flik's heart rate. Perhaps he should have gone back into the anthill. Too late now. Hopper already landed a few feet before him. Flik was sure the state of the offering had been seen by the leader. Hopper took a few steps toward him, making Flik back up, "I-I know it looks bad b-but...the colony...well...n-no one--"

"First rule of leadership, kid: everything is your fault," Hopper was nose-to-nose now as he bared his teeth.

Those words hit something a little deeper in him. "P-Please, just...j-just one more chance, I swear! I-I'll have twi--no! Three times as much food next season!"

Hopper pointed a finger toward the offering above them, "I don't give second chances loosely, kid. That up there is worse than it was before. Why should I think you can do better?"

This had been his one chance to finally make a difference for the colony. And once again he found himself the root cause of all their problems. Claws dug into his jaw as Hopper forced his mind back to their conversation, "I expect an answer when I ask you a question. Now, give me one good reason why I shouldn't use you as a bad example to your colony?"

Flik's gut twisted painfully when he couldn't think of anything. There was no answer to that question. There weren't any reasons. He couldn't defend himself from this mistake. "B-Because...," the looks of his fellow ants flashed in his mind. Their glares, sneers, critiques, ridicule...everything that drove him to this point of desperation. This moment where he was desperate for any sign of appreciation, even from someone like Hopper. "I have to prove them wrong," he swallowed the pain in his throat. "I-If I can just do this one thing right...then they'll finally listen to me. Th-They won't look at me a-and push me away. I'll...," he dropped his gaze, "I'll finally feel like a part of the colony."

Under any other circumstance, the little sob story would have done little to assuage Hopper. But he had something else in mind for this young prodigy. "You wanna be a part of something, kid? Here's a word of advice: make yourself a part of it. Stop waiting for everyone else to give you a chance and start making your own chances. And for this offering? Put your foot down. I didn't put you in charge to be walked all over. I put you in charge to get things done. If they don't wanna comply, then you make them.

"Leaders don't have friends, kid. We have followers. So don't get your pathetic feelings hurt when no one wants to listen to you. Force them to work. Force them to comply."

The ant strangled over his words, "B-But I can't do that--"

"Then I obviously made a mistake keeping you around," Hopper growled. He dug his claws deeper into Flik's chin, "Are you afraid right now?" The ant's eyes winced from the pain as he nodded the best he could. "Exactly. So what are you gonna do?"

"D-Do...better?"

Hopper released the kid, straightening, "Getting it now?"

Flik rubbed his chin, mulling over the interaction. The pieces started clicking together, "How...how do I scare them? I-I'm not exactly intimidating."

"Not my problem, kid," Hopper waved a hand to the gang. On the command, they swarmed the offering and grabbed what they could. "I'll tell you this, though, you've already got the one thing they fear."

Flik blinked, "What?"

"Bravery." For just a split moment, Flik could've sworn the leader smiled at him. A glint of approval flashed. Just as soon as it came, it was gone. Hopper started his wings and hovered, "I'm holding you to that promise, kid. Three times the amount next season. This is your second chance so you better come through." With that, Hopper led his gang across the ravine, food in tow.

Axel looked back to see the ant fading from view. He hesitantly leveled with Hopper, "Hey, Boss! Ya don't think the kid'll screw this up?"

"Yeah! I heard he's the freak of the colony!" Loco added.

"You idiots just mind your own business. I know what I'm doing." Hopper sent them a glare.

Molt flew beside him, "What are ya doin' exactly?"

"Fixing our problem," he answered gruffly. "That kid can cause more damage than what he realizes, and not just for the colony. Our whole way of life could be destroyed with those ideas of his. The second those ants spare a moment to listen, they'll figure out our weakness."

His brother pursed his lips, "So...you're putting him in charge?"

"It won't last, however it plays out." Hopper shrugged nonchalantly. "The colony will either turn against him, leaving me to come in and play hero. The power isn't lost to us since the colony will be too focused on the kid. From what he told me, they already despise him. It'll be hard for them to turn against us when the kid is stealing away their hatred."

"And if he succeeds?"

Hopper spared a glance to his brother, "Then I'll be in command of the only thing threatening our livelihood."

[sepublic]

Eda learning to be Luz’s teacher

           You know what? I have to wonder if the reason why Eda was initially so hesitant about teaching Luz magic, and constantly procrastinated on this fact… Was because she already knew that humans couldn’t do magic, and didn’t want to break the girl’s heart by being upfront about this fact? When Episode 2 starts, basically right after Eda sort of agrees to teach Luz without taking it too seriously, she’s in no rush. Eda even laughs off Luz’s dreams of being a chosen one, because she didn’t realize it meant that much to the kid! But then Eda sees how her cold rejection and mockery of Luz’s dreams led her to fall for Adegast’s trickery…

          And after reassuring Luz with ideas of determining one’s fate, Eda realized that learning magic really DID mean a lot to Luz; And after the Adegast incident which she feels responsible for, Eda doesn’t want to disappoint Luz again, especially after initially being so harshly dismissive of Luz’s dreams. Eda was a kid who was very disappointed that she couldn’t learn all nine forms of magic, and she’s someone who’s determined not to put others through the same experiences that she had to suffer, first-hand and without guidance. I can see Eda wanting to avoid being the ‘Bump’ in this situation with Luz (especially since she kind of was), not wanting to trample on Luz’s dreams by being upfront that she can’t learn magic…

           And considering how fond of Luz she is… I have to wonder if Eda deliberately procrastinated on the truth, because she also wanted to keep her around? This could parallel how Luz lied about knowing two spells to Amity in Adventures in the Elements… Eda could’ve also lied under the impression that Luz would no longer want to hang around with her anymore, because Eda might think that Luz is interested in Eda only for her ability to teach magic. If Eda can’t teach Luz magic, then what reason does Luz have to stick around, especially given Eda’s liability as a criminal… And later on as revealed in The Intruder, someone who can transform into a dangerous beast.

           Eda’s used to being rejected by others because of her curse, because of her views on magic, etc. She’s used to rejection, so it’s what she naturally assumes that Luz is inclined towards… That she’s only hanging around Eda because she has no other choice. It’d recontextualize Eda’s grief upon seeing Luz seemingly enroll at Hexside in Episode 3, only to have some relief and even triumph when Luz is banned. Obviously Eda doesn’t want Luz to be indoctrinated, but I wonder if there’s some selfishness about wanting to keep Luz close, or at least a fear that Luz would show disinterest in Eda in favor of a more ‘traditional’ institution.

           Which, again ties into how Luz was afraid that Amity wouldn’t be impressed by her lack of spells, and her assumption that Amity is only interested in Luz because of her unique skills as a witch… Because like Eda, Luz is undervaluing her own personal worth, and how THAT’s what draws people to her, not necessarily her skill in Magic! Luz and Eda could both have an issue with assuming their someone’s last choice, and not their deliberate first one… After all, it’s not exactly wrong of Eda to assume that whatever’s back home for Luz isn’t all too good, given how she chooses a random stranger who’s a criminal over it. To Eda, she could’ve assumed that Luz was driven more by a desire to avoid her home, than a desire to hang around Eda… And Eda doesn’t want to make Luz leave the Owl House, if Luz is apprehensive towards her home that much- Eda wants the best for the kid!

           And while avoiding the Reality Camp was definitely PART of the reason, there was also Luz being genuinely enamored by Eda’s care for King, and her sentiments on weirdoes sticking together! Luz really wanted in on that dynamic! It’s another reason why Eda is so dazzled by Luz after she sticks around… Because even after knowing that there are different schools to learn magic traditionally, even after knowing that Eda’s criminal status could endanger her… Even after knowing that Eda couldn’t even teach her magic, and that Eda was a potential threat because of her curse- Luz still sticks around, because she likes Eda that much.

           In Agony of a Witch, Eda makes a point of how she wants to pay back Luz for all of her kindness by giving her the Witch’s Wool Cloak. I think that after The Intruder, Eda legitimately invested time, effort, and research into Glyphs… Because not only did Luz show her that they existed and they were possible, thus kindling a hope in Eda’s heart to actually teach Luz magic; But I think Eda felt indebted towards the girl. That she really wanted to prove herself to Luz, and be the role model that Luz thinks she is… Like the Good Witch Azura, ironically- Despite Eda’s apprehension towards the saccharine sweetness of those books, she’ll gladly be Azura for Luz, if it makes the girl happy.

           And, this realization of her bond with Luz, could’ve played a part in Eda getting over her apprehension towards Hexside, swallowing her pride to enroll Luz in. Because by the end of the day, Eda recognizes that she just wants the best for Luz, that she doesn’t want to selfishly keep the girl to herself, and inhibit Luz in the process (which could be antithetical to how Lilith felt about Eda but I digress). It’s that “If you love me let me go” meme, except it’s Eda feeling like Luz is better off without her, to an extent… And while she IS right about her own shortcomings as a teacher, or at least that Luz deserves to learn from more than one source- I think there’s still that lingering insecurity that Eda has to live up to what Luz wants her to be, that cool, powerful witch.

           That makes it sweet when Luz makes it clear to Eda, mutually, during the Season Finale –when the two reunite at the Conformatorium- that she really loves Eda for who she is, and would give up everything for her… And Eda sees that Luz’s love for her has become unconditional. And similarly, Eda reassures Luz that she loves the girl, that Luz doesn’t have to feel like she owes her anything… Just being with one another, or at least seeing the other be happy, is enough. When Eda tells Luz to save herself, it’s not a rejection of their companionship as Luz fears; It’s Eda prioritizing Luz. Regardless, both Luz and Eda learn that while they want the best for the other, they shouldn’t disregard how much they meant to their loved one either- That maybe their loved one isn’t better off without them, because they DO care…! Eda may prioritize Luz, but she should also value her relationship with the girl as well, because Luz appreciates it too. Even if Luz’s safety comes above her companionship with Eda, who’s to say Eda has to choose between Luz’s safety, and being with the girl- Why can’t she have both, as Luz would defiantly ask?

          There’s nothing to worry about, you’re not parasitically dragging down your loved one with your connection to them, you don’t have to worry about being good enough for them, or being on their level… What you’ve got going on, is good enough just as it is! You’re not holding them back from a better choice, you ARE that loved one’s choice, first and foremost, and you should remember that they had agency when they decided to stick with you! Don’t undersell yourself, and trust in your loved one’s judgment if they decided to hang around with you after all- They have good taste too, believe it or not. Luz is special to Eda, because she validates Eda by seeing her as someone to look up to and emulate, and that encourages Eda to be a true role model in her own right, and live up to those expectations. It gives Eda a purpose in life, when up until then there was that lingering regret that her existence had been wasted. Of course with Luz, she encourages Eda to be the best she can be, but doesn’t necessarily hold it against her if she isn’t…

           So when Luz discovers glyphs and does the impossible, Eda is inspired to do the same- If this kid can do it, so can she! Eda CAN learn to teach magic to this human, after all… So she does her research off-screen. It’s worth noting that Covention happens immediately after The Intruder, as a follow-up to Eda’s change of heart as she decides to be truly serious about teaching Luz magic… And how Luz and Amity are set up to duel one another as representatives of their teachers’ own skills. Eda’s pride comes into play when Lilith assumes that Luz is a terrible Witch, and it also comes into play when Luz mentions how Eda’s apprentice not knowing two spells is a bad look for Eda herself…

           But at the end of Covention, Luz asks Eda if she’ll ever be a great witch. And we see here that while Eda may have her pride play a little into making Luz learn magic… In the end, she doesn’t expect Luz to be a great witch, just for Eda’s pride. She’s not going to be disappointed in Luz, nor herself. She tells Luz that she’s not beholden to anyone else’s definition of a witch, and that Eda doesn’t truly expect Luz to win on her behalf, for the sake of making Eda look good. Luz can fail all she wants, do her progress at her own pace- It��s why Eda reassures Luz about being a quitter in The First Day, or how she tells Luz that it’s okay that she wasn’t able to take on Grom singlehandedly like she thought she could! It IS also worth noting that Luz wouldn’t be allowed to do magic at all if she lost the Covention duel, so Eda could’ve had that altruistic reasoning behind making Luz cheat- She doesn’t want Luz to lose her chance at magic, after having just discovered it!

           Regardless, it contrasts with Lilith, who DOES have that expectation for Amity to do well, to live up to Lilith’s image and pride… And how Lilith cares so much more for maintaining her own reputation as a teacher, that she makes Amity cheat without her knowledge nor consent, instead of being genuinely interested in gauging Amity’s current skill and progress, and working with that. Lilith was more interested in how she looked to Eda and others as a teacher, than Amity’s actual ability at magic. The possibility of Amity losing is inexcusable for Lilith, that she really goes out of her way to attach the Power Glyph even though her victory should be guaranteed, amidst Lilith rightfully suspecting Eda would cheat of course.

          And that, of course, tells Amity that she is not allowed to lose, that failure is no option… And it just contributes to the pressure and expectations on her, and how she’s not allowed to make mistakes and learn from them, and when she DOES make mistakes, Amity thinks it’s the end of the world and that there’s nothing to salvage from the situation, whatsoever. It conditions Amity to see everything she does as a reflection and extension of others and not her own skills and belief in herself, and that she can’t just enjoy things for the sake of only her happiness. And Amity really undervalues how it’s a lot of her own skill that got her where she is, and not JUST the guidance of a great teacher.

          Lilith was showing a disrespectful lack of confidence in Amity, that she doesn’t really trust the girl, not enough to do something that should be so easy and simple, and it hurts because to Amity it means she’s never good enough, and that maybe there’s something wrong with her that sparks this kind of distrust in her ability; To the point where Lilith can’t even be upfront about her lack of faith in Amity and the application of the Power Glyph, because she doesn’t think the girl can take criticism. That will just make Amity question if people ever really mean it when they praise her; And in turn, lead her to assume that people are secretly lying whenever they tell her that she did good, or at least didn’t do wrong.

           But, I digress. Eda reiterates to Luz at the end of Covention that she doesn’t really care if Luz would’ve won or not (unless it meant Luz losing her chance at magic), which connects to how Luz and Amity’s duel had no definitive winner and was a tie, and a total mess of a match. In contrast to Lilith, who neither reassures Amity, nor does anything to actually check up on the girl afterwards, instead focusing on Eda… Which, Eda IS her sister and she misses her a lot, and Lilith doesn’t get to see Eda often so she’ll milk every last moment with her, but still.

           Either way, Eda considers how she just wants Luz to learn magic for Luz’s own sake, not for Eda’s expectations of her- And while there is the joke of Luz playing into Eda’s pride by getting her to take her to the knee, it’s worth noting that Eda clearly had done her research well before this was brought up, and also that Luz actually needs to know two spells so she can avoid the Baby Class, and learn Magic as she’d like to. And Eda, Eda is a very tsundere character when it comes to affection- So I can see her passing off bringing Luz to the knee as just wanting to look good as a teacher, when in reality it’s because Luz really cares about this and Eda wants to provide.

          I could also get into potential insecurity on Eda’s behalf on failing Luz as a teacher, so she tries to avoid teaching lessons to begin with… You get the idea. Like I said, Luz brings up Eda’s pride because she’s using every reason to learn a second spell because of how desperate she is, as well as the fact that she still has insecurities over paying back Eda for her kindness, through being a great student and thus a reflection of Eda’s skill as a teacher, until Eda reassures Luz once and for all that her love is unconditional in the Season Finale.

           Which, connects us to the idea of Eda not being able to be the conventional, magical teacher that Luz wanted… But she’s still an incredibly potent mentor in her own way, in the important life-lessons she instills Luz with. Amidst Luz proving her own worth as a self-taught learner, making her progress with magic all the more difficult and painstaking to further the disability metaphor, and the idea of Luz and Eda mutually teaching and learning from one another, because they respect one another. It’s all tied up in the final moments of the Season Finale, when Eda can no longer be the teacher she wanted to be for Luz, and is now just a student alongside her- Frequently learning FROM Luz, in fact!

          And Luz… not only does Luz love Eda regardless of magic, but the two of them mutually look forward to the lessons they could have, together. Eda doesn’t have to be the magical teacher that Luz wanted- That frees her up to express vulnerability by being a Magic Student like Luz, acknowledging her shortcomings so Eda can get Luz the best teachers she can… And Luz recognizing Eda’s value as a teacher in a different sense. Luz and Eda both show, teach, and illuminate one another- Individually great on their own, but when combined, Luz and Eda make an unstoppable pair! Before losing her magic, Eda was already learning about glyphs with her research; Now she gets to do it alongside Luz, and has a reason to for both of them.