#Vivid's Eye Analysis Posts

[vividstardustrevolution]

Haruka Sakurai - Eyes Analysis in MILGRAM

Alright, so let's start with Haruka and his two MVs - Weakness and All Knowing and All Agony.

Starting with Weakness, we see that the victim's face and the mom's face (and therefore their eyes) are blocked out. We can see the victim's expression, but not the mom's. This could be for a few reasons, but I don't think it's dehumanization here, because Haruka, as we all know, adores his mom, and he looks happy with the victim in the left picture.

A lot of people theorize that Haruka is autistic, and these scenes with the eyes plus the faces getting blocked out plus Haruka struggling with eye contact in Trial 1 is one of the many reasons why - autistic people can have a hard time making eye contact and reading people's facial expressions and such. As an autistic person myself, I can speak to my own experience that I personally find eye contact very uncomfortable, and I don't always look at other people's faces when I'm talking to them.

These eyes that keep showing up are symbolism for something. This is just my take on things, but I think these eyes represent both what Haruka wants (for someone to see him, for someone to notice him) and the negative looks and responses he's been getting from being himself and acting in a certain way.

Part of the reason why the faces are blocked out in those scenes with the mom and the girl might be because Haruka can't look these people in the eyes, can't look at their faces, can't read their expressions, but let's dig a little deeper, shall we? Because they're not the only ones who are eyeless in this MV.

Take a look at this scene near the end of Weakness. Haruka doesn't have eyes here, but he's the focus of this MV! What's going on?

Well, as I'll bring up in later posts, like Kotoko's and Mikoto's, there are some MVs where the prisoner involved doesn't have eyes in some scenes. In this scene, neither Haruka has eyes, and my take on why the eyes are gone is that Haruka's kinda unconsciously dehumanizing himself and his victim here. The little Haruka represents not only his younger self that his mom loved, but also the "right version" of him that he's implied exists in both in the lyrics of Weakness ("the right future unfairly chose the wrong me") and in one of his interrogation questions (he said "Everything. Every single thing is wrong." as an answer to one of the trial 2 interrogation questions - "What's the difference between you and someone else?" - according to this translation). We also know now that AKAA has come out that younger Haruka in this scene also represents Haruka's victim - the braid girl. He believes that he's worthless and not worth paying attention to until Muu comes along, and he tries to dehumanize and push down his victim in the same way, but in the end, he can't fully do that. He still sees himself as less than her. Why do I say that? Well, considering that even when he's been told he's in the right, he still thinks "[every] single thing is wrong" about him, some bits from the second trial VD that I only vaguely remember, and considering the lyrics of Weakness and AKAA go deep into self hatred and believing he's "a disappointment," "why was I born like this," "hopeless," and so on, I really don't think he thinks he's any better than his victim.

We sure do see a lot of eye close ups for Haruka, huh? He seems sad or distressed or depressed in a lot of them. There's not much light there, either, but there's enough to where he doesn't look like he's in despair. He's holding onto a little bit of hope that maybe things will be alright again.

Before we move on to AKAA, I just want to analyze one last frame.

Haruka looks angry in this one, and it's the only one where you can see his eyes when he looks angry. In fact, it's right before the scene where Haruka's eyes are missing. It's interesting because he's upside down here, his full expression is angry, not just his eyes, and he's looking at his younger self (who is his younger self, his idealized self, and his victim). He said in this interrogation question that he was envious of his victim, so what do we get from that plus this? Haruka seems to have lashed out at his victim for being what he wanted to be so desperately - the golden child who was loved.

Now, onto All Knowing and All Agony!

Haruka shows a lot of emotions with just his eyes (although his expressions help). For example, here he's looking up at us, curious, and then...

In these shots, we see Haruka being determined to do something. Eye close ups are gonna be a bit of a thing in this MV too.

There seems to be more light in Haruka's eyes in this MV. He has a purpose; he's not loosely sinking into water anymore. This comes through in the lyrics too - "Don't leave me" "I will make you love me again" "I will keep on killing to be a good boy" "I want to be your favorite next." I think this is partly because of the innocent verdict, and he's speaking to Es/us in some of these lines.

This is one of the only shots in AKAA where Haruka's eyes are blocked out, actually. He's dehumanizing himself less (even though he's not portrayed as just a normal person in AKAA; he's portrayed as animalistic, which bothers me, but that's a personal gripe), and it's possibly because of the innocent verdict. After all, we told him he was innocent and forgivable, so he probably took that to mean that he's not totally worthless and less than human, because...yeah, Haruka seems to struggle with that a bit.

One interesting thing that shifts from Weakness to All Knowing and All Agony (that also shifts between half and Cat, but that's for another post) is that someone who didn't have eyes in the first MV now has eyes - Haruka's mom.

She is clearly horrified and afraid in these shots, but Haruka doesn't seem to take her actions and reactions that way, judging by his expressions after she slaps him.

"She slapped me" turns into "she finally noticed me and acknowledged my existence" turns into "she loves/cares about me." Someone should really sit Haruka down and explain to him how affection is actually supposed to work, because it's not like that. But it is interesting how Haruka's eyes shift from having no light in them to being filled with tearful joy. I just want to give him a hug.

I really, *really* want to analyze this shot. They're trying to make little Haruka look like a monster here with the viewpoint and the way his mom looks scared, but if you look closely, little Haruka is (1) happy to be noticed and (2) just wants a hug. He is a child who wants love, but he's being portrayed as wild and scary here. So why would the animators go for this point of view, rather than a different, more balanced point of view? I'll leave that to y'all to determine.

I...think that's about it for my Haruka eye analysis? (Although some of it was more just me pointing things out, but whatever.) I hope y'all liked it! Next up will be either Kotoko's or Kazui's, whichever one I feel like doing first.

Thank you for reading!

[slightlytoastedbagel]

Yeah no I'm still not over Kohane's fes card.

Soooo... That side story huh. The "fragment of a feeling" Kohane touches taking her to Vivid Street. The townsfolk all calling her An. Kohane trying to imitate An. Kohane who has been in Vivid Street for only a short period of time but has come to love it anyway. The townspeople calling her by her partner's name.

I could make a whole separate rant about how Kohane being linked to Nagi at the end of Kick It Up A Notch makes me feel. It doesn't feel fair for her. She has grown so much in a short period of time and yet when her talent reaches it's highest point she isn't just Kohane, she is like someone who has been dead for years. Even her partner can only think of Nagi looking at her.

The fragment sekai is a mix of Kohane's memories of places she has been since Vivid Bad Squad formed all collected in a gallery of shattered glass. Kohane loves Vivid Street yet every time she is likened to someone else. She sings like Nagi. She is An's partner. In a way it brings back to RAD Weekend. The idea that to surpass it they need to be just like it. They can't achieve that because RAD Weekend was the celebration of Nagi's life. Kohane can sing like Nagi but she can never become her, and I fear that, subconsciously, that's what certain people (Taiga) were hoping she would be. (He saw Nagi in her. He saw his dead sister. He still hasn't been able to fully move on.)

Then there's An. Her partner has become what she has aimed for her entire life. To be someone like Nagi, to be like her mentor. Vivid Street called Kohane by An's name. Does that mean they replaced An, or does it mean they can only think of An when they see her?

Kohane Azusawa went looking for a purpose in life. She found it, a group of street musicians with a shared goal. She loves it, yet the world only ever sees her as a distant memory. Someone who won't ever return.

(And something just hit me. Kohane is the only character without a proper backstory. We just had an entire event to go through the lead up to RAD Weekend which gave us a clear view of Nagi. An starts off VBS's main story yet Kohane is the "main character". They set this up right from the start I need to find colourful palette and fight them.)

[gghostwriter]

Knots of Yearning

Spencer Reid x BAU!Fem!Reader

Summary: Spencer lies by omission or in which Spencer acts like he doesn’t know how to tie a tie just to get you to do it for him Trope: Yearning/Angst; think season 1 Spencer Reid w.c: 1.3k a/n: when i thought of this idea, i was thinking it would be some cute light hearted fluff but when i started writing it, it became angst, filled with pining and tension so I dunno what happened but i finished writing it and thought it would be a waste not to post my rambly written fic. I might write a part 2 for this just to close it out to a happy ending. Let me know if that would interest you. Comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated! 💗

Two halves of a whole, the perfect pairing and yin & yang. Those were just some monikers that Spencer Reid had heard describing his partnership with you that started during the academy. He, being a genius in all things academic and psychological but severely lacking in the physical and combat department. You, on the other hand, filled those gaps—acing all physicals and being well known for being a shy but killer shot. Not to say you were lacking in the other categories, no, you came only second during written exams. 

So it came as a no surprise when graduation came and you both were cherry picked to join the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Spencer being chosen by SSA Jason Gideon and you being selected by Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner. 

The two geniuses of the BAU and the apprentices were added to the roster of nicknames.

Ever since then, he had traded in his standard issued trainee uniform to a button down and a matching tie—a tie that he badly struggles with or so Spencer made you believe. He didn’t mean to lie at first—didn’t mean it to go this far but by the time he felt the need to tell the truth, it had been too late. Each moment you’ve spent close to his space, invading it really, had become the highlight of his days and fuel for his nights. 

He often wondered if you catalogued his reaction just like how he did yours. Did you notice his staccato breathing just like how he noticed your subtle inhalation of his perfume? What about the reddening of his cheeks and neck in contrast to your trembling fingers? Or how about his eyes that convey his utter devotion as yours focus on any exposed skin in between his tie and collar? 

It seemed like a dance between him and you, to see how the other reacts and to figure out who would cave under the mounting attraction that had been building since the first ‘hello.’ 

With his choice of tie for the day hanging loosely on his neck, you would shyly smile and as if spellbound, he would shuffle to your orbit in silent plea for help that he needed.

Each glide of your finger made his encompassing thoughts about the mundane stutter into a halt. How his mind would then bombard itself with questions as to how the universe created such perfection. Each loop of your hand became vivid imagery of his own nimble fingers caressing your palm and all its engraved lines as if they contain the maps to all hidden mysteries of the world. And each tug to secure the knot transformed into a loud beating of his chest, encased within it’s cavity, with chants of waxing prose on how your very being, mind, body, and soul, call to his in a way that even his expansive vernacular could never explain. 

But no matter how much he wished for time to slow down for these intimate moments to last, it never did comply. So here he stayed, lying by omission—yearning for you to notice him, memorize him, and end his pining for the woman who seemed too unattainable for his clumsy, stuttering self.

———

 You accepted the lie well. Maybe too well.

The first time a blue striped flimsy piece of accessory hung around his neck, a sudden burst of courage took over, bringing you to a stop in front of his lithe, towering body and hands reaching up to whisper caresses on the silk to mold it into a secure neck tie that centered itself on his reddening neck—the color matching the one that bloomed on your cheeks as you realized what you’ve done. 

Your mind had rationalized someone as smart as he knew how to fix a tie but your body had moved on it’s own, having have spotted a once in a lifetime chance to invade his well protected space—the same way he had invaded your mind in every waking and sleeping moment.

That same chance turned into a routine. A blessing that you had come to look forward to, your steps having a bounce in them as you enter the bull pen and spotting a different pattern tie hanging undone on his neck every work day.

You knew, with no backing evidence that Spencer has to be doing it on purpose but didn’t want to spiral much into thought as to why he would leave that intimate action up to you.

Did he take note of every reaction you had to his presence the same way you did? The slight rocking on your heels as he inhaled your carefully chosen perfume? The biting of your lip as you felt his honey dripping eyes on your face? If he felt the same, you wondered why nothing has been done and if you had another burst of courage, would you have acted upon the tension? 

Maybe. Maybe not.

Maybe that was why you settled for accepting his poorly crafted lie of not knowing how to tie a necktie. 

It wasn’t really a lie if the other party knew the truth, right? Or was it a double lie now that silence has stacked between you and him? 

If you were being slightly honest with yourself, Spencer Reid had always fascinated you. Among the sea of gym built muscles during the academy, his gazelle stature has stuck out like a sore thumb and that intrigued you. How was it that a male, younger than any of his peers, that looked like he could grace a runway was in an institution that reeked sweat and masculinity? That very same question answered when you found yourself seated beside him in a profiler career talk. His intellect, that was why and although it seemed to alienate the others, not once did you feel inferior beside him. Rather, it pulled you in more. His quiet, unsure demeanor was the next to capture your attention. It was an invisible coat that he wore everywhere he went, sewn from years of bullying and ostracizing—similar to your experiences of having skipped a grade. Here was a comrade you thought and so, you silently orbited around his gravitational pull until he took notice and uttered the words ‘hello, I’m Dr. Spencer Reid’ in a low, trembling voice. 

You didn’t know when that same fascination turned into adoration. There was never a specific moment in time that you could pinpoint when it all changed. It just happened, one day you woke up and the past truth had transformed into a half truth—and the whole truth now being, you falling and yearning for a man who had a bright future in reading people’s actions but seemed too oblivious to the call of your aching heart. 

———

Morgan and Elle shared an exasperated look as they noted the two youngest members of the team silently flirting in the middle of the bullpen, yet again. They didn’t get how obtuse the two smartest people in the room were with their feelings for one another. 

“You think we should give them a push?” He whispered to his female partner.

Elle scrunched her face. “At this point, we might just have to confess for the other.”

And in that moment, another moniker was added to the roster. The dense lovers of the BAU, a nickname that the remaining members use only behind both the duo’s back as they become bystanders to what could be a match made in heaven. If only one would admit to the other. 

Comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated!

[dduane]

Status report, “Why Won’t My REM Sleep Work The Way I Want It To” dep’t

(Tom Sturridge's voice) When the waking world leaves you wanting and weary, sleep brings you here to find freedom and adventure; to face your fears and fantasies...

DD: (resigned not-for-the-first-time thought, off the usual admiration of the grace of the phrasing) Dammit, I really wish I remembered my dreams more often.

DD (that night, asleep, somewhere between 1:30 and 6:30 AM*): Experiences prolonged, convoluted and vivid dream about meeting up with a group of people as (understood) lead for an upcoming creative project of some kind. During the dream she is responsible for numerous infrastructure objects and events involved in this meeting, many of which go awry while the participants participate gamely all throughout and leave her feeling like an incompetent idiot. This then morphs into a far more prosaic dream about her being in a hotel room packing to leave, in which the stuff she needs to bring all suddenly turns out to be both heavier than expected and too big to fit in either suitcase. One of these items is a huge hardcover book which she regards in exasperated resignation, realizing that there’s no way out of it, she’s going to have to buy another suitcase and pay extra to check the fucking thing—

DD: (wakes up enough to realize with intense relief that this is indeed a dream and all unreal—while still remembering it vividly, down to textures and colors.)

(Quick bout of Even While Half Asleep analysis ensues, because asleep or awake, she's still been a psych nurse. A standard discharge-of-stress dream; and yeah, considering the usual worries that [for her] come with executing short-form fiction when she usually works where there's more room to stretch, the Gigantic Book’s a little on the nose as visual metaphor goes. But whatever. For the dreamer, dreams are inherently first draft. Editing comes later…)

DD: [Still fortunately only halfway out of the post-dream ex-psychopompic state, beckons over passing character] Dusty, do me a favor? Get Lord Morpheus on the horn and tell him I said “Ha ha, very funny.”

Herewiss: And was it really?

DD: (wakes up fully off his amused/ironic look, rolls eyes) ...Honestly, what even is my life. :)

*Timing indeterminate because the Fitbit, which has been losing power abruptly sometimes, had dumped its charge and failed to record REM or other data during this period. ...So annoying. Oh well, some other time.

[sunderingstars]

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✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ EIDOLON ART AS FACETS OF CHARACTER ⌝

analysis masterlist

— fandom: honkai star rail

— type: analysis, general

— word count: 1.7k

— overview: (as of 2.3) an analysis of eidolons, their art, and what they convey in terms of character. goes pretty deep into march 7th as an example, so it can partially function as a march eidolon analysis as well. meant to be a companion piece to my eidolon name analysis & sampo eidolon analysis (as well as any other characters i do down the line!)

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Honkai: Star Rail's eidolon art can be broken down into six sections:

— E1: A frame of the character facing away, often focused on their hair and back with facial features obscured.

— E2: A close-up frame of the character's left eye, often focused on their eye color and front-facing hair with the rest of their face obscured.

— E3: A frame of the character interacting with an important object to them, often focused on what their hands are doing (can also include parts of the face).

— E4: A frame of the character's upper body, often focused on their shoulders, neck, and face. No part of the face is obscured.

— E5: A frame focused on the character's chest, often obscuring the upper half of their face.

— E6: A frame of the character without clothes, head tilting down, usually showing the upper chest area or other body parts if curled.

The progression of clarity shown in the character's body language and revealing of facial features creates a visual effect of "coming closer" to them.

E1 shows none of their face, yet by the time we reach E6 we see not only their face, but their bare skin. We are quite literally seeing them at their most vulnerable, closing the distance physically, emotionally, and mentally between the player and the character.

What I find most striking about each eidolon is that they are consistent across every character; every E1 is the same pose, and so on and so forth. This leads me to believe that the poses and placement of eidolons serve a deeper meaning than just staying at a level of visual distance — namely, that they are meant to also convey similar facets of each character. As such, we can think of them as a baseline going forward, a constant benchmark structure we can use to compare characters to one another.

Let's take March 7th as an example:

— Her E1 (Memory of You) starts with her the furthest from us, facing away to create that narrative distance. The movement of her hair signals that she may be walking away; this is her at her most closed off. Taking from my "eidolon names as narratives" post, if we assume eidolons follow a narrative structure, then this would be reminiscent of her backstory, perhaps even her appearance to strangers or even her view of her past self as a stranger to her present. Either way, this is the "wall," the outer shell of her character. Conclusions: outer shell, backstory, appearance to strangers.

— Her E2 (Memory of It) immediately establishes her bubbly nature. The bright pinks and blues from her eye pop and create a burst of energy in the picture, while the large, white shine indicates a bright and youthful personality. We also get a better look at her vivid pink hair, which adds to the "bubbly girl" persona. This is our next look in, coming closer and getting a first impression of her true personality. I believe this may also be meant to represent the moment she woke up from the ice, as the "it" in "memory of it" may be referring to the ice itself. Conclusions: first impression, inciting incident, appearance to newcomers.

— Her E3 (Memory of Everything) further cements her cheerful disposition, as her smile and tilting head indicate an open and friendly figure. The important object she is fiddling with is an earring. While I have not been able to find any canonical significance for this earring in her lore or character details, my assumption would be that this is an item given to her by the Astral Express crew after awakening from the ice. As such, it not only implicates her interest in fashion, but a cherishing of the crew that is helping her build a new life for herself. I would say this also signals the point in her story where she is accepted by the crew; her memories are becoming filled with a new "everything" as the world opens up before her. Conclusions: important object, new life, appearance to acquaintances.

— Her E4 (Never Forfeit Again) shows her looking over her back while flashing a peace sign. (This is absolutely my favorite eidolon of hers, it's so cute and friendly!) As we (the viewer) are getting closer to her in space and time, she is accepting us in by smiling and making a gesture often associated with fun and excitement. Through this, she is showing us that not only is she excited to know us, but excited to see the world in general. "Never forfeit again" hints that this excitement may be because she doesn't want to give up or lose another life, so she is trying her best to make this new one vibrant and enjoyable. However, this is still not the core of her being; it is more authentic than before, but there is more to go. Conclusions: balance between both sides of vulnerability, present events, appearance to friends.

— Her E5 (Never Forget Again) shows her slightly looking past us, focused on her collar and shirt. She looks more dull here, muted, as if she is comfortable enough to look away while still facing us, putting her trust in the audience to be safe. The smile is still there, though it doesn't seem as exaggerated as before; instead it seems more casual, like we are having a day-to-day interaction. However, there is also something ominous about another part of her face being obscured — even though we are closer to her, there are still secrets she is keeping, some that not even she may be aware of. I believe this indicates the mystery of her character, that there are still things to be uncovered. After all, what does the other "half" of her look like? Conclusions: casual and comfortable, future mystery, appearance to close friends.

— Finally, her E6 (Just Like This, Always) shows her at her most physically, mentally, and emotionally vulnerable, curled around herself without any clothes on. My guess is that this is her core essence, meant to symbolize the pose of her body while trapped in ice. The way she hugs herself seems to indicate coldness (and therefore, an attempt to keep herself warm), while the curling of her legs conjures a feeling of trying to keep something in, to keep her memories from escaping. This is the "March" at the center of her, the pure, vulnerable soul of her being. Beyond the bubbly exterior is someone who is scared and freezing, trying desperately to make new memories and cling to them before they fade. "Just like this, always" is also a major indicator to this being her constant state, something that sticks with her from the past to the present to the future. Conclusions: pure vulnerability, core essence, appearance to only a select few special people.

So, here are my summarized conclusions for the "baseline" of eidolon art:

— E1: Outer shell, backstory, appearance to strangers.

— E2: First impression, inciting incident, appearance to newcomers.

— E3: Important object, new life, appearance to acquaintances.

— E4: Balance between both sides of vulnerability, present events, appearance to friends.

— E5: Casual and comfortable, future mystery, appearance to close friends.

— E6: Pure vulnerability, core essence, appearance to only a select few special people.

Before I give my final thoughts, let's do a quicker and shorter application of these concepts to another example, Gepard:

— E1 (Due Diligence): Symbolizes his backstory, the distance of working his way up through the ranks, and a strong, loyal silhouette for those who don't know him.

— E2 (Lingering Cold): Can be interpreted several ways, but I view the "inciting incident" to be several events in a trenchcoat, namely every past battle he fought under the Supreme Guardian, the "lingering cold" of war. Tired yet determined eyes at first glance. Most likely the view his soldiers have on the day-to-day.

— E3 (Never Surrender): The important object is the Silvermane Medal indicating his status as Captain (shows the importance he places on loyalty and leadership). His face is not shown; he values his service to Belobog more than his own feelings. New life as a Captain leading the charge, covers the span of time between the inciting incident and present. Despite losses and setbacks, he pushes forward.

— E4 (Faith Moves Mountains): Active and commanding, tracks events in the Belobog Trailblaze Mission where he has more interaction with his soldiers and the main cast. Faith in Cocolia is difficult to break down, then replaced by faith in Bronya. The Gepard his soldiers see up close on the battlefield; comrades-in-arms.

— E5 (Cold Iron Fist): Comfortable enough to look away, yet still on-guard. Even around close friends, his instincts lead him to always be alert. Eyes narrowed, scanning surroundings. Future uncertainty for the fate of Belobog.

— E6 (Unyielding Resolve): Almost hesitant body language; slight furrow to brow betraying difficulty being vulnerable. Only slightly turned away, as if still on guard; core essence is strength and loyalty.

Overall, while these are standard commonalities I've come across while looking at eidolons, I'm sure there are slight deviations between characters. After all, facets are bound to change slightly depending on the personality of the character. However, the common eidolon poses and analysis discussed here lead me to believe the facets shown in E1-E6 art have deeper meaning and connection to each character, tracking across time and space to reveal more and more about a character’s personality until finally arriving at the "core essence" of E6.

(Feel free to try applying this to other eidolons of your favorite characters — since I drew these conclusions from general commonalities across eidolon sets, they should be able to work with any given character (with slight deviations). I think it’s a fun brain exercise to get thinking about each character’s personality and story!)

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જ⁀➴ and that's the end of my analysis! if you’ve read to the end, thank you for listening to my nerdy rambling! i’ll be posting an in-depth analysis of sampo’s eidolons soon, so if anyone is interested please keep a look out for that!

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© analysis by sunderingstars. do not copy, repost, translate, modify, or claim my work as your own.

[riacte]

Space Opera AU dashboard simulator 2 (but there's plot if you squint) (probably worse than its predecessor)

🚀 renthepilot

HAPPY BITRHDAY TO ME!! I TURN 7!!! :D :D :D <3 <3 <3 RD

❤️ falsewell

Happy 7th birthday Ren! :)

🚀 renthepilot

Thank u FalsE!!!!!! :DDDDDD >.< RD

🍵 cinnamontea Follow

... Why is my 17yo ET1blr mutual talking to a 7yo on Sunblr. I came here for analysis posts but apparently she's babysitting her cousin or perhaps a strangely intelligent dog??

❤️ falsewell

I mean, I would be worried if a 7yo was piloting the glider I race in 🤨

🍵 cinnamontea Follow

WDYM THAT GUY IS YOUR RACE PARTNER? OMFG I AM SO SORRY

🍀 et1vision Follow

Chat do you remember when we found RK and QoH's Sunblr accounts from when they weren't famous and were just two kids in illegal races. Because it was hysterical. Hands up if you thought falsewell was someone's canon url and not QoH herself.

🪓 handoftheking

That interaction was pretty cute to be honest. Ren's still 7 the last I checked.

🪸 hoes4redking Follow

[deep sigh] littlewood at the scene of the crime as always

#WHYYYYYYY is he chronically online #he needs to be stopped and locked up #i bet he scrolls through the treebark tag every day #he knows Too Much #do you think he brings up sunblr during dinner #and etho and bigb look at him like hes insane

7,207 notes

🔥 yaoihell Follow

save me queen of hearts

🔥 yaoihell Follow

queen of hearts

🔥 yaoihell Follow

queen of hearts save me

🏐 apollos-dodgeball 🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀 Follow

Congratulations on the prophecy!

[Beep boop, this is a gimmick blog!]

🔥 yaoihell Follow

what the actual fuck.

🌼 fast-and-bifurious Follow

i think i hauve the plague

47,981 notes

🫐 toxicblueberry Follow

hi babes the demons in my head won so new fic!!

i'm your biggest fan, i'll follow you until you love me, pa-pa paparazzi

pairing: the red king x blue stalker (they/them) (exterra 1 rpf)

summary: why are you as a bounty hunter so intent on hunting ren down? what do you want to do with him? pin him against a wall and kiss him until he's breathless and melting like putty in your hands?

word count: 10.1k

tags: enemies to lovers, angst, hurt no comfort, whump, ust, no actual smut, making out, blood, slight knifeplay, submissive rk, open ending

Keep reading

🏹 queenofheartsfanclub Follow

Listen, I don't do RPF, I can handle Treebark (because I have eyes), but this is crossing a line. Especially after the accusations by RK. I think his evidence is pretty compelling.

🫐 toxicblueberry Follow

dead dove do not eat. i am aware this is a fucked up dynamic but it's fictional. it's not like the real blue stalker has a toxic codependent attraction to the guy they're assigned to kill (btw i mained qoh so i completely understand where you're coming from)

🫐 toxicblueberry Follow

oh.

🏹 queenofheartsfanclub Follow

hey

so do you wanna kiss before the haters get to you?

🫐 toxicblueberry Follow

of course. can we get married

#love can be found on the battlefield in more ways than one #fave post #annoying treebark fans fuck off!!!!!!

1109 notes

🌹 fyeahroseduo Follow

Coming out as a falsedog shipper is harder than coming out as gay

🦇 starshipspachelbel Follow

TEN YEARS????

Time is not real

🌃 nightpatrols Follow

I had vivid flashbacks. I feel faint. This post caused so much drama omfg. I need a treebark equivalent on my desk by 8am sharp next morning

🪓 handoftheking

Coming out as a Treebark shipper is harder than coming out as bi

🌃 nightpatrols Follow

WHAT THE FUFHUBFBFUOUOFFUCK

#HES IN OUR WALLS #HE STARTED THE SHIP #this is gonna sweep the next unhinged moment poll #??!?1!?!???!?!?! #HATE THIS LUMIAN GLOWY ASS #btw for non et1 mutuals: this man is literally bi #yeah hes really gay for his pilot. yeah we all know #theyre always holding hands and shit #edit: DID HE REBLOG THIS AT 7:30AM #IDK HOW PLANETZONES CONVERSATION WORKS #*conversion #listen i failed school 2 years in a row ok 😭

19,626 notes

🎵 daily-music Follow

Music video of the day is: R8cer Boi by Avril Lavigne!

🎵 daily-music Follow

who the fuck is renn dog

🎵 daily-music Follow

who has little wood

🎵 daily-music Follow

why are y'alls twink racers larping as royals from medieval era planet earth

🎵 daily-music Follow

sorry for calling the queen of hearts a twink. im sorry women

#im so done with yalls bullshit #who are these people #why do they show up in my tags

898 notes

[oneluckydragon]

got hit with the echo+sora brainrot so i am once more rambling in your askbox about it. because reasons.

anywho i think there is something truly saddening about echo's struggles to make peace within herself and how she truly finds it hard to find that peace when she is so certain that if the truth about her origins were to be revealed to the world, much less to *sora*, everything she achieved, everything she worked for, all of which matters to her most, will crumble away in a moment's notice.

but the fear of losing all your life's work is none compared to the fear of losing sora. the feeling of poison that settled itself within themselves and between each other out of fear and tragedy of what had happened to them is familiar. echo's resemblance to dusknoir was already enough to set the two off because of how much it had all hurt to see someone you love and yourself turn into a mockery and a splitting image of someone who had pretended to care yet showed he never did at all, but this poison is louder. it hurts to bare, to carry, and to have none but yourself to be its sole holder.

but this poison, this feeling of heartache is different. because whereas the previous pain was something both of them felt, sora was lucky enough to not have known the truth about the person who she cares for so dearly.

echo knows that she used to be darkrai. and it haunts her to have known that her previous incarnation was so *cruel*, all for the sake of it just feeling right. wishing to engulf an entire world in darkness, solely for whatever desire she used to have.

and for how much she knows, how much she will hammer it into her own head that she is *not* like that anymore, that she looks at her past with sneer and disgust and that she will not be the barer of evil anymore, it will not matter in the slightest when she will have to look at sora if she were to ever find out.

how afraid, angry and dejected she would look when finding out, and how she will go on the defense/offense because of how much this will overwhelm her.

because when echo looks at her own shadow, she sees herself for what she is. she knows what she is, be it out of shame or guilt.

but when sora will look at it, she will see a tall, contorting and menacing shadow, towering over with a bright cyan eye doing nothing but looking at her, as if tempting her to make the next move.

and she defends herself. from someone she knows will not harm her. she raises her arms up in self defense from a hand that would never hurt her more than the world has already did.

she knows echo will not hurt her. and thats why she is afraid.

Oh my oh my OH MY, Sinnoh!!! YES YES YES!

HOW!!! IN THE WORLD!!! Are you so good at crawling into my head and creating these vivid analysis/snippets on my OCs??? I've barely shared ANY information about Echo and Sora because I've been wanting to hoard most of my stuff for when my fic is finally finished... but... I think you've broken my resolve a bit, if I'm entirely honest.

You know what? I'm so inspired by your accuracy and eagerness to talk about my girls that I'm gonna forgo my crippling anxiety regarding my writing skills and instead post a snippet of my WIP fic here as a treat for you. A teaser, if you will. Since I have no idea when the fic in question will actually be done and ready (or when I will be satisfied with it, cause the thing is currently 36,000 words and still slowly climbing). And now you've got me eager to share SOMETHING of my fic with you and anyone that might want to take a peek at it.

Please enjoy this conversation between Dusknoir and Echo. The topic deals a lot with what you'd described up above!! c:

[Note: this is an unedited part of my fic because I am still in the process of writing and it may change in the future, so please be gentle w/ me but I'd love to read any thoughts/comments that pop up while reading!! pls send asks or replies or anything really cause I love you guys]

+++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++

“I’m going to tell you something now, and you are going to listen.” Echo commands with a sharp bite in her voice that Dusknoir cannot fathom ignoring. He pauses and then offers a slow nod, waiting, wondering what she could possibly desire to tell him at a time like this, of all things.

Minutes pass as Echo remains rooted in place, still as her own shadow, and her eyes dart around as she stares at the patches of dry grass and sand beneath her paws. Her claws clench and unclench, digging into the earth like daggers as the wind of the forest (it’s trees so close, just behind them, a looming sort of presence that could engulf them whole) whistles through the surrounding branches, carrying stray leaves of many bright greens through the chilling breeze. Dusknoir watches them dance around Echo, twirling, floating down, down, down… but it’s quiet, too quiet, and Dusknoir feels a shiver pass through him when Echo’s voice finally rings out through the silence.

"When I evolved, Sora was petrified," She says, nearly a whisper, an admission that melts away her confidence and appears to bring her a flood of both shame and regret. Her face twists up then, strangely, like she’d felt a twinge of pain from somewhere deep inside the very fabric of her own soul and was unable to quell it. "She couldn’t even bring herself to look at me most days. At first, my appearance… well, it reminded her too much of you. And eventually of someone I used to be.”

Someone I used to be. At that, Dusknoir’s immediate reaction is to recall Echo’s previous life as a human, as the miserable shell of a creature surviving alongside Grovyle that he’d relentlessly hunted in the dark future. A human made of contempt and anger and apathy, who never smiled or laughed or cried or screamed like the old legends said humans would-- an entity that simply existed rather than lived. An echo of a life long dead and buried. But, judging by her tone, by her voice, by some uneasy intuition itching in the back of his mind like a swarm of pestilent Ninjask… he knows that she means something else entirely. Something that she isn’t willing to share. And frankly, that concept utterly terrifies him.

Someone I used to be. Dusknoir wants to speak, to break his own silence, wants to ask the myriad of questions bubbling up in his throat because this isn't the first time she's hinted at another life beyond being human, but those questions die at the source like a flame doused in water. And always the coward, coward, coward, instead he takes the easy way out by doing nothing at all. Whether Echo notices his surge of inner conflict or not-- the nervous wring of his hands and the tremble in his spine that he cannot control under her gaze-- she does not react.

“I’d take a step and Sora would flinch away.” Echo confesses, her markings flickering with light before going dark and dead, as if her body wished to snuff them out entirely, a deep seated rejection, a self-loathing so strong that Dusknoir cannot help but recognize it and empathize, and his heart aches, “It took ages for her to stop shaking when I’d speak. To stop looking at me like-- like I was going to…” 

Echo grimaces like she’s enduring waves of grueling torture and doesn’t finish that string of thought, but it’s not hard to make an educated guess on what went unsaid. Like I was going to betray her. Hurt her. Break her heart. She’s been through so much already and I couldn’t bear to be another influence in the history of her suffering. I hate myself because of how I made her feel. When her eyes went wide in fear and through them I could see myself staring back like some sort of burden, some sort of curse.

“I am not my past.” Proud and true, Echo straightens up and holds her head high, a spark igniting in her eyes, a glint of determination, a will to keep going and going despite such circumstances and strife, despite this horrid, unspeakable past that haunts her so, “And I am definitely not you. It’s taken a while, but I know that much now. I’ve accepted it.”

I am not my past. And I am definitely not you.

A sigh, a breath, and Echo glances at him with a certain sorrow that cannot be described, a sorrow that lingers even through the veil of her tenacity, "But no matter how I feel, no matter my conviction, my shadows still find ways through the cracks. Every time I think I'm getting a grip and that I might finally understand myself… I change all over again." She admits, sounding more angry and tired than defeated now-- like a mirror of her old self, her human self that had clawed and damned and cursed him, despised him more than anything. "I hate it. I hate that I never truly know who I am. That I have to learn about my past through stories others tell me, or through fragments of twisted, broken memories that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Through conflict and pain and… and..."

"Echo," Dusknoir murmurs her name softly, an offering, a potential escape if only she would wish to drop the subject and forget this conversation had ever happened-- if she'd overstepped and needed an excuse to back out, a diversion, an understanding. And briefly, Dusknoir wonders why she is opening up about this particular information, why she would delve into something so vulnerable, so personal. Why she would bring up this hurtful history when it obviously brings her great discomfort.

And then, he gets an answer.

“You’re lucky, Dusknoir." There it is, that wildfire burning in her eyes again. A spark that’s new and bold and startling. But lucky? No, never. He'd have to disagree, accounting the mountain of evidence that was his life and regrettable deeds.

"You already know exactly who you are and what you’ve done, and most importantly why. You have more than a tattered picture of yourself that reflects broken answers. And you can change with that knowledge. I see you trying.” She tells him, searching, looking for something so deeply and Dusknoir wishes he knew what it could be so that he could give it to her, because he would, he would gladly give it to her without a second thought if it meant they could be close again. But he isn’t a fool, and he’s wise enough to know they’ll never be like they were before. “And if somehow I could change, even as half-assed as I have. Well, then what’s your excuse?”

You can do it, say her unspoken words, I believe in you.

[thethirdromana]

A few people in the Dorian Gray Weekly tag have observed that Oscar Wilde doesn't make it clear what he wants us to think of Dorian. I'd like to dig into that a bit more, because I think it's true, and fascinating, and weird.

Because if you take everything so far at face value, then Wilde has made it abundantly clear that Dorian is a terrible person. His actions have resulted in a young woman's suicide. He has a visual record in his attic of his moral degradation and that record has become "evil". The picture is covered in "signs of sin", and it's pretty clear that Wilde means that literally. It's not just that Dorian is being spared the realistic physical consequences of his misdeeds, like bags under his eyes after a heavy night out. His sins, which he is unquestionably committing, are visibly altering the appearance of his portrait, like that Roald Dahl quote:

If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it.

We don't know exactly what his sins are. But we know how they cause people to act around him:

It was remarked, however, that some of those who had been most intimate with him appeared, after a time, to shun him. Women who had wildly adored him, and for his sake had braved all social censure and set convention at defiance, were seen to grow pallid with shame or horror if Dorian Gray entered the room.

The only reason that there isn't more scandal around him is explicitly because he's rich and attractive. Not because there's any hint that he's sometimes a good person. While Wilde doesn't say "Dorian was evil and his portrait looked evil because he was an evil person who did evil things", he comes pretty damn close to it.

And yet...

Despite all that condemnation, it's hard to come away from reading this novel with the impression that Wilde is actually condemning Dorian's actions, as the commentary in the tag demonstrates. (Which is handy, because this is vibes-based analysis and tricky to prove otherwise).

I think there are two reasons for this. One is the lavish, indulgent descriptions of everything Dorian is doing. The details feel like they're shared in a spirit of appreciation, not judgement. Post-Sibyl, Dorian's crimes are presented in an innuendo-laden, nudge-nudge way that lets you imagine whatever level of debauchery you find titillating. (It's always fun to see where adaptations choose to draw the line here). Dorian's life is shallow, but it's vivid and luxurious - and more than a little enviable. And sometimes it's fun to read about rich people doing bad things!

(Of course, that means that the reader ignores Dorian's sins in favour of his wealth just like his acquaintances do).

The other reason is the weird relationship between Dorian's life and Oscar Wilde's own. Wilde puts what feels like an uncomfortable amount of himself into Dorian - the book that Dorian "could not free himself from", that contributes to his moral degradation, is one of Wilde's own favourite books. Wilde also lived an indulgent, hedonistic lifestyle that took him into sordid parts of London, where he did things that, once revealed, would see him shunned by society, some of which we would still judge harshly.

Wilde was writing for an audience who didn't know as much about his life as we do, but he was already an established celebrity when The Picture of Dorian Gray was published, so I think his readership would see an echo of Dorian's decadence in Wilde himself. Like Basil Hallward, he put a lot of himself into his art. Like Basil Hallward, it revealed more of him than he perhaps intended - but he did intend some of it.

I can't quite imagine writing a character who shares a lot of my interests and enthusiasms, plus some of the worst of my behaviour, and then explicitly describing that character as evil, but that's what Oscar Wilde did. Dorian Gray doesn't feel like it's written in a spirit of self-loathing, but nor does it feel like a demonstration of cognitive dissonance. So I'm no closer to figuring out what the hell is going on here. But for me, the chewy complexity of exactly how Wilde wants us to feel about Dorian - admiring, judgmental, condemnatory, detached - is a significant part of why I enjoy this novel so much.

[cardiagf]

An In-Depth Analysis of Okita and Saito Being Foils to One Another

Disclaimer:

I have only played the first game, and kyoto winds + edo blossoms so I may have missed a lot of other qualities from other sources.

This whole thing was born out of hyperfixation so it's not exactly a perfect analysis, just wanted to write ab these two regardless!

Also feel free to add details that I have missed :)

Spoilers ahead! mostly just from the CGs I have included in this post but this is an analysis either way so...

Long post ahead as well so buckle up.

What is a "Foil"?

Simply put, a foil is a character that contrasts another character to better highlight the qualities that these individual characters possess. One of the most popular literary examples of foils are Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.

And in this case, I will be highlighting the differences (and resemblance) of the Hakuoki characters, Okita Souji and Saito Hajime to each other

By Design

First, I would like to discuss their character design and how we can see them as characters by appearance

Their designs are a striking contrast of each other.

Seen by how more open and how thinly-clothed Okita is, highlighting his harsh and straightforward nature, he's someone who's not afraid to speak his mind.

On the other hand, Saito's design is more modest. Paired with a scarf that wraps around him and with socks as well, highlighting how reserved he is and how he usually keeps to himself, he's someone who is more closed off.

Their hairstyles also show more of their character, as Okita's hair is up and is like that because he's copying Kondou. On the other hand, Saito's hair seems more unkempt, it's covering half of his face and his right eye completely but he doesn't really care much for it, something that also contrasts how Okita's right side of face is more exposed

Their color palettes also create a difference between the two of them, a muted red with green accents for Okita while a vivid blue with cold silver/white accents for Saito

Sword placements are also on opposing sides but that's already a given since this is Saito.

As They Are

But beyond their appearance they have demeanors that separate them from one another, something that highly accentuates both of their characters personality-wise, these qualities being:

How Okita can be easily likened to a cat while Saito leans more to being dog-like. (It's also so much more complex than that as their own personalities seems to be reversed in this situation but it also makes so much sense why they are the way they are).

Their voices also contrast each other, Okita with Morikubo's high pitched playful voice v.s. Toriumi's deep and serious one.

They also have this thing where one could easily assume that someone like Okita would be using the 'Ore' pronoun for himself (bc it's more "vulgar") but he actually uses 'Boku' and Saito's the one who actually uses 'Ore.'

They're both blunt in their own ways: with Okita being far harsher with his words compared to how Saito speaks bluntly but with less of an edge and with more tact.

One's loyalty is placed towards Hijikata as he's the one who primarily runs the Shinsengumi while the other hates Hijikata's guts because he is Kondou's closest confidant and friend. Okita is undyingly loyal to Kondou as much as Saito is to his purpose of serving the Shinsengumi to a fault.

They constantly overwork themselves to the bone because they want to be useful to the Shinsengumi/the people that their loyalty lies on and both are really annoying patients when they get hurt because they will stop at NOTHING to try and be of help to the Shinsengumi.

^This creates a contrast on their roles as Saito was one of the most active people in the Shinsengumi (especially in his route) in contrast to Okita, who was bedridden in all of the routes even in his own, not being able to do much to help his comrades in battle due to his condition.

Okita sees everyone as equal, as in he doesn't care about anyone else besides Kondou as he is the only person he thinks highly of. He thinks of everyone else, including himself to be under Kondou.

While Saito is in the position of constant belittlement of others just for being left handed, he wants more than anyone to be seen as an equal as he does so for everyone especially in a place of battle. But he doesn't belittle others in the way that Okita does even if he sees people like Hijikata as someone above him.

One is stoic and seems emotionless but the other is a huge perpetual smiler. With Saito just being more composed, rather than being cunning or calculating like Okita, someone who hides it all with his smile in which we will dive more into...

Both Okita and Saito are highly emotionally repressed individuals, brought by how they were treated in their younger days.

Saito had always suppressed his emotions to cultivate a clearer and more rational mind, fearing that this could hinder his ability to do his job and to do his job well. He fears that emotions could cloud his judgement especially during the times where he needed to be level-headed.

While Okita is someone who DOES let his emotions get ahead of him bc of his dedication to Kondou. But these emotions are only focused on one thing and that is everything that involves Kondou and Kondou alone. Everything else that wasn't about him is something that he absolutely does not care about.

They're both emotional beings (naturally) but Saito whose repressed feelings and stoic demeanor may make him seem more cold and apathetic when in reality he isn't as merciless as how the thorny Okita can be if it didn't (or if it did) involved Kondou.

Have I been of any use to the Shinsengumi at all?

Now, let's move onto the main meat of this analysis: their character motivation and their desires.

Both Okita and Saito wants to be of help to the Shinsengumi, or mainly the people that they are loyal to.

They both have this problem of seeing themselves as a tool for the Shinsengumi. This is something that both are more than willing to be one because of the people that gave them purpose: Kondou for Okita, and the Shinsengumi and by extent, Hijikata, for Saito for giving him a place to belong to, a place where he is respected for just being the way he is as a warrior and as a person.

The stark contrast between Saito and Okita especially with regards to how they view their duties as a member of the Shinsengumi and as warriors who had shed a lot of blood is hauntingly fascinating.

Both Okita and Saito had killed a LOT of people. It was part of the job anyways, and they were high ranking captains of the Shinsengumi, it'd be weirder if they haven't.

However, Saito is more of the pragmatic warrior of the two, aware of the lives that he took and how being a warrior means that it's a me or him situation. This means that he had killed a lot of people just so he can stay alive and be alive, as he is right now. Although killing isn't something he particularly enjoys, it's something that proves one's strength over the other.

However, all of this still encapsulates a form of respect in some way, moreso as a way to honor each other as a combatant. He isn't just mindlessly killing other people just because he was asked to or he needed to (of course, he would still kill them if that was what he was ordered to but he just doesn't unnecessarily shed blood if he didn't need to do so) and he's perfectly aware of all this as he carries this burden as a warrior.

Okita, on the other hand, is apathetic.

He's as aware as Saito when it comes to the deliberation of life and death between him and those that he had killed, it's just that he doesn't care since it was an order (something he can do for Kondou), so he will do it regardless of who or what you are, that is his burden and duty as the sword of the shinsengumi. if he has to kill he WILL kill.

I see it as something similar to projection of some sort, I think, since he has no other purpose, he isn't some kind of honorable pragmatic solider like Saito who lives for his sword and carries the heart of a warrior, what he wants is to be useful to Kondou and this is something he believes that he can do for him.

Other than this duty for Kondou, he has no other life to call as his. It's in his own cynical ways that makes it easy for him to take away the lives of other people. Which, in an almost karmic fashion, can his life be easily taken away by his incurable disease as well.

But something even more fascinating ab them is their individual motivations, their actual desires or what they actually wanted to do.

It is, however, blurred by their sense of duty and sticking to the purpose that they have crafted for themselves, they are driven by something that is both hugely different and quite similar to one another.

Okita KNOWS what he wants and that's to be useful to Kondou in any way that he can be. To him, his sole purpose is to serve Kondou. The idea of being useless to him is what mainly drives him into a a depressive spiral, he's THE sword of Shinsengumi, something that is at the extent of Kondou. For Okita, he sees himself as none other than a tool for Kondou's biddings.

Saito, on the other hand, found his purpose through the Shinsengumi. He had a place where he was accepted for who he is. He thrived in following orders from Hijikata as this is what fulfills him as a person, to be of use to those who accepted fully and didn't shun him away. But in comparison, Saito DOESN'T EXACTLY KNOW what he truly wants besides for honoring and priding himself as a warrior or as a vassal of the Shinsengumi.

He had trained hard for HIS sword and for his skills AS a warrior and he knows nothing beyond that. He also sees himself as a tool for the Shinsengumi's bidding but in a way that both differs and also resembles Okita's purpose for being in the Shinsengumi.

In Conclusion

Okita Souji and Saito Hajime are both well-written characters. These two are the two stand-out characters of the series and it's their own distinct differences that makes them stand out. Furthermore, they are the best example of foils in the whole series in comparison to the other foil characters in the series (such as Hijikata-Chikage), as they are both well fleshed out as individuals and moreso as a duo.

I just find it so interesting how the two of them resemble each other in contrasting ways. It's these differences they have that compliments and accentuates the qualities that they possess and I find that really fascinating.

Anyways I'm really bad at writing conclusions T___T but thank you so much for reading! I enjoyed writing this and hakuoki is like a dormant interest of mine so this was really fun to do :D

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Victor’s Carbon Pen and Glass Bead Event (Day 2)

⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for content yet to be released on the global server! ⌚

✦ thursday || friday || saturday || sunday || monday || tuesday || wednesday

【High School Affiliated to Loveland University Second Year (Section 1) Semester Schedule - Friday】

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

[PHYSICS]:

If asked to choose the class with the most exemplary learning environment, Victor would undoubtedly go for the physics class without hesitation.

“Next, I’m going to cover one of the most important topics for this semester, which will be included in the monthly exam. Even a fool should be able to grasp the essence of what I’m saying, don’t you think?”

With a cold laugh, the man places the nearly used-up chalk into the chalk box.

“Whoever fails to solve it when the time comes, you all know the consequences already.”

—

[MATH]: 

“Answer: D. Analysis: Omission.”

This is the most openly righteous lie in the world.

—

[ENGLISH]:

Take care of your eyes and make sure to rest properly.

I hope the next class, Brother Xiao Ying can be more serious while teaching. In a rare moment, Victor prays to himself.

—

[BIOLOGY]:

“Hey, Sir Vic, pinch me quickly. I finally managed to change to the seat at the back with so much effort, but I might fall asleep listening to Brother Wen’s never-ending ‘The Great Compression Mantra’.”

“If I do doze off, I’ll get late to grab the lunch later.”

—

[SPORTS]:

Right after the warm-up, the students are notified to go back to the classroom. It seems like something serious is about to be announced.

The result is that the physics teacher wins the class registration battle.

It is, indeed, quite a serious matter.

—

[CHINESE]:

“How come I don’t see any of you dozing off during the physics class, huh?”

The head teacher’s eyes curve into a smile, but it silences the entire classroom in fear,

“I’m showing my consideration and kindness to you guys, but I see no appreciation in return…”

“Since you all love to sleep so much, just keep your eyes closed.”

Victor quietly opens the math paper tucked beneath his Chinese textbook and starts writing to save time.

—

[CHINESE]:

How should I analyze your desires and wishes?

Using the first-person narrative will create a warm and friendly tone, while incorporating the second-person will enhance the emotional expression of the article, and using the third-person will portray objectivity…

“The author portrayed the joyous memories of his childhood with vivid imagery, showcasing his profound sense of homesickness…” - Victor’s expression remains stoic as he writes.

—

[CLASS MEETING]:

Today’s class meeting is rare in that it hasn’t devolved into a session of appreciation for classical poetry, and this causes everyone’s enthusiasm after school to soar.

When Victor completes his assigned duties and returns to the dormitory to retrieve his luggage, he finds that everyone has already left the dorm.

That’s alright; it came as a blessing in disguise to help avoid the crowded bus – Victor thinks this to himself as he walks to the bus station and waits patiently.

“Meow——”

Suddenly, a very soft cat purring reaches his ears, prompting him to turn around subconsciously. The little kitten’s paw gently taps on the glass window, as if extending him an invitation.

He walks over and greets the little kitten from the other side of the glass. He smiles happily, and as he turns back, the bus behind him has already left. 

──────

✧ next stop: Saturday

─────────

[shiraishi--kanade]

✦ New pinned post ✦

The old one got quite outdated, so it's about time I made a new one.

♪ I'm Jay! I also go by Ollie and Lu.

♪ any pronouns!

♪ My main is @jeiseny! I follow and like from there, but I prefer to interact on this blog.

♪ My back-up blog is @shiraishi-kanade. It was originally my only side-blog before being accidentally terminated by Tumbrl. Now it's just staying there, mostly inactive; however, I still intend to use it for long-form character analysis.

♪ I'm physically disabled. I'm also open to talk about it and my experience with it, specifically rheumatic heart disease and juvenile arthritis, but I am not obligated to prove my diagnosis to anyone.

♪ I'm dyslexic! If I suddenly don't make sense, that's why.

♪ This is a project sekai fan blog, on which I mostly write character analysis, especially focusing on Vivid Bad Squad in general and An Shiraishi specifically.

♪ I am also an occasional fanfic writer. My AO3 username is also Jeiseny!

♪ I'm currently working on two unit shuffle aus (on an indefinite hiatus, but by no means abandoned) and my mini-series Count To Five that is An Shiraishi-centric and takes place after Light Up the Fire. Feel free to check it out!

♪ I also have a side-blog for my pjsk fan unit Kawaakari Orchestra! They're a long standing passion project of mine. You can find them at @kawaakari-orchestra.

♪ I will sometimes post about other media I'm a fan of.

Additional info:

♪ Any interactions (e.g replies, reblogs, asks, dms) are fine and encouraged regardless of mutual status.

♪ I'm fine with tags and tag games (except picrew chains! I don't do those); however, please refrain from publically asking me to reblog anything pertaining to fan-content and especially character analysis. It makes me really uncomfortable (never thought I'd have to set a boundary like this but here we are).

♪ I visit the tags often and will usually reblog the takes I agree with naturally; being pushy about it because of me being a relatively big character analysis blog will only get you blocked.

♪ I love receiving asks about my opinion on pjsk characters and storylines! By all means, please send them to me. I take a while to answer sometimes because I take my sweet time to think about it.

♪ I am an VBS oshi & main, and I'm caught up with their stories at the moment of writing this. I also follow N25 closely and keep an eye out on WxS. All the favourites & fandom information from the old pinned post is still relevant!

♪ I'm open to discussion and correction on my posts, especially if it's about the characters I don't know well!

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Tags:

#jay rambles.txt - general tag. Mostly about pjsk though

#jay rambles about life.txt - general tag for everything that is not about my interests. Doubles as a vent tag (because there's nothing to smile about in my life /ref)

#jay rambles about ocs.txt - me rambling about pjsk ocs, both my own and other's

#jay's archive.txt - old-ish character analysis posts or otherwise important things from a previously terminated blog; can also be found by similar tags on @shiraishi-kanade.

#jay gets asks - ask answered tag!

#jay's character analysis - self-explanatory

#jay's memes.png - I like to make funny images sometimes!

#jay's ocs & #jay's headcanons - self-explanatory

#rb - general rb tag.

#self rb - adding onto my own posts, mostly for my own self-organisation.

#other's character analysis - pjsk takes I love and agree with

#orher's art <3 - art rbs!

That is all! Nice to meet you!

[dividers by saradika-graphics]

[hwei-theories]

╰┈➤ What exactly do Hwei's paintings look like?

I made a post about how Hwei's paintings are similar to impressionism and surrealism (here). But what do Hwei's paintings look like exactly?

Hwei's paintings are a reflection of his unique artistic vision and his ability to manifest his imaginative ideas in a dynamic and magical way. They are not mere two-dimensional representations, but rather three-dimensional images that come to life, blurring the line between reality and art.

The visions that fill Hwei's head are translated onto the canvas with vivid colors and intricate details. His paintings often depict ethereal and fantastical landscapes, showcasing a blend of natural elements and surrealistic imagery. For instance, he may paint scenes of lush forests with vibrant flowers, majestic mountains with swirling clouds, or serene lakes reflecting a multitude of colors.

We know that Hwei has already drawn a landscape through his lore. He painted the Sea of ​​Koyehn for the temple masters.

Hwei's mastery of artistic magic allows him to control the thoughts and emotions of those who witness his art. As a result, his paintings evoke strong emotional responses in viewers, drawing them into the world he has created. The emotions conveyed in his art range from joy and wonder to melancholy and introspection.

In terms of style, Hwei's paintings exhibit a unique blend of impressionism and surrealism (click here for more). The use of vibrant colors and brushstrokes that capture the essence of a fleeting moment or emotion is reminiscent of impressionist techniques. At the same time, Hwei seamlessly combines elements of reality and imagination, blurring the boundaries between the two, which is characteristic of surrealism.

Hwei's artworks often feature symbolism and visual metaphors that invite viewers to interpret and contemplate their deeper meanings. He may incorporate recurring motifs such as cracked earth, songbirds in golden cages, or all-seeing eyes (click here for more) straining full of veins. These symbols represent Hwei's exploration of his own inner darkness, his quest for understanding, and his desire to shed light on life's intrinsic elements through art. (From Hwei's short story: I stand in a glade and imagine it drowning in sights unreal. Grass melts. Rocks swirl into twisted faces. Leaves turn to liquid and drip down branches, bleeding into pools.)

Hwei also paints lively elements like flowers. For example, in his short story, Hwei painted water lilies for a woman to comfort her.

Here we see a specific example of what Hwei's paintings look like.

Here is an analysis of this video: ╰┈➤Hwei Cinematic - Surging Beauty - League of Legends - Analysis

[outofangband]

@imakemywings I really love the collection of Narn quotes you made here and your awesome responses to them and obviously because I am very biased My favorite one was the one about Morwen

"But when they bade Turin turn and look back upon the house of his father, then the anguish of parting smote him like a sword, and he cried: 'Morwen, Morwen, when shall I see you again?' But Morwen standing on her threshold heard the echo of that cry in the wooded hills, and she clutched the post of the door so that her fingers were torn."

It’s such a vivid quote; I have always thought about how it’s impossible to tell if Morwen is intentionally replacing her grief for the physical pain of her fingers being cut open or if she is unaware of the pain because of her grief and/or her suppression of it. Both of those seem in character for her. I really loved @imakemywings ‘s analysis of it; Morwen is cold and blunt but she is absolutely not unaffected by her child’s grief, we see it again and again, like in this quote yoo. She is acutely aware of it, perhaps even more so than her own, but she is determined for her son to survive and for her son to survive not as a thrall to the occupying men. And it’s not just that he is her son, he is also among the last Bëorians left alive. There is a cultural legacy as much as a family one and even by sending him away she knows at least some of this legacy may well be lost

but I just keep thinking about Morwen having to send Túrin away and how in my opinion this cannot be separated from the implicit separation between Morwen and her parents some sixteen years before.

Morwen’s past is within the lines of The Children of Húrin, not directly stated beyond “the sorrows of the house of Bëor saddened her heart she came as an exile to Dor-lómin from Dorthonion after the ruin of the Bragollach”. We know her father is Baragund who remained in Dorthonion with Barahir until he and the other outlaws were murdered, several years later. We are not given names or fates of either Morwen or Rían’s mothers but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to infer that Morwen was effectively orphaned in the Bragollach. We know she was a child when this happened (None of this is new information or anything, I’ve rambled about it a million times before in my houseless for exiles tag)

She sends Túrin away knowing that when her parents sent her away for safety, she never saw them again and that her safety was temporarily and fragile and has now been broken. It’s such a devastating decision for her and I love her so much.

I also think about this passage, which comes two pages before, and is probably the most emotionally honest that Morwen is in the entire book, and I am sure you know I do not mean this at all as an insult to her 

“I am sending you away so that you did not learn it. Morwen answered, and she set him before her and looked into his eyes as if she were trying to read some riddle there. “It is hard, Túrin, my son,” she said, at length “not hard for you only. It is heavy on me in evil days to judge what is best to do. But I do as I think right for why else should I part with a thing most dear that is left to me.”

(Note The parallel here to Túrin, noticing “that his father often looked steadfastly out him as a man might look at something dear that he must part from”.)

Morwen has no allusions about what might await Túrin when he leaves and it speaks a lot to the horror of post Nírnaeth Hithlum that she will risk this to spare him death or captivity at the hands of the incomers. She’s survived invasion before, after all.

[getvalentined]

The last snippet got a really good response so I'm gonna share another one, although it's...a lot harder to read. Smaller text on this one. I'm getting there.

I'm finally out of the weeds of the "Origins and Presentation" section and can move on to finishing the section about Genesis being related to Gillian (which has been moved to be the second section, not the first) and then get into the actual point of this damn paper: the nitty-gritty scientific weirdness of mitochondria and why they are (in my eyes) the main vector responsible for degradation.

However, I've run into a problem. I know that tumblr has an issue with adding more than a certain number of links to a post, and I'm already up to 27 citations on this thing. I am most certainly less than halfway through—maybe less than a quarter—and haven't even gotten into the complicated science stuff yet. This means I literally won't be able post the finished piece here without breaking the citations I've been working so hard to maintain.

I'm...debating putting it on AO3? I know the ToS allows meta, but I also know it's kind of frowned upon by a lot of users over there, so I'm a bit leery. I have pretty vivid memories of people saying that allowing meta analysis on the archive was the literary equivalent of an online fine art gallery showcasing screenshot edits and gifsets, and a lot of people calling for posting meta without tagging it as such to be a bannable offense.

I guess it's still a long way off, I'm nowhere near finished—but whenever it is done I'd really like it to end up somewhere it'll actually be seen, and I just don't know that there's an avenue for that anymore.

[skitskatdacat63]

i for one am very interested in any other smiths songs you've associated with f1 drivers 👀

Oh god thank you for asking...sorry this took so long! I'll list the songs, but as with most things, I had to deliberate, so under the cut is my horrifically long explanations if you're curious!!

Obligatory: "The Boy With The Thorn in His Side"(x) - Strollonso

"You've Got Everything Now"(x) - Martian from Mark's POV

"These Things Take Time"(x) - Brocedes or Martian from Nico/Mark's POV

"Handsome Devil"(x) - drivers in fireproofs

"What Difference Does It Make"(x) - Martian from Seb's POV

"Back To The Old House"(x) - Mark's relationship with RBR and Seb

"Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want"(x) - Mark

"Sweet and Tender Hooligan"(x) - Max

You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby"(x) - Jenson, Mark & Nico

"Bigmouth Strikes Again"(x) - Martian from Mark's POV

Honorary mention: "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get"(x) - Martian from Seb's POV

So as with all things, I needed to be comprehensive and overly detailed with this. Ill try and hold back from doing too much full song analysis, but I'll quote lyrics and explain why I associate what with who! Tbh I mostly just associate Smiths songs with Martian because I think their music is often really good at capturing the bitterness of a relationship falling apart or love so intense that it's violent, both which I think are very Martian

"You've Got Everything Now" - Martian

To me this is my de facto Martian song, I think about it constantly, I'll probably make a post with it sometime. It's just such a bitter song that's to me about a relationship falling apart. I view it from Mark's perspective.

"As merry as the days were long//I was right and you were wrong." Very petty, very bitter!!

"But you've got everything now//you've got everything now//and what a terrible mess I've made of my life." 2013 vibes, him being fed up with it all, particularly with Seb winning everything.

"You are your mother's only son//and you're a desperate one" Haha think of Christian as the mother in this situation. Golden boy vibes! Seb's utter desperation to win!

"A friendship sadly lost?//Well this is true...and yet it's false, oh//But did I ever tell you, by the way?//I never did like your face" Again that resentment and bitterness that made him act petty and childish

"I just want to be tied...oh ...to the back of your car" yayyyyy racing, why can't it be me in your position, in your car, etc etc

"These Things Take Time" - Brocedes or Martian

I used to think of this as only a Martian song but now it kinda makes me think of Brocedes. (To me)It's very much about one person in a friendship/relationship getting more successful and leaving the other behind.

"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the sacred Wunderkind" Seb! Golden Boy! Lewis! Rookie of the Century!

"But I can't believe you'd ever care//and this is why you will never care//But these things take time//And I know I'm the most inept that ever stepped" Like, you're so above it all that you couldn't care for little old me. Just the feeling of inferiority

"But you know where you came from//You know where you're going//And you know where you belong" Mark/Nico feeling sometimes as odds with their teams as they felt their teammate was the clear favorite who was getting preferential treatment

"Oh the alcoholic afternoons//When we sat in your room//They meant more to me than any living thing on earth//They had more worth//Than any living thing on earth" Okay this is the verse that made me think of Brocedes. Their karting years and how much time they spent with each other.

"Vivid and in your prime//You will leave me behind//you will leave me behind" THE THESIS!!!! THIS LYRIC HAUNTS ME ON THE DAILY!! IT IS MY MARTIAN THESIS!!!

"Handsome Devil"

Okay so this song is just kinda jokey and surprisingly horny for The Smiths, but its where my brain goes every time I see drivers in fireproofs...especially Seb...it's pretty self explanatory if you listen to it

"You handsome devil//oh, you handsome devil." As I said: self explanatory

"Let me get my hands//On your mammary glands." HAHAHAHA these lyrics still make me laugh, so horny

"What Difference Does It Make?" - Martian

It reminds me of this one Martian fic(x) Again, a relationship deteriorating. How Seb's utter commitment and devotion to winning at all costs caused conflict between them and ultimately led to their relationship falling apart. Mark thinking he'd be seen as the Number One due to his seniority, and then being faced with Seb's no holds barred racing! I guess it's kind've how Mark never seemed to be capable of being as happy for Seb winning as Seb was for Mark. They're both at fault for the same reasons though tbh. But from Seb's perspective this time

"For we have been through hell and high tide//I think I can rely on you//And yet you start to recoil//Heavy words are so lightly thrown//But still I'd leap in front of a bullet for you" Teammates :( They keep fighting but can't stay mad at each other forever

"So what difference does it make?//It makes none//But now you have gone//And you must be looking very old tonight." Like, why are you being such a baby, why does this have to change our relationship off the track too, why can't you just accept this about me, don't you know I need to win?

"Well I'm still fond of you, oh-ho-oh." This can be both. Even if they had bad moments, they always seemed to be able to at least partially reconcile

"Back to The Old House" - Mark & Martian

Goddddd this song is just Mark's relationship with RBR, and particularly in its relation to Seb, and how he felt post-retirement. Like I can't even really pick lyrics because the whole entire song fits so well! I would love to make a web weave with this

"I would rather not go//Back to the old house//I would rather not go//Back to the old house//There's too many bad memories//Too many memories there" Mark's relationship with RBR in terms immediate post-retirement. How it got toxic by the end. The "old house" is so RBR coded for any ex-Red Bull driver tbh

"When you cycled by//Here began all my dreams//The saddest thing I've ever seen//And you never knew//How much I really liked you//Because I never even told you//Oh, and I meant to//Are you still there or have you moved away?//Or have you moved away?" Again, being teammates made their relationship toxic, and they work much better together as people outside of that! Seb thinking Mark hates him :( And then "have you moved away?" HE MOVED AWAY FROM THE OLD HOUSE, HE MOVED TO FERRARI

"Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" - Mark

This song makes me think of how arduous his career was, especially with how all those records that Hulk has now, were at one point his. Especially after watching the 2009 British GP, just that palpable relief of finally getting his first win. And then also 2010 WDC vibes, finally properly being involved in the fight. Please just let him get what he wants, this time! I dont need to analyze the lyrics for this, just listen to it and tell me it doesn't remind you of Mark!!

"Sweet and and Tender Hooligan" - Max

Hahaha this song reminds me of his first couple seasons and just the whole "Mad Max" thing. And just how RBR, particularly Christian, have to defend their boy!! Their sweet and tender hooligan!! I think I could make a web weave of this one as well haha, just with how other drivers, like Nico, talked about how much a menace he was.

"He was a sweet and tender hooligan, hooligan//He said he'd never, never do it again//And of course he won't, oh, not until the next time" LITERALLY HIM!! Like with his insane overtakes and aggressive driving

"Poor old man, he had an accident with a three-bar fire//But that's okay, because he wasn't very happy anyways." Makes me think of my fav Max radio, when he overtakes Kimi and says "See you fucking later, son" The utter gall!! What a hooligan!!

"Jury, you've heard every word, so before you decide//Would you look into those "Mother Me" eyes?//I love you for you, my love, you, my love." Mother Hen Christian defending his teenage menace

"You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" - Jenson, Nico & Mark

Tbh fits any driver who had a long career and struggled for so long to get that first win/WDC. I would love to make a post with this song!!!

"If you're wondering why//All the love that you long for eludes you//And people are rude and cruel to you" Toxic fans and pundits you know :( like everyone saying they won't make it in F1 and that they'll never win, etc

You just haven't earned it yet, baby//You just haven't earned it, son//You just haven't earned it yet, baby//You must suffer and cry for a longer time//You just haven't earned it yet, baby//And I'm telling you now" THE THESIS OF F1 HONESTLY LIKE PLEASEEEE

"Today I am remembering the time//When they pulled me back//And held me down//And looked me in the eyes and said//You just haven't earned it yet, baby//You just haven't earned it, my son" Team principals I guess, it reminds me of Flavio hating Jense and calling him a useless playboy who'd never make it

"Bigmouth Strikes Again" - Martian

Foot? In mouth. This is one of the songs I was thinking of when I said love so intense that it feels violent. I am so obsessed with the opening verse, I love the whole song but that first verse....:

"Sweetness, sweetness I was only joking//When I said I'd like to smash every tooth//In your head//Sweetness, sweetness I was only joking//When I said by rights you should be//Bludgeoned in your bed." Normal comments one makes to their little twink bastard teammate

"The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get" - Martian

Not Smiths, but Smiths adjacent. I'm trying to make a Martian playlist and this was the first song so I felt like I had to include it. It just reminds me of any of those posts about twink menace Seb ruining Mark's life LOL, just a very bratty and pushy song, I think it fits RBR Seb's somewhat Stockholm relationship with Mark

"The more you ignore me//The closer I get//You're wasting your time." You're not getting rid of me as your teammate no matter what hehehe, you're stuck with me!

"I am now//A central part//Of your mind's landscape//Whether you care//Or do not//Yeah, I've made up your mind" This lyric makes me laugh every time, the "Ive made up your mind", it always gets me. That's so pushy bratty Seb, like, yes I will get my way whether you like it or not

"I will creep//Into your thoughts//Like a bad debt//That you can't pay//Take the easy way//And give in." Absolutely canon that Seb lived in Mark's thoughts rent free, he took up proper residence!! Anyways this whole song fits, it's so cheeky!! And a little unhinged....

[ink-dusted-dreams]

An Analysis of Tomoe and Kenshin’s Relationship Part 1

16 years ago when I was just 12, I watched Rurouni Kenshin with its action-filled scenes, which intrigued me. However, it was not until a year later when I read the manga, that I truly fell for the relationship between Kenshin and Tomoe. As someone who never had a great interest in romance stories, that love story inspired me to fall in love and left me questioning how real love could be. Yet, I was left feeling disappointed as the intricacies of this extraordinary love was never fully explored.

The spiritual, transcendental connection between the two characters was so powerful and poetic that it stayed with me ever since, stirring up feelings of both pain and joy. While I am grateful for the story, I cannot help but to think that with a different writer and Seinen genre, justice could have been done in truly reflecting the complexity of such transcendental love between two characters in the Bakumatsu period and Boshin Sensō.

On the other hand, the OVA was a heart-wrenching masterpiece; the artful quality of each frame was eerie, poignant and touched me deeply.

Going beyond the surface, this analysis delves into the depths of Kenshin's feelings for Tomoe, exploring her role in his life and how the manga portrays their dynamic.

The sorrow that consumed Kenshin after Tomoe's death was overwhelming, a sensation he simply could not shake. One can only imagine, in the depths of his despair, was he also filled with a fury that she had chosen such a tragic ending?

Kenshin had spent more than a decade facing the repercussions of his past, unable to accept the finality of life and his beloved Tomoe in death. Only after the end of his Kyoto epilogue, ten long years later, had he finally found the courage to confront his grief and pay homage to her grave.

As the chapters progress, Kenshin finally locked eyes with the now-grown Enishi, a vision of the beloved Tomoe appeared before him. He let out an anguished cry, as if desperately trying to reach her.

Kenshin is a seasoned killer, yet after finding out Enishi was seeking vengeance, he cannot withstand the onslaught of Tomoe's visions. Even after ten years, her trauma remains buried in his heart, an ache so deep it's all-consuming.

As pages turn, we learn that Kenshin's scar starts with a story of pain and injustice. It's a tale of unfulfilled love, of a man named Kiyosato Akira, denied his most basic desire, a simple wish to be with the woman he loved, who also loved him back. He was a helpless figure in the midst of a deadly and fanatical revolution, and his life was taken in an instant, and all that remained of him was a single scar upon the face of his murderer. A scar born of anguish, injustice, and unfulfilled desires.

Kenshin had only been a young teenager when he was full of idealistic naïveté and dreams of making a change, no matter the cost. But by the time he encountered Tomoe, Kenshin had already taken the lives of over hundred people, leaving psychological scars that would haunt him; a chill of violence that even the Sake tasted like blood on his tongue - perhaps a sign of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Kenshin and Tomoe's initial encounter was an enthralling visual of windswept emotions and tragedies that seemed to have been embedded in a Kabuki play. Tomoe began by saying, “They always say at tragic scenes, a rain of blood falls... but you really made it.. rain blood..” Her cryptic comment portrayed a sense of cynicism. Despite being in the midst of such violence and chaos, her composed expression betrayed neither surprise nor fear.

These apt words may have been derived from Yudono no Chôbê, Kiwametsuki Banzui Chôbê, a kabuki play that dates back to 1881 (although that is slightly later than when the manga takes place). The story connotes the phrase “Chi no ame wo furasu” (Make it rain blood) which translates to “creating casualties with sword.” It indeed painted a vivid picture of sorrow and desolation which Tomoe was able to express with incredible poignancy.

Kenshin was determined to keep the powerful, honorable legacy of Battousai under wraps. Yet, when Tomoe stumbled across his slaying, the first thought that should have occurred to him -- yet tragically failed to -- was how to rid her of the knowledge. But as their fateful encounter unfolded, his other senses were suddenly assailed; the sweet aroma of her white plum perfume eclipsing the staining smell of blood, that seemed to remain present everywhere and followed him. I thought it was at that moment that Kenshin would have felt a spark of attraction toward Tomoe.

In Chapter 168 of the manga, Kenshin is forced to confront the impossible moral dilemma, posed to him by Tomoe: "So, bad people carry swords and good people don't? If I had been carrying a sword that night, would you have killed me?" Kenshin tries desperately to defend his beliefs, to explain the nuances of his sense of morality, that he only kills those who do violence to others. But in the face of her piercing question, he is left struggling to find the answer.

Amidst all the chaos, it was made starkly clear: the Kenshin, who typically disinterestedly refuses to engage in anything personal, was curiously transfixed with her, a notion that would have been otherwise unimaginable to his famed persona, the renowned Battousai. He was consumed by a youthful fascination with her, though seemingly unaware of its implications.

Tomoe gazed upon a sleeping Kenshin, whom she had called the vanguard of mad justice, and was taken aback by how young he really was. As soon as he sensed her presence, he instinctively drew his katana, ready to strike--- although it stood in stark contrast to his adamant belief that he would never kill an innocent.

Tomoe, unruffled by that sudden action, asked him to “let her be his sheath”, restraining his mad justice, while simultaneously reminding Kenshin of the question he put to her the previous chapter--- whether he would have killed her had he possessed the sword.

Hesitantly yet intensely, Kenshin replied that he would never be able to do such a thing, not to her. It almost felt like an unconscious confession--- for neither one of them were aware of whether the other was a friend or an enemy at that point.

It was perhaps at that moment when unexpected vulnerability was shown by the feared Battousai that Tomoe started to feel an irresistible compassion, perhaps even attraction towards him.

In Chapter 170, Kenshin, ever the vigilant sentinel, finds himself lulled into a sense of security he rarely experiences - so much so that he doesn't even rouse at the sound of Iizuka opening the door. Perhaps he finds peace just from Tomoe's presence, a demonstration of how much he has welcomed her into his life and learned to trust her.

The triumphant return of the Shinsengumi was not without consequence. The Chōshū Isshin Shishi had been raided, leaving a cloud of uncertainty and insecurity in its wake. Knowing this, Katsura Kogoro strongly urged Kenshin to go in hiding with Tomoe, for a young couple would have an easier time evading suspicion than a lone man.

But it was in the face of this peril that Kenshin suddenly declared his love for Tomoe and asked her to be his wife until death did them part. The gravity of the situation, the revolutionary forces at work and ever-looming danger of death gave this newfound romance an air of irrevocable finality. They smiled at each other in a sea of turmoil, perhaps aware of the magnetism drawing them ever closer, the snowballing affection as though the path of their future had already been decided.

In chapter 172, Iizuka was taken aback when he encountered Kenshin at the hideout, surrounded by reports of bloodshed and disarray in the city. What struck him even more was that despite the chaos, Kenshin was calm and content. Iizuka was left to ponder what eluded peace could possibly be in Kenshin's life - and the answer came soon enough - that Kenshin found solace in five months surrounded by Tomoe; in a life devoid of violence, where he could practice his beloved Kenjutsu without the worry of taking a life.

As the chapter progressed, Tomoe was in her usual melancholic state, while something radically different was present in Kenshin. A happiness like he had never experienced before shone from his now unguarded, beaming face. The past five months of living with Tomoe had taught him what his life was meant for - happiness.

We also witness Kenshin relinquish all apprehension and wariness, exposing his personal life to Tomoe -- the adversities from his infancy as a famine-stricken orphan that took the lives of his family. His suffered untold hardships throughout the voyage of his life.

For Tomoe however, the wall of sadness still remained, however palpable Kenshin's happiness had become.

In the next chapter, as Kenshin encounters Enishi visiting his sister, suspicions naturally arise. Izuka, Katsura, and Tomoe are the only individuals who would have the knowledge of the place. But rather than pass judgement, Kenshin places his faith and full trust in Tomoe. Conjoined with the newfound realization of his being unaware of Tomoe having a brother, Kenshin begins to understand his limited understanding of her.