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animeyanderelover · 2 years ago

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Request: Can I ask for an s/o who is the Fairy Queen and is dating Melodias during the holy war?

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessive behavior, obsession, violence, manipulation, death

Fairy Queen s/o

🐲Meliodas used to be heartless, slaughtered anyone who was in his way. He's the leader of the Ten Commandments and the son of the Demon King. During the Holy War he fights for his race against the Stigma, the alliance between the clans of the goddesses, the giants, the fairies and at one point even the humans. With his darling being the Fairy Queen, her reputation is known to Meliodas and the clan in general. Rumored to be the strongest leader the fairies had in a long time with perfect control over Chastiefol and it's ten different forms. Your strength is fearsome and even if you're normally a kind person you will murder everyone who dares to hurt your forest and your people. You're a dangerous opponent and for that an opponent the Demon King wants to get rid off as quickly as possible. At one point in time, Meliodas truly wouldn't have cared at all for this. This is not any time though, this is different.

🐲 Why, you may ask? Because Meliodas and the Fairy Queen have started something which is truly forbidden between their races, especially during the Great War. Both of them have fallen in love with each other and have a secret relationship with each other. It's something Meliodas would have never seen coming and ironically enough the first time you two met, you had started fighting against each other. You had proven to be nimble and formidable though which was the reason the fight back then had ended in a draw and both of you acknowledging each other's strength. He could have cheated when you had told him that you wouldn't fight him anymore since both of you had been at the limit of your energy back then, told him you had siblings who were waiting for you to wait to come home and that you wouldn't waste your life in a meaningless fight like this one. He could have still killed you when you turned your back provocatively at him but he didn't. He didn't because he had found himself impressed with you back then.

🐲 This memory has served as the base of your relationship since you had realized with the fact that he hadn't attacked you back then that Meliodas, despite being the eldest son of the Demon King, still had his honor. Something which you learned to respect about him. You two didn't fight to the death anymore when you met and instead you often started discussions where you often had told him that you didn't want any of your people to be slaughtered and killed in a fight that was only because the Demon King and the Supreme Deity had such an intense rivalry going on. That you regretted not declining just because you had felt a slight pressure and had held such bad prejudices against the demons too. Clearly not all demons were as bad as commonly believed, you viewed him as living proof. A statement that flattered the demon more than he had expected. It was that day that he started seeing you as someone truly unique and special.

🐲 He starts enjoying the time he spends with you, his mind is often repeating the memories of you he has made and he finds himself getting lost in the thoughts about you. He sneaks out and gets dangerously close to your territory despite knowing that he's technically the enemy and would instantly be attacked. Meliodas believes that you wouldn't attack him though and he's glad to know that he's right when you notice him before anyone else and hurry to him. You drag him somewhere where you're sure no one will discover him with you together anytime soon and ask him in a slightly hissing tone what in the world he is doing here. He should know what would happen if he were to be seen. Meliodas on the other hand is stupidly honest and tells you that he wanted to see you because he missed you. This answer renders you speechless for a few moments before you get flustered by his sincere words.

🐲 You two settle on seeing each other behind each other's back. He's very eager but you hesitate since you know that you two are still enemies. When Meliodas just tells you cheerfully he'll still come to see you, you see yourself cornered to agree to his idea of seeing each other every once in a while secretly. Just because today no one noticed him, there's no guarantee that he'll always have this much luck. You neither wish your fairies to get harmed nor do you really want him to get hurt or kill anyone. He has a stupidly happy grin on his face when you give in to him. Both of you are careful because both of you know what is at risk here but with time you start feeling that Meliodas has stopped caring about himself. He only wants you to not be harmed in any way.

🐲 He's at one point very much aware about his own obsession but he doesn't really mind it. Meliodas just wants to be with his darling and is morally not righteous enough to care about whether he is obsessed with you or not. He's very possessive and expresses that often with an increased amount of touches he bestows upon you. He's still somewhat careful since he knows that you as the Fairy Queen are very strong and perceptive on top of that. So he hides his obsession behind his unsuspecting smile and tries to tone his feelings down enough for you to barely notice. Behind the scenes he grows significantly more violent though. Every time he hears a demon mentioning that they want to kill you, it's their head that's instead flying. He truly looks like the merciless leader he's known for in such moments with his darkened and empty eyes. If someone dares to do as much as harm a perfect strand of hair on your head, Meliodas will see it through to give them something even worse than death.

🐲 The demon turns more manipulative when he realizes to his utter thrill that you've gained feelings for him too. You may try to conceal your affection for him as much as you can but Meliodas is of very sharp mind himself. He's so obsessively observing you that it's no wonder that he notices even smaller things about your act. He's so happy though, his grin widens and his heartbeat is quickening. Meliodas attempts to use your feelings to convince you to be in a relationship with him. It's everything he wants as of now and he can't deny that he feels his heart getting tainted with darkness every time he imagines that someone else tries to woo you. You always reassure him that you have no one but that doesn't mean that it will never happen. Meliodas has a problem with the fact that he can't be with you all the time even though he knows that logically that would get the both of you in deep troubles.

🐲 You tell him that you aren't sure since being friends with him is already risky enough. You fear that your clan might get harmed too as a punishment if you two would ever be found out. You fear for Gloxinia and Gerheade, your younger siblings. Only for a short moment can you see a look of dark displeasure crossing Meliodas's face, a short feeling of unease coming over you before it's all gone behind his smile again. He insists that he understands. In reality, he's angry though. For him you have become everything. His one and only. He'd betray his own clan for you and he wants you to feel the same. Yet you have emotional ties with others, he isn't the only one you care about and whilst he logically knows that there shouldn't be anything wrong with it since you're the Queen of Fairies, it's hard to feel sympathy with all his egotistical possessive love.

🐲 Meliodas useses emotional manipulation against you though the next time you two meet to influence your decision to his advantage. He uses your feelings shamelessly against you but doesn't feel too guilty about it. He's too possessive to care about this, he just want you to be his already. In the end you finally agree, albeit hesitantly. His heart explodes with all of his overwhelming love and the first thing he does is giving you a deep kiss where he really pours all of his desire into. You're left out of air by the end of it whilst he gives you one of his signature grins, only that this one is sincere for once and not faked like he tends to do. He reassures you that nothing will happen to you and that he'll protect you. You two will manage somehow.

🐲 His longing to have you with him worsens and he gets more demanding with the time you two should spend together. It is difficult, he knows, but he just has to see you more often. Not being able to see you, smell you and feel you drives him nearly mad and it isn't unlikely for him to let his frustration through fighting and killing out. When he gets to see you, he's always touching you in some way as he smothers you in his affection. He just can't help himself now that he knows that you're his. You clearly express your fear about your clan being hurt and even if he gets annoyed if you talk about your clan when he just wants you two to enjoy each other's presence, he attempts to come over as understanding and promises you that he'll try to do something. He can at least try to keep the Ten Commandments away from your people since they're after him a few of the most powerful demons.

🐲 Meliodas can't keep this up any longer after a while though. He wants you always with him but can't because both of you fight on different sides. He has no problems to abandon his own clan even if he might feel slight pity for his younger brother Zeldris. It's just that he can't live without you but he is sure that he can without his clan. So he brings the idea of betraying the clan and running away together up at one point and is met with your horrified look. You could never betray your home, your people, your siblings like this. That's when it returns again, this sudden feeling of unease that you've felt before and when you look up, goosebumps start rising all over your skin. Because this time the clear look of dissatisfaction stays on your lover's face far longer. Why? Why are you hesitating so much? He would gladly leave everything behind to be with you because he loves you. Don't you love him too? Don't you feel the same way too?

🐲 You sense danger from him but force yourself to stay calm because you know that he loves you. He wouldn't hurt you. So you exlain to him that you love him but you also have a position as the Fairy Queen and care for your people and siblings because they've always supported you, beg him to understand you. His look is void of sympathy and understanding but Meliodas considers what would be the best scenario now. He could kidnap you but he knows that wouldn't be that easy, not to mention that he would have to harm you seriously to render you unable to defend yourself. He truly recoils at that thought. He also runs risks of scaring you right now so he decides to put up his facade to calm you down. He apologizes to you, tells you that all the fighting and the distance between you two has gotten to him. Obviously you can't run away, your people need you. You know that he isn't fine despite the act he's trying to put up but let it slide for now. Later that evening Meliodas is brooding on what to do now.

🐲 He wants you to always to be together, doesn't want any sort of distance between you two. You've rejected his idea of fleeing together, to his great disappointment and slight anger. Your position as a queen ties you down and otherwise Meliodas also knows that this situation would mean even greater danger if the Demon Clan and the Goddess Clan would come after you two and punish you two. He knows both of you are strong but he is still humble enough to be aware that even you two have limits. If you don't want to betray anyone, he could switch to your side. He has a lot of valuable information after all but is unsure how the Goddess Clan and especially the Supreme Deity would treat him. They might want to kill him or imprison him which would mean he wouldn't be able to be with you either. They might also punish you if the secret of you two dating would come out. It's probably the choice with less risk though but this is only based on his own judgement. Whatever guarantees him to be always with you is what Meliodas will choose in the end.

#yandere seven deadly sins #yandere svd #yandere nanatsu no tazai #yandere nnt #yandere meliodas

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thegingerheed · 4 days ago

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The Problems with TS!UNDERSWAP's Character Writing

[A quick disclaimer before we start:

I like TS!Underswap. I think it's a decent game with a lot to enjoy packed into it's two released areas. The art direction is consistently really pretty, the music manages to both capture the catchiness of Toby's musical style whilst eloquently imbuing it with it's own unique touch that feels both familiar yet fresh and the writing, particularly for their original characters are some of the most solid I've seen in this fandom. (Koffin K. You may have my children and my heart) Clearly there is a lot of care put into this game by a team clearly passionate for the craft and I want to make that clear first and foremost as I will not be talking about it within this post itself.

This post, like the ones before it, isn't designed to attack or belittle the folks who are behind and/or enjoy the project nor is it a post demanding change to the project of any kind. Instead, I want to use this game as an example to discuss how characters are written within stories and the many writing hurdles the concept of "roleswaps" introduces.]

What is TS!Underswap?

TS!Underswap is a fangame based on Team Switched's take on the popular Undertale AU: Underswap. A premise that sees the characters of Undertale swap with one another, usually with characters that either make up a pair or are closely related in some way. (e.g. The two humans swap with each other and the two skeleton brothers swap with each other ect)

An important piece of fandom context to keep in mind is that the Undertale Fandom, generally speaking, favours visual media over text-based media. Where some fandoms drift more on the side of fanfiction, at the height of Undertale fandom, the most prominent fan works were almost exclusively art based, focused mostly on the aesthetics of the AU over things like Story. Eg. Underfell, Underswap, Outertale.

Underswap was an AU entirely built for the medium of visual art. There's not much story directly attached to the AU beyond cliff notes from the creator. Characters generally act very similar to the characters they're replacing, with only small adaptations from their original character sprinkled here and there. You can aliken the appeal of Underswap and many of the older 2016 UT AUs to something like an art challenge. Where the appeal isn't really in the new stories that unfold through cause and effect of the AUs premises but rather from the fun of reimagining and designing characters under differing aesthetics. Whether you imagine how characters would look like, if they were other characters, an edgier, "evil" counterpart or dunked into blue and yellow galaxy paint.

[Art by PopcornPrince, Fella and 2mi127 respectively]

Unlike the original, TS! is a fangame, one that's designed to be quite similar to Undertale, so, as a consequence for its new medium. It needed an expanded focus on the aspects Underswap only very loosely focused on. As time went on, the project evolved and how it handled its characters changed along with it. The direction taken is one more focused on imagining characters in different narrative roles, how their personalities change the way the story unfolds.

To get the elephant out of the room. TS!Underswap isn't really a roleswap AU nor does it really consider itself one. This probably sounds oxymoronic to most people in that it is literally called Underswap but to put it simply, TS!Underswap focuses a lot of its energy on other things besides just the swaps, (e.g. the original characters, new areas ect) and the team has gone on record to call the game a "Reimagining of Undertale" I bring this distinction up because it literally does not matter and is irrelevant for my future claim. Regardless to how TS! classifies their project, it's foundation undeniably has the DNA of the roleswap AU it is based on and so shares a lot of the same underlying principles with that kind of fanwork. Besides the term "Reimagining" is so vague it could basically describe every Undertale AU known to man.

The game is applauded as an Underswap that understands the characters, as a goal with TS! was to retain and expand upon the characterization of the characters seen in Undertale. What I want to talk about with this critique is how TS! handles these role swapped characters in relation to everything else and how I do not think it truly has the characters justice.

How do characters work?

Characters in stories are not "active" for the entire duration of the plot. This is because stories have limits and so can't have every character being as important and doing important stuff at the one time forever. It just isn't a sustainable way of storytelling and can really damper the pacing and moment to moment coherence of a given story. As new characters are introduced older characters will usually take more of a backseat role to allow the plot time to flesh the new characters out. The mark of a good story is one where you don't really notice this fact of writing. Where characters are given the backseat in subtle ways that don't take the audience out of the story and feel like the character is being sidelined. It is a natural balancing act. The activeness of a character (that is to say, how often they choose to act in a story to progress the plot) does not necessarily dictate how important characters are to the story, as strange as that may sound.

To put this into practice, let's talk about two examples from Undertale. Flowey is the most important character in Undertale, yet he doesn't actually appear that much throughout. He shows up at the start and end of ruins and during the end of most of the game's routes Most of Flowey's relevance comes from before the plot of Undertale itself and how that impacts his goals as an antagonist. So throughout a huge chunk of the story, he isn't actually doing much and all, everything he does in this time is in the shadows, or in other words, off screen and through other characters (Papyrus). This role fits Flowey because of his role as a player, he knows this world better than anyone living in it, so doesn't have to do much to leverage it to his own designs.

Now, second example. Papyrus and Sans are characters that work in a pair. They are characters that can't really be separated entirely from the other as they are designed to play off the other. We see this in how active these characters are within the plot. Particularly pacifist. Papyrus is the most active character in Undertale, his date is what leads to befriending Undyne and his support of Alphys helps to allow True Lab to happen. Even getting everybody together for Flowey to absorb them was Papyrus' doing, albeit unintentionally so. He's a character that isn't contained within the arc he was introduced in and has an active presence throughout. This aligns perfectly with Papyrus' nature, he's a character who is naturally very proactive and so the narrative allows him that power.

Sans on the other hand, is the exact opposite of Papyrus in terms of how active he is in the story. His mysterious nature means we don't know much about him that isn't laced in theory and his role in the story is very small. He's either there to play off Papyrus or for some funny gags. After Snowdin, he's very consistent in how little importance he is to the plot, even all the information we do get, particularly on the hangouts you can have with him is voluntary and entirely skippable. His character is balanced out by the juxtaposition from the role the No Mercy route puts him in. He goes from a shopkeeper with funny gags and occasional exposition to the final boss of the entire game and this effect is what makes him interesting within Undertale. His natural inactiveness as a character restricts how much he can really do while still having agency, he's a character to naturally sit more on the sidelines and act as support. His battle in No Mercy only has an impact with the context of everything that comes before it. It is a balance found within the imbalance of character importance.

How does TS!Underswap handle this?

I'll mostly be talking about Sans and Papyrus here, as by nature, they're the easiest characters to explain my issues with TS! as I've already set up them with the example already.

Sans does not work in Papyrus' role. He is a character that is defined by his own inactiveness, he's the type of person that doesn't like talking about himself. Papyrus even says as such. Everything we learn about Sans is either, in his very vague, things he tells you in his No Mercy Fight, or through other people. Trying to apply the role of the most proactive character in the game onto the least proactive character is much like trying to stuff a cube into a sphere shaped hole. Papyrus also doesn't work in Sans' role either, for exact opposite reasons. Both brothers are characters who are direct opposites from each other. That isn't to say the concept can't be done well, or is doomed on conception but it will always be an uphill battle trying to find the balance between the character's nature and roles they are meant to embody.

The first thing I want to talk about is motivation. Sans in TS, much like Papyrus in UT, is the antagonist of the second area, with Papyrus acting as The Human's support while playing off Sans. Where TS differs from UT is the "why" of the situation. In Undertale Papyrus was an antagonist because he wanted to capture a human so that Undyne would let him into the Royal Guard. This goal is a manifestation of his own insecurities and desire for connection and not feeling lonely. He believes that being a member of the royal guard will solve his problems so he takes action to ensure it happens.

Sans in TS takes up the guise of "Crossbones" the "Starlight Saviour" and so, faces the human in an assortment of very goofy scenarios. It is revealed after his fight that Papyrus was the reason he started doing. Papyrus within that hang out was worried he forced his brother into the role and was just projecting.

The main issue with this is that Sans doesn't really have a story? We don't really know what Sans wants throughout the course of his arc. We loosely have, "wants to make his brother happy" and that works for a setup but it does not go anywhere beyond that, Sans' nature as someone who doesn't like talking about himself leads to even his battle not providing much detail on him, his battle is something he does for Papyrus and even the questions he asks in that battle has no clear relevance to him and where vaguely setting up question for Chara and their situation, what makes this a problem his how long winded TS is compared to Undertale. Undertale, even excluding content like Papyrus' date, had an entire arc for Papyrus, where he finds ways of connection and internal value without the need for the royal guard. Where he learns that he doesn't need that goal to have the connection he thinks it will provide him. He cared about what getting in the guard would get him, not the guard. Sans in TS, despite all the time dedicated to him, doesn't have and is not equipped as a character to handle having direct character importance. So most of the time spent on Sans are jokes, similar to Undertale. But Sans was put in the background to a lot of other things. Papyrus was played for a joke in UT too at times, however in that game comedy wasn't there for pure comedy's sake, it taught us more about the character, what he wants and his eccentricities. It was characterization through comedy. In TS, Sans is put into the role of the main antagonist in this area and yet, despite that, isn't given enough time to develop that role in a way that suits the character and not the role. So much of TS! Sans content is done because Papyrus did it in Undertale and they want to have that direct mirroring between the two games and while that is a fair thing to want but I believe that things like Sans' reason for being Crossbones were designed to be reasons just justify Sans in Papyrus' role rather telling an interesting story with Sans. He starts the same way he ends with little to no changes, you can argue Koffin K, maybe, but even then, that wasn't even Sans, that was Chara's doing. TS sets Sans up as the Hero of Starlight Isle and yet, in more time UT took to start and end an entire character arc they still haven't paid that concept off in a satisfying way by the time that arc ended. And I don't think that makes for great storytelling.

Okay, I've talked enough about the earthbound man, let's talk about the other one, now. Papyrus is locked away in TS. The narrative role he is given keeps him in a cage that restricts how proactive the most proactive UT can be. Papyrus is a character that does things, a lot of things, all of the time. My guy never stops. The main issue Papyrus has in TS! is the same issue that Sans has in by default the roles they are placed into are the opposite of their character, but where the increased importance put on Sans goes nowhere, Papyrus… doesn't really to much. Uncharacteristically, he makes this movie, I guess? There's a connection to Asgore too but we learn very little for ultimately very little gain. This was the case in Snowdin too. We learn very little about Sans here. But that isn't a problem for two reasons, one, Sans is meant to play off Papyrus, who is the main focus of the arc and that Sans naturally leads himself not to have much information about him. Papyrus is the exact opposite in that regard, the first time we see him on screen, he gushes about what he wants, how he's going to do it and how Sans is not helping. In TS, Papyrus doesn't really have that, he feels, like the analogy before: trapped in a narrative cage where he can't be Papyrus, because Papyrus can't be more proactive than Sans in this AU because Sans is the antagonist and the focus. Hell, if Papyrus wanted to make a movie… why wouldn't he want to be the star of the movie? If Papyrus is meant to have the same personality than he did in UT. He would buy in TS! He doesn't? He gave that role to Sans, because he cares about him? But Sans knows that already, Sans is the type of character to know what everybody in the room is thinking without it ever needing to be said and Papyrus knows his brother better than anyone, he is already very aware that Sans knows he cares about him. The reasoning was only there, again, to justify Papyrus' role in the story.

How did this happen?

I can't really say for sure why this game is written one way or another. The game has a lot of other issues with other characters, pacing and structure which I will not get into, for the document is long enough. But I do think I have an inkling of an idea.

I think the project's focus has stretched itself too thin. As I said, TS is not just a roleswap, it's focused on so much more beyond that core concept that it's kinda eclipsed that concept and I think that might be the root of the problem, stories can't do everything, they are limited by the scope defined by its creator. This is… not a flaw of stories, this is just how they work. Keeping the scope of a project from spiraling is important for a healthy workflow. Starlight Isles already had to figure out how it would handle the very complex problem that is redefining a role that fundamentally does not work for the character assigned to that. That alone is an interesting, worthwhile writing challenge to tackle, but it also has everything else to worry about. So much of the game is also spent on it's original characters too, having to establish them and their place within this new world, To the extent that, that the UT cast weren't given the time and attention (Sans in particular) they need to really define themself within that role and have a chance to tell an interesting story with the constraints of their character.

In short, blending of both a role swap and a story with completely original characters. It is an amalgamation of two distinct concept and so risks lacking a cohesive vision. And, if the past 2800 words wasn't enough to convey already, was a risk I do not think paid off.

#undertale #analysis #undertale au #undertale meta #critique #ts!underswap #underswap

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restless-gambler · 1 year ago

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I feel like this is one aspect of the series that people aren't giving Gege enough credit for, I cannot lie. I get the criticism (not saying you're criticizing, OP), but among the many issues I have with this story, saying that it diminishes Gojo's status or is badly implemented isn't something I can really agree with.

Explanation below

To explain, Gojo is deemed the Strongest for several reasons all compounding upon each other, namely his incredibly busted cursed technique and trait, raw talent as a sorceror, and skill he's built up over years of experience. While there are several characters who have been said to rival Gojo, it's always been in some specific aspect of their Jujutsu, not as a whole. Other than maybe Okkotsu, no other modern sorceror we've seen manages to match up to Gojo in every single aspect, and Gege makes this clear in the manga.

To give a few examples, Hakari is one such sorceror who was recently compared to Gojo. However, this was only with respect to his cursed technique, which gives him a faster RCT healing speed than Sukuna and Gojo both. When it comes to his innate talent and skills, none of it has ever been stated or shown to be on Gojo's level, and in fact has oftentimes been directly implied to be lesser than, such as Hakari admitting to puking when struck by Gojo's blue-enhanced punch. Hakari is an extremely strong character, don't get me wrong, and even manages to surpass Okkotsu in the sense that he has a "strongest" mindset that disregards his humanity in favour of the thrill of battle and a good fever pitch, but in comparison to Gojo the only way in which he surpasses him is in his regen speed while in Jackpot mode. Hakari has the cursed technique, but not the talent or skill.

Next up, Takaba. Another sorceror said to have great potential that rivals Gojo… except he wasn't. The only thing ever said about him in relation to Gojo is that his technique is effective even against Gojo. The distinction lies here in the fact that that statement has absolutely nothing to do with Takaba's own potential as a sorceror, and more speaks to how incredible his technique is in general. Takaba doesn't even really have much of a drive to be a sorceror in the first place, he really just wants to make people laugh and smile with his antics, hence his "no killing" rule. While Takaba might be able to become someone who rivals Gojo if he really felt like it, which we kinda saw during his match with Kenjaku, he really can't be compared at all just due to the nature of his character. He's got the technique, but not the skill or talent. He's just goofy.

Finally Higuruma. Higuruma is unique compared to the other two in it's not his CT that rivals Gojo, but his talent and skill. While Deadly Sentencing is very useful, and Higuruma is extremely smart in the way he utilizes it, what makes him truly scary is his natural talent for Jujutsu. Things like jumping from a novice sorceror to a Grade one in 12 days, being one of two people who managed to catch that Gojo's domain had beaten Sukuna's, and understanding and recreating domain amplification after simply watching it be used once are what pushes him above other sorcerors. He's been described as an absolute genius since his introduction, both before and after becoming a sorceror. That is why he's the one who fascinates both Sukuna and Kenjaku so much. His growth also calls back to a line stated by Gojo while he was training Yuji at the start of the series, "rather than some sucky cursed technique, I'm much more scared of someone who can force their way through with strong fundamentals." We can clearly see why after Gojo's fight with Sukuna and now Higuruma's growth as well. It's not his technique that rivals Gojo, it's his ability to understand Jujutsu's fundamental concepts on a faster and deeper level than anyone else. So while Deadly Sentencing is definitely no slouch as a technique, that isn't what Gege draws attention to when discussing how much potential exists within Higuruma.

This is why I don't think it diminishes Gojo have other people rival him in various aspects of Jujutsu. Gojo is unique in that he's the only one in the series who has the talent (being described by Gege as someone who can "do anything he tries"), the skill (as showcased by how he was already the strongest as a teenager, and how quickly he skyrocketed even beyond that post-Toji), AND an incredibly broken cursed technique (limitless + six eyes + Toji trauma). To me, it honestly speaks more to how incredible Gojo is that while other people can rival him in one or two of these aspects, still none of them are able to reach his heights. Okkotsu has boundless cursed energy and an ability to copy techniques, but he still isn't Gojo Satoru. Takaba has a technique that bends reality to his whims, but he still isn't Gojo Satoru. Hakari is effectively unkillable for as long as he keeps hitting the jackpot, but he's still not Gojo Satoru. Higuruma has an understanding of cursed energy that seems to be just as impressive as other Jujutsu geniuses like Kenjaku, Mahito, and Sukuna, but he still is just. not. Gojo. Satoru. Maybe someday they will reach that height, but as it stands, none of them encapsulate the perfect storm of fate that made Gojo the man he was.

So. I am not mad about it but.

Don't you find it kinda funny how Gege spend so much time (practically whole series) establishing how Sukuna and Gojo were on a level entirely on their own, unmatched by anyone and "strongest". And now every new character suddenly has the potential to be as strong as Gojo.

Gege in 4/5 of his manga: nobody can ever hope to match either Gojo or Sukuna in either their strength or potential!!! They are the pinnacle of this world!!! They are the strongest beings!!!

Gege now every other chapter: This new character AND this new character AND EVEN THAT NEW CHARACTER have the potential to rival Gojo!!!!

#jjk 246 #jjk spoilers #jjk 246 spoilers #jjk leaks #jingus post

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elonaackerman · 4 years ago

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Why the Ackertalk must happen: An analysis of Mikasa and Levi relationship.

1) Their meeting

So we all know Mikasa hated Levi in the first place, since he beat Eren violently during the trial. If Armin didn’t stop her, she probably would have attacked him. Instead, because of our favorite blondie holding her back, she just gave to her future captain a death glare. And what is so amazing is that he actually noticed it, and you can see how intrigued he was by Mikasa at that moment.

Since he is praised as humanity strongest, it surprises him that a cadet shows no fear looking at him like if she wanted to kill him and was sure to be capable to do it. And if it wasn’t already very obvious that Mikasa catched Levi’s mind, the name of the chapter finishes the job: « still can’t see » in English, and « made me o mirenai » in japanese. I think the English translation is not on point, because if you look at the french translation, it could be translated as: « an unbearable stare ». The meaning is completely different and gives a lot of weight to Mikasa’s look and how Levi felt about it. It places their interaction and meeting at the center of the chapter. It’s not something you do for characters who do not have a particular storyline together, especially when the main character’s fate is also part of the chapter.

2) The Female Titan

Here comes what is usually refereed as the key moment which started the rivamika ship: the rescue of Mikasa by Levi in the forest. First of all, Levi grabbed Mikasa’s waist, and we won’t lie, it was cute.

BUT what comes after this is even more interesting, because I think Levi recognized Mikasa since the start, even if he couldn’t remember where he saw her in the first place. If you look at his eyes, you can see how shocked he is to see Mikasa in such a situation: I think that’s the moment where Levi started to see himself in her, because she behaved exactly like him years ago when a titan took the lives of Isabel and Farlan: recklessly and with rage. Then, Mikasa acts very agressively towards Levi, and doesn’t show him the respect a cadet normally has for a superior.

That’s how Levi definitely recognizes her: the girl who seems to hate him and who is disrespectful towards the hierarchy is also the one who wanted to slap him at the trial despite him being the strongest human soldier. Levi redeems her, and looks at Mikasa very strangely, silently, his gaze lost in the vague: Mikasa seems to ask herself what he is doing and is shocked by his behavior, because he doesn’t stop staring at her but doesn’t say a word. I still ask myself what he was thinking in that moment. It’s a very mysterious scene. I mean, YES Levi always looks at Mikasa silently in a lot of panels (that’s also cool for the fandom, of course), but this time, Isayama focused several big panels on this single silent interaction, as if Levi was analysing Mikasa on such a deep way that it made her uncomfortable. And the way that he then stop the eye contact with a sort of frustration in the eyes is also very questionable. It intrigues me very much.

After that very tense moment, Levi explains his plan to Mikasa, and reminds her that she must obey to his orders. For the first time, Levi and Mikasa cooperate and show how deadly their Ackerman duo is. Also, Mikasa recognizes Levi strenght, saying the titan’s blood doesn’t even touch his skin since he is incredibly fast. She looked at him with a great attention, observed his technique and acknowledged him. When she fights Annie later in Sina, she will copy his famous « spinning » technique.

From that moment, Mikasa’s perception of Levi totally changed.

After slicing Annie, Levi also saved Mikasa again and broke his ankle. What a great episode to be a rivamika shipper.

3) Season 2: BLANK

I will go quickly on season 2: because of his injury, Levi can’t fight. Mikasa felt guilty for that. When Eren is kidnapped, she tells Armin she is not confident to take him back because this time, Levi isn’t with her. It shows how she values him but also how she likes to fight with him, since she feels stronger by his side. And that’s a great thing knowing that Mikasa said she was stronger than everyone else in the first episodes (and she was right). She finally found an equal.

4) Season 3: THE RIVAMIKA HOLY GRAAL

A] An incredible relationship evolution

So here comes my favorite season, not just for the rivamika, of course, but it’s still the one which provided us more and more moments between our two favorite Ackermans. This season shows Mikasa becoming Levi’s right arm, and not just on a fighting level. Especially in the manga, we can see how much Mikasa’s opinion is important for Levi, it doesn’t seem like she is one of his soldiers but his partner. Of course, Levi has always treated Mikasa in a special way, but it’s more obvious in season 3:

(Here is Levi adressing violently to Historia to make her understand something, and then Levi adressing himself to Eren also to make him realize something, but justifying his words to Mikasa: her opinion and her feelings matter for him. Nobody can denie he acts in an unique way towards this girl)

In a panel, Mikasa looks at Levi with a disappointed look because he said something about a plan implying Eren that didn’t please her. It seems like she is waiting for him to say something in answer to her reaction. Almost as if she felt sort of betrayed after them cooperating for so long. Does she think she has some power over him ?

Now, on Levi’s side: he knows that Mikasa will listen to him, because as she said it herself, she wants to follow her captain’s decisions. It’s very obvious in the anime when he stops her from running after Eren TWO TIMES !!

This season also shows Mikasa caring and sort of apologizing for Levi’s leg wound, which proves that she clearly doesn’t hate him anymore.

B] The Ackerman link

Now comes the very important part of the whole Ackerman plot. With Kenny being introduced, we learn that Ackermans are a bloodline that couldn’t be controlled by the Fritz king because of their ability to resist to memory manipulation: that’s why their clan was persecuted.

Levi soon finds out that he is an Ackerman, just like Mikasa, the gloomy girl he knows so well. And it’s a big deal, not just for the story, but for Levi himself. I am sure, as I already said, that he sees himself in Mikasa since the start: it seems like he doesn’t want her to make the same mistakes as he did. Like I showed it, he is very gentle with her, always checks if she is okay, calms her down everytime. Levi always felt a deep connection to her. Since he now knows that he is an Ackerman, he probably feels even more close and identical to her. However, he doesn’t tell Mikasa that they are part of the same bloodline.

However, he talks about their awakening with her, and everybody is surprised to hear their discussion. Mikasa is sharing her trauma, and she doesn’t seem to hesitate to do it: at this point of the story, she feels comfortable with Levi and she trusts him.

While they speak, it’s almost as if they forgot the others: they are looking at each other eye to eye, and their little talk is very mysterious and sort of intimate. At that moment, Levi established a link that cannot be cut. Mikasa and him are the last survivors of their clan, and they are mirrors, even if he is the only one to know it. (Well, Armin sort of noticed it too, immediately associating Mikasa and Levi in S1, and mistaking Levi and Mikasa the first time the group met the captain-chibi, but it was only about their fighting abilities, not abour their other similarities)

Guess what comes now: THE EPIC ACKERBOWL

So, if a lot of people think the ackerbowl wasted the relationship building of Levi and Mikasa, I think it just showed us how closer they grew during this season.

First of all, Mikasa doesn’t attack Levi because she wants to (as she did in season 1) but because she NEEDS to in order to save Armin. She isn’t happy to do that, and even says « please » to Levi when she could have just insult him or blame him like she used to do: they are not real ennemies, just two people in a great emotional distress wanting to save their closer friends.

It’s also impressive to see how dangerous Ackermans are: together, they are unstoppable, but as opponents, they are so equal that it is scary.

Another important thing: Levi isn’t mad as a normal person with a blade on his throat would be against Mikasa, he still tries to talk to her LIKE WOW that girl just attacked you but you still don’t hate her ? That’s because Levi cares for her, and that’s canon. The fact that she is an Ackerman probably leads him to be more attached to her. And of course, that’s an obvious parallel of his confrontation with Erwin in No regrets. Can we also say how sad and shocked Levi was when he saw Mikasa in tears ? He was really shaken by this sight.

5)Now, what about the Ackertalk ?

Like I said, Levi kept his Ackerman status and his link to Mikasa to himself. I think that, knowing how Mikasa is attached to her loved ones, to the ones she calls « family », he didn’t want to make her suffer by growing closer if he must die later, especially when he was only focused on killing Zeke.

But as the last two survivors of the Ackerman clan, Levi and Mikasa MUST talk about their legacy, their relationship and also their similarities. This post is nearly anime only but what I can tell you is that the Ackertalk still didn’t happen in the manga and probably won’t: that’s the biggest waste ever.

Mikasa and Levi are now both in difficult situations towards their Ackerbond with Eren and Erwin. Mikasa clearly needs Levi’s advices and support (I made another post about Levi’s character development, he is freeing himself alone from the ackerbond, and his ackerbond to Erwin was never toxic like Mikasa’s one to Eren was, in my opinion at least, so Mikasa needs him more than he needs her on the emotional/spirit level. On the fighting level however, Mikasa is now the one carrying him). Anyway, she needs to realize how powerful she actually is regarding how Eren treated her, because she lost her confidence in herself and in her autonomy (I don’t think Eren meant what he said, but still, Mikasa is now thinking she is some kind of slave and doesn’t go through any development). And Levi is the only one who can make her understand that. Because he is like her, and he knows it.

And should I talk about how the distance between Levi and Mikasa in the manga is unnatural ? They barely talk, and when they do it’s blank on Mikasa’s side. After 80 chapters she said, suprise guys: « captain »: THANKS ISAYAMA ! I am about to haunt your future onsen you damn yokai-_- Either he completely forgot about the Ackerman plot line, either something happened between Mikasa and Levi that we are not aware of, and which would be shown in the next chapters, what would explain the tension there is between them.

I hope this article pleased you, english is not my mother tongue so please pardon me if I made mistakes in my writing. It was very complex to sum up all the rivamika logic in one post, because there is always more to say about them. I hope that, even if they do not become a couple, they will grow closer and support each other as the amazing duo they should be. Shingeki is nearly finished, and I must say I am really happy that I’ve been part of the rivamika fandom since the start, even if haters were hard to take sometimes, this ship and this fandom are incredible and made me grow on many levels. Rivamika will always be great, canon or not, as long as we fuel it with our passion ❤️

#rivamika #ackerman clan #ackermans #snk #ackerman #levi x mikasa #mikasa #levi #aot #shingeki no kyojin #ackertalk

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caescloud · 4 years ago

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How about some shiggy fluff with a reader that has an emotion reading quirk and she just sees how broken he is and wants to help him and he’s just like ???? What’s this? Human decency? Tomura.exe has stopped working

Anon, I almost leapt out of my chair when I got your ask because not only is your brain huge, you made me think of my oc who has pathokinesis for a quirk! So thank you for an awesome prompt, I’ll do my best to explore this topic! There are some liberties I’m taking so let me know if this is slightly out of the scope of what you wanted the power to be portrayed as, I can adjust it. And I went with two routes for this one, hope that’s alright! Also, spoilers for the content covered up until about chapter 246!

Emotion/Empathy Quirk!Reader x Shigaraki, Fluff Hcs

As someone with a quirk that allows you to literally emphasize with other people, it’s hard to ignore those who are in distress. As a member of the League, you regularly are among companions whose more negative emotions you pick up on. Shigaraki is no exception to this. For all he does to mask his feelings, be it out of repressing his deepest memories or simply not willing to let himself feel the more somber emotions, Shigaraki has his days.

Approaching Shigaraki when you sense this emotional shift in him may play out depending on how close you two are. I feel that either way, he will be wary of someone who can instantly know the extent of what he’s feeling without knowing the context- it’s this perception he has of being “seen” and vulnerable, but not on his own terms. For this reason I wouldn’t recommend opening anything major; start small, a simple “I noticed you’ve been off, I’m here to listen if you need it.” (The second set of hcs are more fluffy than the first, I swear! )

If you’re not as close yet:

“Your vibes are off my guy” /j

You likely noticed his mood around when you first met him, the childish glee at the prospect of carrying out villainous schemes, the apathy felt for society, the frustration when things went awry, and this...undercurrent of intensely negative energy.

Your intentions are truly straightforward when you discover him

Had you not had the quirk you had, you likely would have missed the sudden “peak” of distress one night. Shigaraki experienced a rather nasty nightmare that sent him for a bit of an inner spiral. The LOV base was small enough that you could sense him despite being in separate rooms, the feelings of fright and melancholy were too palpable for you to ignore. You could sense when emotional activity subsides when people are asleep but Shigaraki didn’t seem to fall back asleep that night. You had difficulty yourself and made a note to confront him in the morning, when he’d likely be moving around while the others wouldn’t.

Shigaraki is aware of your quirk and how it works; he is the leader who is responsible for knowing key information regarding subordinates. What he didn’t expect, and may have subconsciously hoped you wouldn’t do, is “pry” into him after an episode.

SO in addition to that plus being in a sour mood that following morning, he may be more snappy and curt when you approach him. He doesn’t feel it’s your business nor something you should be spending energy on. He’s not really in a headspace to discuss what he dreamt about or exactly know how to put it into words; he’d likely tell you to move on because that’s what he’s doing.

Ball is in your court at this point; sticking around him may not be the best move unless you’re going to be quiet while he soothes his thoughts on his own; having anyone around him may be more of irritation/distraction than a comforting presence. If you do try to get him to keep talking, he’s gonna flat out leave the bar in a bit of a huff to blow off steam. If you leave yourself, best not to do so in a way that makes it seem like you’re mad at him? It’s not that he’s really concerned with how you’re feeling per se, this is more of a long-term behavior. Calmly letting him know you will respect his boundaries and telling him you’ll be around let’s him know that you’re a mature enough individual which is pretty big for him. Even if he doesn’t remark on it then and there; he’s all about those little details when it comes to people.

Even if at this moment he doesn’t especially appreciate “someone nosing around” in his head, he can’t completely ignore your intentions. You’re not on thin ice, but he’s gonna maintain a bit of a guard around you until there’s more trust solidified. After all, he can’t be scaring off competent allies like you when he needs ‘em this early on.

If there is trust/a relationship between you two:

You two have a much better rapport with each other this time around. Between fighting alongside each other, going through shared struggles and trials, those rare late-night chats you’ve had, Tomura and you are far closer now than ever before.

You are a valuable ally of his and someone who he lowered his walls down ever so slightly more for. As mentioned above, the fact you respected his boundaries early on while maintaining your welcoming presence has served you well in this area. If it’s you asking him about his troubles, that’s okay. You’ve seen him at some pretty harsh lows and still stayed by him and everyone.

Heck, even prior to this, you’ve already begun to notice a change in Tomura and how he’s been acting since the Kamino incident. Showing his face and apparent care for the LOV will also likely factor into him feeling more comfortable around you as well. After losing AFO and Kurogiri, this point stands even stronger. The league is his family, you’re a part of that too of course. But out of everyone, there’s a unique bond between the two of you.

So when you approach him as a result of the impossible to ignore feelings of turmoil, not that he’s outwardly showing this, you do so with the same, genuine concern you held the first time this happened. This is someone who you’ve gotten to understand hasn’t had much of a break when it comes to basic human kindness in most of his life. And he is also someone you truly care for, no strings attached. (Hard not to when you’ve been exposed to his innermost feelings after all.)

He’s clearly trying to hold himself together in the aftermath of Kamino; he seems to be clutching desperately onto himself as a way to ground. The loss of AFO and Kurogiri is taking its mental toll and while the others have opted to give him space, you chose to go to him; hopeful of any comfort you could give in order to soothe the ferocious panic and frustration sweeping over his mind.

Once again you offer him your ear, a shoulder, your words if he’d rather listen to someone else talk instead to take his mind off. He doesn’t brush you off this time but also doesn’t say too much. He stares very intensely at you, searching for a trace of judgement or gratuitous pity and finding none. Despite everything, you two fall into a comfortable silence, that hand you’ve placed on his shoulder acting as an anchor.

The next time this happens is after the battle with the MLA

The base you’re in is more lavish, fitted with more space and rooms for it’s members to reside in. However, you’re still able to sense Tomura’s emotions go completely haywire. The intense loneliness, fright, anger, and sadness crash into you and pull you under.

You don’t realize you’re moving until you’re outside his door, softly calling his name, sensing he’s alert and awake now. You almost feel this will play out as it did nearly a year ago until the door slowly creaked open, a single red eye gazing right through you. You’re about to speak when he reaches for you and pulls you in.

Huh. This is the first time he’s literally reached out for you, a fleeting thought. It’s dark and you’re unable to see him, but you feel the slight tremor wracking his frame and grip. You’re thankful it’s as dark as it is because you don’t want him to see your tears; whenever someone is feeling as badly as he is at the moment, your quirk can have the impact of flooding your emotions, especially if your control is not at its peak.

“Tomura, I’m here for you. I’m ready to help, tell me what I can do,” you muster in your most soothing and level voice, masking your outward emotions well. He is still wordless but moves you and him over to where his bed is, guiding you both down onto the mattress. A low sigh leaves his lungs as he tries to compose himself, grip still around your wrist. You feel your way over to the hand that’s holding you, carefully maneuvering the fingers off and transferring his hand properly into both of yours. You work mindless patterns and pressures over the appendage, further trying to physically calm him.

It starts with an utterance of the words “bad dream, family, my sister-”. He doesn’t go into very descriptive detail but with the way he’s feeling and how he’s speaking, you know it’s nothing pleasant. “They’re gone, it’s done. So why do I still...have these ridiculous visions of them?”

Your heart has ached hearing the way he talks; whether he realizes the extent of his words, when he talks about others and himself or his past, you feel compelled to be open with him.

What happens next almost shatters your heart because he asks you not to go. He’s done talking about his dreams and the past, his fingers are itching to go at this neck, and he’s just tired. When you pull him into your embrace, him mindful of where his hands fall, he surprisingly accepts it.

You’ve got him and you’re not letting go, gently smoothing over his hair to further placate him. He’s definitely feeling better than when you’ve found him. You only begin to drift off when you feel him truly calm down and go limp in your arms. No one dares to say anything the next morning when the future king has skipped out on a meeting.

He’s not going to say this out loud but he is truly grateful you treated his emotions with the care he didn’t realize they needed from someone like you.

#shigaraki tomura #shigaraki #shigaraki x reader #shigaraki hcs #imagines #tenko shimura #fluff #sfw

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terramythos · 3 years ago

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TerraMythos 2021 Reading Challenge - Book 21 of 26

Title: The Galaxy, and the Ground Within (Wayfarers #4) (2021)

Author: Becky Chambers

Genre/Tags: Science Fiction, Third-Person, Female Protagonists

Rating: 9/10

Date Began: 8/15/2021

Date Finished: 8/22/2021

Gora is an unremarkable planet. It has no natural life and few resources to speak of. In fact, its only use is its proximity to more interesting places. Over the years, it’s become a waystation, notable only as a temporary stop for travelers as they wait for their spot in the wormhole queue.

The Five-Hop One-Stop is a small, family-owned rest stop on Gora. Three travelers— a marginalized nomad, a military contractor, and an exiled artist-- lay over at the Five-Hop awaiting the next stage of their journeys. But everything goes horribly wrong when repair work on an orbital satellite causes a cascade event, destroying the planet’s communications. Now stranded on Gora with debris raining down from the sky, the travelers and hosts must live with each other while cut off from the rest of the galaxy. As they learn more about one another, each is forced to confront their personal struggles… and challenge their perspective on life.

Speaker had a word for how she felt right then: errekere. A moment of vulnerable understanding between strangers. It did not translate into Klip, but it was a feeling she knew well from gatherings among her people. There was no need being expressed here, no barter or haggling or problems that required the assistance of a Speaker, but errekere was what she felt all the same. She’d never felt it with an alien before. She embraced the new experience.

Content warnings and spoilers below the cut.

Content warnings for the book: Non-graphic sexual content, child endangerment, ableism (if you squint; it’s not malicious), references to warfare, discussions of intergenerational trauma re: colonization (not the scifi kind), prejudice and xenophobia, recreational drug use.

I’ve had a mixed experience with Wayfarers, which is unusual for me. I can’t remember the last series I read that fluctuated so much in terms of personal enjoyment and (in my opinion) quality. People as a whole seem to enjoy this series more than me, hence the multitude of awards and glowing reviews. I liked book two, A Closed and Common Orbit, because of the focused narrative and dedicated development of two lead characters. But the first and third books suffered from an overly large cast and reliance on generic archetypes. When a series is built on character development and plot is a secondary concern at best, those characters have to be outstanding. And to me, they usually weren’t.

But in this fourth and final book, I felt that Chambers finally hit her stride. On a surface level, The Galaxy, and the Ground Within has striking similarity to book three, Record of a Spaceborn Few. Both are virtually plotless novels which do deep dives into a cast of characters. What sets The Galaxy apart is its execution. All three leads have unique and compelling personal conflicts. An underutilized strength of the series is its creative aliens; something Chambers takes advantage of here with a fully alien cast. Finally, this book hinges upon interaction between the three leads, something sorely missing from the previous book.

In these reviews I often seem critical of ensemble casts. But when done well, I actually prefer them to singular narratives. The main hurdle is having consistently interesting characters across the board. When there’s one or two characters I prefer over the others, I usually struggle with the novel. There’s an inherent sense of disappointment when leaving a favored character’s POV. For me this affects my overall enjoyment of the story. But when I like all of the characters or they all have something interesting going on, ensemble casts are great. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within is successful in this regard because I thoroughly enjoyed all three perspective characters. In no particular order…

Speaker is an Akarak, a birdlike scavenger species introduced as sympathetic antagonists in the first book. Going in, we know their home planet was colonized by the Harmagians, which has caused irreparable harm to their culture. Robbed of their homeworld and forced into the margins of GC society, the Akarak are nomadic, and many of them rely on banditry in order to survive. We have seen very little of them besides that. The Galaxy expands their lore a lot; their short lifespans, their incompatible biology with other sapients, and the resulting generational trauma from centuries of colonial exploitation. Speaker’s arc in particular is about dealing with the prejudice she encounters daily, adjusting to acceptance after being othered for so long, seeing things from a new perspective, and persistent worry for her twin sister Tracker, who she’s been separated from due to the events on Gora.

The Aeluon Pei is actually a recurring character; she’s Ashby’s love interest from the first book. Here we get a more intimate view of her as a person. In particular, she struggles with living a double life. She works a prestigious yet dangerous job among her people, running cargo into critical warzones. But her affair with Ashby (a Human) is a huge cultural taboo among the Aeluons. If her colleagues discovered her romantic relationship, her life as a cargo runner would be over. The double life is wearing on her, because she loves both aspects of her life, but knows that it can’t go on like this forever. To make matters worse, she goes into “shimmer”, a once-in-a-lifetime fertility period, during the events on Gora. This adds a layer to her struggle; does she do her duty to her species and produce a child, or does she pursue what she really wants?

Finally, there’s Roveg, a Quelin. Like the Akarak, Quelin haven’t received a whole lot of development in the series. In the first book, they’re portrayed as a xenophobic insectoid race, and their role is unambiguously antagonistic. Roveg is the polar opposite of that. He’s something of a renaissance man; an appreciator of fine art and dining, who designs artistic sims by profession. He delights in meeting aliens, befriending them, and learning everything there is to know about them. His arc centers around his exile from Quelin society and all the hidden pains associated with that. Chief among these is a mysterious meeting he has to make— which the Gora disaster obviously complicates.

Complementing the three leads are the Five-Hop’s hosts; a Laru mother and child named Ouloo and Tupo. Similar to the Akarak and Quelin, we haven’t seen many of the Laru (who I always picture as fuzzy dog-giraffe hybrids). Ouloo struggles to be a kind and accommodating host in the wake of disaster. She’s also forced to confront her own prejudices, especially regarding Speaker, the first Akarak she’s ever met. The two initially have a lot of tension, but grow to be great friends over the course of the novel. Her child Tupo is a nonbinary character using xe/xyr pronouns throughout the novel. Xe’s basically a Laru teenager, and super endearing. I love xyr natural curiosity and naiveté. Definitely the “heart” of the group.

Interaction between these characters is the bread and butter of this novel. There’s very little action; instead it focuses on their differing perspectives and life experiences. It’s a gradual build as the characters grow more familiar with one another. The epilogue is brilliant, because we see the long-term effect of these characters meeting. Despite interpersonal conflict in the story, Speaker inspires Pei to make a specific decision. From this decision, Pei realizes she can help Roveg with his meeting. As a result of this, Roveg is inspired to help Speaker based on one of their earlier conversations. His help fundamentally alters Speaker’s perspective on life— and there’s an implication it will reach beyond that, to the Akarak as a whole. It’s a cascade effect, but rather than the disastrous version that happened on Gora, it’s a positive social change for the leads. That’s the kind of literary parallel that really fires me up.

I do have a few criticisms of this novel, minor and otherwise. The first is, I wish the tension between Speaker and Pei was more strongly built throughout. While I’m glad the novel isn’t all sunshine and rainbows when it comes to the character interactions, their conflict goes from an idea in the back of one’s mind to an explosive event. This is something of a nitpick because it’s otherwise well executed. I especially like that despite their interpersonal problems, they work together in the climactic events of the novel without sacrificing their respective principles.

My other criticism is a series-wide observation. Wayfarers is optimistic to a fault. As such, it’s pretty rare that we see true evil or even bad behavior in this series. On one hand, it’s nice to read something where the characters are people who want the best for everyone. But there’s a lot of dissonance here, because there are MASSIVE social problems with the GC at large. For example, we see the effects of xenophobia, war, slavery, and colonialism, but the ones who perpetuate these issues are faceless. If Chambers wants to portray good characters, that’s fine, but it strikes me as odd to build complex social issues into your society, yet exclusively portray groups of morally good people. Why would a society full of such nice, helpful groups also marginalize the Akarak, or create an entire caste of slave clones to sort through their junk? This approach comes off as a desire for nuance without committing to it.

This trend continues through the final book. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within is clearly a COVID-19 response novel (“we’re all in this together”!)— but everyone is blameless, and the government response is reasonable and timely. That’s just not how it worked in real life. So many people were (and still are!) selfish in response to COVID, often outright endangering others. Practically every government botched their response for the sake of money, leading to mass death worldwide. If Wayfarers has similar social issues to the real world, why would the response to a disaster be any different? It’s an ongoing contradiction; the Wayfarers society is simultaneously utopian and flawed, and it’s hard for me to suspend my disbelief.

As an individual novel, though, I really enjoyed The Galaxy, and the Ground Within. Like all the other books in the Wayfarers series, it’s a standalone and can be read on its own. My experience with this series has been up and down; I recommend the second and fourth books, but I’d skip one and three if I ever do a reread. There are things to like about Wayfarers in terms of worldbuilding and the creative ideas behind all the different aliens. Characterization is hit or miss, but the hits are great, and this book in particular knocked it out of the park. Chambers’ prose improves a lot over the series, and it’s nice to see how she develops as a writer. As I’ve mentioned, Wayfarers has gotten lots of positive feedback, so it’s possible you will enjoy it more than I did. But I’m looking forward to reading something new.

#taylor reads #2021 reading challenge #9/10

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sepublic · 4 years ago

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Eda and Lilith as Teachers

One thing this show really likes to discuss is the idea of mentorship, of teaching others… And that naturally ties well into the show’s themes of education and systems that are meant to implement learning, but don’t do it so well. It’s about passing knowledge on to new generations, instilling a new passion into people, and/or feeding into the natural curiosity of others!

So I think Eda and Lilith’s roles as teachers is definitely worth analyzing, comparing, and contrasting, especially given their narrative ties and parallels to one another as sisters! The thing about Lilith is… She very much comes across as the ‘proper’ image of a teacher; She’s well-educated and has a prestigious position in the Emperor’s Coven, graduated from high school… She teaches multiple students –not just Amity- and she has access to a lot of educational texts on the matter. She’s transmitted plenty of knowledge on magic to Amity, which has contributed to Amity being a conventional Top Student!

In contrast, Eda is a dropout (by choice, she clearly loved learning otherwise). She’s not exactly rich and doesn’t have access to the materials that a member of the Emperor’s Coven would. She only has ONE student, a human who can’t even do regular magic… So what knowledge Eda DOES have is almost useless because she’s forced to learn from scratch a forgotten form of magic, Glyphs, to help Luz learn! For a while, Luz isn’t even enrolled at an actual school, she’s home-schooled by Eda… And Eda, admittedly, is not the ideal teacher. Unlike Lilith and her professionalism, Eda is far more crass and casual about her relationship with Luz.

And, obviously Lilith is the better teacher in the conventional sense. But, and as corny as it may sound… Eda is arguably the superior teacher in that her strengths come in teaching Luz things that matter and build her up not for a specific role in society, but just as a functioning individual in general; Actual life lessons, wisdom, street-smarts, etc., that apply directly to any and all situations Luz finds herself in, how she interacts with others and herself, and how she maintains relationships!

Even if the specific subject of magic isn’t taught very well by Eda –again, partly because of Luz’s unique needs and their non-ideal situation- she’s definitely been able to help Luz mature a lot… It’s with Eda’s help that Luz overcomes her issue of projecting fantasy onto reality, and recognizes that she isn’t entitled to greatness anymore than anyone else! It’s with Eda’s help that Luz learns to be patient, and to take the time to listen to what others have to say… etc.!

Eda teaches Luz to value her individuality and be critical of authority, but at the same time shows Luz how to admit when one has made mistakes to a person they’re supposed to be ‘smarter’, as seen when Eda swallows her pride to enroll Luz at Hexside! And, this fits a lot with what we’ve seen between Eda and Lilith… Eda is definitely the wiser of the two by a long shot (as befitting her Owl motif), and is easily able to recognize a corrupt Coven System, while Lilith happily chugs the kool-aid!

By contrast, even if Lilith DOES teach Amity great magical skill… In terms of maturity, neither of them really progressed much, if at all, up until Luz showed up. Amity in particular was excelling as Top Student, but remained just as miserable as ever… Sure, Lilith taught her how to do magic well, but in general, she didn’t really teach Amity anything meaningful, no life lessons or wisdom that could help the girl mature!

All Amity was taught was how to fulfill her function and role in society as a member of the Emperor’s Coven, but again, this focuses on what Amity does for others and not on building up Amity herself as a person with her own separate identity from the whole! It teaches Amity to prioritize her ‘purpose’ over building a sense of personhood and individuality, and as we can see… This ends up rather destructive for Amity’s part.

And Lilith herself was pretty immature and foolish, buying into Belos’ promises and propaganda, refusing to acknowledge there was more to her and Eda’s distance than just the curse, and only finally made a stance when her own sister was about to be petrified- And even then, Lilith initially tried to sneak her way back into the Emperor’s Coven like nothing happened!

And to be fair, I don’t think anybody would want to openly challenge Emperor Belos… But the idea is still there that for all of her ‘academic’ achievement, Lilith herself has matured and grown very little, with the majority of her learning have come by the Season Finale! She’s booksmart at least, but as we also see with Amity… This knowledge in academics doesn’t mean much if both characters are rather miserable, emotionally-stunted people! Lilith and Amity were taught to emphasize their roles as tools/parts in a larger machine, instead of as their own separate people who are simply allowed to live on their own and don’t have to justify their existence by contributing to some grander purpose!

This is further reflected in the contrast between the relationships of Eda and Luz, VS Lilith and Amity… Lilith and Amity are cold and professional, maintaining an air of distance and a sense of hierarchy with Lilith specifically above Amity! Amity can only defer to Lilith, and all she does is learn from her, without contributing any of her own knowledge to Lilith!

Whereas Eda and Luz teach one another in their own ways, help each other learn and grow… Their mentorship is far more mutualistic, and it’s reflected in how the two have a far more familial, casual relationship! There is no sense of hierarchy that must be maintained, that Eda automatically knows more than Luz and is thus better than her and clearly superior as a result, that she can do no wrong… No, Eda is also flawed and has a lot to learn from Luz, too! They’re in some ways equals, which reflects their rejection of educational status as a means and justification for academic elitism, which the Emperor’s Coven embodies!

All of this also ties into the show’s discussion of learning things and skills that are ‘practical’, for the sake of attaining more power, wealth, status, etc…. Versus simply doing things for the sake of prioritizing one’s happiness and enjoyment! As Dana herself said, Lilith and Amity saw one another more as tools to achieve their goals with. Their pursuit of magical knowledge was less out of a passion (at least it’s not anymore) and more for the pursuit of something else frivolous that neither of them really wanted, and neither of them benefitted from… But they needed it from a pragmatic scenario, so they had to put up with this!

In contrast, while Eda and Luz’s lessons don’t exactly focus on the more ‘pragmatic’ magic that would garner a good career, they DO focus on improving and maintaining the emotional wellbeing and growth of one another! And so even if they don’t have magical skills, power, status, etc., Eda and Luz still end up as far more fulfilled, happier, and mature individuals than Lilith and Amity! They may be at the bottom of society and wanted criminals, but Luz and Eda’s lives are clearly the more preferable ones to the powerful yet stifling positions that Amity and Lilith have respectively.

Now, obviously I have to be a bit fair to Lilith here; Eda had mostly willingly taken the role of Luz’s sole surrogate parental figure on the Boiling Isles… Whereas with Lilith, her relationship with Amity is just a professional one and not familial, and she’s busy handling other students too! As far as Lilith knows, Amity already has loving parents back home… and, well. Amity definitely has PARENTS. But in the end, Lilith herself isn’t necessarily performing some moral failing just because she hasn’t immediately signed herself up as Amity’s moral guardian and surrogate parent…

But because Eda’s strength lies in teaching emotional, personal lessons that prioritize the personal growth of individuals regardless of any ‘role/purpose’ they should serve, she’s arguably the superior teacher! Her lessons aren’t as fixated on magic and increasing one’s power and skill at it, which in turn reflects the idea of becoming a ‘powerful witch’ purely for reasons such as status, wealth, power, etc., that ultimately contribute little to one’s happiness as they do not necessarily prioritize personal satisfaction, but instead a mechanical purpose.

Eda and Luz are casual, they don’t try to maintain a divide or gap between one another, nor do they enforce a hierarchy where Luz is an empty receptacle that can only learn from Eda… They are on equal ground and thus benefit more as mutualistic partners, teaching one another as both grow, and respecting the contributions and individuality of the other! By contrast, Lilith and Amity focus on maintaining a certain hierarchy and divide between the two that believes Amity can only learn from Lilith.

As a result, what Amity has to give and say is silenced as she herself is taught that what she has to offer isn’t meaningful, and Lilith merely passes on pragmatic information about magic but doesn’t really gain anything from the interactions. It’s a paradoxical idea of uplifting the new generation as the one who will succeed the previous one and do so much better, but at the same time these young kids clearly know nothing and are inferior to the infallible wisdom of their predecessors! And if they question anything about the system, then again, they’re just dumb and silly kids and what do you know?!

There’s a power imbalance here, an assumption of total superiority based on academic merit, which again… Ties into the idea of educational elitism with the Emperor’s Coven! It’s only by working together on equal ground that a mentorship can propel both parties from their initial place in the world, be it within their own hearts or literally! And THAT goes along with this show’s ideas of how being your own individual and acknowledging others as such, actually leads to more powerful, meaningful bonds of family and community as people are allowed to self-actualize with themselves and one another, thus reaching their full ‘potential’!

To put it simply; Eda isn’t exactly the conventional teacher, but in all honesty… The ‘conventional teacher’ to the Boiling Isles is one that prioritizes distance and hierarchy, and the idea of transmitting practical knowledge for the sake of getting more power/status/wealth with little regard to one’s personal happiness… Whereas Eda and Luz’s mentorship emphasizes no gaps and encourages all participants to learn and offer things towards one another, and to focus on prioritizing their own personal happiness and emotional wellbeing first!

This in turn expands on the dilemma that Willow had once been faced with; Doing the more pragmatic, opportunistic Abomination Track, or self-actualizing with Plants! In the end, it’s the desire to prioritize doing things that simply make one happy, without regard to whether or not it can contribute to their material gain! And THAT relates to the Coven System’s flawed ideas of amassing power for the sake of being above others, which in itself is a pointless rat race.

In the end, Eda may not be the best at teaching magic… But as corny as it sounds, I think she’s better at teaching Luz about the things that really matter in life, lessons that actually bring you happiness and satisfactory relationships; Which the most skilled and powerful magic in the world can’t necessarily guarantee! Whilst Lilith taught Amity how to be ‘successful’, but by the specific standard/merit set by people like Belos… In reality, Amity’s success is paper-thin as she ends up a blindly obedient slave to authority figures that overtly-blames herself for her own mistakes and things she didn’t even cause, and is genuinely miserable!

While on the other hand, Eda taught Luz how to be ‘successful’ in the truly deep and emotional sense, in that she helps Luz focus more on maturing as an individual and coming off more well-rounded for it. Luz may not know everything there is to know about magic, and she’s no Top Student… But she’s actually enjoying herself, kindling her natural curiosity, and creating meaningful social connections! Luz is still allowed to learn things simply because she wants to, to engage with magical education on her own terms instead of by how others dictate it for the purpose of fulfilling a role!

And given what this show has to say about prioritizing one’s personal happiness over the practical option that will net them material gain (which in itself is a pointless goal that many families only pursue due to a lack of money)… It all points towards Eda and Luz having learned more, from one another or otherwise! Whereas Lilith and Amity remained stagnant and only seemed more educated, but in the end were fools for the Coven System to varying degrees.

Like the gilded appearance or masks of the Emperor’s Coven, their supposed status and glory above others is thin at best, and when subject to scrutiny gives way to a much harsher reality of personal weakness and lack of growth. From Eda, Luz gained life-skills that are far more applicable and flexible in their use to all of her experiences, rather than simple knowledge on how to cast a specific spell.

Luz’s lessons are more widely-applicable across every situation of life, while Amity’s lessons on magic, while important, ultimately do nothing to prepare her for self-love, being her own person, finding enjoyment in oneself again, etc. It’s all for a specific purpose within a specific machine-system set by Belos, but who is she without it?

And if one is miserable working for their role in the system, then what is even the point of fighting for material gain just to survive, if one is unable to truly live as an individual? And many poorer families only focus on material gain because their circumstances are skewed against their favor… They live in a system that forces them to need material gain just to survive, and it’s why they have to prioritize it when otherwise they would rather be their own people!

It’s no doubt intentional by Belos, to force people to remold themselves to fit into the very specific slots of his Coven Machine. Similarly, the values the Coven System uplifts prioritizes teaching kids to focus more on learning magical skills related to their function that ultimately characterizes them more as interchangeable parts rather than unique people with their own lives and desires!

TL;DR Eda actually has a LOT of value as a teacher, and so does Lilith! But Eda in particular doesn’t have that worth recognized, because the Boiling Isles society has reached a point where it only cares about learning stuff if it’s directly related towards getting a prestigious job/role in the Coven System… And most people are forcedto make that sort of prioritization over personal fulfillment, because a lot of them are trapped in a horrible situation otherwise!

It’s a nasty loop and cycle where people really would prefer to be brave like Eda and pursue who they are, but the brutal reality of the circumstances –set by Belos- dictates that they focus on pragmatic things and opportunities simply to do well in life! It encourages people to care more for survival and fitting in over being actual, well, people. This kind of mindset is of course more obedient and easier to control with Belos, who has access and control over wealth, power, and social prestige, which people are then taught to value above all else, thereby making them dependent upon his rule!

In general, the show poses the very important question; What does it mean to be a teacher? And what REALLY makes a good teacher? Luz no doubt expected Eda to be a more conventional, Fantasy-Magic teacher similar to what she’s seen in her books; But Eda’s more mundane lessons, once Luz learns to appreciate them (as seen in Episode 3), replace her idealized fantasies with a more mundane yet ultimately fulfilling reality. Of course, Lilith ALSO has value as a teacher in her own way too, hence why Eda learns in Episode 9 to both provide her usual form of instruction, AND the conventional, pragmatic kind we see in an institution like Hexside! Eda at least tries to fulfill both kinds of needs and roles as a mentor, which Lilith sadly never made the effort to do so, albeit with her own in-universe justifications of course.

#the owl house #owl house #the owl house eda #edalyn clawthorne #the owl house lilith #lilith clawthorne #the owl house luz #luz noceda #the owl house amity #amity blight #analysis

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with-my-murder-flute · 4 years ago

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(Fanfic ask meme!)

12. Friends with benefits or secret dating?

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS. I honestly believe so much in the secular romance of people who have sex and respect each other and live their own lives and just... accept each other where they’re at. This overlaps a lot with how I like to write/read about polyamory, and also about the relationships I’ve had.

There’s this Alanis Morisette song, And You Owe Me Nothing in Return, and it’s not that it’s the only kind of love I know is in the world, but it’s the only way of moving through love that’s worked for me.

Like, when I broke up with my last girlfriend, I considered our relationship a success. Because she was also my first girlfriend, and before I started dating her, I still had this deep visceral sense that nobody would ever actually want me. Nobody would ever actually want to be with me. My negative mental scripts kept hiccuping for months after we started dating, like “and nobody will ever want me (except my girlfriend???)”. It was like a record skipping.

Oh god this got long. Below: More about me and my girlfriend; my epic FWBmances in previous fandoms, and my super ambitious plans for someone who’s on friendly-fucking terms with half the CQL cast.

It was a long-distance relationship, and she’s married to other people, and she was not one of the people the universe hit me over the head about, so it was not Grand High Romance, but there was a lot of “I love you platonically and if we can make sex work that’d be cool”

So after a few years our lives got busier, which was better for both of us, BUT, it made trying to coordinate times to get together harder, and we kept missing phonecalls and trying to make it up and failing again, and we both have ADHD, and one day I realized that a) trying to make this relationship work was taking a whole fucking lot of energy for not as much reward, and b) My deep sense of being personally unlovable had shifted, over time, to the feeling that I probably could find someone else if I put myself out there.

She made my life better. She made me better. Her perspectives and experiences on things like queer activism and fanfic and community organizing enriched my personal and intellectual life immensely. Last week I had a question about cults and power and control that I knew she was the perfect person to consult with, so we spent half an hour on the phone.

I’m still really fond of the fic-sets I did in Check Please fandom, where I took a canon character who was super obsessed/hung up on his first boyfriend, and changed his life by giving him, in one continuity, a pair of lovers who provide a refuge from his toxic workplace and show him very different ways to succeed at being human and support him building a healthier (and eventually sexy) relationship with his ex,

and in another timeline, a love interest whose interests and ambitions he respects too much to demand she stay where she’s miserable for his sake, and after a couple years of being FWB, she finds a way to come back to him (in which he also has his relationship with the first two, but makes the choice not to focus on them as his primary partners, but they stay friends, and I lost my enthusiasm before I wrote about his ex-girlfriend and current girlfriend falling in love but not in a threesome way but it was gonna be awesome)

I don’t know if I’m going to be able to finish it, but the WIP I’m most engaged with right now is about an OC who was super injured during the Sunshot Campaign and ended up working in as a courtesan/prostitute since he doesn’t have magic healing and his only marketable skills left are reciting poetry and sucking dick, and then he eventually joins a dual cultivation sect and does his best to add as many of the Top 10 Hottest Male Cultivators to his clientele as possible

Which includes really weird and distant and intimate, sexual and emotional and platonic, relationships with all of them, because he can discuss the sexual ethics of BDSM with Lan Wangji before offering to demonstrate that people really can enjoy the sex freak hidden beneath that icy shell, and then turn around and offer Jiang Cheng a person who isn’t intimidated by him and doesn’t want him to be the Big Strong Man (yes there’s pegging). He can fail to help Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue find dual cultivation techniques to prevent Mingue’s qi deviation, and enliven Nie Huisang’s drinking parties with Mo Xuanyu with witty and erudite banter, and quietly stan Jin Guangyao as someone from the gutter who made it, even when that means JGY as Chief Cultivator can’t be seen to do anything to raise dual cultivation sects’ frankly abysmal social status in the cultivation world.

The Juniors fear him because he and his sect head gave them a series of lectures on sexual ethics, so he’s the fatal combination of a weirdo hippy who’ll talk freely about masturbation, and the stern teacher who will know if you don’t tip your sex workers in cash where their management can’t see.

(And then when he meets Wen Ning he recognizes another outcast, someone uniquely without arrogance or pride--someone with, frankly, an outrageously idealistic amount of anger towards the cultivation world’s status quo--and thinks, I would like to become the kind of person who could walk beside you.)

But when one of his patrons advocates for the Jiang sect to accept him as a student in swordsmanship, they tell Jiang Cheng some things that significantly recontextualize their whole years-long relationship as sex worker and client, like how this guy got injured in the first place, which is just frankly hitting Jiang Cheng when he’s already been clobbered over the head with the fact that his pride has ruined his life, and this guy ends up at ground zero of JC working his way out of the post-series breakdown/spiritual awakening. While being consistently in love with/longing to join Wen Ning.

IT’S BASICALLY AN EPIC ROMANCE ABOUT FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS WITH ONE LITTLE ROMANCE-ROMANCE THROWN IN FOR SPICE. I CAN SEE IT ALL SO CLEARLY.

I hope to god I can write the damn thing. And find him a fucking courtesy name.

#my stuff #the untamed #check please #runawaymarbles #story: peach wine

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hellomynameisbisexual · 4 years ago

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Method 1 Understanding Your Partner

1 Recognize that bisexuals have a mixed attraction toward men and women. When entering into a serious relationship with a bisexual person, be prepared to accept their attraction to a person of another sex—the same way straight or gay people are attracted to members of one sex. Remember that if this person is dating you in the first place, it is because they are attracted to you as an individual.[1]

Even though bisexual people are attracted to two sexes, this doesn't mean they are attracted to everyone. They have limits and standards, just like everyone else does. By the same token, do not ask your partner if they "prefer sex with men or women." If you are in a relationship with them, you must always assume that they prefer you.

Some bisexuals are equally attracted to both men and women, but others have mixed attractions, e.g., they may feel more romantically attracted to one gender but more physically attracted to the other.[2]

2 Respect the bisexuality of the person you're dating as part of their identity. Most bisexual people consider themselves to always be bisexual, no matter who they are dating at the time. Do not suggest that they are heterosexual if they are in a relationship with a person of the opposite sex, or that they are gay if they are in a same-sex relationship.[3]

As such, do not ask your partner if he or she is attracted to each person that they meet. Instead, accept them as they are if you wish to retain your relationship with them.

Some people differentiate between their orientation and their behavior. Their orientation is bisexual, but their behavior (at least currently) is straight or gay. This is normal and all a part of the spectrum.

3 Know that bisexuals aren't "in transition." Not so long ago, being gay was flat out unacceptable. As a result, many gay people eased the coming out process by proclaiming themselves as bisexual and sort of getting their feet wet. It sort of ruined everything for those who were actually bisexual, turning Bitown into a pit stop to Gayville. But that's not how it is. Sure, some people may transition that way, slowly realizing (or letting themselves realize) they're gay—but others are aware of themselves and know that they're bisexual without question.[4]

It's perfectly normal to worry that your partner will eventually "turn" gay or "turn" straight. While it's feasible, don't think it's likely. Either way, right now they're into you, and that's all that matters.

4 Realize that bisexuals aren't promiscuous. They are just like everyone else. The gay community (and bisexuals getting lumped into that) gets a bad rap for being particularly oversexed. A lot of that is true; there are a lot of gay people and bisexuals having tons of casual sex. However, there are lots of straight people having casual sex all over the place as well. It has less to do with the orientation of the person and much more to do with their character. Bisexuals are not any more or less likely to be monogamous than anyone else.[5]

For a long time, many gay and bisexual people couldn't act on their feelings, or society would reject them. Now that society is becoming more tolerant, some people may try to make up for all that "lost time" once they come out of the closet. After all, a whole new world opened up to them. Wouldn't you take advantage of it too? So while promiscuity has nothing to do with orientation, it may have something to do with being held back for so long.

If he or she is a cheater, they're a cheater regardless of their sexuality. A person of good, upstanding character won't cheat, whether they're bisexual, gay, or heterosexual.

5 Understand that bisexuals aren't indecisive, untrustworthy, or confused. Many believe that bisexuals are just having their cake and eating it too, aren't really self-aware, or are immature and selfish and therefore can't be trusted. None of these are true. Bisexuals made the same choice that heterosexuals made. That is, they didn't make one. They just happen to be attracted to both sexes.

The idea that someone's sexual orientation determines their character is archaic. While many gays do tend to use their sexual orientation to identify themselves and grow their character, that's more of a poor reflection of society than it is a statement on the nature of sexuality. While liking men or women or both is a part of you, it's just a big a part as having brown hair or two arms. Big deal, right? It's just a question of preference, some prefer sweet, some prefer savoury, some like it hot, some prefer cold, some like men, some like women, some like both. It's really nothing to get hung up about. Focus on what you like about your partner and what they enjoy about your company.

6 Know that they're just as likely to be monogamous. Persons who are considered to be bisexual are attracted to two sexes, but this doesn't mean that they feel the need to be with a man and a woman at the same time. Just like straight or gay people, the vast majority of bisexual men and women will want a monogamous relationship. When it comes to marriage, a bisexual person may end up with a partner of either gender.[6]

If a woman marries a man it does not mean that she is straight, and by the same token, marrying a woman will not make her gay. The person that they marry will be the one they are in love with as a person, and may or may not have anything to do with gender.

That said, studies suggest that bisexuals are also more likely to question relationship norms such as monogamy. Approximately 65 percent of women and 20-30 percent of men in polyamorous communities identify as bisexual, which is a higher percentage than those belonging to other orientations.[7]

Method 2 Solidifying the Relationship

1 Enter into a serious relationship with your significant other just as you would with any other person, regardless of sex or orientation. Understand that if they are attracted to a member of a different or the same sex as yours, that they are not cheating on you. This is the same as straight or gay people being attracted to other members of one sex. Remember that your partner is attracted to you as an individual, and by understanding that they wish to remain with you, it will make your relationship stronger.

In a serious relationship, your partner should not only be your lover, they should also be your best and most trusted friend. If you feel you cannot accept this, then do not enter into the relationship. Remember: It's no different than how a heterosexual person will always be attracted to the opposite sex, yet they chose to be in a relationship with you, instead of all the other people they are attracted to.

2 Don't let jealousy become an issue. Sure, the entire world is open to them when it comes to sexual options. Sort of. Only not really. They still have standards. If anything, being bisexual is going to make them more selective when it comes to the men and women they are attracted to—and you're one of them!

And definitely don't let it morph your perception of yourself. You should not try to be more macho or more feminine. You nabbed them in the first place, so you are good as you are. Just because they're attracted to both sexes doesn't mean they want both at the same time.

3 Don't let paranoia ruin the relationship's potential. If you're straight and you're dating someone who is bisexual, don't fret that they're just on their way to discovering they're gay. And if you're gay and dating someone who is bisexual, don't fret that they are "just going through a phase." This person wants to date you, and they won't suddenly become gay or straight. There is no reason to be paranoid.

Sometimes if you go looking for trouble, you'll find it. If you don't trust the person you're dating, they'll be able to tell. An otherwise perfect relationship could get ruined just by being in your head. Relax! Any paranoia on your part is just imagined.

4 Maintain a healthy relationship with your significant other, as you would with any other person that you enjoy being with, or even love. Be honest with them, be open with them, and share thoughts and feelings. Forgive one another and tell the unarguable truth when it comes to disagreements, learn to appreciate your partner rather than show unhealthy criticism. Help each other when needed, and communicate openly about most any thing as you would, with a person of your same sexuality.[8]

If your partner doesn't ease your jealous tendencies, then it's not because they're bisexual—it's because they're inconsiderate of your feelings. If you constantly find yourself wondering and worrying, it's an issue to be discussed with your partner. If you don't feel reassured and safe, it may be a relationship that needs to end.

5 Ask questions. It is perfectly normal to need your worries or concerns assuaged. You need their orientation explained to you and odds are they'll be perfectly happy to do that. After all, it's certainly your business! Go in level-headed and confident. They're with you.

"Do you want a sexual relationship with a man/woman?" is a very different question than, "Are you sexually attracted to men/women?" Some bisexuals will willingly admit they're into two sexes, but having a relationship with one isn't in the foreseeable future or is a hot fantasy. In your conversations, be sure to clarify meanings and speak clearly. Knowing will help you relax and assure you in your emotions and in your relationship.

6 Be open minded. Some people think that bisexuality is a bad thing, and it certainly has its unique challenges. However, being bisexual is just another manifestation of human sexual diversity. You wouldn't discriminate against someone of a different race or denomination, so how is this any different?

Other people may feel it's in their right to ask you questions about dating a bisexual. They may openly express their disbelief at the legitimacy of your relationship or show inappropriate levels of surprise or pessimism. These people have old-fangled conceptions of relationships and don't deserve a second look. If you're happy, you're happy. That's all that matters.

7 Take a look inward. If you're still concerned about dating a bisexual, it may be more a reflection of you than it is of them. Are there deeper issues of trust at play here? Maybe you're afraid they'll leave you not because they're bisexual, but because of your own issues with self-worth. It just gets all confused in your mind. Rest assured, they're with you.

Think about it this way: They chose you over every other person on the planet. How awesome does that feel? You sure must be something!

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whatcouldgowrong-ohthat · 4 years ago

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Budding Blossoms (Steve x Reader)

Anon’s Request: “ Hi! I read your "it starts with a sentence" prompt with Steve and I absolutely love the way you write him. So, I was wondering if i could request something? Like the reader is a big fan of Steve not as Captain America, like as a war hero (because she learns about him in history class or something) and she's always wanted to meet him to thank him for everything he's done, but doesn't think she ever will. But then they meet by chance and just have a deep talk. Thank you 🙏🧡 “

A/N: So honestly, I feel like I suck at writing Steve (which is why it takes me a bit to do the requests, I”M SORRY), so thank you for your sweet words. It means a lot!!!! I’m happy to do this request for you :) Also - I hope you don’t mind the small twist I put in for the reader.

Summary: You had only ever cared for the war hero, never finding interest in the superhero title that the rest of the world had become so obsessed with. But you knew the odds of meeting him were...well, impossible. Or were they?

Word Count:1490 words

Warnings: My friends, tis a bunch of fluff. That is what I have for you. Please - enjoy. XD There’s a bit of angst, but it’s not intentional. It’s all very sweet.

To most, a day that fell in line with all the others was boring. Trivial even. But to you it was the one thing you had become desperate for. The flower shop you worked at was quaint, small even. Yet still wild and unique. It was hard not to find yourself content within its walls. Truly, you could spend every waking and sleeping hour here.

“Have you finished your homework?”

You looked up, placing the watering can next to the long row of roses. Your gaze shifted to your cousin, the owner of Budding Blossoms. She had been working on potting a couple new plants. Knowing how much she was constantly worrying, you reminded her, “I’m not taking classes this summer, remember?”

“Fine, then what about – “

You grinned. “I already took my meds.”

She huffed and asked, “Why do you act like it’s a bad thing for me to worry about you?”

“Because you worry too much.”

“Oh, is that right?” She threw some dirt your way and you ducked, laughing as the flowers proved to be a natural shield.

The familiar ding from the front door brought you two out of your little game. She looked up first as you returned to caring for the plants, surprise evident in her features. “Uh…you guys are Avengers.”

A laugh, boisterous and fun, bounced off the small walls. If you hadn’t known any better, you would have assumed the flowers bloomed a little brighter because of it. But still – you found yourself wondering. Why were Avengers in a flower shop?

“Is that a problem?”

“Not at all,” your cousin assured. “But if I’m honest, it’s more common for men to wonder in here when they’ve upset a girlfriend.” You watched through the hanging ferns, catching glimpses of the man you knew to be Sam Wilson. He was the one laughing, teasing your sweet and far too protective cousin.

“Not a girlfriend. Poor, sweet Clint here,” he said, hands clasping shoulders and jerking the Avenger forward. “Well, he managed to piss off his super-soldier boyfriend. And there is no one better at the silent treatment than that guy, believe us.”

Clint nodded. “You gotta help me out here.”

You heard your cousin agree. Of course she would. There was no doubt that her favorite part of her job was helping people truly in love. She was an every-day cupid, that you were certain. Watching them wander towards the back, to more exotic flowers, you turned on your hell only to stumble into something very big.

Very hard.

And very tall.

You looked up, realizing that you had walked into the third member of their party. “You – You’re – “

He blushed, hand scratching the back of his neck. “Yeah, I’m Captain – “

“You’re Steve Rogers.”

“ – America.”

Of all the things you would have expected, his surprise was not one of them. He looked at you as if he had never heard his name said before. A small chuckle slipped past his lips as he said, “I’m sorry, I think that made me sound a bit like an ass.”

“No, it didn’t,” you promised, shaking your head. “You’ve been known as Captain America for how long? I would’ve been shocked if you said anything else.”

“But you called me ‘Steve’.”

“I’m taking some classes at Brooklyn College and,” you shrugged. “My professor thinks our war heroes should be known by their name and respected for it. And I agree.”

Steve looked at you with an emotion neither of you could quite place. He stared with a kindness and familiarity that made it seem as though you two had been friends for years. And perhaps known each other longer. The silence was unsettling not because it was awkward, but due to the fact that there was an immoveable weight there. Silent words begging to be spoken.

But you had more courage to say them first.

“I wanted to thank you for everything that you’ve done.”

His brow furrowed. Clearly, of all the things he could have expected, that wasn’t it.

“Not as Captain America, but as Steve Rogers. You’re…” You smiled, tucking your hair behind your ear. “You’re a good man.”

His brows raised. Once again you had managed to surprise him. Little did you know how or why. There was no way you could know that similar words from an old friend. Dr. Erskine. Not a good soldier, but…a good man.

Steve watched you go about your work. He wanted to talk to you some more. It wasn’t every day that someone was capable of reminding him that he was a human first and hero second. “Do you…” He faltered when you looked his way. “Do you want to get a coffee? Maybe we could talk. I’d happily answer any questions you may have.”

“No, I wasn’t trying to act too cool!” You giggled, nursing the coffee in your hands as Steve grinned. “I just – I figured you’re always having to deal with strangers flocking to your side. I didn’t…” You sighed, sitting back in your chair. “I didn’t want to be another person to cause any stress.”

Steve tilted his head. Curious only because most people didn’t think of it that way. To them, he was a hero. And being a hero meant being in front of the spotlight. Hell, it had been that way since he was parading around in the 40’s. “Thanks.” Silence fell, but this time it was comfortable. Easy. “Can I ask you something?”

“Uh…” Now it was your turn to be surprised. “Yeah, of course.”

“I promise I wasn’t being inappropriate,” he started, earning a snort from you. “But…before the serum I was always sick. I was a really small kid and no one expected me to ever live a healthy life.” He cleared his throat and you could feel a change in the air. “Your scar…Can I ask what happened?”

Your fingers instinctively brushed against the spot he spoke of, knowing it traveled farther down. Beneath your tank top and between your breasts. It had taken a long time to gain a confidence in your appearance thanks to that ridge of healed skin. And still – you earned stares. You earned watchful eyes and even more careful hands. Everyone treated you as a doll, too weak to care for yourself.

“If we had met a few months ago, I probably would’ve bolted from the table,” you told him honestly. Nevertheless, your thumb ran across the lip of your coffee cup. “I had a heart transplant earlier this year.” You swallowed, willing the tear to stay away. His gaze, though warm and not at all judging, never wavered from you. And yet you wouldn’t dare look up at him. “Maybe that has something to do with why I respect and appreciate you so much.” You looked up at him, a sad smile curving your lips. “You were so determined to do the right thing. So determined to be good. And that…” You breathed a shaky laugh, a small tear slipping down your cheek. “That means a lot to someone like me. Someone who knows what it’s like to feel limited and know you are…” You met his gaze. “So much more.”

He reached across the table, his hand finding and squeezing yours. It was meant to be calming, reassuring. And god, it did exactly that. He was genuinely…such a good man.

The conversation went on. The pair of you discussed things no one had ever heard from either of you. Talking as if you had known each other for lifetimes, discussing things only someone who lived in a weak body could understand. It was precious.

Intimate even.

“Do you think they’ll come inside anytime soon?”

Sam looked to your cousin, noticing how she gazed out the window. There Steve was still talking to you. And the day had faded away. Sunset was greeting them now. He grinned, highly amused that Steve had managed to find comfort in talking to a woman. There were some days where he still believed that his friend was far more awkward than anyone could ever know.

He chuckled. “Probably not. But,” he looked to her. “Is there anything wrong with that?”

Your cousin thought back to the pain you had endured. All the time you spent clinging to the hope that you would heal. You would get better. You had grown so used to living the days on repeat, simply appreciating their existence, that you had forgotten that surviving and truly living were not the same thing. Nor would they ever be.

“I don’t think so.” She watched the way you both laughed. He had leaned closer, smiling from ear to ear and looking far less like a hero. And much more like a man. You looked so at peace. Happy and hopeful. No, there was nothing wrong with any of that.

If anything, she thought it was very much…right.

#steve x reader #steve x you #steve x female reader #steve x y/n #marvel ask #marvel #mcu #marvel au #marvel request #steve rogers #captain america

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seprianchristian · 3 years ago

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Elements of anthropology

Part One: Elements of Anthropology

Explain the elements of anthropology to be considered in cross-cultural ministry to the particular

Anthropology comprises of the fundamental concept including the study of God and study of humanity basing on different aspects of life being evidenced in day-to-day life of people in their respective societies. The creator who is God is being considered to be the divine cultural source in which everything which is good comes from him. This has impacted the religious beliefs of many people who have increased their belief in God. Everything created by God is being considered to be for his own glory and revealing accurately and truly the person in himself. The global culture has been impacted by the anthropological beliefs since it is believed that the first culture was created with Eve and Adam in the reflection of who truly God is as a super natural being (McDowell, 2016).

1-Kinship, marriage, and family

Anthropology comprises of various forms of kinship, family which is very crucial in the study of humanity. This deals with humanity and discovering how the people in the society express their humane acts to each other in the society. The aspects of the people in several languages and cultures are denoted b the systematic anthropology. Several facets of family and kinship systems are characterised with a variation of practices of divorce and marriage and how the social organization of the culture is being determined by the structure of the family. This also determines and shapes the way relationships and roles are taught to the new generations and this would be of great impact to such generations. The process, structure and the reason behind the family relations is crucial in the analysis. For instance, the theology of the bible and the design norms of the family is clearly taught for the scripture on different topics which it authoritatively speaks for the Christians who believe in the Bible (Act of libraries, 2017).

2-Age, race, ethnicity, gender, and class

The people in the society of different age and race have the tendence of interpreting the scripture giving the standards for different cultures which they belong to. This is because the individuals tend to divert away from the culture due to their social class. It can also be seen clearly when God created the world, he only created two genders female and male to live together on earth. Collectively, they would be able to control and rule earth since they were created in God's image. God directly created Adam who was the male gender. This the reason why in the societal and religious settings it is considered that men are superior over the women and that the women were created out of the man's rib. The social values of men and women in the society clearly depicts on the time and how they were created by God. It was one in such a way one gender is superior over the other in terms of cultural and social values (Hudson et al, 2021).

3-Economics and social organization

The economic and social values in the society are usually different and ranges from one person to another. The society is always characterised by individuals who are superior to others and this sometimes can be based on politics. In many societies, the justice is equal to all people and normally refer themselves to be socialists, fascists and sometimes democratic nations. The demands of the people are always powerful with the centralized government dedicated enough to provide the people with the necessary resources to ensure that there is economic and social development. In different parts of the world, the private property owned by the people is usually protected by the consensus in the society so that the economy is stabilized and protected. People believe that the good news preached by Jesus led to social, economic, and political freedom which happened first in the western countries (Lumen, 2021).

4-Belief systems and religious practice

All the people in the society in all parts of the world have faith due to the fact that they were made from God's image and this has been widely preached by Christianity. This has made people believe that they can not rely on themselves in along run while facing their challenges. Believing in God and accepting that with him everything is possible is common today among the Christians. For example, in genesis of the human race by Eve and Adam, there was creation of the community of worship in which people would come together and pray while asking for what they want from God. The church in the society would have a religious leader who would act as the messenger of the Bible just like how Adam was the head of the first family. For the people who are wicked, there is a punishment put for those individuals due to deviation from the covenant. For example, in noahs ark the wicked people were punished by the floods which eliminated them (Kreitzer, 2016).

Part two: Culture Change within the Context of Missiology

Based on your analysis of the various components of culture, which components will most impact best practices for cross-cultural ministry for the particular culture

The religious practice and belief systems will greatly affect the cultural settings of different societies. Different cultural or traditions have been stopped due to the religious values which are against them and are considered to be evil in the face of God. Everything in the societal traditions have been left for only the Creator to do (Kreitzer, 2016).

Discuss both positive and negative influences, and summarize the next steps/call to action.

It has demonstrated that all people must be dependent from God who made them to live. This has dynamically changed the people's views on their traditions and this has resulted into extinction of some traditions. The religion has changed all the nature how men treat their wives and respect them since in the Bible it is said that we are all equal to God. Therefore, there should not be any form of injustice in the society and this is very important in creating peace and security in the society. It is being illustrated that individual believers will not significantly impose their own culture on other people with different cultures. Culture has adversely changed and everything has become religious and left in control of God (National park service, 2021).

References

Kreitzer, M. R. (2016). A new dawn for Africa: What does the Bible really say about rebuilding Africa with God's spirit and biblical social ethics? Cape Town, South Africa: Christian Liberty

McDowell, P. (2016). Political Anthropology: A Cross-Cultural Comparison. Retrieved from, https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-culturalanthropology/chapter/political_anthropology/

Lumen. (2021). Explain the elements of anthropology to be considered in cross-cultural ministry to the particular. retrieved from, https://courses.lumenlearning.com/culturalanthropology/chapter/anthropological-culture-concept/

National park service. (2021). What Is Cultural Anthropology? retrieved from, https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1209/what-is-cultural-anthropology.htm

Hudson, S. Smith, C., Michael, L., and Scott, H. (2018). Symbolic and Interpretive Anthropologies. retrieved from, https://anthropology.ua.edu/theory/symbolic-and-interpretive-anthropologies/

Act for libraries. (2017). The Anthropological Perspective What Makes It Unique. retrieved from, http://www.actforlibraries.org/the-anthropological-perspective-what-makes-it-unique/

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aspoonofsugar · 4 years ago

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Hello Meta Queen! Do you have any thoughts on how TPD is clearly inspired by ATLA, and how the writers may be further developing similar themes/characters?

Hello friend!

Let’s see...

THEMES

I think that the main theme of ATLA is the idea of bringing back balance to the world.

Atla is a story about finding an equilibrium both on a personal level and on a macro-level:

Being in equilibrium lets people love themselves and others. It also comes with accepting diversity and interpreting it as something enriching.

This is why the Avatar is a person bending all four elements. It is because the four elements represent different aspects of the self and bending all four means finding an equilibrium among them. Similarly, all the four cultures presented have positive sides and negative sides and they need to cohexist and to accept each other.

This is precisely why the theme of equilibrium is linked to the theme of diversity. ATLA is a series which deals and promotes diversity. It shows how people can learn from different cultures:

It is not by chance that in the end the characters who lose are Azula and Ozai, who are both out of balance. Azula can’t find harmony inside herself and this is why she loses despite all her talent. Ozai fails to understand the equilibrium of the world. He tries to destroy said equilibrium and this is why he loses his own bending in the end.

Differently, the main characters all find balance within themselves and with others.

Aang is challenged by other bendings. In particular, earth-bending challenges him to face poblems head on (the whole story starts because he runs away after all), while fire-bending challenges his fear of violence and of his own power (and he manages to go all out at the end of the story).

Zuko reconciles the different sides of his complicated legacy and starts respecting other cultures.

Sokka learns that he does not have to change himself to be who he wants to be. What is more, he develops a strong respect for women.

Katara finds an equilibrium between the positive and negative traits of herself and her bending. She also forgives Zuko, but does not forgive her mother’s killer.

Toph must find an equilibrium between her desire of freedom and her wish to stay close to her loved ones. Not to count an equilibrium between her strength and the necessity of accepting help.

When it comes to Tdp, it is more difficult to discuss themes because the series is not over.

That said, I think that an important theme (probably the main theme) is this:

This is because the characters keep repeating it. The idea is that people must be free from their past. They must know about it and they can learn from it, but they should ultimately not feel bound to it.

This is why Ezran chooses to be a peaceful king, while his father was a warrior. This is why Callum decides he will still be a mage despite being a human. This is also what we see at play in the dynamic between Viren and his children. On one hand Soren has had a positive development because he broke free from his father. On the other hand Claudia is spiralling because she can’t.

This theme is expressed through the arcana of the sky. After all, it is not by chance that this is the arcana the main character connects to and which is embodied by Zym himself.

In short, Atla is about bringing back an equilibrium which went lost, while Tdp is about overcoming the status quo to create a new world.

Despite this difference, this does not mean that the main theme of one series is not present in the other as a secondary theme/personal conflict.

For example, Aang’s final choice is ibetween killing Ozai and finding another solution. He even asks past avatars and they all tell him to kill Ozai. However, Aang in the end chooses not to and stays true to his own philosophy (which shows how learning from other people/cultures does not result in erasing one-self/one’s culture).

Similarly, Zuko too is a character who breaks free from his father’s mentality.

At the same time, Tdp too, like Atla, shows different cultures and the importance to learn about them.

When it comes to this, we can see how the two series make a similar use of another narrative element aka the worldbuilding.

WORLDBUILDING

The two series’ worldbuildings have clear similarities. In both universes there are different kinds of magic linked ot different elements. What is more, these types of magic are connected to different cultures and embody different values.

In Atla we have:

In Tdp we have seven kinds of magic, but I will mostly comment on the four we got to know the most up until now.

The Sky Arcana symbolizes freedom:

It is the ability to act without any constrictions from your surroundings. It does not mean that you should ignore them, though, but rather that you should use them to go where you want to go. This is why people should not just follow air-currents, but they should be the sails and use the winds to go where they want. This is just anoter way to express the main theme of the story, as I have stated above.

It is possible that among the negative traits of the sky culture there is the tendency to become selfish/act in a whimsical way. I think that this is well conveyed by Nyx and by the Sky Elves being among the members of the Dragon Guard, who ran away.

The Sun Arcana symbolizes honor and purity to the point that it can purify Dark Magic. However, this obsession with purity leads to see the world in black and white and to become self-righteous.

This is why the queen of the Sun Elves dies after all. And it is Sol Regem’s discrimination and rigidity, which led to him losing his sight. What is more, the loss of the sight for a Sun creature is a pretty karmic punishment. Finally, it is interesting that he used to be the previous Dragon King. The fact that he is not anymore shows how such a narrow mentality can’t help in the construction of a new world.

The Moon Arcana is the opposite of the Sun one. So, while the Sun is about revealing the truth behind appearances, the Moon is about illusions. The moon culture celebrates illusions and appearances both in a positive and in a negative way.

Moonshadow Elves can make use of appearances both in how they trick their enemies’ senses and in how they trick themselves:

Because of illusions they can dominate their fear. However, this has also a negative aspect:

Moonshadow elves are asked to repress their fears and to feel shame for it. Similarly, they give the way things seem too much importance. This is at the root of what happened to Rayla’s parents and to Rayla’s herself. Because of a simple suspect of betrayal, they were erased. Again the cancelling magic is particularly powerful because the Moonshadow cultures gives so much importance to appearances. Think about what an enemy could accomplish if they were given access to a village where nobody could see them.

Finally, there is Dark Magic, which symbolizes many things.

First of all, it symbolizes the difficult relationship humans have with nature. On one hand they need to use natural resources to survive and to fight natural forces. On the other hand this kind of exploitation knows no bundaries. What is more, it gives people the feeling everything can be obtained easily and that there are no boundaries. As it was shown in Claudia and Viren’s arcs, this creates a lot of negative consequences for both the dark mage and the others.

As one can see, the different approaches have both positive and negative aspects and they need to balance each other out. Finally, Tdp, like Atla seems to have a character, who will master more than one element:

Personally, I am not a fan of this hypothesis and I think this is an instance where Tdp should try to be different from Atla.

In Atla, the concept of a person mastering all four elements was in the premise of the series itself and was used intelligently. Aang is a protagonist who does not want to be an avatar and his arc is to accept this part of himself. It is about finding an equilibrium between who he is as a person and his role. Moreover, the fact that he is the avatar ends up creating conflict, instead of solving it. Because the avatar exists and is an air nomad, the Fire Nation destroys the Nomads without second thoughts. In short, being the avatar creates problems to Aang as a person.

When it comes to tdp, I would prefer for different characters to show the potential to connect to different primal sources. It would be interesting if the main characters ended up connected each one to one or two elements. For example, let’s think how interesting would be to see Rayla connect to the Arcana of the Ocean since she is scared of water. Or Claudia become connected to the Sun Arcana, so that she can purify herself from Dark Magic. Or Ezran to the Earth Arcana, since he has affinity with animals. Soren has trouble with illusions, so it would be very interesting to see him struggling with the Moon Arcana.

In short, there would be a lot of potential to such a scenario, instead than having one single character being the one connecting to many elements. It would make Tdp more of a coral story and I think that would be more unique and interesting.

That said, I am open to see how the whole matter will be trated by the story itself.

These thoughts lead us to the last section of this answer.

CHARACTERS

As said above, Callum might end up having a similar role to Aang. There is also the fact that both start the story by running away and that both are connected with the air element in their respective franchise. Ezran too has similarities with Aang, given how both are non-violent and are kids who have a great responsibility despite their young age.

Other than this, though, the characters I would mostly like to talk about are my two favourites:

Who I see as basically a mixture between Sokka/Katara and Azula/Zuko.

It is clear that the structure of their arcs is similar to Azula and Zuko’s. They are the children of a main antagonist and they are both going through different journeys. Soren has managed to distance himself from Viren, while Claudia is still loyal to him.

That said, The starting point of Claudia and Soren is different from the one of Azula and Zuko. In Atla both Azula and Zuko start as clear-cut antagonists, while in Tdp Claudia and Soren are immediately given likable traits and presented as manipulated by their father. What is more, it is immediately clear that Zuko will have a redemption arc and that Azula is a more negative character than him. However, Tdp muddles the water more by having a whole season showing Claudia’s positive traits and Soren’s negative ones. That said, the series then uses the next season to make the siblings exchange roles. So Soren learns from his mistakes, while Claudia keeps spiralling.

In short, I think that Claudia and Soren are in a sense grayer characters than Zuko and Azula, at least in how they are presented to the public. This means that both couple of siblings have a similar degree of complexity, but that Tdp plays with the viewers’ expectations more than Atla. Or at least, I have this impression.

That said, both Claudia/Soren and Azula/Zuko explore similar themes and show the struggle of kids who must emancipate themselves from their father. It also shows the damage bad parenting can do (even if Viren is definately a more complex character than Ozai).

However, I would argue that Soren and Claudia also share common traits with Sokka and Katara.

I think that the similarities between Soren and Sokka are striking and clear. Both want to make their father proud, but they lack qualities which are celebrated by their respective parent/society. Sokka at the beginning lacks the physical strength and experience to be recognized as a fine warrior. Soren instead lacks the ability with magic and book-smart, which is appreciated by Viren.

Interestingly, they are opposite plays of toxic masculinity. Sokka tries to live up to an idea of masculinity he lacks only to discover that his strengths are his most “feminine” (culturally speaking) traits. Soren is a character who embodies a toxic idea of masculinity, but still feels unsure and unhappy despite it. It is not by chance that he deep down wants to indulge in activities, which let him show his sensitivity like poetry, for example.

In short, Sokka and Soren might superficially appear as opposite, but they are nothing more than the same concept expressed through two characters having opposite superficial traits.

Finally, both Soren and Sokka are often used as comic relief and this helps the public to like them and to connect with them.

Let’s talk about Claudia and Katara. I would say that, ironically, Claudia is a deconstruction of Katara. By this, I mean that Claudia and Katara share many traits. Both are children who are traumatized by the loss of their mother, for example. What is more, they have reacted to that loss by trying to keep the rest of their family together.

We see multiple times how Claudia is desperate to keep her father and her brother close and she tries to mediate between them.

Similarly, Katara, after Kya’s death, took upon herself the role of “heart” of the family and took care of her brother. She also shows anger towards her father for living, when they meet again in book 3.

Katara is a character who loves deeply and is highly empathetic and Claudia is the same. She is very sensitive and is genuinely sad when she has to tell Callum about his father’s death.

That said, the traits that are shown positively in Katara are deconstructed in Claudia. Katara and waterbenders in general, for example, are said to be able to think outside the box and they turn their weaknesses in strength (their whole fighting style is to turn defense into attack). This is the same principle behind Dark Magic and it is how Claudia justifies her use of it to Callum.

Even more importantly, it is Claudia’s love for her family and to an extent for her community, which leads her astray. It is telling that the Dark Magic starts to corrupt Claudia not when she uses it to attack her childhood friends, but when she heals her brother. Similarly, her hair becomes whiter not when she helps Viren in his plan, but when she resurrects him. In short, she spirals more and more when she uses healing magic. This is interesting if we think about how much Katara’s healing abilities are seen as a positive thing and as a symbol of her nurturing personality. Katara even resurrects Aang when Azula kills him at the end of season 2, after all. That occurrance is definately not framed as a negative thing.

What I am trying to show is that Claudia is an example of a character where those positive traits Katara has are shown as negative because of various reasons. This does not really mean anything by itself because the two characters are in different series, but it is still an interesting idea.

These are my main thoughts on the two series! Thank you for the ask!

#atla #tdp #atla meta #tdp meta #azula #zuko #katara #sokka #claudia tdp #soren tdp #hamliet #asksfullofsugar

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callistolivia · 5 years ago

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Ancient Genetics, The Ascendant, and Physical Appearance

It’s been about two years since I posted a complete list for interpreting how the ascendant plays a part in the physical appearance and I think an updated version is long overdue.

My original post was research mostly compiled from Evangeline Adam’s book “Your Place in the Sun.” At the time, I was really only just starting to get into astrology and thought this was somewhat of a holy grail for interpreting the ascendant. I had also obtained an illustrated book by Howard M. Duff titled, “Astrological Types.” The book showcases caricatures of each of the signs. This book was great for illustrating the way the signs behaved physically as well as specific physical details, except there was one major issue with this book; all of the drawings were clearly euro-centric and 9/12 of them were male depictions. This ultimately makes the book useless to anyone who wants to study people. Having more years of experience, I now have a strengthened intuition and felt the need to explore ancient genetics and their correlation to astrology. I had already previously looked into astrological rulership over countries in this post. The information in that post was gathered from Rex E. Bills’ “The Rulership Book.” This book is a directory on astrological correspondence to just about everything. The information in that book was collected from several astrologers therefore it has some credibility. My only concern is how relevant the information is now as it was written in the 70s– biases may prevail. I personally would not recommend that book to anyone with a poor intuition. My post on countries/places needs an update as well for I haven’t stopped to ask why those are the designated rulerships to those countries and places. I’ve become more and more interested in exploring ancient civilizations, studying their culture, religion, and politics and drawing the astrological correspondence to such. I now also feel that it is necessary to provide people with astrological correspondence to ancient genetics and backgrounds when discussing the ascendant’s influence on physical appearance because of the importance of genetics itself. The biggest argument against astrology’s influence on physical appearance IS genetics, but the thing is, they’re all tied together. I would like to note that this is only the beginning of my research. These are my findings now, and are subject to expand or change in the future (as we saw with my last post on physical appearance.)

I came up with an explanation using astrology as a tool (as one may say astrology is meant to be a tool for understanding the universe). Using the laws of astrology, evolution of modern man and genetics can be explained with rulerships and symbolism of planets, houses, signs, and their relationships between each other.

In the chart I’ve created, I’ve labelled the Imum Coeli (IC) “Ancestor” for the reasons being that modern man came out of maternal roots both literally and symbolically. The rises and falls of man can easily be represented through the ages of time and just after the Golden Age of Leo, the world entered the Age of the Mother Goddess; a time of matriarchal society. At this time, Cancer and Lunar themes influenced society and cultures and ideas, as does the following sign in the following age and so on. I emphasis the significance of the Age of Cancer to modern man as Cancer would then represent ancestry to us in the future and its opposing sign, Capricorn would represent history to us as well. Modern man’s genetics are rooted in the sign Cancer, respectively.

(Above – Khoi-san girl and her grandmother)

The roots of modern man are said to be traced back to South Africa from the once thriving Khoi-San tribe. What is particularly interesting about this ancient rooted tribe is their culture and how it heavily focuses on retained and unchanged tradition (a very Cancerian influence). Not only that, but the retained traditions are very watery in essence; weddings are considered private ceremonies, death is treated as a very natural occurrence (very different from how its treated in Western culture nowadays), trancing and spirit world travelling are practiced, shamanship is practiced, some groups revere the moon, hunter-gatherer style of living is still put into practice, adeptness in observing behaviour patterns of animals (habitual behaviour ruled under the Moon). Another particularly interesting aspect of their religious practices is the trance dance practiced by the shamans. They describe reaching their spiritual trance having a lot to do with a “stomach potency” and if you know astrology, then you would see the significance in correlation of the stomach to the sign Cancer. Apparently the trance dance has an affect on the stomach muscles and alters posture in the people who practice it too. Among other evidence to demonstrate their watery influenced society and culture, I think it’s fair to say Khoi-san tribe is ruled under the Moon and is ruled under Cancer. This being the case, and if the Khoi-san tribe are carriers of the earliest genetics to modern man, then it makes perfect sense to associate man’s physical and cultural roots to the sign Cancer and the Moon.

(Above map – from this website)

At some point, our ancestors obviously migrated to parts of Northern Africa and then some groups eventually out of Africa to escape the direct sun when albinism began to occur and the un-melaninated people could not survive in the conditions so close to the equator. From there, we see civilizations develop in all parts of the world with genetic variations and varying levels of melanin, but all traces back to their Cancer ruled roots. I believe Saturn/Capricorn’s cardinal direction marks historical moments in genetics and respectively opposes the Moon and the roots in the graph illustrated. While Saturn may represent recessiveness, we have to keep in mind that its traditional rulers were both Capricorn AND Aquarius (Aquarius now ruled by Uranus in modern astrology and that discovery itself also signifies evolution...). If we consider the recessive qualities of Saturn along with the rapid and sudden evolutionary qualities, we could see this opposition symbolizing the sudden variation in genetics; when recessive genes are activated. An example of this is the first occurrence of albinism in genetics as well as any other sudden opposites of the dominant genetics in humans. An example of the Aquarian evolutionary qualities could be how humans have become much taller in height overtime. The next component to be addressed in the chart is the other cardinal directions being occupied by Mars and Venus. Aries/Mars and Libra/Venus, as opposed to Cancer and Capricorn, symbolize a forward direction. In Stephen Arroyo’s book, Astrology, Psychology, & The Four Elements he writes, “The cardinal signs represent centrifugal radiating energy and correlate with the principle of action in definite direction. The “positive” cardinal signs, Aries and Libra, are concerned with action in the present, based upon future considerations.” So while the negative cardinal archetypes occupy what is significant in the past, we can say the positive cardinal archetypes symbolize future outcomes. It’s also important to note that Mars is in most cases considered a malefic planet whereas Venus is in most cases considered a benefic planet; it is particularly notable depending on what interchanges they make with other planets, in this case interchanges between them and either the Moon or Saturn. I’ve categorized the interchanges as ascending, descending, recessing, and prevailing labelled on the chart (figure 1). I’ve also included the Sun in this equation for the sake of unity and as well as its symbolism being the life giving planet; its qualities being warm, moist, and light. The “prevailing” interchange (Moon-Venus) symbolises dominant, unmasked genetics that are, for the most part, benefic. The “recessive” interchange (Mars-Saturn) symbolises recessive, masked genetics that are, for the most part, malefic. The ascending and descending interchanges represent a very unique relationship that these interchanges have according to laws of astrology.

In Robert Zoller’s, The Arabic Parts in Astrology, he explains very clearly important relations planets have with each other. The figure above is the “Septenary.” It symbolises the polarization between one planet to another and then how it is reconciled by a third point. I highly recommend this book even if you have no interest in Arabic parts because it goes over core principles in astrology. If we go back to the idea that Sun is always in the equation for creation, then you will see that the Sun in the Septenary has two paths, the Moon and Saturn. When creation (the Sun) chooses the path of the Moon, it is reconciled in Mars. When creation chooses the path of Saturn, it is reconciled in Venus. So the ascending path (Moon-Mars) thus symbolises masked genetics that manifest under Mars’ positive qualities and the descending path (Saturn-Venus) then, respectively, symbolises unmasked genetics that manifest under Venus’ negative qualities because it has to compensate for cold, dryness of Saturn.

What I would like people to take from this is an astrological perspective of genetics. I created the chart (figure 1) as, and only, an explanation for modern man’s emergence and how we can categorize different genes (but not just genes– culture, society, psychology as well) within these archetypes and planets and the relationships between each other. The main issue with my original post on physical appearance was the lack of explanation for why this was associated with this archetype or this planet. There are definite reasons why, for example, Aries is associated with red hair despite it being the rarest hair colour and its occurance in people is also rare, especially if the person’s genetics are deeply rooted to their ancestors, then it’s impossible, if not next to. It is because at some point in history an unmasked gene is activated and is ruled by whichever planet or whichever archetype respectively.

Just a side note; if any of you are particularly interested in learning more about genetics and not from an astrological perspective, I highly recommend this website. The writers have dedicated an immense amount of effort into bringing forth truth. They primarily focus on black history for the main reason being that it’s been heavily white-washed.

I feel now I can actually move into the actual ascendant descriptions having stressed the importance of genetics and roots above all. Also, with all of this emphasis on roots and ancestry, it may be worthwhile to take a look at the Imum Coeli’s condition in one’s natal chart in correlation to that. Just like in my previous post on physical appearance, I cannot stress enough how important it is to realize I am not telling you what you look like based on your sign. I’m putting this info out here to help you understand why certain features about you or someone else are the way they are as well as help you spot the rising signs in people! I also need to stress yet again that aspects to the ascendant (especially conjunctions), planets in the first house, the condition of the chart ruler, the Sun sign, domicile planets, and stelliums can all be significant influencers to a person’s appearance. So I shouldn’t be bombarded with asks saying “I look nothing like that!” once this finally gets posted, right? This is meant to be a tool for people to understand correspondence to astrology’s physical manifestations. Each description of the signs is the archetype in its extremes, so by all means, an individual of such and such ascending may not have all the characteristics of that sign. I will also include some notes on planetary influences in this post so you can understand how a planet will interact with the ascendant.

Without further ado, the signs,

Aries

The Aries ascendant often walks head first in a pioneer fashion and the ancient groups of Aries-influenced people were quite pioneering literally. The body usually doesn’t hold onto fat and builds muscle quite easily. Aries ascendants are prone to issues relating to the skin such as acne or eczema. The skin is usually quite textured and dry. Caucasian Aries folk may even have a very apparent ruddy complexion. When Aries manifests in its particular forms, red hair and white hair genetics manifest as well as unpigmented, large eyes. There tends to be two different types of Aries rising, the first type carries a care-free, yet curious expression. Their eyes are as luminous and big as Pisces, but lack the daze. The eyebrows are honest and unsuspecting in the first type. In both types, the eyebrows tend to be bushy which is obviously more apparent in dark haired Aries. The head shape looking at it from a profile angle is convex making the chin not very prominent (some dramatic illustrated examples below.)

Looking straight on in both types, they usually have a heart-shaped face. The second type has a keener expression; the eyebrows are more arched and lower to the eyes. The chin is slightly more distinguished than the first type. The nose on either type can be big or small, but is often pointed and is often bigger on the first type and smaller on the second. There may be a bump in the bridge. Both types are drawn to warm colours and that may be expressed through wearing lots of reds or choosing to dye their hair reds or blondes. Some astrologers claim that people with the Aries appearance have a distinct Aries symbol apparent to their face in the way that their forehead and eyebrow bones are shaped, you will see that in the third celebrity example quite prominently. Mars (Planetary ruler of Aries and Scorpio) can be associated with freckles, so it is not uncommon to find that people with significant Mars or Aries influences have freckles, or rather, their freckles are trademark to their appearance. Aries is more associated with freckles clusters, light freckles, and birthmarks and Scorpio is more associated with beauty marks and dark moles.

(Above – Rihanna. Listed as an Aries rising on Astrotheme so its subject to inaccuracy, but she has definite Aries features to her; heart shaped face and keen expression. Eyes are lighter in colour which is also a common Aries manifestation.)

(Above – Tyra Banks. Listed as a Cancer rising on Astrotheme, so again, its subject to inaccuracy for the exact time, but her birth day makes her a definite Aries Moon and Aries Mars; a significant amount of Aries energy to see Aries qualities in the ascending expression. Lighter eyes once again being a very Arian manifestation, but also the choice to fashion lighter hair.)

(Above – Leonard Nimoy. Aries sun and listed as a Scorpio rising on Astrotheme, so the exact time of birth is subject to inaccuracy. But this is the perfect example of face shape many astrologers describe Aries folk to have; the brow bones curving into the nose in such a way that looks like the symbol for Aries.)

(Above – Devon Aoki; exact birth time unknown, Leo Sun, Aries Moon, Mars in Scorpio)

Taurus

The Taurus ascending takes a slow approach in their movements. Their movements are also graceful (unless the chart ruler is badly placed, then the Venusian aspects are poorly expressed). Often they have stocky bodies and broader shoulders; female Taurus tend to be curvaceous. Their build is a representation of Taurus’ ability for resistance; they can carry a lot on their shoulders either metaphorically or literally. There’s a general warmness to the presence of true Taurus risings. Their hair is often deep, warm colours with a luxuriousness to it. Their eyes are often deep and warm– the same goes for complexion. Staple Taurus risings often have clear complexions (afflicted Venus or prominent Mars aspects will contradict clear complexions) and warm undertones. Their skin has a firm essence and evokes the desire to touch! They appear unprovokable and quiet while they may not be. Facial features in general are either full or wide– full lips, wide nose bridge, wider jaw, wider glabella, etc. The face shape is quite square which is common for fixed signs and their profile is straight.

(Above – sketched interpretations of Taurus rising.)

(Above – Celebrities with Taurus rising ((no, this is not the line-up for the next Twilight movie)); George Lucas, Taurus Sun, Taurus Ascending; Mariah Carey, Aries Sun, Taurus Ascending; Taylor Lautner, Aquarius Sun, Taurus Moon, Taurus Ascending; Robert Patterson, Taurus Sun, Taurus Ascending.)

(Above – Gigi Hadid, Taurus Sun, Taurus Ascending.)

None of the celebrity examples really demonstrate the wider glabella I mentioned before, likely due to their other influences, but I’ve seen it first hand in Taurus risings. The brows are often either further apart or even alined perfect to the nose. The bridge of the nose is almost aligned with the nostrils. In the context of mass, the nose can manifest either big or small, but it does not extend outward the same way Aries risings are.

Gemini

When a person’s ascending sign is in Gemini, their movements are quick and sometimes nervous and fidgety. Gemini rising can speed up the movements of even the slower sun signs, such as Taurus. They tend to use a lot of hand/arm movements when expressing themselves. Their eyes often appear surprised or alert most of the time and their movements are also quick and dart around. There is a child-like interest or curiosity they have with their environment; there is a need to absorb everything in their immediate environment. We can see this in Gemini’s need for variety in social situations. Geminis (both rising and sun) love stories and learning– this voluntary mental activity is what really keeps them appearing youthful.

In Howard M. Duff’s interpretation of Gemini (caricature above) he points out that Gemini risings tend to have “Gemini Bumps” which are prominent temples in the skull. Sometimes Gemini risings also have a higher, more receded hairline in this area too, making the temples more prominent. Overall, Gemini risings tend to have sharp or bony features, especially in the more masculine expressed ones. Cheekbones and jawline can be quite prominent. Gemini rising’s nose can be big or small, but is usually on the small side, especially in feminine expressed Geminis. Their nose can be long and pointed or short and snub, but the main recurrence in Gemini noses is the round tip and lack of a bump in the bridge. Their lips can be wide or thin, but are often flat and look very compressed when their mouth is closed. Their eyes are more often further apart than centered and lower than risen (or rather, they appear lower with a proceeding and longer skull). Their bony and sharp features may result in very defined eye sockets. Their skull and face can either appear somewhat long or short and small; it’s important to note the changeability mutable signs have. The short and small face variation are especially prominent in femininely expressed Geminis and are often described by people as “pixie-like” with their small chin, round face, and button nose. Gemini rising’s body shape is usually thin, lanky, and tall. Very rarely can they hold onto fat. They usually have a very active metabolism and in medical astrology terms, one might consider the prominence of Gemini/Mercury in malefic disposition having a connection to hyperthyroidism. Obviously, prominence of say, Taurus or water archetypes may generate the opposite in a person; it is very possible for a Gemini rising to also not be thin if we consider other factors, as we should.

(Above – Lauryn Hill; Exact birth time unknown; Gemini Sun, Gemini Mercury, prominent fire influences as well. She has very feminine, Gemini facial features; pixie-like face shape, compressed lips, position of the eyes... It’s also important to note her musical talent and her versatility (writing, rapping, and singing) being a very Gemini characteristic.)

(Above – Billy Idol; Gemini Ascending, Sagittarius Sun, Gemini Moon. He has Gemini facial features in his face shape and positioning of his features.)

Cancer

People with Cancer rising, more often than not, have larger bodies. The feminine, watery archetype naturally holds onto fat and water weight. Their body shape can be curveious or round. In some cases there are boneier Cancers, and even in the plump Cancers, their faces are still well defined; high defined cheekbones, chin, skull definition, etc. Cancer risings are not, by any means, slow in their movements. They can exert a ton of energy in their movements and are a close second in terms of strength in comparison to the other powerful water sign, Scorpio. Cancer’s face is often round; the skull is also round and sometimes bulbous. Cancer’s profile is usually straight and flat As mentioned before, they tend to have high, defined cheekbones, but do not look under-nourished as Virgo or Gemini can look sometimes; they tend to have full cheeks, and a clear complexion– a face of good health in terms of shape and texture. Their complexion is a reflection of the moon, Cancer’s ruler. Their skin is reflective, moist, and bounces/absorbs light. A Cancer’s complexion usually has quite cool undertones and Cancers lacking melanin are very pallid and sometimes sallow looking. They tend to have full, round lips and short, snub, sometimes upturned, noses. If the Lunar energy is weak in the Cancer rising’s chart and Jupiter or Saturn carries prominence, this will modify the nose to either be hooked down and bumpy or bony and defined. Cancer ascendants are usually described as having large, luminous eyes, but over time observing Cancers, this isn’t a feature that stands out to me as being Cancerian, especially as Cancers get older, their wrinkles in a sense “water-out” the eyes and make them appear small and not a facial focal point of Cancers. If there is something to be said about Cancer rising eyes, there is a sense of vulnerability in their gaze. May have defined eye sockets like Gemini.

(Above – Lisa Bonet; Scorpio sun, Taurus moon, Cancer rising. Quite a bit of Scorpio qualities to this Cancer rising, but the lunar qualities are still present.)

(Above – Liv Tyler; Cancer Sun, Cancer Rising, Saturn in the first house.)

Leo

Leos generally have a sense of regality or loveliness about them, but loveliness unlike a Taurus or Libra, for they are not always conventionally alluring, rather they exempt loveliness through their level of self-appreciation and self-expression. This is demonstrated by the way they hold themselves (some go to the extent of walking chest first) and grooming. Though stereotypical, their hair can be of prominence; lots of volume, often thick, curly, and textured. Despite a Leo’s hair being their pride, Leos can be prone to balding. Their face often has some sort of beast-like or catty quality to it, especially the more feminine expressed Leo possess cat-like resemblance with the positioning and shape of their eyes and nose. Facial proportions and sizes tend to be average and their facial profile is usually straight (if not straight, they may have an underbite profile). Their lips have a definite cupid’s bow shape, similar to Libra. Their body is usually triangular shaped; slim hips -broad shoulders ratio. In a Leo ascending’s youth, fat tends to stay off the body, but if they dabble in pleasures in excess as they get older, they may become somewhat top heavier; fat is distributed to the stomach, shoulders, and face/neck. Their skin’s complexion is often clear, but in bad health the skin can become noticeably textured and inflamed. Leo lacking melanin can become noticeably ruddy; some are naturally ruddy in complexion (some Leos are prone to rosacea), but environment and the body’s condition plays a large part.

(Above – Emmanuelle Béart; Leo Sun, Leo Ascendant)

(Above – Maria Grazia Cucinotta; Leo Sun, Leo Moon, Leo rising)

(Above – Jack Nicholson; Taurus sun, Leo Ascendant)

(Above – Socrates (artistic depiction); said to be a Taurus sun, Cancer moon, Leo rising according to this source. Appearance wise, it is extremely plausible that Socrates was a Leo rising, but I also think it’s plausible that he was a Cancer rising. He has both very Cancerian and Leoian physical traits about him if the depictions of him are accurate. In both cases, his chart ruler fits certain physical traits as well. Read Cancer’s description as well to see what I mean. I see a fascinating resemblance to Jack Nicholson who is also a Taurus sun, Leo rising.)

Virgo

Virgo ascending often has the same quick quality in terms of movement as Gemini, but it seems with intent and precision (and this makes sense for the analytic earth sign). There can also be the same sense of nervousness as Mercury ruled charts makes the body’s nerves sensitive. If very airy, their body will most likely be quite petite, but if they’re more earthy, then their body will be bulkier. Often quite tall in stature. A prominent feature of Virgo’s is their nose in relation to their eyes; often their face looks as if it’s slightly pinched at the bridge between the eyes. The brow is quite straight, unlike an Aries for example. Their nose is straight, long, and down pointing; sometimes bird-like. Their nostrils may be wide, risen, or flared looking. The eyes are most often small, or present smallness and darkness. Their face is often oval in shape, but I’ve seen plenty of Virgo risings with a rather short face, vertically speaking. Many astrologers have pointed out the mutuableness of Virgo risings makes other placements in a chart easily overpower it’s appearance, so spotting Virgo risings with other prominent influences in their chart can be quite difficult. I’ll include a handful of celebrity portraits for a bit (and I mean literally only a bit because Virgo’s appearance really ranges) of Virgo rising’s dynamic range with other influences.

(Above – Uma Thurman; Virgo rising with a Taurus Sun, Aquarius Moon, and Mercury in Taurus.)

(Above – Augustus (artistic depiction); said to be a Virgo Rising with a Virgo Sun and Capricorn Moon)

Libra

Libra risings can easily be described as the socialite of the zodiac, although that may only be in appearance as there are also recluse Libra risings too, when other placements contradict that (such as the person’s lights). They possess a natural social quality because of Libra’s magnetic and charming energy; people are drawn to them even if they aren’t a people-person. Libra risings often look very “put together” in the way they dress and present themselves. Unlike Taurus, the other Venus ruled ascendant, Libra risings are not likely to possess stocky bodies, however can be prone to weight gain (moreso later in life than in youth). Individuals with a heavy amount of Libra influences may be prone to indulgence. Libras like pleasure, so when an individual is a true socialite Libra, they are often put into an environment where they have access to excessive amounts of alcohol, sugar, food, etc. and this would be where proneness to indulgence is rooted. However, there are Libras who are just naturally plus-sized, especially later in life (and there are natural causes to that such as a change in the body’s hormones as one ages.) Libras tend to have curvaceous body types; the lower back and buttocks especially being a shapely feature. A Libra’s facial profile is often straight and the face itself may be flat and round similar to Cancer risings. Their nose can range in size and length, but the bridge is often straight. Nostrils may be wide or flared; looking straight-on the nostrils and nasolabial folds can be described as having a distinct definition to them. Being ruled under the hot planet Venus, Libras tend to have a lot of warm physical characteristics. This includes having warm or olive undertones in the skin, deep, warm hair colours (either by choice or naturally), and warm eyes. Although eye colour itself can range and is strongly tied to genetics, it is more of a Libra trait to have darker eye colours, especially deep browns and black. Libras tend to have a laidback and friendly expression in the eyes. Their eyes can naturally enchant others; they can really make a person feel listened to when a Libra is focused on them. Sometimes the iris appears as if they may be wearing circle lenses or as if they were painted on, similar to a doll’s glassy eyes. Their lips can range in size, but often have a defined cupid’s bow. While plenty of non-Libra individuals may have dimples, dimples are correlated to the sign Libra. Overall, Libras tend to have softer features.

(Above - Dwayne Johnson; Taurus Sun, Capricorn Moon, Libra rising, Uranus within 5 degrees of the ascendant)

(Above – Kate Winslet; Libra sun, Libra moon, Libra rising.)

(Above – Raven Symoné; Sagittarius sun, Scorpio moon, Libra rising.)

Scorpio

Scorpios are probably the most distinct looking and easiest to spot. Scorpios tend to have stocky, broad bodies. Sometimes there are very petite manifestations too. They may be tall and the ones who aren’t tall make up their height in their powerful presence. Just about everything about Scorpio rising’s appearance is distinct and defined. Their eyebrows are often dark, thick, and sharp. The brow bone is often low and the eyes are positioned with depth. Their eyes hold a strong, keen expression. Often the eyelids are not very defined, usually hooded. Although you don’t need to be a Scorpio to have an epicanthic fold, hooded eyes and monolids have a correlation to the sign Scorpio. Scorpio rising’s hair is usually dark or fashioned dark. Their nose makes their profile very distinct. Their nose can range in size and is often hooked and may have a bump in the bridge. The nostrils are usually flared, risen, and possess a bit of a snarl to them. Many astrologers describe their nose to be “bird-like,” but that may confuse them with Virgo risings who also have a “bird-like” nose and vice versa. I have a whole post on the differences between Virgo, Scorpio, and Pisces noses here. When Scorpio risings speak, the words come from their teeth rather than their lips. What I mean by this is if you consider the opposite, a person who really enunciates with their lips, you can get an idea of a person who enunciates with their teeth. Their skin is usually of a clear complexion, although being a water elemental, the skin leans more towards oily rather than dry and being ruled under the planet Mars, acne can be common. Their skin tends to have golden or warm undertones. I mention in the Aries section that Mars has a correlation to freckles. It is not uncommon for Scorpio risings to have distinct beauty marks or moles and other dark freckles.

(Above – Priyanka Chopra; Scorpio Ascendant, Cancer Sun, Gemini Moon)

( Above – Björk Guðmundsdóttir; Scorpio Ascendant, Scorpio Sun, Scorpio Moon)

(Above – Leonardo DiCaprio; Libra Ascendant, Scorpio Sun, Mars and Venus in Scorpio, Pluto 5 degrees away from the Ascendant)

Sagittarius

Sagittarius’ are notoriously considered by most astrologers as “horse-looking” based on their face shape and stature/posture, but I personally regard them as more deer or doe looking (though you could argue horses and deer aren’t much different I suppose).

Their face and skull are long in profile, the forehair may be very sloped. They usually have long noses, but it will range in mass. There may be a bump in the bridge or it may just be smooth and straight. Heavy Jupiter influence will make the nose more hooked and likely to have a bump whereas heavy lunar influence can make the nose more upturned with a straight or flatter bridge. They usually have a defined or bulbous tip, which is why I think of deer when I think of Sagittarius because the snout or nose of a deer is a focal point in their appearance. Like deer, they have another major focal point which is the eyes. Sagittarius tend to have very doe-like eyes. They can be big, similar to Pisces, but lack the dazed expression Pisces usually has. Their eyes, along with the doe-like largeness, are bright, honest-looking, and alert. The brow is often risen, sometimes surprised-looking, usually give off an honest expression. Although more notable in a Sagittarius sun than ascending, Sagittarius are known for smiling and laughing a lot. They tend to have very full, bright, infectious smiles. May have prominent jowls. Sagittarius ascendants tend to be lean in their youth and gain weight in their later years. They tend to hold most of their weight in the stomach and thighs. As opposed to Leo’s body shape with broader shoulders and narrow hips, Sagittarius tend to have broader hips than shoulders. They tend to have very strong femurs. Sagittarius’ limbs are usually long; long legs, arms, fingers, etc. This can be notable in people with Sun or Moon in Sagittarius as well; Sagittarius influences often make a big impact when it’s present in the chart.

(Above – Elizabeth Taylor; Sagittarius Ascendant, Pisces Sun, Scorpio Moon)

(Above – Oprah Winfrey; Sagittarius Ascendant, Aquarius Sun, Sagittarius Moon)

(Above – Will.i.am; Sagittarius Ascendant, Pisces Sun, Aries Moon, Jupiter in Pisces)

(Above – Sinéad O'Connor [Shuhada Sadaqat]; Sagittarius Ascendant, Sagittarius Sun, Libra Moon)

Capricorn

The keyword to describing the Capricorn’s physical manifestation is structure. They often have very structured features. A Capricorn’s body can manifest in two ways, the first being in association to Capricorn earthy strength, the body is often big-boned and wide with definition in the joints (e.g. knees, elbows, etc.). The second way they tend to manifest is very petite and short in stature with small features. However, the second type still retains some level of Capricorn/Saturn’s crystallization and these people can appear to have a stillness in their expression, as if they are a marble statue. As was mentioned before, they have very structured features. They have strong facial features and prominent bone structure; a strong jaw and strong set of teeth; prominent cartilage in the nose; shapely glabella in juxtaposition to the eyes; bony skull/temples. Their eyes are often small with keen eyesight (unless otherwise afflicted in the birth chart by the Sun or Mars). Their lips are also usually small and shapely, or thin and wide. Their skin usually has neutral to cool undertones. In Evangeline Adam’s book “Your Place in the Sun,” she mentions Capricorn risings tend to have an excessive amount of hair. I’m not sure if I can agree with that observation or not, but I suppose it would explain someone like Lorde’s (Capricorn rising) hair... Capricorn/Saturn also has rulership over hair.

(Above – [Left] Hayley Williams; Capricorn Sun Conjunct Saturn. [Right] Lana Del Rey; Cancer Sun, Scorpio Ascendant with Saturn in the first house. Saturn has a strong, crystallizing influence on one’s appearance. It adds a structural component as I mentioned before.)

(Above – John Legend; Capricorn Ascendant, Capricorn Sun, Sagittarius Moon, Mars Conjunct Ascendant)

(Above – Joan Jett; Capricorn Ascendant, Virgo Sun, Aquarius Moon/Moon in the 1st House)

(Above – Sean Connery; Capricorn Ascendant, Virgo Sun, Virgo Moon, Saturn in Capricorn Conjuncting Ascendant.)

Aquarius

The Aquarius ascendant is described by most astrologers as very angular looking; square and straight features. This may be to do with its traditional ruler Saturn, and just like Capricorn, there is a lot of structure or crystallization in their physical appearance. Fixed signs in general lack a fluid appearance, with the exception of some Scorpio manifestations. Aquarius rising is similar to Taurus in that they both have a straight side profile, but Aquarius’ other facial features are likely to be sharper, such as the jawline. Aquarius have a very square jawline, noticeable from either the side profile or straight on. Other notable sharper, chiseled features of an Aquarius is their chin, cheekbones, and skull. Naturally, people who have Aquarius rising will range in height (especially if we take into consideration the traditional planetary ruler, Saturn), but tallness does have correlation to the sign Aquarius and the planet Uranus. Aside from height, they tend to hold themselves high with a very straight posture. While the body may become broad with muscle, Aquarius tend to be slim. Their eyes are usually set somewhat further apart as opposed to together. This is usually accompanied with a broad glabella. The outer corner of the eyes flick out and tilt up giving the eye a particular definition trademark to Aquarian eyes. External epicanthus (heaviness of the eyelid fold on the outer corners of the eyes) has some correlation to Aquarius too. There is nothing particular about their noses in contrast to some of the other signs which have noses that bring forth a lot of the sign’s character. Their nose may range in size, but never very big or very small. The bridge may resemble that of a Taurus nose or the bridge may be slimmer in comparison to the glabella and tip. Their lips are often small and thin. Aquarian and Uranus influences have a tendency to give people an androgynous expression; men being effeminate and female being masculine.

(Above – Matt Dillon; Aquarius Ascendant, Aquarius Sun, Taurus Moon, Saturn, Sun, and Mars in the first house)

( Above – Michael C. Hall; Aquarius Ascendant, Aquarius Sun, Taurus Moon)

( Above – Roberta Flack; Aquarius Ascendant, Aquarius Sun, Aquarius Moon)

Pisces

Pisces is another sign with a particular distinctiveness that makes them easy to sought out. They often have an overall mysterious and magnetic aura to them (not to be confused with Scorpio’s magnetic aura which is more like a looming, powerful seduction. Pisces is more hypnotic and confusing). It is accompanied by a dazed expression in their eyes, which are often big and particular. Some Pisces appear relaxed and wise whereas others appear confused or “out of it.” They tend to have thick, rounded eyebrows. There are two variations of a Pisces’ nose; the first being often large, hooked, and with a bump in the bridge. The second being small, snub, and may be round, but usually lacks definition. The first type has correlation to Jupiter. The second the Moon (and maybe Neptune? I don’t see outer planets presenting themselves physically usually. They often serve their expression through a person’s aura, an example being Pisces’ mysterious magnetic energy). Overall, a Pisces facial features are very soft and lack definition with the exception of the hooked nose which stands out when present. Everything is rounded; the chin, the jawline isn’t very defined, round cheeks, etc. Pisces tend to have a plump pout; both top and bottom lips are full. Their body is often very rounded and larger. They usually have shorter limbs (arms, legs, fingers, etc.). These individuals will naturally range in height, but there is some correlation to the extremes (very tall and very short). Some astrologers claim there are extremes in the size of a Pisces’ feet, some very small feet, others very large. Their skin tends to have cool to neutral undertones.

(Above – Oscar Isaac; birth time unknown, Pisces Sun. I included him because he has very prominent Pisces features.)

(Above – Billie Eilish; Pisces Ascendant, Sagittarius Sun, Aquarius Moon)

(Above – Kajol; Pisces Ascendant, Leo Sun, Pisces Moon, Jupiter in Pisces/1st House)

(Above – Erykah Badu; Pisces Sun, Pisces Moon, Sagittarius Ascendant)

That summarizes all of the signs, but before I consider this post finished, I just wanted to stress again that these descriptions are not meant to be me telling you what you look like based on your Ascendant or Sun sign. I also want to stress just how limited of a selection there is in terms of examples. When searching for my examples, there were two criteria, one being that they needed to demonstrate somewhat of a clear, prominent influence of the sign mentioned, and two being the birth data’s accuracy. I am limited to using celebrity examples and unfortunately that is even more limited when not all celebrities have a reliable source for their birth time (I only pick celebrities with a A or AA rodden ratings). I am limited to celebrities who have that birth information available or were made of interest to professional astrologers who have either personal dealt with these celebrities charts or have gone out of their way to find the information themselves. There is really only so much extent I would go to collect someone’s birth time in respect to their privacy which is why I only picked what was available to the public. If I’m honest, I would opt out from using celebrity examples completely if I could because I do feel its invasive to view someone so critically, but for the sake of sharing my research I have done so. I am also nowhere near skilled enough at portrait art and human anatomy which is why I didn’t feel inclined to do an artistic depiction of every archetype. The final thing I want to stress is that this is all just my theory that I developed based on my research. Have an open mind, but take everything with a grain of salt

I’ll include additional notes below,

-The Fixed mode makes for very square or angular appearances.

-The Mutable mode makes for dynamic appearances ranging from sharp (think triangular or diamond) to round.

-Fire makes for robustness, Air makes for leanness, Earth makes for bulkiness, and Water makes for heaviness.

-Lots of Mercury, Virgo, or Gemini influences can increase metabolism.

-Venus and the Moon decreases metabolism.

-Jupiter increases, enlarges, expands, and grows

-Saturn decreases, minimizes, shrinks, and debilitates

#astrology #physical appearance #the signs #the zodiac #aries #taurus #gemini #cancer #leo #virgo #libra #scorpio #sagittarius #capricorn #aquarius #pisces

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tomhollandnet · 5 years ago

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Chris Pratt and Tom Holland may be known for playing a swashbuckling space outlaw and a kid bitten by a radioactive spider, respectively, but their next project has the actors teaming up for something far more fantastical: In Pixar's Onward, Pratt and Holland voice a pair of teenage brothers who embark on a grand and noble quest. They just happen to also be elves. Oh, and they're blue.

Onward is set in a suburban fantasy world where the days of yore were filled with magic, but now elves and centaurs and cyclops and sprites co-exist in a modern world not so different from our own. (Pesky unicorns aside, that is.) On his 16th birthday, Ian Lightfoot (Holland) receives a wizard's staff from his late father, along with a spell to bring Dad back to life for one day. But when the incantation doesn't go as planned -- conjuring only as far as their dad's pants -- Ian and Barley (Pratt) have 24 hours to fix it before he's gone for good.

Pixar's latest hails from director Dan Scanlon, who mastered the modern world-building on his last film, Monsters University, but says the seed of truth that became Onward was very human. "I knew I wanted to do something personal, so I started working through things in my own life and asking questions," he said during a press day at Pixar Animation Studios.

"My dad passed away when I was a year old and my brother was three. So that was a biggie. That was a big question I had. I think a lot of times movies should start off as questions, and my question was, 'Who was he? And how am I like him?' That's where the idea came from. Then we thought, wouldn't it be amazing if you had one day with that person? What would you say?" Scanlon explained. "I like to believe that Pixar stories have endured the test of time because they're based on real questions that people are asking."

Following the Q&A, Scanlon and Onward producer Kori Rae sat down with ET to discuss creating magic and why Holland and Pratt make perfect elves.

ET: The kernel of the idea that became Onward is such an important part of your life. Had you been thinking about ways you could incorporate that into your art before? Or stories you could tell about that experience, before setting out on this journey?

Dan Scanlon: Weirdly, I hadn't. I always knew it was an important part of my life, but I'd never really thought of a way that it could be a story -- which seems strange now in hindsight. But no, it was really going through the process and sitting down with Kori and talking to other filmmakers about my life that led to finding this story. And I love that we are able to tell this story in such a big way. Because it is this little, weird, intimate story, and part of the fun is juxtaposing it with this very comic, very adventurous, very broad movie. I think -- I hope -- that it takes people by surprise.

I saw a sketch you drew in 2014 of two brothers and their half dad, but they were very normal-looking brothers. Human brothers.

Scanlon: Yeah. In the very early days, those were the things we knew we wanted and we were trying to figure out, "Well, how do you bring back half a dad?" They were just regular people and had figured out some contraption or something -- I can't remember -- and to be honest, it was just kind of boring. It didn't have the fun that this had. And then we thought, "We've got magic. We should use magic more." And the idea of a modern fantasy world with creatures instead of humans just lends itself to animation so much more. A lot of the fantasy stuff [we'd seen] was very realistic character design, so the idea of doing more cartoon-y, fun-to-animate fantasy creatures was something that seemed really fun.

Do you remember where the idea of having this dad character who's only his pants came from in the first place?

Scanlon: It's funny, we should really do some thinking, because I kind of can't. You know, there are so many different ideas that lead you to something. We knew we wanted this idea of Dad being created and grown, but at some point, the idea of just stopping at the pants came up. What I love about it is for all the years I've worked here, there is always some moment in a meeting where everyone laughs and goes, "Oh, we can't do that." And then somebody else goes, "We're doing it!" and we all get excited. This is very much that moment for us. Like, "What the hell?! It's going to be pants and walking around? That's so weird!"

Kori Rae: "Let's just do it."

Once you'd decided, "Let's do it," and had to go out and pitch it, was there anyone that was like, "No, this is crazy"?

Scanlon: No. [Laughs] There probably should have been.

Rae: Not that we heard. Even in the early days, I think it was just exciting. Nobody's seen it before. So if we can do that with one another here and say, "Oh my god, I've never seen that before!" then, yeah!

Scanlon: And I think the very reason why it's weird and uncomfortable is what makes it funny. You want to meet your father, you want this idyllic situation and you get the exact opposite of that. And family is awkward and has its moments, and so there's just something I delight in in the fact that it's weird.

Dan, we saw footage of you recording scratch vocals for Ian, so clearly you had an idea of who he was and what he sounded like. What was it about Tom that captured what you wanted in Ian? And what did he bring that you didn't know you'd wanted?

Scanlon: For one, he sounds 16 and I sound 43. [Laughs] He has this funny way of fumfering and being awkward and that was very Ian. We wanted the raw nerve of a 16-year-old and Tom can do that wonderfully. And on top of that, he's a great actor who is very sincere and emotional and there's a lot of that in the movie. You just kind of root for him. I think a big part of what he added was just a little more of that vulnerability that I don't think we had as much of in the early days.

I think in his Marvel work, Tom Holland has made people cry more than anyone else in that cinematic universe.

Scanlon: Right?!

Rae: He's so good.

Do you remember the moment you landed on Chris Pratt? You see Barley now and you're like, "Yeah, that's obvious."

Scanlon: It seems so obvious, I know! It does. We looked at a lot of people, but Chris is so full of humor and energy. And Barley is wild and chaotic and charming and he gets away with it -- he gets away with being a little annoying because he's so funny, like you enjoy watching it.

Rae: And he's just got such heart. We wanted to make sure that even though Barley really bugs Ian and he doesn't want to be anything like his brother, we needed that heart in the character of Barley to come through so that you could see that they still had a bond. He's not just picking on him. That it was all well-intentioned and he's just doing things his way. And that heart that Chris has in his acting and as a human being, I think it just comes through and it was one of the big draws.

I'm sure Pratt is so excited to show this to his son.

Scanlon: He's very excited. He's been a real champion in the film from the beginning. He's been such a fan of the animation we've shown him and he's been really supportive of us. He's just a delightful guy.

Chris and Tom know each other and have worked together before -- which lends to that brotherly bond you hear in the movie -- but did they do any recording together? Or was it done separately?

Rae: We did! We were able to get them together one time. Their schedules are so insane, so getting them to record at all was a challenge. But yeah, we got them together once and it was a blast. We picked out certain scenes that we thought would really be elevated with the two of them together -- both comedic and emotional scenes -- and it was really, really fun. Chris really is big brother-ish to Tom, and it's really adorable to watch.

You've said the story took you a long time to crack, but how did you decide on Onward as a title? Was it always going to be called Onward?

Scanlon: It was a super hard movie to title. It's like Up. If you had to come up with another name for Up, it's a hard one, because it's such a unique movie. We were a little in that camp. Later in the movie, you hear Barley saying the word "onward," and it's a very Barley word because it's from the past. Some folks pointed it out to us as a potential title and we loved it because it was so positive and it feels like a journey. This is a coming-of-age movie, and it's also a movie about moving on from tragedy and tough stuff, so Onward felt perfect. It encompasses both the emotional part of it and just the big fun journey.

#onward #articles #long post

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