#and I TRULY cannot imagine that much time will be devoted to what is ultimately a fraction of players

[skiitter]

I feel like no matter what that the handling of Solavellan in Veilguard is going to let most people down.

[terrence-silver]

Does old Terry have any precautions in place to ensure Beloved doesn’t date anyone else after he dies? Or is it a they die at the same time type of thing?

---

Wouldn't put it past him to put together a very elaborately crafted will that states beloved can't marry or enter relationships, legally so, if such a thing can even be legally enforced, and if it can, I'm certain Terry Silver of all people will and would find a way to enforce it, giving beloved his assets posthumously and making them his sole heir, but nothing being for free, the price for it ultimately being that they remain devoted to him for the rest of their lives, decades after he's died. That is, if he doesn't organize a joint suicide where they depart this Earth together sooner, because they belong to him and he's taking them with him.

But then again, contrary to popular belief...

Terry Silver isn't a proponent of force if there's other alternatives lined up on the table.

He likes people coming to him more.

Of their own volition.

Of their own free will.

Why? Because it's a testament of his power display in someone else's actions.

He relishes the fact that people can have every other imaginable option available and they still choose to turn to him.

He never forced Daniel Larusso to come train under him either, for example. He just made the offer, made it tempting, made it feel safe and Daniel Larusso came to him all on his own, behind his teacher's back no less. He never forced any other student under him, be it Mike Barnes, Tory, Kenny or literally anyone else who ever trained in his dojo to be there by force either. They all came because they wanted to (or had something to gain from it), one way or another. I feel Terry would enjoy for it to be the same case with beloved; they promise him that they'll be true to him after his death not because they're necessarily contractually forced or cornered into it. Because they're effectively blackmailed. Trapped. No --- Terry Silver would want it to happen because beloved truly means it. Because their devotion and desire for him are both legitimate instead of coerced. Because they love him so much that even after he dies they cannot conceive of being with someone like that ever again. He'd want to be mourned, cared for and remembered honestly. Beloved puts that chain of loyalty on themselves because they want to. Not to say he's this saintly romantic. Oh, no, he isn't. If push came to shove he'd contractually obligate beloved into celibacy and fidelity if he could and if he legally couldn't, he'd still find ways to do it --- but what would give him profound happiness? Not glee. Not a perverted sense of triumph. Not sadistic obsession. No. Happiness. The knowledge beloved will love him and stay true to him to the end of their days because that's what they've chosen. Now that! That would make him happy.

That's what he'd really want.

The idea that out of every choice, they'd choose him.

That his capacity for devotion and passion is finally matched.

[jennycalendar]

buffy/giles? jenny/cordelia? angel/cordelia? spike/anya? dawn/xander? willow/kennedy? kennedy/anya?? (i know i'm late to this game but i want to hear all your opinions)

buffy/giles:

oh, man. my take on this is a little different from most. starts out like i have a certain position, but prepare yourself.

buffy/giles is so divorced from canon! the story itself took so many steps to remove the possibility of buffy and giles ever becoming a romantic relationship -- the Six Inch Rule is often cited in a lot of b/g fics (yes i read them. i read everything.) and it's very very clear that the show has placed giles in a paternal role. a lot of the b/g ship arguments seem to suggest that giles doesn't actually want to be buffy's dad, but i think that omits the rest of that sentence -- giles doesn't want to be buffy's dad because he feels like a good dad would not be sending their kid out to die, and he believes that the ultimate act of paternal devotion is to Not Be Buffy's Dad. and buffy herself CLEARLY wants giles to be her dad! this is a point of contention between them!

i have read some b/g fic because i am always curious, and the bulk of the fic that i HAVE read just absolutely refuses to engage with the canon messaging, instead choosing to say "all of the rest of you are reading canon wrong, giles and buffy have never had a father/daughter connection, and there's always been romantic potential here." i find this incredibly boring. i think that any exploration of buffy/giles HAS to incorporate that, at one point, she saw him as her dad, and HAS to explore how those feelings changed + the weirdness/messiness of this entire dynamic in the first place.

i am not gonna be one of those people who pearl-clutches -- buffy/giles is a long-established part of this fandom and i do not think that it does us any favors to pretend that they didn't build so much of the incredible giles content/infrastructure that's out there! even if it's not my thing, i can respect it. but part of the reason it's not my thing is bc i do not see a lot of it that actually engages with canon. much of it intensely mischaracterizes buffy AND presents giles as the Perfect Man Who Is Perfect, which, again, soooo not interesting to me. write some weird shit where the daddy issues are addressed instead of shaken off and shoved into a closet! that is literally what fanfiction is for!!!

jenny/cordelia:

iiiiiii can't see it. they're way too similar. i've read a couple of fics where cordelia has a crush on jenny but honestly just cannot buy it. i think cordelia wants to BE jenny (cool confident assertive lady with a geek ass little boyfriend, is not bothered by what people will think of her for dating said geek ass little boyfriend) which is a little different.

angel/cordelia:

14 year old celia will never not be crying about them. neither will 22 year old celia. the most perfect thing to ever exist. they invented friends to lovers. i truly think there's nothing like them in the entire buffyverse -- the people that they start out as are so fundamentally incompatible, and then the people they grow into through heartbreak and supernatural situations become SO ENTWINED!!! i love the idea of a second, enduring love that you grow into -- something that is not fated. of all the couples in the buffyverse, they're the ones who are actually, canonically best friends who enjoy each other's company w/ the love stuff blooming FROM THAT, and that will never not kill me.

spike/anya:

hot in the short term/for a fwb situation, but i think they probably work best as friends. i don't really have anything to justify this position, Simply Vibes.

dawn/xander

i am totally ambivalent. i understand that it happened in the comics, but it's so hard to look at them and imagine it when he's such a big brother to her in canon! on principle, though, i respect the idea of the dynamic shifting as she gets older, because i love the narrative notion of relationships evolving and changing shape as time goes on -- i actually really love this one fic i read where she's obsessed with this idea of becoming a Cool College Student and wooing him with her new attractiveness, and it doesn't SEEM to work (she even brings it up to him and goes "haha wasn't this so funny and stupid of me to think it could happen?") but there's a suggestion that his perspective on her might be gradually changing.

willow/kennedy

people hate kennedy so much and that makes me love this more. out of spite. 1) this was so clearly not a long-term thing, and 2) this becomes so fun to watch if you look at kennedy as Baby Jenny & recognize the subsequent implications of this.

kennedy/anya

a recipe for disaster, i think. they both wanna be in charge and spoiled by their partner. they would get into SO MANY FIGHTS.

[knighteclipsed]

meta 01. ...concerning invulnerability and related topics (like romance, i guess)

(Inspired, in part, by that one headcanons prompt about what a muse looks for in a partner.)

Preface: An older meta of mine from around October of ‘23, it’s been reworked a few times over before finally reaching completion. Though initially inspired by the topic of romantic relations, one could reasonably draw the line connecting Valter’s aversion to the thing as one related, at least in part, to his ‘unkillable complex’ and his constant need to be better than everyone else.

01. strength and weakness

social /ˈsōSH(ə)l/ – adj – (2) needing companionship and therefore best suited to living in communities. (Oxford Dictionary)

One of the main aspects of Valter’s character (and the thing that informs a lot of his decisions and his worldview) is the concept of strength (to be strong and capable in comparison to others); and further, that of weakness (when you are deprived of that capability, or when you never had it at all). He’s always had this view that power matters above all else; that even if morally people do not accept you, if you are simply strong enough, they will not have a choice.

Which is an idea that stems from his youth—a youth in which Valter was never very kind. (Here, I harken back to Duessel’s A-Support with Cormag where he states that Valter was not “a gentle lamb before [the cursed lance incident.]”) He has always been sharp, hostile, antagonistic—from a family of hunters, this served him well.

It was not a mindset with so much utility in social situations, however.

Strength was all that mattered—that power was the make or break, that the only true aim to strive for was growing stronger—and what better way to learn how to kill than to simply do so? (To kill was a competition, and he was very fond of winning.)

Unfortunate, considering most people actually like not having to worry about a war. Or losing things. Or losing people. (It was an isolating factor; not that he minded much.)

Except he grew older, and where that isolation previously had no bearing on him, it was suddenly something that he felt keenly—no longer could it simply be ignored. If he wished to affiliate with others, a shift in character would be necessary: from one of violence to temperance, from hostility to ease; from constant intimidation to a willingness to be vulnerable.

Vulnerable, so it is said. What a terrible thing to be.

02. walls

vulnerable /ˈvəlnər(ə)bəl/ – adj – (1) susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm. (Oxford Dictionary)

So the choice is laid bare: does Valter remain a social outsider in the pursuit of his wants and desires; or does he choose weakness and run the chance of being harmed? (It isn’t a choice to him—not really. After all, the most important thing is strength.)

Isolation it is then.

And in turn, he devoted himself to the cultivation of his prowess—social interactions were limited to that (and perhaps meal times, especially in his early army days). If anyone tried to approach, he would only put up walls—to grow close is to grow vulnerable, and to grow vulnerable is to grow weak. (And weakness is the worst thing he could ever develop.)

Then comes the title of Moonstone—the ultimate recognition of all that he’d built, that title: Moonstone of the Imperial Three. (And titles only truly hold weight in the context of social interactions—imagine, that blend: physical prowess known and solidified by words.) Though Valter was always sharp, hostile, antagonistic—at no point did he ever break his vows. (If he had, that title would never have reached him; he wouldn’t have remained long enough to receive it.)

I will say: he developed a liking towards the emperor for that—and though I cannot claim he was entirely too close to the rest of the Imperial Three, it was certainly easier to get along with them. (After all, they three were strong, and they were recognized for it.) At the very minimum, they were the closest he ever got to having proper friends.

Of course, then comes exile—and suddenly everything social is lost. His ‘friends,’ allies, associates, homeland—stolen from him by mere words; ironic, in a way. It is two years, then, that pass.

03. reinforcement

isolate /ˈīsəˌlāt/ – vb – (1) cause (a person or place) to be or remain alone or apart from others. (Oxford Dictionary)

So what does he learn from all this? That his worldview was flawed? That morality trumps might? That you probably shouldn’t commit war crimes?

No. None of that. (This is Valter we are speaking of, recall?)

Though I will say that may have been a possibility—had he not been reinstated. Though his mental well-being went on a violent downward spiral during those years of isolation, he… had some capacity for change (though I doubt that exists anymore). Prior to it all, his perspective was that strength was above all, and even if you were not accepted morally, if you were simply strong enough, then it didn’t matter; you would have your place. Exile was the greatest upset—because how much stronger could he be? (And yet, he lost his place—because strength was not all.)

And then he was reinstated—because he was strong.

People had failed him; the moment he had let his guard down just a bit (just around the time he was finally acclimating to a social environment), everything he’d ever had was lost, and what was it that redeemed him? The Imperial Three were weak—Duessel, Glen, and Selena—but with his help, that was overcome. Power secured his future with more determination than any past relations; thus, his old worldview is cemented.

Because what were people good for other than to be used and discarded? (Or even the other way—after all, he discarded of Glen and then used him to manipulate Cormag; none of it is new. He has no friends.)

And that worldview follows him even until now—though there are some breaks that I’d like to explain in future metas, he doesn’t actively seek out friends. When Deirdre approached him all friendly and such during KKE last January, he was wholly opposed to the prospect; Vergil’s Kurth as a supposed partner irked him beyond belief; the closest thing he has to a friend here is Maria, and… well, he doesn’t consciously think of her that way—she is not as a friend, in his eyes, but a positive associate at best.

What matters most, after all, is being powerful; invulnerable; impossible to beat.

04. closing

romance /rōˈmans,ˈrōˌmans/ – n – (1; sub-1) love, especially when sentimental or idealized. (Oxford Dictionary)

Such concludes my first Valter meta post! I realize this is quite the read so thanks for dropping by and listening to my ramblings haha. A lot of this is, of course, built on my own conjecture and what I think is interesting for him narratively—there is only so much that can be gleaned from a villain guy who isn’t the main antagonist and sort of has very few canonically emphasized traits if you know what I mean.

I suppose that, while I’m here, I may as well answer the original prompt again: in clear, concise terms, since my initial response was broken up into multiple messages.

Valter is not of the crowd looking for romance—not because he’s aromantic (because he isn’t; he’s on the spectrum but is not entirely aro), but rather because a proper relationship asks more of him than he is quite frankly willing to give. Also he thinks he’s aromantic (this is a man who’s seen himself as an outsider for years—including his teenage ones; not liking anyone just makes sense to him). Worst case scenario he does it to manipulate the other person, but like… we’re not going there. Haha.

If those walls ever did miraculously crumble and/or weaken though, he’d probably end up falling for someone he feels he can rely on—think demiromanticism (since that’s approximately what he experiences). It is only after he grows close to a person that romantic feelings have the chance to develop. There is no shortcutting (though ‘growing close’ may or may not look positive from the outside).

With that said: thank you again for your time! Farewell and good timezone.

[princeofgod-2021]

LIGHT OF LIFE 362

John 1:4

TOO LATE 25 – AGENTS OF CHANGE? 17

Eze 14:19-20 “Or SUPPOSE I WERE TO SEND A PLAGUE INTO THAT LAND, AND POUR OUT MY RAGE ON IT WITH BLOODSHED, killing both people and animals. EVEN IF NOAH, DANIEL, AND JOB WERE IN IT, AS SURELY AS I LIVE, DECLARES THE SOVEREIGN LORD, THEY COULD NOT SAVE THEIR OWN SON OR DAUGHTER; THEY WOULD SAVE ONLY THEIR OWN LIVES BY THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS. NET

We’ve actually mentioned before, one of the [strong] reasons why it can be too late for anyone: When the heart is incorrigible and cannot be changed.

When Noah was building the Ark, you can imagine that he was mocked rather than believed about the impending doom. He must have preached to them all but they laughed at him everyday, until…

Luk 17:26-30 WHEN THE SON OF MAN COMES, THINGS WILL BE JUST AS THEY WERE WHEN NOAH LIVED. People were eating, drinking, and getting married right up to the day when Noah went into the big boat. Then the flood came and drowned everyone on earth. When LOT lived, people were also eating and drinking. They were buying, selling, planting, and building. BUT ON THE VERY DAY LOT LEFT SODOM, FIERY FLAMES POURED DOWN FROM THE SKY AND KILLED EVERYONE. THE SAME WILL HAPPEN ON THE DAY WHEN THE SON OF MAN APPEARS. CEV

Are you not seeing this scenario?

Always, far, far less than 1% is saved: Only Noah and his family, only Lot and 2 daughters, and only Josiah truly has a penitent heart.

Does this bother you?

Just as the Opening scripture says: only by your righteousness will you save yourself from this untoward Generation.

If you like, take these writings seriously and fear God, or otherwise…

Rev 22:10-12 And he said to me, "Do not keep the prophetic words of this book a secret, BECAUSE THE TIME IS NEAR WHEN ALL THIS WILL HAPPEN. WHOEVER IS EVIL MUST GO ON DOING EVIL, AND WHOEVER IS FILTHY MUST GO ON BEING FILTHY; WHOEVER IS GOOD MUST GO ON DOING GOOD, AND WHOEVER IS HOLY MUST GO ON BEING HOLY." "Listen!" says Jesus. "I AM COMING SOON! I WILL BRING MY REWARDS WITH ME, to give to each one according to what he has done. GNB

Anyhow, the very touching thing about Josiah was that after God verified His impending Judgment on the people, Josiah still tried everything within his human might to appease God further by doing the unthinkable and unusual.

Josiah set many unbreakable records in his time.

2Ch 35:18 And THERE WAS NO PASSOVER LIKE THAT KEPT IN ISRAEL FROM THE DAYS OF SAMUEL THE PROPHET. YEA, NONE OF THE KINGS OF ISRAEL KEPT SUCH A PASSOVER AS JOSIAH KEPT, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were found, and the people of Jerusalem. MKJV

Because of greed and love of money, the church commonly refers to Solomon’s thousand burnt offering, just to compel “reckless sowing”.

You may not like this, but that is not only myopic but wicked. We are making the congregation focus on gains than on Ultimate devotion to God.

Josiah gave much more than Solomon but do we ever mention him? No!

2Ch 35:7 And JOSIAH GAVE LAMBS AND GOATS FROM THE FLOCK AS PASSOVER OFFERINGS for all the people who were present, TO THE NUMBER OF THIRTY THOUSAND, AND THREE THOUSAND OXEN: THESE WERE FROM THE KING'S PRIVATE PROPERTY. BBE

We don’t preach Josiah’s offering because there’s no reward mentioned here.

Are we not wicked?

Is it not more important to emphasize devotion and undivided attention to God?

Don’t we see that Devotion actually makes a man give more and without thinking of rewards?

Anyhow, Josiah did all these to appease God but he truly missed the real point: The State Of The People’s Heart.

Jer 17:9-10 "THE HUMAN MIND IS THE MOST DECEITFUL OF ALL THINGS. IT IS INCURABLE. No one can understand how deceitful it is. I, THE LORD, SEARCH MINDS AND TEST HEARTS. I will reward each person for what he has done. I will reward him for the results of his actions. GW

God was appeased over cleansing the Land but if the hearts of the people remain evil, they will yet pollute the land, and they did, immediately after Josiah died.

God is always Justified. Period!

2Ki 23:31-32 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and HE REIGNED THREE MONTHS IN JERUSALEM. His mother was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah. HE DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD AS HIS ANCESTORS HAD DONE. NET

The son of a most righteous man ends up doing evil, not like Josiah who raised him, but like his forefather whom he never knew.

That’s is why Jesus’ Life-Ministry focused on the hearts of Men.

Luk 2:34-35 and Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against. Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, THAT THE THOUGHTS OF MANY HEARTS MAY BE REVEALED.” WEB

Why this much focus on the hearts of Men?

We will discuss that next lesson.

May God keep us in perfect peace, as our hearts dwell on Him, in honour and pure devotion, IN JESUS NAME.

Join us on Wednesday as we begin to conclude this thought-provoking Subtopic.

Keep Shinning!

Brother Prince

Monday, June 05, 2023

08055125517; 08023904307

[spitdrunken]

thank you so much for all the rollo content,, highlight of my days, really.. for yan alphabet L, I, H and X? think X will depend quite a bit on whether reader is a mage or not tbh. rather than a sense of worship he’d feel like he’s saving them lol

notes: yandere

i’m glad you’ve been enjoying it :D!! i really like writing for rollo myself <3 a lot of my headcanons differ from mage vs. magicless reader, so honestly it’s always a bit hard to balance them HAHA i tend to focus mostly on magicless reader since mc is one, and otherwise i’d be writing two sets of headcanons for every post. pls feel free to ask for stuff with mage reader tho :3!! 

Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling?

Rollo likes to think of a calm and simple future with you. In a world without magic, where no one will be senselessly harmed any longer, and he’s found peace within himself. After he’s fulfilled his ultimate goal, what more could he hope to achieve with his life? The rest of his days, he could devote to you, and never grow bored of it. He doesn’t want extravagance or excitement, just you would be enough. In his fantasies, neither of you ever has to work or leaves to meet with friends. It’s just the two of you. 

More specifically, he imagines a small, happy wedding, with one chair left empty for his little brother. He imagines living in a small home in the City of Flowers, or a cottage in walking distance from the city walls; he could never go far from his beloved city. Rollo enjoys the thought of himself baking for you, though whatever he makes will likely pale in comparison to the bakeries he loves so much.

Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling?

Rollo yearns for quite a while, as he believes his personal feelings shouldn’t take precedence over his goal. None of this is your fault, and he is not upset with you for it. As his plans begin to fall more and more into place, he may be more likely to approach you. Before that, he still watches you whenever he has the chance, and zones out if you’re in his field of vision. He has extensive notes on you, your likes and dislikes, your family tree, and all of your social connections. If he’s particularly smitten, you could find yourself having a ‘secret admirer’, leaving letters in flawless handwriting accompanied by a croissant or some local sweets.  

Once he finally makes up his mind to approach you, he can hardly contain himself. His hands are folded behind his back, otherwise you would see how much he’s fidgeting. Rollo’s face is as calm as it would be at any other time. If not for the blush creeping onto his face, you wouldn’t be able to tell anything was amiss. 

“May I have a moment of your time?” He would say, lightly bowing his head. Rollo would ask you out on a date, or an ‘outing’ as he calls it, promising to show you all of the beauty the city has to offer, and ensuring you’ll enjoy yourself. 

Hell: What would be their darling’s worst experience with them?

Sweat beads on your forehead, despite your distance from the fire. Rollo is pressed against your back as he leans his full weight against you, his chest stuttering with how fast he’s breathing. He’s clutching the railing so tightly that his knuckles are white. Below you, the world has descended into a hellscape of flames, yelling, and raw desperation. Some of them are your friends, and some of them you might not have known as well, but still- You cannot believe they were deserving of this fate. He presses his face against you. Rollo is shaking all over, and so does his voice.

“As foolish as they are... These villains’ salvation is truly a beautiful sight to behold, isn’t it?”

Xoanon: How much would they revere or worship their darling? To what length would they go to win their darling over?

You are different from him. Where he is inherently cursed, burdened by magic, you are pure and clean existence. The sinner, and the saint, extending their hand to him in their endless mercy. Though he wouldn’t go as far as to directly worship you, he very much considers you as more valuable and worthy than himself. Even once he is fully ‘cleansed’, he’d continue to be hard on himself when it comes to you. He takes your opinion of him very, very seriously. 

If you were to deny him, you would really be putting him in a tough position. Rollo feels guilty about placing the burden of his feelings on you, but he can’t rid himself of them either. You’ve rooted yourself in his mind, and he cannot get you out. He would try to become friends with you instead, trying to convince himself that it would be enough, all the while lying to himself. Rollo would constantly be teetering on the edge of giving in. There would come a moment he would snap and give into temptation, apologising while he does so and forever cursing himself, but secretly being glad to finally being able to touch you.

[genesisrose74]

Requested by @blanknamed (aka my bestie fr): hihi i saw the matchup and remembered my irl friend sent me these pictures when describing my aesthetic at one point and was wondering if i can have a matchup with someone from dsmp and dr. stone 🥺congrats on 1k too! so proud of you ❤️ you deserve this milestone!

Arielle get over here and let me give you a virtual kiss on the forehead because you’re just the sweetest person to ever grace this earth 😚forgive me for the long wait but i had to put so much into this one because it’s for you!! thank you for always being such a ray of sunshine and for becoming one of my first ever mutuals so long ago — and as a show of my gratitude, i’ll get right into your first pairing, which is going to be with…

I had a literal conflict over this because I think you could be compatible with more than half of the characters in dr. stone (looking at gen specifically), but UGH you and Senku would be so damn iconic together. As much as he’s not intent on becoming romantically involved with anyone, it just so happened that you both had a chance meeting together at the school library — in the modern times pre-petrification, of course. You were looking for a book on the development of radiation powered technology for a history class, and by coincidence Senku was reading the blurb of that very text when you stopped by. When you asked if he’d read it, your classmate simply shook his head and said he just knew a lot about the subject, and soon enough a conversation blossomed from that point.

Y’all talked for two hours. While standing in the same spot. TWO HOURS. And it didn’t even stop there because he realized the time and asked if you wanted to talk more over a bowl of this really good ramen he knew about close by. Senku barely even realized the implications of his offer until much later, since…

He was way too involved in your conversation to notice

He’s never had any interest like that in someone before, let alone has he ever tried asking a person out in general

Everything about you was so interesting to him that he cannot process anything else going on around him and he doesn’t know why

You just feel so different in comparison to his dynamic with anyone else that it throws him off. He’s curious as to why he straightens up when you walk in a room, why everytime you smile at his stupid dry jokes it makes him more confident, why your intrigued questions about his work give him an extra burst of adrenaline. After he comes home late, having fallen asleep in the library while you studied for a test beside him, Byakuya eventually spells it out for Senku in massive bold letters.

No, seriously, he writes it on a whiteboard with a chunky black marker.

“That’s ridiculously far-fetched,” he asserts quickly, trying to push his old man out of the room. “Since when have I ever been interested in anyone in that way?”

“Senku, you waited for her to finish her work. Without complaint.”

And he’s like: oh shit—

But knowing Senku, he still makes some futile attempts to disprove the concept that he could ever be attracted to someone in a romantic sense. Ya know, all that, “science is my only devotion” shit. It lasted for about two weeks, which was the exact amount of time that he tried avoiding you in hopes of seeing if he could in fact continue his routine without your presence next to him.

The bitch still cannot swallow his pride though, so you have to be the one to make the first move — which is about as simple as perfecting Flight of the Bumblebee on a violin. Every time you try bringing it up, it’s like Senku gets a sixth sense about it and is pulled away from you as soon as possible. At some point you just had to corner him in the school lab, hands smacking against the surface of his work table and mouth blurting it out.

“I think we should go on a date.”

He’s kinda impressed at the sheer willpower you displayed in finally getting the question into the air. And as much as he would hate to admit it, some happy nerves shot through his body when it happened. On the outside, though, he simply failed to fight a grin.

“Wanna get food with me tonight?”

And you did :D and it only went good from there. Dates at cafes with comfy chairs and pretty lighting, test runs of new experiments in the middle of the night that Senku calls you to see together, just enjoying the presence of one another in a secluded corner of the libraries you frequent. Even after the disaster that was petrification you’re both side by side, being sarcastic little shits to each other as soon as Senku frees you from the stone; doing new tests to save the world, going on picnics by the river, and constantly being of service to one another.

And then from the c!dsmp, I thought it was only fitting to match you up with…

^^ artwork by SAD-ist on YouTube

Listen, listen: I was considering a more standard/expected approach to this matchup, like maybe c!Wilbur or c!Niki because they’ve both got some major academia vibes. Especially Niki, because damn she’d probably take you to her flower shop and make handmade bouquets for you each day. However, I just think that it would be so perfectly fitting to have you and c!Sapnap together aesthetically. He’s very emotionally driven, always doing something stupid, and he probably hasn’t read a book since L’manburg claimed to be a sovereign nation. Regardless of that fact, he could sit and watch you read a book for hours, even if you didn’t ask him to. Standard case of grounded scholar + impulsive idiot = natural soulmates.

Within the region of the SMP, I imagine you like confining yourself to the libraries filled with ancient texts on the vast history of your home — although taking a visit to Eret’s self-made museum is always a pleasure as well. Niki gets along with you easily enough that you hang out together all the time, and it’s on one such occasion in the early days of L’manburg that Sapnap encounters you for the first time.

Dream had sent him out for scouting duty (which to Sapnap translates into, ‘be annoying to everyone within the walls’), and he’d taken to the edge of the country’s small borders, lounging up high above the trees so that he could see everything below with ease. To his surprise he found you, scribbling away within a ragged old notebook underneath a tree canopy, and wearing the prettiest smile he’d ever seen exist on a person before. You were waiting for your friend to arrive, it seemed, taking the ideas in your head and putting them to paper whilst you sat patiently. He was enraptured with you right away, and as a result he took to teasingly pestering you every chance he could.

Sapnap showed up at least once a week — and when he could, more than that — to slowly learn more about you. He tried staying under the radar of Wilbur when he did, just to make sure none of his endeavors were interfered with or got back to Dream in any capacity. Initially, his presence appeared a pain in your side, but your apprehension ultimately fell at the hands of his ridiculous humor and genuine inquiries as to your likes and dislikes. You knew who he was from the get-go, but it was hard not to find delight in his visits when he made such vigorous attempts to know you.

Although you’re sure he’d already learned it somehow, you told him your name one fateful afternoon, and he’s thought about that moment every day since, marking it as the first day he truly made progress in winning you over.

“You should come up here one day so we can talk normally,” he called out on a particularly overcast fall morning. “Maybe then I can see your face up close.”

You laughed, gazing up at him from the hillside on which you reclined. “You’re ridiculous. That’s not how this relationship works.”

“Mm, relationship? Sounds like you wanna gimme a kiss more than saying anything, hu—ow!”

A pine cone had clipped him in the shoulder harmlessly, chucked with expert aim by your own hand. Despite his surprise, Sapnap couldn’t help smiling.

“If you’re working that hard to twist the narrative and get me up there, how about you just come down instead?”

Without missing a beat the next day, he scaled to the top of the nation’s wall, made his way inside (with very little consideration for his safety), and took your face in his hands.

“You want me to?”

You already knew the implications. “Yeah.”

And he kissed you, then and there. Nice job, Ari!

Navigating a full blown relationship in the conditions y’all were in was not ideal. Sapnap tried everything he could to make sure you were safe, despite his distaste for your mother country and its leaders. After that cleared, though, it was a whole lot easier to be together and figure things out. Sapnap didn’t mind you staying within the walls as much as he initially thought because it reminded him of the first time you met, and so long as he could spend time with you he loved every second. Literally ask this man to do anything with you and he’s in, no matter what it is.

The sheer spontaneous energy Sapnap has inevitably feeds into your own, so while you’re much more contained than the pyromaniac, you have some very notable moments of crazy that are simply unforgettable. It’s honestly super funny to see that infectious life invade your senses, because otherwise you’re a super logical person and love entertaining yourself with the more simplistic things.

You work a lot with Wilbur on record keeping and cartography, but something that you and Sapnap apparently have in common is archery. That pine cone throw was no fluke, and he found that out when you came to visit, a shimmering bow fastened to a stock-full quiver on your back. It’s become a pastime to both ride out into the forest with your horses and practice archery (oftentimes mounted) as a way to let out frustration. If the weather conditions are too abysmal to go and do something outdoors, though, Sapnap likes to fall asleep watching you do methodical work, most commonly with his head in your lap as a fireplace crackles nearby. He’s a huge sucker for that cozy atmosphere, even though he tries to be all tough and badass at other times.

This became a huge ramble because I just think this pairing for you works so well, but I’m praying you get the picture. Sapnap is a flirty, slightly whiny, very protective, and free spirited person whenever you’re around, and he’d do whatever he could to see that pretty smile like the first day you told him your name. He thinks the world of you, and in his eyes your intelligence goes unparalleled.

[scope-dogg]

Knight’s and Magic: Final Thoughts

Isekai anime have been very popular in recent years, and 2017′s Knight’s and Magic was one of many cashing in on that trend, with the added twist of being a mecha series. However, what many may not realise is that the Isekai genre of anime was originally born out of the mecha genre, with the first Isekai anime arguably being the 1983 classic Aura Battler Dunbine by Yoshiyuki Tomino. While Isekai has split off and diversified into its own extremely prolific and popular genre, mecha has kept a foothold within it, and subsequently some of the greatest mecha shows have been fantasy-themed, with great titles like Magic Knight Rayearth and The Vision of Escaflowne following in Dunbine’s footsteps over the years, so really Knight’s and Magic should be viewed rather as the continuation of a fairly long tradition of fantasy mecha rather than Isekai but with robots. Adapted from the early volumes of a currently ongoing manga by the same name, it’s a short series, but one with high production values, superb mechanical design and entertaining action. It’s also a series that I ultimately simply cannot stand.

The plot setup is that Tsubasa Kurata is an unassuming but highly talented programmer working in contemporary Japan - or at least he is until he’s killed in a road traffic accident. As he dies, he has but one regret - that he’ll no longer be able to live with his hobby of building plastic model kits of giant anime robots. As is often the case with such a setup, he finds himself reborn into a fantasy kingdom called Fremevilla as the son of nobles called Ernesti Echavalier. However, to his joy, he finds out that the main weapon for fighting back against these monsters is the Silhouette Knight, a kind of gigantic magic-powered mecha. Thus, he devotes himself to the art of learning everything there is about these machines and one day building and piloting one of his very own.

There’s nothing really wrong with this premise, but Knight’s and Magic is flawed in how one-track it is. The show’s really only about one thing - how robots are cool. Of course, I agree that robots are cool. Knight’s and Magic’s lineup of robots in particular is very cool, both in their form and unique functions. However, anyone who’s actually a fan of the mecha genre knows that just having cool robots isn’t enough to carry a show - you have to have compelling characters and interesting narratives. The all-too-frequently trotted-out line of “[x mecha show] is actually good, unlike the rest of the genre, because it focuses on the characters instead of just the robots” is probably the single most effective thing you can say if you want to piss off a mecha fan, because that sentence describes literally every mecha show that was ever worth a damn, even going back to the genre’s roots in the 70s. However, it arguably doesn’t really describe Knight’s and Magic. The series’ creators come off as just as obsessed with robots as its main character, and it comes at the expense of the characters and setting. Each new episode comes with a cool new robot or a cool upgrade for an existing one, but practically none of them feature development of the setting or its characters. Fremevilla and its neighbours never come off as anything more than “generic fantasy kingdom”, the supporting cast are all cut from extremely generic-feeling moulds, and Ernesti never undergoes any growth or exhibits any notable character traits beyond “likes robots.”

Now, there have been several characters in mecha anime who are in large part defined by their dedication to giant robots as an ideal, or simply to their aesthetic, and some of these are truly excellent characters. For instance, Gai Daigoji from Nadesico, Akagi Shunsuke from Dai-Guard, Noa Izumi from Patlabor, Sei Iori from Gundam Build Fighters, or the Super Robot Wars Original character Ryusei Date. The difference between all of these and Ernesti is that being fans of robots isn’t the only thing that makes them relatable or endearing characters, whereas in Ernesti’s case it’s basically the only thing that defines his personality. It also doesn’t help that he’s perhaps the biggest Mary Sue main character that I’ve seen in a mecha anime. His gimmick is that his past-life experience as a programmer also makes him profoundly adept at magic, and that he’s a genius Silhouette Knight designer. He’s always totally successful at everything he tries and everyone loves and respects him for his accomplishments. Ironically, it’s this that makes him an unlikable character for the viewer, because, again, he has no real admirable qualities beyond liking robots and being good at making and using them. It’s a character’s struggles and tribulations that ultimately make them truly sympathetic, and Ernesti is never really challenged until right at the very end of the series, and ultimately that challenge only feels like a mild speed bump for him. This results in a series that despite all its cool robots and flashy battles is fundamentally dead as a story at its core.

However, all of this simply describes a series that I would find boring and mediocre rather than one I actively disliked in a serious way. However, this is arguably the first series I’ve watched since Gundam Seed Destiny that really ground my gears quite badly, and it all boils down to one specific moment in the show’s narrative. To explain why, I need to diverge from my usual review format and spoil not only this show, but also it’s forefather, the original mecha Isekai, Aura Battler Dunbine. I really don’t think spoilers for the former is anything to worry about but spoiling the latter is probably more of an offense. As such, the remainder of this review is below this spoiler cut:

Dunbine is not everyone’s cut of tea. It’s old, has bad animation, it’s long-winded and has a sometimes confused and scrambled narrative in accordance with some of Tomino’s worst habits. However, it was also a work of great imagination that really delivered on communicating a valuable message in some engaging ways. It’s a message that Knight’s and Magic cheerfully and infuriatingly tramples all over. Let me explain.

In Knight’s and Magic, the show’s hero is an outsider who enters into a fantasy world and uses his real-world knowledge to bring about a revolution in technology. This also happens to be the chief descriptor for a major character in Dunbine too.

However, this isn’t the description of the show’s protagonist, Show Zama.

It’s the description of the show’s villain, Shot Weapon.

Shot Weapon is the creator of the Aura Convertor, the technology that powers the show’s mecha, the Aura Battlers, and other weapons besides. The introduction of this technology destroys the peace of Dunbine’s world, Byston Well, and causes it to descend into anarchy and bloodshed. However, the real devastation doesn’t occur until Shot’s creations are transported back into our world, where they inflict destruction almost beyond imagining. Ultimately, Shot Weapon’s actions condemn him to a punishment of being forced to live forever in Byston Well in a state of eternal suffering, like Cain after murdering his brother Abel. Dunbine’s ultimate, most crucial message is that those who manufacture weapons and spread death are to be condemned.

Knight’s and Magic gave itself the exact same opportunity to deal with this exact same theme. The show’s final arc is that a kingdom called Zaloudek has accumulated vast military power and used it to invade its neighours. We get to see as they descend into a neighbouring kingdom, slaughter its just and rightful rulers and install themselves as tyrants. Now, enter Ernesti and his friends at the conquered kingdom’s borders. At this point he’s achieved his aim of creating his own unique robot called the Ikaruga, and in its first battle effortlessly dispatches the Zaloudek soldiers guarding the border. In the aftermath, he examines the wreckage of a destroyed Zaloudek Silhouette Knight. He and everyone else see the obvious - this machine, the Tyranto is based on Ernesti’s designs. Previously, one of the prototype Knights he’d constructed in an earlier arc was stolen by a mysterious foreign agent, and now it’s become clear what happened to it. The source of the military strength that’s fuelling Zaloudek’s ambitions of conquest are the new technologies that he created, reverse engineered from the stolen mecha. As he looks upon the wreck of the Tyranto, the show is presented with a unique opportunity to do something that it’s thus far not done - challenge its protagonist with the consequences of his actions. Sure, Ernesti is not exactly the same as Shot Weapon - he only wanted to create robots because he thought they were cool, while Shot Weapon wanted power. However, in this case the end result has been the same - death, destruction and oppression. Ernesti has a chance to think about whether the things he’s done are right and acknowledge that he’s at least somewhat responsible for the disaster that’s played out, even if it’s just to acknowledge that he has a duty to set things right by beating Zaloudek. This is an opportunity for him to grow as a character for the first time.

The show swerves this opportunity without flinching.

Sure, Ernesti does liberate the kingdom in the end, but it’s clear that it’s not as a result of any real moral calling. He just wanted to build more robots and fight with them. His motivation in the final battle is that he wants to destroy the enemy’s flying battleship because he’s worried that battleships might replace Silhouette Knights if he doesn’t. He remains a totally one-dimensional character right to the end.

As I said before, Ernesti’s obsession with cool robots arguably mirrors that of the creators of this show, if its myopic focus on them is anything to go by. Perhaps this seems extremely out of character for me to say, but this is an infantile obsession. Yes, I like giant robots, but I don’t like them so much that I miss the point. The core of not only the real robot genre that both Knight’s and Magic and Aura Battle Dunbine belong to despite the fantasy trappings of the show, but arguably of the mecha genre as a whole, is that technology can be a force of destruction and great evil when not used responsibly. Yes, the protagonist mecha in these shows are meant to be heroic, but only in their opposition to those who’d use technology as a tool of death and oppression. This is the core of the soul that makes mecha as a genre compelling. It’s a point that Knight’s and Magic completely misses and why it’s fundamentally a failure. It’s as if it’s trying to be what the mecha genre’s detractors try to paint it as.

That said, despite my misgivings there is entertainment to be found if you only want dumb action. But I’d highly encourage you to check out any alternative. If you want a fantasy mecha series, Dunbine, Escaflowne and Rayearth are all much more compelling stories than this - even ones I’m not so keen on like Panzer World Galient and Ryu Knight are fundamentally more interesting as stories than this. If you want a story with a mecha fanatic in the lead role, you’re much better off watching Patlabor or the chronically underrated Dai-Guard instead.

[maidskeppy]

Skephalo + Astrology

Any astrology enthusiasts out there? If so, you might like this post. I entered Skeppy and BadBoyHalo into a few different compatibility measuring websites, and the results were... interesting.

If you go purely off sun sign, most sources will tell you that Capricorn (Skeppy’s sign) and Aries (BadBoyHalo’s sign) aren’t usually a great match. Horoscope.com says:

Aries and Capricorn, emotionally and temperamentally, are not compatible. Aries is restless and impulsive while Capricorn is more orderly and practical. Neither understands the other.

You might think that this doesn’t sound right. This is because if you want the full picture, you have to look at all the other factors!

The sign that deals the most directly with relationship compatibility is the Venus sign. Skeppy’s Venus sign is Sagittarius, and BadBoyHalo’s is Pisces, which gives us a very different dynamic:

Cafe Astrology has this to say about a Sagittarius-Pisces relationship:

Both of you are inclined to look for the best in your partner, and this idealism can strengthen your bond.

Your styles in love, however, can be radically different at times. While you (Skeppy) are generally very direct about your needs in love, your partner (BadBoyHalo) doesn’t always know what their needs are! Your partner is compassionate and intuitive and needs to “feel right” about issues in and surrounding love. Your emotions in love move much more quickly, and you may at times be impatient with your partner as a result. Your partner’s feelings in love are easily hurt, and you can have an attitude that truth and directness is the only way to go, and as a result, you want your partner to toughen up.

Both of you can be somewhat restless in love. This can express itself as a certain divine discontent on one end of the spectrum, or outright dissatisfaction on the other. Try to focus on the here and now with each other, and avoid the tendency to look beyond the partnership to fill up the holes in your relationship. Even better, accept that you cannot possibly fulfill each other’s every need, but at the same time, appreciate what each of you has to offer each other—and that is a lot!

Sounds a bit more like them, doesn’t it?

Their full compatibility charts say much more than that. Here’s some heavily abridged versions:

Cafe Astrology:

There is a level of forgiveness and mercy in the chemistry between you. You may share your dreams together with a sense of freedom. Tolerance exists between the two of you, which is a very soothing and settling quality. Few clouds in this couple's life, at least on an intellectual level. They have a good intellectual understanding, take pleasure in being together and in discussing and exchanging ideas. Together, they can come up with unique and creative ideas and solutions to problems. Good spiritual understanding. This is the kind of relationship in which they finish one another's sentences. The connection encourages imagination. This is a union that is particularly based on physical understanding, passionate love. There is a lot of affection between them, and they need to express it physically.

“HugBoyHalo” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYzC2IXB6ug

They sometimes encourage impracticality in one another. They often feel let down with one another, usually because each wants very much to please the other, but it is hard to fulfill all the promises that are made to one another.

They might make each other impatient and easily frustrate each other. Erratic responses to each other.

Astrology Library:

This is an ideal combination for harmonious communications in a relationship. Skeppy and BadBoyHalo are able to communicate with ease, understanding how the other person thinks and sharing many of the same opinions. On the occasions when Skeppy and BadBoyHalo do disagree, they do so with a respect for each other's point of view.

This is a relationship full of verve and romance. Skeppy and BadBoyHalo are attracted to each other from the moment that they first meet and continue to experience excitement and joy in each other's company. Life becomes more of an adventure when Skeppy and BadBoyHalo are together. Their relationship may run a somewhat erratic or unorthodox course, but Skeppy and BadBoyHalo are both happy in the knowledge that theirs is a unique union.

Skeppy and BadBoyHalo are likely to enjoy escaping from the harsher realities of life into a world of their own creation. Fantasy and creativity play a strong role in Skeppy and BadBoyHalo's union. They have compassion for each other, understanding the other person's nature. In particular Skeppy feels soothed by BadBoyHalo's presence. Skeppy feels that BadBoyHalo shares in his dreams, that here is a person who truly understands him and the meaning of their relationship. As a result Skeppy can relax in the presence of BadBoyHalo. On the other hand BadBoyHalo feels great love and compassion for Skeppy, knowing that Skeppy is willing to believe in him.

Both Skeppy and BadBoyHalo feel a powerful attraction for each other. It is as if they are both compelled to relate. Both Skeppy and BadBoyHalo are ardent in their pursuits enjoying intense and fulfilling pastimes, which are ultimately life changing. However, it is also possible that both Skeppy and BadBoyHalo experience the less attractive aspects of this relationship. They may become embroiled in a struggle for dominance, their relationship resembling a battleground from which neither emerges triumphant. They can be either intensely loyal friends or formidable opponents.

This is a life-changing relationship that results in both Skeppy and BadBoyHalo being presented with opportunities to heal past wounds in order that they may live fuller and richer lives. Together they enjoy a sense of liberation that comes from truly loving another person.

Skeppy and BadBoyHalo understand each other and feel at ease together, enjoying each other's company. Lively conversations and shared pastimes feature in this relationship. They are able to appreciate each other's sense of humor and make light of any difficult arguments, often finding a creative way of approaching problematic subjects. In other words this is a harmonious combination and augurs well for the relationship. It is likely that Skeppy and BadBoyHalo's communication takes the form of letter writing or the exchanging of notes, or perhaps even electronic mail. This is an ideal combination for a personal love relationship and friendship.

An intense relationship is the result of this combination of the planets Mercury and Pluto, with communication playing a key role. Consequently it is vital that both Skeppy and BadBoyHalo communicate honestly, keeping all emotions and thoughts out in the open. This helps them to keep the relationship dynamic rather than volcanic.

Kind and gentle communication is an essential ingredient for success in this relationship. Through considerate interaction Skeppy and BadBoyHalo can develop a warm and loving relationship.

Both Skeppy and BadBoyHalo feel at ease in each other's company, sharing a common sense of adventure and joy. The old hit song "You Light Up My Life" could be a good theme song for this relationship.

(Or perhaps “You Are My Sunshine”?)

This combination of the planet Venus and the asteroid Chiron indicates a significant but difficult relationship. Skeppy and BadBoyHalo love each other, either as friends or lovers, but have difficulty avoiding misunderstandings and upsets. If the difficulties can be overcome, this union can bring a sense of freedom and joy.

Skeppy and BadBoyHalo have difficulty maintaining equilibrium in this relationship. Skeppy has a tendency to force BadBoyHalo to do things his way. At times Skeppy can be quite aggressive in his communication. BadBoyHalo believes that he knows best. The result is tension and arguments. The challenge is for both Skeppy and BadBoyHalo to learn to co-operate, each using their own talents while respecting the skills of the other person.

BadBoyHalo and Skeppy take this relationship seriously. They are devoted to each other and joyful in making promises that they are both able to keep. They genuinely love each other and want to work towards a strong partnership. Mutual respect is a central theme to this union. There is also a strong feeling of fate in this relationship. BadBoyHalo and Skeppy may tell a story of how destiny meant for them to be together.

There’s a huge amount that I couldn’t include in this post, since that would make it thousands and thousands of words longer- way too much! I encourage you to go look at the charts yourself, especially if you have some knowledge in astrology (I pretty much have to rely on whatever the website says). Here are the birthdates I used to get these results, they’re accurate as far as I know:

Skeppy: 17 January 2000 BadBoyHalo: 2 April 1995

Cafe Astrology: https://astro.cafeastrology.com/astro.php?page=comp2f Astrology Library: https://astrolibrary.org/report/

If I had their exact times of birth, this would all be a bit more accurate, but I don’t really see any way of getting those. Hope it’s interesting anyway!

[whomst-art-thou-whomst-whomst]

Love Languages, as defined by this article and as seen in Ultimate Note’s Iron Triangle

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Words of Affirmation:

“In simple terms, the words of affirmation love language is about expressing affection through spoken words, praise, or appreciation. When this is someone's primary love language, they enjoy kind words and encouragement.”

Words are generally not so much Zhang “I told you with my eyes” Qiling’s thing, unless we count that great moment during the sword gifting scene—which we will discuss further under gifts—when he shuts down any fear Wu Xie has that they could potentially destroy each other with a simple and vehement “No.” His love is shown, not spoken, but I imagine that if Xiao Ge were more vocal, the “no” would be spelled out as “Even if I know almost nothing of my past and don’t even really know myself, I know this much: you are safe with me, and I am safe with you.”

Wu Xie is, as Hei Yangjing notes in another series, honey-tongued; kiddo is good with words and enjoys complimenting and verbally supporting people. This is a very earnest Wu Xie, he means what he says when he makes promises and checks in on his friends. He charms people easily in part because he is willing to express himself openly.

Pangzi is the biggest talker of the three, and interestingly the best at talking a lot to say nothing, getting his friends out of trouble. He manipulates words to suit a situation, complimenting someone easily even if it’s clear to the audience that he can’t stand them. His real words of affirmation are affectionate even when angry—I wrote earlier somewhere that “Tianzhen” is as much a curse as a pet name—and during any matchup of the awesome Pangzi and Xiao Ge, it’s Pangzi who does the talking for them.

Quality Time:

“Love and affection are expressed through this love language when someone gives someone else their undivided attention…People with this love language are looking for quality over quantity. So, when you get together, they feel loved if you are present and focused on them.”

One of my favorite things I found in watching/rewatching some of the series was how Pangzi brings out Xiao Ge’s playful side. I think he really starts to loosen up because these are safe people who are good to him plus already mess around with each other and he loves hearing their laughter.

Some of the best moments between Pangzi and Wu Xie are when they have fun together—my introduction to any Lost Tomb series was the first episode of Sound of the Providence (so boy oh boy was I fucking lost and confused) but those two are what hooked me. The banter, the lightsaber duel, the domesticity. They are quality time personified.

Xiao Ge and Wu Xie *clenches fist* don’t get as much time together as they should, but when Xiao Ge is there he is THERE. If you look up “undivided attention” in the dictionary there will be a picture of a solemn Xiao Ge who is only looking at the camera because Wu Xie is the one taking the picture.

Physical Touch:

“A person with this love language feels loved through physical affection. Aside from sex, those who have physical touch as their primary love language feel loved when their partner shows physical affection in some way like holding their hand, touching their arm, or giving them a massage at the end of the day.”

I have a headcanon that the first time the squad is reunited in Wushanju after the jade meteorite and hospitalization, the amnesiac Xiao Ge only recognizes Wu Xie because Wu Xie gently cups his face in his hands while questioning him.

Also, as others have pointed out, how many people other than Pangzi and Wu Xie are able to get close to/generally manhandle Xiao Ge? There is a great post I cannot currently find (please link if you know what I’m talking about!) about Xiao Ge letting Wu Xie move him during their argument by the van, but there’s also that sweet post-tomb let’s-get-the-fuck-out-of-here situation where the trio could not be sitting any closer, wounded Xiao Ge is basically in Wu Xie’s lap and later tucked in against Pangzi.

(Also there’s that hilarious scene of #pingxiepriorities where Xiao Ge is like “alright I’m here to rescue my soulma—uh, my tomb raiding bestie—and I guess since Xiao Hua is also lying here all pathetic and pink he can come too, but this ain’t about him so Wu Xie will be carefully draped over my back and Xiao Hua will be lucky not to get sand in the wrong places”)

Pangzi is all about the cuddles with Wu Xie; I also have a headcanon (and I haven’t read the books, I swear I’ll get there) that Pangzi’s physical affection towards Wu Xie, which seems to come incredibly easy, is really much harder earned than Wu Xie ever knew. I don’t know much about Pangzi’s past, but given their line of work there’s a lot of what my grandmother would refer to as “rough characters” in the biz. It’s all well and good to act friendly and affectionate for a mark, but to truly give/take authentic affection would mean letting down your guard.

Acts of Service:

“When someone's primary love language is acts of service, they feel loved and appreciated when people do nice things for them.”

For Wu Xie, Pangzi basically keeps him alive in ordinary day-to-day scenarios and Xiao Ge rescues him during their uh work trips.

Wu Xie takes Acts of Service to an extreme—like, “I’m going to serve you by spending the next ten years of my life making your life easier and safeguarding your future xoxo”

If we consider Acts of Service to mean exactly the definition, then as with undivided attention, Xiao Ge wrote the book on the subject (a very short book, few words but thoughtful). Entire fanvids have been constructed (yes I lost a day to this) around the number of times he has rescued Wu Xie (*cough* plus the Bronze Gate).

Xiao Ge also rescues Pangzi now and again; easy to forget there, mainly because between him and Wu Xie, Pangzi is definitely the better fighter and doesn’t seem to awaken as many corpses to be rescued from (side eyes Wu Xie) but he gets the Xiao Ge Protection Package and he even seems to agree that Wu Xie needs the deluxe deal. Xiao Ge’s devotion to his friends is so well-known, Ning literally weaponizes it to ensure her survival (*winces* for the time being) by sticking with Wu Xie, as the superhuman cavalry will only be coming for him.

Receiving Gifts:

“To a person whose love language is receiving gifts, gift-giving is symbolic of love and affection in their mind. They treasure not only the gift itself but also the time and effort the gift giver put into it.”

Pangzi is willing to basically go bankrupt to help fund Wu Xie in LT2 (you just know that if Wang Meng started a GoFundMe for “pls help Wu Xie he’s a mess and I haven’t been paid since october 2008” that fund would break the website).

Now, although Xiao Ge definitely has the vibe of a cat that would bring decapitated mice to the door of Wushanju for Wu Xie to be proud of and for Pangzi to step on by accident (see: playfulness), Wu Xie is the big gift giver in this group, I think. The sword scene, aka how to propose to warriorbae with a love token that he will 💯 always keep on his person. It’s a utility gift—it’s useful—but it’s also a statement. This is Xiao Ge’s defense system and trademark (I suspect he’s purchased some super nice hoodies too) that Wu Xie is providing here, and engraving it with something personal between them? Beautiful.

And I just spent another morning reveling in this world’s meta. Time well spent.

[phantomato]

Do you think Voldemort was actually the most powerful wizard in the Wizarding World at the height of his power? Do you think that affects his character/storyline in any way? You have so many great insights on his character and I'd love to know what you think!

Thank you! It’s very kind of you to call my comments worthwhile. 💖

Right off, I’m going to give the same disclaimer that I tell my husband every time he gets into “Who would win?” territory with the HP series: we don’t know shit about power levels in this universe. There is neither an internally-consistent logic available to use as a benchmark nor a detailed-enough list of feats from which we could construct our own rules. Some people who care more about this sort of thing will put in the effort anyway, creating headcanons to patch over the truly egregious empty spaces, but I’m not one of those people. I use magic when it’s convenient, and otherwise, I mostly stick to the mundane.

So the point of all that is to say that I have no fucking clue whether Voldemort was the most powerful wizard in the world during the height of his activity.

If we were allowed to know even, like, a tiny bit about the adult world of the HP universe, we might have a better idea. I guess nothing other than becoming a Wizard Cop was relevant to Harry’s journey, though, so we don’t know what knowledge and training looks like to someone who wishes to pursue research, say, or competitive dueling.

I’m going to constrain the problem you’ve posed in order to answer it. I might not be able to say how Voldemort compares to the unnamed wizards in Africa, but I’m willing to talk about Britain and assume that we’ve seen the main power-players in British society. And in that realm, I think Voldemort’s primary competition is Albus, and I’m willing to say that I think Voldemort is more powerful than Albus.

Unfortunately, I don’t care enough about the text to pull out OotP and go line-by-line through the duel at the end to say that V was clearly trouncing Albus. I read it as such. That’s enough. It’s also the only outright duel we see from either of them, and our only on-page evidence of their strength in a fight. We also know that Albus beat Gellert back in 1945 when Gellert held the Elder Wand, but goodness knows what that says about him—maybe he was stronger back then, maybe Gellert threw the match, maybe Gellert was never as magically potent as Albus. The end result for me is the same: in 1996, when they duel in the ministry, Albus is losing to V until the entire auror corps shows up and V decides a retreat is more strategic.

Ultimately, I don’t think it matters that much that V was probably the more powerful wizard, between the two of them, during his wars. He’s feared precisely because of how rarely he comes out to handle something personally—his followers are considered more than enough to handle most issues, leaving V to play boogeyman. Most people probably freeze up or run upon seeing him and don’t even try to shoot off a curse.

And even if he’s more powerful than Albus, that stupid rumor that Albus is the only man he fears pursues him all the same. I cannot imagine how frustrating that must be for Voldemort, being told that you’re afraid of your old schoolteacher. Annoyed by? Feel hatred for? Yes. Fear? …He’s a mortal man, man. V’s fears are pretty clearly wrapped up in deeply-rooted and untreated traumas, he’s afraid of things like death and his natal appearance, not ‘that shitbag who would take points off my assignments and not tell me why.’

Mm, quite frankly, I doubt that Voldemort thought all that much about Albus Dumbledore between his first and second Hogwarts teaching post rejections. I can’t accept that he spent decades seething with active hatred for Albus and still decided to apply for a job under Albus as headmaster. It’s completely nonsensical. I have to believe that V thought a long enough time had passed to put their old enmity to rest (V had been a child, surely Albus was able to judge a middle-aged man separately from his bratty 13-year-old self). If anything, the first war would be a period in which V might gain a grudging respect for Albus as a man clearly well-matched against him, who could marshal his own paramilitary force with equally-devoted followers willing to die in his name. That’s a moment when V might go, oh, I see what Grindelwald was on about when he considered Albus a worthy opponent.

So, really, I can tie everything about the Voldemort persona to his position as the head of a terrorist organization, not particularly to his power level. I won’t write this, but someone could tell a story in which V is just an above-average wizard willing to study some dark shit, but he is an extremely compelling and charismatic leader, and his DEs form entirely as a result of that social skill.

[hellsbellschime]

Do you think Jon hold some love and affection for Dany? It's hard to analyse as in s7 Jon suddenly started to fall for her after she came to rescue him when in previous episode he tell her they were strangers​. In s8 there was scene after dragon ride their first kiss was romantic before he got scared. In ep4 when Dany says she loves him the kiss was romantic. But otherwise the framing and chemistry was awful.

Honestly? No, not really. Jon’s character in the later seasons somehow managed to be both a clusterfuck and a snoozefest, but ultimately falling in love with Dany is just not something I think Jon would have ever been capable of.

I mean, the massively consistent aspects of Jon’s character that have always existed within him no matter what are that A. he loves his family more than anything, B. he has literally devoted his life to protecting the North, and C. he idolizes, wants to be like, and is more similar to Ned than any of the Stark children. So let’s think about that in the context of Jon’s meeting with Dany and his entire relationship with Dany. 

So Jon does something astoundingly stupid that no other king or queen would do, he goes to Dragonstone with zero information about Dany aside from the fact that she is incredibly powerful and about to invade Westeros/destroy the Lannisters. Taking down the Lannisters would be plus in Jon’s book, but I don’t know that that’s enough for him to not be massively concerned about her being an insanely powerful invader. He takes a horrible risk on the complete long shot that he can convince Dany to come North and save his family and his people, because that is how important it is to him. 

And what is Dany’s reaction to that? She not only says she won’t help unless he submits to her, someone who he literally just met who appears to be the most dangerous person on the planet in terms of raw power, but she literally takes him hostage despite the fact that Jon is so comparatively powerless. She immediately makes it clear that he’s a rebel and essentially that she’s probably not going to even let him leave until he bends the knee. And what’s worse (which is actually Tyrion’s fault but is something they never clarify and I can’t imagine Jon not loathing her for) is that he was brought there under false pretenses. The letter that Dany sent him inviting him to Dragonstone asked him to “join her to end Cersei’s tyranny,” he didn’t hear shit about bending the knee immediately until he met Dany and literally five seconds after he walked into the room she demanded that he bend the knee. 

At this point it’s not as if Jon doesn’t understand political theater at this point, but right off the bat Dany breaks every rule of Westerosi custom and imprisons a literal king to demand that he submit to her or let EVERYTHING HE LOVES DIE while he’s a helpless prisoner. This is the FIRST thing Jon ever learns about Dany. And while Tyrion says that he’s being unreasonable for expecting immediate help and expecting to be believed, it’s like yeah except LITERALLY THE WHOLE ASS REASON HE’S HERE is because Melisandre showed up and was like yo you gotta talk to this kid Jon Snow he’s seen some wild shit and then when he shows up and is like “I’ve seen some wild shit” everyone’s like well clearly you’re insane so we’re putting you in a time out until you return to sanity and bend the knee to a complete stranger. Also not to fucking mention, unless nobody on the island ever brings this shit up, Jon also immediately learns what kind of an ally Dany is because every one of Dany’s other allies is either killed or CAPTURED and she’s just like well bummer for them guess I have to accept that as a loss or wait for them to rescue themselves even though I have three dragons and the biggest army in the world and instead of saving them I can just try to force this new guy to become my “ally” instead (and if the whole political motivation for Jon’s relationship with her stems from this it would make complete sense because he should already know that even those who submit to Dany don’t get her protection or assistance if it doesn’t serve her purpose, so he HAS to get her to feel like he’s more than just her ally).

And despite being obsessed with his bastardy, Jon values nothing more than he values his family, and Dany constantly undervalues, insults, or completely writes off Jon’s family. I actually think that’s understandable from Dany’s perspective because she only knows of familial abuse, but there is no world in which I can believe Jon would take her ignoring the fact that Robb literally died to free his people, or implying that Ned was cool with goddamn child murder, or accusing Sansa of being an evil schemer because she’s angling to keep the North free very well, and two of those three things are things she does the first time she ever speaks to Jon. 

And finally, Jon wants to BE Ned. That is literally the person he has admired and emulated more than anyone, to the point where it’s almost an unhealthy obsession for him. Jon knows that Ned would choose to do the right thing over pretty much everything else. Jon knows that Ned is the type of person who would die saving the children of his enemies. I cannot fathom a world in which he would even consider loving anyone who let thousands of innocent people die for their own political gains. But again, Daenerys makes it clear the very first time that he meets her that that’s what is happening right now. She’s willing to use “her kingdom” as a political pawn that she won’t have a second thought about sacrificing in order to gain Jon’s submission. I think there was a chance that he could have truly liked her or even loved her if she just hadn’t come in so insanely hot the very first time that they met, but frankly the very first moment that they meet she shows Jon that she is exactly like Cersei, she will literally use an existential threat to all life as a tool to her political advantage regardless of the fact that it is a fucking EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO ALL LIFE. 

So I think no, there is zero chance that Jon could ever love a person like that, and I think that legit the minute that he met her he put himself in a completely political mindset and was willing to do whatever he had to do to get Dany to actually help him. I just cannot imagine a world in which Jon freaking Snow would even feel a shred of respect or non-dislike towards someone who would do that, let alone liking them or loving them, and I sincerely think that within their first conversation Dany ensured that Jon would never have any real feelings for her. I understand why so many people are confused by their relationship because it is confusing as fuck, but I actually feel like D&D very absurdly overtly put so much shit that Jon would absolutely loathe into their relationship straight off the bat that regardless of anything that happened afterwards I just cannot fathom Jon Snow essentially overlooking every single thing he hates or has no respect for in this world to realize that Dany is actually the one true benevolent queen, or even a halfway likable person in his eyes. 

[cybernaght]

Guardian rewatch: Episode 3

First of all, wow. When I decided to post those online, I was expecting that they would be read by two people, both of whom I personally know. It was in equal part surprising and terrifying that so many of you ventured here. Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it. 

Episode 3 is probably my favourite case. It’s not perfectly strung together, there is little actual investigative work in it, but it’s a beautiful story of boundless love and devotion, which echoes through the relationship between our protagonists

Professor Shen is looking at some materials that are looking suspiciously like research into something supernatural, when Zhang Ruonan makes an appearance at his office, claiming that she is absolutely fine, while clearly being very far away from fine. This is something Shen Wei can certainly relate to, because he is the king of hiding his ailments from others. 

Zhu Hong’s one-sided affection for Zhao Yunlan starts to show already in this episode:  while he has the cold, she nags him to take care of himself, shoves tissues into his hands, and presses him to drink his meds. It’s easy to imagine even this early on that she will be the woman drunk dialling him one day. 

I know this could be seen as straightbaiting, but I honestly thing that the actual purpose it serves in the show is the opposite; I’ll talk more about it when we get there.

Zhao Yunlan spends a lot of this episode in Shen Wei’s office, starting with this scene, in which is obviously flexing. Not only does he sneeze all over the office, he goes to eat Shen Wei’s cake after specifically being told not to eat it.  He also takes his opportunity to mix questioning with flirting, as is his usual way. He keeps eye contact while spooning cake into his mouth, as he explains, jovially, that another mysterious death on his campus cannot possibly be a coincidence. And, to be fair, he is not really wrong. We are meant to believe that this is all set in motion by Zhu Jiu, aka the least scary villain in the history of villainy, and an owner of your staple baby goth wig. I will not mention him again until the plot makes it impossible for me not to do so. 

Zhang Ruonan comes in, and Zhao Yunlan introduces himself as Shen Wei’s good friend. Which is half-way between a flex and an act of kindness. On one hand, he could have said he was from the police - which would be absolutely true - and risk tarnishing the professor’s good name. On the other hand, he could probably look less pleased with himself. Shen Wei, at the very least, looks neither grateful, nor amused. 

Zhao Yunlan asks her if she new the victim and she looks incredibly shifty as she flees. He is right to think that something is up, and he correctly assumes trauma, rather than guilt. We can now start to see that he is very very good at reading people. It must be equal parts thrilling and disconcerting for him to have met something who he decisively cannot read. Shen Wei vouches for the woman, partly, surely, because his Hei Pao Shi sense is tingling, letting him know that someone is eavesdropping. 

Despite feeling uneasy, Shen Wei still offers Guo Changcheng, who is left to collect various paperwork from his desk, a little smile. He has a reason to like Xiao Guo, of course: he was the one to see the young man’s kindness and understanding, and he is already growing protective of him, way before he will start seeing members of the special unit as his people. This reminds me of how many months later, he will subtly, but decisively stop a barrage of verbal abuse against Xiao Guo by dropping a pair of chopsticks. 

Zhao Yunlan is taking Xiao Guo with him on the case rather than anyone else, partly, supposedly, because of Guo Changcheng’s familial connections. The young man looks more sure of himself, asking correct questions, dutifully records answers. He also tries to look after his Chief by asking him to go home and rest. He does phrase it badly, but Zhao Yunlan has a thing against his own health and well-being, so he reacts extra poorly.

Soon after, Zhao Yunlan’s at Shen Wei’s office yet again, as Shen Wei tries his best to ignore him, in the hope that he… well, maybe not goes away, but does not ask him anything that will require him lying. Instead, Zhao Yunlan is asking Shen Wei why he is bad at reading people, which is a very strange thing to ask. Shen Wei answers his question with a question, “Will seeing through people really lessen the hurt and disappointment?” Adding, “Many tragedies were destined from the beginning”. He looks well.. like this as he says it. 

This is loaded. On first glance, it’s a pretty good set-up to the way this story will unfold, as a tragedy of two individuals who let their devotion to each other nearly ruin each other’s life. A fragile human and a dangerous powered Undergroundian: what else is that, but a tragedy, waiting to happen? But this story - this one right in front of us - will not end tragically, at least not for the two people it enters around. It could do so, but it will not. Maybe, this truly is the first hint that this entire narrative, so carefully set up from the very first time Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei meet, is destined to be a tragedy. Moreover, that it must be one, for some cosmic reason. 

(… I apologise while I go have a little cry in the corner. Damn you, Guardian, why do you make me hurt so much?)

Da Qing inexplicably morphs from black cat to a human in white t-shirt while doing night shadowing, and promptly falls asleep on patrol. Why is he being sent to stake anyone out? He is least suitable for it.  He is literally a cat. He sleeps 16 hours a day. 

Surprisingly, when pressed, Zhang Ruonan comes clean very easily, revealing that she was a victim of the three students she failed (two of which are already dead and one one standing right next to them), who lured her out at night, which left her vulnerable to be attacked. Zhao Yunlan listens to this story, and instead of… oh I don’t know, perhaps asking her the identity of the third student, leaves to go find that out for himself. It is heavily implied that he does it on purpose, which is definitely not okay.  

Moreover, he goes and... asks Shen Wei. This makes me suspect that he’s not really thinking with his head at this point. As he does so, he is brandishing a letter opener. 

Shen Wei is looking even less impressed with him than he did during their last few conversations. 

Zhao Yunlan is a little bit flippant when it comes to students’ lives this episode. And yes, they have done something really quite horrible to another human being, but that's not a very good excuse to let the last of them just die. As it happens, the situation Yunlan created - perhaps on purpose - did lure out Zhao Ruonan’s murder girlfriend, but it also cost a student his life. Which is far from ideal, but is somehow never even mentioned. Instead of being aghast, he sits on the table as he goes into full interrogation mode. (As he will continue to do a lot. Sometimes he crouches on tables instead. There is no further point here, apart from: I like this character quirk. It’s a nice character quirk.)

He brings some of his team in at this point, and asks Zhu Hong to continue interrogation. It would be a nice gesture is he did not interject two questions in. 

“How do you regard your relationship with Wang Yike?”

“We are family.”

They are definitely, decisively not going for sisterly bond here. Which is kind of incredible. This is one of the moments the amorphous being that show is looks at the censors, wiggles its battered low budget eyebrows at them, and then proceeds to flip them off. Well done, Guardian. 

Wang Yike calls Zhang Ruonan, saying there is one more victim she needs to take care of, and Lin Jing traces the call back to campus. Zhao Yunlan, who did not even bat an eyelid at a dead student earlier, now looks decisively worried  

“Oh no. Professor Shen.” 

The only reason Shen Wei is attacked is jealousy. Wang Yike does not know this of course, but trying to kill him is a bad move, because a) he has long ago given his heart away, and is definitely not interested; b) this is probably the only thing she could do to make the man on the case very very upset; c) Shen Wei’s immune to her powers. 

“Someone like you will never understand what she means to me!” Wang Yike shouts eventually. “As long as I can protect her, my life has worth!” And, even as Wang Yike has no way of knowing it, these are the words that ultimately save both her and her loved one. Because Shen Wei does in fact understand what Zhang Ruonan means to her. His own endless and ultimately self-destructive devotion is his main driving force.

Shen Wei pretends to be hurt, again, which earns him a half-hug from the object of his devotion. If Zhao Yunlan does notice that Shen Wei should really come out of this attack grey haired and dead, and not just mildly inconvenienced, he chooses not to say anything. 

Worried about her murder girlfriend, Zhang Ruonan rushes in and accidentally touches her. Zhao Yunlan Freaks The Hell Out. Shen Wei does, too, but in his own, reserved, way. They are both emotionally invested in those two people, although for very different reasons: Shen Wei is acutely feeling resonance of his own past in their story, and Zhao Yunlan, I think, wants to fix it, he wants to be able to make it better. Instead, Shen Wei fixes it for him, turning the tide on this tragedy, and giving it a happy ending. He heals Zhang Ruonan right in front of the officers of SID, albeit with much subtlety. (“Have someone saved her right under our noses?” Zhu Hong will snort the very same evening, and she will be 100% correct.)

Shen Wei also lets Wang Yike go despite the undeniable fact that she did kill three people. Here, he is looking at the picture of this human/Undergroundian couple, surviving despite all odds, and touches his only reminder that Kunlun really was in his life. 

He then burns the picture as the only evidence that Wang Yike was not punished by him for her crimes. 

In the end, Guo Chengcheng is making first of his many diary notes about the events, recounting a conversation between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan we had not witnessed, in which Shen Wei mentioned a relationship based on devotion that can last a thousand years, and Zhao Yunlan called such a relationship “guarding”. Finally, Guo Changcheng hopes that he can become a guardian of all. 

And this is making me think that this absolutely should be a set-up for him becoming a wick of the guardian lantern, as per every single other decision that was made prior to the last two episodes. Right? This is a perfect foreshadowing, and mentioning it here, so early in the show would not make any sense if it were a deliberate subversion. So, was Guo Changcheng meant to become the wick after all before... what, some rewrites happened? What made the final episode be what it was in the end?

(This is a genuine question by that way, if anyone has any insight on the matter.)

The episode would end here, if this was a western show, with a familiar monster of the week structure, but it does not. At least, the way it ends is reminiscent of a cliffhanger, with Zhao Yunlan catching Shen Wei in a middle of a crime scene, and looking betrayed. 

Next episode: Lynchian Nightmare, aka people without faces. 

PS.

I did not have a seamless way to stick this in anywhere but... Shen Wei’s technological ineptness at the max: he does not know how to use a Polaroid camera. Help him, he is so lost.

——

Second point of housekeeping to say a few things: 

I don’t think I will be consistent with certain things being transliterated versus translated. I am more likely to use Hei Pao Shi rather than Black Cloak Envoy (because the later reminds me of Tuxedo Mask, which makes me inwardly giggle every time) but at the same time I am also more likely to use Underground/Undergroundian rather than Dixing/Dixingren. I am more likely to use Xiao rather than Little, but have called Chu Old rather than Lao before. I hope that’s not grating, but do tell me if it is

My recaps are Shen Wei-heavy. I have no real explanation for this, apart from.. I like Shen Wei. 

I realise that there will definitely be things here that are head canon and speculation rather than flat observations; this show is a work of fiction and a work of art, which cannot be interpreted objectively. If you have alternate takes on anything I write in the future, let me know! 

[theodora3022]

Headcanons of Yandere! Inasa Yoarashi

Request: Reader is a female UA student with a strong wind quirk, Inasa Yoarashi met her during the provisional license exam. She is not particularly charming or beautiful, but she peaked Inasa’s interests. Normally, she is a friendly person. However when he tried to talk to her, she would give a curt reply, clearly wants nothing to do with him. What angers him more is: She is close to Shoto Todoroki! Little did Inasa knows she is avoiding him because she is insecure about her control over the winds, she fears that the winds might favour Inasa and she would be left quirkless. Head canons please. Today is the wind boy’s birthday and there’s just so little content of him...He is underrated.

Notes: Interesting suggestion! Today is indeed his birthday, I shall tend to your request at once! I been wanting to write about him for a while ngl, but I just cannot find an exact idea. Thank you for this amazing idea, anon. There’s not much information about his personality so I don’t worry this being OOC hehe.  Sorry if this turns out to be a bit Yandere… Man this took way longer then expected, please enjoy!

Update: Sequal No.1, Sequal.2(Coming soon)

Some of this is inspired by @reinawritesbnha​‘s post. Go give it a read! It’s one of the best I ever seen.

Warning: Violence(non-graphic), yandere, kidnapping, dub con, implied breeding kink (? Idk this is the first time I wrote something like this)

You are a strong pro-hero in training. You can command airflows to your will, any gas is under your disposal. It is only a matter of time before you become the big three of your year. Even Bakugou does not want to anger you. You are a powerful tempest towards your enemies. Overall, you are quite confident about your abilities. 

That is, before you met Inasa Yoarashi during the provisional license exam.

When you first saw him, you feel this sense of…familiarity. Even though you never met him before, you cannot shake this feeling of connection with Inasa.

Then you felt his cold glance towards your direction. But when his eyes met yours, his lips curl up into a big grin and bowed slightly.

“I am Inasa Yoarashi, also known as Gale Force, from Shiketsu High. And what is your name, beautiful miss from UA?” Man, he is loud.

Ah, so he is Gale force. You learned about him when picking out your hero name, he also has a wind quirk. Then it strikes you: what if the winds like him better? What if they just abandon me while he is around? Those thoughts make you feel helpless, the scenario of being quirkless terrifies you to no end.

The blush of being called “beautiful” is gone, instead you replace it with a stoic face: “Pleasure to meet you, Mr Yoarashi. I am (F/N) (L/N), also known as (hero name). Come on Shoto, they are almost starting, we should get going. Please excuse us.”

You walk away, smiling at Shoto. Leaving Inasa there, angry and confused.

He immediately regrets withdrawing his application from UA. If he had been in your school, it is him you would smile and befriend now, instead of that wicked Todoroki! The way you are calling his first name, so intimate, just sends anger through his brain.

So, you have a wind quirk too, huh? No wonder he feels this instant connection with you.

Froze there for a couple of seconds, until Nagamasa Mora called him. “What has gotten into you, Inasa? The exam is going to start soon.” Ashamed to admit his true feelings, Inasa would brush off the older man’s concern, and pretend nothing had happened.

Words cannot describe how he felt when he saw you in your hero costume. Like Inasa, you had chosen to put a thick jacket on. The skies can get quite cold, after all. His looks practical, with multiple tubes to help regulate the air currents. But your grey coat looks like an expensive piece from a boutique, the edges even has fur for decorations. Inasa think your look fits for a scroll in the snow, instead of a battlefield. It’s probaly for disguise to fool villians. You have not fully button up the coat yet, he can still glimpse the (favorite colour) spandex bodysuit underneath. If this has not been an exam, Inasa swears he would ask you to go to dinner with him, here and now.

Feeling his gaze fixated on you, you tense up nervously. Is he finding ways to take the winds away from me? Horrified, you decide to stay far away from him during the exam as possible.

Shoto noticed your nervous state, he asks you what is wrong. You shrug, stating it is just pre-exam stress.

Every time Inasa sees you and Shoto’s friendly interactions, his heart bleeds. But he decides to wait until after the exam to take any action. He also decides to impress you with his outstanding performance in the exam.

When you choose the furthest area from him, it left him feeling disappointed. So he chooses a tall building as his battleground, to better utilize his quirk and to watch you from afar.

Unlike his approach with winds, which focus on intensity and strength, your winds concentrate their efforts on speed. Stealth and fast, most people only catch your afterimage in the corner of their eyes.

Your strategy is creating vacuums around their heads. When your opponents are choking due to lack of oxygen, you press them against a solid surface to knock them out. Then you score with the tennis balls, done. Simple yet effective. It has only been five minutes into the exam, and you are already finished, with minimal efforts of two people unconscious.

Inasa saw all of this from the top of the building, of course. Like an assassin of the night, you move with such grace, and that speed of yours! Truly amazing. He had never thought of creating vacuums before. He guesses this is one of your ultimate moves.

He might just be curious about you before, but after seeing you fly around with that incredible swiftness, Inasa find himself becoming more smitten with you.

It is settled in his mind: he has to have you. Just imagine how what a power couple you two would be! The wind duo will be invincible. And your children would have the strongest wind quirk ever.

In the break room, you sigh with relief; you reached your goals: stay furthest away from Inasa as possible and passing with negligible efforts. Taking out your (favorite snack) from your backpack, you decide to reward yourself a little.

But then you find Inasa grinning at you across the room. Your good mood vanishes instantly.

Talking to Shoto to distract yourself from his burning stare, you felt his gaze moved away.

“That Yoarashi guy, I saw him in the entrance exam for recommended students. I was surprised that he went to Shiketsu.”

Phew. You were delighted to hear him say that. You would not want to deal with this situation on a daily basis.

Before you can feel that delight, however. Inasa invites himself into your conversation.

“Your speed is incredible! The way you master your winds is truly impressive. We should train together sometime. We can share our experiences on the winds!”

Being the nice person you are, you did not ignore him, trying to bring yourself to like him. You do want to share experience with a fellow wind user.

You did not notice how he left Shoto out of the conversation, completely. Not that he wants to socialize with Inasa, but still.

To Inasa, you remind him of the warm spring breeze. A ray of sunshine, easygoing and friendly, the complete opposite of Todoroki.

Of course, you are unaware of his ridiculous plans involving a future together and children. You just see him as a enthusiastic, loud boy.

Shoto can feel his obsession thoughts for you, however. After Inasa left to prepare for the second part, Shoto warned you subtlety. But you did not take it seriously, saying that is just how Inasa make friends. “He’s like that with everyone. No need to worry.”

The second exam you devoted yourself into rescuing. Shoto said he would deal with the villain. So you just focused on dealing with injured “civilians”. After gaining knowledge of their “injuries”, you lift the debris with winds and deliver them to the first-aid station.

It was after the exam you find out the two had fight while dealing with the villain.

They did not pass. You comforted Shoto about it, leaving Inasa upset. He failed the exam too; he needs your comforting words just as much as Todoroki!

You exchanged numbers with Inasa upon depart, promise him to train together soon. You fear of inferiority is gone; being this close to him, you can sense his power is not as strong as yours. Evidently it is him who should worry about falling out of the wind’s favour.  

Your friends, especially Mina, tease you about your little encounter with the other wind user. Calling him your “Shiketsu boyfriend”. You yell for them to stop, saying you only seen him as a friend.

Inasa’s friends are pretty much the same. Although he is a year younger, his sociable nature made him approachable. He shows off now he got your number, and they all laughed. “She can create vacuums and suffocate people; I would hate to get on (y/n)’s bad side.”

After the exam, he wrote out his plan of attack, staying up until 2am to do so. Shiketsu forbid its students to have any romantic relationships, so Inasa wasn’t planning on having one with you. Your relationship with him will remain platonic until you both graduate.

It involves an arranged marriage and an immense sum of dowry to bribe your parents. His father always taught him to go after what he wants with all his might. Inasa cannot wait until you graduate and move in with him. It is such a shame a powerful hero like you have to become a homemaker so soon. But he cannot have you swinging around the city in spandex, they are for his eyes only. He wants to keep you in the safety of his house, to train his brood of offspring. Yes, that is what your prestigious UA diploma for-for his children’s head start in life.

Stalking you would be difficult since you can sense the movement of air around you. They report any abnormalities to you at once. So he watched you from afar, how you shoot across the sky like a bullet to go to school every morning, how you relaxed in mid air during lunch break, or how you laugh with your friends outdoors.

Sometimes you would feel like someone is watching you, but the winds say all clear. So you just mark it as you are being too self-conscious and do not care.

You two would occasionally text and train together/help each other with homework on weekends, getting lunch together afterwards. him acting like nothing less then a gentleman. You start viewing him as a friend, despite what Shoto said before.

Inasa is glad that you did not seem to take interest in any boys during your high school time. If you end up inTodoroki’s arms, he does not know what he will do to Shoto.

A week after you graduate UA your parents told you they have received a marriage proposal. They have already accepted it, so there is no room for negotiation.

You are shocked to surprised finding your intended to be Inasa Yoarshi. You thought of him only as a training buddy prior to this.You ask to postpone the marriage until you become a full pro-hero but was shut down rather brutally. He said he will provide for you. There is no need for you to work when he can just take care of everything.

“Don’t worry, love. I’m going to take such great care of you! You can teach the children at home, so they can get a head start in hero life!”

Avoiding him would be pretty easy considering your speed, you can carry on with hero work as if nothing has happened, even moving to another city. However if this goes on for too long, Inasa will kidnap you.

Most likely to steal you away from your apartment at night, as he is as good at being stealthy as you. You live alone, it was a breeze. Some Chloroform and ropes would get the job done. 

You would wake up in a nicely furnished room one morning, quirk-cancelling collar locked on your neck. With chains long just enough to reach the bathroom.

Inasa hates seeing you upset, but it is all going to be better once you get used to your new employment: his sweet wife, the mother of his children.

Will consider letting you go outside for grocery shopping if you been good, with his company of course.

He would never raise a hand on you, no matter how much you screams and reisists him. Being so understanding, Inasa knows you need some time to come around. 

He loves nothing more then watching you do domestic chores, this man got issues. He expects you stay at home, cook dinner for him and take care of him. Which is a nightmare for you, since you despise housewife life.

You are so helpless without your winds to protect you, so you tried to rip this goddamn collar off everyday. But it was futile: only Inasa has the key.

You went to bed with him just to get some time outdoors, since your claustrophobia is acting up. You didn’t expect him to be so gentle and soft. But you regret it soon after because he become insatiable afterwards.

Then two months later you found yourself in the bathroom, staring at a positive pregnacy test. 

Once Inasa knows about your condition, he will loosen the restrictions. You can now use your quirk under his supervisions: it’s excerise, and the two of you both need it.

He would take you to comittee events, to go visit his friends, even letting you see your friends from time to time. You also got your phone back, but with a tracking app installed on it. 

Now all he has to do is wait a couple more months to meet his child.

[princeofgod-2021]

LIGHT OF LIFE 362

John 1:4

TOO LATE 25 – AGENTS OF CHANGE? 17

Eze 14:19-20 “Or SUPPOSE I WERE TO SEND A PLAGUE INTO THAT LAND, AND POUR OUT MY RAGE ON IT WITH BLOODSHED, killing both people and animals. EVEN IF NOAH, DANIEL, AND JOB WERE IN IT, AS SURELY AS I LIVE, DECLARES THE SOVEREIGN LORD, THEY COULD NOT SAVE THEIR OWN SON OR DAUGHTER; THEY WOULD SAVE ONLY THEIR OWN LIVES BY THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS. NET

We’ve actually mentioned before, one of the [strong] reasons why it can be too late for anyone: When the heart is incorrigible and cannot be changed.

When Noah was building the Ark, you can imagine that he was mocked rather than believed about the impending doom. He must have preached to them all but they laughed at him everyday, until…

Luk 17:26-30 WHEN THE SON OF MAN COMES, THINGS WILL BE JUST AS THEY WERE WHEN NOAH LIVED. People were eating, drinking, and getting married right up to the day when Noah went into the big boat. Then the flood came and drowned everyone on earth. When LOT lived, people were also eating and drinking. They were buying, selling, planting, and building. BUT ON THE VERY DAY LOT LEFT SODOM, FIERY FLAMES POURED DOWN FROM THE SKY AND KILLED EVERYONE. THE SAME WILL HAPPEN ON THE DAY WHEN THE SON OF MAN APPEARS. CEV

Are you not seeing this scenario?

Always, far, far less than 1% is saved: Only Noah and his family, only Lot and 2 daughters, and only Josiah truly has a penitent heart.

Does this bother you?

Just as the Opening scripture says: only by your righteousness will you save yourself from this untoward Generation.

If you like, take these writings seriously and fear God, or otherwise…

Rev 22:10-12 And he said to me, "Do not keep the prophetic words of this book a secret, BECAUSE THE TIME IS NEAR WHEN ALL THIS WILL HAPPEN. WHOEVER IS EVIL MUST GO ON DOING EVIL, AND WHOEVER IS FILTHY MUST GO ON BEING FILTHY; WHOEVER IS GOOD MUST GO ON DOING GOOD, AND WHOEVER IS HOLY MUST GO ON BEING HOLY." "Listen!" says Jesus. "I AM COMING SOON! I WILL BRING MY REWARDS WITH ME, to give to each one according to what he has done. GNB

Anyhow, the very touching thing about Josiah was that after God verified His impending Judgment on the people, Josiah still tried everything within his human might to appease God further by doing the unthinkable and unusual.

Josiah set many unbreakable records in his time.

2Ch 35:18 And THERE WAS NO PASSOVER LIKE THAT KEPT IN ISRAEL FROM THE DAYS OF SAMUEL THE PROPHET. YEA, NONE OF THE KINGS OF ISRAEL KEPT SUCH A PASSOVER AS JOSIAH KEPT, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were found, and the people of Jerusalem. MKJV

Because of greed and love of money, the church commonly refers to Solomon’s thousand burnt offering, just to compel “reckless sowing”.

You may not like this, but that is not only myopic but wicked. We are making the congregation focus on gains than on Ultimate devotion to God.

Josiah gave much more than Solomon but do we ever mention him? No!

2Ch 35:7 And JOSIAH GAVE LAMBS AND GOATS FROM THE FLOCK AS PASSOVER OFFERINGS for all the people who were present, TO THE NUMBER OF THIRTY THOUSAND, AND THREE THOUSAND OXEN: THESE WERE FROM THE KING'S PRIVATE PROPERTY. BBE

We don’t preach Josiah’s offering because there’s no reward mentioned here.

Are we not wicked?

Is it not more important to emphasize devotion and undivided attention to God?

Don’t we see that Devotion actually makes a man give more and without thinking of rewards?

Anyhow, Josiah did all these to appease God but he truly missed the real point: The State Of The People’s Heart.

Jer 17:9-10 "THE HUMAN MIND IS THE MOST DECEITFUL OF ALL THINGS. IT IS INCURABLE. No one can understand how deceitful it is. I, THE LORD, SEARCH MINDS AND TEST HEARTS. I will reward each person for what he has done. I will reward him for the results of his actions. GW

God was appeased over cleansing the Land but if the hearts of the people remain evil, they will yet pollute the land, and they did, immediately after Josiah died.

God is always Justified. Period!

2Ki 23:31-32 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and HE REIGNED THREE MONTHS IN JERUSALEM. His mother was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah. HE DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD AS HIS ANCESTORS HAD DONE. NET

The son of a most righteous man ends up doing evil, not like Josiah who raised him, but like his forefather whom he never knew.

That’s is why Jesus’ Life-Ministry focused on the hearts of Men.

Luk 2:34-35 and Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against. Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, THAT THE THOUGHTS OF MANY HEARTS MAY BE REVEALED.” WEB

Why this much focus on the hearts of Men?

We will discuss that next lesson.

May God keep us in perfect peace, as our hearts dwell on Him, in honour and pure devotion, IN JESUS NAME.

Join us on Wednesday as we begin to conclude this thought-provoking Subtopic.

Keep Shinning!

Brother Prince

Monday, June 05, 2023

08055125517; 08023904307

[jessicalucas]

Why did Jeremiah want Ecco dead, and how did he pull it off?

It is my solid belief that Jeremiah wanted Ecco to die, and I have several reasons why. It starts when he was sprayed, however back then it was more of an indifference to if she died or not. If you think about what he made her do, he made her shoot herself, he put her in the bunker to keep Jim there with the chance that it could blow up with her still in it, he almost definitely made her be the one to converse with all the dangerous gangs and criminals to exert his dominance over them. All were high risk situations where she could have died, but there was always a chance that she wouldn’t. We know that a lot of Jeremiah’s relationships were fuelled by obsessions, but I don’t think he was obsessed with Ecco as a person, I think he was obsessed with the fact that he had been able to manipulate a person so well into being entirely devoted to him and changing their personality and manner, and Ecco was just the walking embodiment of that. Alongside her being useful due to this, by keeping her around he was constantly reminding himself of his achievement in making her who she was. He saw her as a possession of his own creation, but as he was just obsessed with that and not actually Ecco herself, she was expendable, but precious enough to allow a chance at living.

Which means that something changed between 5x07 and 5x12 in that ten years, something that changed Jeremiah from not caring if she died, to wanting her to die. That difference is evident in the finale, because if he didn’t actively wish for her to die, I imagine that he would have just left her dying with the stab wound, rather than ensuring that she would definitely die. There was a chance that she could have survived, I don’t know tons about stab wounds but people in Gotham have survived much worse injuries, Jeremiah has survived much worse injuries. But for once he didn’t allow her to have that chance.

This brings us to the ultimate question: why would Jeremiah want Ecco dead? She was loyal, he knew that she would do what he wanted, and he had his own personal protection wherever he meant. Clearly, the big event linking this change was the 10 years he spent in Arkham. Obviously we don’t see much of them there, but we see enough to establish that Ecco was his nurse and the person he solely relied upon, he used her to get information in and out and as far as we know, for a very large chunk of that 10 years she was the only person who knew he wasn’t braindead. Now, that has some very striking similarities to the role she played when she was his proxy, as back then he was reliant upon her to do so much, without her being able to leave the bunker he would have struggled a lot more. He was very dependent upon her, and at that point, I don’t think he minded. However, when he got sprayed and certain elements of his personality were intensified, the arrogance and self-obsession did as well, and he no longer wanted to be dependent upon someone, he believed himself to be the most important person that doesn’t need to answer to anyone. He brainwashed Ecco to flip it around, she was now the one dependent on him, and he had the full power.

When he went to Arkham, he no longer had that control over her. Ecco had no guidance, and automatically switched back into the role that she was most comfortable doing: looking after him. We don’t know how long Jeremiah was pretending to be brain dead, but when he woke up, he had to start pretending straight away. There was no way he could have done it without Ecco. Once again, their roles had been reversed and he was once again solely relying upon Ecco to look after him, to carry out everything he needed done, and to make sure he wasn’t discovered. He must have resented the fact that she could do everything he wanted to do, all his anger about having to wait for the right moment was now being channelled into his relationship with her, because that was the only real relationship he had at that moment in time. Unlike before, he no longer had an outlet for his anger. He couldn’t move, the only thing he could do was think. That would be enough to drive you further into madness, and to warp feelings towards someone else into negative emotions because that’s all you know. If Ecco brought him any messages from the outside, for example the news that Bruce had left Gotham, he couldn’t see them to develop hatred towards them, and so he does towards the nearest person at the time, which is Ecco. The resentment that he was dependent on her once more, the mixed messages in his brain from madness and the anger he felt for others all manifested itself into him beginning to develop very negative emotions when she was around.

But when does the line between disliking someone and wanting someone dead get crossed? For me, there’s two main reasons, and the first goes back to the point that she was acting very similar to her proxy phase. Not only was it echoed in actions, it was also similar in terms of her movement, body language, facial expressions, and appearance. She is quiet, stoic, she delivers her actions swiftly and with no theatrics. Sure, she had to blend in, but she didn’t need to when she killed the two men in Jeremiah’s cell. 

That reminded me of the scene where Jeremiah gets her to shoot the two guards, she does it with no hesitation, silently, deadly. Without the constant influence of Jeremiah being able to control her with words and actions, the façade he built up for her is ebbing away, and surfacing is the Ecco that was always still there, just hidden under the many layers of devotion that Jeremiah had built up. It’s not a quick process, she still has the same voice and wording as she does before, but she’s definitely changed from the person she was in 5x07. Note how she’s still in Arkham when I say this, because the rapid change in her between Arkham and Barbara’s club is important and I’ll get to that later. Essentially, what Jeremiah is seeing before him is all his work that he put in to manipulating her is fading away, that his power over her is no longer as strong as it was. Which makes him question: if it’s happened once, what’s to say it won’t happen again if he manages to brainwash her again? It’s bad enough letting people know that her manipulation wasn’t strong enough to hold when he wasn’t there to constantly enforce it, but for it to fail a second time? He could not allow it. The only solution for him to protect his status and for her to not break free from him, was for her to die.

Furthermore, her acting like his proxy again would have really brought him back to who he was the last time she acted like this, the man that had to fight so hard against his true nature that it made him ‘weak’. He did not want to be that person again, being terrified of his brother, hiding away for years because he couldn’t face the world. Ecco was a constant reminder of that, and I do think that he decided that Ecco was a very strong link between his past and present self, and the only way that the link would be severed would be for her to go away completely. Maybe that is what he tried to do initially instead of killing her, to make her into a different person with a new appearance that wouldn’t remind him of the labyrinth every time he looked at her, but he realised that it really was only a temporary fix and the only way to truly cut off his past was to destroy it. That’s what he did with the labyrinth itself, and it seems fitting to him to destroy all parts of it, including Ecco.

The second reason does have links to the first, and it is his vulnerability inside of Arkham. He pretty much had to be guided with Ecco, she was his ears, his eyes and his legs outside and inside Arkham. He had to let her, there was no other way that it could have worked to the extent that it did. He isn’t able to defend himself with words or physically, but also cannot do anything for himself, he can’t wash himself, dress himself, feed himself etc without dropping his act. The person who is seeing this helplessness first-hand constantly is Ecco. Jeremiah canonically sees himself as this godly figure, one who is all-powerful, who people look up to. To him, being vulnerable is not an option. Being helpless is unthinkable. How could he ever allow someone who saw him in that state live? He may not be able to forget, but he could get rid of any reminders, and also eliminates the idea that people would see Ecco and recognise her as the person who kept him alive, he can’t have anyone on the same level as him, he is alone in his own hierarchy and it must remain that way.

So, that’s pretty much the reasoning behind why I think Jeremiah wanted Ecco dead. Which led me to think how did he manage to pull it off, how did he manage to kill someone who was very smart, a great fighter, and had escaped many dangerous situations before? This leads us back to that sudden switch between Ecco killing the guards and Ecco who is the bait for Barbara. Right, we know that Ecco is more ditzy and less collected when she’s in that state of mind, but examining her behaviour in the scene when she holds the knife to Barbara’s throat, she’s even more off, she’s not focusing on anything, she just seems a lot more relaxed which is such a major difference to how she was in Arkham that it seems too different to be true. I think it is, I think Jeremiah drugged her. He has the access, being in Arkham, and if he asked for it, Ecco would get it for him. I don’t know specifics about medicinal drugs but I imagine that getting something with relaxing properties isn’t exactly uncommon for Arkham, where they need to keep their residents as calm as possible. All he needed to do was get it into her system, Francesca has said that the deleted scene in Arkham involved Jeremiah pulling her into his lap from grabbing her face, kissing her and then carrying her out in his arms. My theory is that he did that as a distraction as he didn’t know how this changing Ecco would react to him trying to inject her, so it would have been easy to inject her when she was distracted and in that close proximity.

Not only would drugging her affect her reflexes, lengthening them and making her more vulnerable to attack, but he also armed her with a knife. We have seen Ecco use a knife before, but we know that she’s much more comfortable with a gun as that is the weapon we see her with the most, and holding someone at gunpoint is going to be a harder situation for the person to get out of, as one movement and bang, you’re dead. With a knife it requires more force and will take longer, even if it is held at the throat. Jeremiah knows Barbara is a skilled fighter, he’s met her twice before and seen her fight, he would have known that she would have been able to disarm a weakened Ecco and stab her. Which is also why he doesn’t make any attempt to restrain her, the only thing stopping her from disarming Ecco is Ecco’s hold on her, which wouldn’t have been that strong if she were drugged and easily distracted. If he really wanted to ensure Ecco’s safety, he could have binded her, or given Ecco a gun, or even shot her in the leg straight away. But he didn’t, and everything worked out like he thought it would. Barbara broke free, Ecco was too slow to fight back, and she was stabbed. Something that would look like an accident to her, but it was completely planned.

(note how Jeremiah waited until after Ecco was disarmed to turn around)

It’s clever, yes it is clever, but it’s the cruellest thing to do to a person that has devoted their entire life to you. Making it so that she was completely defenceless so she didn’t even have a chance to protect herself. This is why I don’t follow the theory that he shot her out of mercy, he shot her to finish the job that he had set out to do a long, long time ago.