#and I think I will call them as

[ganet]

Thoughts on Versus' (potential) relationships: Kiva & Zaybi

Original post

WARNING: SPOILERS!

I find them rather fascinating. In fact, the more I read Versus the more similarities I see in them. Certain scenarios also play out similarly for them both, which is interesting. They obviously have their differences as well, but those only help keep my interest in them. (This also has made me ship them a bit, since the soulmate trope is one of my weakness. And I know there is a big age gap between these two, and one huge thing is that I usually don't like those with my personal fav ships so I hardly have such ships. However, there is something going on with these two that I keep my eyes open for, that is, if there is more for them in the future.)

Style

One thing I find rather funny is the sense of style they both seem to have. You can see it's important to them, and in Zaybi's case ONE even mentions it in his notes. A gentleman killer demon with victorian gothic style (I presume, do correct me if I am wrong), and a human mage who wants to be "fashionable" (which is why he doesn't wear the mage robe normally or why he has those trinkets around his neck).

Here's Zaybi's and Kiva's character sheets by ONE, translated:

Captains

Chapters 1, 16, 2 & 11: They have similar ranks/class in their respective forces (captain).

Light VS. Darkness

Chapters 2, 14 & 12: Other characters compare Zaybi to a guiding light in the darkness, the Sun, the one who gives hope in dire situations. VS. Kiva who is a demon, the despair, the (natural) enemy, leading the demons and being the one who deliberately went on his way to destroy what little hope humans had.

Shield

Chapters 12 & 13: They are forced to use similar techniques to protect oneself (or in Zaybi's case; every human).

"Dying"

Chapters 12 & 16: Similar "dying thoughts". We are shown their hands. (They are also both then "saved".)

They also seem to think about the one person that's important to them before the "(presumably) ultimate death in the hands of Madalans" (with Kiva) or "thought he dies in the hands of the Parasite" (Zaybi).

Chapter 15: Kiva leaving the demons in his lord Jachi's hands before going for the final pounding.

Ambiguity

Their situation is also currently left ambiguous in the manga. (We aren't shown Kiva die, and the chapter 16 left Zaybi's situation open as well. Although, it possibly will continue in next chapter or change the pov to another character. However, his situation probably will remain uncertain for the time being.)

It is also notable how some of their similar situations happen in chapter order. (E.g. Kiva's "final moment" in ch 15 VS. Zaybi's "almost final moment" in next chapter. Or Kiva protecting himself in ch 12, and Zaybi protecting every human in ch 13.)

Now, more about what happened in chapter 12 between these two:

I actually felt something happening between these two characters before I read chapter 12 even, so it did surprise me a bit how sharp my instincts have been about this when Zaybi decided to save Kiva. Although, it is not explained what spell he cast on him, but Zaybi's fellow mage was surprised.

There's something I like about this next panel, since I like how Zaybi is calmly just telling Kiva to calm down despite being struck by him. (He also quickly put up a shield to protect himself.)

I honestly don't blame Kiva for hitting him away, since he did technically (almost) die, and suddenly you are "resurrected" and wake up surrounded by your enemies. Seems like Zaybi understood this.

And then I really like Zaybi's little smirk at Kiva. I do wonder how many humans have actually just smirked at the guy and not shown only anger or fear (which is understandable considering who Kiva is and what he has done to them).

Zaybi's gamble at helping Kiva really paid off since the demon did leave the humans alone (for the time being) even though he would have done worse. This really opened up an interesting situation for their (potential) future relationship, whatever that may be (if possible).

Other chapter(s) thoughts:

Not to mention that Kiva has wanted to off Zaybi's precious little brother few times now, and we know he will lose his light if he loses Hallow.

Chapter 14: Gyuta's final words to Hallow about Zaybi.

But, I do think if Kiva survives, he may have changed some of his views about humans.

Chapter 15: Kiva finally understood how difficult it is to muster your courage.

This thing about bravery and Hallow seems to (presumably) also reflect on chapter 16 with Zaybi. These panels could be either him being scared or he knows the danger and his instincts are telling him not to help the woman (which would have been the correct decision, as cruel as it first sounds).

Bonus thoughts:

Kiva was a small little demon when he got recognized by Jachi. Look at those small wings and the clothes are so small as well. (He looks also fairly short here.) It's told that he was born into a high-class demon clan. Although, he seems to have had some kind of skills (child prodigy?) if Jachi recognized him.

Chapter 12: Kiva reminisces about his life while dying.

Zaybi didn't seem to have born in any high-class life. He does seem to have been some kind of child prodigy, and other mages think of him as some kind of genius.

Chapter 14: In his last moments, Gyuta tells Hallow about Zaybi.

I have noticed they both are (battle) smart and can instantly act during the battle/dire situation. They are observant as well, moving with a plan/certainty. However, when there isn't any plans or things don't go according to a plan, they seem to react to it in their own way; Zaybi seems to be stuck (or internally panics), and Kiva loses his cool when he is really annoyed. This still doesn't usually stop them in the end, which I like. After all, Zaybi has a responsibility as mage captain to help the humanity survive, while Kiva's responsibility as a 11th division's captain of the great demon king army is to make sure demon lord Jachi will triumph and the demons will survive.

They also are the ones who have decided to support those important to them (Jachi for Kiva, and Hallow for Zaybi). And they seem to stand right between these two archenemies' - a hero and demon lord.

I am really interested to see where this particularly story will go.

[redstonedust]

in general i dont think fandom tattoos are a bad idea but i think u need to at least give yourself like a two year buffer from the end of that piece of media before you commit. like if someone told me "yeah im obsessed with hazbin hotel rn so im gonna get a hazbin hotel tattoo" id be like woah okay maybe put a pin in that idea for later. but if someone told me "yeah i read homestuck in its prime and i still love it so im gonna get a homestuck tattoo" id be like well fair enough its been like eight years. if you still like it now you'll probably still have fond memories of it in 20 years. you do you.

[inkedberries]

after patrolling, unwinding in a diner somewhere ...

throw the man a bone batman geez

[captainjonnitkessler]

Sometimes I wish we would start calling out the performative radicalism on this site for the poser bullshit it is. "Remember, it's always morally correct to kill a cop!" "Don't forget to firebomb your local government office!" "Wow, it sure would be a shame if these instructions on how to make a molotov cocktail got spread around!"

Okay. But you're not killing cops or firebombing government offices. You are posting on a dying microblogging website to a carefully-curated echo chamber that has radicalized itself into thinking that taking the absolute most extreme position on any subject is praxis but that anyone discussing the most practical way to effect actual change is your sworn enemy. You do not have the street cred OR the activist cred to be talking about killing cops, babe.

[inkskinned]

she's singing in another room and my dog is asleep at my feet. my grandma asked me why i haven't found a man yet and i laughed. oh, you know. i like my house clean.

my girlfriend is also my man is also "my partner" if i'm in a professional setting. yesterday we went to a ren faire and a man mimed at me - you're together? and at my delighted nod, his baffled, you're gay? made me laugh. a woman with rainbow hair said i love the two of you together. you're both so beautiful it's absurd.

my dad introduced my partner as my "..... friend. or whatever" the other day. he knows we're dating. in the same way, i was never able to get my sister's husband to stop saying that's gay like it's 2008. he still uses the word fa***t, and my sister's defense of him has always been well, he's just kidding.

my lover and i dance to old music in a tiny kitchen. we judge new music together and take food critique very seriously. we watch love is blind before we fall asleep and agree that if they had a queer season, it would be bloody but also make for excellent tv. of fucking course queer people would know someone for only 2 weeks and agree to get married. what are you saying.

at a bar with friends, a man puts his hand on my wrist. got a boyfriend? and yes, i do have a boyfriend, she's amazing. i am texting her while i wander around a gas station named after geese. i am visiting a swing state for a wedding. in the candy aisle i overhear: she's actually like a lesbian it's disgusting. two teenage girls with packaged sandwiches in their hands, giggling. no literally, like. i'm not, like. okay with her being there while we're all, like, naked and changing.

my girlfriend and i tailgate, drink gin and cider out of cups. from the frat group beside us, a man corrects himself with one of his friends: bro, i mean, nonbinary entity, and it makes everyone around him laugh, myself included. he razzes his friend the same way i would have killed for at 19 years old - like nothing happened, he continues: you apply sunscreen like an alien. he does a little sassy (and fairly accurate) dance interpretation of the motion. his friend is laughing so hard they're crying.

i am lucky, i live in a safe neighborhood in a safe state. my masc passenger princess comes up from DC. i drive her for an hour to where all the leaves are a violent arrangement of color. we walk along the trails, letting autumn into our blood. in this part of the state, there's a lot of pickup trucks and trump signs. when we chastely kiss before getting into the car, i accidentally make eye contact with a woman holding her child's wrist. she looks disgusted. she looks fucking pissed.

two hours later my girl and i are eating dinner on a patio, soaking in the last warmth of new england sun before the chill of winter sets in. we are giggling and trying to talk through plastic vampire teeth. at another table, i see a young woman sit up straighter. i watch her watch us. she blushes and takes her partner's hand from across the table. shy, like the taste of evening has just become something deeper.

it's worth it for this moment, i think. my lover is still humming the same song she's been singing for four days straight and i don't want to kill her for it. her guitar is beside my bed. her toothbrush is in my bathroom. in a few moments i will make us lunch. we are lucky enough to have found each other. it is lucky enough to be in love.

[dirtytransmasc]

the men and boys are innocent too.

we cry "the innocent women and children" to appeal to the masses, to try and force their sympathy, but the men and boys are innocent too.

I have seen sons crying out for their mothers, their fathers, their siblings. I have seen them break down at the loss of their families. I have seen them cling to their dead and grieve.

I have seen fathers cradle their dead children, seen them kiss their faces and hold their little hands. I have seen them faint with grief when asked to identify the dead. I have seen them carry their sons and daughters. I have seen them fasting to provide what little they can for their families.

I have seen men and boys digging through the rubble with just their bare hands, I have seen them comforting strangers, playing with children, rocking them, hushing them, even if the face of such imminent danger. I have seen them cry, seen them grieve, seen them break down into each other's arms, seen them be selfless, beyond selfless, becoming something I don't have a word for.

I have seen the men who are doctors refuse to leave their patients, even when they have no medicine or supplies to give them, even when they're threatened with bombings. I have seen fathers who have lost all their children pick orphans up into their arms and proclaim them their child so they are not alone. I have seen men and boys digging pets out of the rubble.

the men are innocent too. the men and boys are being hurt and killed too. the men and boys are grieving too. the men and boys are scared too. the men and boys are fighting to save their people too. the men and boys deserve to be fought for too.

[jinxarchive]

Zaun's royalty

[wolfythewitch]

OCs based on my birds

[perfectlyripeclementine]

calling my lover "mine" but not in the way that my toothbrush or notebook are mine, mine in the way my neighborhood is mine, and also everybody else's, "mine" like mine to tend to, mine to care for, mine to love. "mine" not like possession but devotion.

[sabertoothwalrus]

UHMMMMM what if T4T labru

[foolsocracy]

identity reveals are always fun

[lichrott]

[pangur-and-grim]

I’m too gullible with people. I’ll have encounters and be like “aw they seemed nice ☺️” and then everyone around me will be like NONONONONO THAT WAS THE DEVIL!!!!!!!

[me-beef]

@strangeravatar made a great point

i was gonna focus on the spike-hotboxing-celestia aspect but i got distracted somewhere along the way and i think i forgot what joke i was trying to make

but dont you think its interesting how many guards of the exact same color/body type she's managed to accrue?? i do

ooohh you want to go look at our stickers so bad

[talaricula]

Things I've seen tumblr memeing about James Somerton doing à la "How did no one see how bigoted he was!" as if those things haven't been a significant part of tumblr culture for over a decade :

Presenting untrue and bordering on conspiratorial versions of (queer or otherwise marginalised) history without any sources

Completely disregarding and disrespecting any expertise on socio-cultural topics/humanities and distrusting academics and historians (incl. acting as if no academics or historians could be queer or marginalised)

Downplaying the role misogyny played in the historical oppression of queer women and concluding that queer men must have been more oppressed than queer women

Bi women are, at best, not as queer as "real" queer ppl, and at worst, simply equivalent to straight women

Despite nominal trans inclusivity, transmasculine ppl are functionally women when convenient (combined with the above, bi transmascs are functionally straight women)

Despite nominal trans inclusivity (bis), shamelessly attacking, threatening and actively endangering any trans woman who questions them or smth they find important (often by unfairly presenting her as violent or as a threat)

Having absolutely fucking wild and reductive takes about ace ppl, the oppression they face and their place in the queer community

Stating that marriage equality is an assimilationist fight while completely ignoring its direct roots in the horrifying consequences of the AIDS crisis for partners of ppl who died of AIDS

Praising western media creators from the past for queer coding even under censure and in the same breath condemning current non western media creators for being homophobic bc their representation isn't explicit enough

Blaming China for all existing homophobic censoring in western media

Assuming all queer media would be better told by western creators and by western standards

Only out queer ppl get to tell queer stories

Heavily criticising almost all queer media created by women or ppl they see as such (see above points about trans ppl) or involving/starring a significant amount of women for any perceived or real amount of "problematicness", but fawning over and praising and negating criticism of queer media created by and starring mostly or even functionally exclusively men (even when it could be argued that, you know, not involving/seriously sidelining women is a pretty clear example of misogyny which should probably be considered "problematic")

And I'm probably forgetting stuff or there's stuff I have internalised myself and don't recognise as an issue

Like idk but I feel like the takeaway from Hbomberguy and Toddintheshadow's videos should maybe be "be aware of such patterns in your communities bc they definitely exist" and not "this guy is uniquely awful" and I feel like a lot of the discussion I've seen surrounding this has been severely failing at that. Most ppl who've spent any significant amount of time on tumblr prob either have internalised at least one of those thought patterns, have had to de-internalise them, or have had to be extremely vigilant to not internalise them (which is done by, you know, seeking out other sources, which also seemed like an important takeaway from the videos)

[mddxmri]

quack