yall i just KEEP doing back to mizu and taigen's wrestling scene in master eiji's forge and like i know that taigen literally got a boner from it BUT THE THING IS out of all the scenes these two have together, this scene actually has the least sexual tension ?!? cuz like the boner aside, this scene is actually very soft and emotions-driven rather than pure passion or lust.
arguably, a more passionate and sexually-charged scene would be their previous brawl in the snow with the chopsticks, which is tense and angry and also the scene that mizu thinks about when madame kaji talks about being honest with one's innermost desires.
but THIS scene in the forge? warm colours. their laughter and their smiles that both equally genuine. the WAY taigen looks at mizu in that scene, staring first at her lips, her smile, then looking into her eyes. and you can see by the framing of the scene and the look on his face that he is, for the first time, seeing her eyes as something beautiful rather than off-putting or frightening.
like before this point he's already come to not only respect mizu as a person and an equal but also admires her as an incredible swordsman and as someone who is kind and honourable* for having saved his life at the expense of her revenge quest. so as of the time of them tussling in the forge, taigen has already put aside his prejudices about mizu's blue eyes and no longer finds them as any cause for disgust. but in this scene he's not just indifferent about her eyes, but attracted too it.
and i'd also like to argue that his boner is not from the physical exertion or the act of wrestling itself, but from the intimacy of a playful spar, enjoying each other's easy company after having established a deep trust with each other (taigen endured torture for mizu and helped defend her from archers in the chasm while mizu saved his life from fowler's castle)
and all this while in the safety of mizu's childhood home while both of them are still recovering from near-death, amplifying their vulnerability with each other.
like when was the last time mizu cracked a genuine smile, let alone a laugh that's more than a little wry chuckle?? and for this to happen at such a low point in her life also speaks to the comfort this little friendly spar gives her.
because like, this is after she failed her mission to kill fowler. meanwhile her sword--the embodiment of her soul--is broken, and ringo who is her closest confidant is now angry at her and barely even looks at her. it just further lends to the inherent tenderness and intimacy in this scene. and i just. AHHHH i love them your honour....
* ALSO as a side note about taigen believing mizu to be honourable: he later realises that this assumption turns out to be quite false when she reveals that she'd not only allowed akemi to be taken away against her will but also has said nothing about fowler's impending attack on edo.
also i find it very interesting that out of the two revelations, taigen is less angered by mizu letting akemi being married off (he sighs angrily and marches off saying he has to go to edo to find akemi), but much more angered by mizu's refusal to save the shogun and the shogunate as a whole.
this is more proof that taigen's central principles are firmly rooted in the bushido and the concept of honour that comes with that. it's why he lashes out at mizu. because he'd believed mizu to be honourable and righteous, but was proven wrong. that's not to say that taigen is in the right for calling mizu a demon, not by any means. but i just find it a very interesting part of his character and it relates to his relationship and perception of mizu
also while rewatching the episode i found this very funny they just lyin there in the cart like this 🧍🏽♂️🧍🏽♂️
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[ID: Digital art of Jon Sims from TMA, in childhood, season one, and season five. First, he is shown as a young boy with glasses and dark, curly hair, around which tendrils of spider silk from the background are wrapped. He is looking up towards the viewer with an apprehensive expression. Text above his head, woven into a spiderweb, says “thesis”. Next, Jon is shown in season one, with slightly greying and receding hair, and different glasses. He is looking into the middle distance, one eyebrow raised. Text written into the magnetic tape that swirls around him says “antithesis”. Lastly, Jon is shown at some point in season five: his curly hair is now long and silver, floating supernaturally around him as his eyes glow vivid red. His mouth hangs open slightly, and one lens of his glasses is shattered in a way that resembles a spiderweb. Written into his hair, which fades into the magnetic tape and spider silk that curls around all three iterations, is the word “synthesis”. End ID.]
thought too hard about jon again incident
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wait wild thought but xiao in a siren au like my childe au... like xiao is a siren whose god and contractor and reason for living just recently died, and you're a simple villager who lives on your own a little away from a village and close to the sea. he's hesitant to interact much with a human because of the cursed weight of all the lives he's taken, but something something and eventually gets attached to you—he's been living as a weapon for so long that he doesn't know how to cope with not having someone to serve, in some way, and all he knows is how to follow and live by orders and he can't help the way he starts seeing the one person who treats him like an equal as his new reason for living. he starts offering you blessed charms that'll protect you, he goes from showing up occasionally to waiting in the area in case you want to see him, then you notice he's taking anything you say as an order, and then he trades in his tail for human legs to ensure he can properly protect you, so he doesn't have to lose someone he holds dear again. he's so used to suffering with no comfort—the pain he feels every time he takes a step is of no consequence. it doesn't even matter to him that he's abandoning his post and duty. maybe the curse is finally starting to corrupt his mind too? he can't bring himself to care anymore, not when all that matters is you.
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Heehee it’s Idia day today hbd idia, now put on the maid dress.
(Im glad I managed to draw a little something and tbh its a coincidence that i finished it on Idia’s bday but hey that’s nice ! the last few weeks have been busy and I didnt have much time to draw I was going insane tbh )
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