#as faithful an adaptation as it is it also feels way too smoothed out and compressed for public consumption. | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

batsplat · 4 months ago

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#this is all incredible cowardice btw obviously i've ranked all the aliens in my notes by basically every imaginable metric#from qualifying to starts to w2w to mixed conditions to wet weather prowess etc etc etc. like i do also do it i just don't stand by it

i would LOVE to hear your rankings if you are willing to share...

sign of faith I'm posting this. please feel free to send me counter-arguments and disagreements but keep it sensible. this is not supposed to be serious, I just enjoy treating athletes like pokemon and love doing a sports discourse, but I'm not making any judgement over how I'd rank these guys overall. also, I've already said how I think basically all of these things are impossible to judge given timeline + machinery differences. it's really not that serious, this is really just an excuse to make radar charts, aka the coolest things to exist

also, obviously these categories are extremely fake and made up. please make alternative suggestions!! the two ones that I would have liked to include but couldn't really figure out how to put numbers to are 'tyre management' and 'adaptability'. with tyre management... that's a broad category and the one where era differences + bike factors really punch you in the face. like, for instance if I were doing this for dovi (which I'm not), by any reasonable standard that's such a massive strength for him - but then how do you account for his 2020 decline being so much about a tyre switch? how about jorge, who was the tyre preservation bloke, mr metronome himself, and then went to ducati and spent like, 1.3 years just darting to the lead early and slowly dropping back? what about valentino, who was seen as the absolute master of riding well once the grip levels were fucked at the end of the race, but then he too eventually got caught out by successive michelin tyre changes when he was like 108 years old? if you look at a lot of these riders' competitive decline, you do end up tracing it back to like... michelin... *shakes fist* but no it literally is about them no longer being able to make the tyres work for them for xyz reason, like that's typically the nail in the coffin, if you will. but obviously it would also feel weird to penalise someone for successfully adapting to one generation of tyres after the next until eventually no longer managing to when they're about 249 years old, y'know? also, tyre management does feel like you need to differentiate more if you're tackling it - like for instance one of dani's big strengths is the lack of tyre wear, plus similarly you have jorge's super smooth riding. whereas with valentino, casey and marc, I'm not saying they're all murdering their tyres, but their real big strength where tyres are concerned is that once the tyres are shredded and the grip is completely fucked, they're still able to be silly good in that situation. like, check out valentino's catalunya record, tyre killer track extraordinaire - you really see how good he is with this stuff in 2004 when he's more on the limit and he looks less in control than he generally does (a bit more like those other two actually). with casey, literally nobody needs me to reiterate the bonkers levels of raw talent he has, it's also not a coincidence he's the only one who's actually managed to beat valentino in one of said 1 vs 1 catalunya battles, the dirt biking thing, the insane natural sensitivity he has to grip levels. ditto with marc (minus beating valentino at catalunya), there's a reason why he's the mixed conditions goat, check out what he's been able to do late in races this year. so, sure, I could try and put numbers on 'tyre management' but.... I'd really struggle to rank them, like this may shock you but managing tyres is kinda important and it does feel the equivalent to having a category asking how 'fast' they are. they're all very good at it!! if in different ways

adaptability... yeah, look, ideally I would like some metric that considers the manufacturer switches + ability to override a poor package. but first of all, there's an obvious sample size issue, and second of all it's just TOO context-dependent. like, yes, brownie points to valentino for the yamaha switch - but how do we compare his failure to adapt to the ducati vs casey? on the one hand, obviously completely different levels of success on that bike. on the other hand, valentino by time of this switch was over thirty and casey when he joined that team was like, a child, with not that much experience of motogp - more of a raw talent who could mould himself to the needs of the bike. also, if you use hayden's results as a rough baseline, you kinda have to say the ducati was worse in 2011, and then if you dig into the numbers you do probably go 'yeah casey would've done better but not THAT much better'? like, he would've won races, not titles. I don't have a number for that from 1-10 either. dani never switched manufacturer, the honda was eventually developed away from him but *squints at the other side of the garage* he was also the only alien who had to deal with a teammate actively attempting to make the bike less rideable for him. jorge's switch to ducati is a bit. well. obviously it's not actually great that his final standings in those years are broadly in line with valentino on,,,, a WAY worse ducati a few years earlier. he gets bailed out a little bit by the three race wins in 2018 lol, dovi does have a littleeeee bit of a point that this man was not signed to win three races. but! he did click with that bike! I'm not sure I entirely buy his line of 'oh I would have won the 2020 title on a ducati' because, with all love, it's a very jorge thing to say and I'm also a bit? well before 2020 if you'd told me that marc gets injured in the first race of the season and someone else is gonna win the title, and then held a gun to my head and told me to predict who was gonna win the title in his absence, I guess I would have gone 'dovi or MAYBE fabio'. ducati wasn't in a super happy place in 2020, the tyres were funky, that could have affected jorge too!! we don't know!! I think it's absolutely a plausible counterfactual but I also haven't seen a convincing case for why the things that caught out dovi wouldn't have caught out dovi too, like come on. anyway, marc gets brownie points for this ducati adaptation, casey gets brownie points for the honda adaptation. honestly, just vibes based I do kinda think of casey as like, the most adaptable rider ever. I maybe rate valentino a bit higher in terms of getting the bike to where he needs it, and also obviously being adaptable - he has the longevity and multiple major riding style changes going for him. also marc is insanely good, and he rode the unrideable honda to places where it should NOT be ridden. it's those three in a cluster, probablyyy casey first, followed by marc then valentino, and then the other two aliens

also quite frankly I'd like to have something to do with bike development, but that's so hard to judge from the outside? obviously, valentino does have a very clear claim to fame here, and the yamaha gig is still... well, that's got to be the biggest impact a rider has had on a manufacturer this century. the other contender is casey at ducati, but the thing is he did basically bag them a title by being the only bloke who could win there, then they got super complacent, bike got worse and he fucked off. now, I'm not saying casey hurt ducati's development because of course that would be silly and unfair, but there is obviously a good half decade between him leaving that project and anyone else being able to consistently do something useful with that piece of shit. (obviously valentino also did not manage to make much short-term change at ducati so maybe we should just be blaming ducati here, but equally obviously the rider who made the single biggest individual difference into making that thing rideable isn't any of these guys but is instead andrea dovizioso lol.) as outsiders, we really can't meaningfully know how much these guys are making a difference behind the scene, all we have are vibes and rumours and surface level results... like basically if I had to rank them I'd probably give valentino the nod just because the yamaha thing deserves a nod, then kinda? idk casey + dani clearly did make an insanely good bike at honda and they should get some of the credit for kinda rescuing honda from its post-2006 slump. I think maybe dani goes second, like I know some have said he's a less useful development rider because he's too short (part of why honda didn't use him as a test rider, as well as obviously *gestures* the puig thing) and thus harder to compare to other riders.... BUT there's pretty universal praise for his work at ktm, and casey's post-motogp stints I don't think you can really say the same. with jorge... idk it's tricky, I remember reading that the vibe from valentino's team in 2013 was kinda 'well this bike is still... the exact same as it was two years ago...?' but obviously those guys also aren't neutrals. and they weren't even saying that in a negative way, there's a bit of an element of if it ain't broke don't fix it given jorge had just won the 2012 title. plus, especially in their second stint as teammates, I get the sense they were always broadly on the same page in terms of feedback? and if anything, yamaha's current malaise can partly be traced back to them not listening to shit they were being told by JORGE (+ valentino at the same time) like this is years and years back... so yeah those three are all in a blob. then comes marc, which. okay sure, super talented so can ride around everything etc etc, he's not the main reason for why honda sucks now, etc etc. but I'm sorry, you do just get marked down on this category if you sabotage bike development to fuck with your teammate. like I respect it, love you for it, but you are getting marked down here. there is no way you can get around this

then there's even more nebulous categories like 'mentality' or 'mind games' or whatever, but how even are you gonna rate this. with perhaps the sole exception of dani, all these other guys have exhibited some spectacular instances of head loss over the courses of their career. but then again with dani, you're probably also not going to point to mentality make the difference as much in a positive sense - like it's good to be even-tempered, but the highs also aren't as high in that regard. you have stuff like mental resilience, ability to bounce back from tough results... and again. I don't know. I don't feel comfortable putting a number on some of these. like say we took casey, then surely I'd have to mark him down for what happened post laguna in 2008 (and yes, I know he wouldn't agree with me on this, yes, I know there are mitigating circumstances, but it is a bit glaring). but then you look at how he got through 2009 and actually eventually got himself to the place where he won another title. how marc bounced back after 2015. whatever tf valentino did after qatar 2004. the 2009 bounce back after le mans/mugello... the 2003 arc and all that. for all of them, various criticisms in the media, hate campaigns from fans etc etc. like idk I don't have a number from 1-10 here. plus, any metric kinda has to have a clear good pole and a clear bad pole if you're putting numbers on that, and with something like mind games you can go either way on whether you think they're good or not? basically, I think we should lock casey and valentino into a room and get them to discuss this. I will provide a piece of paper with talking points and only let them out when I feel like they've had it out to an adequate extent. they're all mentally strong, love them all, let's leave it at that

wow! yay! these are all metrics I didn't even include! aren't you glad you clicked on this read more! there's so much to come after this!

let's get to metrics I did actually include: qualifying, starts, reliability, flexibility, mixed, wet, overtaking ability, defensive ability, cunning, strategy/work process. again, there were a few where I was like.... should there be some kinda basic metric for 'underlying pace' or 'raw talent' (both of which you kinda gesture in the casey + marc direction) but I'm somebody who's very outcome-focused. when you're rating things, you should sometimes just focus on the shit you can actually see. 'talent' is fake, give me results. but this does mean that... obviously not all of these metrics are of equal importance. like, qualifying is more important than how you are in the wet!! and yes, again, there's a million caveats here in terms of era and different bike characteristics and all that shit. even 'effort levels' - valentino's starts generally got better when he moved to yamaha (they were truly abysmal before that), which you can maybe attribute to the yamaha bike being better off the line (not much evidence for this from other riders who made switches back-and-forth around the same time iirc), or you can also attribute it to valentino knowing he couldn't afford quite as much faffing about on a worse bike. again, there's so so many caveats here. also, I found marc and casey REALLY hard to judge because like? it's so much harder if you haven't been able to see them line up next to each other to figure out how they compare? sure, you can use general metrics, you can check how they compare against the same group of riders, but... yeah, idk, for a lot of these categories when I was figuring out who to give a 9 or 10 out of those two I did a sort of *shrug*. I think one of these two I probably did dirty but I'm not sure which one. maybe I did everyone dirty. or maybe they all suck

so. let's go through them

1. qualifying

stuff I considered: outright qualifying performance both in terms of number of poles and average grid position, strength of qualifying opposition, h2h comparisons, adaptability to changing conditions

okay, so, I started with the most basic measure possible and looked at the pole numbers in the premier class as a percentage of number of race starts (and I've even updated the numbers for marc, that's how thorough I am hehe) (I just realised there's a problem here actually for casey because he got pole in valencia 2009 but didn't start the race due to a crash in the warm-up lap, which... well I don't want to take his pole away from him but I'm assuming the race start wasn't included? look, who gives a shit, I've kept the pole)

I also ran these numbers again just by... trimming down the number of seasons and limiting it to the 'competitive' ones, aka one where the finished top five in the championship standings. I'm aware this is super arbitrary, but I'm also not sure if we're really gaining much from including jorge's 2019 or valentino's 2021 or marc's 2023, when for instance you don't have those kinds of dud seasons for casey (though his rookie season did get cut). like, this is just a rough way of not punishing longevity and injuries and bad vibes, who knows what casey's qualifying would have looked like at age 382

doesn't actually change the order, which is nice. still think it's a better reflection of their actual qualifying chops

let's get the obvious out of the way - if you are getting almost 50% pole positions in your competitive seasons, I don't care how good your bike is or the era or whatever else, you are obviously an obscenely good qualifier. like, marc's qualifying numbers make you want to bust out the 12/10's. those are silly numbers that honestly you don't really need to add much too - sure, we can also dive into his average grid positions etc but like. they're all super high. idk what to tell you. marc has the average highest grid position every single year 2013 to 2019, enough said. I think casey over the course of his career was on slightly worse bikes on average than prime!marc, and also he was facing aliens in their prime or late prime literally every year which... yeah, maybe you do want to make a bit of an adjustment for that. like, marc's closest competition on paper in 2017-19 was dovi, who is very much not a gifted qualifier. but marc also got THIRTEEN POLES in 2014!! I know the honda was the best bike on the grid, but not by that much, and dani's hardly a slouch! idk I feel pretty happy with just giving marc the top spot here and letting casey slot into second. like, at a certain point the numbers you're staring at just sort of bludgeon you in the face, and you also have visions of cota 2015 and brno 2019 playing around in your head in a loop

THAT BEING SAID. there is one major caveat we do have to address: in 2013, the entire qualifying system was changed to introduce these 15 minute time slots. this whole q1 and q2 business is a relatively recent invention. now, this is pure speculation, but I think this format would have suited casey 'mr friday' stoner very very well. one of his big strengths was always like, being fast immediately, getting used to what the track was like with zero adaptation process and just putting down a super fast lap at the first attempt. he would have done great here!! also, I think the numbers of some of his opponents might have taken a bit of a dip and... yeah, look, obviously I'm really just talking about valentino here, who hated the new format and never got on particularly well with it. (serious argument to be made that if they hadn't switched the system, he would've taken the 2015 title - like obviously you get into weird butterfly effect territory with that kind of thing but ceteris paribus that will have absolutely cost him more than five points over the course of a full season.) he got better for a while in 2016.... but anyway during the early bits of the alien era, valentino was often qualifying like, really well when you compare it to his mid reputation. and maybe casey would've been able to beat him more under that system. probably

still, overall. idk man. almost 50% pole positions in his prime. obscene. giving it to marc

jorge is a lonely third in this metric. I feel fine with that? like, he's clearly very good, he was very good in his prime, that's how he won the 2015 title (though he did actually have a slightly worse grid position than marc that season, but crucially a lot better than valentino), he's gotten a lot of poles... but also his relative lack of flexibility hurts him here too, like he's not doing a brno 2019 is he. jorge kinda needs everything to be just right to get out the metronome, and that's also reflected in qualifying - he's more likely to be caught out by something being a bit off than either marc or casey. super fast over one lap, clearly insane underlying pace, what can you say

it's on the other end of the spectrum that I ran into my biggest headache, because...? honestly, I was a little bit surprised at valentino having the slight edge in the percentages, either way you measure them. dani has a bit more of a qualifying-centred reputation, whereas with valentino it's a bit... well, people do think he's very good at everything, and if you're looking for flaws in his game then that's one of the big things that jumps out. also, I do reckon there's a fair bit of recency bias at play here - a lot of fans only remember post-prime valentino, where format change this format change that he had just lost his edge over a single lap. some of this is also natural age-based decline? it does seem to be a thing in motorsports that saturday performances can go off before sunday performances, so it is a bit of an issue if everyone's just going 'okay but he was seventh every single week' when he too has racked up some impressive numbers over the course of his career. which isn't just longevity! you don't just longevity your way into 55 pole positions. on the other hand, you look at his honda prime and given the bike he was on, you do kinda go 'okay but I feel like you could've done a bit better here'. like, what are you doing being tied with biaggi on the yamaha in terms of average grid position in 2002... come on. come on. again, there's a teensy bit of an effort question here - I'm not suggesting valentino fluffed his qualifying on purpose to make his sundays more interesting, but I do think he does... you know, just performs differently when he knows he needs to do so. he's getting five pole positions on that 2004 yamaha... like he's clearly not a slouch

I actually think the best way you can make the pro-valentino qualifying argument is probably just by looking at the years when pretty good versions of the aliens were competing against each other on pretty competitive bikes? which is 2007 to 2009 - of course, that's gonna look fairly kind to valentino because he won the titles for two out of three years, but it's a good way to check our priors here and see whether valentino could theoretically keep pace with his fellow aliens. here's the average grid positions:

valentino got seven poles in 2009. idk, best bike, casey missed a few races, but at least against jorge it's a direct h2h (giving jorge a pass for his rookie season, but jorge's not becoming a significantly better qualifier after his sophomore season). like clearly he's fast

and after saying all of that, I ranked him last after dani!! yeah, look. I think it's marginal to me, and maybe this is partly my own bias because I've always thought of dani as a very good qualifier and have ragged on valentino for being mid literal hundreds of times. maybe it's also being swayed by the young talent factor - did you know valentino is the only alien who did not get a pole in his rookie season? these are the youngest pole sitter rankings for the premier class:

yeah, idk. I don't love this argument for philosophical reasons... but also it's kinda fine, it was obviously more important in dani's game than it was in valentino's. the percentages are close enough you can make the argument either way, but what sways me more than anything else is the competitive spread argument. like, all of dani's poles came with one of casey or marc in the field. several of prime valentino's opponents were really good qualifiers, sete in particular did out-qualify valentino over the course of whole seasons, but I'm not gonna make the case they were casey/marc good qualifiers. that's the deciding factor, congrats dani

2. starts

stuff I considered: speed off the line, consistency in starting ability, likelihood of getting holeshot, ability to get to the front from second/third row, wow factor starts from lower down the field

I was debating whether to put dani or casey first here, and I think you can make the argument for either. like, it is very hard to match dani, but I do also remember those kinda... later years, where he was still pretty competitive and winning races and all that but wasn't a rocket off the line in the same way any more, and it was one of those 'is it him or the tyres or the honda' thing. the whole problem with casey is that he retired so early so it's kinda... I mean, he may have had any of these issues too, we just don't know! unfair comparison. but well, I can at least judge the two of them competing, including on equal machinery and... man, dani and the holeshot, name a better love story. silly good. what I think is also important is... sometimes dani gets judged a bit for lack of flexibility in terms of figuring out how to get overtakes done in particular, but I can sort of picture a highlight reel of dani shooting off the line and picking his way through the field to still get the holeshot? like when he was good at this, he was so good - this is a category where the peak sways me I reckon

casey and jorge I'm also fairly content ranking in that order. jorge had to become a better starter, and while he did get very good at it and had so so many races where he just led off the start and then disappeared... idk, in terms of blistering raw speed off the line I still think casey edges him out. jorge does get brownie points for some of his ducati starts, bit more muscling his way through the field before burning out his tyres and falling back. sorry jorge. but yeah nah I'm fine with this order, casey did have the occasional stinker but also I'm blaming that on the ducati.... also jorge automatically loses the tiebreaker just because I remember that COMICAL 2014 cota jump start. then we get to marc and valentino, in that order. starts were a real flaw in marc's game early in his time in the premier class, even in his super dominant 2014, and while it did get better... like, y'know, he was never awful at them, but it also generally speaking wasn't ever one of his big strengths. valentino was 'running gag level of bad' at starting, like basically in his prime wherever he qualified, he was reliably seventh after a few corners. again, this is probably also exaggerated a bit... but also, we're operating at a high level here, somebody has to be at the bottom of the pile, and you cannot make an argument for anyone other than valentino. nobody's saying he's maverick vinales-level bad, but he's clearly no dani pedrosa. as mentioned above, he did get better at his starts when he switched to yamaha, so some of that prime honda stuff was also just him faffing about, and post-prime he really did have some great starts to make up for his poor qualifying but. y'know. balance of the career

which brings us to.... okay, one thing we do obviously have to quickly mention is that both marc and valentino have made some of those 'wow what the fuck' starts from poor qualifying positions. like, I've been insulting valentino a lot in this bit of the post, but qatar 2004 remains some very cool shit. objectively. (I mean the start he made from the back of the grid, not him cursing to sete. obviously. I wouldn't do the other thing.) marc... yeah, look, we've all seen the starts he's been making from pee fifty million this year. the... le mans sprint start, I believe? is still comically cool. doesn't save their positions in this ranking because you don't get that many points for three good starts out of three thousand, but still. did slap. plus, it does showcase they're very good at the bits where you have to like, spot gaps and dart through them, and obviously neither of them have ever been opposed to bit of muscling their ways through the field. they are very good!! still more sluggish off the line than the other three

3. reliability

stuff I considered: conversion rate on executing achievable results, number of unforced errors (anything that isn't 'strategy' like tyre choice or flag to flag handling), crashes - in particular costly ones

gahhhhhh I HATE this metric. I kinda needed a 'how often are you gonna throw away races while leading them' thing, which, to be clear, none of these blokes have done an awful lot of. but it's kinda... look, are you actually converting your maximum achievable results? what's the crash rate looking like? how many unforced errors are you making? and then I started changing my mind several different times because unsurprisingly, I can think of a lot of plenty of errors for all of them that are kinda egregious. like, that's how racing works! also this is a way less 'clean' metric than the two before that, because inevitably you're kinda overlapping with a lot of different categories. like, take making errors in the wet - obviously, that's what you do when you're not a good wet weather racer, but you don't suddenly get a free pass on mistakes just because it's raining. is this a metric that you limit to 'competitive' seasons? inherently, I am biased towards thinking a mistake is 'worse' when there's a lot at stake, but arguably that's something that should be included in the more cerebral categories and all errors should be treated equally. which I don't!! I think it very much matters being reliable under pressure. my last issue was the overlap with the 'flexibility' category because it's kinda... there's one or two riders who have a bit of a tendency to have Perfect Weekends when everything's going well, and then have poorer rides when they're just not quite feeling it. which is mostly covered under flexibility, but surely some of this stuff does also make you unreliable!!

again, they do obviously all have their errors... I think I probably penalise riders a little more severely for crashing out of the lead, which yes, all of them have done. now, I might be missing something obvious, but I think valentino only ever did so twice? donington 2009, which was in the wet (not an excuse!! he did also finish fifth, which, fair play I suppose), and sepang 2018, where he was *gestures* very old. marc... my issue with marc is that obviously he's managed to match that this year but both of those did have mitigating circumstances? his 2019 cota crash I also think had... something else going on. of course you do also have his phillip island crashes, 2014 and 2016 (I've said it before and I've said it again, prime!marc's phillip island record is incredibly funny when you think about it). then 2014 he's also got aragon, which was more about a poor decision to not switch tyres but like, crash is a crash, and argentina 2017. which is like... you know, given how he rides and how many races he was leading, it's not terrible. also I think this is a bit more dubious with early season races because you don't know what might end up costing you, but none of these were particularly important in title fight terms (argentina 2017 could have been!) so. dani... well, he's got sachsenring 2008, which was kinda terrible because he was genuinely seven seconds in the lead, but also it's raining? idk crucially it did basically cost him any hope of fighting for the title, lost the championship lead and bagged himself a wrist injury (which, of course, is also just poor luck - we do not have a sturdiness category). laguna 2010 also isn't great, especially given it just helped jorge run away with the title even more. dani also crashed from the lead at indy 2009, plus brno 2011. jorge ALSO crashed out of the lead at donington 2009 (truly, one of those days), plus brno 2009 (not great at that point in the title fight!!), plus valencia 2012 (I mean, last race of the season, also kinda a weird one since he was lapping someone), plus qatar 2014, and misano 2017. casey crashes out of the lead at... well, back to back races post-laguna 2008, brno and misano, which admittedly apart from anything else isn't great optics. I think the only other time he does it is qatar 2010? which. yeah. not ideal

okay, look, this sample size is so small I don't think you gain much from doing percentages per competitive season or whatever. on the balance of the available evidence, you do have to say that valentino only binning it twice out of the lead is pretty impressive, given he raced for like. fifty million years. and won a lot of races, so by definition gave himself a lot of chances to crash. like, it'd be lovely to have a statistic for 'number of laps led', or even better a spreadsheet with all the numbers for when riders are in certain positions, and then also numbers for how many times they crash out of every position so we could do like. some proper maths on this shit. unfortunately we can't! and it'd still only give us an incomplete picture, because again you do have stuff like 'well marc has ridden some kinda evil bikes' and 'how do we assess wet races' and 'how much pressure were they under in each situation' to assess. I still like it as a rough indicator! I suppose I've been thinking about the concept of 'crashing out of the lead of motogp races' rather a lot these last few years... impossible to guess why that is

also, those aren't the only types of unforced errors to exist. like, marc's not crashing out of the lead in 2015, but *gestures* that season is unforced error central. I also put jorge's weird helmet visor shit in this category, because fundamentally part of reliability is about not putting yourself in a position where dumb shit happens to you. and that could have really cost him!! crash rates in general - again, I don't love just giving raw numbers here. there's some specific series of mistakes that really jump out at you... an obvious one is valencia 2006, and it's also in that weird cota 2019 category of 'right I think there may have been something funky going on with the equipment but also you are calling this an 'error' so I shall call it that'. fight me casey stoner, I guess. there's other late championship errors that are. not great. like jorge phillip island 2009 or dani phillip island 2012. with casey, it's a bit 'eh' because he never was still in a title fight particularly late in a season? like, again, the 'two out of the only three crashes out of the lead in your whole career happened at the height of the title fight in 2008' is one of those things that's always going to raise an eyebrow, and did essentially end the title fight before they even got to the late stage but... yeah, idk, we're lacking in casey's sample size here. you can also look at title decider performance for three of them, and while we can get into the ins and outs of what valentino/marc got up to - never mind all that, you have two absolutely flawless performances from jorge sitting right there

when it comes to crash rate in general, valentino's in quite a happy spot again? I mean, his record in his prime certainly is silly good: three crashes in his rookie season, two right at the start, which, vale gets a little bit of 'the 500cc's were evil' bonus.... after that! one crash in 2001, zero in 2002 (the dnf is mechanical), zero in 2003 (no race off the podium), two in 2004, one in 2005 (that one was a howler mind u), two in 2006 (one he got barrelled into at the first corner and remounted, the other was as best we know an unforced error - but the three dnf's are all mechanical), one in 2007 (two mechanical dnf's), one in 2008 (remounted and finished 11th), three in 2009 (I mean he crashed like fifty times in le mans, then in donington he crashed in the wet and finished fifth which... good salvage work, plus indy which was genuinely dumb as shit). like, again, if we're specifically considering each of the aliens' respective 'primes', that record's hard to argue with. but then again, am I going to penalise casey too much for all his race crashes in 2010, given that valentino can also attest to that bike being, well, shit? also, brownie points of some kind to marc specifically for 2019, given we know what a nightmare that honda was and he only dnf's the one time. also, his 2016!! it's less spectacular in a way but that's a season that's so much about reliability - like so many marc titles are won on the principle of 'show up, don't crash, don't slum it in p13 every other week, win some races'. jorge is mostly fine - I don't want to penalise him too much for his rookie season though I do a bit more 2009, and then post-yamaha it was all a bit. eh. dani's issue is that he didn't crash that much but I swear every time he did, it felt super costly for some reason or another? which is also just bad luck, but

again, there's some stretches you do kinda maybe give a little bit of added weight. for casey, you do kinda have to mention 2012: he was tied on points with jorge leading into sachsenring, was clearly way too much on the edge fighting with dani, really should have settled for second and… binned it. right before the end. I get he's a 'I look at wins and the championships will follow naturally' type guy, but that inherently means he's gonna get a knock in this category. and then he had a mess of a mugello race right after, just multiple unforced errors and almost barrelled over poor bautista and… idk, we don't really talk about it much any more because he injured himself at indy and was definitively taken out of the title fight - but I still reckon the honda was probably on balance the strongest bike that year, and it was kinda his own errors that cost him there. for marc, nobody on this planet needs me to relitigate 2015, but yeah, 2015

also, yes, you can sort of bring in the ugly years for all of them minus casey (who had a very ugly rookie season but we'll give it a pass, and apart from that his ugliest season was 2010 - he didn't stick around long enough for comparable experiences to the others)... jorge skittling the field at catalunya 2019, quite a few dani misadventures... we can talk about valentino's ducati stint and that wet weather collision with casey that prompted the 'ambition outweighed talent' thing, we can talk about marc's silverstone 2021 barrelling into jorge or that aragon 2022 first lap or... whatever the fuck he was doing at portimao last year. clearly, when those two specifically know they're not in the title hunt, when they've been frustrated and annoyed and are hungry for success, their decision-making skills can take a serious hit, but also... okay, look, I'm not saying that injuring other riders like marc in particular did suddenly becomes okay when you're not fighting for a title, but a) clearly they were both riding bikes that were very easy to crash (I mean, again, look at casey's early 2010 crash rate), and b) for better or for worse, they're not doing that shit if they know they're fighting for a title (isolated and glaring cases of head loss for the pair of them set aside). listen, I'm deciding the rules, set aside the whole morality thing - I just care more about mistakes when they have bigger competitive ramifications

so. I do think valentino has to go first in this category and yes, we can get into the whole 'well the yamaha is very rideable thing' but also he did help make it that way so. y'know. at a certain point you just have to look at the headline numbers. he didn't crash a lot, he showed up, he generally maximised the results he could get. there's like, two or three major stains in his record, but then you also think about how he was saving his title bids with sachsenring 2016 type deals where he was working his way to the win from tenth and holding off three ferocious hondas right at the end... like, given how risky a lot of his riding inherently was, you have to say the unforced error count is low. see also laguna 2008 or motegi 2010 type shit, like not making mistakes when deliberately roughing up opponents isn't, y'know, the most morally 'good' way to approach racing but. still. he was constantly putting himself in risky race positions by dint of being such an ass qualifier/starter and his numbers are still like that. I rest my case. and, okay, I'm gonna be a wee bit controversial here and put mr crasquez in second. I don't know, maybe I'm just rewarding 'flexibility' here too and just being swayed too much by how consistently there he was in his prime but, I don't care. part of it is also the valentino situation of 'wow it really feels like you should be crashing more' (in races, I don't feel in general marc should be crashing more funnily enough), and it's also just the 2016 thing. also the 2019 thing. I get the argument with 2015, and I don't think any version of noughties valentino would have a season like that, but *shrugs* he also didn't have a valencia 2006-equivalent so whatever (I mean. he flirted with it in 2017 and that was a pretty poor performance, but crucially I'm an outcome-oriented person and he didn't actually bin it so)

then comes jorge - given his profile as a rider I don't think it reflects great on him that he has crashed out of the lead, including in costly ways, quite a few times. also, unfortunately you don't get a sophomore season freebie when we're comparing aliens, and 2009 did have some real. issues. (so did valentino's to be clear, definitely his messiest title campaign.) also, look, I think calling his ducati seasons not competitive is arguable - because unlike the valentino and marc seasons where you can at least say 'well nobody else on that bike was outperforming them', this is not something you can point to with jorge. his strongest trait is dominating from the front! he's supposed to be mr hammer and butter, he's getting a knock for the unforced errors, yeah. he gets a valencia bonus though. then comes dani - this one also feels quite harsh, and again I think it's slightly punishing lack of flexibility, but it's the really costly errors that stick out and also just... relatively more races than some of his fellow aliens where he's not reliably bringing any result home because he's not in the position he should be running in. and then comes casey, which, small sample size counts against him here. if you have that few seasons to draw from, unfortunately the whole laguna 2008 situation and 2012 sachsenring/mugello stuff do stand out

wow. this got long. I really don't like this category

4. flexibility

stuff I considered: not literal flexibility, more in terms of 'can you be good everywhere'. like, we're looking at the broad profile of a season - I want you to be good both at qatar and at sachsenring, right? have they won/gotten decent results relative to how good the bike/opposition is basically everywhere, do they just feel a bit limited at times, what were they doing at new tracks, etc, can they figure shit out over the course of the weekend

again, there's some serious overlap here with both the reliability category and also the wet/mixed conditions categories, but idk. still treating it on its own. again, there's two fairly straightforward tiers here - you've got valentino, casey and marc, and then jorge and dani. I'm not like, super attached to any particular order here? casey has the distinction that he's won at every single race he's competed at, which none of the others do, but that's also what will happen if you retire at age 27. if vale and marc had retired at that age... okay, yeah, valentino would've been missing laguna, marc would be missing austria (which he still is, actually), but also idk. valentino's laguna record is like, one third place, two visits where his bike is just 'no thank you' and then one of the best races of all time. marc got as close as it is possible to win that bloody race in austria on three separate occasions. also, casey completed the set in 2012 with... well, first of all he needed jerez, which...? who the hell has jerez as their bogey track? he'd literally had one podium there in his entire career before that point, all classes, which is kinda funny. plus, he also needed estoril - and he was really proud to finish the set, helped make his decision to retire. real take, maybe his issue with jerez is that everyone else knew it too well, like ideally he needs everyone (including himself) to be blasted with a mind ray to give them amnesia before they go to each track so he can take full advantage

anyway, look, the point is that all three of them can show up anywhere and broadly expect to be competitive in their primes. they go about this in different ways... casey had this nasty habit of just rocking up on a friday morning and being fast the second he touched the bike, valentino made more of a leisurely crawl towards 'ah well we'll figure it out at 4 am on sunday morning' (marc did a bit of both) - but broadly speaking they did generally get there more often than not. this is reflected in the very strong records they all have when they show up at tracks for the first time, and it's something marc explicitly pointed to last year in india when explaining why him, fabio and joan as the three most recent former world champions were suddenly so competitive there (in contrast to the rest of the season, where they were *checks notes* not having a great time). I don't think it's really just a raw talent thing per se, and especially with valentino he clearly did also have a very good working process (more on that in a moment), but yeah! however they did it, they sure did do it! the gaps in marc's and valentino's resumes, I do also not feel too strongly about... valentino's missing aragon, introduced in 2010, but like. he was fine there, he just wasn't winning that many races anyway after that, and it inherently didn't suit him too well. cota... well, y'know, he had one shot of winning that, won't really hold any of his 2019 performances against him. that also wasn't a particularly strong yamaha track, and again it's not like he was uncompetitive there. he just wasn't like. marc marquez levels competitive. marc has a few like austria, but that was such ducati heartlands and he really did get very close a million times, and stuff like portimao, which, well, only showed up post arm injury, he's still got time

I don't know, with all three of them it's also just so easy to pinpoint special performances at their weakest tracks, it moves me. I actually need to check the order in which I put them, which tells you how close they are in my mind. uh... okay I gave casey full marks, then marc, then valentino. yeah, idk, I guess sometimes my casey problem is that my brain just automatically extrapolates from the bits we got to see and assume he would've adapted to everything to come forevermore. but look, he really was that good!! actually the tiebreaker to me is how in his second ever motogp race he'd been ill, his flight had been delayed, he shows up at the qatar circuit like fifteen minutes before practise starts, and he ends up popping his satellite honda on pole. not knocking marc's cota pole obviously, but he'd already tested there, and we did later find out he is like, a literal deity at that circuit (casey is good at qatar but not that good). idk. that's where I'm at. I'm not actually sure why I'm ranking valentino third, maybe it's just a sort of 'begrudgingly amused annoyance' at how he won his least favourite circuit on the calendar only twice, and both were these massive spite wins (valencia 2003, 2004). like, I get that sports psychology does matter, but I also don't want to have to make an 'effort and mean-spiritedness' adjustment to all your results? obviously it's also super telling his one laguna win came in 2008, like we get it you're a hater, let's move on

oh I was about to move on but I do have to cover the other two. hm. well, look, their 2012 was super impressive and shows they can clearly be fast pretty much everywhere, but... yeah, idk, I don't want to penalise them for what the alien era was like, but maybe a little bit? like yeah they did it at a time when the bike difference was at the most egregious, and I GET that it happens to coincide with their primes, but that is not going to be the only season I look at!! sorry!! the thing about those two was if they weren't clicking with a track, you kinda didn't really expect them to pull a rabbit out of the hat come race day (even casey had a nasty habit of doing that, and acknowledged in his autobiography how extremely helpful it was to psychologically sucker rivals into thinking he wasn't going to be a huge threat). I look at jorge's sepang record, his argentina record, his assen record (and yes, I'm aware of the massive trauma he was dealt by his 2013 crash, that's absolutely a factor in the years after that), even phillip island... I know he won the latter two once in the premier class, but yeah. don't love it!! stinker after stinker at argentina, and that one in particular does raise an eyebrow because, y'know, always a bit of a quirky track with all the various grip issue dramas over the years. 2014-16 when they're teammates again, valentino gets three podiums there (including a win) and jorge just the one, so it's also not just a bike issue. with dani it's quite easy... qatar was a crappy honda track yeah, still not ideal results there, phillip island just too many riders who were better than him there, poor at assen, quite poor at catalunya too? apart from 2008, which it has to be said was a proper class performance. (admittedly who knows what valentino could've done there if he'd considered maybe not fucking his qualifying.) idk, several of these classic high speed tracks... okay, look, I'm not going to spend too much time ragging on their circuit to circuit records here, you get the point,it should be fairly clear that they both struggled more than the other three to tackle adversity weekend by weekend. and a lot of the times when they started a weekend poorly that was basically that

5. mixed conditions

stuff I considered: ... how good they are in mixed conditions. did they crash a lot in them, were they extra super special fast, did they get better when things were sketch, did they adjust quickly to these conditions, how did they manage race situations impacted by changing conditions

okay, look, again the lack of direct comparison does hurt me here, but yeah I was never going to put anyone other than marc first here. I was also never going to put anyone other than casey second, and anyone other than valentino third. all three of them are excellent here, even if it's a different vibe for each. liked, not quite the same thing, but obviously they're all great in low grip anyway, very nice with all the sliding the bike around (especially the first two). marc's got the whole insane saves things going for him even when he does make a misjudgement. there's that ability to just instantly know how to judge and adapt to whatever condition the track is in... well, it's neat! we'll get to this again in a second with wet weather racing, but I still think valentino's a bit more in the... hm. idk. he's obviously GOT a lot of natural feel, he couldn't do what he does otherwise, but he's clearly also big on kinda following other riders around and figuring it out as he goes? like it feels a teensy bit more conscious, like a deliberate thinking process rather than primarily using instinct. but yeah, I mean, you really don't have to get super complicated about that, it's literally been years and years of watching marc gain literal seconds on the field whenever the conditions are a bit sketchy. brno 2019 qualifying. no need to say more. (but if you did want to say more, I do have a misano 2015 to offer u. also like sachsenring 2016?? assen 2014! genuinely so many you could point to with him.) (actually.... I mean, I suppose we do also have to mention argentina 2018, where he was about a minute a lap faster than the rest of the field.) with casey, again, super easy, you've got a phillip island and valencia 2011 there - his last lap of valencia!! one of the best last laps of his career!! that shit was crazy!! mugello 2009!! I get that there's Reasons why valentino played that one cautiously *coughs* le mans fiasco *coughs* but still, casey was the guy who broke the valentino supremacy!! speaking. of. mugello. you want to know another mixed conditions race that happened there... that's right, last few laps of mugello 2004, like they're so fucking good. valentino's last ever race win comes in increasingly kinda sketch conditions in assen 2017, where he is also fighting marc. like, look, I'm not gonna list every single race performance in sketch conditions, and of course they did also have some stinkers... this is a vibes category, sometimes it's truly just about looking at some lap times and going 'oof you guys really are something special here'. but also clear order here, marc is just *gestures* something else yeah

anyway. okay listen at this point I don't REALLY want to rag on the other two, especially since I'll get to it more with wet races. they're just not quite at the same level! I'm not saying they're terrible, but y'know, you can just check their track records and draw your own conclusions. if jorge had lost that 2015 title, misano absolutely would have been top of everyone's list as a big, big factor in that. I've already mentioned argentina, and again it kinda is telling what their records there look like. phillip island. it's just... y'know. it's whatever. with dani, similar story, but shout out to motegi 2015. banger performance, super impressive. jorge also has a few good f2f's. but yeah, we can list every single performance where they were massively outperformed by those other three or we could. not

6. wet

stuff I considered: well. their records when races were wet. did they bin it, how did they perform against their teammates, what can we say about performance variation over time, how understandable were their errors, what was their approach like to them

similar tiers, slightly different order - casey, then vale, then marc. but again, it's super close, and I don't feel as happy with the order here as above. I just have this highlight reel in my head of casey's wet weather performances, donington 2007 and silverstone 2011 are both crazy good in different ways. yes, he didn't win every single race in the wet he competed in, but who does? and yes, his sample size is a teensy bit limited, and yes, he did lose that one le mans 2012 battle against ducati!valentino, which, who does that, but like... listen. when he was on it, he was so on it. on the flip side, and I realise this is again unfair given the sample size issues, I just don't have all these memories of watching casey crash in the wet as I do for each of the other aliens. even his poorer performances like donington 2009... y'know, there was a good explanation there. (indy 2008 is one that I'm quite meh about admittedly.) but like!! overall it just is NOT a lot of races in the wet - I feel the sample size issues with other things more strongly, but here he also just compares positively to other aliens in their primes and it's not as much a w2w thing. just something about him in the wet that I trust..? I feel like sachsenring 2008 is another one that also kinda shows he had a good feel for how much he could push. like, dani disappeared off into the distance, and casey did kinda go. huh. well idk about that but good luck. and then won the race by a mile when dani crashed out. I don't know! given that's not always a trait I massively associate with casey, I do think he was generally pretty sensible in the wet. also... yeah, given it's inherently not that many races you're judging, I do think inevitably this is something where my brain really is pulling together two or three signature performances and judging those. and with casey, I just think those performances slap

that being said. ranking him above valentino here could(?) be controversial, and I did struggle a teensy bit with this one. like, mixed conditions can be a bit dodgy and also, we'll get to this in a moment but valentino's flag to flag record *stares into the middle distance* BUT when it's full wet!! oh yeah. right. let's fucking go. the tiny caveats I have here in my mind are a) he did make some memorable mistakes in those conditions (as casey can attest to), but again, so has pretty much everyone, and b) the wet weather performances after 2015 were kinda dodgy. but that's like.... that is just fundamentally a yamaha problem once the series switched to the michelins, like I don't really see the argument for saying that was a valentino decline? it's become a pretty persistent issue, and even then valentino was generally putting his bike in a hell of a lot more impressive places than his respective teammates (hey, you still have pretty nifty performances even in that era - look at brno 2016). let's set all that aside, and focus on all the other bits: the banger performances. the donington 2005's and silverstone 2015's of this world. let's talk donington, actually, because... idk, I think there's something very valentino in the wet about that race specifically, because for a lot of the race it really doesn't look that great? he wobbles a lot, some very cool marc-y saves but preferably you don't want to HAVE to marc-y save stuff, gets to the lead and loses it and gets back again. like, okay, obviously the conditions are genuinely just atrocious, but crucially he's not just FAST!! it's not just dominant! it's him watching and learning and feeling his way into the race, until eventually he's learned enough and can pull away. obviously, it's always worth remembering there's a shit ton of natural talent here too, cf colin edwards talking about seeing his data and just going 'what tf do you mean he's locking up in every single corner' (I paraphrase), but it's... yeah, he's doing a lot of this with his brain. which I do think is a big part of wet weather racing!! like a lot of it is figuring out how much risk you should be taking at any given moment, what's possible in the moment, how much you can trust what you're feeling etc etc

but yeah, shanghai that year is a dominant one... silverstone 2015 is like, so impressive you have to say, crazy pressure from marc behind him until marc eventually crashed and then late pressure from petrucci. like that race saved his title bid and it could've easily gone wrong. also, one of my favourite things about valentino as a wet weather racer is not just that he used to be bad of it, but he used to be scared of riding in the rain. he didn't want to go out there!! teen!vale told his team boss he didn't want to race in that shit!! it's about the journey... first premier class win in... is that a wet or mixed conditions race? never mind, crucially donington 2000 he is working his way through the field on a track that is very much not try. and somewhere along the line, he did just become a proper excellent wet weather racer, even if he never was a massive fan. indy 2008 is another banger, like basically I reckon he's at his very best in conditions nobody should ever even contemplate racing in? see also what he did in his ducati years. I'm also inherently biased towards people getting better at stuff, so maybe that's part of the picture for me. anyway, with marc I don't massively have much to add to what I already said in the mixed conditions bit? I basically think he's excellent but he doesn't have the same margin over the field when it's full wet rather than 'kinda sketch'. he does also have the misfortune of running into some of the best wet weather races out there during his prime, first valentino and then dovi - who, if I were including him in this exercise, would absolutely be in the conversation for top spot alongside vale/casey. but like, just because he doesn't win them doesn't mean motegi and sepang 2017 aren't very strong, in terms of maximising what was possible on that day. speaking of 2017, misano!!!! he's good at the decision making stuff too, good at maximising his performance when he's not winning races. 2016 is a title bid that is built on a lot of kinda sketch races, most of which marc doesn't win - but he won the championship and that's the bit that matters. and in ducati!valentino style, of course those have also been the situations in which marc's had the chance to be more competitive in the horror honda years.... motegi last year is the obvious example. he's very very good, does chuck it down the road a few times too but that's life

so the thing about jorge and wet weather is that he's like, pretty poor in the lower categories, and the general 2006-07 pattern was that dovi was keeping himself competitive in those title fights in large part through starring performances in wet races while jorge flops. then there's a period in the premier class where he's actually kinda fine? does chuck it a few times, but also really some strong performances in there. jerez 2011, le mans 2012... anyway, if we're talking about assen becoming a real bogey track in jorge's later years, it's probably also worth mentioning that the assen 2013 highside came in the wet and is around the time there was a real downturn in his wet weather performances. he was still competitive in a few wet weather races! but he also... really wasn't in many. at times he was just slow - if he'd lost the 2015 title, people would still be talking about silverstone more, which you have to say he was very lucky to limit the points damage in (and he did come within a whisker of being crashed out on like, three separate instances, which can happen if you're running in a pack in the wet). then, of course, you have 2016 where his title charge completely fell apart in the wet.... as already said with valentino, the yamaha in those years clearly wasn't quite right in the wet, but valentino was still putting together stronger performances. then in 2017 jorge still has that decent sepang race where he challenges dovi for the win, but yeah... that's basically it. it's unfair when people portray him as a poor wet weather racer his whole career, but obviously. y'know. not on the level of the three above. dani...... look, I'm gonna keep this short: I get that his literal size and weight are a massive disadvantage here, but of course there's no way you can't rank him last in this category. he won one wet premier class race in his whole career, there's a lot of big crashes to point to (sachsenring 2008 again is particularly memorable) and also just him being very slow. sepang 2012 was cool though

7. overtaking ability

stuff I considered: race craft, efficiency in overtaking, direct duels, dogfights, comeback rides, creativity, .... being cool

right. look. I'm willing to hear the arguments for the others, but to me it's just got to be valentino here. like, yes, I get it - if you're constantly putting yourself in seventh at the end of every single first lap, you will just be doing a lot of overtakes. if your entire approach to winning races is built around sitting behind other riders for half the race and just vibing, then yes, of course you'll be doing a lot of memorable overtakes for the win. maybe you shouldn't have been in that position in the first place. I hear the case! I acknowledge it! but he was just so damn good at those overtakes! he knew where to place his bike, he knew where to attack, he was so good at making that shit stick, he's usually not being massively aggressive to the point of recklessness when he doesn't need to be... what's the drawback. again, maybe this is being swayed by the highlight reel rather than measuring 'pure' skill, but my god is it a highlight reel. remember how in assen 2018 he just. overtakes other riders ten times at the gt chicane? rinse and repeat, he just knew how to get past people. that's a bit of dominance in a certain track just in terms of sheer race craft that's like, a bit obscene really. there's a reason he's got three overtakes that are still iconic and infamous alike, mix of brutality of jerez 2005 and ruthlessness of laguna 2008 and determination of catalunya 2009. he knew how to judge risks, usually he walked that line very very finely - which is how he was seen as an aggressive rider but also didn't crash a lot - but boy did he know how to send it like the best of him. so you've got the range, right, something as practised as assen 2018 gt chicane, but also the creativity of something like catalunya 2009, of trying a move where others just wouldn't. also, like, FORgET the corkscrew move at laguna 2008, let's talk about that move around the outside of turn 3 ffs. and he was so good at working his way through the field!! I mean, he had to be given what an abysmal qualifier he was at times in the latter half of his career, but like his 2015 title campaign would've been impossible without that kinda qatar and argentina vibe. the man was always tussling, but he sure did do it well. idk, what's the counter argument here.... he's crashed like. at most half a dozen times. while attempting overtakes. idk I'm unmoved, sachsenring 2007 isn't enough to ruin everything else here. 'valentino rossi is good at overtakes', more as we get it

marc. marc. the thing about marc, right, is that sometimes he does stray to the wrong line of the 'aggression or just stupid' divide, but... given his baseline level of aggression, you have to say he mostly did a good job of not pushing it too far. he's extremely adept at working his way through fields... and it really is important he's willing to go for it. like there are riders who just won't! he's very see gap go for gap, as he's happy to remind everyone, and that makes him a very fearsome proposition. I'm not like... I love it for narrative reasons, but to me personally jerez 2013 does push it a teensy bit, and there's been a few too many race craft howlers for my tastes in the last few years. he's just too good to be doing shit like portimao last year. that being said, when he's keeping things sensible, the race craft is obviously elite. incredible bike placement, also just such an innate ability to thrive in those kinda chaotic situations at starts of races, in the middle of dogfights he navigates that stuff so so good..... I don't LOVE rating marc/valentino over the other three aliens on grounds of like 'hard racing' because you then get to tricky philosophical waters, but actually I'm perfectly happy to rate them above the other three for just being very good at this shit. for my money, my favourite overtake of his is still last lap on petrucci in misano 2017, like idk the sheer nerve and daring and skill in the wet!! I moved!! I also had a heart attack but never mind that!! misano 2019 ughhh my beloveddddd... okay admittedly he has a few too many of these epic duels tm he loses which we'll get back to in a moment, but that doesn't erase all the cool moves he makes on the way to moving. also obviously got to mention these comeback rides he's been having - and this kind of thing is also super important in starts!! just very very adept at all this race craft stuff, though a few too many of his overtakes don't stick for my tastes

now. the thing is. casey did most of his racing in an era that, as we have repeatedly established, was kinda ass. also, it's obviously worth pointing out that casey really wasn't trying to win his races in a way that involved a lot of overtaking. and his attitude towards racing did have the potential to hinder him in fights, because he was perhaps maybe possibly at times a teensy bit too concerned with keeping things respectful when certain other riders were willing to push him off a cliff if it could secure them pee four. that being said. limited sample size aside. when I close my eyes, I can see casey overtaking jorge around the outside of turn one at laguna 2011, and it is still the most bonkers downright terrifying thing I've seen in my life, but it is also very very very cool. that's right, he's ranked third because that move is so cool. it's just... he's always going on about risk and danger and all that and racing valentino at laguna was scary etc etc, which, yes, I do have a lot of empathy there, but my brother you are overtaking him around a blind crest. like you literally can't see where you're going. everybody finds turn one at laguna terrifying, it's seen as scarier as the corkscrew. and that's where you overtake him. and it's not an isolated occurrence - some of the laguna 2008 moves on valentino?? dude. it very much takes two to tango, we're talking some scary turn one moves and sketch turn three and turn five encounters like.... like!! phew. plus, valencia 2011 last lap

also, listen, at the end of the day, the reason why I'm putting casey over jorge here is very simple - direct record against valentino. one of them actually won extended battles against him, the other didn't. yes, jorge ran valentino close, but y'know. you don't get extra points for 'close', do you. catalunya 2009, sachsenring 2009, motegi 2010... casey actually beat valentino, he did it at catalunya 2007 and sachsenring 2010, qatar 2007... that sachsenring 2010 last lap move truly slaps!! idc if valentino had just come back from the broken leg, still slaps! now, yes, we do need to point out that jorge has done some great overtaking in his time, and he's also won quite a few close duels against marc specifically - but, well, marc didn't race casey, can't compare it. still, jorge is good wheel-to-wheel generally speaking, the risk assessment is mostly pretty good though sometimes he can be a bit... idk, clumsier on average than the three above him? anyway, still better than dani, who unfortunately did sometimes fall into the category of me going 'PLEASE overtake the guy come on move.... MOVE'. generally a lot of overtakes only happening when there's a massive tyre advantage which is like. it's fine. but it's not quite the same thing. but jerez 2010 brno 2012 for them respectively overall were obviously cool. basically my main thing for this one is that, we're not rating duels here, we're rating overtaking ability. and on the one hand I have the highlight reel in my head and the craft and skill of it all, and on the other hand I have like. if you get stuck in the pack. do I expect you to stay there or do something. and generally it's really marc and valentino where I'm expecting some moving

8. defensive ability

stuff I considered: also race craft, just general quality of defensive rides idk, how much I trust you to keep guys with better pace behind you

yeah valentino again here I fear. this is another factor where I'm really just seeing the highlight reel in my head, just so many class defensive rides (even though usually he'd PREFER to be coming from behind than holding others off). last few laps of sachsenring 2006 are like, gorgeous, what a crazy girl. laguna 2008. assen 2015. some of the late braking in catalunya 2009, like I already have talked about it elsewhere and jorge has spoken about how vale sets up his bike to brake 10m later than everyone else, but. has to be said. he really did gag me with that catalunya 2009 turn one behaviour. phewwwww some of his mugello main straight antics..... he TESTED those brakes. his last podium ride in andalusia 2020... still had it what can you say. also, thing is, there's not really many failures you can point to? his two biggest last lap defeats, he was behind going into them - like yeah still sucked he lost (especially sachsenring 2003 where you CAN kinda argue it was a fuck up in his defence) (jerez 2005 SHOULD have been a major fuck up but he won it so) but overall... oh also sepang 2006 last lap. I mean, I could go on - he's good at picking his lines and being a dickhead and just placing his bike right and also muscling his way around the track... some of his dubious motegi 2010 antics even though he's flirting with the line. also excellent at re-overtaking after being overtaken. straightforward case

so I've switched this twice and then realised I was overthinking this and next it's obviously marc. idk I think you can overthink this and marc does have a few Actual Sketch defensive rides (argentina 2015, silverstone 2019) but also his wheel to wheel record is so strong you've got to let him slot in here. like, again, the decision making isn't always ideal, he sometimes pushes it a bit too far, but the fundamental race craft can be faulted and he does do a lot of really excellent defensive riding, brutal on the brakes and all that. again, this really does jump out during the dogfights, plus also stuff like thailand 2019. he's very good at it!! a nightmare to get past, because he is also NOT just gonna give up the position! then we get into classic casey 'god this sample size is ass' stuff where I think I give him a lot of benefit of the doubt given just the lack of races where he was like... running similar paces to other guys... awful era. but clearly did have some excellent rides where defence played a huge role, catalunya 2007 was really good... assen 2007 he kept valentino behind quite a long time, few races like that where casey really does keep him behind for quite long. phillip island 2009 is a bit tricky because it felt valentino never had the ultimate pace to overtake but, well, casey started ahead, had valentino sitting on his rear tyre for a decent chunk of the race, finished ahead, so points for that. again, just a real sample size issue here but, y'know

jorge.... listen, he definitely can defend. he has done some very, very strong defensive rides. one of the strongest and most important ones of his career was at a little known race called valencia 2015 even if marc maybe wasn't as motivated to overtake jorge as he would have been some other days I'M KIDDING. it's good. lot of good stuff going on. that being said.... man, it's such low hanging fruit, but you have to talk about how jorge was robbed at the final corner first in catalunya 2009 and jerez 2013. now, look, of course people can lose races in final corners, but in both those cases you do have to say... dude. you could have defended that line. in both cases everyone does kinda go... mate. mate. you have to assume those two bastards will go for it. idk obviously this is selection bias because both instances were just so memorable, but inevitably this is the stuff you are judged on. don't do it!! omg! also, with all love to valentino's slightly deranged levels of aggression while both attacking and defending against jorge in motegi 2010, this is another one where you do kinda feel.... yeah, it's not easy when you know the other guy is kinda willing to crash you both out rather than let you win (valentino!! your shoulder!! valentino!!!!) and yeah you kinda still have a championship to think about... still. (that being said, I'm not giving valentino TOO many motegi 2010 points in either category - yes, it worked, yes, it was funny, but was it 'good riding'? eh.) do we give him points off for the sepang 2017 error that let dovi ahead... I suppose he defended very well against dovi at valencia that year lol. but actually, same thing with 2015, I'm not sure you really get many points for defending at valencia? anyway, I feel like the way this is ordered, I'm unfortunately constantly justifying ranking the same blokes last, so again, let's keep this quick. dani: fantastic work at aragon 2015. truly elite performance. wish you had done a little more of that. way too many estoril's and shanghai's and motegi's 2008. but aragon 2015 was lovely

9. cunning

stuff I considered: 'race management', how you navigate different race situations, battle smarts

hm, yeah, another bit of a catch all category like reliability was - just that general sense of... y'know, how good are you at figuring out races. working them out in your head, being smart about when to push and when not to push. decision making skills, how you are at analysing your opponents, at studying their strengths and weaknesses. at the mental side of the on-track game, at intimidation and stealth. cunning. anyway absolutely zero prizes for guessing who slots into number one and two here. all of the things I just described are very closely associated with valentino, and this is basically his category. I'm thinking what he did to sete specifically. I'm thinking how he completely switched it up against casey at laguna 2008. I'm thinking how he did that last corner overtake on casey catalunya 2007, saved it away, then did it for the win against jorge at catalunya 2009 after visualising it the week before that. it's that bloody assen 2015 chicane trick on marc - idc if that was planned or not (all right, I deeply deeply care), but either way what a clever way of stealing a win. it's the success rate in last lap duels... and then, of course, there's all the more general stuff - we've already discussed tyre preservation above, generally speaking prime valentino was excellent at controlling races across very different eras

marc clocks in second - prime marc was again just. ridiculously good at controlling races, especially in the tyre preservation era post 2015. knows when to push, knows when to not... I will yap on forever about how neat I find his 2016 campaign, by far the most cruelly overlooked of his titles just because he didn't 'win' a lot of 'races'. who cares about that, check out the consistency!! elite at race management!! marc does have a brain and he can choose to engage it, and he does prove as much on the track - he's good at a lot of risk/reward judgements, and he'd better be because otherwise with his riding style it'd be far more of a trail of carnage than it already is at times. the head loss to riding style trade off actually isn't too bad with him, relatively speaking. he's been doing some very strong race management this year, if at times from un-ideal starting positions - again, le mans main race says hi. plus, the dogfights man... not the actual fighting bit, the tyre preservation bit. unless you want to get into conspiracy theory territory, which surely nobody would want to, let's just assume that in phillip island 2015 he hadn't actually been planning to just find a bunch of extra tyre on the last lap - but phillip island 2017 and assen 2018 he times it perfectly. that being said. okay. it just has to be acknowledged. marc. we need to work on making more of these overtakes stick. yes, I've made the arguments myself, he tends to be in duels he has no right to be engaged in in the first place, he's on the limit at some of his poorer tracks, it's impressive and intimidating he's there in the first place... and I do believe all of those things! but the thing is when you tell everyone you go for every gap, and then riders are deliberately leaving you a gap knowing you will go for it, and then they get back at you, and then they do it literally seven times in one race... marc, come on. I'm on my knees. I was literally on my knees during aragon 2021. he does this against valentino, against dovi, against pecco, man even against jorge once or twice, and it does drive you a little insane sometimes. too much red mist!! too much red mist. stop being suckered into making the move marc I am so very much on my knees

with the other three, I've already kinda discussed what I'd mention here elsewhere. like, casey... idk it's a tough one because I don't think it's harsh to judge him on a tiny sample size, but if you've engaged in like. ten extended duels in the premier class and you've crashed in two of them, then unfortunately it does make me raise an eyebrow more than if you've crashed out of two from fifty, right? he does get a bit red mist-y, not just when he's punching people in practise sessions, but also like. occasionally in races. he's red mist-y in laguna '08, sachsenring '12, mugello '12... I don't think he's even mad necessarily (well, obviously he is in laguna), just kinda very dog with a bone. (biggest valentino in-race anger-affected errors of judgement are ofc qatar 2004 + sepang 2015, btw. marc I'm not gonna give the obvious and instead throw in a cute jerez 2024 sprint, like dude please stop attempting to murder joan enough.) he's decent at race management in general, though idk my issue with some of these alien wins is that, I get it's unfair, but I'm just not really that impressed with 'managing' a gap of six seconds? like congrats on being fast and not chucking it I guess. jerez 2012 + estoril 2012 are really neat in that regard though, he's proud of them for good reason. also, again, could've easily lost a few valentino fights that he didn't. with jorge... yeah, he's excellent at race management!! also a smart tussler, got those silverstone 2013 and mugello 2016 and austria 2018 wins to go too. think I do slightly hold some of the dovi losses over the course of his career against him lol. I mean, losing to dovi in direct fights does very much happen to the best of them, and this is another category in which dovi would obviously be in contention for top spot. both jorge and dani are very very strong at race managing, in particular when they're at the front, and they're capable of outsmarting opponents... again for dani, aragon + motegi 2015 do stick in the mind. valencia 2017 was suchhhh a good win too, so much going on in that race and he was smart enough to emerge on top. look, the tyre preservation thing was very good for all three of them, they could all manage races, they all had a few rough ones w2w, also you can make casey mad and spook dani. you can make jorge mad too actually

10. strategy + work process

stuff I considered: tendency to get it 'right' with team, from set up to tyre choice to improvement over the course of the weekend. also flag to flag races

easy marc win, and a big part of it really is just how that bloke fucking nailed flag to flag races. like, jesus christ, he had the cheat code to those things. how do you just make right call after right call, truly obscene. if I'm some random midfield rider, I'm telling my team to make me copy whatever he's doing like idc. also, okay, a lot of weekends he started strong, but the ones where he didn't? he ended the weekend fast. like, he's good on fridays, he's excellent on saturdays, but there really were plenty of weekends where his sundays were the strongest of them all. found a bunch of extra pace down the back of the couch overnight. 2016-19 was obviously super big on the tyre preservation and yup, got truly elite at that too - sure, some of that is just raw skill, but some of that is also prep work and knowing what you need to be doing at what stage of the race. valentino clocks in second here, and a lot of these things are broadly true of him too, especially the finding pace overnight thing. most infamous example is of course laguna 2008 - yeah, sure, tactics are great and all, but he needed to make a step to even stick close enough to casey to fuck with him. a lot of his race weekends went like that! the blot in his copybook is... dude. what the fuck is wrong with your flag to flag strategies. like it genuinely is not your inability to ride in those situations because you're clearly fine at THAT bit, but what's going on with the communication and decision-making thing here. it's also sometimes THE most obvious shit??? not to be all armchair expert here but scotty beam me in, send me back to 2006 EYE will fix valentino's f2f. it's so bad!! I don't get how bad it is!! with marc, the biggest blot is phillip island 2013 - which, I don't care he was 20 years old, I get it was his rookie season, but it could have easily cost him the title and it's such a truly abysmal fuck up that it still makes me shake my head to think about. genuinely inexcusable lol, the backstory of the whole thing is also so incredibly stupid. marc's not the main issue here, but this entire component is kinda rated by your entire team so. I mean, look, he's still on top

after that, I'm not massively fussed about the order - though again with casey I do think it's notable he was also pretty strong at the 'finding pace overnight' trick. he was kinda.... you know, he was already so strong on friday, which WAS an advantage but he discusses in his autobiography that it almost made it tricky to know where to go from there lol. but they still figured it out!! just good at figuring out ways to win. jorge did play some proper blinders f2f which I'm giving him brownie points for, some... less ideal decisions. I'm sorry, I'm also gonna dock him a few points for some of the ducati races where he was leading early on burning through his tyres and then dropping back. I think that can happen once, or maybe even twice, but like. too often, eventually u need to maybe change up the strategy and figure out what can work now. dani generally speaking was not doing that, and yeah, a few very strong 'yup you got the approach to tyre preservation exactly right' contenders, but also really did not do well in flag to flag races... tricky one because yeah with him and jorge, they were a bit less likely to find the pace overnight (casey did kinda allude to this in his autobiography lol)

graphs :)

okay. lemme show my video game-y radar charts <3

valentino:

dani:

casey:

jorge:

marc:

and combined, because well if you've read this far I might as well not play coy here:

anyway. look

I don't. love. what I've done to jorge specifically. and there's one massive jorge strong point that I could not figure out how to rank for everyone else, but feel very very strongly he is very very good at: some kind of clutch factor. this is KINDA captured by the reliability metric, but I don't quite think that one's enough... I don't think this specifically shines when he's on the heat of battle, but it does shine when he's late in a season when he needs to maximise those results to keep his title bid in good health. the glaring exception is phillip island 2009, but, well, valentino has a valencia 2006, marc has a... I know it didn't cost him but valencia 2017 was not a good performance. but! apart from that, if you look at jorge's track record from then on late in seasons when it's his own title bid (also excluding 2017 here) on the line... proper good shit. that late 2012 stretch where dani was on a different planet and jorge kept showing up to bag second place. I know I was ragging on 2015 earlier on and I'm not like, massively moved by most of that jorge season, and I still fundamentally think that if you're leading the last lap of phillip island by as much as he was, I don't care if it's literally jesus of nazareth on that motorcycle chasing after you - you should be making it a little bit harder for the guy behind. that being said, sepang was a+ given he really didn't have that much pace (lil bit of luck at the start and then those two bozos behind him did kinda help his cause, but still he did his job), and valencia was straight up excellent. I know he didn't win the title, but late 2013 was probably like. his career best stretch. the valencia 2013 performance is genuinely one of his best races. that's clutch!! that's what he's all about!! he can bring home a title!!

that being said. I had no clue how to compare that to the other four riders, not least because casey literally has not been in a close title fight with a few races to go. just wanted to say it! I also don't think all these categories are equal - like I think I said at the top, being a wet weather rider is nice but it is fundamentally not as important as being a strong qualifier. I just don't love these categories in general? I was trying to think of a way of splitting up qualifying into two different categories, couldn't think of one, tried to think of something for tyre preservation beyond inelegantly including it in strategy, didn't think of anything. easier to come up with this stuff with tennis, and obviously also easier to just like. judge pure performance because you don't have all these extraneous categories. also I kinda think these riders are basically equal on some of these categories, but also if you're doing a ranking then ranking something as equal best is chicken shit

I think generally it's good to have your radar chart arranged in an order where it's not too spiky (listen if you're still reading this post, that's really on you), so that there's a kinda correlation between the bits that are next to each other. broadly most of them do do this in a sort of 'huh dani pedrosa would have benefited from the sprint race format over the course of a full season' way. they're all not too spiky... I kept running into the sample size issue with casey, where it's just like... look, he had a fantastic career, but also in the premier class a lot of the 2007 to 2012 races were very same-y and you kinda need that variety to judge. so a lot of the times with him I'm kinda going off vibes? like I think he's good at certain things, I reckon he'd probably struggle with xyz if he'd had more of a chance to do it, and extrapolate from that. which obviously isn't a great way of doing these things. basically, I massively rate him, I think valentino had the slight edge against him in wheel to wheel but the fact that it was 'slight' given that's valentino's number one selling point tells you enough, and I wish we could have put him into more varied race and championship standings situations to see what he does. like, the overtaking ability ranking clearly is in large part that laguna 2011 overtake just sort of killing my brain

anyway from this it feels like I think marc is the most well-rounded rider, which I probably stand by? the more I dig into valentino's actual qualifying numbers, the more I do feel like I'm maybe being a bit harsh, like yeah age-based decline we get it but during his prime... also, maybe I'm a bit too mean about the starts... but yeah, idk, they're definitely bigger flaws you can point to with valentino's game than any equivalent for marc. also genuinely do think the flag to flag thing was abysmal, I refuse to believe that's not something that wasn't fixable. I still think marc's wheel to wheel is the bit where around silverstone 2019 I was kinda going 'okay love this for you but do you maybe want to WIN one of these' (and then he immediately made baby!fabio miserable). like, again, super cool he's dragging that honda into places it doesn't belong, still need to work on that conversion rate. also, there was a bit of a 'how to fight marc' playbook by then and it's the equivalent of tying a red flag to the side of the motorbike and practically inviting him to have a go. worked a bit too often! that's like, gonna be one of the most interesting aspects of the pecco/marc rivalry because if I did this for PECCO then he would genuinely be in contender for top spot for the defensive riding category (best three defensive riders this century are him, dovi and valentino in no particular order, I really do believe this). that being said, obviously the qualifying thing is bonkers, yeah, as is anything with sketch grip. my laguna 2011 equivalent for marc is that brno 2019 quali lap. mostly I think of a hypothetical casey/marc rivalry more as like. how it would psychologically torture casey. but obviously in terms of the sport itself it would've been very cool to see them face off with that kind of thing

with jorge, again, I don't feel like these specific metrics really capture what made him so good. there's no way to phrase 'unbeatable on his day' as both like, a workable metric and also something that doesn't sound kinda patronising. 'situational dominance', idk. I also wouldn't know how you'd rank the aliens for that, except valentino would be last. my main thing with jorge is always kinda getting annoyed whenever he goes missing, something I suspect would be punished more in today's motogp - but also in 2010 and 2012 specifically, that did happen very rarely. with dani, it was always the wheel to wheel stuff that was just kinda. meh. he's another one who isn't super well served by these categories, like if there's a 'technically very clean' or 'picks very nice lines' category, he'd be on top? idk man. send in alternative suggestions or shout abuse at me for not being kind enough to your favourite alien. in conclusion, I think they're cool. I'm sorry for insulting all of them a lot

#basically valentino's obviously a psychic pokemon. the others are a bit trickier #//#brr brr #batsplat responds #this does feel like an insane person post because like. who cares. but also you people send me these asks!! so #I don't actually think I'm thinking of pokemon cards. I'm *deep sigh* thinking of the cards kabuto had in naruto #they have radar charts to show their strengths. I do just think radar charts are very cool #I wanted to colour them in but u can't do that on google sheets :( it probably looks a bit cleaner this way but idk it's not quite the same #I like how I've made charts when my main tiebreaker for everything is 'can I picture this rider doing this cool thing in my head'#alien tag

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crowandmoonwriting · 2 years ago

Text

Sci-Fi: Dreams and Nightmares, an Essay

You know, I have a problem with sci-fi. That isn't to say I dislike it, I just have a problem writing it, conceptualising it, and enjoying it. I'm a historian, and a traditional medieval historian at that, and I find most of my comfort in the past. My ideas about the future are very dark, and although I explore darkness and even horror in my writing very often, it's a darkness for once I'm not comfortable with. It's a little too close to home, I think. The further into technological advancement we go as a species, the worse I feel about the future. I have a few cyberpunk ideas I came up with in high school or even middle school that I doubt I will ever finish. I can't do it anymore. I feel vaguely sad about it all, and maybe I can work on them someday, even if I just adapt the characters and situations to a genre I'm more comfortable with.

I used to love sci-fi in all incarnations. I have always adored Star Wars and Star Trek. I favoured Star Wars for a while because it smacked more of fantasy, being a space opera and completely unrelated to Earth. It was escapist, it was mystical, it was just a bit closer to my true fictional love, Lord of the Rings. Star Trek I fell in love with later on, as I came to appreciate the social and political commentary and the intricate hard sci-fi aspects (I should note, I only adored the original series, and the other Star Trek media never captured me quite the way it did). When I found Dune, it swept me away, another fantasy, another mystical technicolour dream, and I loved it. When I first saw Bladerunner I was obsessed, and when I first read Asimov's Robot Series I was fascinated.

But something happened when I was in high school. Something that has ravaged my mental health and sense of well-being, my sense of self and my faith in humanity. It's something most of us rely on now, and it's something I can't escape (unless I do finally run away to the woods and live in a cabin as though it's 1470, growing and raising my own food and hunting to have furs to keep warm in the winter etc, as I long to do). I have to be online. I have to be on social media. I have to promote my brand, my writing. I have to be here to be aware of the news (I don't watch live TV at all). And worst of all, most crippling of all, I have to find inspiration. My desire to find media that will take me away (media I don't have to make myself) is what keeps me coming back. It's one of the things that keeps me here.

But I admit, I'm getting very tired. I'm traditional in several senses, and I'm tired. I miss dearly how I used to look at sci-fi. It was a wonder. Even dystopian sci-fi had its charm, its allure, its fascinating aspects. But then whatever electric sheep dreams I had became nightmares. And waking up, I found the nightmares all around me. It's painful that something I used to love I now avoid. Something I used to turn to for fun or pleasure is something I now fear.

But I am determined to love what I can. I am determined to have hope. As someone who's suffered from great mental illness in my life, and has come to a place finally, finally of stability, I think I can now reflect on things. The truth is, whether a dusty tome-perusing historian like me wants to hear it or not, the future is not a nightmare. It's not a dream at all, but reality. And fiction is not reality. Sure, I see things in real life I thought were just nightmares from Orwell's 1984. But I also see dreams, the iPad in my hand filled with hundreds of books, the stylus gliding brilliant colour over a smooth screen, the little device at my side an Alexandrian library of writing and music the likes of which no one in previous centuries could have imagined. I can type up a few words and my friends can respond to me within seconds. Through the gleaming portals at my fingertips I can learn about the entire world. I am connected. And connection is terrifying. It's vulnerable, and I think we're all just trying to figure out how this new type of human connection works.

I do have hope for the future. And I think it's time we saw that in sci-fi. Now I do note, there is some utopian sci-fi media. Star Trek the Original Series being my favourite. But I want to know what you have to say. Writers, artists, musicians, whatever you do, I want to see some hope.

I am not exempt of course! I need to change the way I think about sci-fi too. I need to take that hope in me and make something that will give someone else hope. Or at least let them have a little fun with a book, whether it's a paperback or leatherbound copy, or an intangible but nevertheless legible file. The interesting thing about sci-fi is that it's always somewhat based in reality (in science, of course!), but it's the 'fi' of sci-fi that's the best part. It's fiction. It's the dream. And as we have seen before, the dreams of one generation can become the reality of another. So it's time to write sci-fi with hope. It's time for me to stop being afraid of the future, and start looking forward to it.

#sci-fi #science fiction #my writing #my essays #my nonfiction #nonfiction #long post #personal

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llycaons · 11 months ago

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finished the LA!!!

Pros

I do find yyh's early mini-arcs to be pretty slow, so I don't mind skipping them. and for a shortened series, combining several arcs and ramping up the pacing made for a faster viewing experience and definitely streamlined hiei joining the group

making them 17 was a good change

the production value was high enough that a lot of the aspects genuinely fucking ruled

GREAT music. fantastic battle scenes. incredibly smooth cgi resulting in effective body horror and thrilling monster fights. final fight scene with the sparks looked incredible

the spirit gun, spirit sword, rose whip, and dragon of darkness flame all looked SO good. it was really cool to see them in a live-action format

I didn't dislike the wigs! I thought they were charming and stylistically perfect

I have a lot more to say about the plot below, but I will offer this praise: it could have tried to do a lot of things and it didn't. it may not have been completely faithful, but it avoided being a bad adaptation in other ways

I really liked the hiei and kuwabara. kuwabara initially disappointed me, but his earnestness and passion grew on me and I ended up really enjoying him. and hiei's actor just nailed him in every way - mannerisms, line delivery, body language, attitude

kurama was fine! there was a lot there they could have delved into but didn't. important thing is, he was a mama's boy who fights with plants.

yukina and keiko being immediate besties was really sweet! I wish they'd adapted more yukina moments but there wasn't a lot to work with anyway

keiko being more fighty was a really fun change

elder toguro RULED. younger toguro was really good too (in looks voice and body language) and so was sakyo but elder toguro stole the show. sakyo is a very stylish character who I always associate with smoking, but despite the changes I liked the LA version. but elder toguro. FREAK OF THE WEEK!!!!

some moments of genuine emotional resonance: kuwabara manifesting his spirit sword after days of hitting rocks with sticks. keiko inspiring yukina to escape by telling her she should try for the person who saved her last time. and hiei and yukina's last conversation where hiei looked like he was about to cry

it was SO well acted. and yukina looked so happy!! I think she knows. I also liked yukina and kuwabara's first encounter and kuwabara's convo with her after she heals him. it was very genuine. depsite not being into yukina/kuwabara or love at first sight, it was a sweet and well-crafted moment

the kuwameshi scraps...I heard yusuke say he wanted to eat ramen with kuwabara and then tell keiko 'it's not like that' and went 👀

ummmm what else. atsuko's first appearance was fine. in general everything in eps 1 and 2 were things I disliked and plenty in 3-5 were fun

the car crash was INTENSE

I was happy to hear smile bomb

the ending credits are cool and I like the music choices. the songs fit the vibe of the show, but the actual character writing doesn't

Cons

there was a time in my life (a few days ago) where I simply would have put 'everything else' but I'm in a different place now

but not TOO different. this show cannot stand on its own! it cut out MANY many iconic lines and character traits and jokes, even when it would have been easy to include. it's got the trappings of SOME things related to yyh, but lacks the actual soul

iconic character moments such as yusuke realizing how much people care about him and genkai falling to toguro's attack simply fail to impact the viewer in the same way because while they're incredible in concept, the execution is utterly rushed, nothing has ANY time to sink in. I don't even know what the themes of this show are, besides....protect your friends, I guess?

trying to crush everything up to three kings arc into 5 hours was ambitious, but not necessarily doomed. but they fucked it. they fucked the pacing and they fucked the characters and it feels gutless and boring and lazy. everyone seems like they've known each other for like, a day. at most. that genkai episode?!

it was cool that hiei's true motivations were secret for a little while. until the casual sibling reveal

a deeply beloved part of yyh is the core four dynamic. but these people BARELY know each other! kuwabara and yusuke are friends I guess, but they met kurama like twice and they don't even know hiei. genkai was killed TWENTY MINUTES after her introduction. who signed off on this?!

no botan oar, no jorge, koenma is a TEENAGER with a PACIFIER

and wtf was going on with yusuke!!!! his actor managed to convery anger, disgust, and boredom, and that was about it. he smiled maybe once? he almost cried in ep5 and that was HUGE to see. ugh he was robbed of his dynamism and life and passion and sense of humor as a character. I miss anime/manga yusuke so much. he was a goofy boy!!! he made that little kid smile!!! he jokes around and laughs really big and loves his friends!!!

they also failed to adapt botan. her actor was either poorly directed as I assume yusuke's was, or she's just an awkward performer. she's just a timid blue-haired cheerleader for yusuke who cows when he's mad I guess, not the fun, competent, confident, ball-busting older girl we all love. and her STYLE!!! let her dress up!!! it's 1991!!!

well, they have smartphones so I guess not 😔

I thought a lot of eps 1 and 2 were really boring...the fight scenes were way too long and not very good and I had no emotional stake

so this adaptation was too scared to really do its own thing but it also failed at recreating the true magic of yyh - the characters and their love for each other. the scene at the end was nice, but it didn't capture half of their chemistry by the DT arc

I really missed the tournament....and the character moments. atsuko screaming at yusuke and throwing things at his body!!! drunk and sobbing!!! a WRECK!!! I wanted THAT Atsuko. she was so collected and comforting to keiko, too. since when has atsuko been a responsible parent or adult?

whyyyy was his revival so easy!!! NO PUU!!!!!???? no proving himself, no emotional journey??!!

especially grieved to lose yukina crying because of her friends the birds being killed and not bc of being physically hurt. and I really wanted keiko to be more of a hero and save yusuke's body!! while giving keiko more of a character, the writing still let them down; they were relegated to Girls Needing Saving again at the end

it wasn't funny which is a crying shame given how hysterical the manga and anime dub both are (often for different reasons)

character arcs just got aborted. there was no way to explore hiei's past or his complicated feelings about his family. no way for kurama to reconcile the ancient demon and the 15 yr old boy he simultaneously is. no way for yusuke to truly overcome his anger and mature into a young man who's happy to be alive and is okay just chilling with a ramen shop. and um. well kuwabara got a spirit sword and that was pretty sick

also yoko kurama looked very silly and I didn't get his 'ancient powerful yokai' vibes ALSO it wasn't a surprise borne from kurama being poisoned to regress to himself of 20 years ago so that was a shame

I liked hiei's actor a lot but he SHOULD be 4'9!!!!

why did they spend more time on bullied kid than on the ACTUAL characters if they were so strapped for screentime?

ep1 was so bad. it was so bad guys. it was boring and not fun and I'm including the fight scene

no sensui or itsuki 😔 no shizuru, no puu, no jorge

overall the show tried to change both too much and not enough. if it only had 5 episodes, there are much more efficient ways of making the plot move forward and bonding the characters, and it doesn't requite sacrificing beloved character details. or hell, this is a new show! put IN some content, don't just take stuff away and mash other things together!

as another person on here said....it's a bit gutless

Final verdict: lots of style over substance with some good scenes and performances but ultimately a hollow shell of what it aspires to be. 6/10 will not rewatch but do not regret it

#yyh la lb

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books · 3 years ago

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Writer Spotlight: Lina Rather

Lina Rather is a speculative fiction author from Michigan now living in Washington, D.C. Her stories have appeared in various publications, including Shimmer, Flash Fiction Online, and Lightspeed.

Her current work, Our Lady of Endless Worlds, is a space opera about faith and duty, redemption and revelation, and nuns in a giant slug in outer space. The first book in the series, Sisters of the Vast Black, won the Golden Crown Literary Society Goldie award and was shortlisted for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award. Its sequel, Sisters of the Forsaken Stars, is now out to all the places that sell good books—possibly interrupting Lina’s non-writing pursuits of cooking overly elaborate recipes, reading history, and collecting cool rocks and terrible 90s comic books.

Click through to read more about squishy technology, advice for burgeoning SFF authors, and some amazing SFF litfic reading recs!

How would you describe Sisters of the Forsaken Stars to someone new to your work?

Sisters of the Forsaken Stars is the sequel to Sisters of the Vast Black (definitely start there!) and follows an order of interplanetary nuns as they travel in their living slug-ship between worlds in need of charity or medical help. In the second book, the Sisters are on their own, cast out of the Church after uncovering a terrible conspiracy—the whole foundation of their lives has changed. They have to deal with that grief and trauma while also choosing what role they will play in a war that is surely coming.

SOTFS is the second novella in your space opera series. Did you always envision a series?

Not initially, but by the time I finished the first book, I knew I wanted to spend more time with the women aboard the ship, Our Lady of Impossible Constellations. Each of them is a little bit of me in a different way, and I loved following them as they found their way down new paths in the wake of the first book.

The Sisters in SOTFS all have very different personalities. How do you approach writing different personalities’ coping mechanisms?

Each of the Sisters has something they truly cherish in life. Whether that’s faith, stability, or community, the events of the previous book have shaken those tenets. I focused on each of those things—what does it feel like for each of them to lose their grounding? What will they do to regain it? What happens if they can’t?

There are several intricate and complex bonds between characters in SOTFS—for example, a romantic lesbian relationship that’s refreshing in that it isn’t a focal point of the story and gets to just be quiet and tender. Did you enjoy writing that relationship?

I did! With Gemma, I wanted to write about someone who is going through a new “coming-of-age” later in life and having to learn who she is and how to be part of a relationship. I think many queer people, myself included, are familiar with feeling like they’re stumbling through another adolescence after coming out or leaving home. Too often, starting a relationship is the end of a story, but so often, that’s just the beginning—Gemma may love Vauca, but at the start of SOTFS, she doesn’t know how to do the work of that.

The living ships are such a brilliant element in the series, bringing up questions of agency and validity of the more-than-human. What first drew you to blur the lines between technology and animals?

I love organic technology—the squishier, the better! And because so much of the Sisters’ vocation is about care and community, it seemed natural that their ship should also be a member of their community, one they have to care for. It’s been really interesting to see different readers’ perspectives on the ship and its relative level of sentience and autonomy.

You have reworked your stories for audio; what’s that process like? Have you written for radio from scratch before?

I’ve only done a little bit of adaption for audio—mostly smoothing out things that look good on paper but sound funny narrated. For the most part, my stories have appeared in audio after appearing in print, so changes have to be small. I would love to write for a narrative mystery or horror podcast, though. I’m a huge fan of the genre (shoutout to Arden, Magnus Archives, Passenger List, The Last Movie…)!

Does your approach differ according to the format you’re working with (short story vs. novella, for instance)?

I tend to have the same process for most of my work—I’m a very methodical writer, and by the time I start a draft, I generally have a beginning, an ending, and the general feeling of the story in between. On the upside, that means I usually only write one (very, very slow) draft that is very close to the final product. On the downside, it means a lot more fallow time. SOTFS was a little different because I had an external timeline. I ended up writing all of the big scenes out of order, then fitting them together like puzzle pieces and filling in the connective tissue.

Do you have any advice for writers starting in SFF and hoping to make a career out of their writing?

Take risks—write that oddball story—and make friends! Writing is a lot more fun when you have a group of people pursuing the same goals (whether in real life, on a forum, or social media). Writing can be a weird and insular world.

What’s next for you?

I just sold the last short story I had in the archive (about an old cheesemaker and the king of death, forthcoming in Lightspeed soon-ish), so I would love to take some time to play in that sandbox again. Between the Order of Endless Worlds books and general life in the pandemic, it’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to. But I really enjoy the short form, and you can try out weird and wacky ideas that can’t sustain a longer work (maybe I will finally finish my “talking goat goes to see the world’s largest rubber band ball” story).

Do you have any hopes for the future of the SFF genre? What would you like to see more of?

I would love to see more slipstream and litfic-y SFF coming out. Some of my favorite books are speculative fiction published by non-SFF publishers (let me drop a plug for the very weird Secret Lives of the Monster Dogs and Famous Men Who Never Lived here). I also want to see a new venue for this kind of short fiction crop up—this corner of the market has really suffered in the past few years with the loss of Liminal, Shimmer, and now Lackington’s. I adore this subgenre, and it deserves more appreciation!

Thanks to Lina for her brilliant answers! Sisters of The Forsaken Stars is out now!

#writer spotlight #lina rather #sisters of the forsaken stars #sisters of the vast black #our lady of endless worlds #sff books #sff recs #reading recs #book recs #reading room #writers on tumblr #lgbtqia+ representation #booklr #booksbooksbooks #currently reading

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power-of-plot · 4 years ago

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Iida, Mirio, and Aizawa dating hcs please

Of course! But holy cow apparently this seriously inspired me, i hope this is ok xd

I I D A

Oh yes robot boi. Iida is someone nerdy in every aspect, his language even with close friends like Midoriya is very formal and polite, the same rule would apply when it comes to his significant other. Unlike what some would think, this doesn’t give your conversations a cold touch, on the contrary, it’d make him look chivalrous.

He’s a classic gentleman, he’d be the kind who opens the door and waits for you to walk in first or gives you his jacket when it’s too cold and you don’t have anything to cover yourself with, the second one would happen often in the classroom if you’re sensitive to cold. We are talking about U.A have you seen the measures of the classrooms and the entire area? It’s impossible they don’t have those huge air conditioners.

He highly respects the rules wich means, no PDA, on a certain level, no kisses to be specific. That doesn’t mean he won’t give you any affection, though every gear of his robotic soul is having a bad time working properly inside, he’d hold your hand or put his over your shoulder pulling you close when you’re sitting together.

He definitely would do that thing of caressing you with his thumb. As you expected it from Tenya, this is a sort of robotic motion, his finger would move like a metronome but that doesn’t make it any less nicer, he is slow and gentle.

Honestly, he’d be nervous most of the time. ALSO! Tenya is very thoughtful, he’d ask (often verbally) if you’re okay with whatever he’d do, as times goes by the questions turn non verbal, for example he’d hold his hand above yours waiting for you to give green light or grasp it.

“..Can i hold your hand?” “Sure!” “*DEEP INHALE AND BLUSH*” He couldn’t help to blush the first times. Specially on the firsT kiss but how would it be? A clasic scenenario after classes! And after you both have grown comfortable enough to each other’s touch. Seriously, if you like to go slow he's got you.

You two would be walking around in the campus after classes and he feels the tension grow.. he is analyzing every detail, he wants to ask but what if things get extremely awkward, he’s very tall- he’d have to bend down slightly (unless you’re nearly as tall as him) to do it so what if you flinch because it was unexpected.. he stops walking, he simply manages to say your name. You stared into each other's eye and then it happened, a big smile unexplainably forms in his lips complemented by a scarlet color across his whole face, his haircut made his head look like a strawberry.

There are going to be days you don't see him as much as you'd like, Tenya is very comitted to his hero patrols, he certainly would do extra hours from time to time or if the situation called for it. Let him know you like his hero suit! He’s thankful it has a helmet otherwise his flustered face would be exposed.

Whatever position you cuddle in Iida would wrap his arms around you, not only that, he’d interlock his fingers so he has a nice grip. His cuddles would be the classic spooning or having your head on his shoulder with your arm over his chest and in case you worry about his arm, this guy doesn’t know limb numbness- he literally tenses and holds his arms up every five minutes.

He sends good morning/good night texts often on the weekends since you're practically living together thanks to the dormitory system, they vary depending on the day, some are a reminder to get a proper amount of sleep or! To get done with homework so you can enjoy your free time and maybe ask if he can go over to study *cough spend time together*

He'd send the classic heart emoji, very detailed but easy to comprehend videos explaining any difficult lesson and history related stuff like paint restorations or facts about iconic sculptures. Please don’t send him those videos of people accidentally breaking things on museums, he’s gonna feel like something breaks inside.

M I R I O

This ray of sunshine fell for you? Your luck is so big you’d get jackpot on a slot machine on the first try-. You’re undeniably going to be good friends with Tamaki and Nejire, specially her, expect to get questions one after another without the chance to reply when she finds out you’re Mirio’s significant other, Tamaki would take it way better.

Mirio’s goofyness and confidence combined with his feelings give a unique result: he literally spoke to the boss of mafia himself twice like he was the manager in a store, but, the case is different when you’re around, he’s saying and actually good joke and suddenly.. it goes away, his mind goes blank. “So what happened after Mirio..?” “Ah.. i had practiced a lot, i don’t know what happened haha my bad!”

You’re going to get tons of his jokes and something more “intense” such as the classic “What’s in your shirt?” to make you look down so he can boop your nose with his finger, you should expect some gentle headpats as well.

If you’re shy he’s cool about it, he knows what do and adaptates to your pace, you’d start off with hand holding or rather pinky holding, he’d interwine his pinky with yours and show a bright smile. His hugs are the warmest, he doesn’t do it half-assesly, when you hug, YOU HUG, he uses both arms and slightly lifts you up! Height or strength are not a problem he’s actually one cm taller than Iida i just found out

He seems like the kind who loses their pen or eraser despite seeing it on their desk just one minute ago, if you happen to be that kind as well you’re both going to lay down your faith on poor Tamaki’s hands, i’m sure he has all his material complete.

He hardly ever gets nervous or scared by anything, things like the first kiss would go pretty smooth, instead of blushing intensely he’d just chuckle with slight disbelief, his mind is racing like “I just did that? woah!”. The biggest trouble for him would be gifts, he wants it to be perfect but asking Nejire for advice is not a good idea, roses are too formal and they don’t last long, going to the movies seems a little cliche.. his first gift would end up being a plushie of your favorite animal and a bamboo.

He’d sneak a kiss or two, specially before the class is begginning a training session, he’d send you a text telling you to go outside the changing rooms and oop! He phases through the wall poking out his head to give you a kiss kiss. If you don’t mind a prank from time to time he’d give a little scare using his quirk.

This guy is the big spoon during cuddles, no arguing! He could switch but as time goes by he’d slowly shift into the big spoon, that’s just the way he is, the most usual position would be where you’re facing each other with your limbs wrapping around the other’s body. Waking up with him would be adorable and attractive, morning and night are the only times of the day when his hair isn’t gelled into his All Might-like hairstyle, those blonde locks would frame his face, a heavenly sight.

Would send you a pic of stray animals he rescued with a “:D!” and Sir. Nighteye 'torturing' Bubble girl (half of his head visibly on a corner of the image). If you longed for a pet badly he would bring a nice dog/cat he finds around! In his hero suit to make the moment more special.

He uses the smiling emojis and emoticons! And shares videos of animals he finds adorable, if you sent him fails videos he'd laugh as long as the falls don't seem extreme or too severe, small trips on the beach or slips on the snow are fine. Mirio sends gifs i just know.

A I Z A W A

Have you taken a look at him? You must be a big The Walking Dead fan to like him lmao. Aizawa gives me an unexplainable gut feeling that he'd prefer a civilian (perhaps quirkless?) significant other over a hero, he wouldn't want his partner to go into the same dangerous situations he does.

His affection is tired, let me explain, he'd hug you and all that physical stuff but it'd kinda feel like his arms fall limply around you, still, even with his minuscule clingyness he loves you with all his might! He doesn't fall for anyone.

Not very fond of PDA, in public he'd preferr temple/forehead kisses and having your hand on the crook of his arm instead of hand holding (thinking about it Iida would do that too), seems more discret and! you don't let go when his hands are busy. He'd initiates it by gently resting your hand on his arm and sinking his hand into his pocket.

Surprise! He does smile, not that maniactic-looking grin he has sometimes during his shifts at U.A when a student impresses him, this one is less wide but somehow more tender and sweet, he tilts his head and for once his eyes seem relaxed, a relationship would make his cheeks hurt.. either for he's not used to smile so much or he smiles more than he thought he would.

If you give him a cat.. that's a strong blow straight to one of his weakest spots, he'd stare both at you and the kitten with a dumbfounded look before picking it up in his arm like a baby, his hand gravitates towards his it's head giving some nice pets before he shows a rare and somewhat bright smile "Thank you very much." Next time have a camera ready damnit! That smile rarely shows up.

He's practical, he wants his gifts to be nice but useful as well. He’d get you those mugs with candies inside, you get the candy and you can use the mug later for your coffee or tea; a power bank with a nice color or design and in case he choses something smaller: a bamboo, those one don’t wither away. Aizawa is fine with whatever you get for him, big or small he appreciates it. Sweaters, scarfs and blankets would be his favorite thing to get though, he likes to stay warm while working late at night

He’s sneaky, as an underground hero he’s used to work at times when the streets look disolated and the dark crime has more freedom to do as it pleases, he wouldn’t want to wake you up unless you asked him to. He’d leave a note on is pillow with the time he wrote it at and a short loving phrase like “i love you, i’ll be back soon, good morning”, before he leaves he’d always lift the sheet up to your neck or drag it away if you seem to be kicking it off you and give you a small kiss.

You’d find him passed out in his sleeping bag with his laptop besides him at random spots of his appartment, if it wasn’t because of the unatura position he adopts to fit in his sleeping bag he’d give you a death scare ‘cause let’s be honest he doesn’t look one hundred percent alive even when he’s awake. “Shota..? Shota can you hear me?!” “I’m not dead.”

Hibrid of big-small spoon. Most of the times you cuddle he’s asleep and you go snuggle him, his hair is a mess so better prepare to get tickled all night. He pull you close the best way he can when you’re behind him, not very comfortable for his arm but it’s worth it. He’d have you like a pillow over him, his chin over your head and both arms around you.

This man doesn’t bother typing when he can use his voice, the only situations he uses regular text messages are when he’s on shift or with you sleeping next to him. Send him gifs of kittens and a ‘i love you’ it instanstly gives him a good mood! He’d send pics of cats he sees around and gifts he bought you, doesn’t use emojis.

*COLLAPSES ON THE GROUND* Big oof- requests are open.

#mha headcanons #aizawa x reader #iida x reader #mirio x reader #fluff headcanons #requests open #mha fluff #fluff requests #my hero imagines #my hero academia #my brain is dying

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flickeringart · 4 years ago

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The Mutable Squares

In astrology there are signs that are more or less compatible. The signs are in essence representative of archetypes of the unconscious and they live out their expressions through our lives. It’s common knowledge that certain people are more or less compatible, which depends on the personal planetary placements and how they interact with another person’s placements.

People are complex and can’t be reduced to a single sign (their Sun sign for example). However, if a person has a lot of planets in a particular sign, they might find that other people with a lot of planets in the squaring sign (90° apart on the zodiac wheel) presents conflicting and disturbing energy. The signs that naturally square each other have a tense relationship because they have the same modes of expression (cardinal/fixed/mutable) but are placed in a different element (fire/earth/water/air). The difference in element poses a significant dilemma, between masculine (fire/air) and feminine (earth/water), mythical and intellectual vs. mortal and emotional.

Let’s finish this series with the mutable signs (read my post about the cardinal and fixed squares as well). While cardinal signs are using either the intellect (air), emotions (water), physicality (earth) or spirit (fire) to move toward a goal and accomplish something of importance, fixed signs are using one of the four elements to establish a certain reality, to attach to a concept (air), an emotion (water), a physical situation (earth) or an energy signature (fire). When it comes to the mutables, they use the four elements to rearrange, organize, evaluate, experience and observe. Take Gemini for example, the mutable air sign in contrast to Libra. Libra uses the intellect to achieve balance and a positive social identity – as a cardinal sign, it is set on a mission. Gemini on the other hand navigates the mental and social plane without any set mission or path – it seeks stimulation, variety and contrast. Mutable signs are less reliable in terms of direction than their cardinal and fixed counterparts, they are more prone to go with the flow while arranging the puzzle pieces in a way that makes sense. As it happens there’s not a lot that makes sense for long and stays the same, sooner or later readjustment and reevaluation is required. This is what the mutable sign do best – that is, adapting when it’s called for. Depending on the element of the mutable sign, the adaptation will look different.

In square to Gemini we have Virgo, the mutable earth sign. Virgo is the analyst of the zodiac, the sign that processes things in the mind until everything is properly understood and integrated as part of one’s physical existence. Both Gemini and Virgo use the intellect to navigate, but Virgo is much more grinding and serious in coming to a true understanding of why things are a certain way. Gemini doesn’t get entangled with information; it’s only a plaything, thoughts in space dancing before one’s eyes. Gemini is the sign of duality, which means that nothing is ever ultimately true and nothing really ultimately matters. This is why Gemini is more easy-going and quick than Virgo when handling information. Gemini is also more likely to bend the truth, tell the occasional “innocent” lie and make things up as situations progress. Because of the creativity and flexibility of the mutable air sign, things usually work out even if there are a few bumps in the road. Virgo can’t tolerate the kind of reckless spontaneity Gemini represents because there’s a skeptical distrust to the mutable earth sign. Earth signs in general are acutely aware of cause and effect, which is why things has to be thought through with as many consequences as possible in mind. Virgo wants everything to be done right because certain consequences can be fatal. Virgo, like all the earth signs are wary of doing things wrong because there’s too much at stake. Certain essential components must be present in order to sustain life – there’s little room for “winging it” and hoping to get by on luck. Gemini has no problem with putting faith in luck and is more trusting that everything is going to work itself out one way or another. The signs inevitably clash because their differences are difficult to bridge.

The other sign squaring Gemini is Pisces. There’s not much in common to these signs except that they both have the knowing that nothing is what it seems. In Gemini this dynamic shows through “flipping the coin” mentally, saying one thing and than another, confusing people yet attempting to make sense. Everything is relative to the mutable air sign – nothing can be taken an as a solid truth. Pisces can’t be described through the analogy of “flipping a coin” because there’s no evident duality – all states blur and fuse. The mutable water sign belongs to the emotional realm, the memories and images of the veil of illusion, the hope of exaltation and redemption. Pisces people are in one way or another always mirroring surroundings, never separating from what is showing up. There’s undeniable involvement with life, and ecstatic highs and terrible lows that comes with it. Gemini, being masculine as opposed to feminine, is never too intimately involved with life albeit constantly interacting with it. Pisces can’t detach which means that there’s no separation from life. Pisces is life and death and all the in between through all-consuming experience, while Gemini is life and death through not identifying with either polarity – while simultaneously identifying with both of them. In Gemini’s world, both heaven and hell exist and they are equally real (or unreal). In Pisces world, heaven and hell are the same yet appear different through sensation. Both signs can shift in and out of “character” – as it happens there’s nothing that is permanent or “original” in the sense that there’s no base line to return to. The essence of these signs is found in the moldable and shifting nature of reality – Gemini adapts through the intellect and Pisces through emotion. Both are tremendously creative because there’s openness to life that is unparalleled. In other words, there’s no center point or fixed identity that is going through alteration through experience, there’s only experience. Although they have this in common, as with the other mutable signs, the two don’t see eye to eye. Gemini thinks that Pisces is a blob of abstract mess while Pisces experiences Gemini to be strangely detached and uninvolved. However since they are both mutable signs there’s no enormous clash taking place, just an uncomfortable confusion. After all, being confused is not such a big deal for either of these signs. Pisces feels everything and is intimately familiar with the whole spectrum of human emotion, seeing as it a universal sign and encompasses the limitless universe. Gemini is a primordial sign, which means that it’s more rudimentary in comparison and deals with the capacity to think – not broad and vast universality. Gemini is the sign that knows how to effectively deal with the immediate environment through keeping up a conversation and keeping people stimulated. Pisces on the other hand is usually overwhelmed in such situations and resorts to mirror people’s moods and emotional states. It can be extremely comforting for others to find some reflection of themselves in the face of another, yet it’s also frustrating because it’s difficult to identify any consistency in personality. Some people have a hard time dealing with mutables because of their extreme adaptability. There’s no continuance because they’ve moved on while other signs are still holding on to a sentiment or thought, unable to drop it and move on. Virgo might be the only exception of the mutables, since belonging to the earth element means thorough and incessant processing of everything that happens. Virgos might still be going over a little mistake that was made years ago in order to understand it and not have to make it again. Virgos can’t let things slide however minor it seems.

In opposition to Gemini we have Sagittarius, the mutable fire sign. Opposite signs are complementary rather than conflicting. Although there might be a difficulty in understanding each other, they benefit from cooperation. Sagittarius is the wise and bold sage, adventurer and scholar looking to live and tell the truth from a place of optimism and universal pride. Gemini, as we’ve already established, is more of a trickster archetype, relying on wits to get by and acquire the necessary skills and report with people to make life stimulating and exciting. Gemini navigates and experiences life through the intellect and Sagittarius navigates and experiences life through the higher mind consisting of themes, symbols and myth. Myth is essentially life reflected in stories carrying symbolic value. There’s a prophetic touch to the mutable fire sign as it views life from a standpoint of experience being valuable in terms of meaning. In a nutshell, Gemini represents the lower mind and Sagittarius represents the higher mind – and that is how the complement each other.

Virgo and Sagittarius have more of a conflict going on between them. The pressing burden that Virgo carries of constantly having to make sure everything turns out perfectly doesn’t appeal to the philosophic fire sign that is hell bent on applying meaning to failure, of seeing value in all the trials and challenges life presents. Virgo has more of a “rational” and “realistic” way of viewing things that exclude any romanticism or spiritualistic ideas. If the laundry isn’t washed properly there’s no value in ending up with half-clean-half-dirty clothes. It is a failure and should be fixed as to ensure the smooth functioning of daily life. Without the physical machinery running effectively there’s no point in bothering about higher truths in Virgo’s mind. Sagittarius wouldn’t agree since there has to be a reason to live other than making sure that living is possible. Sagittarius is concerned with the broader context while Virgo is focused on tangible individual reality and how it should be organized to as to ensure health. In general, Sagittarius is more prone to keep the big picture in mind while Virgo hones in on details. The mutable fire sign thinks in terms of themes while the mutable earth sign thinks in terms of processes. Virgo has more trouble living in the now and is more prone to experience anxiety because of the constant reminder of consequences and how everything could fall apart at any minute. Both of the signs are restless, Sagittarius seeks to become more through knowledge and Virgo seeks to keep busy with chores and tasks. Life has to be kept in a certain pace – not with a concrete goal in mind but through the overturning of intellectual and physical movement.

Last but not least we have the Sagittarius-Pisces square, two universal signs with only modality in common. Pisces is not concerned with gathering experience to a vault of wisdom like Sagittarius – life is a blur, packed with sensation, like swimming in an endless ocean of shifting impressions. All that has ever been is reflected within and without, belonging to the same source, equally lovable and magical, even the truly terrible creatures that are out to devour and destroy. Pisces is bittersweet, or perhaps more accurately, morbidly sweet. There’s a destructive element to the mutable water sign that exceeds reason and rationale, it has no purpose and no meaning, it is just part of life. Pisces is the sign of oneness and separation, of fusion and of exclusion. In separation, it hurts to be destroyed, but in fusion, destruction becomes sweet. Pisces encapsulates the boundless and the limited expressions within it. Sagittarius on the other hand is more of a scholar than a mystic because all fire signs feel themselves to be anchored in the immortal spirit. Sagittarius is concerned with truth – levels of truth as opposed to the relative truth that is more characteristic of Gemini. In Sagittarius’ mind there is such a thing as higher truth and lower truth. Being a fire sign, it’s never tempting to lower the self to live according to the lower truths when there are higher truths of life to anchor the self in. Sagittarius is able to take the high road for this reason, to be guided by the North Star and honor life through deliberate search for something more elevated and supreme. Pisces doesn’t belong to the realm of spirit – it belongs to the waters of pre-existence and undifferentiated life and is therefore not in search of anything particular. There is however a deep unspoken longing for love that is extremely powerful although it’s not the longing for ultimate truth; it’s the longing for merging and freedom from the cruelty of separation. Sagittarius frowns upon the passivity and abstraction that Pisces represents, although the fire sign might be able to understand to some degree, it won’t be able to approve. More than likely Sagittarius would deem it infantile and disturbing to want to regress and abandon the world for something as diffuse as the feeling of universal love. To Sagittarius, it is offensive to spirit, the fire of the world, to drown in the waters of oblivion. Sagittarius attributes meaning while Pisces experiences through emotional sensation. The deep existential sadness of Pisces is not something Sagittarius is involved in, because for the fire signs, there’s always a higher meaning to emotion. Pisces on the other hand is all emotion with no context or purpose - the emotion is its own purpose somehow.

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eerythingisshaka · 4 years ago

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Ficmas Day #9 “Rio rings, are you listening?”

[Rio x Reader]

Word Count: 1.4k

Across the street from the church, you grow more and more hesitant. It has been a while since you stepped foot in one and even longer since you practiced any faith. You take a minute to look up at the steeple, illuminated by the warm glow behind colored glass in the window. Your breath creates quickly dissipating clouds in front of your face as the wind whips in your direction. You push your hands deeper into our pockets, looking both ways before stepping out into the street.

Your boots crunch over the salt rocks scattered over the concrete steps as you make your way to the heavy wood doors. Even through your mitt, you can feel how cold the brass handles our as you pull it open and step inside.

The atmosphere is instantly quieter once you pass the threshold and the door closes with a low tone thunk. Looking around you see an effigy of Jesus on the cross with a spotlight on him. Your eyes cast downward at the sight, feeling instantly judged and fearful that lightning might strike you down for presenting yourself this late in your life. Walking down the pew lined aisle, you look around at the candles that line the windows, decorated with faux holly leaves. You take a seat in the middle of the right side, squeaking under your weight.

Breathing in deeply, your nose catches a faint smell of frankincense in the air, bringing back memories of blessed oil and healing.

“Well, I’m here,” you say out loud, at first to know one in particular but looking up, you remember your audience. “Or I guess you know that already.”

Looking down at your mittened hands, you have many thoughts but none of them fully prepared to come out.

“Good evening.”

You hop up out of your seat as you look to see a man in all black walking across the front of the church slowly, hands behind his back and looking down. His voice did not match his stance as he sounds very strong and commanding.

“Hi! Uh, I just was looking for somewhere quiet to sit awhile,” you explain.

He stops in front of you, rows of pews separating yourselves from each other.

“Are the library’s closed?” he asks.

“Yes. I mean, no? I don’t know actually, I can leave though if-”

He raises a hand. “No need. Take a seat.”

“Yes, Reverend. Or Priest?” You struggle to get his proper titling down.

“You can just call me Rio. For now.”

The rasp in his voice seems calming and also violent, as if he just got through yelling at someone or is just about to at any moment because his vocal cords have been worked out. Preachers do enjoy a stirring sermon to work a collection plate flow.

“Ok, sure.” You sit down again, even more uncomfortable than before. Rio looks over the altar, peering up at Jesus for a while. You can’t help but to stare, curious if he’s going to remain here with you.

“Are you a member of this church?” Rio asks with his back to you.

“No. I was a while ago, but I don’t think it counts now.”

Rio looks back at you. “I don’t think God has a re-registration process for His sheep, right?”

You shrug. “I think that’s when it’s up to interpretation.”

Rio shakes his head with a small smirk. He starts to slowly walk his way up the aisle, looking around the sanctuary.

“If it’s how you interpret it, then that is based on what you feel you deserve. Your inner bias creates that narrative you think is true,” Rio states.

Biting your lip, you take this in. “Still, I think there is something to be said about not giving Him the time required to fully show one’s devotion.”

Rio sits in the pew on the other side of the aisle, right across from you. He stretches his leg out, leaning on the end armrest and looks curiously at you. For the first time you notice some marking on his neck.

“So you decide to spend your holiday having a religious debate instead of spending it with family?”

“Oh, yeah. Anywhere is better than having to deal with the mess they bring into my life.” You say this half heartedly, looking to Jesus at the front again.

“Then why are you at your childhood church?”

You scoff. “Do I look that young that you assume I was a child here?”

RIo smiles, looking away. “Maybe. Just a guess.”

“You’re right. And I came here to try and resolve some things. My family doesn’t know I am here yet. They will be here tomorrow for Christmas service and I got curious what the place looks like now while...searching for some spiritual courage.”

Rio nods. “You and your family separated on bad terms then?”

You nod.

“I see. Then I give you credit for coming up in here even thinking about them. You seem to be doing alright for yourself, you could just go on and work on yourself without them.”

You turn to him, stretching your face in confusion. “I am really surprised you would say that. First, thanks for thinking that. Life is trash, but you can’t tell so yay! And two, I thought you would be like I need to keep family close and repair and reach out.”

Rio shakes his head. “Cuz I wouldn’t say that. People think too much about how what they do affects others when you have to think is what you do better for them in the long run? If they don’t respect you or try to, you showing up is going to be disrespectful. But if the peace is kept between you while you’re gone, stay gone.”

“I can’t help but think that’s pessimistic.”

Rio shrugs. “Maybe it is, but some pessimism gotta be healthy. It’s looking at the world for what it is and accepting what you can’t change then adapting. Just because you’re away doesn’t mean you can’t love them or they love you less. But some people just can’t get along. It’s water and oil.”

You sit there flabbergasted by this man of God’s advice. Have you been looking at this completely wrong? Has the spirit of Christmas made you think of an artificial means of reconciliation that you aren’t prepared for and may never will be?

“Hey, Rio…” you ask in mid-thought.

“What’s up?”

“Before I head out, I just gotta know, what are those markings on your neck there?”

Rio reaches for his collar, holding his neck with a smile on his face. “I don’t think you need to see this in a church. I’ll let you guess though.”

You squint your eyes at him. “If I had to guess, I imagine it’s something from...a past life? Maybe you used to be into somethings and you got a...tattoo?”

Rio puts a finger to his lips with a wink. “Past lives never really are the past though.”

You sit back intrigued. “Wow, I have never seen someone in church...like you.” You laugh nervously, enjoying his smile back at you when a man from a back door comes out in a jean jacket, skinhead with more tattoos you can see. Rio stands up, smoothing out his shirt.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have some business to take care of. I have to help the preacher prep for tomorrow’s service.”

Your eyes widen with surprise. “You’re not the preacher? Oh man, I’m sorry! I just assumed, being in all black and I thought you were here alone.”

“It’s ok. Black is just more professional. It’s my color. It’s powerful. You can consider me the preacher's assistant with...finances. But I’m glad we got to have a talk while you were here.”

You stand up, reaching out a hand. “Me too. It’s nice talking to someone with their head on straight. I’ll think about all you said.”

Rio takes your hands firmly, looking down from it to you. You feel exposed under his gaze but unwilling to turn loose from it.

“I hope I’ll see you tomorrow. Should be a good turn out. Good message from the big man.”

He lets go of your hand and you’re only sad you didn’t take your mitt first to know how soft or rough they were. He makes you want to know more about him but the night is getting later.

“Ok. I’ll be here. You have a good Christmas Eve.”

“You as well.” Rio nods to you as he joins his counterpart in the backroom. You walk toward the doors you came from, looking back at the empty sanctuary, leaving with a feeling you didn’t think you’d have but is as close to a holiday spirit than you ever had.

@chaneajoyyy

#shakafic #rio x reader #ficma

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forsakenoathkeeper · 4 years ago

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I Am Alive (chapter 10/?)

Deviant!Connor[RK800] x (fem!)Reader Rated M(18+) for canon-typical violence and gore, medical procedures, and graphic sexual content

Please support me on AO3 & thanks for reading ♥

The following morning, you were called into the police station to finalize the documents from yesterday's investigation. All they needed was a pen and ink signature.

Connor had been in conversation with another detective when you walked in; so, you decided not to bother him.

On your way out, you spotted Connor seated across from Hank. At first, you thought he was lost in his computer screen; however, he spun around to greet you as you approached, rising to his feet with a smile.

"Do you have eyes in the back of your head?" you teased.

"I do not. I saw the documents register to the case and knew you were finished," he answered, a little robotically. His tone didn't quite match the soft look on his face.

You stepped in a little closer, looking up at him with expecting eyes.

"I-" Connor cleared his throat. "-was unsure if you were alright with public displays of a-"

You reached for his tie, slid your fingers around the smooth velvet right above the clip, and gave a light tug. It forced Connor to bend down, just a little bit, and brought his mouth within range for yours.

You closed your eyes and leaned into the kiss with a smile, silencing him. He reciprocated, gently, closing his own eyes. It lasted barely a second and was hardly anything compared to what you had done last night; but, it left your tummy swarming with butterflies.

People could see.

Connor's coworkers could see.

Good.

"Ah, geez," Hank grimaced, rising to his feet. "Get a room."

You parted from Connor with a little giggle. When you released Connor's tie, he fixed it promptly, though it had hardly moved at all. It was impossible to miss the adorable, dorky smile he was trying not to wear.

"Damn kids," Hank grumbled as he walked away, coffee cup in hand.

"Are you heading back to work?" Connor asked softly, still standing close.

"Yeah, I better get back there before they have a kitten..." you trailed off when Connor's gaze shifted away from you and looked over your shoulder. The soft look in his eyes vanished, replaced with something cold.

"It's nice to see you again, detective."

You rotated around, following Connor's gaze.

This man's face had once been plastered over every magazine cover for business, wealth, and technology. Anyone who knew even a little bit about androids knew who he was: piercing blue eyes, a strong jawline, dressed impeccably.

Elijah Kamski, the inventor of androids. Two men were standing nearby, dressed as sharply as he was: lawyers, most likely.

"What are you doing here?" Connor asked. His cold tone didn't go unnoticed. It actually startled you a little.

Elijah was Connor's creator, even if he hadn't been working at Cyberlife at the time of Connor's inception. Some hostility was to be expected; but, somehow you doubted it was that simple. It sounded like Connor had history with Elijah.

"I've been asked to answer questions about Charles Reaves," he answered, seemingly uninterested in the whole thing. "I'm not entirely surprised to see you here - comfort zones, and all."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I enjoy being a detective," Connor replied, not bothering to mask his irritation. When Connor spoke was when you realized how close he was standing beside you. You could practically feel his voice modulator rumbling against you.

Something about Elijah really bothered him.

"Of course," Elijah replied. His eyes landed on you. "-and who might you be?"

You gave your name, followed with, "I'm an artificial biomechanical engineer."

"A fancy way of saying you work on androids. Wonderful. I haven't gotten to spend time with someone of a similar profession in a long time," Elijah replied, sounding oddly sincere. You doubted that your professions were anything similar.

You extended your hand, offering it to Elijah out of common courtesy. However, when Elijah reached for you, another hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

Connor's hand.

Your eyes shot up to the android, surprised by his actions. His LED was a strong yellow and his eyes were sharp, almost glaring at the man across from him. Elijah didn't seem at all bothered. In fact, he let out an amused laugh and started to smile.

He pulled his hand back and Connor let go.

"I thought you told me what you wanted wasn't important?" he stated, more so than asked, voice low, ensuring that others in the crowded room wouldn't be able to hear. It was clear that he was challenging Connor.

Your eyes moved back to Elijah, confusion heavy in your glance. His icy blue eyes shifted back to you for a second and then back up to Connor's fierce brown orbs. The implication made you nervous.

"You've changed," Elijah stated, sounding pleased by the discovery.

There was a retort ready to leave Connor's throat. He was interrupted, however.

"If you're done dicking off, Connor, there's work to be done," Fowler called out to him from the steps right outside his office.

Connor looked over his shoulder and gave his superior a curt nod.

"I better go," he said, rotating back around to look down at you.

When your eyes caught Connor's, it was suddenly easy to ignore Elijah, who was still standing there.

"Go catch some baddies," you replied, encouragingly.

Something danced behind Connor's eyes and his LED eased back to blue. You thought he was going to swoop down and steal a kiss; but, he didn't, turning away and walking past Elijah. He glanced at him briefly, a warning as he passed by, before disappearing into the precinct.

"Mr. Kamski we must-" one of Elijah's lawyers tried catching his attention.

Elijah lifted his hand, harmless, but arrogant, and the lawyer immediately stopped talking.

"I was hoping I could talk to you, actually?" he asked you, voice polite, sincere.

"I appreciate the interest, Mr. Kamski. But, I promise I'm not interesting," you replied stoically.

"I disagree," he replied with a quiet laugh. "You are an item with an android. I find that very interesting." It was kind of scary, really, how charming Elijah sounded. He sounded like he really meant it. "Please, humor me for a bit. If there's anything I can do for you in return...?"

You blurted the first thing that came to mind, doubting Elijah would ever consider it. "With the protests - lots of androids are afraid to look for help and supplies are limited as it is with Cyberlife's shutdown."

The corner of Elijah's lip curled slightly. "You want to help them?"

"Yes," you replied firmly. "I want parts for repairs - thirium pump regulators, memory units - things that are hard to get."

"That can be arranged."

"How do I know you're good for it?" you dared to ask.

Elijah laughed quietly, briefly. "I suppose you'll just have to trust me."

You briefly pondered exactly what the hell this man was planning on asking you. He was a millionaire, a super genius who created artificial intelligence and fully operational android skeletons.

You just repaired them. What could he possibly want to talk to you about?

Your thoughts wandered to Markus and Simon, and the many androids that were potentially going without repairs. Even if they couldn't feel pain, they didn't deserve to be broken, to be unable to speak, or hear, or see, or walk.

"Okay," you replied lowly. "I'll humor you."

Elijah nodded with a smile. "It wasn't too cold today. May we?"

He gestured to the hallway that led to the main entrance. You led the way, walking past him and heading for the grounds.

Elijah was right. The weather outside wasn't too bad. The air was crisp and chilly, but not unbearable. You were doing just fine in your jacket. Clouds were looming in the distance; but, they weren't going to make it before you were done.

The courtyard outside the station wasn't particularly impressive, but it was empty, and you and Elijah fit just fine on one of the benches.

For a moment, Elijah's focus was elsewhere. He seemed to be thinking, trying to decide where he wanted to begin. You felt small seated next to him.

Without taking a break or skipping a beat, Elijah asked, "are your desires because of what he is or in spite of it?"

"You want to talk to me about my relationship with Connor?" you blurted, surprised. You met Elijah's gaze uneasily.

He didn't budge. His expression suggested that he didn't see it as strange in the slightest. It wasn't what you were expecting. Then again, Elijah Kamski was one of the leaders of android inception. He was their creator, almost exclusively.

You were sitting with the man who made Connor's life possible.

That thought struck you like a hand across the face.

"I do," Elijah answered.

"I-..." you stuttered.

The obvious answer was on the tip of your tongue. But, was it the truth? You loved the android parts of him: the way his LED shimmered with emotion, the quirks of an android learning to adapt to human society, the unique way he talked, how powerful he was, the beautiful construction of his body, inside and out.

But, you also loved the parts of him that were not dictated by what he was: his kindness, his passion, his curiosity.

"Android or human isn't the point. I'm with Connor because I want to be - because I like who he is, regardless of the what."

"I see," Elijah replied softly. Something in the way he said that suggested he didn't quite believe you.

You frowned at him, but decided against arguing with him. It wouldn't have been entirely in good faith. You knew that your feelings for Connor were physical, too: both the android aspects and the parts that imitated a human.

"Why did you choose to be an engineer - specifically for androids?" Elijah asked. "It's a fairly new profession, for obvious reasons, and you're very young."

Elijah couldn't have been more than 40 years old, if you recalled correctly from the countless essays you had to write in college. He wasn't that much older than you. Yet, somehow, he managed to make you feel like a child.

You doubted the inventor of androids would be alarmed by your answer.

"Because I don't like people," you answered plainly.

If anything, he liked that answer. Through a smile, Elijah replied, "are they not people?"

Once upon a time, you weren't so sure. But, then, you saw their suffering, had been suffocated by the fear in their eyes. You saw them plead and beg for help. You had seen androids, designed with very clear instructions, offer unnecessary kindness that most humans never did.

"They're better," you spat back.

"Logic and reason above feelings?" he asked.

"They do feel," you challenged.

"How can you know for certain?" Elijah tilted is head a little, suspicion in his tone more so than doubt. It sounded like he was trying to plant a seed of distrust. "How do you know that androids are capable of real emotions and not just imitating what they've seen?"

"Humans are capable of the same fucking thing," you snarled. "Pretending to give a shit when they don't. When an android does it, it's programming. When a human does it, it's just fucking normal, right? What difference does it make?"

Elijah's eyes burned brightly, admiring the passion in your voice.

"What are you getting at, anyway?" you added on sharply.

"I made androids to make our lives better: they care for our children, our elderly, grow our food, do dangerous jobs, protect us... and fuck us."

You had read lots of articles about Elijah Kamski, saw many news outlets cover him. He had proclaimed many times that he designed androids to make everyone's lives better. He promised they were not capable of thought beyond their instructions.

"Many debate their intentions. If they can choose beyond their programming," Elijah continued, as if he had read your mind. Or, maybe, you just knew where he was going with this.

"Deviancy," you observed.

You looked away from Elijah, losing the tolerance for the ways his eyes burned into yours.

"Androids are perfect: beautiful, strong, compa-"

"Are you wanting me to tell you that I have a robot kink?"

Elijah huffed out laughter, brief and quiet.

"I won't pretend that Connor's not so beautiful that it fucking hurts," you whispered harshly, feeling ashamed. You dragged a heavy hand through your hair. "But that's not all. He's kind. He wants to protect people: androids and humans. He doesn't see it as their side and our side. He-... He's different. The way he sees the world, I want to see it, too."

"Maybe, then, you see why I'm fascinated by you," Elijah stated, standing up. Your eyes followed him, and you realized he was just casually stretching.

"Why do you find this so strange? Two people who want to be together - what's so weird about that?"

Elijah turned around, hands buried in his coat pockets.

"One was born twenty-something years ago. One was made in a factory a little over a year ago," Elijah answered casually.

"You don't think I've thought about that?" you asked him sharply. "That I haven't fought myself over whether or not this is right?"

Elijah didn't seem bothered by your moral dilemma.

"I'm sure you're well aware that all androids process at a faster rate than humans. They awake capable of comprehending things the average adult can... and then some. Your moral dilemma is pointless. I know they will bring humanity to places we couldn't even imagine..."

"-but you're fascinated with whether or not they can love," you deadpanned.

"I'm fascinated with love between an android and a human," he answered.

There was something unspoken in that observation. You wanted to ask him if he loved his creations, if he cared about their well-being. Elijah had been pretty careful to make no statements during the revolution, oddly enough.

"This couldn't possibly be worth your time, or money, Mr. Kamski," you uttered, suddenly sounding quite tired.

He chuckled sincerely. "Just look at it as... humoring someone who gained everything and... lost everything."

Another statement with something unspoken beneath. Did he mean Cyberlife? Elijah had departed from the company of his volition, if the news was to be believed. Maybe he experienced a moral dilemma. Or, maybe, if Charles Reaves was anything to go by, a difference in opinions.

"Before..." you began, deciding to take a gamble. "-when I first went to school for androids. I just thought they were interesting. Like spending company with humans without all the bullshit. I didn't think... they actually... felt anything."

You paused and let out a heavy sigh. It brought shame to you, admitting this. You thought about Connor, about Markus, about the many androids that came in and out of the clinic on a daily basis.

"My first job, I repaired manufacturing androids. These guys came in with their arms hacked to bits, covered in dents, legs falling off, torsos torn in two, singed and burnt to a crisp. Any job that risked injury, that's what they did."

You dragged a heavy hand through your hair. "Some of them were really afraid they were going to die."

You paused when you failed to suppress a sniffle and hastily wiped your tears on your sleeve. "I realized... I was wrong. I wasn't an engineer; I was a nurse... But, no one else saw them that way. Until-... The deviant uprising and I - I wanted to do something I was proud of for a change."

Elijah turned back around to face you, his expression unreadable. He was quiet, taking in the sight of you, seemingly touched by your empathy.

You wiped your tears away hastily and added on gruffly, "-and then I met Connor and now you're here asking me these fucking questions."

Elijah smiled again, his lip twisted like he didn't want to laugh.

"You're a liar, by the way," you accused, changing the subject.

Elijah didn't look offended, but intrigued.

"You said they can't develop consciousness or desires," you explained, remembering his speech quite well because you had to write about it.

You expected Elijah to say something about your accusation. You doubted he would defend himself, maybe dance around the subject, since that seemed to be his preferred method.

"You would know all about that," he stated, amused.

Before you could reply, Elijah continued. "I know this all seems pointless to you; but, I'm glad I met you. You put me at ease."

You frowned at Elijah's statement. "I don't see how: we did all this talking and nothing came of it."

His expression changed. He looked understanding, maybe even sympathetic.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I'm not always direct... The world's more interesting when there's questions needing answers. I wanted to see what became of the RK800; but, I didn't expect you."

You had a feeling you were blushing, being spoken about in this manner.

"His purpose is unique: an android designed to hunt deviants. If his blueprints had never been destroyed, maybe they could have made one incapable of deviancy: would have been the perfect soldier."

You stiffened when you heard Elijah's claim.

Connor was designed to-... what?

You didn't want Elijah to think this was news to you.

"His blueprints?" you uttered.

"Yes. Connor is-" Elijah answered lowly. "-the last of his series."

Talking about Connor like this stirred up unpleasant feelings in your gut.

"He is different from any other android," Elijah explained. When you looked up at him, you could see something akin to sadness in his eyes. "How isolating the world must be when you were made to hunt your own kind."

Connor wasn't alone. He had Hank. He had you-

But, this wasn't about you, or humans for that matter. This was about Connor. You had never seen him spend time with other androids, or with anyone besides Hank. He always drowned himself in his job. Maybe, Connor was lonely, and you had been too busy keeping him to yourself to notice.

"Fuck-" You wiped your eyes again and swallowed a whimper.

"I'm sorry for bringing you to tears," Elijah apologized. He sounded like he meant it. "Making you upset wasn't my intention."

Elijah was quiet for a moment, giving you a chance to calm yourself down.

"I'm afraid I've avoided at least ten phone calls during our conversation..." Elijah pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and eyed it grossly. "If we never meet again, I want you know that I valued this conversation dearly."

"Mr. Kamski," you blurted, before he could turn away. "Before you go, did-... Did you program them afraid to die?"

"No," he answered quietly, not even hesitating. "The will to live... It was an unexpected outcome."

...

Back at the apartment, Connor came in just after you had finished eating dinner. He greeted you with a kiss and turned away. Part of you didn't want to worry him, especially when he had an android homicide that was likely linked to Charles Reaves. That was another issue entirely; but, you promised yourself that you would be honest with him.

"I have to tell you something," you beckoned to him, grabbing his sleeve to stop him from retreating.

Connor turned back around to face you, eyes focused on yours, concerned.

"I spoke with Kamski after you left. He told me what you were made for."

Something akin to panic danced behind Connor's eyes. It was subtle; but, it was definitely there.

"I'm sorry, Connor. You should have gotten the chance to tell me yourself. I shouldn't have found out that way."

Connor struggled to maintain eye contact with you. His LED was yellow, spinning against his temple. He seemed to be searching his thoughts for what he wanted to say. "I don't know if I would have told you, honestly," he uttered lowly, turning away from you. "It's something I really... really regret."

"We all regrets things, Connor - bad choices we made, mistakes. It's norm-"

When he turned back to you, shame and anger were written over his face. You were a little frightened by that face - a face you hadn't seen Connor make before.

"I called androids 'its'. I - I treated them like machines - like things - my own kind. I destro- murdered - androids for being deviant."

"You were under control, Connor," you argued fiercely. "What choice did you have? You didn't have a choice! You did what you thought you had to do. That wasn't you, Connor."

"It's what I was made to do," he challenged. "It's what I knew how to do. I was good at it. How is that any better?" His tone was as calm as it usually was, but had some bite and venom to it. He was gesturing to himself with his hands, fingers pointed at his own chest.

"I was proud," he continued, volume rising slightly. "Good job, Connor. You stopped the deviants like a good machine!" He was taunting himself now. It hurt you to listen to him mock himself. "You did EXACTLY what you were told to do, without question."

You sniffled, trying to bite back tears.

Connor raked his fingers roughly through his hair before dropping them down to his sides. "I would say... 'I'm a machine designed to accomplish a task' - and I was proud of it. 'You can't kill me - I'm not alive'." Connor had a peculiar way of quoting himself, like he was talking about someone he didn't know.

"I was going to find the source of the deviants and stop them!" he added on, frustration and volume rising. "I held a gun to Markus' face! I contemplated letting Hank DIE for my mission. That's all that mattered - the fucking mission. It's not just regret! I'm a mach-"

"You didn't have a choice!" you practically screamed, silencing him. You felt it, the first tear fall.

Connor's eyes watched that teardrop slide down your cheek and the fire in his eyes extinguished. Realization struck him like he had just been slapped across the face. He was letting everything out on you, letting his regrets pour out and drown you.

"I could never understand what that feels like-" you paused, trying to hold back a sob. "What it was like to be p-put through that, Connor. To not see yourself as a living being - to think that you weren't alive - that your life didn't fucking matt-guh-!"

You choked back a sob, making a guttural noise. Your head lowered into your hands.

You could feel the android looming over you, close, protective, worried; but, when you looked up at him through tear-stained eyes, he seemed almost afraid to touch you, like he wasn't allowed to. Regret was written across his face again; but, this time, it was a different reason.

He had yelled at you when you hadn't done anything wrong-

He was taking it all out on you-

You took that initiative and reached for his hand. As soon as your skin touched, Connor laced your fingers like you were his only lifeline saving him from drowning in the ocean. He looked like he was drowning, like he was lost.

"You were a prisoner in your mind, Connor," you whimpered. "I'm glad that you're deviant," you whispered, trying to stop the tears. "I'm so proud to be yours..."

Connor surrendered, leaning in to let his temple touch yours. His eyes fluttered shut.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled," he rasped.

"I'm not crying because you were yelling," you whispered, leaning into his touch. "The thought of you not caring about yourself - thinking you weren't alive: that hurt me. Connor, I-..."

You wretched your hand free on his so you could wrap your arms around his back and pull him into an embrace. Connor's face slipped from your temple and sunk into your neck. His hands grabbed fistfuls of the back of your shirt and clung to you for dear life.

You pressed your cheek into his hairline and leaned against him. As always, Connor was solid, unrelenting against your force, holding up your weight with ease.

"I am alive," he uttered against your skin, like he was reminding himself of something important. "I am alive," he said again, his voice cracking.

You felt wetness on your skin and knew that he was crying. You squeezed him tighter and tighter, until it started to hurt. You pressed a wet kiss to his temple before resting your cheek against the soft skin there.

No one could tell you this wasn't real.

Flesh and plastic.

Blood and thirium.

Bones and metal.

It didn't change the hurt in his voice or the adoration in his eyes. It didn't change the way he couldn't hold back a smile when he was praised. It didn't change the way his hands held you when you were afraid. It didn't change his inquisitive nature or the care he held for others.

It didn't change-

-that you were madly in love with him.

#connor x reader #deviant connor #deviant connor x reader #dbh fanfic #rk800 x reader #rk800 smut #connor smut

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katyatalks · 4 years ago

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Mob Psycho 100 Interview Translation - Character Designer Kameda Yoshimichi - Otome Visual 2017

Summary-style translation for Character Designer Yoshimichi Kameda’s 4 page interview from Otome Visual 2017, regarding elements in the creation of Mob Psycho 100 such as: what inspired this cover art, the influence of fan art in the anime’s creation, Tsubomi’s design, the process behind the package art for the DVDs, and more. Includes some genga. Under read more;

[TN: The reason why I elected to summarise this interview rather than do a full write up is because a lot of the information given gets covered in December 2016′s Animestyle010, in “The Making of Mob Psycho 100.” I typed that one out in full over on twitter but that’s a long interview, and I don’t have the time or energy to reformat it for Tumblr, but if you’re interested in a very in-depth look into how Mob Psycho 100′s anime came to be I’d really recommend checking it out. Direct quotes are given in “” here. Enjoy!]

---

*~The genga illustration for Otome Visual’s cover~*

“With the recent popularity that Skating Anime has had, what’s this - a Shouwa idol collab?! It’s all in the little details in their clothing - their wrinkled shirts, white trousers, black belts - both around their waists and arms.”

*~Kameda’s comments~*

“Can you heaaaar me!! I am currently speaking directly into your braaaain!!! What I’m grateful for with this commission is I was able to design the cover in any way I’d like!! A cover is a reflection of current times, so, of course, I went for ice skating! You wouldn’t be able to find this kind of amazing content in any time period other than now! That’s what I first thought! Like, Mob Psycho 100!! If there’s not a certain Mob Psycho 100-ness present in the art then what’d be the point, so, the characters are being very serious but they’re also pretty laughable. I tried to create a piece of art from which you could hear their voices!!! What’s with it being Shouwa-esque?? Being lame is incredibly cool!!! Huh? Does that describe Mob Psycho 100?? Can’t answer that if you ask!!!! Please feel the amazing Paradise Ginga x Mob Psycho 100-ness here!!!!!!”

---

Kameda describes how he wasn’t sure how best to adapt the manga into an anime format at first, since from the art he was shown he immediately knew it to be very unique - the idea of using Flash to animate the show was raised but quickly shot down

Originally, upon being asked about the show, he based his thoughts on what a web image search for Mob Psycho 100 gave him rather than having the actual manga in hand. “For the most part, the results that came back would be fanart (laughs). It’s a bit strange - at that time, it was difficult to find art uploaded from the manga. If you could find anything, it’d just be art from the covers. So for the most part, an image search of Mob Psycho 100 would just bring you back fanart. A lot of that fanart would be… a shounen in a cool pose wearing a school uniform with smooth bobbed hair & sharp cat-like eyes, sort of like Hiei’s eyes (from Yu Yu Hakusho). Very different from the manga’s art. But when I looked at that art, I thought; this could work. Fanart is, fundamentally, ‘fans drawing what they like’, so I thought, ‘the anime having this kind of art would make the fans happy.’ Well, it didn’t work out that way, obviously. I was told the anime’s art should resemble that of the manga. (Laughs)”

He hadn’t read the manga so all he had for reference was art from volume 1 and the fanart he found online. “But I like things like spirits and urban legends, so seeing Dimple - a floating supernatural fiery ball - and being told the manga touches on the occult caused my interest to soar.”

Says that Teru is the easiest character for him to draw. “He’s overflowing with confidence, so it’s easy to put him into some cool poses. Mob and Ritsu in comparison, not so much. [...] With Reigen, he has a lot of poses that are like, he’s trying to look good. He takes a solid stance. I suppose Spirits & Such has such a shady air to it, and you have to hide that somehow, right? So, Reigen injects confidence into how he presents himself. A model-like stance.”

“The anime is faithful to the manga… ah, actually, Tsubomi-chan was changed with a ‘let’s make her more like a heroine’ conversation. So, I did so, but reading recent events in the manga I can’t picture her in her anime form (laughs). The manga’s Tsubomi isn’t much like a heroine, so I’ve found myself wondering, if we animate up until this part… just how will we approach it? The anime’s Tsubomi is so bright and sparkly, so she wouldn’t have snot hanging from her nose (vol.13 of manga), would she…? (Laughs). Perhaps we went a little too far with making her a heroine. Maybe, if we do season 2, we’ll turn her back into a normal girl (laughs). Well, Tachikawa-san is clever; I think he’ll find a way to make do with her current design.”

---

Picture text: "This is Mezato's first appearance, so I decided to make her cute!! Thank you in advance!!"

Picture text: "That girl was telling me such a stupid story this morning... aidzuchi* isn't easy, you know... I'll just ignore her tomorrow..." [* sounds made to indicate that you're listening to someone speak]

---

Asked about his favourite characters; “I love Mezato Ichi from the Newspaper Club. When I drew her in her character sheet in that pose where she’s holding her camera, I came to see her as being quite cute. So now I focus on her a lot; in fact, when I draw genga I sneakily choose the cuts that have her in them (laughs).”

“I also love Mob. Reigen stands out the most so your eyes naturally jump to him, but I love the balance that Mob has. His heads tall ratio... or rather, his face, and the way his body is proportioned? It makes him lovely. Ritsu is around the same height as Mob, but, how can I put this - the cuteness that Mob has, is lacking in Ritsu… due to the latter being quite standoffish, I suppose (laughs).”

Ritsu’s hair changing through the first season is discussed, and how it is purposefully shortened during the latter half. “I paid attention to making sure his hair was long especially while he was being possessed by Dimple. So it’d resemble thorns.”

“I feel Teru-kun is the most ‘yang’ of all the characters. The rest are more ‘yin’ in nature. Because of this, it’s easy to play around with his expressions - he’s fun to draw. Speaking in terms of Dragonball, he’s kind of like Mob Psycho 100’s Vegeta (laughs).”

“In episode 9, Dimple possesses one of Claw’s security guards, right? I don’t really understand why that security guard is so popular.” Q: What do you mean? “Because he’s just some middle-aged dude (laughs). He doesn’t even appear for long…”

After discussing the huge amount of SG!Dimple commissions received: “Unlike SG!Dimple, I don’t really get asked to draw Shou-kun. With this commission I thought to myself, I /have/ to include him here, and so I added him in. The initial brief excluded him.”

Asked about moments that stuck with him; “When Teru chokes Mob in episode 5. [...] Mob’s pained expression as he’s being choked is good, but Teru-kun’s face shows us… envy, jealousy, distress, anxiety.”

“Also, the ‘super real Reigen’ sequence from episode 12. The tension between Reigen and Sakurai is funny, but the art itself has had me laughing since production. It’s funny no matter how many times I look at it!”

Kameda’s idea to have the characters make number shapes for the volume art came from him watching ‘Tonneruzu no Minasan no Okage deshita’, specifically the ‘Mojimoji-kun’ segment of the show (where they try to make numbers from their bodies)

Volume 6’s cover art was first planned to have a whole ensemble of characters, but Kameda changed his mind on this - “if we do a second season, we can leave that for volume 12 (laughs).”

Volume 4's cover was originally planned to feature only Onigawara and Gouda, but Kameda found himself wanting to include the rest of the body improvement club

Regarding the pose we see on vol 6’s package art, “My original thoughts for that cover were to have Reigen and Mob in a ‘hell wheel’ pose, like, Mob pulling Reigen’s legs and arms… but that wouldn’t be very fitting for the final volume.”

His message to the readers; “Thank you for your support! With sales, the ‘this is popular!’ message gets conveyed, and the more support you give us, then there’s no doubt we’ll be able to produce season 2 and season 3!! Season 2 relies on your support. It’s in your hands - thank you!!”

---

Crossposted on twitter here.

#mp100 #mob psycho 100 #anime visual 2017 #Kameda Yoshimichi #interview #sg!dimple middle age man rights

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dragonrajafanfiction · 3 years ago

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Genji Heavy Industries (Part 2) Into the Underground

Chu Zihang makes me have a surprisedpikachu.jpg here.

ITT: The MC can have ally chats and date both genders soooo...

The elevator descended to the bottom floor. The door opened to pitch black.

Chu Zihang flicked on the flashlight. The beam of light illuminated the dusty statue of the Virgin Mary. Although pigment has faded due to age, the Virgin Mary statue is still flushed with a magnificent red and gold, which indicates that the paints they used were mixed with real gold powder.

This is the second basement level of the Takamagahara. The building actually had a second underground floor and one of the four elevators was a freight elevator that could reach this floor.

"This house looks pretty old!" Lu Mingfei exclaimed, "This style is not like a Japanese house."

"Before World War II, this was a Catholic church. After the Meiji Restoration, many priests came to Japan to preach, and there were many Catholics at that time. This was once a stronghold of the faithful in Tokyo, where dozens of priests lived and held regular services and masses." Chu said, "When Tokyo was bombed in World War II, the bas-reliefs and arches were destroyed, leaving only the main structure intact. The store manager saw its location and rented it, spending a lot of money to renovate it into a nightclub. The stage was originally where the organ was housed, and the card seating area was originally the choir stalls. This floor was a confessional and reading room, and was used as a bombing shelter during World War II. To this day it is a government-planned shelter, although the store manager is using it as a storage room."

You’re riding on Caesars back, your legs straddling his waist and propped up by his arms. Even though there was no danger yet, you were still slightly inebriated by your night’s show and he insisted on carrying you until you sobered up. Practical reasons aside, he made it clear that he wanted you to stay close to him. You were essential to the mission. You surmised also that his own personal code of honor and justice pushed him to go the extra mile.

Everywhere the flashlight swept was grey with dust. The four walls were painted with chalk. The floor was just smoothed with cement. The walls still had traces of smoke and fire and, in the corners, were stacked organ parts, enamel-decorated pulpits, and two or three human-high crosses with aged ochre vestments hanging from them. You can vaguely feel the prosperity of this Catholic Church back then. You imagine the clergy shuttling to and fro, the sound of voices reciting the Bible. No one could have imagined that, a hundred years later, this place would become a nightclub of sound and fury of male strippers.

Chu Zihang found a cellar well in the corner of the hall. It was covered by an old-fashioned cast iron well cover. The rusty cover was probably hundreds of years old, and the German markings of the cast iron company were indistinct. Chu Zihang and Caesar worked together to move the well cover, and the sound of water gurgled in the darkness.

"The sewer entrance is actually inside the building!" Lu Mingfei whispered in surprise, “So Hydra won’t even notice us going in and out of the Takamagahara!”

"It's indeed a very coincidental thing." Chu Zihang said, "I also did not expect the entrance to the sewer would be hidden in Takamagahara. I found the sewer map of Shinjuku district from the Internet. It doesn’t look very big. There are only a dozen sewer entrances and exits. Most of them are housed in a sewage treatment station. Only this cellar well is the exception. It should have been sealed long ago, but because it was connected to the shelter, it happened to provide an escape route, so it was preserved. I should say we got lucky, we found the shelter at the same time we touched the back entrance of Genji Heavy Industries."

Lucky, huh? You raise your eyes again to the statue of the Virgin Mary and the words of Z in your dream echoed. He was doing this for a reason. Was it revenge for Black Swan Bay? If so, why wait 20 years? He told you frankly that you wouldn’t be able to understand until the very end. But your skin was starting to crawl.

“MC! Come on.” Caesar was waiting for you at the entrance. He once again lifted you up on his back and carefully you descended into the pipe.

They went down the iron staircase into the sewer, the flashlight illuminating the mossy brick wall. The structure of this section of the sewer was very old, completely different from the modern Iron Dome shrine, with a semicircular cross section. A water channel was in the middle and narrow paths for walking were on both sides. The ceiling is draped with some kind of aquatic plant, dark green and hair-thin, and if you are not careful, they will brush your face like cold hands in the dark. There was a foot-long black shadow slowly creeping across the corner, and when Chu Zihang shone his torch over it, it suddenly accelerated and disappeared into the dark green plants, emitting a woofing sound similar to a dog's bark. Lu Mingfei was so scared that he leaned back, Caesar held him up in time, otherwise he would have been planted in the gutter.

“Stop being so jumpy!” He hissed.

"It's a mud salamander, a kind of salamander, native to North America." Chu Zihang locked the thing's exposed long tail with the beam of the flashlight. "It eats the eggs of aquatic animals, which prevents them from overpopulating the sewers. They put them in the sewers as scavengers."

"Holy shit! Scared the hell out of me! There are actually such dumb things in the sewers!"

"Each city's sewers are an ecosystem, where there is sufficient water but basically no sunlight. Those species that can adapt to the darkness will quickly reproduce and eventually form a stable biosphere." Chu Zihang walked ahead with a flashlight, "The sewer ecosystem of each city is different, related to the city's rainfall, temperature and the acidity of the groundwater. The most important thing to be careful of here is the small things like blood worms, they may lay eggs on you. The big things are mostly not dangerous, even the water snakes are also not venomous."

"Anywhere you go, the sewers are not built all at once. The sewers you see now are the sewers of Shinjuku district a hundred years ago. Tokyo had a massive renovation of the sewer system ten years ago, connecting all the old sewer systems, and the excess groundwater enters the Iron Dome Shrine through the various sewers, and is purified and discharged into the sea from the mains. If we keep walking, we’ll eventually enter the main channel." Chu Zihang glanced at the map in his hand, "About 600 meters further we will pass under the Shinjuku subway station, where there will be giant water turbines, through the turbine holes we will enter the Iron Dome Shrine."

"Brother were you born in the sewers, so you know so much about them?"

"I googled it."

"But you can't read Japanese."

"I have Google Translate, and I learned a few sentences of Japanese through Google Translate." Chu Zihang switched to Japanese and said, "Thank you for your patronage. I look forward to seeing you again. Would you like some more wine? Cry if you are sad. And that's about it."

“You’re so smart.” You say, “Maybe someday I’ll be as smart as you.”

“You’re very intelligent in your own way, MC. Mostly by way of survival. In Chizuru, you didn’t hesitate to wait until nightfall, find your own clothing, make your way to the Internet Cafe and fend off attackers. You recognized the danger of the gangsters long before we did. And in the end, if I hadn’t distracted you, you probably would not have been injured. Those are the major examples. I could go on longer with the smaller examples. When I think of them I’m glad you’re our friend and not our enemy.”

“Aw…” You say, resting your head between Caesar’s shoulder and neck. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

Caesar snorted. “Speaking of flirting, I’m very surprised not even the hottest men of Tokyo could earn your favor tonight. You really didn’t see anything in any of them?”

“They each tried to sell themselves to me very well. But I wasn’t interested in what they had to offer. It’s not that they didn’t have anything.”

“If you had no choice and had to pick one… which one would you choose?”

“That’s a weird question. I’m wondering why it matters. Have you bet on a favorite to win?”

“No. I just don’t think it’s good to walk alone in the world. I was honestly hoping that you and Mingfei Lu would get along a bit better but…”

“It wouldn’t be good for someone like me to court an ordinary human. Playing like this for a show is… alright.”

“You loved someone back in your old place… what was he like?”

“She.”

Caesar’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh!”

Mingfei’s head swiveled in your direction. “You like girls!” He slaps his forehead. “It all makes so much sense now!”

“I didn’t know I did until I was asked that question about lost love. It’s a bit sadder now because if I had understood my feelings then, I would have told her.” You shift your gaze back to Mingfei. “Can I ask you something? Are both your parents Chinese?”

“Yeah, why?”

“You look like someone I used to know. I think he may still be alive. I liked him too.”

“Then you swing both ways?” Lu Mingfei seemed to be having a mini-crisis. How was he supposed to protect your innocence from everyone in existence? It was funny to see him frantically holding back his bangs, concerned about that rather than being worried about breaking into the headquarters of the most powerful organization in Japan.

Caesar’s eyes shifted in your direction. “If you need help searching for survivors, you have the full support of the Student Union.”

“Thanks… If anyone could survive, it would be him.”

“That would be nice if you could meet again. Pick up where you left off maybe?” Mingfei rested his arms behind his head.

You stare at him in silence and give a sigh, your chest rising against Caesar’s back.

“Don’t mind him. It’s going to hit him in like an hour.” Caesar grumbles.

You bury your head in his shoulder, giggling.

#Dragon Raja

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pluto-writes · 4 years ago

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Osamu Dazai x Reader| Fluff Alphabet

A/N: Happy birthday to everyone’s favorite bandage wasting detective! And! We got the bsd wan manga anime adaptation announced today!! I’m sorry if it’s lacking towards the end its late;;; and I cannot deal.

Reminder: The reader will always be gender neutral so everyone can read (◠‿◠✿) (oh and there’s like one mention of suicide, letter A)

Words: 2,200

Activities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Dazai loves doing anything with you. If you’re by his side he won’t complain -that much- to Kunikida about working. He’ll take you to all types of different places, you guys will go to seasonal festivals, the movies and out to eat. On multiple occasions he’s even tried to get you to commit double suicide with him, and you had to tell him no every time.

“But (Y/N)-chan~ why not~!” He whined.

“Osamu, I am not going to commit double suicide with you, we’re in the middle of WcDonald’s.”

Beauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

He admires everything there is about you. He loves how accepting of him you are and when you found out about his past you understood that he was changing for the better. He thinks that if Odasaku were still alive you two would be great friends. He can’t help but smile at the thought of making his dear friend proud.

He absolutely believes your smile is the most beautiful thing in the world. Especially when he’s the one who made it happen. He’ll be as dramatic as possible whenever he catches you smiling.

“Ah~! Your smile is too bright!! I can feel it piercing into my soul and cleansing it!”

It never fails to make you flustered and he loves it.

Comfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

His number one priority is making sure that you’re not only aware of your surroundings but that you know you’ll be safe with him. He always makes sure to carry something that you like with him so that he can use it to help ground you easier, whether that be your favorite candy or smell. His voice is also very calming, and he always manages to find the right words to calm your heart.

Dreams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

He honestly didn’t think someone would find him worthy enough to date him, so just being with you in the present is a miracle enough, he doesn’t want to be too greedy, but if you’d allow it he’d like to spend his last seconds with you. He would always joke saying that he wants to see your face before he dies so he could die happily. You’d just laugh and tell him to knock it off, but he truly means it, if he at least is able to see your face before he goes.

Equal - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

He’s the dominant one in the relationship, he’s always thinking about what the two of you can do and you mostly follow along. Because most of the time his antics are rather fun, and you can definitely expect to do something you’ve never done before with Dazai around.

Fight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

He doesn’t like staying mad at you for long, but he can hold a bit of a grudge at times depending on how deeply the fight impacted him. He’d never get physical with you, if he did he’d hate himself for putting his hands on you.

Gratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

He’s so very grateful to have you. He always makes sure that you know how much he loves you and everything you do for him. At first he didn’t think he deserved you, but you made sure to remind him how much you love him. He reminds you on a daily basis how thankful he is for your mere existence.

Honesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

*Slaps car roof* This boy right here can fit so many secrets.

Of course he’d have secrets he doesn’t tell you. He doesn’t tell you anything major in case it could put your life at risk as well, Dazai is a wanted man and just being with him makes you a target as well. He doesn’t want to involve you in something due to his past mistakes so he makes sure he doesn’t tell you anything too private.

He will however tell you the stupidest secrets that he swears are very deep and embarrassing to him. He tells you enough that you feel like he’s telling you something important so that you don’t question that you don’t really know him.

Inspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

Meeting you made him realize how much he’s really changed from his Port Mafia days. Since before he didn’t really feel like he was doing good enough no matter how hard he tried. He would do ‘good’ deeds but didn’t feel any connections with them, but you reassured him that you can tell how hard he’s trying to be better and that he should focus on the progress he’s made rebuilding himself.

Jealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

He tends to get jealous depending who’s talking to you. If it’s someone you both know, he doesn’t get jealous, he has faith in them that they won’t try to pull any funny moves on you. However, the same can’t be said about strangers, he doesn’t have trust in them cause why should he?

When he sees a stranger talking to you, a bunch of alarms goes through his head telling him to get you away from them. He gives into those feelings and comes to your ‘rescue’, you make sure to scold him later since most of the time they’re asking you for help but he doesn’t trust that.

He’d pout and say, “All men are wolves, (Y/N), I don’t want you to get hurt by them.”

Kiss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Yes, he’s usually a very good kisser. But you got the jump on him for your first kiss. As he was leaning in to kiss you, he pulled away and was about to tease you so that you’d have to earn it. But what he didn’t expect was for you to kiss him so boldly. When you pulled away he was stunned for a second, but just seeing that moment where he was caught off guard made it worth it, even though it left you a blushing mess afterwards.

Love Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

It took him a while to get his feelings to reach you. Not because he didn’t want you, but because when he did proclaim his love for you, you dismissed him with a wave of your hand. You’ve seen him flirt with countless others, so what made you so different?

He was determined to let you know that his feelings for you were real, so he asked the agency members for their opinions on how he should ask you before settling on his decision.

The next time he asked you out, he wasn’t over dramatic, he didn’t have his usual flirty smile he wore, he was just him. He spoke directly from his heart and hoped you’d understand that he wasn’t leading you on and he meant every word. Thankfully, his feelings got to you and you were willing to give him a chance.

Marriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

Dazai would love to marry you, he wants to show how deep his love for you goes, and would go to great lengths to express how he feels towards you. He’d recreate the first date the two of you shared and would propose to you there.

Being married to Dazai is never boring. There’s always something exciting going on whenever Dazai is around. One time he made his specialty dish called, ‘peppy hot pot’, you don’t quite remember what happened after eating it but you vowed to never let Dazai cook again. So you left him do the cleaning while you cooked.

Nicknames - What do they call their s/o?

“You can be my Juliet!! And you can call me your Romeo!! Isn’t that romantic~!” Dazai’s eyes practically shined.

“Didn’t they end up dying in the end?”

“Yes! Their love caused them to go to such great lengths! And that’s what makes it so romantic! Don’t you think?”

“.....sure?”

“Great! By the way, my wonderful Juliet, I have a potion right here-”

“No.”

On Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

It’s hard for others to tell when Dazai is in love since he’s known to be a flirt. At first it was hard to tell, but after a while others started to notice that he wasn’t flirting with anyone else while he was vying for your attention.

After his confession where he opened his heart up to you, he realized that to get his feelings across he has to be completely sincere. Though there would be times where he’d act overly dramatic to show his love for you, mostly because when he does that it embarrasses you and makes you show the cutest flustered face.

PDA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

He’s very open about his relationship with you where he knows it’s safe. He’s cautious while you guys are out since there can be prying eyes, but other than that in the agency he’s free to show his love for you on full display.

He’d kiss you and say it’s for ‘good luck’ or ‘if I don’t kiss you right now I’ll combust’. You’ll laugh and kiss him back anyway.

Quirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

He’s very good at smooth talking, and whenever he does that it instantly calms you down and makes you fall asleep.

It also helps when the two of you get in trouble due to an idea Dazai thought would be good. Like that one time you guys stayed overnight at a mall, or when he climbed into one of the animal cages at the zoo.

Romance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

You can expect Dazai to shower you in love. Everything he does for you he thinks about how happy it’ll make you. He’ll do small things like ordering your favorite food when you’re too tired from the day to cook, or something big like filling up your room with your favorite flowers (if you’re allergic to flowers then he fills it with your favorite candy).

Support - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

He wants only the best for you, and he’ll do his best in having complete faith in your abilities and gives you the extra push you need. He’d offer that he can pull some strings for you, but you deny him saying that you want to earn it on your own accord, which only makes him smile since that’s what he wanted you to say so that you can achieve your goal.

Thrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice up your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

He loves doing new things with you, so you can expect him planning something fun and exciting with every date. It’s not because he’s bored with you, but because he wants to give you the most memorable dates, and the only way to do that is to do stuff that people wouldn’t normally do. He knows that the mundane life will take getting used to, but with you by his side makes it all worth it.

Understanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

Dazai can read you most of the time, but there are times where you’re unpredictable and he lives for it.

Being empathetic doesn’t come naturally to him, but when it comes to you he would try his best in understanding your situation and would think of the best thing to say to you so that you understand that you’re not alone in whatever you’re going through.

Value - How important is the relationship to them? What is it worth in comparison to other things in their life?

He values your relationship deeply, and he’d do whatever he can to keep it. However, if the choice ever came between your safety and your relationship, he’d prioritize your safety since as much as he loves you, he wants you to be safe no matter what and doesn’t want you to get hurt due to something out of his control.

Wild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

You often help him change his bandages. When you first started dating he was wary about showing you how he looked under them so you never saw what he hid underneath. But when you had asked to help him, your voice was so gentle and comforting he couldn’t refuse you.

Once you saw the scars hidden under them, you didn’t react the way he thought you would. He thought you’d be repulsed by him, but you were too kind to do that, he knew that but the fear was still there, instead you kissed his scars and let him know how beautiful you thought he was, scars and all.

You even told him that his scars are proof he lived and survived, he’d never forget that, so whenever he sees his scar he’d smile fondly at that memory.

XOXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

He is very affectionate, he absolutely loves showering you in kisses and having you in his arms, where he knows you’re safe with him.

Yearning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

He’d look back on all the photos he has of the two of you together instead of doing his work. Kunikida will scold him and tell Dazai to do his work, but instead of listening to him, he’ll put his headphones on and listen to recordings with your voice on it.

Just listening to your voice is enough to soothe his aching heart while he waits for your return.

Zeal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

He would hold your life above his own, so he’ll often talk about what he’d do for you, but it was one of those rare days where your answer surprised him.

“(Y/N), I want to let you know that I love you so much, I’d die for you if the time ever came for that.”

“Oh, really? That’s strange since I’d want to live for you.” He blinked back in shock at how quickly you came up with your answer, and how genuine it was. After coming over the initial shock, he’d just smile back at you and give you a soft kiss on your forehead. You’re not sure what to think about his reaction but you can only hope he’ll feel the same way.

#bungou stray dogs #bsd #osamu dazai #dazai osamu #osamu dazai x reader #bsd x reader #bungou stray dogs x reader #bungou stray dogs headcanons #plutowrites #ヽ(゜∇゜)ノ please take this #tumblr played me so im posting this again;;#i dont know why??? my posts wont show up in the tags???#dazai osamu x reader #suicide tw

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drax-is-inthefandom · 3 years ago

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Divergence of Faith

Chapter 1: The Basement

By the time the clock struck 6 in the morning, the last light in the Lake house was finally turned off. Barbara Lake, a current medical student and recently divorced mother, had finally finished her theoretical career jobs, after a full day of housework and schoolwork, she could get a modest three hours sleep before having to wake up to make breakfast for the day .

Funny that Saturday morning, she would not sleep just a couple of hours as she was used to, but rather that a little one with disheveled hair and bright blue eyes had been in charge of sabotaging her alarm to make sure she slept as much as necessary. By the time the sky was turning to warm orange hues, Jim Lake Jr was already awake and active, ready to take on as much housework as a 6-year-old could do - all because Mommy could finally take a break!

Breakfast was the main thing, because a growing child just like his mother, a future doctor, had to eat well. From under his pillow he pulled out the magazine page he had ripped from his last visit to the dentist and as fast and quiet as he could go downstairs, he ran to the kitchen to collect all the ingredients that were in the magazine recipe.

It was an omelet, something he could easily do without causing a fire, lately he was helping his mom in the kitchen and taking on more and more chores in food preparation, so he was confident that there would be no problem at all with him taking care of breakfast for the day by himself.

Confident and with a smile on his lips, Jim turned on the coffee pot so that when his mother woke up he could receive her with a cup of hot coffee along with the omelet. He could already imagine his mom rested, eating without falling asleep at the table and without having to worry about having to clean or do any other chores. He could even take care of lunch if necessary! Today he just wanted her not to worry about a thing.

He was in the middle of whisking the eggs when he heard something that brought him out of his fantasies. A strange noise.

He leaned out to the stairs, his ears sharpening to make sure his mom hadn't got up. Nothing, absolute silence.

There was nothing in the living room either.

"It's nothing" He said to convince himself, it was still early and maybe his head was playing a trick on him for getting up early. Obviously the darkness that was still in the house and that did not allow him to see anything through the windows was not causing him any paranoia to be hearing noises, clearly not.

But then he heard the noise again, this time louder and accompanied by what sounded like falling boxes.

Now he was sure where the noise was coming from. The basement.

His first impulse upon hearing such noise from the place of his house that he was most afraid of was running towards the stairs to look for Mom, to seek her protection in her arms and between her sheets. But hearing her light snores through her door, just as he was about to turn the knob to enter, made him stop.

He was supposed to be doing this to get her to rest, it was supposed to be a surprise, if he ran with her because he was scared of a noise, his whole plan would be ruined. He released the knob and went back downstairs.

Again he heard noises coming from the basement.

He gulped.

“I am a big boy. I protect mom now. ” With shaky legs, Jim returned to the kitchen to take what he considered a good weapon against whatever was in the basement: the largest metal spoon in the drawer.

Armed with his spoon and accumulating as much courage as he could on his little chest, the boy slowly approached the door that led to the basement to turn the door handle with trembling hands, fearful that his movements would alert any monster behind it and get himself attacked the moment he opened it. He raised the spoon in front of him when the door was finally open, shrinking and closing his eyes to avoid seeing his enemy in the face, as if the metal utensil was enough to scare him.

A few seconds passed and nothing seemed to eat him, so he opened his eyes.

He only found the darkness of the steps. He breathed again, not realizing that he had stopped doing it, he sat on the first step with the spoon firmly against his chest, waiting again for something to happen.

Again, nothing.

"You can do this, Jim." He took a deep breath, inflating his chest with it in a gesture of pure determination, and began to descend slowly, one step at a time and without removing the spoon away from himself. He kept his eyes open, waiting for them to adapt to the darkness in order to find any sign of what that noise had been, his ears until now only caught the light grinding of the wood under its weight as he advanced.

He was already halfway up the stairs when he finally saw something. What he saw almost made him throw the spoon out of fear, but again, as if it were a sword worthy of a knight, he raised it in front of him, threatening whatever was staring back at him.

"W-Who's there?"

He could swear it, yellow eyes were staring at him as intently as he was staring at whoever was the owner of those eyes. But he was sure it wasn't remotely as scared as he was. The growl that answered his question could assure it to him.

"W-Whoever you are, I-I'm not afraid of you!"

It was a raccoon, it must be a raccoon, whenever a strange noise was accompanied by bright and threatening eyes that stared at him from the forest, his mother always showed him that it was just a raccoon. This could not be different.

"I'm not afraid of you either"

Only that raccoons didn't speak.

He wanted to scream but the words were drowned in his throat, it had closed as a maximum security vault, with all the fear he was feeling his head only managed to tell his body to do one thing. He threw the spoon directly at the owner of those yellow eyes.

"What is this?" But his strength as a 6-year-old boy was not enough to cross the entire basement space to where the invader seemed to be, the utensil was halfway, in a neutral point of both where the light of the corridor still entered but the absolute darkness of the rest of the room began.

Jim felt himself shaking as he saw a hand approaching from the darkness, a blue hand. If he was not paralyzed before, now he was fused with the steps.

After the hand, an arm appeared, then another hand and little by little the body of the owner of those yellow eyes was revealed. In just seconds, the invader was fully revealed, all in order to smell a spoon he used to serve the stews.

It was ... A strange creature, clearly it was not a raccoon. Its skin was blue, but it had no texture of fur or scales or ... or skin, it was too smooth and firm. What was it made of? Another thing that drew attention more than the color of its skin, were the horns on its head, it had two pairs, two small on the top and some larger that waved slightly to the sides, they were a color similar to ivory. On his shoulders it also seemed to have protuberances, but they were not horns, they were slightly more translucent, it was noted by how the light that entered the basement interacted with these. Crystals? And… did he have more on his back?

"What are you?" He thought he had thought about it, but seeing the invader raise his head from sniffing the spoon to focus on him, he gulped at his loose tongue.

"Something you shouldn't be seeing" From the tone in which the blue creature spoke, it showed that he wanted to sound intimidating, aggressive, but even a small child like Jim could notice the shame that the slight tremor in his tone betrayed him.

"Then why am I seeing you?" He wasn't attacking him and seemed more interested in the spoon than in him, curiosity overcame any fear he had been feeling until now. He was a boy with a nascent streak for adventure. Could you blame him?

"... Because I failed to go unnoticed to enter your house" Now yes, the shame was more obvious. The invader dropped to his butt on the ground, taking the spoon in his hands to continue sniffing it.

"Why did you come into my house?"

"Because the sun is already rising" And the question that Jim was going to ask, was swallowed by the surprise of seeing the invader taking a bite out of his spoon, making half of the utensil disappear from a bite as if it were a simple caramel.

"... Do you have more of that? It was delicious.” It took him to see how the entire spoon was devoured so Jim could even remember how to speak.

"Uh ... I don't think my mom would like to know that you ate a spoon, if I bring you something else she may worry that she has lost kitchen utensils" A pout from the blue invader was his answer and Jim couldn't avoid a giggling, he puffed out his cheeks in a similar way to Toby when he was throwing a tantrum and it was a funny sight for him.

"Why are you laughing? Do you want us to fight? ” And his laughter died as soon as he saw the invader putting himself into a position similar to that of a bull ready to charge a bullfighter, he even moved his foot as they do to signal that it will take the hit! Jim moved his hands in frenzy, he was not very excited about the idea of getting rammed with those horns that he had on his head.

"Nononono, sorry, sorry ... You reminded me of a friend, that's all"

"... Did I remind you of one of your fleshbag friends?"

"... Fleshbags? Uh ... Yes, Toby may be a little… stuffed, but it's not to call him that”

"... Stuffed? No, I meant that all of you humans are fleshbags, you are a fleshbag”

"I am not a fleshbag!"

"Yes you are!"

"Not!"

"Yes!"

Now it was Jim's turn to pout, forgetting that he was in the basement, forgetting that his only light was coming from the open door into the hallway, he got up from the step where he was sitting and with a firm step, doing his best imitation to how he saw his mom acted when someone made her mad, he walked over to the blue invader and stood in front of him.

"I'm not a fleshbag, don't call me that"

His challenge position was quickly captured but he did not receive the answer he expected, until now the invader had remained sitting or walking on all fours, but seeing him stand in front of him with such bearing, made him respond in the same way. With a push of his arms, he got up and planted in front of Jim, puffing out his chest with the intention of appearing bigger, that even without that, he was at least a head and a half taller than the 6-year-old boy, and that without counting the horns.

"Well, humans are fleshbags, so that's what you are, fleshbag"

The two little ones held their gaze, blue eyes against yellow eyes, neither wanting to give his arm to twist in that silent challenge.

Their staring war lasted long enough that they had to look away to blink, both leaving their eyes dry for not wanting to give up. Jim was annoyed, but oddly, the invader laughed.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Because I did not expect to see a child stand in front of the great Draal, fleshbag"

"My name is not fleshbag! My name is Jim! Jim Lake Jr!”

"Then we already know the other's name, Jim"

A snort came from Jim's lips while Draal only laughed.

Funny that this would not be their last fight, because what these little ones did not know is that their innocent interaction would be the key point for a radical change in the both of their worlds.

A change that only time would tell what kind of path will take. Positive? Or negative?

The divergence of fate had only just begun.

#Divergence of faith #tales of arcadia #fanfic #draal the deadly #jim lake #trollhunters #drax writes #I wrote this almost a year ago #And I DO PLAN IN FINISHING IT

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astrologanize · 4 years ago

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life

not sure how to start this off but i guess (-: hello would suffice. if you’re taking the time to read this - i hope that you are well! i wanted to share a bit of personal info before i move onto the astrology order of business. this year...mmm. much of my life has been on a major pause for the past few years, for numerous reasons, and i am happy to say that those circumstances finally improved this year! that has been the biggest feat for this year, even though the process of getting here has been anything but a smooth transition - from theft to death, it has been idk...i hate so much of this year because although i gave the forewarning that you should be wise to listen to your intuition this year, i did not pay heed to my own. funnily enough though i knew that with such a heavy emphasis on tests this year that i was probably gonna fail because i am the worst tester, i always have been! but in me making such terrible decisions that have gone against what i know to be so i have realized that lmao yes i’ve made mistakes this year and it’s the closest i’ve come to experiencing regret, but it’s because i don’t give myself enough credit. when i read the cards for myself and my own issues, all these expectations come through that i’m not aware of because of how ingrained they are i suppose. i’ve scared myself this year tbh because i’ve felt so far gone and i’m a capricorn so i do like to take pride in my ability to overcome but my detachment to life has regressed to me having no drive, no hope, and those are the main ingredients to overcoming. i didn’t know that i had internalized such severe expectations and i didn’t know that i had become concerningly impassive, & from what i am assuming is because of the disappointment of it all (it being life? reality??) yet i am aware that it is in part because of the situations i have put myself in while the rest is really a matter of circumstance combined with poor coping. anyhow, all this to say that because of this time of brutal disenchantment i have been trying to become more assured in my own abilities and dare i say, confident!

astrology/tarot

the beginning of the year ended up being an absolute disaster, as we all know, but in my own life, aside from that, was...gosh, delay after delay in a way that totally put me out. ended up being the worst time ever to decide to have paid readings, after all this time too!!! but we live and we learn and we try to adapt. this time i would like to pursue readings and have it be more customizable in the sense that i would prefer there to be a discussion beforehand! that way i can look into anything specific and also have it be more personalized. since this way will be more thorough and dependent on the person and their situation, i will be taking on less readings so that i don’t end up spreading myself thin. if this year has taught me anything (it’s taught me a lot, too much perhaps?), clearly life likes to take the reigns sometimes and since i do want to give the best i can - i’ll end up overwhelming myself trying to and mess will ensue. i am still working on the revised version of my astrology book in the meantime so it will be nice to have the chance to incorporate and also learn more by doing so. this past year i have predicted a few things for people close to me and even i was surprised that i could do so, which shouldn’t be the case?? i’ve practiced this, astrology namely, for years and years?? but in these specific instances i was surprised that i could give an estimation in regards to timing because usually i can tell someone in general when something was coming (i predicted the year that a friend would enter into her first serious relationship!) but i never really tried to give a more exact estimation of when something could be happening (such as beginning/middle/end of x month). i attempted it this year and they were accurate?? again, why i am so surprised?? lol. i’m not saying i am an expert of 100000 trades but i am experienced and credible, proudly so too. thank you to all of you who have followed over the years and have trusted and/or expressed your faith in my abilities because that has always been and will continue to be a point of reassurance

if you would ever like to inquire about a paid reading then pls feel free to send an ask and we will discuss what it is you are wanting to know and what i can look into for you (astrology, tarot, both) so that i can provide you with answers to the best of my ability

#long post #really do appreciate it if you took the time to read

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hcrystals24h · 4 years ago

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Healing Crystals: A Complete Guide of 45 Essential Gemstones

People have been turning to crystals for healing since the beginning of time. These are Mother Earth's jewels, gleaming diamonds, stones, and rock crystals formed by elemental energy. They can absorb the sun, moon, salt seas, soil, and mountains in a single shimmer and return all of their healing strength to us. Healing crystals have decorated the breastplates of priests and warriors, been used in shamanic work, served as guiding lights for ancient tribes, and been hidden in the pockets of princesses, sailors, and healers for centuries.

These powerful stones have a lot of influence in today's world. They only become more potent as time passes, and they can be a hugely useful tool in assisting us in reconnecting with the natural world. They assist us in channeling our intentions, raising our vibrations, and bringing out all of the latent grace, elegance, and magic that we already possess. Remember that everything in life has a vibration, and if we can adapt our inner vibrations to the things we want in life, we can be able to manifest them. Crystals, with their cleansing properties and positive vibrations, will help to close the distance. These tiny magical stones also invite us to clear our minds, sit in meditation, and ponder how we can relax our monkey minds and enter a deeper state of healing.

The Formation of Crystals in the Earth

In the world, crystals go through a fascinating geological phase. Heat, compression, and millions of years will produce some amazing results!

How to Pick a Stone

How do you pick the right crystal for you when there are too many to choose from? One of the most valuable lessons we can take away from crystal healing is to trust our instincts and follow our gut instincts. Our bodies and minds are inextricably linked and both a part of the universe. Simply see which crystals call to you if you want to know which one works best for you. Even if you're just reading a brief description of a crystal or looking at an image, some things can stand out and resonate with you more than others. Take this as a hint from the universe that this is the crystal that will be able to provide you with something special. We typically have a good idea of our own strengths and weaknesses, and we can use gemstones' unique characteristics to help us balance ourselves and focus on the areas where we feel we need a little extra help. If you're feeling particularly confused and helpless, your Zodiac sign will point you in the direction of a crystal with luminous light and powerful healing properties.

Crystal Healing: How to Make the Stones Work for You

The beautiful force of jewelry is one of the easiest ways to incorporate crystals into your everyday life. Wearing gemstone jewelry is an easy way to ensure that you stay in constant touch with your chosen crystal and that it can perform the tasks it is designed to do. Unlike stones placed on an altar or carried in one's pocket, crystal jewelry is worn directly on the skin, allowing all of the vibrations to penetrate deeply.

Amethyst is one of the 45 essential stones to choose from.

Amethyst is one of the most divine and mystical healing stones because of its purple hues and strong defensive properties. This is a fantastic meditation platform for those who want to take their lives to the next level. Best for: Defending against fear and shame, instilling calmness, reducing anxiety, and having fun dreams

Citrine is a mineral that is found in the

Citrine is a sunny bright stone that is ready to wake you up from your slumber, radiating health, riches, and sloughing away toxic energies. This stone can't carry negative energy, which is a good reminder that when life gives you lemons... Grounding negative energies, assisting in the smoothing of family or complex community issues, fostering love and happiness, and protecting against those that will break your heart are all things this stone is good for. It's also used to protect oneself from resentment and envy.

Rose Quartz is a stone that has a pink

Rose Quartz is for those who are ready to restore faith, peace, and unconditional love to their inner world. It is perfect in pink and provides deep sweet healing to the heart chakra.

Healing emotional wounds, nurturing divine affection, and strengthening kindness and friendships are the best uses for this crystal.

Tourmaline is a mineral that is found in nature.

Tourmaline provides power, reduces anxiety, and balances the right and left sides of the mind, much like a protective cloak. Choose from a variety of colors, including pink, green, and even watermelon. Best for: Maintaining a balanced digestive system, strengthening bones and teeth, and boosting self-esteem. It's also said to bring us luck and help us develop a more caring attitude.

Crystals: Quartz (Clear)

Clear Quartz is as pure as the spring rains, and it's all about effective washing. With its positive vibrations, this quartz crystal will drench you to the bone. With one of our favorite soothing crystals, you can boost your immunity and pursue your bliss. Supporting artists, performers, media practitioners, and physicians is a good example of how it can be used. Migraine headaches, vertigo, and motion sickness can all be helped with this supplement.

Selenite is a mineral that is found in nature.

Selenite, an angelic healing stone, reflects spirituality and light. It's the ideal talisman for defending against PMT and getting your cycle into balance, as it's ethereal and packed to the brim with goddess healing energy. It's best for: Surprisingly, by laying other stones on top of a Selenite slab, other stones can be cleared. It also has a close link to the third eye and other chakras, and aids in the purification of their energies. It's like a powerful master healer!

Obsidian is a type of obsidian

Obsidian is a volcanic lava stone that is raw, rare, and always ready to provide healing protection to those who wear it. It's one of the strongest shields you can have, whether in difficult times or on a regular basis. Protecting from negative energy is what it's best for. Obsidian is said to absorb energy and also protect against psychic attacks. Use this stone to help you get through difficult times or circumstances.

Carnelian is a mineral found in the Carnelian

The warm glow of Carnelian will enliven your libido and help you overcome personal obstacles. Carnelian, a sublime root and sacral chakra strengthener, encourages you to accelerate.

Best for: Boosting metabolism, easing menopause symptoms, and improving focus. It's great for calming the sacral chakra because of its red color. Carnelian was also thought to aid in the protection of the deceased on their way to the afterlife, thereby reducing the fear of death.

Agate is a form of agate that

The earthy stone can be traced all the way back to Babylonian times. Agate is known for being a safe and prosperous healing amulet that helps to balance the negative and positive forces in the universe. Best for: balancing polar opposite forces, self-confidence, and travel security (particularly traffic accidents). Dancers, dentists, and environmentalists are all good matches. Educators and recreational employees may get emotional support from this program.

Lapis Lazuli is a type of lapis lazuli.

Lapis Lazuli has long been associated with spiritual enlightenment and deep self-expression, making it a common choice among ancient civilizations. Prepare to harness your personal power and reality by strengthening your immune system.

Wisdom, spiritual enlightenment, and imagination are the best uses for this crystal.

Fluorite is a mineral that is found in nature.

Fluorite encourages you to come down off the fence if you're having trouble making decisions. This stone is known for providing earthly guidance, ensuring that both the head and the heart are in sync. Clearing a muddled mind is the best use for this herb. This is an excellent stone for deciding your life course, which is frequently ignored in the hustle and bustle of daily life. It's also great for energizing the third eye.

Black Tourmaline is a form of tourmaline.

Black Tourmaline is incredibly grounding and has the super power of cleansing toxic vibes and restoring integrity to the body, mind, and soul, making it a barrier against the harmful effects of EMFs.

Best for: Defending against negative energies and EMFs, keeping grounded, making decisions, and reducing depression and anxiety.

Hematite is a mineral that is found in abundance in the

The silvery grace of Hematite bestows inner strength and courage upon you. Resembling a falling star, this strong and powerful crystal will protect you from harmful energies and help you expand your protection boundaries. Intuition and mental clarity, blood circulation, willpower, and bravery are the best uses for this herb.

Kyanite is a mineral found in Kyanite.

Kyanite is a great shifter of emotional blocks and always striving to keep positive vibes in free flow. A conductor of energy and always ready to take out negative vibes, Kyanite is a great conductor of energy and always ready to take out negative vibes. Soothing frayed nerves, finding trust in self-expression, engaging with others, and dream recall are just a few of the benefits.

Aventurine is a mineral that is found in the sea.

Aventurine is an excellent stone for attracting good luck and bringing perfect fortune into your life because it amplifies all of the luck in the universe. It also harmonizes the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of one's being because it is connected to the heart chakra.

Best for: Improving leadership skills, welcoming change, and increasing creativity inspiration. Supports heart and circulatory conditions, as well as those recovering from surgery or sickness.

Jasper is a character in the film Jasper

This stone has long been worn by shamans, high priests, and kings for its ability to make you feel deeper and see more. Furthermore, Jasper is always willing to assist you in both grounding and flying high. Best for: Relieving tension, encouraging calmness, sharpening concentration, and removing disruptive or pessimistic thoughts. It is thought to provide emotional support, improve self-control, and foster grounding energies.

Pyrite is a mineral that is used to make

Pyrite is a powerful stone that emits sparks, making it one of the strongest shields against EMFs and other forms of negative energy. This crystal is the Achilles of the crystal universe, full of masculine energy. Best for: warding off negative energy and psychic attacks, boosting morale, particularly in leadership positions, removing negative thinking patterns, and clearing the lower chakras.

Labradorite is a mineral that is found in nature.

Labradorite is a stone of incredible transformation, and it's best for calming chakras, shielding the aura, and removing depressive vibes from your life. With this gleaming starlight stone, you can sink into a state of blissful awareness.

The best way to use it is when you're going through a transformation and need to find your inner strength. This stone is also an excellent motivator, a useful tool for communication, and for those seeking a deeper meaning in life.

Moonstone is a mineral that is found in the

With the Moonstone's bright magic, light up the route. This is a wonderful stone for new beginnings and can be used as an amulet for both heart and body adventures. It's also known for reawakening inner strength. Best for: Healing the feminine spirit that we all possess. It's also appropriate for the time of month, as it emphasizes the importance of clairvoyance and intuition.

Jade is a precious stone.

Jade, the guru of good fortune, is associated with attracting success and riches, as well as being an excellent addition to the Feng Shui. The cooling touch of Jade is full of joy and peace, making it a must-have for those who want good things to come their way. Best for: Defending against sickness, letting go of negative feelings, and cultivating harmonious relationships

Celestite is a mineral that is found in the earth'

Celestite is a soothing stone with strong vibrations that is believed to be linked to higher realms. This pale crystal, one of the angel stones, is used for meditative reflection and to receive guidance from the universe. High vibrations, clearing rage and negativity, communicating with the spirit realms, cultivating inner love, tapping into limitless wisdom are the best uses for this crystal.

a bloodstain

The Bloodstone was thought to be the blood of Christ's tears during the Middle Ages. The Bloodstone is a beautiful healer known for its ability to improve circulation and send your self-esteem soaring, regardless of which spiritual side you stand on. Bloodstone is often used for blood ailments such as anemia and impaired circulation, as the name suggests. It's used as an aphrodisiac in India. It's also good for self-confidence and intuition.

Aquamarine is a blue-green gemstone.

This watery stone is known for combining tranquil vibes with a jolt of energy, with endless ocean colors, an incredible ebb and flow, and bringing instant calm to the core. Plunge straight in, as Aquamarine tempts you to swim against the tide rather than sink. Emotional equilibrium, clear-headed communication, inner contemplative space, moments of transformation, and inner resilience are the best uses for this oil.

Quartz with a smokiness

With sublime Smoky Quartz, let the gentle fog of rest and relaxation seep into every inch of your soul. Smoky Quartz is a magnificent grounding stone that is known for its ability to relieve tension while keeping you soft and solid at the same time. Grounding, amplifying positive energy, EMF defense, and balancing the root chakra are just a few of the benefits.

Chrysocolla is a kind of Chrysocolla.

The heart of soothing Chrysocolla is personal truth and profound wisdom. This stone will help those who want to find a bright burst of courage when it comes to public speaking, amplify their voice, tap into their creative side, and find a bright burst of courage. It's best for: The throat chakra is the most important chakra to stimulate because it allows us to interact more effectively. It also improves overall wellbeing vibrations and is beneficial to students.

Tiger's Eye is a type of gemstone.

Tiger's Eye is a golden stone that helps you cut through self-doubt and make choices from a position of focus, removing the shackles of fear for both the body and the mind. Courage, concentration, wealth, and defense are the best uses for this stone.

Rhodonite is a mineral that is found in the Rhodon

Rhodonite is a stone with rosy hues and gentle vibes that fills the heart with as much goodness as it can manage. This soft natured stone will help you find your way home if you're looking for peace and healing after a big event. Best for: Finding equilibrium after a big loss, overcoming sorrow, or relieving general heartache. It's a fantastic tool to use if your intention is to re-learn to love yourself.

Malachite is a form of malachite that is

Malachite is a beautiful green stone that is one of the heart chakra's favorite stones. Get assistance in breaking bad ties, increasing your EMF security, and finding good luck and success in both business and play. Strengthening the immune system, travel, and the treatment of travel sickness and vertigo are the most common uses.

Sodalite is a mineral that is used to make soda.

Sodalite, also known as the Poets Stone, has the vitality of a roaring wave brimming with inspiration. Increase your contact, speak your brightest truth, and allow logic and inner peace to pave the way for a life that shines. Courage, intelligence, and harmonious relationships with loved ones are the best qualities to have.

Garnet is a red gemstone.

The Garnet is a stone of glory, a fiery red stone with a fiery spirit. Allow your heart chakra to open up, warming your soul and restoring a sense of vitality that has faded over time. Best for: Boosting creativity, boosting metabolism, removing contaminants, providing strength in difficult conditions, and cultivating healthy resources.

Amazonite is a mineral that is found in the Amazon

The Amazonite Courage Stone encourages you to discover your inner strength so that you can live up to your full potential without exhausting your emotional soul. This is an excellent stone for releasing traumas that have become lodged in the body, allowing you to return to a stable, harmonious balance. Best for: healing trauma, combating self-destructive behaviour, and learning to feel at ease in your own skin

Azurite is a blue mineral.

Azurite, an ancient blue copper-based stone, boosts insight and brings yin-yang balance to your heart. This is a stone that invites you out to play if you're looking for a way to reclaim your childlike spontaneity. Connecting with celestial force, cutting out people pleasing conduct, seeking inner power, and clearing the throat chakra are the best uses for this crystal.

Iolite is a mineral that occurs naturally in the earth

Iolite is a lyrical stone that is associated with the third-eye chakra and is all about releasing your inner power and being the leader you were born to be. For the body, mind, and spirit, it's best for: detoxing addictive behaviour, fostering independence, and promoting new positive ways of thinking.

Calcite is a mineral that can be found in

Calcite is a crystallized limestone gem that is bursting with vitamin D. Turn to this stone to improve your artistic and sexual prowess and get a dose of good energy. Best for: increasing inspiration and attention, developing emotional intelligence, constructive thinking, and amplifying energy.

Apatite is a mineral that is found in nature.

When it comes to the emotional self, Apatite's dual action force brings beautiful social ease and calm contact. It acts as a tonic to reinforce the body physically. Strong communication, manifesting a positive truth, innovative thinking, and problem solving are the most common applications.

Howlite is a mineral that is found in the

With the airy elemental stone of Howlite, it's time to knock insomnia and get your ambition back on track. Howlite is divine inspiration, as well as a tool for creative expression and deep relaxation. Calming the mind, reducing rage, seeking meaning, and balancing calcium levels in the body are some of the benefits.

Kunzite is a mineral that is found in the earth'

Kunzite is a stone that is both pure to the eye and strong to the touch, and it will help you break down the walls you've created around your heart and soul. It's also used to heal from traumatic memories and to treat hormonal migraines. Best for: hormonal equilibrium, emotional heart recovery, and creating a prosperous life

Opal is a mineral that is found in abundance

The Opal is a dream to behold, with the sheen of a pearl on rainbow fire. This full spectrum stone of healing is known for bringing loving positive vibes to the group and for lending spiritual light to the aura. Growing cosmic consciousness, clearing negative vibes, critical thought, and motivating imaginative minds are the best uses for this crystal.

Lepidolite is a type of lepidolite.

Lepidolite, which means "size" in Greek, invites you to restore harmony in all aspects of your life. It aids in the development of body and mind consciousness, providing you with the skills you need to eliminate toxicity from your life. Reduce anxiety, clear chakras, embrace positive change, and remain calm with this blend.

Angelite is a mineral that is found in the earth

By bringing Angelite's ethereal energies into your life, you will bind to all of the higher realms. Allow your inner self to show you the way to heaven by quieting the spirit, sitting in openness and humility. Spirituality, soul soothing, rage and anxiety dispelling, and related contact are the best uses for this oil.

Apophyllite is a mineral contained in the Apophyllite

Apophyllite will help you connect to the energy of love. This crystal works to rid the mind and body of negative debris and is always ready to lend a light touch to a heavy situation. Connecting to nature, soothing nerves, clearing the body and mind of negativity, and healing emotional wounds are just a few of the benefits.

Sunstone is a mineral that is found in the

Who wouldn't want a little more light in their lives? Sunstone's soothing vibrations soothe the soul and radiate comfort to every nook and cranny of your being. This stone serves as a natural compass, similar to the ones used by Vikings to navigate the seas. Best for: taking energy to the chakras, discovering your true course, critical thought, and living a life full of good fortune and luck.

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Topaz is a mineral that can be found in

When it comes to the shimmering gemstone of Topaz, feelings of love and affection run high. With this higher living stone, you will calm your temper, remove all traces of poison from your life, and consume fewer. Best for: Migraine relief, inner balance and resisting overwhelm, increased focus, and clearing the throat chakra for direct communication.

Cleaning Stones and Jewelry

Whatever healing crystal you pick, treat it with compassion, purpose, and as much light as you can muster. Whatever the world throws at you, this is to be your amulet, your talisman, and your soul's companion. Keep your crystal jewelry cleansed and recharged, especially after experiencing particularly trying times. Unclogging trapped energy can be as easy as rinsing with warm soapy water. If you want to keep your stones recharged and riding high in their fullest, most fabulous capacity, leave them out in the moonlight, give them a few minutes of heat, or even put them in the rain.

One Last Thought

Adding healing crystals to your existence, whether as a single stone or in the form of gemstone bracelets, can be extremely beneficial. We all have work to do, and balancing out the mental, moral, and physical aspects of our being will help us move out of the darkness and into the light of our true selves.

Details to know Visit:

https://crystalis.com/healing-stones/

Additional Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_healing https://www.wikihow.com/Category:Crystal-Healing

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