#asploding the royals

[hyperdragon97]

KITTERS

credit: Lifestyle Department Art

[taldigi]

u ever just wanna YELL

[ninthprime]

hxh 401 post

read the scanlations a few days ago but wanted to hold my thoughts for the official tl….

kurapika bro you’ve been in the mafia too long!! you can’t just solve everything with shooting!!!!!

in all seriousness i can’t believe togashi just added plot 23. well this kind of replaces the existing beyond plot so whatever. more importantly though i can’t believe he got me instantly invested in a character who was a rando last chapter. i feel like we got a lot of who longhi is here…it reminds me when ikalgo came out of nowhere in the chimera ant arc and instantly joined the main cast. i really like how her “i have to tell the whole truth” condition of her nen contracts reflects how betrayed she feels by not knowing the truth of her origins this whole time.

incredible panels. that middle one of beyond obscuring her/taking over her thoughts is so good

currently balancing three theories in my head rn:

tserriednich is the “obvious” candidate for beyond’s kid due to his resemblance to a younger isaac and uncanny nen talent. this also kind of seems too obvious to me. (i do think theta is probably one of beyond’s kids, though- it’s her or one of tserriednich’s childhood friends.*)

duazul has not one but multiple kids with beyond. halkenburg bears enough of a resemblance to longhi that there’s a panel in this issue close up on her eyes that both myself and multiple other people i’ve seen mistook it for him, but tubeppa also has the high cheekbones. on top of that camilla’s plan with her have-nots is basically a copy of beyond’s plan, and she already knew nen. luzurus looks so much like brocco (the cha-r leader) that i figured he was his kid, but who knows. the only thing this doesn’t solve is how they were able to do the seed urn ceremony if they don’t have royal blood, which applies to the tserriednich theory too. which means my favorite theory i’ve seen so far is:

oito is beyond’s child. woble would then be a legitimate contender to the throne by blood and a member of beyond’s family. i don’t think oito would know this, and we know a little bit about her background- she grew up poor with multiple siblings- but i get the impression those are the kind of situations beyond was taking advantage of, unfortunately. oito appears to be in the 25-30 year old range, so the right age for beyond’s plan.

basically all of these have heavy drama potential, so they all seem valid depending on execution.

* edit: actually i’m thinking about it now and i’m like 75% sure that what’s going to happen is that morena is going to kidnap and use one of tserridnich’s childhood friends like she threatened to and that friend is going to just happen to be the one that’s beyond’s kid. and then everything asplode

[wyrmfedgrave]

Pics: Another Jackson War example.

1 & 2. Originally, the motto of the Royal Observer Corps.

3 & 4. More modern uses of the same motto...

5. Russian cover of the original "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion." Here, they were actually added on in the back - like a secondary story.

6. The only novel that I could find for Fred Jackson in 1914.

1914: Output.

Intro: "Frustra Praemunitus"¹ is a continuation of"Ad Criticos" & is another example of the missives in the Jackson War.

Work: Lovecraft gets right on with it.

"Jackson once again explodes,² & more Mush³ unloads..."

Howard keeps piling on the 'abuse.'

"Take the novel⁴ as... excuse For 40 lines⁵ of fresh abuse..."

HPL continues unabated.

"The screeds⁶ are... drastic; Humor weak; Style bombastic⁷..."

Here Lovecraft writes of his supposed 'superiority' over a published writer.

"It's useful to provoke a better."⁸

Then, Howard remembers his more skilled antagonist.

"Russell, now... reigns in State, Argosy's crowned Laureate,⁹ But for me alone... You'd be unknown."¹⁰

Finally, HPL wraps things up.

"In vain you dread; I'll not condemn what I've not read!"¹¹

Notes:

1. The title is Latin for "forewarned is forearmed." This serves as a motto for various groups, warships & other armed forces.

It's also the title for the 2nd edition of "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion."¹²

2. Lovecraft was a picky word user. So one has to be careful as to his true intent.

"Explodes", here, leads to "an intense & uncontrollable display of emotion." Something Howard had accused Jackson of before - but, about Jackson's stories...

Weird Bit: "Asplode", the 'funny' version of "explode."

In Homestar Runner (an animated web series), a Vector Strong Bad explains, "Your head a splode."

3. "Mush", for HPL, =s "sickening romantic fancies." Another common Lovecraftian accusation of Jackson's works.

But, being that Howard was such a sarcastic person, I'd like to think that he had some fun with words as well.

Especially with the main definition of mush, "a soft & 'pulpy' mass."

4. Since HPL's letter dates back to June of 1914, that leads to "The 3rd Act" - which was Jackson's only work to come out in that month.

This was the 2nd novel by Pittsburgh born Jackson. He later moved on to Hollywood & became a prolific screen writer.

His best work is probably "Stormy Weather" with Lena Horne.

5. This is the full length of Lovecraft's current letter of 'poetic' criticism.

6. A screed is a "long, angry & fault finding rant."

7. Bombastic =s "a pompous but, meaningless speech intended to impress listeners."

Originally, bombastic comes from the 1500s. There it was used to describe "cotton padding."

8. When Howard joined the UAPA, he was of the opinion that English lit was being destroyed by commercialism.

Further, HPL felt that amateur writers were important in preserving "that which is eternal & fades not..."

This letter 'proves' that Lovecraft was already of that opinion before the UAPA.

And, that this opinion was part of his idea of literary superiority.

9. A laureate is the greatest award for outstanding work in the arts & sciences.

In ancient Greece, Apollo's laurel crown honored poets & athletes - since the Olympics began in 776 BC!

Then, the Romans wore these crowns - but, as symbols of military victories.

10. Here, Howard shows he's aware of the Jackson War being noticed out- side of Argosy's fan base.

But, I don't think HPL knew that he was getting the same kind of exposure himself.

Lovecraft seemed surprised to be invited to join the UAPA...

11. Here it sounds like Howard was looking forward to reading future letters from Jackson & Russell.

Or, HPL was going to read Jackson's "The 3rd Act" & didn't want to pre- judge it.

12. A notorious anti-Semitic screed said to reveal Zionist plans for world domination.

Actually, it's racist propaganda that was plagiarized from earlier sources.

It was 1st published in 1903's Imperial Russia & then spread internationally.

The British Times newspaper debunked this conspiracy theory in 1921.

Frankfurter Zeitung, a German newspaper, did the same in 1924.

Yet, in 1931 (7 years later!), the Nazis taught parts of it in Germany - as if it was true...

Sadly, it is still around.

But, most people now know what kind of folk are actually trying to take over the world...

We have enough experience to know the difference.

[joulethieves]

found family drabble in which balthier’s been flying all across ivalice avoiding coming to terms with vaan (again, probably age 25) and the orphan girl (age 4 or 5) in rabanastre - until finally a heist gets the best of him and he breaks a leg, pretty badly. fran flies them back to rabanastre where he is bedridden for quite some weeks. insert vaan and orphan bab - who i’ve temporarily named cisne - taking care of him. which means a whole lot of cisne being adorable and working through the many walls of balthier’s resolve. this also does wonders for the gap cleaved by balthier’s hand  between him and vaan. throughout the weeks the tension slowly works away until nothing is left but everything unsaid. will balthier stay? will he go? vaan needs to know. ty @kujicoo for talking with me randomly about it until we asploded into headcanons and bs. idk why this shit is like candy to write. *POINTEDLY AVOIDS OTHER FIC OBLIGATIONS WITH THIS SHIT*

across the room, vaan sits upon the tired velvet chair in a slump and wrings his hands. “balthier,” he begins, voice quiet and taut, “i know that i’ve...been putting this off-- for a while.” boy, his hands sure are interesting. “but cisne, y’know, she’s nuts about you more than ever now. and i think--i think you like her too.” vaan allows himself a ghost of a smile here as he stares down at his hands and recalls the last few weeks, watching the sky pirate slowly fall victim to her whims. it’s been, truth be told, wonderful to see. he wants to see it every damn day - vaan knows this is what he wants. and this is why he’s here. “look. i know this isn’t really ideal for you, i mean--” a laugh, almost self deprecating, “i pretty much have you trapped here in a room with a broken leg. but, i can’t keep her in the dark any longer. she... she wants to know if you’ll stay.”

it’s harder than it should be, to drag his eyes from his hands to meet the sky pirate’s gaze across the room, but vaan manages. balthier’s eyes bore straight into his, unreadable and stoic, but the dalmascan says it anyway - 

“and so do i.”

predictable silence stretches between them, a thread across the room vaan can practically see. he wants to grab it between both fists and pull until it snaps and everything between them unsaid can make sense again. balthier has always been a puzzle of a hume that vaan's had no qualms accepting with all his unclear, jagged pieces; he’s been content to leave the mismatched image as is, if balthier is happy enough with the picture he’s composed thus far. but that was then, before cisne... and whatever chasm grew between him and balthier during these months.

now, vaan needs answers, and there’s a guilt that digs through the very centre of him in asking balthier to hand them over. but it’s not just his heart on the line anymore. it’s another orphan’s too, and vaan won’t keep her waiting any longer. he sees her falling in love with balthier, every day more that they spend together,

just as he sees himself falling more in love with him as well.

in the dim light of the inn room, balthier’s tired features are soft. the shadows curve along his cheekbones to dull his edges, and all that stands out in the warmth of the room is the crisp white of his tunic and the rumpled sheets pooled around his waist. vaan’s hands tighten with his throat as the silence pries at him. and then balthier moves, suddenly, shifts on the bed with a stiffness that he cannot hide - he winces, sucks in a breath through his teeth, and slides from the center of the bed to one half.

and then he expectantly pats the spot he just cleared.

“come join me on the bed, would you? you’re awfully hard to reason with from across the room.”

vaan’s feet carry him before his mind can catch up, and soon he’s stretched alongside balthier on the cozy mattress certainly not meant for two men. still, they manage, and balthier is quick to wrap and arm around vaan to bring his blonde head to his chest. vaan obliges the motion, and lets out a long sigh through his nose as he settles against him.

“i’ve been giving it much thought myself, as of late. i’ve certainly had the time for thoughts,” balthier offers, still maddeningly full of pretense. vaan wants to shake him and he would were balthier not already bedridden from his heist-induced injury - instead vaan finds his impatience smoothed down as the older man runs his hands through the mess of vaan’s long hair, working out the knots between the strands, and between them both. “she’s infectious, the girl. much like another once-orphan i know. hm,” a fond hum warms the room further, and balthier presses his lips to the crown of vaan’s head. “i admit you have quite a knack for mussing my script about in ways i’m ever hard-pressed to make sense of. and now indeed you have me trapped like a hare, with both yourself and cisne having at me mercilessly; show’ring me in affections, tales, company alike that makes these drab days in this wretched sickbed seem almost tolerable. pleasant, even,” he adds, and vaan can hear the very rise of his brow as he speaks.

“i did tell her to be extra sweet to you,” vaan grins, “but she took her own liberties and then i couldn’t stop her. i created a monster.”

“don’t give yourself so much credit,” balthier snorts, “you know i’ve a way with the ladies in such a manner i can’t even begin to make you understand.”

vaan swats at him dismissively, and balthier’s rich chuckle makes him want to smile. talk about infectious. 

“cisne is special; i’ll give you that, certainly. i was skeptical at first, lending most of your good word to that irrepressible heart of gold you’re ever-cursed with.” vaan smiles against balthier’s chest and recalls their conversation many months ago about her where he said just that. “but it would seem your affections are well-warranted. i can see why you’re so enamored - whatever spell she has you under has, damnably, spread to me.” here, vaan wants to preen - he knew she’d pry her little fingers into his heart if they could just get him to sit still long enough to pull it off. this broken leg business really ended up being a boon for all three of them.

“but vaan, the sky is no place to raise a little girl.” 

the reality slices through vaan and his smile drops like a marionette with severed strings. balthier continues.

“she’ll do well to be raised here in rabanastre, what with your flat and all that can accommodate her and yourself both.”

rabanastre. home. rabanastre has always been that, whether vaan is in the heart of it or thousands of miles away in a sky he’s never known. home has always been here. outside the inn, the sounds of the royal city still weave through the streets below as night settles in, a richness vaan cannot hope to unearth in any sort of treasure.

but he cannot make balthier see this. 

distantly, amidst the white noise filling his head and heart with trepidation, vaan can feel balthier’s fingers run through his hair again - though the knots have given to his ministrations and they slide through the flaxen tresses with ease.

“there are, as you can imagine, a multitude of issues with this.”

the dalmascan sighs in defeat and screws his eyes tight, tight, tight - here it comes. the answer he’d been dreading. he told himself not to hold his breath, told himself not to, damn it all. but he couldn’t help it. it was all too good to imagine, again, infectious - to picture a life where the past few weeks, barring the injury, could be a way of life for all three of them.

vaan knew it was too good to be true. but he’d hoped nonetheless. that’s what orphans do, and he’ll always be one at heart - a foolish dalmascan boy who hopes for a family again, one that he can keep this time. he moves to rise from balthier, the bed, this room, this very place--but balthier keeps him pressed to his chest as he continues.

“first thing’s first, that bed of yours in your flat is terribly small. i’ll not be sharing it with you unless we replace it with something suitable. if that means i have to go purchase one myself and haul it up the stairs then so be it.”

vaan’s head shoots up so fast he nearly clips balthier’s chin. suddenly the white noise in his head switches to a ring, but the pirate continues, as if he hadn’t just said the start of an absolute game-changer.

“secondly, she’ll need to be placed in schooling. proper schooling, mind. surely our dear queen has implemented some arrangement these many years to rebuild your once less-than-stellar education programs.”

the ringing grows louder and vaan’s heart is in his ears as balthier drawls on.

“third, we’ll need some breed of proper documentation for this. now i know you, by technical terms, stole this homeless child from the very streets of rozarria and smuggled her across several borders, so don’t fret; believe it or not i’m not terribly against forgery. just don’t tell dear fran, heaven forfend. her fragile disposition won’t hold out on the shock.” 

vaan feels dizzy. that heartbeat thrumming in his eardrums has taken over his very pulse and he comes alive on the bed to wrap balthier in his arms, and vaan presses his face against the man’s neck to hide the wetness of his eyes. “balthier,” vaan breathes out, and he curls his hands around the man’s soft hair like a child would, “d’you mean it?”

there’s no use hiding, vaan knows this. he lifts his head from balthier’s throat and locks eyes with the older man, whose gaze looks back at him this time with no walls; a puzzle rearranged in such a way that vaan can see the picture clearer now, one where they both fit, this time with no jagged edges.

“i do.”