#baras always dies

[ashleighneville]

Gonna help my mum prepare a bara brith for her to bring into work on Saturday so maybe that'll create some good vibes for the team or something who knows

[twomiddlefingersforthehaters]

I didn't notice that Kyun was used again in the manga. I think everyone knows how this onomatopoeia first appeared in the manga, yes ofc Kishi used it for Naruto.

Naruto got existed by the anticipation of fighting sasuke... ｢キュン｣ Kyun is a common onomatopoeia in Japan when you fall in love and also used for feeling spark or thrill in one's heart. SFX for momentary tightening of one's chest caused by powerful feelings Or to have butterflies. ｢ゾクゾクする｣ zokuzoku suru- Thrilling is an expression for shaking, to get chills, to be shaking as from joy or excitement Or having tingling sensation (excitement). In here tightening (Kyun) happening in his lower abdomen.

何だ... にの気持ち下腹の辺りがキュンとする それに... ゾクゾクする

nanda... Kono kimochi shita bara no atari ga kyun to suru Sore ni... zokuzoku suru

"What... is this feeling? My lower stomach feels tight/feels butterflies! And... I feel a thrill/ shivers."

This expression is generally uses when butterflies take flight in your stomach when you're sexually aroused. It is that feeling in your stomach when you get turned on. So it literally means he's being sexually excited. In the middle of his thoughts he also remembers when Sasuke tells him he's also interested in fighting him too, where Naruto reacted ドキ ( "doki")

キュン - onomatopoeias that express strong affection (mainly love). The feeling of excitement is like your heart beating hard and constricting. It's similar to when you're so happy you can't breathe. What makes people feel excited varies from person to person.

So, キュン means pounding, fluttered,thump etc... once, instant (ュン feels it is once and gone), a bit light but very sharp (since with キ sound)

-My heart skipped a beat!

- I got this tingling sensation.

- Heartthrob

e. g:

1．その映画で胸キュンしましたか?

sono eiga de mune kyun shimashita ka ?

Did that movie make your heart skip?

2．猫が可愛すぎてキュン死する。

neko ga kawaisugite Kyunshi suru

The cat is so adorable, it's killing me! ( just an exaggeration)

3．この前、あなたの投げキッスに胸がキュンとした。

kono mae, anata no nage kissu ni mune ga kyun to shita.

Last time I saw you, my heart skipped a beat from the kisses you blew (to) me.

4．この絵にキュンとしました 。

kono e ni kyun to shimashita.

I felt a flutter of excitement when I saw this picture.

キュンとした (kyun toshita) has nuances such as "I was touched", " I was moved" , "I was impressed" etc...

[It means you see a picture, and instantly hit by an emotion hard to describe, but it is pleasant]

5．この犬かわいいね。胸がキュンキュンするわ。

kono inu kawaii ne. mune ga kyunkyun suru wa.

What a cute dog! My heart gets pounding.

6．ふとした瞬間の考えてることが一緒なところ。同じタイミングで同じ歌を口ずさんだりすることがあるとキュンとする（笑）

futoshita shunkan no kangaeteru koto ga issho na tokoro. onaji taimingu de onaji uta wo kuchizusan dari suru koto ga aru to kyun to suru

We tend to have the same thoughts at certain moments. It makes my heart flutter when we start humming the same song at the same time (lol)

7．かわいい犬を見て『キュン』 死しそう になった。

kawaii inu wo mite Kyun shishisō ni natta.

When I saw the cute dog I died from cuteness overload.

[N̳o̳t̳e̳:̳ there's no English expression that can be literally translated キュン死 but it can use, “to die from cuteness, to die from cuteness overload, OR so cute that I died”. キュン死 can also be used when you "almost died because someone's too hot,sexy etc., " in that case, the translation be like " die from hotness or sexiness" or something like "he's so hot and I can die". ]

8． 彼女の事を思うと胸がキュンとなる。

kanojo no koto wo omou to mune ga kyun to naru.

When I think about her my heart flutters.

9．何回みても、キュンキュンするね

nan kai mite mo, kyunkyun suru ne

No matter how many times we watch (him), he (still) gives the butterflies, doesn't he?

N̳o̳t̳e̳:̳ キュンキュンする is used to describe a situation where you are so happy that your heart beats fast, or that you find it difficult to breathe in a normal way, etc. It is almost always used for young people being like that, especially when they are meeting somebody they like/ are in love with. Used in a situations when you say: - My heart is aching. - I got this tingling sensation

10. 彼を見るたびに、胸がキュンとする感じがします

kare wo miru tabini, mune ga kyun to suru kan ji ga shimasu

Whenever I see him, I feel a flutter in my chest.

11. 胸がキュンときました｡

mune ga kyun tokimashita.

My heart skipped a beat. (N̳o̳t̳e̳:̳ It is often used when a love began or similar emotion. Mune-kyun is an abbreviation for chest-kyun, which means that your chest tightens with excitement.)

N̳o̳t̳e̳:̳ When a person of the opposite sex that you like shows a cute expression just for you, you feel doki. ``Kyun'' is a momentary feeling of happy elation. As you can say, it's a happy feeling when you see something cute. When you see something cute, you use "kyun" to describe the heart-warming emotion you feel at that moment.

There are times when music makes you go 'kyun' or movies makes you go 'kyun'. I think it can also be used in a broader sense. Originally, it was a word used to describe love or the excitement you feel when you meet someone of the opposite sex. However, if you are deeply moved, you will also feel excited, so it is an exciting situation after all.

キュンです (kyundesu) is originally means when your heart pounding / flutters its an exaggerated meaning from onomatopeia キュンキュン (kyunkyun). when you see something cute your chest become painful in love in other words its a word used when your heart beating fast the short term for "my chest pounding!" what kind of situation you can use this is when your heart flutter by the action / words of the person you like or looking at the pet or when you see something cute your heart is pounding / flutters and finally when you're happy its kyundesu.

"Kyun" is an onomatopoeia, so even if you look it up in a dictionary, you may only find a wide range of meanings and uses, or you may find a way of using it that is not mentioned in the dictionary. Ultimately, you have to infer the meaning from the feel of the word and the context.

When Sasuke sees "Itachi", he is suddenly struck by "memories of his older brother"...

As he Saw the Edo Tensei Itachi's profile he recalled → Itachi's old profile (so distant) → kid Itachi's smiling face from the front (also the forehead poke)→ reaching towards him (thought he would gouge out his eyes)→ his final forehead poke with a smile-> his death

This whole recalled scene have the gap that needed to fill (the truth behind the lies).

Sasuke was obviously surprised & shocked because "someone he thought was dead suddenly appeared in front of him..."

Sasuke goes "kikyun" when he finds his big brother who was dead jumps through the trees in front of him and in the next panel it shows Sasuke's shocked face unable to believe what he just saw, and then instinctively glared towards his brother's direction...

So, キキュン is the sfx that made in his abdomen after seeing his beloved brother for the first time in a long time.

[in the manga it is an effect that conveys emotions, but if they actually added this sound in the anime, I think it would just sound like Sasuke had an upset stomach]

For just a moment, Sasuke has entered a space that is completely cut off from the outside world. Of course, there are no onomatopoeia in the description of the memories he is tracing... it is a world of complete silence. But in a world where even sound is blocked out, it's as if everything has frozen... And Sasuke's eyes are looking somewhere in the distance... he seems to be looking at Itachi, but he's probably not looking anywhere. Sasuke's expression is indescribable... He reminisced about Itachi's past and his abdomen goes "kikyun" because of this unexpected encounter....because he was sure that the person running in front of him was Itachi.

I wonder if this "kikyun" sound actually occurred in the abdomen, or if it is a mental description of "that's how it felt".

"キ (ki) " sound is a "sound" that actually accompanies pain or with a slight pain, like something stabbing you in the stomach and the "kyun" sound is more of a "sensation" that expresses the heart-pounding with joy.

The pain of painful memories + the desire to be with his brother + amid fond memories + the two conflicting emotions of anger and happy + wanted to spend more time with his beloved Brother are all tangled up inside Sasuke= maybe this is how the combination of ki-Kyun happened.

OR

it may be anger. Remember what sai said when he was blaming Sakura before Shikamaru told her about the mission to kill Sasuke in ch. 559, “When I look at Naruto these days I can feel... (his) sadness... and when I think of Sasuke... my stomach gets hot... and I realise that it's anger”. However, I don't think it's anger because that's not the whole meaning of "kyun." And from the panel it wasn't looking like Sasuke was getting angry.

Conclusion: Seeing his brother it brought back old memories of his brother and evoked some strong emotions, making him feel very moved. You can use "kyun" when you are shocked in a positive way. It is clear from the context and from the second page that his abdomen goes kikyun because he was literally shocked. It is enough to evoke strong emotions in anyone if they had seen their brother risen from the dead.

kishi uses "onomatopoeia" and "background" to express their feelings. This technique by Kishimoto is interesting because it allows the reader to use their imagination in various ways. キキュン seems to be an original word created by Kishi and I've never heard anyone using it.

Sasuke tries really hard to talk to Itachi and chase him. How much of a big brother boy is he? He's so cute!! Sasuke suddenly let out all his pent up thoughts and doubts on his brother... That's how much he'd been suffering and carrying it all by himself up until now.

Itachi doesn't show even a trace of his true face in front of Sasuke, that he showed in front of Naruto and the others... Itachi has things he has to do, and he knows very well that "he should never have met Sasuke" because he, who is supposed to be dead, unnecessarily gets involved with Sasuke. Now, he clearly distinguishes between what he should do and what he shouldn't be involved in, and he strictly follows that line... "I'm essentially a dead man... I won't say any more," and keeps running away from Sasuke...

this is a very honest expression of Sasuke's true feelings

Sasuke had always chased after Itachi. he imitated his brother and chased after him. Feeling the responsibility of having the proud Uchiha clan name left to himself, he desperately tried to surpass his brother, chasing after his brother's back, but the more he got to know his brother, the more the wall of "perfection" stood in Sasuke's way. From an early age, he wanted to be acknowledged by his father, and desired to hear from his father "as expected from my son or That's my son" and not "Keep this up just like your older Brother", but his father and others saw him as "Itachi's younger brother" and always being compared to his overly excellent older brother, he was underestimated. But that did not stop him from idolizing his brother. And he loves his brother very much. Even amongst his family members, Sasuke places Itachi on a high pedestal.

But through this unexpected reunion, Sasuke was able to see and understand his brother's "convincing way of life"... even if he couldn't accept it. he returns to his childlike state when he is with his older brother. And Sasuke finally called Itachi "兄さん = big brother". The fact that he can honestly say "Big Brother" means that Sasuke is returning to being the "real Sasuke". Fighting while relying on each other's backs is "proof of teamwork" and finally....showed their trust by standing back to back naturally.

From ch. 585 to ch. 588 Sasuke called him 兄さん。But In Ch. 589 Sasuke uses 兄(あに) = ani= (older) brother...-> is actually formal... It is never used by children, and mostly used in a more formal conversations when you tell someone about your brother, or in literary styles.

With each seal, Sasuke's expression changes... Sasuke may have expected Itachi's reaction, but I think he feels a sense of repulsion and ``as I expected'' towards his brother who, even at this point, refuses to show even the slightest bit of his true self. When Itachi reaches the "Monkey" seal in ch. 589, Sasuke eyes quickly change back from Sharingan to normal. Perhaps he got his Sharingan back to remind himself that their "time as brothers" was over. Itachi, who had been making the seal, stopped... His back was still turned as usual, but he was still listening seriously to what Sasuke was saying.

But when their time as brothers ended, Sasuke finally changed back from "nīsan" to "anta" Or rather, it felt like the dream time ended and he was suddenly pulled back to reality, and then he naturally changed back to "anta."

The way Sasuke talks about his "older brother" in ch. 589 as if he were a third party seems to suggest that he has put his childhood memories behind him as the "past" and is now looking towards the "present and future." It also sounds like he is bidding farewell to his "older brother who has become a thing of the past."

The fact that the Edo Tensei seal ended with the boar , perhaps means that the Edo Tensei came to an end with the brothers' " great boar hunt = Kabuto hunt"

In the end Sasuke (again) called him "nii-san" in his mind, rather than calling him "Itachi" Or "Anta". A 16-year-old Sasuke, the expression on Sasuke's face as he gazed upon his brother reminded him of the innocent 7-year-old when he was looking at his brother's back. a lonely face.

Just like that day... the day of the Uchiha incident, the day Sasuke reminding Itachi to teach Shuriken... he was smiling when he was looking at his brother's back, but then he was saddened to see the broken wall with the Uchiha symbol on it that his brother had destroyed by throwing a shuriken, and muttered in his mind, "Nii-san". The final sweet moment he got from his brother was at that day. Sasuke was probably feeling the same anxiety and sadness he had felt back then when he was only 7-year-old. Even in this last moment his brother was distancing himself from him and running away from him.

Itachi walks towards Sasuke with his last bit of strength. He looked so panicked as Itachi approaching him and pointed his fingers towards his head, it paralleled the last scene between them, when he thought his brother was going to pluck his eyes out.

His hand, stretched out as if to flee, passed over Sasuke's head and grabbed him, pulling him towards. Sasuke will never see "Itachi's back" again... This will truly be the last time he sees his brother's back....because this is the Gesture that truly means, 'I am not Lying and I am not distancing myself' instead he closed the distance between them. He no longer pushed Sasuke away with a finger to the forehead. It's a full brotherly embrace now. In Itachi's words, which seem to be honest and straightforward, there is also his "brother's honest feelings" hidden within them. I think that's why he uses the word "always" twice. when he says "I love you," it's unusual for him to use hiragana "お�� (ore) " instead of "オレ." It sounding as gentle and soft as that final smile he gave to Sasuke. Like the gentle words of a mother.

Kishi clearly shows us that Itachi is more than just Sasuke's brother. He established a motherly bond when Itachi was just 5 years old and Sasuke was a newborn baby. We've seen Mikoto carry baby Sasuke and to introduce Kushina. But when it came to a life-threatening situation like the Kyuubi incident, Itachi played the mother role (ch.502). And he checks Sasuke's performance in Academy just like a Father.

Itachi regretted not thinking anything from Sasuke's POV which hurted him even more. He also admitted he tried to use Kotoamastukami against Sasuke himself. He tried to manipulate him, he tried to force Sasuke to follow his own desires, he only saw Sasuke as an object, meant to keep him in the shadows forever. By the end, Itachi confessed his mistakes then stopped trying to force Sasuke into doing anything.

The hand that grabbed Sasuke's head, and said the manly words that he didn't have to forgive " me " forever...He looked straight ahead with gentle eyes and said the embracing words, " I will always love you." It shows the unconditional love between siblings.

When Sasuke thinks of Itachi, he looks up at the sky. For example, in ch. 403, after hearing the truth about Itachi, he was looking up at the full moon at the Akatsuki hideout.

And when he saw Itachi in the forest, he looked up at his brother's direction... From that moment on, Sasuke entered a "dreamlike time." At that time, he was wandering alone in the darkness, soaking wet like a lost kitten...

But now, he was wrapped in a gentle light, he look up at his older brother as he returns to the sky... He was wrapped in warm love and somehow he looked dazed.

Likewise, Sasuke "looked up" at the beginning of this brother's reunion, and he was "looking up" again at the end of this farewell. Sasuke looks like a little boy who wakes up and realizes his brother is gone. But his brother's "warmth" still remains.　

Sasuke's expression has definitely softened compared to before he entered the forest. Itachi's final smile showed that he still believed in Sasuke... it was a clear, happy smile that showed towards his brother. He tells Sasuke only the truth and lets him choose his own path from there. That's a big difference from before.

Sasuke's "love for his older brother" were stronger than Itachi had thought . For his brother, for his family... the "love" in Sasuke's heart was deeper (than expected). Because his love was so great and deep, he ended up carrying more sadness and hatred than he had expected.

In that respect, Naruto understood Sasuke very well. After hearing the truth about Itachi, Naruto said: "Sasuke loved his family and clan... it's because his love is so deep, it's hard for him to forgive"

These images and the panels that follow in the manga sum up their relationship perfectly. The panel above is the highlight about the "two brothers" and their story....because Kishi started their flashback with this panel (ch.220)

An older brother carrying his little brother on his back was aware of what was going on around him, but the one behind had closed his eyes and was completely oblivious to what was happening. It's really amusing how Kishi drew it: “Sasuke closed his eyes and Itachi was looking at his brother....fully aware of his surroundings.” Itachi knows what's going on with his clan, but Sasuke is completely kept in the dark and was oblivious, that's the whole story right?

The bottom panel is the beginning of ch. 591. Last moments between siblings. Nothing was hidden now, he heard and saw the truth he wanted to hear from his brother. Itachi's back was no longer turned to his little brother, now he was not ignoring him... he was smiling and putting their head together. It was a true "farewell between the brothers".

So, their sibling relationship had its dark phase, betrayal, hurt, pain and lies. But beyond all that, Sasuke always loved his brother.

In the beginning of the manga, because of his brother's manipulations and lies Sasuke had to live a life full of hatred, suffering, misery and he ended up doesn't care about what happens to him.... BUT...because of Naruto...we saw through Sasuke's monologue at the end of the manga about how he will appreciate and value life. Naruto and Sasuke...they have walked completely different paths, they have experienced and learned similar things in parallel. They both have things they lack and yet.....Naruto makes up for Sasuke's, and Sasuke makes up for Naruto's. That is why they are depicted as equals and balancing each other out. Itachi says himself to Sasuke that he can no longer change sasuke and actually thinks naruto is the one able to. And what can really change sasuke's heart is love. naruto's love. After accepting Naruto's love for him, he hopes to see the world more like naruto. Sasuke also emphasis that Naruto never tried to stop him as anything but as his friend, and because of that, Sasuke was saved. When Sasuke said, "You came closer to my heart" , From those words "You came", Sasuke's gratitude, feelings, and "happiness" towards Naruto are fully conveyed... Now, Sasuke's heart is filled. They understand each other's pain and feelings at a level no one else can, and from a very young age they unknowingly bond with each other over these shared feelings and emotions, and that bond withstood. He is now willing to share the burden of that suffering with Naruto (your sufferings and wishes are passed on to me) just as Naruto tried to do to Sasuke the whole time (I'll bear the burden of your hatred and I'll die with you). Sasuke is willing to try it Naruto's way and accepting him instead of trying to carry the burden and sufferings all alone.

He specifically says in his monologue that he would try to hope for better things to happen, try to find ways to love himself and his life, because if he could do it for Naruto, he could probably do it for himself and other things. and he look for ways to cope with life, and relying on Naruto's love to be able to do so eventually. Because even if he cannot do so ever, at least Naruto will be there for him, always.

And the fact that the last words were not spoken by "Naruto" but by "Sasuke" made you realize once again that the story of NARUTO is not just about "Naruto"... it is a story that has been woven by the two of them, "Naruto and Sasuke"

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Maria Montez (Cobra Woman, Arabian Nights)—maria montez was a dominican actress who rose to fame starring in a series of technicolor adventure movies in the 1940s hollywood, becoming popularly known as "the queen of technicolor”. her dramatic persona and elaborate bejeweled attire in these films subsequently lead to her becoming an early camp icon to underground queer filmmakers like jack smith and andy warhol. maria was fiercely determined to become a Movie Star from early on and tirelessly promoted herself (she would be killing it as an influencer today probably) - she deliberately cultivated an outré star persona in the tradition of old school screen vamps like theda bara and alla nazimova and she was always serving no matter where she was or what she was doing.

Judy Garland (Meet Me In St. Louis, A Star is Born, Summer Stock)— Judy is the GOAT when it comes to classic movie musicals. The voice of an angel who deserved so much better than she got. She can sing she can dance she can act she's a triple threat. Though she had a turbulent personal life (her treatment as a child star by the studio system makes me mad as hell like Louis b Mayer fight me ((she was made to believe that she was physically unattractive by the constant criticism of film executives who made her feel ugly and who manipulated her onscreen appearance by capping her teeth and using discs in her nose to change its shape and Mayer called her "my little hunchback" like imagine hearing that as a child and not having damage)) she always goddamn delivered on screen and in any performance she gave. She began in vaudeville performing with her sisters and was signed to MGM at 13. Starting out in supporting parts especially paired with mickey Rooney in a bunch of films (she's the best part tbh) she eventually transferred to the lead role. She is best known for her starring role in movie musicals like the iconic Wizard of Oz (somewhere over the rainbow still hits hard and is ranked the top film song of all time), meet me in St. Louis (Judy singing have your self a merry little Christmas brings tears to the eyes she is that powerful), the Harvey girls (she looks like a technicolor dream and sings a catchy af song about trains), Easter parade ( dancing and singing with Fred Astaire), for me and my gal, the pirate, and summer stock ( with pal Gene Kelly who she helped when he was starting out and he helped her when she was struggling). But she also does non- singing just as well like the clock ( her first movie where she sings no songs and is an underrated ww2 era romance), her Oscar nominated a star is born ( like the man that got away she put her whole soul in that and I have beef with the fact she lost to grace kelly ((whom I love but like still not even her best work)), and judgement at Nuremberg (a courtroom drama about the nazi war criminal trials). Outside of film she made concert appearances to record-breaking audiences, released 8 studio albums, and had her own Emmy-nominated tv series. She was the youngest (39) and first female recipient of the Cecil B DeMille award for lifetime achievement in the film industry. Girl was a lifelong democrat and was a financial and moral supporter of many causes including the civil rights movement (she was at the March on Washington and held a press conference to protest the 16th street Baptist church bombings). She was a friend of the Kennedy family and would call jfk weekly often ending the calls by singing the first few lines of somewhere over the rainbow (she thought of them as Gemini twins).She was a member of the committee for the first amendment which was formed in response to the HUAC investigations. Though she died far too young and tragically she remains an icon for her work and her life. As a girl who didn't feel like i was as pretty as everyone else I have always felt a connection to Judy and I just really love her.

This is round 2 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Maria:

Dominican actress dubbed the Queen of Technicolor. Starred in colourful action adventure movies and was Universal Studios “glamour girl” of the 1940s. She starred in 26 movies before her untimely death in 1951. Shot to stardom with Arabian Nights in 1942. Fought with universal over roles she was cast in and managed to negotiate better pay for herself before going freelance and starring in European movies.

Judy:

Judy's voice alone qualifies her for at least top ten hottest HOT VINTAGE MOVIE WOMEN. She was a truly incredible swing singer, with a stunning voice on top of her technique. Her short dark hair looked incredible in just about any style. Have I mentioned her swagger? I can’t do it justice with words. She had swagger. She was funny as hell, and clever too. Incredibly charming and cool. I adore her.

Her eyes, her voice have bewitched me

I mean how can you beat the one and only Judy? She's beautiful, her smile is contagious, the way she sings with her whole body. You can't help but love her.

Beautiful woman, love her singing voice. And she can do everything between happy or silly and angry or heartbroken

[skaldish]

Till en viss det förstår jag personen som skickade hatet. Det är väldigt udda att se amerikaner... jag vet inte hur jag ska formulera det, men typ, ta en del av våran kultur och sprida den? Nu pratar jag inte bara om asatro, den båten har seglat, men vår folktro, vår historia, sägen, osv. Saker som känns mer hemligt, mer "vårt". Och visst, kultur är till för att delas, men... Det känns bara lite udda. Även om amerikanerna som "snor" har nån random gammal släkting som är härifrån trakterna. Lite "gammelmormor var en indiansk prinsessa" vibes haha 😂

Nu säger jag det här bara för att visa att det finns skandinaver som har liknande syn som den som skickade den tidigare asken, dock så följer vi kanske sig och tycker att din syn på saker kan vara intressant. Dessutom verkar du vara duktig på att leta reda på saker som kanske inte är så vidspridda här heller, även om du kanske ibland feltolkar delar av vår kultur.

Så detta är inget hatbrev, det är ett "jag förstår varför den tidigare personen skrev som den gjorde, och jag vill ge en snällare förklaring". Typ. Om det makes sense.

God dag! 😁

To a certain extent, I understand the person who sent the hate. It's very odd to see Americans… I don't know how to put it, but like, take a part of our culture and spread it? Now I'm not just talking about Ásatrú, that boat has sailed, but our folk beliefs, our history, legends, etc. Things that feel more secret, more "ours". And sure, culture is meant to be shared, but… It just feels a bit odd. Even if the Americans who "steal" have some random old relative who is from around here. A little "great grandmother was a Native American princess" vibes haha 😂 Now I say this just to show that there are Scandinavians who have similar views as the one who sent the previous box, however, we may follow you and find your view of things interesting. Also, you seem to be good at finding out things that may not be so widespread here either, although you may sometimes misinterpret parts of our culture. So this isn't a hate mail, it's a "I understand why the previous person wrote the way they did, and I want to give a kinder explanation". Sort of. If that makes sense. Good day to you! 😁

Nah, I understand completely. And I know the image you're seeing of American Heathenry looks batshit. It looks batshit for me too—but that's because I understand it's a fairy-tale and it's always looked like one to me.

I think that's something important to keep in mind here, though. The Heathenry you see in America is manufactured for us, mostly by American companies, orgs, and snake-oil salesmen for the purpose of their own agendas. Whatever these actors can snag from the Nordic countries that makes their fairy tale look more real, they do.

One of the things this fairy-tale tells us is that "Heathenry died off with the vikings a long time ago, so it's up to us to return to our ancient roots to restore it." Often when I bring up your culture, it's to illustrate that this is bullshit, and that your current culture matters when it comes to how we Americans understand Heathenry. (I'm also trying to compare cultural senses to illustrate the differences.)

But if I'm blatantly getting something wrong or being insensitive about something in this process, you are more than free to tell me.

What I don't appreciate is when people are just angry that I exist and want me to take responsibility for the fact they feel angry about my existence. The fact the other person didn't return to explain what the actual problem I was causing was, tells me they just wanted a punching bag.

I understand getting angry about Americans taking what's "yours" without a care—and I agree it's a problem—but getting angry at Americans doesn't solve this problem. It's certainly won't get the tens of thousands of American Heathens to stop being Heathen. A better approach would be to just help us get better educated about it.

[moss-the-irishman]

To the Anon/Anons who bless me with AUs such as Mixed Latino/Hispanic Percy, and German American Grace family, I'll give you some ammo based on the Headcanons/ AUs I've come up with in my head:

Orthodox Christian/Russian Italian Nico Di Angelo (His name would now be Nikolai).

Natural blond Korean American Luke Castellan with complete brown/blue heterochromia.

Irish American Annabeth and Magnus Chase with Swedish and Ghanaian descent.

Mixed Black Annabeth Chase with natural blonde hair, black skin, and grey eyes.

Mixed Black Albino Magnus Chase who has light skin, hair and eyes, but also has black facial features and hair structure.

Lester Papadopoulos with an Irish accent and Irish/Vietnamese American Meg McCaffery.

I hope this give you some inspiration, Anon!

also tagging @queen-of-weird-girl-nation @ashthenerdtheythem @aki-bara, since I always tag them in these au posts.

[sleepyconfusedpotato]

Hello, Sleppy! There is one thing I have always wanted to know about Jade but did not dare ask. Tell me, please, what happened to Jade and Simon in the original CoD universe? I saw a sketch of crying Jade, was it her reaction to Simon's death or in your universe he managed to survive? P.S. - I am sorry if you do not like this question at all.

Okay so since I rarely post about the OG!MW2 anymore, I'm just gonna reveal the whole plot to you guys (ʘ ͜ʖ ʘ)

Be ready cuz this is kinda long - these are the canon divergence that I constructed in the events that my OC's are inserted into the OG!MW2 plot.

So, Jade was actually sent by the MI6 to track down what actually happened that made Russia attack US out of nowhere. Because that Zakhaev Airport massacre sounded and looked FISHY as HECK. Being the MI6 she was, Jade had to report regularly to her handler in MI6 (141 didn’t know this. It’s her personal gig). She met Soap Ghost and Roach there, but her first meeting with Ghost was bad and blab la blaaa SHE OPENED GHOST'S MASK. She also met Ellie (another OC I had for Gaz who’s a medical corps leader in 141. Gaz died in the OG!MW, she was still saddened but she’s very glad to have Jade in the base).

There’s also another OC that I have named Bara. He’s a lone Indonesian Denjaka sniper lieutenant that got sent by the country to capture an Indo defector among Makarov’s cause. Because of political reasons, he’s not a 141. Bara’s like an ally that pop out sometime somewhere like a spirit. 141 themselves were still very suspicious of him, but when Bara saved Meat and Royce in Rio, he gained their trust, and 141 would help him find the defector as Bara would help them on their missions.

Now, sometime in the middle, Jade was captured by Makarov and got tortured by him. Jade intentionally didn’t escape and held the pain in to gain some info herself from anyone inside the room or from Makarov himself. And that’s where the (How about you check who you surround yourself with) and Jade’s gears started turning inside her brain. She released herself and ran amok around Mak’s place, and found some data about “anonymous source” that said there’ s mole among Makarov’s group in the massacre (we know it is Joseph Allen) and she SENT THAT STRAIGHT to MI6. Ghost and the boys found the compound and rescued a badly injured Jade.

So like, along the story, Jade found bits and pieces, put two and two together, and by the end, Jade’s 90% sure that Shepherd’s onto something shitty.

NOW HERE’S THE CANON DIVERGENCE IN LOOSE ENDS MISSION.

As Jade, Roach, and Ghost went to Makarov’s base at the Georgian-Russian border, Jade actually took the time to read the posts, notes, and all the info that were sticked to the boards, tables, and walls. In fact, as Ghost and Roach was busy fighting off Makarov’s goons, Jade READ that shit (because at that point she didn’t trust Shepherd AT ALL).

And you guessed it, she found out that Shepherd is the mastermind behind every damn thing.

So when Roach transferred the data to the DSM, she did her magic and unbeknownst to everyone, she SENT ALL the proof to MI6 on the spot.

Jade then told Ghost and Roach about everything, and they did NOT trust Shepherd anymore. So when the general told them to go the fields, they declined and decided to hold the fort inside the house. Shepherd knew something was wrong, so when he kept pressing the three to get out of the house, but again, the three didn’t oblige, the general and the shadows decided to finally go to the house.

Shepherd and the Shadows cleared the whole area from enemies and tried to find Ghost, Roach, Jade,and the others in the house. One by one, the SC people got killed with stealth. Things led to another, and chaos ensued inside the house. Shepherd could’ve burnt down the house with the 141 in it, but Shepherd’s paranoid that Jade had done something, and he NEEDED that DSM.

Shootout happened, and Jade got one of the SC as a shield with a gun to his head. Shepherd told Jade to give him the DSM, and convo happened, Shepherd finally revealed his motives. And now he had to get rid of the three of them.

AND THEN, MI6 contacted Jade, saying that the proof about Shepherd’s doing had gone public. The whole thing was his doing all long, and now the world had turned all their forces towards finding Shepherd. Russia, US, now began their search on Shepherd! WOOHOO

Panicked, Shepherd yelled at SC as reinforcements came, along with Price and Soap who came straight fom Kazakhstan to the place, Meat and Royce (who survived Rio), Archer and Toad, everyone came to help.

CLIMAX ENSUED, and Ghost got shot twice protecting Jade from Shepherd’s bullets.

As Jade held Ghost on her arms, Price and Soap, with Nikolai’s help, chased Shepherd who’s desperately tried to escape and killed him. Minus the Soap getting stabbed.

Don’t worry, Ghost survived because ELLIE WILL NOT let him leave Jade like Gaz left her too fast. So Ghost survived WOOHOOO.

The Jade crying sketch was, indeed, a cry of relief as Ellie told her that Ghost was going to be fine (❁´◡`❁). She wore Ghost's jacket to comfort herself during the times Ghost was unconscious, and this sketch came out!

Everybody lives, no WW3, no MW3. This is REAL MOVIE ASS SHIT but it’s what’s in my mind!

I have the whole ass fic about the post-Loose Ends angst at the ready if y'all want it.

[siren-darkocean]

idk if you're still up for answering Bionicle/Hero factory questions, but I got back into both atm and I found your blog. I've uh ... Been lurking a lot and have enjoyed all your posts. So I have a question.

What would happen if Stormer and Ackar met? And likewise with Mata Nui and Furno.

Plus, I've been debating on writing a short fic about it, but do you have any ideas on if Mata Nui saw Ackar heavily injured? Their relationship (canon or otherwise) is by far my favorite dynamic.

*bursts into the room covered in blood as if I haven't spent hours in my bed playing the new Cult of the Lamb Unholy Alliance update for hours of the day even at almost 1 am*

*fixes hair and glasses* I'M GLAD YOU FUCKING ASKED MY FRIEND!

Okay Ackar and Stormer (my fatha(don't judge I see him and Furno as parents to replace my crappy ones ehhh)), Ackar would be mixed ground souly because he's somewhat used to biomechanical beings existed from the GSR Inhabitants and even MATA NUI HIMSELF, but with the heroes being powered by Quaza from Quatros that's a new for him

Stormer I would imagine Hero Factory is somewhat aware of the Spherus Magna inhabitants or any alien species (there's this theory of Hero Factory taking place centuries or eons after the events of G1 Bionicle in tying Hero Factory origins to Spherus Magna (I think it was mainly because Mr.Makuro looks similar to Matau as a Turaga so there's that, plus other stuff I'm not sure rn) but he would be a bit curious to learn of the Glatorian

The two would definitely get along due to their stressed leader energy and bad habit of over working themselves to the bone (or Core for Stormer's case)

Mata and my momma Furno on the other hand-

Mata: why do you remind me of Gresh?

Furno: Who?

Jokes aside of that, Furno would be SO confused (like the Bara Magna inhabitants aka Agori and Glatorian) as Mata explains to him details of his old body and universe like he would nearly short circuit at all of this information (Furno: There was little guys managing your body? Mata: Yes, and no-) processing into his data banks

I think they would get along fine however because Mata just got that lovable personality who no one hates (ignoring the Brotherhood, Tuma, Skrall, Bone Hunters and Metus)

And of that one shot-

I HAVE HAD THAT IDEA SEVERAL DOZENS OF FUCKING TIMES IN VARIOUS WAYS YOU HAVE NO IDEA!

Okay of ideas wise: While Ackar is somewhat used to getting injuries as a Glatorian, the issues of survival on Bara Magna and ofc the double fights in the arena

MATA ON THE OTHER HAND IS TERRIFIED WHEN ANY OF HIS FRIENDS GETS HURT BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF HIS PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED OR SACRIFICED THEMSELVES FOR HIM HE IS NOT RISKING ANYMORE LIVES

He is so overbearing to tending to his friends wounds and Ackar and even Berix and Click aren't fucking spared from it

I would imagine something from the Mata Nui's Challenge readers level book link here after the whole thing of Mata Nui defeating the Rock Steed Ackar is injured (it's not as bad as Mata Nui's panic is making it out to be) so its just Ackar sitting through the fallen God nursing his wounds in a panic trying not to laugh because he some reason finds this hilarious to him having someone worry for him like this

Maybe potential venting of the people who died and or sacrificed themselves for Mata Nui in the GSR (because let's be fr man needs to NOT bottle that shit up it ain't mentally healthy) *coughs* even Matoro *coughs* and the whole thing Mata Nui has a mental breakdown (mainly crying because yes) with Ackar comforting him

Also I love seeing people noticing how amazing Ackar and Mata Nui's relationship (both platonic and romantic) is, like it's so fucking good

I'm always down for content especially fics and oneshots of those two

[ctrl-alt-tahu]

He's Always Been Dead

So... I have a completely uncanonical idea for Bionicle I'm turning over in my head.

What if Mata Nui was a title more than a person? Like "the Great Spirit" sounds more like a title than a name, right? What if the use of the Ignika was less like an electric paddle--because the Great Spirit was always already dead?

Basically, in this alternate story, the original Mata Nui (the spirit controlling the GSR) died as the result of the Great Disruption. The sacrifice of Jovan's teammate wasn't to die but to become the next Great Spirit. This is why it's necessary for wearer of the Ignika to "die": they become the next Mata Nui.

The Great Spirit who falls asleep at in the Cataclysm isn't the first Great Spirit--and it might not have been the second. Perhaps, after Jovan's teammate also died, the Ignika was next worn by a Makuta, sacrificing himself as nobly as the Toa before him had, but this left enough clues that--for the first time--someone pieced together that it wasn't the same Great Spirit reawakened, but the Makuta in an elevated position.

Naturally, it's Teridax who figures this out, explaining both where his ambition to "become" the GSR comes from and why he calls the sleeping Mata Nui his brother. Sleep spares him the pain--of betrayal.

Teridax's plan is to be the one to wear the Ignika, but after that whole "Takutanuva" thing, he no longer has a body to wear it. His backup plan may originally have been to try wearing the Ignika while inhabiting the Maxilos robot, but either he realised that wouldn't work (maybe he tried, before the Mahri got there), or he found a backup plan.

The being subsumed by the Ignika to become the next GSR would lose a lot of their memory and self (it is, after all, a sacrifice--and the truth of what happens wasn't know until a Makuta--a being of greater innate power than a Toa--did it), which Teridax wasn't keen on, and after being subsumed, the Ignika still had to be taken to the Codrex to upload the new Mata Nui. Teridax saw his opportunity to avoid the obliteration of his self and in his disembodied state had the perfect opportunity to slip in ahead of the new Mata Nui when the Ignika arrived in the Codrex and started the upload process, taking control of the GSR as the new Mata Nui while circumventing the loss of self supposed to go with it.

What this means, of course, is that the "Mata Nui" of 2009-10 is actually Matoro. And perhaps, after having had a Makuta as the last Mata Nui, the Ignika didn't obliterate everything that had made Matoro himself, and when he incarnates on Bara Magna, he begins to remember who he was and what has happened to him.

This is, of course, a transparent alternate reality that allows Matoro to survive. But it also sheds a little light on Teridax and his "brother"--and maybe on Teridax's destiny: he was supposed to become Mata Nui, but he was supposed to yield to his destiny and surrender himself, rather than to grasp for it.

[estellamiraiauthor]

[Asking again because the old answers got deleted with your Twitter account.]

As most characters in The Stars May Rise and Fall are musicians, could you tell me each of them's backstory for their choice of instrument?

(Plus anything even not exactly related to the question you might think about while replying, because I just love to read about your characters. ♡)

OKAY! Thank you for the ask and I apologize in advance that I probably don’t remember all of the original answers… some are deep headcanons I’ve had forever but others are more prone to forgetfulness. So, in order of least important to most important (-ish):

Nao: Started playing the drums in high school, mostly because he just liked music and wanted to make it. His parents pretty much supported his dream… no real drama here!

Bara: I think he did genuinely like the visual kei aesthetic but it was always more about looking like a rock star than really being one. He knew he was hot and learning an instrument seemed hard so he decided to sing… I don’t imagine he stuck with it for long after the La Rose debacle.

Seika: I think he saw in visual kei a place where it was safe to be himself (I.e. effeminate, but still undeniably male). A lot of bassists start out playing guitar, but I think Seika always wanted to play bass.. he saw a sensuality there that spoke to him and used it to balance out the stress he was trying to ignore that came from trying to be “normal” for his family.

Minori: A cousin gave him a guitar he’d bought on a whim and never made much progress with, and something stuck. He tried to keep it as a hobby for a long time but finally got up the nerve to tell his parents he wanted to go to music school after high school.

Yasu: Honestly just picked up the guitar because he thought it would get him girls, and then turned out to actually be good at it! Very much a total coincidence that turned out to be fate.

Teru: Yasu asked him to join his band in high school, and Teru started playing the drums because the band didn’t have a drummer! Like Yasu, he loved music mostly as a fan but hadn’t really thought about what he wanted to do in the future. Playing the drums gave him an outlet for stress he didn’t really understand at the time (you’re queer, live, and in about a decade you’re going to love it!) and after about a year he decided that he wanted to make music his life. As far as singing, he probably never would’ve tried it professionally if he hadn’t met Rei, but had always been able to blow his classmates away at karaoke.

Rei: Rei plays/played multiple instruments but his real introduction to music was the piano. He was the sixth son in a very traditional patriarchal family, who had one older sister in addition to the five brothers. His sister was the closest to him in age and personality, and the piano was really hers—their very traditional parents would’ve seen music as something “decorative” for a woman to do, not something that would lead to a career. His sister died when he was seven years old, and not long after, his younger sister (his parents’ last child) was born. Between the grief over losing her first daughter and the new baby, Rei’s mother basically ignored him, and his father didn’t have any need for a somewhat effeminate sixth son who had no interest in learning the family trade. His mother didn’t want him to use the piano because it reminded her of the daughter she’d lost, but Rei would sneak into the room and play when she wasn’t home… He left home at 16, took the local train 16 hours to Tokyo, and learned all of those other instruments just because he needed to to make the music that would allow him to express himself, but the piano was the start of it all.

[cryptvokeeper]

Look I think a lot of “man new folks to X fandom just don’t get it” sentiment is sort of condescending and has a very “kids these days have it easy” vibe which I don’t always like.

I say that so you understand that when I say new mystery skulls animated fans don’t get what it was like you know I mean it in a “man I wish you had been there!” way. because it’s not just waiting two years between updates you can do that now just as easily. It was the collective realization as people analyzed the video and put the story together we all went ‘oh shit maybe that orange shaggy isn’t some evil friendzoned loser, maybe there’s something bigger going on here’. It was people being so 2014-horny for Lewis and calling him a bara skeleton. It was the ‘secret green fifth member’ theories. It was canon information not quite spreading all the way through the fandom yet so you get stuff like not know Mystery’s name and calling him Ben. It was not being 100% sure if the haunted paintings were just Easter eggs or other people who died. It was people doing crossovers with that Magic animation with the Maestro guy. It was not knowing yet if there’d be a second video.

[beevean]

Don't worry. I'm just as gobsmacked at the whole Erazor Djinn example as you are.

And that's unfortunate because he does make an interesting contrast to Chaos. You could argue that he was also a victim to an extent too because it's implied that he was set up to fail from the narrative in his world already being written/chosen for him. The difference is that he actively chose to target people who had nothing to do with it and be callous until the bitter end. Like, the fun thing about characterization him in me and my friend's AU is that Erazor really does believe that he is the "good guy" who was wronged by his world's creator and "the blue rat", and his burning hatred has only been solidified since then. In his mind he believes by forcing him to be his bride, he is "saving" Chris from his family name and the expectations of it he was born into, and getting his family "out of the way" was necessary. And no amount of "No means no"s will budge Erazor's convictions. It's still in character- at least I think so- and he's still very much a snake in the grass abuser. Only difference is that he moved on to a new victim, and found a new excuse to justify his God complex.

But nah. Sonic should have just put the evil bara genie in time-out!

Erazor had all the potential to be a tragic villain, but deliberately he chooses not to be.

He's a genie of the lamp in a written story he's aware of. He's doubly enslaved, and he wants to break free, which is more than understandable. In this, his main foil is Shahra, who is also a genie (and a lesser one, less powerful than him) and who is implied to have been trapped in her relationship with Erazor. And yes, he works as a foil for Chaos, who was also trapped in a magical object and developed burning hatred as a result.

But whoops, Erazor was imprisoned in his lamp as a punishment for his past evil deeds! Whoops, he actually wants to destroy the world and possibly Sonic's world as well! Whoops, he's a piece of shit towards Shahra - he tried to curse her with the Flame of Judgment, and that was in his first cutscene!

way to kill the sympathy bro

(hot take: another foil for him? The Deadly Six. They could have been sympathetic due to Eggman torturing them with the Magic Conch... but noooooo they just had to drain the world and get pissy against the one who saved them. nice job assholes)

But also. The thing is. I know that "it's not that deep" is a thought-terminating cliché, but... the Sonic series never meant to tackle these themes of who deserves redemption or to be spared. Sonic is a cartoon series where the protagonist can let the antagonist drown in fucking lava, and nothing bad happens! Am I supposed to think Sonic is a heartless sadistic murderer for the shit he put Eggman through in the Classics alone? Am I supposed to think that Sonic secretly cares about Eggman because he never dies, which means that Sonic always lets him go and never finishes the job? I don't know, and neither did the devs of the games! We don't know what Sonic wants to do with Eggman, because the games are rather self contained, and once the big bad robot is defeated, Sonic's job is done! Is Eggman lost into space, between timelines, vanished into thin air after his mech was destroyed? Who cares, he'll come back, it doesn't mean anything!

And this extends to all the other villains: is Sonic a horrible beast for killing Biolizard, letting Metal behind as he was angsting, erasing Solaris from the timeline? No, because the priority is saving the world, not applying morality to monsters!

Which more or less reminds me of something I said ages ago: Sonic's only "principle" is helping people in need. He has no principles regarding his enemies. He doesn't care. He only cares about doing good to those who need it.

[gradistie]

Opacarophile

Opacarophile

(n) a person who loves sunset.

“I am what I am because you are what you are. I never ask you to change.”

Ia menggengam tanganku begitu kuat, seolah berbicara aku tidak pernah ia perbolehkan untuk pergi. Bahkan aku bisa merasakan ruas-ruas jarinya yang begitu kokoh menggenggamku, tak peduli telapak tanganku perlahan mulai berkeringat. He always hold it on.

Aku menatapnya. Tergambar jelas raut wajahku dipantulan mata cokelatnya, aku terlihat begitu ragu. Sepersekian detik fokusku teralihkan pada tatapannya. Tatapan yang dalam dan membuatku tenggelam. Aku menyukainya.

Namun beberapa saat yang lalu tatapannya penuh dengan bara amarah. Seolah ingin membakar semua hal yang membuatnya jengah. Meski tatapan amarah itu tidak tertuju padaku, namun baranya terasa dan membuatku bergidik ngeri. Ia memperlihatkan sosok monster yang ada dalam dirinya.

“Hei,” panggilnya lagi. Aku mengulas senyum.

Ia menyamai senyumku, mengelus lembut punggung tanganku. “Sedang berpikir tentang apa?”

Lidahku tercekat, bingung harus menjawab apa. Takut, mungkin kata itu yang memenuhi diriku saat ini. Aku tak terbiasa mendengar nada tinggi, tak terbiasa dengan tatapan marah, tak terbiasa mendengar pukulan keras. Sedangkan semua yang aku takutkan terjadi dalam satu waktu yang bersamaan.

Sekitar satu jam yang lalu, ketika aku sedang berada dirumahnya, serempak keluarganya datang dengan perasaan yang tidak baik. Banyak ucapan dan ungkapan yang harus kudengar dan kuterima, aku tak sanggup melakukan apapun selain berdiam ditempat. Tak ada ide apa yang harus aku lakukan. Hingga akhirnya ada part dimana kalimat-kalimat tidak baik itu membuat emosinya meledak. Aku pun terhentak.

Ia menggebrak meja. Entah itu sekuat tenaga atau tidak, yang jelas terdengar sangat keras hingga membuat semua orang didalam rumah tercengang kaget. Semua terdiam, hening untuk beberapa saat. Ia berteriak, amarahnya tergambar jelas diwajahnya. Melihat sosoknya yang mengerikan membuatku bergidik ngeri dibandingkan suasana sebelumnya. Badanku gemetar, bahkan Ketika aku digiring berdiri dan keluar rumah aku hanya merasakan tanganku bergetar, badanku lemas dan ingin menangis namun kutahan. Bahan sepersekian detik sebelum aku pergi dari rumahnya untuk menghindari perkara, aku masih melihat ia diselimuti amarah.

Namun sekarang, ia duduk dihadapanku dengan penuh senyum, tatapannya pun penuh cinta, seolah satu jam yang lalu tidak terjadi apa-apa. Sedangkan di sisi lain aku masih takut menatapnya. Masih terbayang amarahnya, teriakannya. Meski semua amarah itu tidak tertuju padaku.

“Still scared?” akhirnya ia menebak perasaanku. Aku mengangguk ragu, entah mengapa aku takut ia tersinggung.

Ia menggenggam tanganku, begitu lembut penuh kesabaran seperti biasanya. Aku hampir berpikir ia memiliki kepribadian ganda. Sesaat bisa terbakar amarah, sesaat bisa tersenyum ramah. “Jangan takut, aku akan melindungimu. No matter what, no matter who…”

Aku paham maksudnya.

Satu jam yang lalu aku menganggap hubungan ini mustahil. Tak mungkin bisa dijalani, tak mungkin bisa diarungi, tidak ada tempat pemberhentian yang indah untuk kita berdua. Namun hanya dengan genggaman tangannya aku seolah melihat pulau yang indah didepan mata.

“Just don’t ever jump from the boat, no matter how big the storm in front of us…” imbuhnya, sedangkan aku tidak berekspresi apapun. “Do you trust me?” tanyanya lagi. Seolah tidak akan puas jika tidak mendengarkan jawaban langsung dariku. Bodohnya, aku mengangguk mengiyakan pertanyaannya. Semudah itu aku percaya, seperti terhipnotis.

Kata orang, akan selalu ada pelangi setelah hujan. Bahkan terlalu muluk jika aku memimpikan pelangi, terkadang bisa melihat hari yang cerah tanpa ada badai saja sudah begitu bersyukur aku. Atau hanya sekedar menikmati sunset dipinggir pantai dengan hembusan anginnya, deru pantai, badan lengket setelah bermain ombak dan bersandar di pundaknya sudah lebih dari cukup.

When the games begin, everything’s feel so struggle. Sometimes we having a great storm, sometimes just feel like rain. And we try to survive over an over again, tears to tears. Then feels like having a hardest time, a situation that I can’t handle anymore.

Posisiku bagaikan Katniss Everdeen yang harus membunuh dalang dari seluruh kejahatan yang terjadi. Apakah benar dia dalangnya? Atau dia sedang dikendalikan oleh orang lain? Ah, terlalu rumit untuk kupikirkan. Aku ingin bersikap masa bodoh, alih-alih memikirkan hal-hal yang rumit.

Bukannya menyerah. Hanya saja seberapa keras aku membersihkan atribut yang menempel pada diriku, aku tidak akan pernah terlihat bersih.

Ada masa dimana aku menghadapinya Kembali, face to face – ready or not. Aku melihat tatapan mata perempuan paruh baya itu masih nanar. Menatapku penuh benci dan kalimat demi kalimat yang bernada rendah itu mengiris hatiku pelan namun pasti – pasti terluka.

Kemudian muncul masa, seperti aku melihat secercah cahaya langit diantara segerumbul kumulonimbus. Namun membuatku berpikir, apakah demikian? Merasakan hangat sebentar, kemudian terbentur dengan kenyataan lagi.

Now? I never imagine about a rainbow in my life. Even though for a second.

I’d like being an Opacarophile.

Someone who enjoy the sunset until dark. With you, saw your wrinkles, your white hair, I hug you then you kiss me, then I say “I love to grow old with you”.

From now until fifty years later.

 - Mr. J

[tomwillkillme]

TWKM - The Explorer

[IT here - EN below]

“Non esiste buono e cattivo tempo, ma solo buono e cattivo equipaggiamento “ - Robert Baden Powell.

Dubito Arianna pensasse lo stesso mentre porgeva il gomitolo a Teseo durante un torrido giorno Cretese, ma probabilmente sarebbe stata una buona capa Scout. Di certo la squadra Teseo-Arianna sarebbe stata campionessa di ruba bandiera.

Ne abbiamo piantate un bel po’ di bandiere dai tempi della mitologia Greca. Ed altrettante le abbiamo sventolate, bruciate, e sotterrate sopra ad una bara. Esplorazione e conquista si sa, spesso sono andate a braccetto. Ma ora che stiamo scandagliando lo spazio profondo, oltre i confini nazionali cariatidi pensano di giocare a Risiko con le vite delle persone appropriandosi di territori già scoperti ed abitati.

Io, cresciuto in una piccola cittadina italiana, plagiato dalla cultura californiana dello skate degli anni ottanta, sono sempre stato protetto da tutto questo: preferivo diversi tipi di esplorazione, senza fazzoletti arrotolati, bandiere ostentate o imprese memorabili alla Shackleton.

Per circa 10 anni, 24/7, ho rielaborato il mondo attraverso gli occhi dello “skater”. Una scalinata non era una semplice scalinata, ma uno spot. Muretti, corrimano, marciapiedi, panche e monumenti facevano girare fluidamente gli ABEC7 che avevo nel cervello, elaborando trick ad occhi aperti. Ed in questo processo, la creatività ha sostituito la conquista nel mio concetto di scoperta.

“The Explorer” è un’investigazione creativa, sempre mutevole, volutamente senza strofe o ritornelli o una struttura musicale canonica, che raffigura un mitologico labirinto di porte e specchi in cui convivono miliardi di micro-mondi circondati dalle proprie riflessioni distorte.

È il mio primo progetto con accordatura in FACGAE ed in cui ho lasciato più spazio al Moog per unire post-rock, retrowave e midwest emo.

Restano veramente pochi anni prima che l’AI produca più musica di quanta sia stata mai scritta. Gettiamo ora le basi per nuovi generi: esploriamo. Godiamoci il processo, non diamo importanza al mero risultato.

[EN]

“There is no good or bad weather, only good or bad equipment.” - Robert Baden Powell.

I doubt Arianna thought the same as she handed the ball of yarn to Theseus during a scorching Cretan day, but she probably would have made a good Scout leader. Surely, the Theseus-Arianna team would have been champions at capture the flag.

We’ve planted quite a few flags since the times of Greek mythology. And just as many we’ve waved, burned, and buried over a coffin. Exploration and conquest, you see, have often gone hand in hand. But now, as we delve into deep space, just outside our national borders some caryatids think they can play Risk with people’s lives, appropriating territories already discovered and inhabited.

I, raised in a small Italian town, influenced by the Californian skate culture of the 1980s, have always been shielded from all of this: I preferred different types of exploration, without rolled-up handkerchiefs, ostentatious flags, or memorable Shackleton-like expeditions. For about 10 years, 24/7, I reimagined the world through the eyes of a skater. A staircase wasn’t just a staircase: it was a spot. Walls, handrails, sidewalks, benches, and monuments smoothly spun in my ABEC7-equipped brain, creating tricks with eyes wide open. And in this process, creativity replaced conquest in my concept of discovery.

“The Explorer” is a creative investigation, ever-changing, intentionally devoid of verses, choruses, or a conventional musical structure. It depicts a mythic labyrinth of doors and mirrors where billions of micro-worlds coexist, surrounded by their own distorted reflections. It’s my first project tuned to FACGAE and where I’ve given more space to the Moog, blending post-rock, retrowave, and midwest emo.

Only a few years remain before AI produces more music than has ever been written. Let’s lay the groundwork for new genres: let’s explore. Enjoy the process, and don’t fixate solely on the end result.

[chtiki]

to the forest back and forth

Description:

Nona Rusa akhirnya tahu bahwa Kaner mengetahui tentang spesiesnya. Setelah menodong senjata api, menembak satu peluru. Apakah cukup untuk menutupi jejaknya sebagai The Last One Standing?

***

Aku tidak ingat berapa umurku waktu tragedi Pentagona Engelm terjadi.

Karena satu-satunya yang berbekas di benakku saat tragedi itu terjadi adalah bagaimana aku sedang ditembus bara api pada punggung sebagai salah satu susunan acara dalam ritual membangkitkanku sebagai vampir. Dalam momen ini aku bahkan sudah tidak bisa membedakan mana pedih bara api atau segel yang Phlox sematkan pada tubuhku sebagai miliknya. Di mana setelah ritual ini selesai itu berarti yang tersisa dariku hanya pikiran dan jiwa. Aku tidak punya lagi kuasa atas tubuhku sendiri karena akan bergerak sesuai dengan perintah Phlox.

Di saat Phlox sempat gentar akibat tragedi ini, tapi justru sebaliknya, Pentagona Engelm memberikan harapan lebih bahwa suatu saat aku pasti terbebas dari belenggu dan bayang-bayang Phlox.

BRUK!

Kuda kami berlari ketakutan dan menjatuhkan kami berdua ke tanah. Aku—langsung tersadar dan sebagai orang pertama yang refleks bereaksi saat dua makhluk berwarna cokelat dan hitam itu terbirit-birit.

"Hey! Kembali ke sini!" teriakku. Suara dari sampah makanan yang berada di karung goni menggema ke seantero area hutan ini. Tentu saja mereka tidak akan kembali. "Look what you've done! You scared them without even thinking! You almost kill us—especially me!" celotehku pada Nona Rusa yang masih terbaring. Mengulum senyumnya, sebelum akhirnya pecah.

"Hahahahaha!" tawanya geli. Ini tertawanya paling lama dan kencang yang aku tahu selama mengenalnya dalam tiga hari terakhir.

"What?!"

"There you go. Bapak-bapak so cranky. Fed up in their own egos." Lalu Nona Rusa terduduk. "You know I always thinking, kayaknya kamu emang somebody older when they turn you into vampire. Look how cranky you are."

"How do you know I was turned?!"

"You are not that pale." Ia sedikit mengerutkan pangkal hidungnya playfully. "Remember? I was there in Pentagona Engelm?"

Aku menghembuskan napas kasar sebagai barter dari rasa dongkol yang masih tercekat di tenggorokan. Lalu Nona Rusa mengulurkan sebelah tangannya padaku. Bukan untuk meminta bantuan berdiri, "Hello. The name's Cassine Ilex Holly. Call me Cass or Cassine—whatever you want. Nice to meet you," lanjut perempuan itu dengan air muka paling bangga yang pernah kulihat dalam seorang perempuan. Aku segera menjabat tangannya dan menariknya sampai ia bangkit dari tanah. "Nice to meet you too, Cassine." Nyaris jantungnya turun ke perut. Momen ini seperti antara hidup dan mati. Aku tidak bisa mengulas senyum sama sekali. Nervous, bertemu makhluk mitologi yang benar adanya. Lalu Cassine—berjalan santai ke pohon yang menjadi sasaran tembaknya barusan. Ia mencabut selongsong peluru yang masih berisi kemudian diberikan kepadaku. "I want you to learn," dan mengatupkan jari jemariku. Membuat peluru itu dalam genggamanku.

"Let's go," ia berjalan mendahuluiku. Memimpin seperti yang sebelum-sebelumnya.

"Wait—what? Just like that? Tanpa ada penjelasan lebih detail?"

"Makanya, kita sambil jalan."

Cassine mulai menjelaskan bagaimana ia tahu tentang berita yang tersebar beberapa dekade lalu, soal kaum vampir yang menjarah ke satu kota ke kota lainnya untuk disinggahi. Dikuasai lebih tepatnya. Tidak jarang dari mereka juga menculik spesies yang mereka anggap lebih lemah daripada spesies mereka. Untuk dijadikan budak, memperbanyak populasi; karena sudah pasti mereka juga akan diubah menjadi vampir.

Seperti kataku padanya tadi malam, ia hidup terlalu lama. Ia sudah familiar dengan semua ini. Knows too well.

"Ugh, I hate them since forever." Kata Cassine seraya menebas semak yang menghalau jalan kami. "Tapi kamu tahu, manusia worshipped them like some of kind Sex God,"

Setelah bermenit-menit intens, akhirnya aku kembali bisa tertawa. "Watch your mouth, Darling."

"No. I'm serious. Kalau kamu hidup di lingkungan dan waktuku juga pasti sama sebalnya."

Aku tertawa mengejek. Sekarang aku seperti punya sekutu dalam membenci satu spesies. "Kuda-kudamu termasuk yang terbaik, apa kamu tidak apa-apa membiarkan mereka kabur begitu saja?"

Perempuan itu menggeleng ringan. "Aku tahu ke mana mereka pergi. Sebentar lagi kita sampai di Brassica. Terlebih lagi, yang mereka bawa adalah sampah. Semua yang kita butuhkan ada di ransel. Sampah makanan adalah yang aku kubur sewaktu kita berkemah kemarin."

"Untuk apa?"

"Pertanda bahwa aku pernah ada di sana. Manusia selain meninggalkan nama, mereka juga meninggalkan sampah." Aku tidak mengerti tapi Cassine tampak bangga dengan senyumannya yang lebar.

Meninggalkan sampah kok bangga?

Karena dari kemarin aku habiskan waktu hanya untuk menonton punggung dan rambutnya, membuatku punya inisiatif. "Cassine, bagaimana kalau aku kepang rambutmu?"

Tanpa disangka, perempuan itu langsung berbalik badan dengan semangat dan binar mata. "Kamu serius?!"

"Ya. Daripada berantakan begitu. Perjalanan kita juga melibatkan banyak kegiatan fisik. Kalau rambutmu menghalangi jalan kamu bisa terbunuh."

"Oke!"

Entah bagaimana, Cassine selalu tahu lokasi sumber air. Sungai, anak sungai, danau, dan semacamnya. Mungkin pantai selanjutnya. "Tunggu sini, ya. Aku akan mengambil bunga-bunga dulu." Ujarku seraya bergegas; sementara aku selalu bisa menemukan padang rumput dan padang bunga. Setidaknya di antara semak-semak. Seperti belukar Myosotis Sylvatica ini. Cocok sekali dengan rambut hitam kecokelatannya. Lalu aku cepat kembali pada perempuan yang sedang menggoyangkan kedua kakinya bergantian di atas sungai. Ia seperti biasa duduk di bebatuan.

Dengan segenggam bunga berwarna biru, aku memintanya untuk melepas ikatan dari karet warna hitamnya. Dan juga...

"Apa kamu punya sisir?"

"Nih," ia langsung menyodorkan sisir berwarna teal dengan aksen emas. "Oh, pretty." Komentarku saat menerimanya.

"Thanks. Itu satu dari sekian benda yang tersisa dari peradabanku." Cassine terdengar sedih waktu bicara kalimat tersebut. Walau ia membelakangiku.

"Apa rambutmu yang lembut ini juga salah satu peninggalan peradaban manusia?"

Perempuan itu tertawa renyah. "Enggak. Ini hanya genetik milikku seorang. Even my mother don't have it and obviously envy about them."

"Manusia memang spesies paling menarik."

"Uh huh. I used to watching their behaviour, interact with them."

Aku cepat-cepat mengalihkan topik. "Di umur berapa kamu sadar bahwa kamu punya lifespan lebih panjang dari manusia pada umumnya?"

"25."

"So young."

"Yeah. Compare to yours."

Aku hampir bisa merasakan senyumnya dalam kalimat. Lalu pura-pura meringis kesakitan akibat sarkasnya barusan. "Ouch. That hurts." Usailah kepanganku pada rambutnya. "Gunakan ini," Ujar Cassine seraya mengambil suatu beda dari tasnya dan disodorkan padaku. Benda itu berwarna hitam, silver, bentuknya kotak. Ukurannya segenggam tanganku. Barang-barang manusia banyak yang mungil. Sama seperti Cassine.

"Apa ini?"

"Kamera. Fungsinya untuk mengambil gambar. Karena aku tidak bisa memutar mataku jadi gunakan itu untuk mengambil gambar dari hasil kepanganmu itu. Aku mau lihat!"

Ia mengajariku bagaimana caranya. Hanya arahkan ke objek yang mau difoto sampai layar kecil pada bagian belakangnya sesuai dengan bagaimana aku mau memposisikan objek. Lalu pencet tombol yang paling besar. Selesai. "Whoa, keren." Sambil mengembalikannya dan duduk di samping Cassine. "Ya 'kan." Ia sangat bangga sembari memutar tuas sekali dan foto tadi sudah tercetak ke dalam selembar kertas berkilau.

Aku nyaris tertawa kencang karena kegirangan atas sihir dalam benda ini tapi buru-buru tutup mulut karena pasti akan menggema dan mengundang makhluk yang seharusnya tidak ada di sini; yang pasti selembaran itu aku goyangkan ke atas dan ke bawah karena Cassine bilang, warna pada gambarnya semakin jelas kalau aku terus melakukan itu.

Ia tetawa kecil sebelum kembali menatap layar kameranya lagi. "Terima kasih, ini cantik." Katanya sambil mengagumi hasil karyaku.

"Kepangan cantik, untuk nona cantik."

Perempuan itu tersenyum sebelum jarinya tidak sengaja menekan tombol yang mengganti gambar layar jadi foto dirinya dan seorang laki-laki. "Is that your brother?" tanyaku.

Cassine mengangguk. "Yes." Ada pilu dalam matanya.

Adik laki-laki yang mati dalam Pentagona Engelm. "By the way, foto ini waktu aku masih 13 tahun." Jelasnya. Aku awalnya tidak paham dengan tambahan informasi ini, kemudian saat membandingkan foto itu dengan wujudnya yang sekarang. Cassine tidak berubah satu dekade pun.

"Oh..."

"Aku baru sadar di umur 25 tahun. Para peneliti tidak sempat menyelesaikan studinya tentang kenapa aku bisa tidak berubah dalam dua puluh tahun terakhir. Manusia keburu punah." Ia tertawa. Tapi aku tidak. Sekarang ia terlihat kesepian.

Kami meneruskan perjalanan. Aku ingin sekali bertanya tentang apa yang terjadi pada adiknya.

Kenapa bisa sampai terbunuh?

Dan kenapa bisa ada kaitannya dengan keluarga vampir Pentagona?

Jangan-jangan, ia sama sepertiku?

Korban dari penjarahan para vampir di waktu silam?

"Oh, iya. If you thinking about eating me out, you can't." Pernyataan tiba-tiba itu membuyarkan pikiranku.

"Why not?"

"You will be dead."

Sebelum aku bisa bereaksi banyak, satu semak belukar lagi yang kami tembus mengarahkan ke pintu masuk kota Brassica. Ada palang-palang kayu yang membatasi. Tentu saja, bukan palang kayu dengan besi berkarat seperti di lintasan kereta api. Jadi kita tidak perlu memotongnya dengan kapak karena sudah ada penjaga yang siap membuka-tutup.

"Selamat sore, aku—"

"Ya, Nona Cassine. We got you." Kata salah satu penjaga dengan tubuh gempal, dua kali lipat lebih besar daripada tubuhnya. Tidak lupa dengan kedipan sebelah mata. Poni yang menghiasai botak tengahnya sampai jatuh ke pelipis akibat banyak tingkah

Disguasting.

Di sisi lain, Cassine tersenyum manis. "Oh, that's handy—"

"Already feeling good with your ears these days?" tanya satunya lagi. Memotong.

"Yeah. Yeah." Perempuan itu tertawa getir. "Aku juga bukan buronan jadi there is no need to hide my ears. Also, he is—" lalu ia menengok padaku. "He is with me—"

"Afternoon, Mr. Kaner." Sapanya padaku tapi aku terlanjur tidak tahan dengan basa-basi tidak sopan ini.

"Alright, Gentleman. May we got in? My darling here is already tired, can you see? We are from far far far away." Aku menengahi. Mereka langsung membuka palang dan gerbang tinggi dengan dua penjaga di atas, sisi kiri-kanan dengan tatapan setajam burung elang.

Well, I see you. Aku menatap balik.

Di balik gerbang pembatas itu ternyata ada kota dengan kelap-kelip lampu paling terang. Aktivitas masih berjalan sama seperti matahari berada tinggi di langit. "Kipp! Tipp!" tiba-tiba Cassine berlari ke arah sebuah Inn yang di depannya beristirahat dua ekor kuda yang tadi siang kabur karena mendengar suara tembakan.

[human-antithesis]

Blóð-Þorsteinn eystri

Blóð-Þorsteinn eystri, sonr Helga, nafn sem mælt er með reiði þessa daga. Víðlinda gelti skolaði á land í héraði oss, þar sem mikla grimma hafið faðmar áss hauðr ok gefr oss líf með dauða dýrsins. Úti á jǫtna vegi lá hann dauðr svo tókum kjǫt hans ok gáfum rest aftr til brims vegar. En er það spurðist út gripu menn að austan gæsina, drápu þrælana á heimleið ok stálu kjǫtinu. Réttlæti hefr aldrei verið í hávegum haft í hǫlða grund oss ísheims ok elris garms. Hliðskjálfar grams bǫl var ávallt nærri þegar gróða var að fá. Hǫgna élviðr sem bjuggu bakvið ríki risa í austri, suðri ok norðri héldu ávallt hlustamunni ok brátungli lokuðu er slíkar fréttir bárust í þeirra glamma ferða trǫð friðar ok heilsu. En munum berjast. Ekkert svar er gefið utan Hugins drekka fyrir dolgbrands dǫkk! Engin þǫgn mun finnast fyrr en fǫlsk galdra fles ok orða ǫ́r eru skorin af hatri sárteins m��ns. Heimdalar hǫfuð heitir sverð! Eitr mun falla ok reipi festa skógar skæðasǫgn á ný. Blóðs valr, kvánar kyn ok hreggskornir þurfa að læra að Njǫrðr er þeim æðri. Hinir hræðilegu Ǫlvaldi, Iði ok Gangr ganga niðr úr heimilum sínum, hvíslandi rúnir til Gungnis vǫ́fuðr ok fæða bara af sér hernað ok geðveiki. Faðir reyndi alltaf að finna leiðir til að sára sigðr héldust í slíðrum sínum. En hann dó, Jǫtnar ok Ægis dætr tóku hann svo Njarðar niðjar breyttu ǫrlǫgum sínum undir minni hendi. Svo færðum ró ok aldrlok yfir líf þjófanna. Megi Níðhǫggr neyta þeirra sárgeimi ok vættir þeirra eyðast í kǫldum andardrætti Nára nipt! Dísir þínar hurfu í þǫgn. Þér, Þorsteinn Helgason, var gefið svar. Stundum þarf að ná réttlæti með hnefa landi, þó vitrir menn þykist vita að gott líf án óréttlætis sé hverjum frjálsum manni gefið.

{ENGLISH - Blóð-Þorsteinn of the East]

Blóð-Þorsteinn of the East, son of Helgi, a name that is uttered with anger in these days. A whale was washed ashore in our district, where the great cruel sea embraces the human world and gives them life by this animal's death. Out on the skirts he lay dead and we took his meat. Gave the rest back to the open sea. But when it became known, accomplices of the east took their chance, slew slaves on their way home and stole that meat from us. Justice has never been praised highly in this our world of fire and ice. Óðinn's doom was always at hand when a benefit seemed so near. Neighbours, families that live behind the giant kingdom at east, south and north. They always kept their ears and eyes shut when such news reached their world of peace and good health. But we shall struggle and fight. No answer is given but blood for blood! No silence shall rise until false tongues are cut by my blade's hate. Poison shall drop and ropes shall fasten the father of the snake again. Animals of the Battlefield need to learn that Njǫrðr is superior to them. The dreaded Giants come down from their homesteads, only whispering runes to a hanging god and only give birth to warfare and madness. Father always tried to find ways to let blades stay in their scabbard. But he died, giants and Rán took him so that Njǫrðr's descendants changed their destiny under my rule. So we brought death and calmness to the thieve's lives. May their flesh be consumed by Nidhǫggr and their spirits perish by the cold breath of Hel! Your Dísir went away in silence. To you, Þorsteinn Helgason, was given an answer. Sometimes, justice has to be gained by hand, even if wise men believe to know how a fair life without injustice is given to every free men.

[islamic-methodologies-made-easy]

The prophet's courage, chivalry and succor were unmatchable. He encountered many dangers and difficult situations, yet he always remained steadfast. More than once, brave men fled away leaving him alone, yet he held his grounds with full composure facing danger without turning his back. Almost all the brave men of his time experienced fleeing or were driven off the battlefield even once in a lifetime, but not the prophet. Al-Bara’ Ibn ‘Aazeb described the prophet’s courage during the battle of Hunayn in which many Muslims fled except the prophet and a few of his companions, they stood their grounds until they achieved victory, he said, “Whenever the fight grew fiercer, we resorted to the Prophet for succor. The bravest man among us was the closest to where he stood.” [Recorded by Muslim]. ‘Ali Ibn Abi-Taleb, who was among the bravest of the brave and a peerless cavalier, described the prophet’s outstanding courage saying, “Whenever the fight grew fiercer and the eyes of fighters reddened [in anger], we resorted to the prophet for succor. He was always the closest among us to the enemy lines.” [Recorded by Ahmad]. Yet, the prophet P.B.U.H. never wounded a man fatally throughout his life. His duels were only in self-defence and trying to disable the enemies from attacking Muslims, they were never for killing. The only person whom he killed was named Ubai Ibn Khalaf, and it was a prophecy which the prophet had given a few years before the incident occurred. Sometime before immigrating to Madinah, this polytheist stopped the prophet in Makkah and said, “I will kill you one day for defaming our Gods, Muhammad.” The prophet P.B.U.H. replied, “By Allah’s will, it’s me who is going to kill you.” A few years later, during the battle of Uhud, this polytheist spotted the prophet injured badly and trapped, so he rode his horse towards him raising his spear and shouting “Let there be no rescue for me if I fail to kill you today, Muhammad.” ‘Ali reported that, “The prophet was alerted, he grabbed my spear and lanced the polytheist with it killing him with one strike.” Some reports say that the man died on the spot, while others say that he died days later from that wound. Anas reported that, “One night the people of Madinah woke up alarmed on hearing a strange loud sound. People went out hurriedly towards the source of the sound only to be met by the Prophet who had already gone ahead of them, he said, “It took you so long.” He was riding the horse of Abu Talhah (one of the companions) unsaddled, and his sword was hanging around his neck. He calmed the people down and told them that there was nothing to be afraid of, and then he said, ‘This is one quick horse.’ ” [Recorded by Bukhari and Muslim].