#but perspective and distance are still clearly real

[mumblesplash]

something that’s been bugging me all day: how would you teach perspective drawing in a society that existed entirely within, say, a varied-gravity spaceship? so much of how we understand perspective is based on the existence of the horizon and our relationship to it. what if there’s no horizon? vanishing points as a concept depend on having a ground to be parallel or perpendicular to.

[cherrydbear]

Since y'all seemed to like this I'll keep rambling on the subject, I can do this all day. Here are some of those examples where I think their friendship really shines through:

From Sanji's perspective, this guy just showed up outside his restaurant one day, dueled the legendary swordsman who slashed Don Krieg's fleet to pieces, willingly got cut almost in two, nearly bled to death, was tied up by his own crew and then captured by the Arlong pirates, still singlehandedly escaped and came back to join the fight and defeated one of Arlong's best fighters, then nearly bled to death again and woke up just in time to drink himself silly at the afterparty. I've heard people say they "match each other's freak" and that's the truth. Sanji watches this absolute wackadoodle of a man and knows he's found someone who matches his freak. From Zoro's point of view, some cook at a floating restaurant just fed all of their enemies out of principle before kicking their butts. How could he not respect that sort of unconditional adherence to a sense of honor and justice? Especially considering he himself experienced starvation not too long ago in Shells Town. Now this cook, the newest stray in Luffy's collection, immediately proves himself to be immensely capable both in the kitchen and on the battlefield, incurs injury to himself without complaint to protect these people he barely knows, and still is the only person to come sit by Zoro and check up on him. So Zoro knows that Sanji has a heart of pure gold, and I think that's a big part of why he gets frustrated when Sanji tries to cover it up with bravado and perviness.

This scene was really interesting to me because usually when someone demands that Zoro does something, he grouches and grumbles about it, so in this case it seems he just spontaneously started helping out himself. And if there was ever a man whose love language is acts of service, it's Roronoa Zoro. He seems to be more of a "companionable silence" kind of guy, while Sanji's a talker and will say anything to keep feeling connected. Now, I don't know if this is just a me thing, but I like to say my friends' names a lot, even just because the association with them brings me joy, but I rarely use the names of people I'm not close with except to refer to them in third person or to get their attention. In this scene, it seems to me that Sanji keeps repeating Zoro's name as a way to show he's thinking about him and appreciates him being there, though I might just be projecting.

Now, I know shippers go crazy over this one, but I think it's honestly really solid platonic evidence and I'll tell you why (not to dissuade shipping, I think you have to be friends before you can be more than friends so all of this can be fuel for the ship too if you want it to be). Firstly, they're comfortable enough to sleep this close together. Sanji's resting his sleepy head right on Zoro's shoulder (it should have been me, not him) and Zoro just lets him. Also note real quick, only a short distance away Luffy is using Usopp as a pillow, so they're all a cuddly cozy little family. When Zoro notices Sanji mistakenly trying to kiss him, he doesn't even move away, he just makes a face and waits for Sanji to wake up so he can make fun of him. Sanji, for his part, doesn't act embarrassed or disgusted that it turned out to be Zoro there, only playfully mad about his expression. They squabble for a few moments before Luffy pushes past them and they turn their attention to the next thing, argument forgotten, proving that neither was actually angry about anything and they were merely enjoying the opportunity to bicker.

This is from the hunting competition in Little Garden that I mentioned before. I just wanted to point out that both of them are grinning and clearly having a grand time.

(I love how Sanji's hands are just massive sometimes.) They have the entire forest clearing, and Sanji chooses to sit his little booty down right next to Zoro and toss his food at him. They're just like those kids in elementary who had beef over who has a more impressive Pokémon collection and would always sit next to each other at lunch to compare cards and play together at recess but claim they're archnemeses. And for as much as Sanji implied to Usopp (though oblivious) that the heart shaped vegetables were just for the ladies, he did choose to make it and serve it to the whole crew. Speaking of the ladies, Sanji is always adamant about protecting them, but he was perfectly fine with leaving Nami and Robin in Zoro's care, just as Zoro trusted Sanji to take care of Luffy and Usopp.

I also loved how Sanji packed Zoro a cute little lunchbox for exploring and he was NOT going to let no stupid south bird take it from him.

Alright that's all for today folks I gotta wake up in like 5 hours for work lol

Continuation from this post

[voidsentprinces]

One of my favorite details about Warrior of Light is how side character will see us fight a Primal and be both awe struck and terrified of us. Like they can't tell which one of us is the real monster out there on the battlefield. The Warrior of Light keeps Lolorito up at night, the Holy See would rather open its gate to the exiled Scions than to spurn the Warrior of Light, better to keep them clearly in direct line of vision and then send them out on a suicide mission to parley with Dragons than let them stay cooped up in Ishgard and constantly a threat, Ysayle is genuinely at lost for words after we fight Ravana saying she hasn't seen us fight like that since she and her fought and despite just being defeated by Ravana, she seems more afraid of us than she is of still being in ambush distance of the One Mind, Elidibus doesn't truly comprehend our power and after we activate the Crystal of Azem, he genuinely falters and asks who we are, Thordan sees us as a terror beyond terrors, his death not being a peaceful one as we are warped from his perspective, Fandaniel chooses Zenos and us to antagonize genuinely because we are literally the only thing on Eitheirys that could guarantee that Zodiark was vanquished and the Final Days unleashed, Ryne is drawn to us for a reason beyond any sense she knows at first much like her she can sense the powerful light like that of Warden and needs to know more of it, and the only ones who outgambit us (Ilberd, Fandaniel, Emet-Selch and Zenos) are not in their right mind to begin with in dealing with us. And then again, all they can really do is STALL us as we are a single person siege engine cutting through waves of soldiers, the Garleans despise us and yet also respect us for what we did in the Praetorium, Zenos is truly in awe of us and calls us Champion of the Savages in reverence. Very few who meet us at first are gladened by our arrival, some are genuinely nervous and unsure when they meet us for the first time. If they do not hear tales of our gentler side from those who know us best.

The Warrior of Light is a beacon of hope but also a power not to be trifled with lightly and its kind of amazing how they write us.

[talaofthevalley]

Wonder what woulda happened if Ai hadn't interrupted here.

Cause like, Yusaku and Spectre are like mirrors of each other, this episode establishes that pretty clearly. And even though Playmaker starts out thinking every victim thought the incident was alike to hell, you do see signs that he's trying to understand Spectre's perspective. He asks Spectre questions, and interestingly Spectre answers, honestly at that.

Playmaker asks, and listens, and it seems like he's on the verge of something when Ai interrupts the conversation.

I don't exactly think Ai was wrong to pull this, they had no time and Ai is correct that it's pointless to talk to Spectre right now, since nothing except for Revolver's word would have made him let Playmaker pass. But the more interesting part for me comes from what he says after;

Beyond showcasing Ai's ability to manipulate, if Ai meant this seriously and thought it would play a big part in putting Yusaku into complete duel mode, then Ai doesn't understand Yusaku very well.

He says Yusaku and Spectre are nothing alike, which a normal watcher who's paid attention can pretty easily dispute. Playmaker doesn't acknowledge this claim, only realises they're on a time limit and they need to move. It's the reminder that the Tower of Hanoi is activating that gets him moving. Being told they're nothing alike isn't reassuring for Yusaku, because he's already realised him and Spectre are alike.

It's those similarities that make Yusaku understand Spectre a little, relate to him in a way he couldn't with any other Knight of Hanoi. But even when Yusaku relates or understands his opponent, it doesn't stop him from fighting. Yusaku's thrown from meeting someone with such a opposite perspective on the incident that ruined his life, but still possess such large similarities to him.

While Yusaku cannot comprehend enjoying the incident like Spectre did, I think he understands and relates to some of what Spectre describes here.

What little we know of Yusaku's life post-Lost Incident is that he recieved treatment for what he went through, tried to forget the incident and live a normal life. When we're shown flashbacks of young Yusaku after the incident, he's notably distant from everyone, if not physically then in his expression.

A big empty room filled with toys. No reaction to a kind-looking woman gently holding his hand. Introduced to what seems to be a new class of kids he doesn't know. Sat at the back, apart from the rest. Even if Yusaku was treated nicer than Spectre was, it was obviously not enough and came with its own hardships. And if he couldn't even talk about his experiences like Spectre, it would make adjusting even harder and the distance between him and others larger.

I'm especially honing in on the comment Spectre makes about Yusaku's life before the incident.

"If the incident hurt you, you must've led a happy a happy life before."

Spectre doesn't know that, he's drawing a conclusion based on observation and the information he has. But it's a conclusion Yusaku can't affirm or deny, because he doesn't have any memories of his life before the incident. The idea that the reason it affected him so much being because he was happy beforehand might not have even crossed his mind.

And then we have this fun little tidbit;

A place to belong. Something we in retrospect knows Yusaku feels he doesn't have, but wants. He can understand that desire very well. And if Spectre feels he has found that place with Revolver, then who is Yusaku to tell him he's wrong?

This framing tells a thousand words I think, cause we have Playmaker and Spectre in the same shot, but the focus is on Playmaker's face. It's hard to read his expression, but to me it comes off as thoughtful, still serious but he's considering Spectre's words and conviction here like he would any other opponent. It's like watching Yusaku building an understanding towards Spectre in real time.

Yusaku can understand that kind of loyalty. That unwavering dedication to someone who saved your soul when you needed it the most.

There are so many moments in S1 where Yusaku pulls on the memory of that person to gather strenght, to accomplish his goal of not only defeating Hanoi and learn the truth, but to meet that person again and save them if they are still in danger. Yusaku has survived this far on the memory of that kind voice that reached out to him at his lowest. He's dedicated in a way that, if he ever came to learn of the details, I think Spectre would similarly relate to.

dunno man it's fun to think about. I still have the rest of the duel to rewatch so who knows maybe my brain will be tickled even further or I've said something super contradicting that will be shown in just the following episode. The amount this show can give me to gnaw on in a single episode is kind of amasing.

[kurishiri]

epilogue . . . happy birthday, alfons! ˗ˏˋ🪞´ˎ˗

— this translation may not be 100% accurate or may contain creative liberties for characterization or narrative flow purposes. if you enjoy, please consider reblogging, but don’t repost or claim these as your own!

— please note that the entire story is told from alfons’ perspective. i also do recommend reading his past records with elbie for full enjoyment, but it’s not required!

— cw: mentions of death.

The chirping of the birds drew me out of my slumber.

And, if I listened closely... I could hear the gentle and even breathing of someone sleeping close by.

It felt warm and soft in my arms, and there was a nice scent too.

(...Surely, it must be a cat.)

(After all, there is simply no way... I could embrace a person like this and sleep until morning.)

That was my thought in my semi conscious state.

Kate: Mn...

But, upon hearing a voice that very clearly couldn’t belong to that of a cat, I opened my eyes.

When I did, there in my arms, Kate slept peacefully.

(...That’s right. Only you are a special case.)

No matter how much I tried to lure her into a sweet illusion that treated her kindly, she would simply not let the real me before her escape. Truly, a pitiable, but ever the endearing person.

She was the only one by my side, even after time had passed like a dream.

(To feel so safe in my arms like this... she knows no caution, I see.)

Kate was always the first to get up out of the two of us, so to me, the sight of her deeply sleeping face was quite precious.

(Yesterday, thank you for celebrating my birthday so much.)

(But...)

(The ‘wonderful birthday plans’ you had painted in your mind... if you knew that I would have rather it all crumbled to dust...)

(...you would surely be saddened.)

Since the moment I had allowed Kate in my heart, who had followed me nearly to the point of desperation...

...even though I had the resolve, there were times when I still wanted to distance myself from her as well.

(...And yesterday was one of those times.)

In order to find a way for me to escape the tragic fate I’d been dealt by my Curse, Kate had been trying hard to find leads,

which had ultimately resulted in a vain attempt...

Kate: This time may have come up empty... but I still haven’t given up!

Though she gave a firm smile, I could also see weariness seep through that she couldn’t completely conceal.

...And, when I saw that, I thought to myself, ‘If only you could fall out of love with me.’

(But alas, such was apparently not a possibility for Kate.)

(...That’s why, I wanted to make her plans for my birthday fail.)

As dictated by my inescapable fate, once I died, Kate would forget I ever existed.

When that time came, if we only made happy memories now, that part which had been filled with happiness would perhaps leave a hole in her chest, just like that.

(But, if there were some memories she’d rather not remember in the mix... even if she did forget me, she wouldn’t suffer over it.)

Sadness, anger, pain... if it were memories buried in such negative emotions, not remembering should actually be less painful.

Even if it was just a single memory, it would be alright if I could mix in something like failures on my birthday that could make her think that, even if she forgot this, she wouldn’t mind.

(So, that’s why I made love to her so much the night before my birthday so she would wake up late,)

(and took her to a place I knew was rumored to have bad food when the restaurant she reserved was closed.)

(But...)

When I saw her face scrunch up when she ate the food, I instantly regretted having done something so foolish.

And as if to atone for that, I ate all of the unsavory food on my plate, and seeing the bad luck persist through the day,

blunders followed Kate, even beyond my control.

As they piled up one after another, Kate felt more and more down, and I couldn’t bear to watch that.

So then...

—— Flashback ——

Alfons: No matter if the present comes out as you have planned, or something has gone awry…

A: Your goal to make this a birthday that stays in my memory is going quite swimmingly, I’d say? You have my congratulations.

—— End flashback ——

Trying to weave words in my own way, I encouraged Kate so she wouldn’t feel so down.

(Of course, not a single word I said back then to Kate was a lie.)

(...In the end, she ended up leaving a mark in my memory, as she had hoped.)

(And, as for me, who wished to make this birthday end in shambles, it did not go as I had hoped.)

Alfons: ...To the very end, I can’t win against you.

Murmuring this as I planted a kiss, I quietly left the room.

(...Now then, I should make breakfast for her, once in a while.)

Out of gratitude for giving me a most fun birthday, and out of guilt for wishing that her plans would fail,

I decided to take care of Kate this morning.

And on the way, I ran into someone I didn’t expect——Elbert.

Elbert: Let’s play a game of Dead or Alive.

That was the game I occasionally initiated with Elbert, a death game with two players, but where only one would emerge victorious.

Alfons: ...Well, I’ll be, this is quite abrupt, no? And on top of that, you are the one initiating the game... color me surprised.

Elbert: It was your birthday yesterday, Al. So, you can think of it as a special game.

In both of Elbert’s hands were two glasses. Its contents were perhaps wine.

Elbert: It is a game between just the two of us. And there is one incorrect answer.

His smile resembled that of a beautiful angel — or perhaps that of a impish demon,

as Elbert held the glasses my way.

Elbert: Would you like the glass on the right, or the left?

I didn’t know if something would happen in this game that Elbert had prepared.

(In regards to outward appearances, they both look completely the same. Perhaps he mixed something colorless in one of them...?)

(Let’s see... to see which one is the incorrect answer, and which is the correct one...)

Elbert: If you do not choose, I will go first.

Alfons: ...Come again now?

As I was thinking, Elbert took the glass in his right hand, and without waiting for an answer, downed the entire glass.

Elbert: ...It’s good.

Alfons: To see such an unruffled expression on your face, it would be safe to assume the glass you chose was the correct glass, no?

Elbert: I was the one who made the preparations for the game, so I am aware which is correct and not.

Alfons: ...You chose first while knowing the correct and incorrect answers... would I not be pulling the short end of the stick?

Elbert: You seemed quite hesitant to choose, so that is why. ...Next is your turn, Al.

(...Goodness gracious, just what is going through his mind right now?)

The only glass that remained was the ‘incorrect’ glass.

(That said, I am almost entirely certain he wouldn’t mix in a lethal poison...)

(...but seeing as there’s no way for me to tell, I can only drink what’s in the glass.)

For the briefest of moments, I hesitated taking the glass, but then I subsequently took it, downing its contents.

Alfons: ...

Elbert: Well?

Alfons: I see that it’s some quite delicious grape juice. The kind that Kate would like, I reckon.

Elbert: There is some in the kitchen as well, so you should take some to bring to Kate.

Alfons: I am feeling fine and dandy, though... was the one you drank perhaps the incorrect glass?

Elbert: No.

Alfons: So that is to say that both glasses were correct...

A: ...the ‘Dead’ part of the game is nowhere to be found. All we played was a game of Alive or Alive then, no?

Even now, I didn’t know what Elbert wanted out of this game.

Elbert: ...No, someone did die.

E: I watched you die, just before you took the glass in your hand.

(‘Just before I took the glass’...?)

Just as I was about to ask just what he was saying, it was then I realized.

(Ahh...)

(...I see how it is now.)

I had indeed hesitated when I took the glass that I had thought was incorrect.

And that hesitation was unmistakable proof of a craving for life that had not been within me before.

(The me who thought ‘it didn’t matter when I died’... has indeed died.)

Alfons: ...If I had died and reincarnated, I do so wonder what I would become.

Elbert: Who knows? But... I am sure it would not be anything strange.

E: As long as Kate is by your side, that is.

When I prepared breakfast and returned to my room, Kate was in the middle of getting dressed.

Kate: Ah... good morning, Alfons.

Alfons: Good morning. Would you care for some breakfast?

Kate: Very! I’m really hungry!

Alfons: Indeed, we did many things last night that warranted a workout. So that would come as no surprise.

As I was setting the food on the table, I turned to see Kate’s cheeks as red as an apple.

(She must be thinking about last night, I reckon. ...How honest and endearing of her, to be sure.)

Alfons: If you would like to immerse yourself in last night’s memories again, I would highly suggest looking at your body in the mirror. For you see, I left a plethora of marks—

Kate: Don’t make me remember all those naughty things we did first thing in the morning...!

With the redness of her cheeks persisting, Kate glared at me.

Such an expression resembled that of a cat, and that was adorable in its own right, but it was hardly my intention to spoil her mood.

Alfons: My apologies, it seems I went a step too far in teasing.

A: Would you cheer up for me? See, I have gone out and made breakfast.

Kate: ...! I’m all better now.

Just like that, her expression brightened, and Kate jovially took a seat. I, too, took a seat across from her.

(The me who ‘woke up every morning alone,’ and the me who ‘felt it was alright to die at any time’... they had all been killed by Kate.)

(And reborn in their places was the me who ‘embraced a precious Kate as I slept,’ and the me ‘who didn’t wish to die before her.’)

(I can’t help but wonder just what parts of me will die, and which parts will be born next?)

It was the day after my birthday, the morning sun filtering in the room.

This would surely end up carved in my heart, and hers, as a happy memory.

And finally, when the time came, those memories would perhaps end up hurting her.

In all honesty, flipping the table over here and now, and hurting Kate in the worst way possible

would, in the long term, be for her benefit.

(But... even so.)

Right now, I wanted to taste the flavor of happiness together with her to my heart’s content... and engrave it in me for eternity.

← main story fin. letter →

full masterlist 🪞🍰 ╱ ko-fi ☕ (30% of proceeds will go to doctors without borders for donations $17↑)

END NOTES: friends, I think I may just have a thing for the star-crossed love but trying to make it work trope… the way Al was really soft here when he’s normally a more guarded character, I feel proud that he is able to be try and be more vulnerable 🥹🫶

and the way Al understands Elbie so well, too! I adore their unorthodox friendship a lot. (and though it’s not mentioned in this story, I think the fact that Al chose the date he met Elbie of all days as his birthday… I think it speaks to how they may be meant for each other in some sense.)

happy birthday, Al! may this year be full of happy memories for you as well 🪞

[ari-the-arotistic]

So I was thinking about pirates of the Caribbean, and each characters unique moral code and way of approaching life, as one does, when I remembered a particular scene about our beloved James Norrington... the very first scene in which Jack and James meet. Now, as a long time Sparrington shipper, I adore the Sparrington fandoms adopted head canon of Jack's compass pointing directly at Jack when James is holding it as having a romantic connotation too it, but this is Disney we're talking about, and a Disney from 20 years ago at that, so it is of course just a head canon. And while it is a beloved head canon, I will always be a writer before a shipper, and what that scene says about Norrington from a writer's perspective is far too juicy not to share... So buckle up for a very long meta post about who James Norrington is as a person, and how it was set up in this scene(and later reinforced in the second and third movie). This is my first real meta post, and I'm very excited for it, so let's jump right in.

First of all, the compass scene.

As we can clearly see in the image above, since the red line that points to the object of the holder's desires is no where to be seen, its relatively easy to conclude that it's hidden from our view by the sun dial in the middle, and thusly is pointing directly at Jack. Elizabeth is off to James's right, and no one is standing behind Jack, so unless the compass was pointing at something in the far off distance that just so happened to be in Jack's general direction(unlikely) its pretty clear what(or who) the compass is pointing at. For most potc fans, this is fairly standard knowledge. But it's what this fact says about Norrington's character that I'd like to focus on. After all, what does it say about a man that a compass that shows you what you desire most is pointing at a pirate, and the very face of piracy at that, instead of your canonical love interest, when you're a Commodore of the Navy? As stated above, Sparrington shippers often point at this scene as proof that James has a bit of a pash on the ruggedly handsome pirate, or at the very least, a thing for men. But from a writer's perspective, this just simply isn't the case, and not because the writer's in this instance are the notoriously homophobic corporation we call Disney. The reason why this is so unlikely from a writing perspective is because given the context clues, we as an audience are meant to draw the conclusion that this is the first time that they meet(I have heard rumors of them meeting as children in the books, but having never read them, and focusing only on the movies, I'm not including that in this post). And since this is the first time they've met, it's highly unlikely that the compass is pointing at Jack because James has a bit of a thing for him. Even if James has heard of Jack's many exploits, he does not truly know the man behind the legend, so having romantic feelings for the pirate at this point in time just isn't believable. And even if James was a closeted gay/bi man, it's still unlikely that the compass would be pointing at Jack of all the men around the Commodore(of which there is a lot, some of whom he is incredibly close with) seeing as Jack is the poster boy of piracy, and at this point in the movie it's made abundantly clear that James vehemently detests the notion and all who practice it. If James were to be holding the compass in Jack's vicinity in later movies and it still pointed at the pirate, an argument could definitely be made that it was because he had developed feelings for Jack, but for their first meeting, it's just not realistic. So it's much more likely that the reason the compass is pointing at Jack is because of James's desire to send every pirate he meets to "a quick drop and a sudden stop" as he so eloquently put it to a young Elizabeth. This is further reinforced in the third movie when it is revealed that Beckett's desire to have Jack dead at his feet would prevent him from using the compass to find Shipwreck Cove if the pirate was not already at the aforementioned location, or, well, dead. This is again, relatively common knowledge. But like I said before, it's what this fact says about James that is the whole point of this post... and that is that James cares more about his career than anything else, even the woman he claims to love. Now for some, that statement alone might seem like a pretty obvious conclusion, but it's how this scene subtlety sets up this core aspect of Norrington's character before we even truly get to know who he is, and how it's brought to it's full height in the second movie, and the core aspect of his redemption and subsequent death in the third that I'd really like to talk about. Which brings us to the next segment of this post...

How James lost his commission to the navy...

And how he got it back

So let's start off with how James lost his commission... it's a story we all know pretty well, and one he tells to Gibbs in the scene shown above, when he plans to either join Jack's crew or get revenge on the man that(he believes) ruined his life. After Jack's escape in the first movie, James grew obsessed with capturing the pirate, so much so that he foolishly followed the Black Pearl into a hurricane, resulting in the sinking of the Dauntless, and the loss of countless lives that had been aboard the vessel. It's unclear aside from James himself who had been on the ship at the time, and who did or did not survive, but the death toll was heavy, with most, if not everyone who wasn't James, having perished in the storm. While it is not the most extreme example(which we'll get too in just a bit), this is a pretty clear example of James prioritizing his career above everything else, even reason and logic. And all just to capture a singular pirate, even at the cost of his own ship and crew, and rather ironically, the very career that he had been so desperately trying to hold onto in the first place. Which brings us to the next scene I'd like to discuss... James stealing the heart of Davy Jones. This moment is the absolute peak of this part of James's character. This is the moment where James takes his obsessive need for his career to the max. This is the moment where James truly prioritizes his career above everything else, even the woman he claims to love(and for Sparrington shippers, above the man he's reluctantly come to care about). At this point in time, when James decides to take the heart for himself to regain his old station, he's been on the Black Pearl long enough to know the full situation. That Jack is in some kind of trouble with Davy Jones, and that if Jack doesn't use the heart to bargain for his freedom, then the Kraken will hunt Jack, and subsequently the Black Pearl, down until he and everyone aboard are dead. And that includes Elizabeth. And yet, despite knowing that stealing the heart would basically mean sealing Elizabeth's death, he still decided to do so. Sure, the argument could be made that he thought Elizabeth would be able to escape somehow, but the chances of her dying at sea, or some other terrible fate befalling her before she could safely make it back to civilization would have been highly likely. Of course we as an audience know that this isn't the case, but James does not. So essentially, James was so obsessed with his career, and maintaining the image of the honorable Commodore that he didn't even truly register that he was putting Elizabeth, the woman he loves and has been trying so desperately to woo for the past two movies, in danger. And he won't fully realize the consequences of his actions until the third movie, in a deleted scene no less(I swear when I find whoever decided to delete some of the most important scenes to James's character...), when Davy Jones informs Governor Swann of his daughters untimely demise on the Black Pearl. Of course, almost immediately afterwards, Beckett retcons that statement by informing the Governor that Elizabeth was recently seen in Singapore, but for a few minutes, James has to sit with the fact that Elizabeth was dead, and it was his fault. And even after learning that she was in fact still alive, James has now finally come to the realization that if she had still been on the Black Pearl when it sank with its Captain, he would've been the one to send her to her death. And for Sparrington shippers, James has to sit with the unavoidable fact that he was the reason Jack had died(even if the pirate does come back), despite the fact that it was Elizabeth's betrayal that was the final nail in Jack's coffin, since she wouldn't have had to do that if the Kraken wasn't after them in the first place. Which brings us to the final scene I'd like to discuss...

James choosing a side, and paying the price

Now, before we fully delve into this scene, I'd like to take a moment to talk about James's own perception of himself, and his relationship with honor and integrity. From the very first scene in which we meet James Norrington, we are made aware that he has a strong moral compass. He firmly believes piracy is evil, and that all who partake in piracy deserve a swift end. He perceives his Commodore persona as being the paragon of honor and integrity, and the sole arbiter of justice. We can infer from the line "By remembering that I serve others, Sparrow, not just myself" that James does have honorable intentions when ridding the world of pirates, that being protecting the innocent citizens under his care, but as seen once again in the first time James and Jack meet, wherein James adamantly tries to arrest Jack despite the fact the fact that pirate had just saved Elizabeth's life, his actions to achieve that goal are not always quite as honorable as his intentions are. This is especially highlighted once again when James gave Beckett the heart of Davy Jones. James's intentions here were once again rooted in honor and integrity - he believes that the only way to keep people safe from pirates is too return to his old station, to the image of honor and integrity he had built around the title of Commodore, and the only way to return to his old station is to give Beckett the heart. But the action itself was far from honorable, seeing as James had to betray the woman he loved just to obtain the heart, and that he was now putting it into the hands of a dangerously unstable individual who planned on using it to commit mass genocide.

And now, we finally get to the scene above... Of course, it's made clear throughout his scenes in the third movie leading up to this one that James is already starting to regret giving Beckett the heart after seeing the damage being caused, but since Beckett is targeting pirates specifically(although we as an audience know that Beckett's definition of pirate is very loose) James figures that the ends justify the means, as he often does in situations regarding piracy. It is not until his reunion with Elizabeth, where he learns that Governor Swann is dead, and that Beckett lied to him about the Governor's whereabouts, that James truly realizes the enormity of his mistake. It is in this moment that James has a sudden realization that fundamentally shakes him to his core, and is the reason behind his change of heart later on. He realizes that the honorable Commodore persona that he had tried to cultivate and keep a hold of for so long had never been truly honorable at all, and that by giving Beckett the heart of Davy Jones, he had effectively tied the noose around the neck of his own honor and integrity, as well as the necks of hundreds, if not thousands of innocent people, with his own hands. And as that one vine goes, this was the moment James knew, he fucked up. Which leads to his decision to change sides in an attempt to redeem himself, and his subsequent death in the process. Of course, part of James's reason for helping Elizabeth escape was that he does care for her, but given everything I've detailed about him so far, I think it's safe to say the main reason that James decided to help Elizabeth and her crew was because he wanted to undo the damage he had done, and he had faith that Elizabeth, Will, and Jack would have some sort of plan to defeat Beckett, and stop any further damage to come from his mistake. And now, for his death scene itself... As much as I love the idea of James surviving and joining the pirates(whether at Elizabeth's side or Jack's is unimportant), I firmly believe that his death was a necessary end of this part of his character arc, and that if he were to survive he would still have to go through a major ego death for this part of his character arc to end properly. Because as Bill turner drives that wooden pike into James's gut, it's not just the physical death of his body, but also the metaphorical death of Admiral James Norrington, and the ideals that James had used to build the persona out of. So even if James survived, the Admiral would still have to meet his metaphorical end, thusly causing James to lose a core part of himself that had been guiding most his decisions so far, in the process, which would start the next part of his character arc, where he would have to deal with the loss of a key part of his personality, and rebuild himself from the ground up to finally, truly become the image of honor and integrity he had envisioned from the beginning.

And that concludes this very long post. I could probably wax enough poetics about this aspect of James's character to write a short novel, but I've said everything important to this post, and if I go on any longer, I'm likely to start repeating myself lol. Thank you for reading, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or a reblog! I will always love hearing more about our polished peacock <3

[impossiblesuitcase]

do you have any head cannons on Kai’s mom? It’s just one of those things where I soooo wish that MM went into more detail. I feel as though we were robbed.

I know 😭😭Marissa killed her off and never had the decency to tell us anything about her.

I have a few headcanons about her. As I mentioned in one of my fics, I think that she came from Japan, hence Kai having a Japanese name. She was from a rich family but not aristocrats and they weren't great supporters of the monarchy. Many provinces in the Commonwealth have bubbles of anti-monarchal sentiment. She and Rikan met when he visited Japan and began a long-distance relationship. After a few years she moved to New Beijing and married him, something her parents weren't fond of. They lived in Japan and rarely visit Kai for this reason, which is why they are absent during the series.

Because she came from a slightly lower social class than her husband, she lived a more normal lifestyle. She cooked her own meals, would go shopping for herself rather than having servants do it, and took a real interest in all the staff in the palace. It's where Kai learnt this from. Marissa wrote a brief description of her from Kai's perspective: "Going to the Annual Peace Festival when I was growing up [was when I was the happiest]. We would go every year as a family...Mom always found a way to sneak in a few private moments. Just the three of us, eating spicy noodles from the street vendors and watching the musicians practice for the parade." Kai also says in The Mechanic that she would take him to the market, so she evidently went against the norms and protocols for royalty to give Kai a more normal upbringing. Very Princess Diana of her.

Because she was a rule-breaker, I think it would be funny if she and Torin did not get along. She encouraged a looser side from Rikan which was at odds with Torin's perfectly constructed regimen for the emperor. But eventually he warmed up to her, and part of the reason he warms up to Cinder is because she reminds him of the late empress.

I like to think that Kai got his cheekier side from her. She would make jokes from tough situations and that helped Kai process his emotions. She also inspired his penchant for the impossible (conspiracy theories) and his hopeless romantic heart by reading many fairytales to him as a child.

But of course every character has flaws, so I think that she was more of a philanthropist than a lawmaker. She died while on a diplomatic mission to the infected areas, so her heart was clearly on helping people. However she wasn't quite aggressive enough to help with the legislative side of things, so Rikan was mostly on his own in that regard.

Finally, I think that Cinder and Kai have a daughter who looks a lot like her. Kai loves seeing a piece of his mother still with them and the people adore the reminder of their last empress in the empress-to-be.

[sandraharissa]

I really absolutely love the idea of LoL Jinx being Jinx’s reputation, or maybe even a crazy persona she intentionally projects onto the world, but not how she really is.

There’s this passage from her game bio that hints at smth sinister and mysterious that happened and sets up the question of ‘what made Jinx the way she is?’.

No one knows for certain what happened to turn that sweet young child into a wildcard, infamous for her wanton acts of destruction.

But when she emerges and makes a name for herself as a terrorist the average citizen would only see her cackling as she blows up buildings and wouldn’t care to ponder this question. Well, her LoL behavior fits the stereotype of a crazy woman and it makes sense that in-universe ppl would perceive her like that and nothing more. She’d kinda become a boogeyman to Piltover/Zaun and they’d see her as such, as this exaggerated caricature of 'crazy'.

Ig what I’m trying to say is that we learn the story chronologically but imagine we first meet adult Jinx and then there are reveals or flashbacks. You’d never believe LoL Jinx has this much depth or such a real and tragic aspect to her. It could be a fantastic story on its own. So new characters having this kinda arc with Jinx where they first hear/see the fake persona and then gradually learn the truth about her could be super compelling. I think in a lot of ways it’s way more compelling than e.g. the observant Cait just going back and summing up Jinx to everybody else in Piltover in one sentence like 'her issues are a,b,c' like she watched Arcane alongside us and ig everybody's caught up now, no need to do these revelations through arcs and interactions.

Especially that there’s groundwork for this type of reveals with already established characters like Cait, Vi and Ekko. The story is intentionally constructed so that they don’t have nowhere near as much of an insight into Jinx that we got, like of course Cait would only see her as a psychopath, she investigated her crimes for months, nearly died in the explosion, saw her violent behavior during the reunion and bridge scenes and then got kidnapped and then witnessed her blowing up the government with her mom inside. And this sentiment also applies to everyone who didn’t know Powder and isn’t the audience. But even Vi and Ekko don’t seem to know enough to understand what’s going on. They knew Powder but as far as we know they have next to no interactions with her after she becomes Jinx and mainly just see her from her violent side and also from a distance.

Idk if this comparison makes sense but I get the impression that ppl’s takes on mcu Loki depend on whether they remember the events of Thor 1, and based on that they see him as tormented and complicated or a cartoon psychopath villain. So that’s kinda what I mean. LoL Jinx is if you skipped the set-up movies and went straight into Avengers and Arcane Jinx is if you watched everything chronologically and have full context for a character’s behavior. And while we already know enough to understand why Jinx became Jinx, it’s still a crucial and lingering question cos it’s a questions a lot of characters ponder and they never got that answer in s1. So s2 could explore their perspective, seeing Jinx only behaving like a maniac until finally getting answers to their questions.

Ig my point is that Arcane is clearly going in a different direction so I don't expect or want the characters to end up being identical to their game counterparts but I also find the idea that Jinx masks herself with an exaggerated crazy persona more compelling than the idea that she is perceived by everyone in s2 exactly as she is, even tho a huge part of s1 is how misunderstood she is by everyone around her and how she leans into her strengths and into how ppl perceive her for empowerment.

[megline]

Okay, so.

I really was ready for Silky to be canon. And even more, I've supported it all along. And I do love Sylvie as a character even though she annoys me a lot in the new season. These details really needs to be understood before I say anything else.

But now... I don't think it's a good idea anymore? Like, hear me out. I feel like there's not much time left and I still don't see or feel any chemistry between these two whatsoever.

Yes, we clearly see Loki's feelings and how much he cares and worries about Sylvie. But it's just not enough. Three episodes are out there already! It's only 3-4 episodes left and all we got in direction of their relationship is tension, pointless fights and a lot of talking, leading to nowhere. And a very slow development of the Sylvie character. Step by step.

And it's actually a good thing! It's better than if she just gave up all of her wishes and plans all at once just because of two random guys she met like a week ago.

But at the same time I really don't see anything even close to love between them. It's obsession and feelings from one side and a strong desire to distance from everything going on, to be alone in a comfortable bubble of illusions on the other. And even if Sylvie has feelings for Loki, which I'm absolutely sure she does, she's too far from admitting them to both him and herself. She's not ready to open up.

And it's okay. She needs to go through a long way of understanding herself and all.

But it's only 3-4 episodes left. And I'm afraid that their relationship and the development of it will end up being too rumpled and fake. It'll feel contrived for the sake of a "check mark", ykwIm.

From this perspective, even Loki and Mobius' relationship seems healthier and more real in the end. Because there is as much trust, care, love and acceptance between them as there will probably never be between Loki and Sylvie. And these things didn't come out of nowhere, they' developed gradually and felt real. Whether it's a friendly or romantic relationship, there's chemistry between them.

I feel like to fix this advantage, or at least even it out, the creators need to devote at least two full episodes devoted only to the reveal of Sylvie and the development of her relationship with Loki. But that's probably not going to happen.

So I don't know what to expect anymore, or whether to expect it at all. Maybe the next episodes will do something incredible and unimaginable that will completely change my perception. We'll see.

[mercurygray]

Trying NOT to be obvious and ask for something with Diana (beloved) again, so how about a new girl - Freda, with "Cloying sweetness on the back of your tongue" from the Sensory Prompts, please?

And she thought she was supposed to be the welcome wagon.

"Miss Fred, Miss Fred!" Two small boys came running up to meet her jeep, waiting at a respectful and safe distance until she'd turned the engine off and gotten her box out of the back. She was on the lunch run today, and the turkey and cheese sandwiches weren't going to keep if she left them out in the sun too long.

"Well, hey there, Adam. George. What's doing?"

"Have you got any extra doughnuts today, Miss Fred?"

Fred shrugged theatrically, setting the heavy box-tray down at her feet. "'Fraid I don't, fellas. But I do have these cookies - er, biscuits - the mess hall just finished making. I was bringing them for Ken and the crew but I might have a couple extra. How do you feel about chocolate chips?"

You could have knocked the boys over with a feather. "Chocolate CHIPS?? You make biscuits with chips in 'em, Miss Fred?"

"How do you get the chips to taste like chocolate? I think my mum needs that."

Fred cycled through a a moment of brief confusion until she realized the mistake. Chips…crisps…fries…oh.

"What, you fellas ain't ever had chocolate chips before?" Ken asked, coming out from underneath the engine with a grin on his face. "You're missing out. Are those all for me, Miss Fred?"

Freda passed over the container to Ken, who made a big show of opening it and investigating what was inside while the two boys looked on, still absolutely sold on the idea of cookies that somehow managed to have fried potato inside.

"Maybe if you're real nice to Mr Lemmons he'll share," Fred suggested, holding in a smile.

"Naw, I don't think so," Ken said, hamming along for the sake of the joke. "I think me and Wink and the boys are gonna eat 'em all ourselves."

"Yep," Wink said, nodding very seriously. "Takes a lot of cookies to keep one of these things flying, you know."

Ken made a noise and suddenly drew his hand out of the box like he'd been burned. "Oh, darn. Would you look at that. This one's broken. Definitely can't eat that now, Wink, it's spoiled."

Up went the waiting hands, the two boys practically bouncing in place. "We want it! We want it!"

"Are you sure?" Lemmons looked the both of them over with a skeptical look. "Eating broken cookies can be dangerous."

"We love danger!" George said, loud enough for the both of them.

"Well, all right," Ken said, like he thought he might regret this, carefully picking up the broken cookie like he was handling broken glass and gently depositing it into Adam's outstretched hands. "Looks like this one's broke, too, George. 'Fraid you're gonna need to take both."

Both boys bit down hard, chewing carefully to investigate. Adam frowned. "Why, this is just bits of chocolate."

"Well, that's what Miss Fred said, isn't it?" Lemmons replied, clearly enjoying himself. "Chocolate chips?"

"Ohhhhhh." The light finally went on, and the boys giggled, still eating their cookies with glee.

"Chalk one up for American English," Fred said, watching the two boys run off through the tall grass.

"I don't care what anyone says, those are still fries where I'm from," Wink declared, pulling another half a cookie out of the box in Lemmons' hands and chowing down. "Thanks for the grub, Fred!"

"You're really good with 'em," Fred said to Lemmons, sitting down on the tarmac in the shade of the wing and watching as the rest of the crew ambled over for the sandwiches and apples, pulling handkerchiefs out of pockets to wipe off oily hands. "The kids, I mean. Some guys wouldn't take the time." How many 19 year olds would stop and play with their kid brother of ten?

"Helps, you know? Keeping it all in perspective. And I figure, if you make 'em listen here, if you really need to keep 'em out of trouble they'll listen later, too. Might even learn something." Lemmons nodded, mostly to himself. Ken Lemmons, you're a wise man and a scholar. "You eaten yet?"

She smiled and shook her head, taking the cookie he offered and biting down slowly, the chocolate cloying and sweet on the back of her tongue, still just the tiniest bit warm and gooey. Shortage of sweet things in this world at the moment. I'm glad human kindness isn't one.

--

Freda is one of my many OCs - if you liked her here, you can read more about her at her tag on my blog! More of my writing, and more OCs, are found at the mercurygraypresents tag.

[nekonanamii]

All for the best pt. 3 - Toji x Fem! Reader

Toji’s pov 🫣

Your company was hosting afternoon drinks at the yacht club, and Suguru being your boyfriend- was your plus one.

There you were casually chatting with your colleagues wearing a beautiful sundress with the sunset in the background.

“Honey~ come here! Let me introduce you to my coworkers” you say to your boyfriend.

Suguru introduces himself politely to your co-workers and they’re all charmed by how poised this man was and even more shocked to find out he was the CFO of Gojo Enterprises. The very company yours was about to have a merger with.

He’s running circles around the small of your back, and slowly he takes a sneaky squeeze of your ass. He whispers into your ear and you’re blushing hard.

Toji watched the entire thing happen from a distance. The glass in his hand nearly cracking.

Your boss is well aware of the fact that you’ve been with your partner for 6 years now, it’s 2023 after all and he follows your Instagram account. He sees just how sweet and perfect you are to your boyfriend yet he wonders why he hasn’t put a ring on it yet.

~

It’s 10:14 am at Gojo Enterprises, Toji’s meeting had just wrapped up. He makes his way to the elevator and just as the doors were about to close, Suguru walks in with a woman who’s blouse had one too many buttons open giving a clear view of how plump her tits were. This peaks Toji’s interest.

It was obvious the woman was very interested in your boyfriend, and your boyfriend didn’t seem to mind.

Interesting indeed.

Your boss overheard that you were in the market for a new apartment, so him being a thoughtful boss made sure to recommend a good real estate agent.

“Naoya, do you still have the number of that real estate agent?”

“The one with the huge tits? Fuck yeah! Planning to get a new penthouse?”

Toji knew he had to lure your boyfriend into this trap. This man wanted you to himself and honestly, he wanted to know just how loyal your boyfriend was.

Your boss made sure that on the days you were supposed to be out apartment viewing, you’d be busy at work.

“Sir, I’m not sure if I’m the best candidate to be here with you? I’m not too well acquainted with fine dining”

Toji asked you to come with him on the pretext of making sure the merger was to be a success, but here you were on your 6th dish of the night in this extremely fancy restaurant with your boss

“Y/n I had to know the opinion of my employees about the menu, it also helps if it’s from a female perspective”

It wasn’t a total lie.

On other days your boss sent you out on stupid little errands that he knew would take up all your time.

“Sir, I’m terribly sorry but the shop said they didn’t have any of what you asked for and neither did any other of the shops you had on the list”

Of course they didn’t. Hell he just made up what he asked you to look for, clearly intending for you to spend as little time as possible to being with your boyfriend who was busy being seduced by none other than the real estate agent he highly recommended 🤭

But why you?

He had his reasons, many honestly. But ever since the day you accidentally spilled some of your iced coffee on his leather shoes and you bent down to wipe it for him, he knew he liked the sight of you on your knees.

Now, Toji simply dangled a treat for Suguru to take, it’s not his fault that your boyfriend took it right?

Your thoughtful boss was doing you a favor. If your boyfriend truly loved you, he wouldn’t have taken the bait.

~

It was at your wedding that Suguru was forced to attend, and it was during dinner when he hears Naoya talking about that hot real estate agent with the big tits, saying he thought for sure Toji was gonna fuck her but instead he’s a married man now. And that’s when it clicks. Your ex boyfriend realizes it was a set up.

Fucking hell. He lost you but he couldn’t do anything about it now, not with the fact that you were now married and he was all too guilty for fucking the real estate agent.

He comes home and she’s already getting ready to undo his belt, “did Toji Fushiguro send you?”

“Huh?” She says with a puzzled expression, “oh Naoya’s cousin? Yeah they told me you were in the market for a new apartment” she says as she takes his balls in her mouth

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. Suguru thinks to himself. Toji set him up.

~

You wake up to big strong muscular arms holding you as your dear husband sleeps soundly. You give him a few kisses and cuddle up more into his chest. Toji loves waking up like this. It was well worth destroying your 6 year relationship. After all, it’s all for the best <3

Honestly, Toji is so manipulative in this whole story, he’s lowkey a home-wrecker but he justifies it by saying he’s treating you better than your ex could ever

If it wasn’t obvious yet, in this au, Suguru is a boobs > ass guy (I’m planning to write Satoru as a boobs < ass guy) :p

[jeannereames]

How do you anticipate Alexandros’s and Hephaistion’s respective ways of dealing with each other in their “moments” to change over the course of your series? I think you pretty clearly established in your books that Hephaistion has to learn to carefully navigate Alexandros’s outbursts and spontaneous tendencies.

On the flip side, I wonder how Alexandros learns how to deal when Hep is angry or upset. Do you think it being more so along the lines of him expecting Hep to suck it up and deal, basically? Or would he take a different route? I just find the way you portrayed their dynamic in the series very intriguing and nuanced, and I'm curious to see how it might evolve as the characters age.

What an interesting question! And I’m delighted that you thought their interaction properly nuanced. One of my own personal criteria for judging a book is the presence of layered and complex characters, so I struggle to put them on the page in my own work. (Also, sorry for the delay.)

Among the key elements of the first two books is how much the characters change. It covers seven critical years as they turn from boys into young men. Hence the whole “coming-of-age” thing. Ha.

Because they’re teenagers, they’re inclined to drama, especially in the first book where little things can set them off—but it happens early in book II as well. Hephaistion flails and causes a scene just because Alexandros is busy so often and he, Hephaistion, is insecure. His behavior is silly (and Alexandros calls him on it), but the emotions that drive it are very real. That’s always the struggle, when writing teens. They just haven’t lived long enough for much perspective, so everything’s a crisis. Emotions are BIG, driven by wildly pumping hormones and all those extra neurons in the front of the cerebrum. Yet the author must take seriously whatever tempest in a teapot has them riled up, in order to portray it fairly (for them), even while keeping a bit of distance to signal to the reader that yes, it really is overblown.

By the duology’s end, Alexandros has just turned 20 and Hephaistion 22½; they’ve been friends seven years, and lovers for five. By now, they have history. Yet both are emotional people, even if they display it differently. Hephaistion might seem phlegmatic but is far from it. Erigyios is phlegmatic. Hephaistion is a churning volcano under a calm surface. Alexandros, by contrast, wears his heart on his sleeve. So, they’ll continue to kick up dusk occasionally with each other, but increasingly for real reasons, not manufactured ones driven by insecurity.

Take their fracture over the fact Alexandros didn’t tell Hephaistion about Amyntor’s illness. They learn, thereby, that some things can be forgiven only by a choice. Hephaistion’s flouncing over Alexandros “ignoring” him at the beginning of book 2 should be seen in stark contrast to the very real rage he feels when he learns Alexandros concealed his father’s cancer. Yes, Alexandros did so because Amyntor asked, and yes, Alexandros convinced himself it was out of fear for Hephaistion’s safety. But he does finally recognize, and admit to himself, that wasn’t the real reason. He did a truly selfish thing by keeping Hephaistion with him. Hephaistion’s reaction in each instance is meant to bookend the novel. In the first case, he storms back home. In the second, despite his fury, he doesn’t leave Alexandros. And Alexandros accepts Philip’s pardon not just because he knows he’d better, but also because Hephaistion needs to go back. It’s a maturing moment for Alexandros to fully recognize how much he hurt his friend. He can’t fix it. He can only beg for forgiveness. Hephaistion won’t get back those final months with Amyntor. He can only choose to forgive.

So, the sequence is (to my mind) incredibly important to how they’re learning to be Real with each other. And it lays out how they’ll continue to interact going forward.

Alexandros will still screw up sometimes, in part because he’s king and was raised to assume people will subject themselves to him, as well as because his successes convince him the gods are on his side. But it was always Hephaistion’s refusal to kowtow that made him attractive to Alexandros. Ergo, he must make room for that in their relationship. It’s what makes Hephaistion unique.

In book one, after their physical fight over a different dust-up, Alexandros thinks to himself that the fact Hephaistion was willing to hit a prince had earned him the right to hold one. Alexandros must allow for Hephaistion’s autonomy, which means he must apologize (honestly) now and then. It’s what keeps him human, and grounded. And why Hephaistion continues to enjoy such absolute trust. He expects Alexandros to acknowledge when he screws up, and so Alexandros can trust that Hephaistion will always tell him the truth. Because Hephaistion loves him that much.

[teezersfics]

Journey To Wonderland

˚‧｡⋆⋆｡‧˚masterlist˚‧｡⋆⋆｡‧˚

Genere : Fantasy, Royalty, Pirate

Pairing : Secret

Ch.6 / Ch.7 / Ch.8

Chapter 7 : Face off

“Yes, I do have some doubts.” You say as you are leaning against the railings with Yunho accompanying you. Since, day before yesterday, from when you have heard the story of Wonderland's creation, Ynitasia's downfall and the rules of the Wonderland, you have been constantly thinking about it. As yesterday was a busy day for you, you didn't get a chance to ask anyone, but today you are given day-off from training because today is important day for you. The Destiny will be crossing the Sapphire Sea today, that means your real work starts from here. The day-off has been given to you to relax and be properly ready for work.

You always used to think that the Navigator's work might be easy. Look at the map, locate where the ship is, and tell the further route, easy!!. But now that you are in Navigator's shoes, you understand that it's not as easy as it look. You have to constantly keep an eye on the stars and constellations in night to confirm the ship is going in right way, at night you have to plan and decide the day route, it's like imagining the stars in the day. Also keeping an eye on the position of the Sun. Calculating the distance that is to be travelled in day so as to perfectly align with the stars at night. In the day, if the ship trails off the route even an inch, the whole route changes, and it takes time to adjust the route again at night. It's like, navigators duty is 24/7.

Nobody is clearly speaking about it, but today, you can feel a intangible pressure on you. As you walk by crewmates, you feel their lingering gazes on your back. It's as if, they are shooting the arrows to your back. For some reason, it's natural coming from them, they have so much expectations from you. And the fact that you yourself can't guarantee if you can remember the route. This makes you nervous, and to kill your nervousness you decide to get yourself busy by talking with someone, and you found Yunho.

“Yes, go ahead.” He says, wiling to solve your doubts.

“Actually, while telling to story, Sir Yeosang said that even many trained warriors from the Kingdoms have not passed at Wonderland. Then, how are we, some pirates are going to win all the games of Wonderland??”

As you say this, he smirks and replies,

“It's about the training.”

You didn't get it and the look on your face expresses your doubt.

“The training that we give you, it's not as simple as it looks. Even though it might not look any special now but we are just getting all of you rookies ready for more tougher training ahead which will be carried on land.”

“Ohh, that's impressive. But is the training enough to beat what's waiting for us in Wonderland?”

“What's enough is not training, but it's the intellect. It's about how you play the games with your mind. Not all the games require physical skills but also how you look at the things with your perspective and ability to solve the situations. That's how Wonderland works.”

Whatever Yunho told you is just something that brings goosebumps on your skin. The more you hear, the more you grow curious about Wonderland. Now you understand that why people say,”Wonderland is not the game for everyone to play”. It is for only that type of people who are involved with stuff like managing teams, performing tasks that need quick decisions to be made, solving disputes, etc. These tasks are carried out more in Royalties, on daily basis. They have, king who manages and looks over his whole kingdom, makes decisions about various things in kingdom, also he has clever advisors who help him his kingdom. Not only clever people but also an Army of people who can fight unimaginable wars. This tells so much about why Gods kept the limit of “Royals only” for this game.

But, it still worries you that ‘are the people on ship enough’ to carry out tasks that waits for them in Wonderland. Sure, the people on this ship are not like the people from typical pirate stories you have heard about. Not the ones blinded by greed and drowned in pride they hold, earned by looting, killing, torturing, fighting wars, etc. These people are different, diverted by a different goal. They don't go around stealing from merchants, killing for no reason, enslave anyone just for the fun of it. You can see the common motivation, and it's something more than just winning all those tasks and getting the powers. It might be something related to their personal lives or for someone, but it's for sure beyond your level to know.

As you are quietly sitting there on the Forecastle deck reading a book you bought with you, the sky is clear, wind is gentle, there is bright sunshine but its not stinging, making it a perfect day without any inconvenience, its as if nothing can go wrong in this moment. Just as you think about this, it sends the shivers down your body. But, this good-day is short lived just as you feared.

“SAIL HO!”

Shouted Mingi from the crows nest who was currently guarding the ship from up there.

[Sail Ho! : is shouted when there is a another ship approaching your ship]

“IT'S PIRATES!” He shouted again.

All the crew on the ship got alerted and soon the rustling started. Everyone running from here and there. You stand from where you were sitting, not knowing what to do you just stare into the horizon and there you spot another vessel speedily charging in your direction. Everything was happening so fast it confused you where to go, when you can't spot any of the 8 familiar faces, panic filled your chest and sweat broke on your forehead. As you were about to run, Captain came out of the cabin and stood behind the wheel.

“ALL HANDS ON DECK” He ordered. Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked up where captain was standing.

“Even thought we are going to face the enemies, don't panic. Stand confident. If they sense the fear in your eyes, they will not hesitate to attack. No matter what, be ready to face them with weapons. Am I clear??”

You hear a chorus of “AYE” from the crewmates.

As you see all the crewmates rushing to bring the weapons, you thought it was a cowards act to leave the ground and hide. You have participated here as a crew and it is your job to help the crew. Without another thought you rush to help crewmates with withdrawing weapons from the inventory. But as you enter the inventory, the many racks are just empty, only few filled with weapons. It’s just so hard for you to process what's happening you told there, but you caught a crewmate who was passing by you.

“Hey, wait. Where are all the weapons?”

“Before coming to Ohnoj, we faced a big storm and there we lost most of our weapons and even some crew. When we dace another pirate we are never this scared, its the first time we don't know what to do.”

This is worst that what you thought. No weapons means no way to win if the war happens.

There is no use in thinking, you just move to help the crewmates. That's the best you can do for now.

As you are helping with crewmates, you overhear a crew telling something to Jongho.

“Master, there is only some kilos of gunpowder. It is not even enough to break one of their masts. What should we do?”

No, it can't be, the every new sentence you hear, it just makes the situation worst.

“Don't worry, as captain said, don't let that fear show in your eyes.”

He storms off to supervise other activities and you are left with nothing but your thoughts.

As you are zoned out suddenly the voices in your background making you look back.

Here it comes, the enemy ship. Mostly in pirate world, all pirates are rivals of each other until some of them have equal motives. Only the. Some of them come together to create a bigger pirate group and achieve what they want. But, all of them envies ‘The Destiny’. All of them wants to have what Destiny has. And you are just going to face one of them.

As you see it coming in view, it's as if all the crewmates in your view blurred out and only focus is that ship you see. The captain is standing proud on upper deck, meeting eyes with the captain of the other ship.

“Ohhh, long time no see my friend Hongjoong, oh, or should I say ‘Almighty Captain Of The Great Destiny’,” Dean, the captain of other ship said. But, instead of answering Hongjoong just stood there giving him a look.

“What? Wouldn't you say Hello to me?” He asks again.

Hongjoong is quiet again.

Dean, a man dressed in all black attire adorn with gold and silver jewellery, guns and daggers at his belt, black long nails and a long scar starting from his neck and disappearing behind his clothes.

“Cut the crap Dean. It would be beneficial for you if you leave” Warns Seonghwa who is standing behind Hongjoong. The other boys are with their respective teams.

“You think Seonghwa, now that I have got chance to come face to face with Destiny and I would let that go without winning over you?”

You can hear a bunch of scoffs. He seems too overconfident to defeat the undefeated.

“Seems like he is still sleeping, dreaming in broad daylight like that.” San exclaims from crows nest to which many crewmates laugh.

Irritated, the Captain of other ships says.

“Laugh how much you want. But, I do know that you all lost half of your everything in the storm of Dead's ocean and are now left with few, which is not even sufficient to blow off a merchant ship. Am I right?”

Everyone is silent, instead of brushing this off as nothing everyone is making it obvious instead.

“So, I should be the one laughing now.” He finishes the sentence with a low chuckle.

All of the crew are just looking at each other, confused as to how he came to know about this news. If our enemies knows you all's weakness at this point, Destiny is done for.

“What a bad ending it will be for you, to be killed off by your dear friend, Hongjoong. What a pity” He sighs.

“Killing you doesn't sounds too bad either.” Wooyoung screams from Forecastle.

“And with no pity.”

Dean doesn't know how to Comeback with this one. He is just irritated that none of the Destiny crew is backing off.

“Say all you want to because tomorrow you will be saying no more.” It's getting serious now.

As Mingi is about to open his mouth to talk back, he is stopped by Yunho holding him back.

“Enough of this bullshit, we are gonna get nothing out of this stupid talk.” He tells Mingi.

Just as you thought the talking is over, you lock eyes with Dean for some milliseconds. You avert the gaze feeling like he will consume you by his eyes themselves.

When it's all quiet, he speaks again.

“Hmm, but I smell something else, Hongjoong. You didn't tell me….” There is a pause and his head snaps in your direction again making an eye contact with you. This time, it sent millions of goosebumps in your body.

“You didn't tell me that you have been also keeping live treasures on your ship now?” All eyes are on you.

‘WHAT!!!!’ The word resonating in your mind. You can see the hint of panic on the faces of the eight boys.

Dean points at you with the sword in his hand. All the crewmates in front of you clears the way for you. There is no turning away from this. With courage, you start stepping forward.

When you are in front, he speaks again.

“A young lady, beautiful, delicate, brown hairs, marine eyes, that body and the-”

“Don't you think you are going too far, Dean.” It's the first time you have heard Hongjoong speak.

“Taking a stand for a lady now, aren't you? There must be something special about her.” He smirks.

“She does looks like a Princess or a royalty from the way she looks. Whose girl did you steal this time?”

“Enough about that Dean. If you want to fight, we can just start now.”

Dean starts laughing after hearing the sentence.

“Oh Hongjoong, how brave you are, still ready to fight even in the lack of your weapons. It makes me want to spare you.”

At this sentence everyone look at each other in confusion.

“Hmm hmm. Look, I will spare you this time. No fighting. But….”

He looks at you again.

“Only if you give her to me.”

Your heart beats so loud that it feels like it will rip your skin and fall out at any second and you can also hear collective gasps from your ship. What does he mean by ‘Giving you to him.’ ‘Giving you as a bait’ or ‘Giving you away as a trade for the war’?

If it was other case, you'd give yourself away hundred times, just to save Destiny, but this time you have to be with them and lead them to Wonderland. Hongjoong had already started climbing down the Upper Deck to reach to you. You can't just stand there and do nothing, you have to fight back. And it's the time you speak.

“What do you mean by that. Do I look like a thing to you?”

Not expecting you to speak, all the head turns to you. The way Dean gazed you, burned a flame of rage within you. How can he have the audacity to say something like that.

“Oh Darling, even your voice is beautiful.”

He says and that's the final limit for you.

“DO I LOOK LIKE A THING TO YOU?” You shout. Nothing around you dares to break the silence.

“People like you think, its ok to talk with Women like that and treat them like object and use them as you please. You speak of taking me with you, but if I step a foot on your ship, no matter how much time it takes, I will make sure to rip you into pieces and destroy every single one of you, and the next thing you know, I will be the owner of the ship which you are standing on right now.”

There is a slow rise of cheers from your side. Crewmates cheering with pride at your outburst. This fills crewmates with confidence. This is what they need at this time. But Dean being the man he is, he wants to play it cool no matter how much it intimidates him.

“Quiet sharp tongued she is, isn't she? Exactly like you, Hongjoong. Is she your wife or something?”

Everytime Dean opens his mouth, he says something offending. Offending, not in a bad way, but it just feels weird and kind of honourable to be called as a wife of ‘Pirate King’.

As you are about to open your mouth and defend that claim, you feel a hand sliding to your waist making you flinch. What is happening right now? You think to yourself but as you look up to see its Hongjoong. Its the first time in your life when you are so close to a man and the thought just burns your body. You can't be thinking about those things at this moment.

The next words that comes out of Hongjoong's mouth, looking longingly into your eyes and feeling is breathe right on your mouth, have your mind running erratic.

“And…….what if she is?”

Chapter 8 : .............

[horse-girl-anthy]

THE SPELL OF CULTS. IKUHARA KUNIHIKO X ENOKIDO YŌJI CONVERSATION.

Enokido: Utena still doesn’t realize that there is something outside of the egg’s shell. The moment she realizes this, the real drama of Utena will begin. It is precisely because there is fundamentally no true equality that equality is created by rules – that ought to be the ideal for human relationships. In today’s society, we don’t think about the part that says “things are essentially unequal” but end up saying “things are equal from the start.” Wouldn’t you say that is where all disorder and confusion (混乱) starts. ──”Equality of the sexes.” People go out of their way to emphasize that only because in reality, there is no equality between men and women. Ikuhara: It is that sort of thing. Enokido: Don’t you think human relationships in society are all controlled by power relations? ──Whether or not you’re rich, or, whether or not you’re good at school. Enokido: Normally people look away to avoid those kinds of things. But if you end up noticing those things, you have no choice but to become a duelist. ──You must revolutionize the world. Enokido: I mean in today’s society, on one hand you tell children “society is equal, friendship is important” but then you make them compete like hell for school entrance exams. Ikuhara: It is about putting distance between you and others in order to not feel pain. Study, get good grades, go to a good school –  all those acts are to get up above other people.  However, those acts aren’t particularly painful, right? That’s why they don’t feel real (*実感). Enokido: The way the duelists relate to each other, just by knowing the pain of fighting, is beautiful. Ikuhara: Without question, it is because there are people who hold power in the real world. And because, to hold power is a cruel thing. ──That is because it is cruel that there are people who hold power while others do not. Enokido: The reason why that is taken as cruel though is because you’re seeing it from the side of those who have had “society is not cruel” stamped onto them from the beginning… Ikuhara: That’s true. It is only cruel for the people who think that the world is equal. Enokido: It will seem like merely a natural law to people who have strong power. ──A feeling like “you’re no good because you’re weak.” Enokido: On the contrary, if you see it from the perspective of people like that, they will make those who are conscious of equality feel bad (平等意識を持っている人が気持ち悪く思えるん).  That���s why I think the duelists wouldn’t be friends with anyone who isn’t also a duelist. ──In that situation, what is a duelist? Enokido: In this situation, a duelist is someone who knows that reality is cruel. Yet, somewhere they also hate that the world is cruel. Though they realize that this world is cruel and participate in a dueling game governed by these cruel laws, in truth they still prefer one that is not cruel. That’s why everyone, somewhere in them, clings onto those non-competitive human relationships from our childhood, like with a little sister or childhood friend. On the contrary, that is the weak point; there is a pattern where you give up in order that it doesn’t turn into cruelty. ──In that sense, episode 9 is striking. Ikuhara: Episode 9 stated very clearly that our society is essentially a cruel one. If our world is a cruel one, we’ve got to make the world equal with new rules when we get out beyond the egg’s shell. ──So that means the duelists are trying to create revolution in order to change the world. Ikuhara:  That may be so. The form of the world or of society is actually merely determined by rules. Even for the real world, there is a possibility that the rules of the world and society can be changed for those in power.

[thienvaldram]

Forgotten Lives 3 Lore Dump

Just a bunch of lore related observations from FL3

Framing Narration (Fourth Doctor/T Baker POV)

Mindbending was not invented by the Time Lords but by an arthropod species with ‘umpteen’ lives.

The Master was better at it than the Doctor at the Academy

George Gallaccio

The Lungs of the Birastrop is two years after Doctor Crocus and the Pages of Fear on Earth

The TARDIS is still a police box

The Birastrop are part of the Cult of Morbius, they do not believe in the Elixir of Life

The Doctor claims he used to be a friend of Morbius, but he seems to be bluffing

Varne can fly the TARDIS

The Doctor believes he made the firecrackers that caused the events of this story

Varne departs and a new companion, Agnes, joins in this story.

The Time Lords have been directing this incarnations efforts from the shadows, he is already considered a renegade by this point.

The firecrackers were actually made by a group of Time Lords on their final incarnations (Led by Sorianius) who had swallowed Deathworm Morphants to merge with the gunpowder.

The Doctor believes he may have killed Morbius

Framing Narration cont.

The Morbius Monster’s lungs are that of a Birastrop

The Doctor was unaware of these lives by this point, though they didn’t seem to be “erased”, merely forgotten.

Robert Holmes

The Doctor put in a healing tank frequently

He seems unfamiliar with this incarnation, and the clothes, but he also clearly has amnesia from being pulled out of the tank. (This is due to him coming out of his infiltrator persona)

By the time he reaches the hall, he’s settled in to his persona again.

His most recent mission prevented ‘a big old civil war’ and dismantled the war machine of ‘a recently deposed President’ (Morbius).

The Morbius civil war occurred during this Doctor’s era

He infiltrated the enemy side as “Bretor Ohm”, this was a new body but not a new incarnation. (Chameleon Arch?)

His failure in his final mission is responsible for Morbius’s escape (In actuality, Sellin used a vocal command to halt him)

Morbius was of House Aurora

Sellin had also given the real Bretor Ohm the Doctor’s biodata as a backup plan, but he escaped and captured Morbius whilst the real Doctor distracted Sellin.

Ohm and the Doctor ended up escaping in a TARDIS (But he was presumably later recaptured)

Framing Narration cont.

Upon reaching Holmes, Morbius realises that the Doctor is an active enemy of his, he redoubles his efforts to push the Doctor back after this point.

Graeme Harper

This Doctor has not been home in a very long time.

Morbius’s was in power during this Doctor’s era. That is why they ran away.

This Doctor has ‘raised families’

Alexandra Justine Collins is travelling with the Doctor

This incarnation disappeared into the Portal of Transformation after contemplating returning to Gallifrey. It is unclear if this is intended to be the cause of this incarnation’s rejuvenation.

Framing Narration cont.

This incarnation was secretive enough that the echo of their persona was still deflecting secrets from Morbius’s intrusion during the mindbending battle years earlier.

The Camfield incarnation horrifically lost his family (Cold Fusion) and the Fourth Doctor is still able to feel the pain even with centuries of distance.

Douglas Camfield

Another companion, Carol Williams. Stowed away on the TARDIS.

After the Loomborn revolt, the Camfield Doctor was forced into hiding.

He has left Dattany for a little while so he could heal from his family’s deaths.

The Doctor and Tallis (Someone who worked for him back on Gallifrey) believe some of his family has escaped the massacre. They go to investigate.

Morbius’s rise to power was occurring during this Doctor’s era.

Cedric and Jilly are still alive on Earth so were not related to the children killed in the Loomborn revolt.

Phillip Hinchcliffe

This Doctor parted ways with Rue eventually and settled down on Earth (Paris 1792).

It had been either 4 or -156 years since then depending on the perspective.

The Order of the Spheres and Time Lords eventually fell out, the Doctor’s handlers and the Unity were different groups.

After settling down on Earth, the Time Lords are still trying to find him. The Sisterhood of Karn uses this to blackmail him to take Françoise to Karn.

Françoise (Swan) becomes a new companion in a stripped down timeship (The Exedra) headed for Karn.

He is being pursued by another renegade called ‘The Citizen’, he wants the Elixir of Life from Karn. The Doctor leaves him to the mercy of the locals on Durcrow

The leader of the sisterhood is O’Hercha.

The Sisterhood has seen the Doctor prior to this.

The Time Lords regain contact with him in this story and intend to bring him ‘back into the fold’.

Framing Narration cont.

Four figures out the Sisterhood owes him a favour after recalling the Hinchcliffe Doctor’s life.

Christopher Baker

Cedric and Jilly’s mother is no longer ‘here’ anymore

She was Joan Smith (Miss Weston). Joan Weston is the “Joan Redfern” that Baker fell in love with. He want by ‘John Smith’ for this time period.

They first landed in early 1938 after Banks-Stewart’s renewal.

The Advisor is working alongside the Unity to disrupt Earth history. He is currently operating as a scientific advisor for the ‘Radio Men’ (Cybermen?)

The Doctor has been ‘playing with his biology’

Jill Smith (Jilly) was born in 1939

Joan Smith eventually died

Robert Banks Stewart

Joan and The Doctor have been associated for four years, it is now 1944, this means he has been on Earth for six years (1938-1944).

The Doctor’s talking owl has no name because ‘birds don’t use names’

The Magus is working with the Nazis.

The Magus had two twins working for him but one perished at the Temple of Gog and Magog.

A sample of the Elixir of Life found its way to a safe in Ireland.

The Magus claims he wants the Elixir of Life to ensure Hitler stands trial for his actions. This is a lie, as he was wounded and is dying.

Maggie O’Hecha stole the Elixir before the Doctor or Magus could get to it, she would later become leader of the sisterhood.

The Sisterhood sent the Doctor to 1945 and he saw and crystallised the end of the War.

Joan Weston’s real name isn’t Joan Weston (Joan Redfern??). In 1944 she and the Doctor left Earth to travel.

Christopher Barry

Morbius was friends with the Doctor according to ‘the story’.

His wife will slap him next time she sees him and hole up in a ‘Tower in Avalon’.

Framing Narration conc.

Morbius had known Christopher Barry’s Doctor, he’d attempted to harness the living story in order to fulfil his future dreams.

The living story had indeed raised Morbius to greatness only to bring him low in the end. He only learns this upon hitting Barry’s memories in the mindbending match, and this is why he goes full rage afterwards.

Four is unsure how many of these reawakened memories he’d retain, but doesn’t care as he embraces being an ever evolving story.

[angelsdean]

What's interesting about even the busty asian beauty thing is that he never says anything like that about asian women in reality/outside of porn. Like it doesn't make the 'joke' ok, it's definitely still gross, but it's porn, it's 'fantasy'. Despite sam saying he confuses porn and real life I think dean separates the two in his brain and his actions towards real people don't really align with sam's comment. Dean isn't perfect but some corners of fandom really make him sound way grosser than he is

First off, just need to point blank say, the BAB stuff is horrible and gross and always made me super uncomfortable whenever it would pop up on the show. And it's VERY much a writer problem. The writers either had to be extremely unaware or just didn't care abt how gross and fetishizing that magazine is for it to keep recurring like it did in the show. This is one of those instances where, yes, you could absolutely do a critique of Dean + fetishizing asian women and that would totally be valid because it is canonically in the show, but for me I just can't get past it being such a glaring writing issue and it doesn't feel aligned w/ a lot of Dean's character.

But god do I have a lot to say abt Dean + porn in general from a Dean studies perspective. I've wanted to make a proper post abt this for a long time but I want to provide more specifics so I gotta wait until I'm further along in my rewatch. But the gist of it is that for me and in my interpretation, the majority of Dean's porn consumption is very much clearly separate from reality. He tends to prefer over the top, borderline cringe and cheesy productions. Like those Casa Erotica films. And if you read Dean as someone who likely did some form of sex work for survival (very possibly underage as well) I think it makes a lot of sense for Dean to prefer these very obviously staged films instead of some kind of amateur thing.

Like, no doubt there are huge problems in the porn industry, not arguing that, but from Dean's perspective these over the top staged performances feel safer. These women are clearly performers and less likely to be some vulnerable person being nonconsensually filmed or forced to do these acts. I think he likes that it's fake. Even his love of anime and tentacle porn like, those things are so clearly fake. And in this case, they're animated! There is no real person that could potentially be a victim. There's a distance between reality and fantasy for Dean, and again this is purely my own headcanons and interpretations, but I think for him, if he had a traumatic history with sex work (which again, likely was more for survival and therefore not really a 'choice' or something empowering for him) then this sort of cheesy porn would feel very safe and comfortable for him and less likely to trigger past trauma or other uncomfortable feelings. Even when he meets that porn star, he's very star struck in a "fan" sort of way, which again highlights that he views those films as well, films, and he recognizes that it's all fake. I'm pretty sure he even like, compliments her on her talent and performance. Because he knows it's a job and an act. But yea there's just so much more that could be said about this.