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callmearcturus · 4 months ago

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dottie lasso is the final boss of the show (and ted loses)

someone commented on my ted-is-a-feminine-junior-too post about recognizing dottie lasso and what she did, and i'm a Johnny-come-lately to this fandom so i missed all the discourse

but surely it's been discussed to death that Dottie Lasso is the Final Boss of Ted's life, right? like, she shows up on that bench and you should feel the opening of "MEGALOVANIA" in your soul because she's the villain of the story.

honestly, in Ted Lasso, the main villains are: Rupert Mannion, Twitter, Rupert Mannion again, cisnormativity/heteronormativity, and Dottie Lasso, kind of in that order IMO.

"Mom City" is kind of a genius episode with its thesis and punchline. Because Dottie shows up and derails Ted's entire life and not in a good way. She makes him palpably uncomfortable and all of his usual kindness and interest is just turned off around her.

This episode isn't shy about reminding the audience that Richmond has become Ted's home. From the most fish outta water who nearly gets killed looking the wrong way crossing the street, Ted knows his neighbors, knows the culture here, and is defensive with that knowledge because it's been hard-won over time.

No but really, look at how UNCOMFORTABLE Ted is EVERY MINUTE of this episode. It's so stark bc this charm offensive Dottie's doing on everyone at Richmond is so clearly a Lasso Thing. This is the exact tactic Ted used when he was new in town and completely at sea.

(fuck this got long, there's a lot more under the jump)

But he isn't charmed or permissive or entertained, he never once Yes, Ands what Dottie says. In fact, he corrects her all the time.

because Dottie being here is a nightmare. she's the person who knows the Ted Lasso Source Code and the way she maneuvers and nudges him, he seems helpless against it. So he continuously separates himself from her in what feels to me like a fearful reaction.

Like, when Dottie explains where she's staying, she does this trick

DOTTIE: An adorable little hostel. I've met so many Australians. They are backpacking through Europe. So much sex.

TED: Mom.

DOTTIE: Not me, the Australians.

TED: No, no, I get it, okay. How about you stay here for the rest of your trip, all right?

DOTTIE: Only if I'm not a hassle.

This is such a fucking move, you realize? She has been in London a fucking WEEK without telling him, then as soon as she tells him where she's staying, she, a midwestern mom to her open-minded but very romantically private son, invokes sex so he'll be uncomfortable with the situation and invite her to stay. This is a chess move they should call the Wichita Shuffle.

And Ted absolutely hates the way Dottie lies about him. The connection is pretty straightforward; Dottie deals with her trauma and pain by covering them up with pretty little lies and melting truths until they fit the shape she wants them to be in. Everything she says in this episode is bullshit.

(points up) THIS INCLUDED, BTW. This is the Ted that Dottie wants him to be, the guy who will fall on his sword at the first sign of someone else's discomfort.

But that isn't who Ted is anymore and Dottie saying this is vicious and cruel. It's disrespectful to Rebecca, to everyone at Richmond, and to the work Ted's done with Sharon.

which oooooooooh

hey, anyone else remember Ted's "I love meeting people's moms, it's like an instruction manual on why they're nuts" from S2? boy that's a brick joke

and this bit of dottie saying her anxiety re: ted's therapy out loud, that hissing sound is a fuse being lit in this moment

Ted calls her out directly. He knows how she operates because she raised him in her own image. As I noted in the other post, Leslie Higgins is not the only feminine junior at Richmond, so is Theodore Lasso, son of Dorothy Lasso.

THAT FUCKING DARK CHUCKLE, THE "YEAH OKAY" MOMENT this is the fuse finally reaching the dynamite

this is the moment, this moment of push-back, implicitly the first time Ted's ever pushed back in his life

this is the moment Dottie takes every single thing she knows about Ted, everything she put into him, and she destroys his fucking life with the exact four words it would take to make Ted give up everything he's worked for, all so he'll go back to being what she expects from him.

and hell if he doesn't know it.

everything he's done for himself, all the space he's finally allowed himself to fill, the progress and labor he's put into becoming a better person

mom shows up and tells him no, you're coming back.

(and the fact Dottie Lasso, a character who has not said five truthful things this entire episode, tells us how someone else feels should be questioned very fucking directly. i don't trust this woman to honestly report on Henry's opinion of peanut butter and jelly, let alone if he wants his father to give up his life and return to Kansas. i know every single fic has brought up the question of "hey why doesn't anyone ask Henry what he wants" but that's because SOMEONE needs to ask the question instead of taking Dorothy fucking Lasso's word for it, christ)

I don't know how tf you don't read this show as a tragedy. Dottie Lasso is incredible, she's so pitch-perfectly written and acted, and she's absolutely the final boss of the show. And Ted doesn't win that fight.

hell THE SHOW SAYS THE QUIET PART OUT LOUD, i would put the screencap here but I've run out of images, but THEY FUCK YOU UP, YOUR MUM AND DAD, THE SHOW SAYS IT this is a fantastic tragedy, i love it

#ted lasso #dottie lasso #Mom City is a masterpiece and Dottie Lasso is a piece of work #this show is a tragedy #ted lasso meta

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thatrabidwolf · 3 months ago

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Questions to ask yourself when creating a magic system

I have more questions for you!!! :D

As there are no real-word examples for this one, I’m going to be talking a lot about my own magic systems, and those of the medias I enjoy! There will be a list of all the things I referenced at the bottom!

What does magic DO

Exactly the title. What does magic do? (Can it make potions? Cast spells? Animate things? Transfigure things? Create things? Kill things? Cast hexes or charms? Multiple of these?)

What does magic have an affect on? What does it not?

How strong is magic? What are its limits? How do these differ from person to person, or place to place?

Does magic do different things for different people?

How does a magic caster’s intention for a ‘spell’ affect it? Is magic entirely reliant on a mental image of what is wanted, or does it need to be casted a certain way to work, like a recipe?

How is magic casted? (Note- I recommend being creative here! It doesn’t have to just be waving a wand. It can be through making pottery, it can be through sewing certain patterns, or dancing a certain dance, etc etc etc)

How can spells be used for something that is not their intended/common purpose? How are new uses of magic discovered? Which uses are most common, and why?

How does societal standards affect the use of magic? Will less people know about more harmful or taboo spells? Will it be less common for, say, a woman to use/be trained in magic?

Source of Magic

Where does magic come from? (Do the gods give access to their most devout followers? Is it handed down in one’s blood? Does it come from the earth?)

Is magic learnt, or are people born with it? (E.g does magic work through potions that can be made by anyone with the right ingredients, or is it only possible if one has magic already in their blood?)

Can someone who logically shouldn’t know magic learn/possess it by alternate means? (E.g. Luz from The Owl House learning magic via ‘glyphs’ despite not being a witch) how would people treat this? (Is it seen as ‘lesser’ or somehow not ‘real’ magic?)

Can magic be harnessed through a wand/staff/etc? Can it only function through this conduit, or can it be done without? How does magic function if it does not have the aforementioned conduit? (Is it harder to manage? Is it more dangerous? Is it simply lesser?)

Another dot-point because the last one was far too long; how is the use of ‘magical aides’ (wands, etc) treated? (Is it seen as something only a child would use? Is it very common? Is not using one seen as dangerous and bad?) How does the function of magical aides affect this? (Note- a very good example of this is the string in A Marvellous Light, which functions via ensuring a magicians cradles [hand movements one does to cast a spell] are more precise. It is only used by those with little magic, so it is looked down upon.)

How would one learn magic? (Is magic taught in schools? Are there books on it?)

Can magic be done/enhanced if multiple people cast it together? How would this be done?

Is magic a separate entity from it’s user? Is it an entity at all? Can it react without instruction/ disobey it’s user? Is it a possession of it’s user? Is this different/ perceived differently for different people?

Can magic be mistreated/ abused? (Note- here I do not mean an ‘abuse of power’ I mean abuse in the way one could abuse a pet) what are the consequences of this? (Might magic stop working, or turn on it’s user?)

Affect on Culture/the greater world

Who has magic? Who does not? Who knows about magic? Who does not? Is it a secret? How is this secret kept? Who enforces that it must be a secret? What is the punishment for letting the secret be known?

Can people have more or less magic? Can people have more or less knowledge on it, or skill with it? Does this cause any power imbalances or issues for either side?

How do the uses of magic impact the way things are done? (E.g. if there is a spell used to dry things, people may not use drying racks.) would the skills of those with more magic be useful in a work setting? (E.g. if some people know the aforementioned drying spell and some do not, might those who do know it work as something close to a washerwoman because of their skill?)

Is magic regulated at all? Who regulates it, what are the regulations, how strict are they, and what are the punishments for breaking them?

Is magic seen as normal? (Keep in mind: if magic is possessed by a majority of people, it very well may be. Because of this, characters may be less likely to be impressed by magic. Think about how this will affect the language surrounding magic, and how people treat it.)

How will different people view or interact with magic? (E.g. a rebellious teen, a businessman and an elderly woman are not going to have the exact same view or uses of magic. Try to explore this!)

How will those with a great deal of magic view those without/ without a great amount, and vice versa? How does this affect the world and it’s prejudices?

Consequences

How can magic hurt a person if misused/overused/ used at all? (Is the damage physical, mental, physiological, all three?) (E.g. my own magic system causes people to actively unmake themselves as they use their magic, leading to sickness, insanity, derealisation, hallucinations, etc etc etc)

Is this damage known? How does the knowledge of it affect the treatment of magic? (Are people terrified of it? Do they not care, and see it as a worthy risk? What might lead someone to push through the damage?)

How does this damage manifest, and how noticeable is it? (E.g. Are there physical scars or other warning signs, or is it entirely unnoticeable until it is too late, like magical rabies?)

Can damage from magic be reversed or healed? How? Can potential damage be avoided? How?

Can one’s magic turn on oneself? How would this happen, and what are the consequences of this?

Can magic be hurt/diminished? How does this affect its users? (E.g. silver and werewolves)

When an attempt at magic fails, how does it fail? Is it like baking, where at worst it’ll ‘taste good, but be a little dry’ or is it like mixing volatile chemicals, where at worst you die?

Appearance

How does magic look? (I highly recommend finding a metaphor or motif for magic, as this really helps flesh out its appearance and makes it easier to describe!!)

Can its appearance look different for different people? Can it change over time?

Does magic manifest itself via means other than visual? (One of my characters has very strong nature magic, and thus he grows flowers when he is happy, and always smells floral)

Does magic have a physical effect on it’s users? (E.g. the dark magic in The Dragon Prince)

Is one able to tell when magic has been cast upon something?

Every piece of media I referenced in this, in order of appearance

The Owl House, a TV show on Disney written by Dana Terrace

A Marvellous Light, a novel written by Freya Marske (this series is a wonderful example of how to make a magic system. It is very well thought out, and the varied experiences and views of magic for each magician character is so, so good. 10/10. If you want a good example of magic please read this!!! (Granted I might be a little biased because I just love this book series))

The dragon prince, a TV show on Netflix

#writeblr #writing #writing advice #magic system #writing tips #writing help #fantasy authors

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sgiandubh · 19 days ago

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Some mighty (but tired) bullshit

All day long, my phone has been buzzing with this:

[Source: https://x.com/CaitrionaTony/status/1908842887351066631/photo/1 ]

I wonder if it's not the same person who owns that garbage of an Instagram account, where she talks to herself/her clones in Portuguese and insults shippers, all day long. Not that it would matter, but still. Still an idiotic Stan, because the woman does not have the fans she would deserve. But then again, neither does S, with his Mommy Battalions, bless his soul.

Anyhow. To cut the story short, this is clearly, evidently NOT Tony McGill, unless the guy would have suddenly aged by about 15 to 20 years in less than 4 or would fight some sort of terminal disease (which is definitely not something that I would wish upon anyone, and that includes him, of course). This picture has been taken by an English paparazzo, who goes by the name of Robin Pope:

[Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/DH-qHHoC_TF/?igsh=ZzZ2cDEyNXFjb3R6&img_index=5]

From there, it has quickly made the Grand Tour of the Balfe-sphere, in less time that it would take to say 'Monaghan'. And reached the Unhinged Corner, with the above result.

Never mind the picture has been taken at The Amateur's London Premiere, at the Odeon Luxe Cinema in Leicester Square (March 31, 2025). An event all sorts of media outlets plethorically covered - there are at least a bajillion pics of the arrival moment on Getty Images, along with another bajillion of video clips, many in slow motion. If he were there, we would know it, by now.

Never mind C herself has been unusually chatty about this event, her own experience at the premiere and her own party of relatives and (emphatically) 'friends', with zero mentions about Tony McGill, in any shape, size, form or status. May I remind you, to this effect, my own transcript of Nuala McGovern's Woman's Hour, featuring C, on BBC Four: https://www.tumblr.com/sgiandubh/779651325685268480/there-you-go?source=share.

Never mind BIF herself felt compelled to say that was not McGill in that picture. I'll give her, in all fairness, at least the remnants of a healthy sense of ridicule and the wish to avoid some cosmic embarrassment. Something the other fool (who also thought she saw Tony McGill at that marathon prep session with her sisters, in Dublin) seems insensitive to, as always.

Never mind anyone can check the Getty archives, and come to the same conclusion as I: that C was followed around, at all times during the red carpet moment, by the same staff member/minder. A lady:

Same lady. Same job. All the time.

Never mind nobody in their own mind would give a rat's arse, by now, about this kind of details.

As we say in Romanian: 'a fool throws a stone into a lake and ten wise men struggle to take it out'. That fool just called C a liar and then some would tremble: what for, may I ask ?

These are cheap thrills. It's all and everything they've got left: cheap thrills and quick fizzes.

If that is not embarrassing, then I don't know what is. Funny how the wheels have turned - from the chatty spoons to the manic Instagram/X profiler, who somehow never gets it right.

#fandom #shitshow #The Amateur London premiere event March 2025 #trolls

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geigenklang1 · 1 year ago

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A collection of the skills' nicknames

I always like the interactions between skills, and I notice that they rarely call each other by their official names instead use "that guy/those guys" or nicknames. So I decide to collect all the nicknames I know in this post. I'll list out the skill's nickname, where it is from, and add a screenshot from my own game or from fayde.

1.Logic: Puzzle Face (from Rhetoric and Authority)

source: failed Logic check with Titus

You need to have failed a rhetoric or authority check for this to happen.

2. Encyclopedia: Pillar-Bookhead (from Volition)

source: Conversation with Klaasje

3. Rhetoric: Goldmouth (from Empathy, Volition, Drama)

source: This nickname appears on several occasions! Failed rhetoric check with Gaston:

failed check with Titus:

conversation with Cuno:

4. Drama: Mr. thespian, Multi-face (from Volition)

source: Conversation with Klaasje

5. Volition: Crownhead (from Suggestion)

source: Volition check with Klaasje

Probably the most well-known nickname!

6. Inland Empire: Dreamer (from PI)

source: Conversation with Gary

7. Esprit de corps: cop-frequency (from Composure)

source: get Cuno as partner after tribunal

8. Suggestion: grovelling sycophant (from Authority)

This probably doesn't count as a nickname, more like an insult, but still very funny.

source: Volition check with Klaasje

9. Endurance: Ultramarathon (from Volition)

source: fascist quest line conversation

10. Physical Instrument: Coach (from several skills and yourself), sinewy idiot (from Electrochemistry)

A very widely used nickname and you can find a lot of lines, I'll put the specifics in image description:

11. Half Light: Mr. Fight-Or-Flight (from Volition)

source: talk to Gaston about pétanque

12. H\E Coordination: the centipede (from Volition)

source: failed check to shave

13. Reaction Speed: shifty, Mr.Conclusion (from Composure and Volition)

source: Volition check with Klaasje

this one is actually more like insult too.

happens if Logic does not chime in after Volition says the first line.

14. Savoir Faire: Savvy from himself and slimeball from PI

source: ultraliberal quest line conversation

This is when you pass the container rhetoric check after you got the quest line.

15. Interfacing: technically not a nickname, but interfacing sometimes calls himself(themselves?) your fingers

16. Composure: Straight-back-guy (from Volition)

source: Conversation with Klaasje

That's all I know! If anyone know more nicknames you're welcomed to tell me in comments or tags!

It seems that more than half of these are from Volition, truly the King of nicknames!

special thanks to this post by @paleyonder, where I get half of these nicknames from.

#disco elysium #disco elysium skills

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redxx95 · 10 months ago

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Exploring Kurosawa's internalized homophobia and compulsive heterosexuality

oh yea baby we bustin out the Big Words for this one 😎

This was supposed to be posted at the end of pride month but Life happened and it got delayed a lot 😩 So yea happy pride month (and happy birthday Kurosawa I guess 😂)

(btw I think I've never mentioned this on any of my other posts but english is not my first language, so if anything I write ever sounds awkward, that's probably why 😅) (also I had to merge a bunch of images to get around the image limit, this post is really long, the word count is at 1930 words 💀)

Hope you guys enjoy the read! 💞

Spoilers for anything up to vol 11

Let me start this by saying that there's no actual textual evidence of Kurosawa being gay (rather than bi/pan), so this interpretation is definitely veering towards headcanon territory. I'm also not trying to establish this as the only Correct opinion and anyone is of course allowed to have their own sexuality headcanons, this is very healthy and valid 👍

Kurosawa's internalized homophobia

The first scene I want to put under a magnifying glass is this one.

Let's examine what's going on here: Kurosawa has just tried to kiss Adachi, whose hesitation he perceived as disgust. Then he pretends it was disgusting for him too, because he thinks that is the average reaction anyone would have, extending this to Adachi as well. The way he says "who'd be into that?" is already lowkey homophobic, but the japanese line makes it even more evident: "普通嫌だよな" (= "Normally, you'd dislike that right?"). Keyword here being "普通" = "normal, ordinary", implying that anyone who would like that is abnormal. So what does that say about him then, who was so happy to get the chance to kiss another man? This is pretty much textbook internalized homophobia, where he has accepted what he perceives to be the general opinion on gay people and has made those values his own, hating himself for it (albeit only briefly here), which is why he internally apologizes to Adachi.

This is not the only instance of him feeling like that, although this next part is slightly more speculative than the more obvious example above.

So we all know that Kurosawa is a jealous, jealous man. It's one of his defining character traits and it's often the source of conflict and comedy alike. But he does not express his jealousy equally across genders. With men he has this strong rivalry where he needs to prove himself better and more worthy of Adachi's attention.

But with women he has a different approach: gently coaxing them away from him, lest they realize what a catch Adachi really is.

So, why this difference? The answer I have is that he doesn't actually believe he can compete with a woman. If Adachi wants to be close with a man, Kurosawa thinks it might as well be him, he's the best option after all. But if Adachi wants a woman, he cannot offer anything and is therefore the inferior option. He believes this even after he found out Adachi's not completely repulsed at the idea of being with a man. Even if Adachi's okay with men, he'll always prefer a woman.

And whenever he imagines anyone else with Adachi, it's always a woman, specifically Fujisaki, which he believes is "his type".

And he at least thinks he's very far away from that ideal. (He's not but that's a topic for a different essay.) If anyone's wondering why he even bothers at all then if he's so sure that a woman will out-compete him, I think the lyrics from the anime opening actually put it best, specifically the last verse:

I have these impatient feelings I doubt this love will come to fruition But still I can't give up this happiness There's a feeling here I can't resist A love like a castle in the sky

So basically, his plan is that he might as well ride the high of his first ever crush as far as it will go, intercepting where he can to prolong it just that little bit further, until it all inevitably comes to an end. (a castle in the sky = an unreachable dream) This plan kind of fluctuates throughout volumes 1-3 as Adachi gives him a bunch of mixed signals, but it holds true most of the time.

Adachi's side

Now I'd like to highlight the way Adachi actually thinks about their relationship, because it serves as a great contrast to Kurosawa's assumptions about him.

Throughout the first three volumes we see him grapple with his newfound feelings for Kurosawa, but he (almost) never puts his gender at the forefront of his musings. The manga makes it very clear that it's his lack of romantic experience and low self esteem that make it hard for him to accept Kurosawa's affections, and not the fact that he's a man.

This second page here being his own little gay awakening, where he realizes that he is not, in fact, disgusted by intimacy with a man.

It's also worth mentioning that when he later introduces Kurosawa to his parents (ch 41), they are immediately welcoming of him, suggesting he grew up in a very tolerant environment.

And it's not like he's completely unaware of heteronormativity/homophobia either, especially after he does his research in vol 8, but he is slightly more defiant in responding to it.

(I love how he just buys that bag he probably doesn't need that's supposed to come with all the wedding magazines, just as this very tiny act of rebellion.)

So now that we can see how different Kurosawa's thought patterns are compared to Adachi's, the next question we should ask ourselves is: Why is he like that?

Heteronormativity in Kurosawa's life

(yes we're finally getting to the comphet part of the essay 😂)

First let's look at the environment he grew up in. There are not many scenes with his family, but from those that we do have, we can at least make some assumptions about how he must've been raised.

His mother is clearly the authority figure in his life, judging by how she's described as "strong" and how terrified he is at her merely setting down a teacup (while Adachi has a more mild reaction). Her reaction to the news of them dating and Kurosawa expecting his parents to go as far as disowning him for it would suggest that she might just be generally homophobic.

But when they actually go meet her we see this slightly more nuanced perspective.

She's not entirely against it, but she does believe they are making a mistake by choosing to be together, hence why she thinks they might "regret it". There's many hardships that gay couples in Japan face, some of which we even see discussed in the manga, so it's not hard to see why she would be concerned for her son. The way she talks about Kurosawa never causing any problems, but "changing" ever since he fell for Adachi further supports that conformity is what she believes will ultimately lead to a successful, happy life. And that's also why she accepts Adachi later, when he's made it abundantly clear in his speech that they are happier in this non-conforming relationship than they were without it.

To contrast, her other child Mari is shown to have a very progressive stance (see: her pep talk in ch 47) and it would not surprise me if that is the reason she's rarely in japan and is never seen together with her family, save for the one time they're all at the wedding. She might find the conforming environment too restrictive and preferring to keep her distance. (shoutout to naina for this bit 🙏)

So that's Kurosawa's family situation. Now let's check how his social circle holds up.

From what we see of his friends, they never even seem to consider him possibly being with a man.

And his work environment seems rather toxic to say the least.

It clearly dictates traditional gender roles as the ideal. Nobody except Fujisaki even clocks any of Kurosawa's advances on Adachi as romantic in nature, even though he seems to be quite obvious about it (see: ch 34.5). And it's not like dating in general is discouraged at Toyokawa either, as we can see from all the women constantly vying for Kurosawa's attention.

From all this we can conclude that Kurosawa's upbringing and social/work environment is painfully heteronormative and until he falls for Adachi it seems he never questioned the status quo either.

The famous onsen scene, while funny, also reveals the sad truth that Kurosawa, in his 30 years of life, probably never even had the chance to explore his sexual orientation, rather focusing on being "perfect" in his straight relationships.

Speaking of those relationships...

He apparently had a bunch of girlfriends, who all seem to have dumped him pretty early on. His mother's surprise at him expressing a willingness to commit also makes me think he's never brought anyone home either. He also only seems to have a surface level understanding of what a proper relationship is supposed to entail, if his idea of an ideal date is just "what the average person" thinks is romantic. So why were all of his relationships so short-lived? Before I answer that...

Intermission: Kurosawa's smiles

It has come to my attention that this is not common knowledge, so let me explain: There's a way to tell apart Kurosawa's fake smiles from his real ones, without any context clues, just purely visually.

Real smiles: (ch 23, 24, 37)

Fake smiles: (ch 5, 13, 32)

The difference being very simple: Blush = real, no blush = fake 👍 And before anyone mentions it: No he doesn't just blush when he's around Adachi, that last fake smile is actually directed at him. (ch 32)

Edit from the future: This holds true like 90% of the time, but as Toyota's art style becomes more detailed, this doesn't apply as much in the newer volumes. I think there's also new details added that I haven't quite figured out yet so take this bit with a grain of salt. (The images below are still from her early art style though.)

So now that we have this additional knowledge, let's take a look at every instance Kurosawa is paired with a woman.

He's smiling in all of these. Not a single one has a real smile in it though.

I think he's never actually had his heart in any of his relationships, and the girls probably noticed it and that's why they dumped him.

And, of course, the first time he actually falls in love...

... just so happens to be with a man.

Even his friends comment on this, who have known him since high school.

It's almost funny how perfectly this aligns with real life gay people. Having numerous, short-lived relationships with people of the "wrong" gender is one of the more common traits of compulsive heterosexuality. (source: me oof) (but also shoutout to the "Am I a lesbian?" masterdoc, google it if you don't know, it's truly eye-opening)

After dating Adachi

So we have already established that he's far happier when he does finally get to date Adachi, but do any of his other thought patterns change?

Honestly it seems like he throws every single reservation about being seen as gay out the window.

He starts bragging like crazy about his new relationship to anyone willing (and unwilling) to listen, he has no qualms about PDA, he marks Adachi up and down so everyone knows he's taken and the only thing stopping him from proclaiming his love for Adachi to the whole world is the still very much existing societal homophobia. But he is a lot more easy-going about it now than he ever was before.

And I think the best way to describe this mental shift is, hear me out, the date song from volume 4...

... specifically the last 2 verses as a whole, and this section in particular:

"I won't let anyone divide our fraction! You couldn't pry this thrill from my hands when they're cold and dead!"

Horrible lyrics aside, this perfectly encapsulates how Kurosawa simply couldn't care less anymore now that he finally has what he's wanted for more than a year, maybe even his whole life. All the societal pressure pales in comparison to the sheer euphoria he feels at finally having someone that he loves and who loves him back just as strongly, feeling cared for and seen like no one else ever did.

And, you know, just happens to be a man. 🏳️‍🌈

#cherry magic #my essays #this is the mother of all essays I've ever done jesus christ #this thing spawned like 8 other post ideas btw #can't wait to finally get to those lmao

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fan-clan-fun · 8 months ago

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Cat genetics/appearance resources

I like to periodically look around and see what resources are available, both for casual warriors writers, and the ones with more experience with genetics wanting to try and make their family trees make sense, and those who just want to see more cat pictures to make fun and interesting OCs. So here is a list of some really cool things to look at!

To start with, we have @sparrowminder's always excellent website. Where you can get an explanation of a lot of the basic stuff to build off of. Sparrow also has a lot of cool resources that aren't on the website yet, including an amazing chart of cat eye colors. Sparrow's Garden contains the best public calculator that I know of for kittens that would result from certain pairings.

There is always the quintessential Messybeast. Though I would take some things with a grain of salt, as they may be outdated. Still, it is the starting place for many, and continue numerous links to articles that could have some use.

I also came across a very useful website called Feliformias. A resource which has visuals for almost all the colors (it seems to be missing a few, primarily all the bengal patterns).

Of course, there are also a variety of Tumblr blogs to check out!

@catcolors is an inactive, but still very useful source of pictures for a variety of colors

@amber-tortoiseshell is very knowledgeable with cat genetics, and does a lot of discussions about cats and identifying their phenotype

@felinefractious has a blog that is just absolutely full to the brim with pictures of cats, sourced from breeders and labeled by color and breed.

And I've reblogged a few other resources before, images that can be found on my blog, but I will link them here:

Garden-of-Willow's Color study

Slug's cute little color guide

Cedar seed's incredible guide

If anyone else has some good resources, link them in replies or reblogs!

#warrior cats #warriors #warriorcats

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beforetimes · 1 month ago

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found a fic idea i planned a few months ago in my gdrive, so i figured i'd share it here!

everything starts with fire. a fire that rages and takes all of cang qiong down with it. flames that lick at every peak, irrespective of whatever martial prowess their lords might have. liu qingge coughs through the smoke, unwillingly pulled away from the worst of it. he catches sight of his sister—just a brief glance, but enough for him to fight against getting pulled away. then; everything goes black.

liu qingge wakes up much later, the concept of cang qiong mountain not even a breath in his mind. gone from his memory, all he remembers quite clearly is his name and the fact that he's missing someone. he's not quite sure who. he has a sword he remembers to weild with the help of muscle memory, and sets out on a journey, wandering to find... something. someone. he's not sure. all liu qingge knows is that he needs to keep moving. it's important that he does.

after a few days, he stumbles into a valley. large, beautiful, rolling green hills filled with flora and fauna, trees lining the edges, a mountain in the backdrop that frames it like a painting. swirling clouds of white that make up most of the sky, picture-perfect blue peeking out where they don't.

in the middle of it all, a small home.

liu qingge makes it down, slowly but surely. and knocks on the door much later, leaning back and awaiting a response.

he's greeted with two people who he doesn't recognize, but who clearly recognize him, if not made clear by the very confused "shidi?" he gets from the man in green and what feels like it should be a familiar glare from the person in black next to him.

of course, liu qingge doesn't want to bother with the melodrama. he tells them what he knows; he woke up alone. nothing but his sword and the clothes on his back. he hasn't seen anyone who's recognized him. he doesn't remember anything. not even you two, he adds, when the man in green opens his mouth to say something.

from there, after an examination from a healer the two apparently know, they get this news: they cannot tell liu qingge every single thing that has transpired in his life because the source of his memory loss is magical and doing so may trigger a worse fit that could become permanent—instead, they need to (and this is where liu qingge cringes a tad) create a space where he can push through the blockage, slowly but surely, and remember himself again. which is possible, he's told, but only if he doesn't rush this.

liu qingge is reluctant, but doesn't really know what else he could have to rush to do, so he asks if he can stay in the pair's home for a while. just while he recovers. the one in black is ready to say no before the one in green is speaking over him to say yes, please, don't mind my husband, he's just a little possessive hahaha! and liu qingge really doesn't mind, he thinks he can understand why the man might be when he stares at the space where the green one's neck ducks behind his robes.

anyway, he gets his introductions, given two names — shen yuan and luo binghe. they spark something in his head, some familiarity, and he realizes that they haven't been lying about knowing him. which more or less seals the deal about him staying with the pair of them.

over the next few weeks, liu qingge relaxes. he doesn't notice how tense he was until his shoulders loosen and he can feel weight lifted off his shoulders, almost as if it was physical. shen yuan and luo binghe are gracious guests, but—

well, there's just one problem. liu qingge is. falling. for them.

which!!! he didn't mean to!!!! he will swear it up and down everywhere he goes he didn't mean to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but shen yuan is so unflinchingly chilly in a way that makes him seem warmer when he thaws. he draws and paints and writes poetry that he lets liu qingge read now and then, liu qingge growing enamoured with the ways he twists all these words into images he could hardly imagine. he's obsessed with the quietness of shen yuan, all things unsaid and barely there touches that feel like fire on his skin.

luo binghe, in comparison, is overwhelming, like a fire raging (hah!) in a hearth. seemingly brash and unbending, liu qingge watches him cry crocodile tears to get his? shizun's? favour, listens to him joke and watches him clean the way only servants do. gets caught up staring at his curls and imagining running his fingers through them, images of braids and days spent dozing under the summer sun with all three of them curled up against each other like kittens in a shoebox.

he just. everything about this place is so warm and kind. it feels like something he's never experienced, even if liu qingge knows that he has no way to know if he's ever been at a place that feels so wholly comfortable. (and almost like home). the atmosphere is domestic. they squabble over chores, eat dinner together, even go out for night hunts, sometimes. luo binghe's attitude towards him starts chilly before thawing and soon he's getting prodded and teased as much as shen yuan is.

then, somehow. liu qingge goes to bed and dreams. and all he can see is smoke and fire. his sister's face. the peak lords and their disciples. his responsibilities become anchors tied to his shoulders.

he wakes up, nearly throws himself out of luo binghe and shen yuan's bed, waking the both of them in the process. liu qingge is on the verge of qi deviating, and luo binghe must notice. because one moment liu qingge is on his way out, one hand on the sword, and shen yuan calling after him, and the next moment he takes a hyperventilating breath, luo binghe is across him weidling his own sword.

its a messy fight. not because of blood or injury but because of everything shouted between them. ruthlessly tearing at insecurities, made up taunts that liu qingge only says because he knows it will upset luo binghe. as their swords clash, liu qingge can feel himself grow weaker, even as his qi still goes out of control.

and then he feels a hand on his back, ice cold qi circling through his meridians, and turns back to look at shen yuan in shock.

i remember you, he says. you did this for me, once, a long time ago.

shen yuan nods, and luo binghe finally sheaths his sword, and liu qingge feels out of his depth, wedged between two people trying to slow him down while his sister, his home, somewhere far off, burn.

he turns to the two of them, feels reluctant to ask for fear of rejection, but liu qingge tells them he needs to go. his sister could be dead and he needs to know her fate. he needs to salvage what he can of his peak, find his disciples, his martial brothers. and he needs to leave them behind, unless they were? willing to come along? and the last part is said so quickly he hopes that it could fly under the radar.

but they both hear. the miraculous part of it all is that they both agree.

liu qingge is taken aback. luo binghe laughs at the expression on his face and shen yuan thwacks him lightly on the arm with a fan before telling liu qingge that they'll spend the night preparing before leaving tomorrow.

liu qingge just agrees, nearly in shock, following after them. vaguely numb. he watches the two of them lean into each other as they enter the home and feels his heart try to beat out of his chest.

he's soooo fucked. liu qingge thinks he's never been in love before but if he has, it's never felt quite like this.

and that's all i have so far! lmk if you'd want to see this written out in full as a fic, too ^_^

i just think like. the fallout of liu qingge remembering everything — luo binghe's actions and shen yuan almost? snubbing him? would complicate so much. on top of luo binghe and shen yuan's realization that they might love liu qingge when they get to see him without his biases making him more hostile to luo binghe/the idea of them as a couple. trying to tackle the way they'd eventually end up together would be sooo hefty but sooo fun.

#svsss #svsss au #scum villain #scum villain's self saving system #liu qingge #shen yuan #shen qingqiu #bingqiu #luo binghe #bingliushen #liushen #cang qiong fire au

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elbiotipo · 6 days ago

Text

Actually my main worry with AI doesn't go through image generation but rather text generation. Text is perhaps the easiest thing to create, store and share on the internet and any digital medium. And AI is very, very good at making it. I've been testing Deepseek to create text for me, from stupid fanfics (don't ask) to more serious text, including my favorite, fictional non-fiction articles, and the results, with some polishment, could easily pass for a real thing and feed misinformation.

Lots of historical and cultural misconceptions are actually based in on a couple of texts that were cited and re-cited out of context. Imagine if I, for example, used AI to write about a topic like Andean mythology. Much of the concepts might be right and the writing that an AI might do on could pass for professional writing, but even the smallest misconception or hallucination, if my article gets shared over and over, might cement on the public consciousness.

This isn't the fault of the AI though, because humans can and do this. Do you know how much misinformation there is in Wikipedia? And Wikipedia, being the introductory reference to many topics, is the largest source of information for many people... and it isn't as trustworthy as it seems. Remember that hoax in the Chinese Wikipedia where a single user rewrote Russian history? Not the first time it happened either. It's terrifying how many of these are, just a few looks at the Spanish Wikipedia have led me to find horrifying amounts of misinformation.

AI does not generate misinformation on itself. But it can be asked to produce these hoaxes and misinformation in mass scale.

My solution? Not ban AI, because that's impossible and stupid, and LLMs are actually excellent tools. My personal idea is to return to reference books, especially printed books by institutions with various authors. Why print books? Because anyone can go into ChatGPT and ask it to write an article about a fictional culture, edit it, and pass it as fact (in fact, I could do it right now). But when you have a printed book, your articles must go through many checks until it reaches print. It does not need to be printed as in paper, it can be shared in other formats but it does need to be checked and rechecked until there is a final edition as in i.e. not a wiki or a blog or a impermanent thing.

I believe that we have relied too much on Wikipedia as the only encyclopedia, and while it is great in many ways, the model starting to show its cracks. I think there should be many curated online encyclopedias for many topics, done by experts and with stronger quality controls than whoever is admin right now.

#cosas mias

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hazel-tanthamore22 · 28 days ago

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Sophia Laforteza discovering her s/o is an Aswang, please? 🥹

The aswang from Filipino folklore, those guys used to scare the shit out of me. My Lola apparently encountered these things twice in her life.

Finally a prompt😌

✿ Mad Hatter✿

Sophia laforteza x Aswang!7thmember!freader.

Aswang: Philippines folklore; shapeshifter/vampire that eats children and/or pregnant women's intestines

Sypnosis: During promotions, you've been disappearing after every schedule, no matter where you are, and just the day later a new person goes missing, the Kats start to get suspicious but Sophia might be on to you.

Katseye has been doing promotions for the comeback recently, Europe, America, Asia, you name it. Going well over the globe to promote the new album and the group itself was fun but draining and you always needed an efficient way to keep your energy up and hunger low.

Now currently in Manilla, being in you and Sophia's hometown was thrilling for you and the rest of the group, getting to the hotel at dawn and getting some rest before the day of schedules.

The day goes by relatively quick and everyone is currently in the car back to the hotel, we'll everyone but you, who said you wanted to go meet some old friends.

You arrive back at the hotel at around 4 am going to the room you share with Megan, being extra quiet due to Lara sleeping next to the ginger and both of them being the lightest sleepers of the group.

You manage to change into your night wear and get into your bed undetected and with cat-like silence, soon falling asleep.

You wake up at around 9 am, despite promotions starting yesterday, today is a free day. You get out of bed and wear a t-shirt with sweatpants before going downstairs.

"Morning" you say loud enough for everyone in the living room to hear you before plopping onto the couch. You turn on the TV which is just so conveniently on a news outlet channel.

"breaking news, babaeng natagpuang patay sa daanan ng eskinita"(breaking news woman found dead in alleyway). The reporter says on the TV. Sophia immediately stops what she's doing, which catches the attention of the others.

"A woman died last night?" Sophia repeats which causes the other members to look at the TV, images of the woman, who's stomach has been ripped open and insides completely gone, are flashed on the screen.

"pinaniniwalaan ng mga tao na ito ay gawa ng gawa-gawang nilalang na Aswang"(People believe that this is the work of the mythical creature Aswang.) The reporter continues, your attention was split between the girls, to see their reactions and the TV to know if they have any evidence.

"What's an Aswang?" Daniela asks, looking between you and Sophia, who both look tense but for completely different reasons.

"Phillipines Folklore, they're creatures who can shape shift and also have attributes of vampires, blood drinking and such, and they prey on women and children, having an appetite for blood and intestines, sometimes, most internal organs like this woman" Sophia explains, eyes glued to the TV.

"They're just a myth Soph" You state, your tone holding a certain edge that goes unnoticed by everyone but Sophia. All she does is glance your way before looking back at the TV.

The day starts to go by, the topic of the Aswang passing by after a while. Now at around Nightfall your stomach starts to hurt and your head starts to throb, you're hungry and need to find a food source now.

You make quick work of your clothes, putting on a hoodie and socks before going downstairs since you had gone to your room earlier. "I need to go ill be back soon" you say quickly as you put your shoes on and exit the house, not giving anyone time to question you.

The amount of people around you doesn't help you and the heat signatures of everyone almost compels you to do something in the busy street but you control it until you find an empty park, not really empty because there's a woman sitting on the bench.

No one is around, she seems like a perfect victim. Your body contorts and your bones Crack as you change(use the picture in the beginning as reference).

You make quick work of her, ripping her stomach open and feasting on her internal organs before changing back to human form and going back home.

You're met with disapproving and worried stares when you open the door. "Where the hell did you go? Do you know how worried I was there's an Aswang running around for God's sake y/n" Sophia says irritated as she walks up to you, checking your face for any injury.

"Jeez, once again baby those are just folklore, they aren't real" you groan annoyed as she stays on the Aswang topic. She grabs your chin firmly causing you to look down at the shorter girl "Drop the goddamn attitude" she grits and you nod, choosing to stay quiet.

New day another schedule. You're all in the van to the fan meet venue, the radio on and another report similar to that of yesterday morning is heard. "Again with this Aswang bullshit" you mutter earning you you glances from the others, who don't say anything, but Sophia keeps her eyes on you from the rear view mirror, you look up, locking eyes with her and you cam immediately tell her suspicion of you.

The fan meet goes well, now everyone is getting ready to go back home but you insist on walking around and exploring, despite it being your home country which made everyone suspicious.

Once you leave they speculate you might be cheating on Sophia, but she knows that's not it, that it's something deeper. She follows you from a distance, like a shadow, hiding in your blind spots as you walk to a place almost no one is.

You start to morph, he eyes widening In shock as you take on the form of a creature every Phillipines born and raised child fears to this day, an Aswang. She covers her mouth to conceal any noise as she backs up quietly, eventually being far away enough to run back home.

She curls up on her bed trying to make sense of the fact that her lover is a blood hungry creature she's ment to fear, but the weird thing for her is, she still loves you, despite the amount of lives you've taken.

The next morning is peaceful, for a while, until Sophia calls you into her room. "Yes baby" you ask as you step into her room closing the door behind you. "Why did you kill them" She asks, getting straight to the point.

Your face drops as you know exactly what she's talking about, but there's a chance that's not it right? "Baby what are you talking about?" You ask, chuckling nervously. " You're an Aswang don't try to play it off, now why did you kill them" she says through gritted teeth.

Your face drops again, from nervous to a frown ad you sigh "you know I can't help it" is all you say as you look at the floor. She steps closer to you and places her hand under your chin, placing a soft kiss to your lips as you lift your head up.

"I'll love you no matter what ok?" She reassures as she places a fleeting kiss to your lips before hugging you. You reciprocate the hug. Along with your girlfriend still loving you after finding out your a organ eating demon another thought goes through your mind.

How the hell are you supplied to tell the others.

A/n: Anon I struggled w/ this one ngl😭

#katseye x reader #katseye #katseye sophia #katseye lara #katseye yoonchae #katseye daniela #sophia laforteza #sophia x reader

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deripmaver · 24 days ago

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What does Kentaro Miura have to say about Casca?

I think, due to fandom's general preferences towards Guts and Griffith, there's been much more discussion of the relevant Kentaro Miura quotes about their characters and relationship. There also appears to be more translation effort made towards the parts of the interviews centered on Guts. This also means that a lot of discussion of Casca and her place in the narrative is filtered through the idea that he has had very little to say about her over the years.

While I do wish that Miura had more to say about her, and about her path in the narrative, he certainly hasn't been completely silent. I wanted to compile as many quotes directly from Kentaro Miura about Casca as possible in one place for anyone to refer to. I also wanted to provide my 2 cents on some of them, though with the disclaimer that neither I nor anyone reading a quote or soundbite can know they're fully correct about his meaning. After all, no one reading these quotes in an article or magazine knew Miura personally, myself included.

Most of these you can find translated on the Berserk fanwiki. I've linked to them all.

Cheating a bit by not including that quote from the 1996 fanmagazine that caused such an uproar a while back, where Miura said he thought Casca might feel pleasure during rape if the perpetrator was Griffith. TBT to that hot mess. I'm not including it bc it's a third party source from someone not particularly close to Miura and also because I've already discussed it in depth here.

So, moving on...

The source for this first quote is a bit... Tricky. It's not that I don't believe it exists, but because most of this is being done through fan translations, it's hard to provide a direct link. This one I've found which is apparently from an interview in 1996, but the only sourcing I've found is kojion on twitter and this reddit post. I think this might be from the Berserk Illustrations File interview from 1996, but if it is, then it's clear that interview has only been partially translated. I guess the translator wasn't interested in the parts involving Casca. Lol. Below is the translation from the reddit post:

Miura: I have never been in love. In the past I have only dated a woman I didn't like twice. I have never had a first love. I have never been in love. My image of women is made up of my sister and stories from my best friend who loves women very much. In the case of Casca, rather than portraying a woman, she’s a character made up of a collection of my own complexes and weaknesses. So I am not good at real women. I have a longing for love itself. But I have no time; there are only 24 hours in a day.

Interview with Yukari Fujimoto in 2000. Yukari Fujimoto is a feminist cultural critic/women's studies professor at Meiji University in Tokyo, which I always found very interesting.

Interviewer: Getting back to the topic of planning Berserk, though, there's a long flashback arc that starts in volume three, showing things like Guts' youth and leading up to the Eclipse. Did you at least have parts of that long story in mind when you started drawing, or did you just make it up as you went?

Miura: Back then it was more like I was making it up as I went, I'd say. I actually hadn't planned for Guts and Casca to get together, you know – it just occurred to me partway through that it'd be more dramatic that way. As I remember it now, all I'd really decided at the time was that there'd be about five characters, and I'd make them similar to five of my friends.

Interviewer: I see – so those five friends are the base models for the characters.

Miura: Pretty much. The only difference is, there aren't any Griffiths or Guts in our group. There really was a guy similar to Judeau. We had a Corkus too, and a Rickert. There's no Casca, though, since it was a group of guys. And then Pippin is me, in terms of physical appearance.

[...]

Miura: Yeah. It's sort of been vacillating back and forth up until now, but now Griffith is going to come to terms with having become a demon. I basically see it as the beginning of the relationship between the two of them having become adults. And also, the demon child that Casca gave birth to is going to become something of a key point – despite the fact that I didn't even plan for it to be Casca's baby when I first drew it.

Interviewer: Really?

Miura: I didn't even have Casca in mind at the time.

Interviewer: Ah, right. That means it wasn't supposed to be a fetus at the start, then. And I guess there was no plan to have Guts lose his eye and arm the way he did, either...

Miura: None at all. That part was left open. Basically, I had planned that he'd have it done to him somehow by Griffith, and then a love story came into the picture, and taking that to its extreme just happened to fit together nicely with the climax. It's not as though I had it planned from the start. And now it turns out that the demon child is similarly going to snap very usefully into place.

My own commentary: This interview is the source of a claim that I've seen around a lot, which is that Casca was an ad-hoc addition and that therefore undermine any importance she might have to the narrative. However, my personal interpretation is simply that these quotes exist to show how the general plot structure of Berserk came to be in Miura's mind, and how he sort of... made shit up as he went along. I think there are two ways to take "I actually hadn't planned for Guts and Casca to get together, you know – it just occurred to me partway through that it'd be more dramatic that way." Firstly, the way I've usually seen it, that Casca was added in thoughtlessly with no regard for her character just to be a tool for Guts and Griffith's stories. That's partly true, but I think additionally this indicates that Miura elevated Casca's narrative importance in order to create a better and more dramatic story. It's also easy to extrapolate Miura's love of shoujo manga to this point here, considering how shoujo's focus is so often the drama and tragedy of romantic love.

This next quote is another kojion/reddit combo, with kojion claiming its from 2013.

Miura: I had the idea that the medieval European period was a very male-dominated world. And I wanted to depict a girl who was working very hard in such a world. The female characters in Berserk are drawn with the hope that women of the same gender will like them. Female characters drawn by men tend to be somewhat convenient for men. I wanted to avoid that, so I drew them in a way that was not disrespectful to women, because this is a story about a male-dominated world.

[I initially had a picture of one of those gold star "you tried" memes here but then I felt bad about it lol. Honestly I can't help but feel some affection for Miura here for saying this, though there's a conflicting element here too, that he genuinely didn't consider that drawing so much explicit sexual violence might also be considered disrespectful to women (even though he's pretty obviously talking about outfits here). I also think that over-exaggerating Miura's views on women, making them seem worse than what they are is often done only in service of sidelining the women he has written, and written well in my opinion.]

Berserk Official Guidebook Interview, 2017

Interviewer: You put so much emotion into those characters, and when the Eclipse happens, they're all gone. That must have left some scars on you as the artist.

Miura: I was emotionally invested in each character, so I felt more depressed than scarred. And the story went way down in popularity with the readers around the time of the Eclipse [laugh]. Many readers were furious that I'd do such a thing to the characters they liked. My editor at the time was concerned but also of the opinion that we'd just have to follow it through to the end. The point I had to pay attention to was making sure the flow of the story wasn't completely severed with the Eclipse. That's why I spared Casca. If she had died and the serialization had continued for a long time, I feared the reason for revenge would become something of the past; and if Guts were to establish new relationships, then his incentive would waver. It may seem calculating and unpleasant, but it's because Casca's by his side that he can never forget the Eclipse.

My own commentary: this again shows the interplay between Casca as a plot device and Casca as inherently narratively necessary. Interestingly, this particular translation has it be slightly vague whether Casca's survival is to keep the memory of the eclipse alive for Guts or for the readers themselves. It seems to me that there's a little bit of both in this decision. Also of note - this interview was done in 2017. By this point, Miura must have had a decently clear picture of what he intended to do with Casca's revival. I think this interview would have implied something very different if it had been done during conviction arc or just post golden age.

[...]

Interviewer: After that, Griffith was resurrected and Guts picked up some travelling companions. One of them is Farnese. How did you go about creating her?

Miura: I imagined Farnese as the second heroine after Casca, but I had a little trouble. I simply crammed my own tastes into Casca to create her character. She's loaded with what I considered ideal: a warrior woman, dark brown, strong but with a womanly side [laugh]. When it came time to make a new heroine, I couldn't use the same method as with Casca. So I thought I might as well make a heroine with whom female readers could sympathize. Mori is popular with girls, so I asked for his opinion as I pondered. The concept was "a female office worker who's been in society for a year or two, may or may not be accustomed to her job yet, and is ill at ease in a masculine society" [laugh]. She's doing her best with a band of knights in a masculine society, but she's unsociable since she can't seem to fit in with those around her; and her frustration is moving in a sexual direction, although half of it includes my own delusions [laugh]. In the face of Mozgus' intense impact, such an ungrounded woman is sure to get hung up on religion. In other words, "an office lady who's caught up in a dangerous new religion." That's Farnese [laugh].

Interviewer: How about Serpico?

Miura: Serpico is those female readers' "dream". My intuition was that he's the kind of man they would want to have around. To be frank, he's André from The Rose of Versailles. For a woman exhausted by society, he sees to her needs and considers her before all else. I thought this might be a woman's everlasting dream. To take it further, I think there are three dream men that a woman has. Someone like Serpico who sticks close by, a prince on a lofty peak for whom she longs, and someone wealthy and down-to-earth who will come and woo her. And I recently saw the stage production of Onna Kaizoku Bianca – based on Glass Mask by Suzue Miuchi. In it, those three types of men show up around the heroine. I realized, oh, the same thing's happened by coincidence in Berserk [laugh]! Farnese has Serpico close by, Guts to long for, and Roderick the rich guy. That's all three present and accounted for!

Interviewer: Conversely, Guts has three heroines in Casca, Farnese, and Schierke.

Miura: Maybe it's just a good balance to have three members of the opposite sex around. Although it's a coincidence here, too [laugh].

I don't have anything really to say here lol I just think Miura's gender commentary is so funny. It reminds me a little of the way Terry Pratchett comments on dynamics between men and women in his books. I guess both of them are men who got their start in the 80s and continued writing into the 2010s where the treatment of women in fantasy became far more a part of the public consciousness, and it seems both of them tried to alter their writing accordingly. Up to the reader to what extent they succeeded though.

Kojion/reddit from 2017, apparently - is this possibly from the Berserk Official Guidebook interview as well?? Or did he do a second interview in 2017 that isn't listed anywhere?

Miura: In regards to Berserk’s Guts, Griffith is a character who draws out impatience, fighting spirit and loneliness, Puck is “relaxation, laughter and a “seriousness crusher”“, the current Casca is “a character who draws out feelings of guilt, uneasiness and pity”. By arranging the characters with the intention to pull a certain something about Guts to the surface, he becomes a multifaceted protagonist.

My commentary: Guts has complicated feelings on both Griffith and Casca due to the trauma of the eclipse. Just as Casca still associates Guts with her trauma, Guts too associates Casca with his. If his feelings towards Griffith were solely anger and his feelings towards Casca were solely caring that would be a much less interesting story. This quote is very frank about how Guts and Casca's relationship stands currently; it says nothing about its eventual outcome in the manga. It also says nothing about Miura's feelings towards Casca, or makes any comment on her importance to the narrative.

Interview with Comics Natalie in 2019

--So does that mean love is an important theme in "Duruanki"?

That's true. When I chose this androgynous character as the main character, I knew I had to depict a love story properly. I haven't been able to do that properly in "Berserk" yet, so I'm a little nervous and unsure of my chances.

-- Eh, what about the relationship between Guts and Casca...?

Even though they look like that, it's like the stage before they get to love is still going on forever (laughs).

My commentary: I already said a bit about this in previous posts. In my view, this is saying that Guts and Casca were beginning a relationship and in the beginning stages of falling in love prior to the eclipse. Then, of course, the eclipse happened, and it destroyed their budding relationship completely. Their relationship currently is defined by the tragedy of what could have been. I again think it's Miura taking a very realistic view of Guts and Casca's relationship as it stands currently, but it says nothing about how it will eventually end up, good or bad.

-- In the latest volume 40 of "Berserk," Casca finally regains consciousness. I'm sure there are many fans who have been waiting for this.

I'm also deeply moved. However, things get tougher for Casca from here on out. For Casca to truly recover, she must analyze and understand her experiences and resolve them herself. She must face what Griffith did and the monsters.

--So this is a necessary process for Casca to truly recover. I think there was also a route where Casca would fully recover once she regains consciousness, but Berserk doesn't let its characters take the easy way out. I think Miura-san also needs to be prepared.

It's a story about humans, so it's bound to be like that. If you don't do it properly, like what a human would do if this situation occurred, it won't be a compelling story.

My commentary: You've all seen this quote before lol. Well, this is the source. It's part of a larger interview about the future of Berserk and Duranki, and just a quick note that this version is from me using google translate on the Japanese website. There was a blog that translated part of it, in particular the above quote that "Casca must face what Griffith did", that now redirects to a 404 link because of course it does. It's up on the wayback machine here.

Now I have various undated quotes, most of which come from kojion and were compiled on reddit.

"I didn't want to make a sexy female warrior, which is often the case in fantasy films, although the idea of a female warrior is nothing new. But now I am not so particular. I am not restricted by the form of a female warrior, but am trying to depict her as a human being." (kojion alt source)

"Miura took on the apostle; I'm going to kill all the humans, I'm gonna mess them up. Mr. Miura has been working for months. Mr. Miura kept on drawing and Finally, he messed up Casca And then Mr. Miura, who had painted it all over After this, he actually suffer from depression." (kojion alt source)

"I want today's readers to experience what once shocked me when I read the manga. Last month, Mr. Mori revealed the scene in the Eclipse chapter where Casca is raped by Griffith. He was inspired by a manga published by Go Nagai in 1979. In this manga, the woman he loves is raped by a demon in front of the main character. Mr. Miura arranged and expressed this scene." (kojion alt source)

This is apparently a panel from that particular manga, btw. No explicit sexual assault, though there is clear implication.

One last third party quote, this time not directly about Casca, but about writing women on the whole. It's from this cute interview made into a comic by the interviewer:

It echoes a sentiment he's expressed in other interviews, that Miura himself doesn't feel like he understands the female mindset so he asks people he assumes know better - in this case Kouji Mori, his friend who is heading Berserk's continuation, and Chica Umino, another mangaka who was close friends with Miura.

Miura's such a mess of contradictions when it comes to women and his female characters. One of his most well known interviews is with a feminist cultural critic. He has said multiple times he's terrible at writing women. He thought deeply about writing Casca not just as a male fantasy. He literally designed her with all the traits he thought were sexy. He wrote a 20 page rape scene with Casca and then fell into a deep depression after.

What can you even say lmao.

#berserk #berserk meta #casca #casca berserk #kentaro miura #popped an addy locked in and compiled this over the course of THREE FUCKING HOURS #i lied i didnt pop an addy i just wrote this on the tail end #of my completely legitimate prescribed dose

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etherfabric · 11 months ago

Text

How the Universe provides for you + Songs

Choose a pile by which picture you resonate with the most.

If your mind is too busy to clearly decide, take a few deep breaths, and use the finger of your non-dominant hand to hover over the images. One will give off the most subtle yet prominent signals, like tingles, a magnetic pull, or temperature. This is your pile. Multiples are also possible.

You are the ultimate authority over your life. I merely provide my perspective. Sometimes the Universe lines you up with something that doesn't resonate with your truth, so you have contrast to find out what does. Never give away your power.

Pile 1

Strength, 3 of Pentacles

youtube

You have loyal allies in your challenges. A lot of unforeseen inconveniences you can't seem to avoid are in your energy, but this time, you feel the support - be it physical incarnations of kindred spirits, or those from the other realm connected to you. Yes, your heart is pounding and your knees are shaking, and these instances definitely aren't what you would've put on your wish list in a million years - but you surprise yourself with your bravery amidst it all. You thrive in collaboration with likeminded people, even in the face of your antagonists. The Universe is sending you storms so you can see how well you build your structure, and feel like the badass boundary expert your past self dreamed they could be.

This was a test, and you passed with flying colors. All your hard inner work is tangibly paying off, and you feel elated and proud - rightfully so.

Pile 2

Queen of Pentacles, The Fool

youtube

You finally stopped caring so much. You figured out where (or with whom) you lose the energy you so desperately missed all this time, and despite the struggles of letting go, you are now light as a feather. But in contrast to the past, where you were simply too scared to attach fully, so what else is there to do but float... you can now fall back on and draw from the deep roots you grew in fertile ground. Nourishment tailored to your needs is in constant supply, and plenty of opportunities to extend that generosity onto are emerging on the horizon. But this time, you know what to look for to have it reciprocated.

There might be people you still deem generally lovable you had to leave behind, and trust that hearing their criticism or seeing the effect of your absence on them will never truly stop hurting - but you know your worth and needs better than ever, and are determined to ultimately look ahead to the promising future. The Universe provides for all, and not just through you.

Pile 3

7 of Wands, 7 of Pentacles

youtube

The Universe is fueling your fierce protector side. You respect your own time more than ever, and see the value of patience with yourself. Your vulnerability is no longer a source of shame, it has become your most precious inspiration. Outside disturbances can't faze you out of your serenity with your true self. You worked hard for where you are, and you are not letting anyone counterproductive get close to it. Take the various toxic coping mechanisms projected onto you as the compliments that they are - you trusted in your balance, followed what felt right, and are reaping the rewards, while others still cling to the very same mindset that starts itching once you are around.

You understand the delicate relationship between healthy aggression and egotistical overkill, and are a role model for those wanting to follow you. The blessings you have already received are shining brighter than ever, and it's only the beginning. Isn't it so worth it being seen as the bad guy? Your people love you for what you are doing for them. No one can take this away from you, because you know how to keep it - becoming more authentic every chance you get.

Pile 4

2 of Swords, The Hermit

youtube

I can imagine you clicking on this particular reading with a kind of scoff. "Oh yeah? Providing for me? I see fuck all." Dare I recommend to expand your understanding in which ways one can receive...? I see you clinging onto promises you kind of already know aren't very, well, promising. But for some reason you only want it that way, almost to try to prove a point no one even challenged you on. Your idea of what you need and what you want have no space for differences inbetween. This might not sound pretty or comforting - I feel awfully confrontational saying this to you actually, and my Cancer Mars is shaking like a leaf - but I see the Universe providing you with an ultimatum.

Drop the rope if you truly want happiness (and not just validation for how great all of your ideas are), or be stuck in the frustration eating away at you. Look at what you already have. Yes, it's not the ultimate dream, but you have to first step inside of you to be able to receive. Because inside of you is where you will feel the love that's on its way to you - not craning your neck out as far as you can, desperate for a crumb to roll by.

#tarot reading #pick a card #youtube

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ginnysgraffiti · 1 year ago

Text

dirty thoughts, riding, self-relief, needy

y/n, partner half asleep.

&. KING HAL (HENRY V) x yn.

you were his fabric doll, as he started to call you after the official marriage.

softness, kindness, a giving nature and wisdom; that's how he described you.

hal spent hours worshipping and absorbing every tiny detail about you, and if you only asked, he could go on and on.

he usually got lost in your fair wavy hair, doe eyes, blushed porcelain cheeks and delicate little hands.

"all your grace is in your vagueness, my queen. your soft voice, your manner languid, your features blurred and dreamy." his shooting words waking you up the morning after the marriage.

and then he got lost again in your features, measuring the distance from one freckle to the other, the softness of your lower lip, more evident than the upper one, before primitively undressing you and making the bed creak until small hours.

his place was between your legs, no doubt.

and anyone who dared to lay eyes on you would meet the guillotine the following morning, at the bell's heavy ringing, and you knew it.

but the sticky words of his, sweet like honey, they only dripped down the walls of the royal halls, during boring and long meals, where you represented a public image and inspiration source.

yes, because with you, you and you only, in private, hal was the most alive animal you had ever seen.

and you missed all this.

you missed the taste of his tongue, the heat of his thighs, his overly expert hands and his hungry gaze.

he made you feel so loved, beyond every limit.

now, however, the peace pacts and bloody wars were consuming him to the core, badly scratching his armor, crumbling his tolerance.

you could rarely see hal during the day, and even when you hoped to enjoy his company in the late evening, he was usually too tired or busy checking the artillery.

you felt neglected, even though you knew very well that it wasn't his fault at all.

but now the gazes of the other nobles became more focused on your skin, and the caresses he used to give you left an empty space under the covers.

(...)

one evening, when the flame crackled particularly on the medieval torch on the wall, your steps drew their way towards your room.

the latter creaked slightly, and hal's sleeping figure gave you such a view.

he was shirtless, as always, lying belly up, lost in a deep and calm breath.

you approached the mattress, making sure to not make any noise. you quickly got changed in your pajamas and sat next to him.

something about his position and his presence was awakening something brutal and hot inside your knotted stomach.

you could feel your stomach juices flaring up.

fuck, you needed him.

the sin was now rising to the neurons of your brain, consuming you alive.

you didn't know if he would forgive you, no, but you knew that that was all you had to do.

such dirty thoughts for a queen.

(...)

you found yourself straddling him with only your underwear, you had taken off almost everything. you molded yourself to his pelvis and the hardness you felt between his thighs took your breath away.

you stopped breathing. your eyes widened and you felt your cheeks burning.

you felt his erection quiver under the thin layer of your panties and with an inhibition that was unknown to you and an incessant need to attenuate the devastating heat that you felt between your thighs, you rubbed yourself against him, moving your pelvis dangerously.

faster, faster.

faster.

faster until you could feel yourself soaked.

you could feel his hips bones the more you moved, and your mouth was wide open.

you looked at him hypnotized in his most regal sleep. his perfect face teasing you slowly, in such a perverse way that made you even wetter.

you panted.

the breathing heavy and wet.

no longer able to bear the powerful pulsations between your legs you moved even faster but slowing down every now and then, when small grunts came out of his soft lips.

without even realizing it you were already entertaining yourself, rubbing your fingers against the fabric of your own underwear.

dirty moans filled your ears.

you didn't know what you were doing, but you knew you had never felt better.

"are you going to cum on me so soon?" asked a husky voice in your ear, panting.

fuck.

you couldn't look up, you couldn't allow yourself to sink into your wet perversity like this.

you could barely nod.

an ashamed queen ashamed of her own actions.

how disgusting.

hal grabbed your hips and with one move made you lay on your belly, making you let out a small cry of surprise that you knew would excite him even more. your smells mixed with the spicy ones of the room, the bodies merge. this position made everything more intimate and awkward.

"how naive to think i was really asleep..."

you worshipped him, as if you had a god in your hands, while he slammed you onto the mattress with incredible force.

now you found yourself with your cheek against the pillow and your pelvis raised to the height of his cock. with one hand he grabbed your buttock, he placed the other on the back of your neck to keep you still. you felt dizzy and hot.

he moaned like a caged animal.

you knew he was just holding back and that if you could turn around you would catch a murderous look waiting for you.

the one look you needed to know when he wanted to push himself into you.

he needed.

instantly.

he squeezed your buttocks vehemently and your eyes widened when he gave you a resounding slap on your buttock which made you let out a very powerful scream and which, to your enormous surprise, made you terribly more excited. you felt him lean over you, his massive chest pressed against your thin back. he loomed over your body, brought his mouth close to your ear and, in a husky, sensual voice, murmured, "fuck, i didn't know my queen could have such a twisted mind within these walls."

"i-...i can explain...your majesty...forgive m-"

he pulled your hair to make your back arch and the loudest moan left your wet lips.

your legs trembled in the middle due to your own sound.

how pathetic.

that's just how you were when you needed hal.

"there's no need, just let me fill you up with my cum until my queen is completely satisfied beyond any physical limit. and call me hal, only hal." a soft wet kiss delivered on your shoulder.

"forget your queen duties tomorrow."

the last famous words you fucking craved for so long.

#timothee chalamet #timothee x y/n #timothee imagine #timothee chalamet x reader #timothée chalamet #timothee chalamet x you #&. HAL #&. HENRY V #the king #haltheking #timotheehal #timothéehal #&. HAL x yn #&. HENRY V x yn #&. HAL x reader #&. HENRY V x reader

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