#fly away far away

[pouletaulait]

"Do you even intend to quit – not really" 🧐

After reading Chapter 58 I thought about this exchange between Yashiro and Kage for a bit:

At first sight this might suggest that Yashiro actually considers staying in the Yakuza. I think based on what we know and how this statement is framed though, I come to the conclusion that this suggests the exact opposite in fact; Yashiro’s reluctance to stay in the Yakuza shines through yet again.

Granted, in the above scene Yashiro does in fact say that he doesn’t really want to quit BUT what he said before that stood out to me. Confronted by Kage about how he’s still affiliated with the Yakuza he first diverts his question by saying „don’t say things as if you’re an ordinary person“; I think this points out that Yashiro doesn’t like to think of himself as that different from Kage (or „civilian“ people in general, probably), he’s sorta putting the two of them onto the same level… outwardly he appears to lower Kage’s „status“ as a law-abiding citizen to his own, but, objectively speaking they both know that Kage is not in fact a shady person (at least from what I can tell, after all, he doesn’t appear to be affiliated with any „shady“ people apart from Yashiro and Kage always complains about Yashiro dragging him into these affairs). So, what this ends up doing is lifting Yashiro’s status up (I hope I’m phrasing this in a way that makes sense). Anyway, I think what this conveys is that Yashiro still looks down on Yakuza members (he’s definitely not proud of being one) and that he’s still not fully comfortable with people viewing him as a member or even acknowledging his Yakuza-status himself. He then goes on to say that it’s not easy to leave. Now, this could suggest a) that it has been on his mind (which we already know to be true) and b) that he feels the need to justify the fact that he’s still affiliated with them. Only when Kage questions him again Yashiro finally says that he doesn’t REALLY want to leave. His way of phrasing it doesn’t sound super convincing and he probably says that to get Kageyama off his case and also because, if he is honest with himself, he still can’t see himself actually taking that step after all. I know I might be reading too much into this but it stood out to me that Yashiro didn’t just throw Kage a snarky comment like „why the hell wouldn’t I still be a member?“, in the same vein as his first comment „what kind of upstanding guy runs a shady illegal casino?“ Instead he is somewhat opening up to Kage in his own way.

Anyway, this conversation is yet another puzzle piece that plays into the theory I’ve had from the beginning, that Yashiro will leave the Yakuza eventually. From all we know so far, Yashiro has never really come to terms with being a Yakuza and has generally a very negative opinion of them. The topic of Yashiro struggling to accept this role and the re-occurring questioning of what makes a Yakuza, who’s a good Yakuza, who’s not fit to be one, etc. strongly suggests to me that this is an integral part of this story as a whole and is most probably gonna be relevant to the conclusion of the story. It’s made clear that Yashiro never wanted to be Yakuza in the first place and he’s still reluctant, like… some 20 long years later 😯. I don't want to include too many quotes here because there are far too many instances that could be mentioned and this post is already getting too loooong, as you'll see 🫣, but there are some I'd like to mention. First I'd like to point to one quote from Yashiro that leads me to believe that to him being a Yakuza is not in fact his real identity but rather a role he is playing. He says to Ryuuzaki in Chapter 5:

He sees himself more as an actor rather than a real Yakuza and interestingly enough, that’s what he had aspired to become as a teenager: (aspire might be too strong of a word here but I think in a way he really did):

Now, I know that I'm arguing that Yashiro is talking about himself here ,even though, he's not just referring to himself in his comment to Ryuuzaki but the fact that he talks about Yakuza being just like actors in general and then further generalizing his statement to „people spend their lives acting“ still plays nicely into Yashiro's perception of his own life which will become relevant in a bit *bear with me*; it suggests that he thinks that people are not really free to be themselves because they have to play their role which emphasizes his passive approach to life in general „I have lived my life accepting it all“ (I reference this quote further down).

Every time Misumi tries to drag him in deeper, Yashiro is acting completely reluctant. We first saw this in the very beginning of the story when Misumi and Yashiro talk about the succession and Misumi says to Yashiro „be mine once more“ (Yashiro doesn’t want to give him an answer), when we learn through Hirata’s secret recordings about the details of another conversation between Misumi and Yashiro in Chapter 14 (Yashiro still doesn’t give a straight answer) and we see it again in Chapter 36 when Misumi basically says to Yashiro „don’t forget what you are“ after the time-skip (Yashiro distracts Misumi from the conversation by provoking him). He doesn't agree to anything but he never outright refuses either (he's completely passive).

His reluctance is further demonstrated by the fact that after the time-skip Yashiro’s not really a full member anymore. He used what happened after Hirata’s attack on him to the best of his abilities in a way to distance himself from the group but he couldn’t take the last step. But this clearly points to Yashiro wanting to get out for good.

I think it’s noteworthy that the only time he completely rejects the idea of quitting (as far as I remember), is in Chapter 27 when he speaks to Ryuuzaki in the back of the police car:

This stands out to me because he says this after he’d made up his mind that he was gonna die. So why keep fighting it at this point? (I’m so glad our cute boy is not in such a dark place anymore 😭)

Yashiro has also tried to keep Doumeki out of this world because he cares so much about him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t successful but the statement Yashiro made about the Yakuza in Chapter 22 becomes relevant again, now that Doumeki got a back tattoo (which as we all know made Yashiro furious beyond belief). Yashiro said something along the lines of „do you have any idea how many upright citizens walk around out there with full body tattoos? And how many Yakuza wear normal business suits?“( I hope this translation is somewhat accurate . I had to take it from the official German translation which is not the most exact at times but the only English translation I could find, didn’t seem to be correct 😅) Basically he’s saying, it’s never too late to quit. This was some unfortunate foreshadowing if you ask me but it gives me hope that Doumeki’s status as a full-fledged member and him getting a tattoo won’t prevent them from leaving the Yakuza world behind.

I just cannot imagine Yoneda-sensei making this aspect such an integral part of Yashiro’s character and bringing this topic up again and again if it isn’t gonna be relevant in the end… I know it might be a red herring but I really doubt it at this point. I read the manga as a story of a traumatized survivor of SA finding happiness in life (yes, I’m very hopeful that both Doumeki and Yashiro are gonna make it out alive because anything else would be too cruel🫣). For Yashiro the Yakuza is a hindrance to his freedom and happiness because it’s not who he truly is as a person and as long as he stays he’s going to be under Misumi’s control and Misumi is gonna try to use him, just like his stepfather and all the other men who SAed him when he was a teenager used him. In a way he’s still this powerless child getting used by others. He was an easy target for Misumi because Yashiro was „completely indifferent about himself“ as Misumi put it. This indifference stems from the abuse he suffered. When Yashiro got shot he remembered the SA and he says: „I have lived my life accepting it all. I’ve felt no sorrow. I’ve blamed no one. My life can’t be said to be anyone else’s fault.“ This expresses exactly what Misumi saw in Yashiro: He’s so broken that he doesn't even feel anger, he is beyond caring about himself, his well-being, his future. Putting it differently; he doesn’t love himself and he doesn’t think that he deserves love or a different, better life. This is why he doesn’t really put up a fight against this fate. He’s still passively accepting everything.

To sum this up, it’s mainly his trauma that prevents him from quitting, just like it keeps him from being able to accept Doumeki’s love. Since I believe this story is about Yashiro overcoming his trauma and finding happiness, I think it would only be fitting that once he’ll be able to accept that he is deserving of love, hope and happiness, he’d finally find the courage to take control of his own fate and break away from the path that he felt forced to follow.

And yes, I'm aware that quitting won't be that easy because of Misumi's obsession over Yashiro BUT even though I don't like Misumi too much and I think he's a creep, he's in his own way quite lenient when it comes to Yashiro, I have to give him that. So, I have high hopes that he actually meant what he said about "caring about Yashiro as a person" and will let him leave without too much trouble.

Of course we don’t know much about Doumeki’s plans for his future but if Yashiro and him end up together (which is what I’m hoping for) he’ll most likely go along with Yashiro’s wishes, I guess 😉 And I know, sweet Nanahara would be disappointed but I bet Yashiro and Doumeki would still find a way to adopt their big baby boy into their little family 😜

maybe they’re gonna open up a beach bar in Hawai’i and Nanahara would flirt with the guests and give away all the drinks for free 🤣

On a more serious note, I hope I didn’t get any of the quotes completely wrong. Nuances tend to get lost in translation so it’s kinda "risky" to base a theory like this solely on translations but most of it comes down to my personal interpretation of the story anyways. And I’m sorry if most of this seemed too obvious but I got the impression that I seem to feel more strongly about the fact that Yashiro might gonna leave his days as a Yakuza behind than others in the fandom and I felt the need to present my case 😉

If you actually made it through my ramblings to down here, you deserve some 🍪🍪🍪 😘

[shortnotsweet]

[arkangelo-7]

Okay, but, Dick and perching.

So, Dick perches. Like, on anything—chairs, tables, cars, bookshelves, you name it. Anything that can give him high ground, no matter how minimal it may be, he’ll find his way onto it. He’s always felt comfortable with his feet off the floor, he’s a Flying Grayson, but over the years going up has just become instinctual. He’s conditioned himself to equate height with safety, and in a place like Gotham, like Blüdhaven, safety (or, at least the feeling of safety) is something he needs.

It started back when he was Robin. Bruce used to pick him up and set him on top of things (trash cans, fire escapes, etc.) to keep him out of line of fire, to keep him hidden, or to provide him a safe place to watch while Bruce worked a criminal.

Eventually, this translated outside of the field and into everyday life; B would set Dick on the armrest of his office chair, or the hood of the Batmobile, or the kitchen counter, so that his squirmy little eight-year-old would be forced to divide his attention between keeping balance and paying attention to B.

B claims this was all just a part of his training (like learning how to master his spatial awareness, learn stability, keep his center of balance, things like that) but Dick knows now that, in reality, it was actually a tactic to keep him focused and stop him from moving around too much when Bruce needed him to be still.

But irregardless, it’s become who he is—he perches. B might have unwittingly trained it into him, but it’s Dick who needs it. Needs to be up. Needs to be safe. Needs to feel like he’s in the air, because despite everything, in some subconscious way he knows that it’s as close to his parents as he’s going to get.

So, yeah. Dick perches.

[semothekat]

me when im crazy about two characters that dont even know each other.

Thank you to @oathofkaslana for writing the id for this!!

[tinyfishtits]

feeling emotional about this man and I'm taking it out on photoshop

[kaiasky]

the sad lesson of crowdstrike though is, as always, that crime doesn't pay and it's much more economical to simply convince executives that they need to suck you off good and hard through your jorts, in exchange for the honor, privilege, and good economic value of letting you steal their data and pwn their computers. in order to make some dashboards you can reference in PowerPoint presentations.

[incorrect-league-of-villains]

Dabi: Would you take a bullet for me?

Hawks: …yes?

[Tomura bursts into the room]

Dabi, running away: GREAT THANKS

[raapija]

Pretty....

[kurozu501]

i cant get over oberon directly telling aurora to her face that he's a lying liar who lies and her only much later being like "hm. probably should have killed him" as she lays on the ground dying. GIRL.

[dying-suffering-french-stalkers]

boss makes a dollar i make a dime that's why i plan elaborate road trips i will never have the vacation days for on company time

[ha-bloody-ha]

Floating Watts

[espurr-roba]

thinking abt the dandelions having pokemon

[red-dead-sakharine]

Serendipitous ways

Celebrimbor x m!reader, 1269 words

(because I struggled to find such fics, I wrote something myself! 😤)

There he stood, hammering away on a piece of iron. The human stranger, a smith who had come from far away in hopes of learning new techniques here in Eregion. Celebrimbor watched him from a safe distance. Muscles flexing with each swing of the hammer, sweat dripping from the man's beard.

They had him make horseshoes down by the stables; Celebrimbor did not know who had assigned him this task. Many people came to his city to learn and hone their craft, and the elven lord was proud of that. But he could not take care of everyone in person. Most of the time, people arrived, found someone who matched the craft they were pursuing and asked for directions or a place to learn, and thus swiftly ended up in someone's workshop or learning hall.

Many came and went without the lord of the city ever knowing about them. But today was different.

Through ways unknown, happy accidents and coincidences, and perhaps even a little nudge from Ilúvatar himself, a small piece of metal had found its way into Celebrimbor's hands. A finely crafted candelabra with the most intricate decorative design, so flawlessly soldered together, one could think it were made from a single piece. Yet, candle holders were not exactly unusual, and nobody had payed it much mind, until it had found its way to Celebrimbor. One of his staff had brought it to the workshop, mindlessly placed it on a table for purely practical purposes, but the elven lord was strangely enamored with it. Something about it had drawn him in, forced him to pick it up and inspect it. It was an everyday object, made to serve a purpose. The artistry behind it was hidden from most, but not from Celebrimbor's well trained eye. He needed to know the artist behind it.

So now here he stood. Watching the man work on something as mundane as horseshoes. It was clear, that the candelabra had been a passion project. Something the human had made in his own time, since his work here did not ask for such artistry.

It was strange, Celebrimbor thought, how he enjoyed watching the man. He was far from the first smith Celebrimbor had watched during his work - not even the first human. But there was something about this one, that Celebrimbor could not place. Something enticing.

He looked down at the candelabra in his hands, running a thumb over the delicate details. It had taken some effort to hunt down the smith who made it; several days had passed before Celebrimbor had found him.

And now that he had, he didn't even know what to say. He was just standing there, watching; leaning against a wall as he observed him. It didn't take much to see that the human wasn't challenged by his work. Celebrimbor smiled to himself, letting out an amused huff. Of course, someone who could produce something like this piece he was holding, could make a horseshoe in his sleep.

As he watched, Celebrimbor could not help but to enjoy the sight. Not only was the human handsome in this rugged mortal kind of way, but his movements were smooth and practiced. Watching him smith was almost like watching a dance.

While the lord of Eregion was lost in his thoughts, the human had finished his horseshoe, cooled it off and placed it to the side. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and walked over to where a waterskin hung from a nail in the wall, and took a few long gulps.

This is when Celebrimbor finally approached.

"You're working quick."

The human didn't take it, just glanced at it and nodded, "Yes," he pointed at a unique curlicue near the bottom, "That's my mark." He looked back at the elf, patiently waiting for him to make a point.

The human turned to him, wiping his mouth with the back of his gloved hand. "Routine," he stated simply.

Now that he was close, Celebrimbor could see the man's eyes. Kind, intelligent eyes, with a spark of something behind them, that Celebrimbor could not yet place. After a moment, he realized he was staring, and looked down to the candelabra in his hands.

"I hear this is your work," he said and offered the item to the stranger.

The human snorted, "I would agree. Alas, this is the only place that had room for another smith, when I arrived. Though I hope to find a place in the artisan quarters at some point. I came here to learn new techniques, not make horsesho--" he cut himself off as another elf approached. He, too, wore a smithing apron and was cleaning his hands on a towel.

Celebrimbor lifted the candelabra to inspect the curlicue more closely, "I see. Very well integrated into the rest of the design."

The human gave an appreciative nod, and Celebrimbor let his gaze wander over the stables.

"It seems to me your talents are somewhat wasted making horseshoes."

"Horseshoes first, (Y/N). Then horse armor. And then... we'll see." he said in a slightly reprimanding tone, before abruptly stopping and offering a half-bow as he noticed the other person present, "Lord Celebrimbor! What brings you here?"

The other elf puffed out his chest and opened his mouth to reply, but before he could say anything, Celebrimbor continued, "I fear I am about to rob you of your aid." He paused and looked to the human, "That is, if you would be interested in joining my workshop."

From the corner of his eye, Celebrimbor saw the human stiffen at the mention of his name. Evidently, he had not recognized who he was talking to before. It brought a slight smirk to the elf lord's lips.

"I was looking for another smith to add to my team," he replied in a casual tone. As if he had just happened to stroll by and was window-shopping for artisans.

It took some restraint to not chuckle at the human's wide-eyed shock and joy.

"I- I-... you honor me, my lord! I mean - yes I would!" he sputtered excitedly.

Celebrimbor nodded to him, and turned back to the elven smith with an apologetic expression. Though his mind went elsewhere - reveling in the fact, that he had provoked such a joyful reaction; the human's smile warmed Celebrimbor's heart for some reason that he could not fathom.

Celebrimbor gave an amused smile, "Relax, (Y/N). You have already proven your talent. I am looking forward to see what else you can produce, with the freedom to express your creativity." He turned a little and sought the man's eyes - those eyes he could get lost in - and offered an encouraging smile.

A short chat with the master farrier later, and (Y/N) was hurriedly grabbing his things to follow Celebrimbor.

"Thank you again, my lord. I promise I will work my very hardest. You shan't regret giving me a chance to work with you!" the human rambled as he shuffled hurriedly after the elven lord.

The human smiled back - somewhat nervous, but also full of joyful energy. Creativity, Celebrimbor suddenly realized, creativity is that spark in the human's eyes, that he had struggled to identify earlier. A mind full of ideas and a yearning to express them. He could see the joy the thought of expressing himself gave the man, and it was almost contagious.

And again, Celebrimbor's heart swelled at the thought of causing such joy to this human. This ruggedly handsome human, he felt so strangely drawn to.

He was looking forward to working with him. Closely.

[asurrogateblog]

always gotta keep my guard up in airports because statistically speaking it’s one of the most likely places to spot a Recognizable Old Man and that must be avoided at all costs

[selflit-doodles]

"hey, it's okay, i'm right here! let's get you something." / "...okay." / "there you go."

[jojotichakorn]

less than 24 hours before my flight and i am starting to get a little anxious 🤪 hopefully everything will be ok and i will not get lost somewhere in the layover airport