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circeyoru · 2 months ago

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The Only Reason

[Yandere!Sung Jinwoo x Worker!Reader]

Note: I have no idea what to call this AU, but I don't think a lot of people will read this so... Haha~ Mental AU? Chaos AU?

Update! This AU is called Mana Chaos AU! Plus there's Part 2 up!!

Part 1 (here) 一 Part 2

Once, the world’s strongest Hunters were revered as humanity’s saviours and heroes for the weak and ordinary. They were once treated like celebrities and hold the highest power and authority. They were respected, praised, and idolized. They still were, now, with a hint of fear.

It all happened due to the infamous incident now dubbed as <The Outrage Incident>. It happened like any other day, in any other country, in any other city. But to only that one strong Hunter. He was an S-Rank Mage, a successful and loved one at that. The story goes like this.

One day, this powerful Hunter was out on the street enjoying a day off, but something set him off and he used his powerful ability to set things right. It would have been the end of it since an S-Rank’s threat was enough to make the majority crumble. However, his power got out of control and caused an outrage to his being. He was using his powers in public and there was no dungeon outbreak or monsters nearby for him. No amount of justification could calm the public.

After that one incident, other countries’ S-Rank or higher started to experience a similar issue. The worst case was that even Healers of their level didn’t escape such a phenomenon. Soon, the public feared the strong protectors they once saw as shields and swords against the gates.

Researchers and scientists were put to work quickly to investigate why and how this issue was happening now. The answer was in the overflowing mana levels within their bodies that couldn’t be contained since the human body was weak and frail for such a change. Addition to that, it correlated to the Hunter’s emotional level and their control. Institutions were built to imprison house the S-Ranks while monitoring their situation.

Whenever an S-Rank’s mana levels and emotions show signs of <Outrage>, a term they now use to describe the Hunter going haywire with their powers on everything and anything around them, they will be sent to a dungeon alone. In the people’s eyes, it was better for that one Hunter to die in battle than kill innocents. Because at first, it was only the S-Ranks, but then some A-Ranks would fall victim to <Outrage> as well.

The professionals have named the correlation as Emotional Mana, EM for short, which made way for the Emotional Mana Institution, EMI for strong Hunters. The Hunters were treated like mental patients or worse, forced into a straitjacket and some had a muzzle for certain Hunters. These were specially designed and created items that limit and restricts a Hunter’s use of their powers and abilities.

It was a miracle that someone managed to create such equipment. That someone was also targetted by the S-Ranks after being announced and killed for such a disrespectful act, still the blueprints and prototypes were created and other talents that took over were able to finalize the perfect form.

“Personnel 002, you were specifically requested by SM-10.”

You looked up from your laptop and paused in your rapid typing for just a few second before you looked back to your screen and continued typing. That code name was to protect you and everyone else that worked in EMI or have some form of connection to it, so that no innocent is sacrificed for the greater good. Still, you can’t get used to it nor do you want to. “I’m busy.”

“Please… SM-10 is way too picky with the people that enters his cell.” This person, Supervisor 843, was one of the newest employee to join the crew. Though, unlike the name of the duty, they were people that were disposable hence the frequent newcomers and high number. “Please help me.”

You sighed and glared up at the person who had a mask over their head and a voice changer to mask their identity. Though, with the way they were speaking, you could deduce this person was a ‘she’. You got up and snatched the file extended to you. Just when you thought you could rest and work in peace, trouble comes knocking on your door. “Get me a drink and some refreshment, I want to see it on my desk by the time I’m back.”

“Yes? Yes!” Supervisor 843 bowed and clapped her hands together, “I’ll do so!”

As swiftly and automatically, you made your way through the hallways and doorways, tapping your access card to unlock needed doors and lifts for your travel. On the way, other Supervisors nodded their heads and bowed in your presence when you walked by. Unlike them who wear a uniform, you only have a lab coat over your usual outfits. You don’t even have a mask or voice changer.

Why?

You stood in front of the door that was labelled in bold ‘SM-10’, meaning the 10th S-Rank in Korea that belonged to the Mage class. The guard dressed in black from head to toe nodded their heads at you before they started unlocking the various security checkpoints and locks for you to enter into a battlefield in its own right.

“Will one hour be enough, Personnel 002?” One of the guards asked.

“Not sure, just be alert in case I need to rush out.” You spoke stoically with indifference.

Step by step, you walked in, announcing loudly of your arrival to the individual inside. The doors closed behind you and locked you inside with what everyone feared. You sighed and put away your glasses since there was no need for it right now. The room was eerily silent and cold, something you were long used to.

You took a few more steps, walking deeper into the room where it seemed to get darker and darker even though the lights in all housed Hunters would be on 24/7 to monitor their actions and activities within the room.

Just when your vision failed you to the point where you can’t see what was in front of you, you were enveloped in a pair of strong arms, your entire form effortlessly pulled back till your back was pressed against a firm wall of muscle one would call chest and abs. Hair tickled one side of your cheek and neck, you felt a breath cooed before a deep voice rang in your ear, “I’ve been waiting for my favourite Personnel~”

It wasn’t at all odd that your name was called as well, if it was someone like him, he’d know everything there was to know. In fact, everyone should be worshipping him right now for his controlled and well-mannered behaviour. Especially when he could have destroyed this entire facility and killed everyone in it within seconds if he so wished.

“Jinwoo. I need to work, don’t bully the newcomers.” You sighed while looking to the side as if making eye contact with him.

“I like it when you call me by name and not some code, thanks for that.” Jinwoo hummed as he played with your fingers. “I guess I’ll think about it. It’s a bit bored here, you understand.”

“You removed your straitjacket again.” You let him fiddle with your fingers as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. “You’ll get caught one of these days and then it’ll be game over.”

“Igris helped me remove it. You know how they are with seeing me constrained and imprisoned here.” He chuckled and leaned back, but it turned out he was just taking a seat, presumably on his bed since you still couldn’t see anything in the darkness. “Don’t worry, I’ve made sure no one could see me free and they didn’t kill anyone. Yet.”

Every Hunter that was admitted into the EMI was evaluated and thoroughly investigated to create the perfect profile for reference. All their fighting style, powers and abilities, weapons of choice, gear type, and any other detail was accounted down. It was all for people to be prepared in case one would have an <Outrage> and they were needed to be countered by weaker Hunters.

For Jinwoo, however, his profile was lacking to put it in the best terms. His mana levels were unmeasureable, yes, so he was placed as an S-Rank. Though, his powers and abilities were unknown. Since he was a Reawakened Hunter, most would assume he was the same class as he was as an E-Rank; a Fighter Class. But he exhibit <Telekinese> and <Shadow Manipulation> so he was placed as into Mage class.

That wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg.

You saw through his innocence and lie, uncovering his true powers and abilities. To be honest, even if you told your higher-ups of Jinwoo’s secrets, there was nothing they could do to counter it. Jinwoo was a league of his own and only you knew it. He was no mere S-Rank, he was definitely a National Level Hunter.

Ah, yes. The question as to why you don’t wear a mask or bother having done anything to hide your identity. It was not because you’ve been in one of the people who has been in service of EMI for the longest time or wanted something as shallow as respect from the newcomers or other coworkers. It was completely because you knew it was useless to hide when someone like Sung Jinwoo had his eyes on you.

“I’ll try and arrange a dungeon for you to raid.” You marked down on your phone while Jinwoo continued to treat you like a teddy bear.

“You have to join though. If you don’t…” Jinwoo’s voice went deeper as glowing eyes stared at you from the shadows, “I don’t know what I’ll do to get your attention…”

You nodded, pushing down the urge to flinch or jerk away from him. It was normal, something you expected but still unnerving to hear with your own ear from his lips. You swear this place made the Hunters mad in the head, it was a place that made them sick and mentally ill, it wasn’t actually helping them at all. “Yeah, of course. I’m sure everyone will be relieved to hear it.”

Jinwoo smirked as his arms tightened around you, his face buried between your neck and shoulder. “You’re the only reason I stay here. Remember that. If you leave here… Leave me… I’ll do what Thomas Andre did to America.”

Note: I can't help it, it was supposed to upload the requested ones first, but then this idea hit me like a truck (without the isekai part), so now here it is. There are like 2 requested stories written and ready to be posted, but I'm double checking and stuff. Hope you like this AU/idea.

Circe Y.

My Works: MASTERLIST

Taglist: (none at the moment)

#Circe's Nighty Writings #Solo Leveling #Only I Can Level Up #solo leveling x reader #solo leveling jinwoo #sung jin woo x reader #sung jinwoo x reader #sung jinwoo #sung jinwoo x you #jinwoo #The Only Reason #yandere sung Jin woo #yandere sung jinwoo #yandere jinwoo #Yandere sung jinwoo x reader #yandere sung jin woo x reader #Mana Chaos AU

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writers-potion · 23 days ago

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Hi there! Do you have any tips on how to write a secret society? Whether it's a good or evil society?

Writing Sauce for Secret Societies

Secret (Hidden) vs. Secretive/Classified

An important distinction to make while writing exclusive societies is the extent to which they shirk the eyes of the public and/or government:

“Secret” or “Hidden” societies push their existence under the rug. No one but the members know of their activities at all. (e.g. Camp Half-Blood from the Percy Jackson series, the wizarding society of the Harry Potter series)

“Secretive” or “classified” societies exist publicly with a clear purpose. However, the specifics of their activities are only disclosed to his members. (e.g. the CIA, higher-ranked military organizations)

While secret societies are often illegal, rebellious, or anarchist, secretive societies are legal and institutional.

Here are some other elements that I think a secret society requires. The specifics of how these are implemented will depend on the size of your society.

The Origin Story

What is the society’s motto? Who created it? Why do the members/the public need it?

A goddess creates a secret society of demigods to protect them from monsters.

A professor creates a secret society to teach illegal materials to his best students.

A society of the undead striving for survival on Earth after the

Membership Requirements & Rules

How many newbies? How are they recruited? Any consequences if prospective members fail? Any initiation practices? Consequences for breaking the rules?

Inheriting a particular bloodline: demigods, half-angels/demons, royal blood, etc.

Becoming a supernatural creature: vampire, zombie, werewolf, etc.

A rigorous interview/testing process (could be similar to a job interview)

Sending prospective members on a dangerous mission

Existing members paying prospective members a visit in the middle of the night

Sending out dream messages and instructions for initiation constantly until potential members are obliged to come.

The Cover-Up Story

How does your society keep itself hidden? How do they cover up for their mistakes if classified information leaks out?

Killing any witnesses and outsiders.

Exerting control over media/news/government organizations (either back-door or legally)

Using a magical cover: memory-redaction, mist/veil that manipulates appearances, etc.

The power bestowed by the society upon their members are immediately withdrawn upon excommunication or if they break rules

The cover-up story has to be stronger for larger, ancient secret societies to make it plausible that they’ve managed to survive hidden. Think of strong mechanisms that makes it the members’ own interests to keep the society protected, even though it may cost them their life.

Funding and Maintenance

Where does the society get its money/weapons/materials from?

Generational wealth that the members’ family possess.

Secret governmental/university funding, obtained under someone else’s name

Having members who are placed in high-ranking position in companies, banks, the government, etc.

Could be as simple as a trust fund/endowment fund run under a fake name (e.g paper company, a fake family name that is handed down from one society leader to another)

Hope this helps!

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* . ───

💎If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! Also, join my Tumblr writing community for some more fun.

💎Before you ask, check out my masterpost part 1 and part 2

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radiantmists · 2 months ago

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i didn't want to add this to the post because it would add a bit too much seriousness to a good meme, but i do think it raised an interesting point. because obviously kaladin didn't forget that racism existed in that moment, he was confronting one of his primary oppressors, the guy who betrayed him multiple times over specifically because he was darkeyed.

what kaladin does forget in that moment is the pervasiveness of racism, and the extent to which it's baked into his society's institutions. and i think it makes a lot of sense for kaladin specifically to forget that (even though he absolutely knows it intellectually)!

because kaladin has always been an 'exception'. his father was a doctor, much higher nahn than anyone else in the town. kaladin is as close to literate as an alethi man is allowed to be-- more literate than adolin, presumably than elhokar. marrying the child of the citylord and having lighteyed children-- theoretically 'escaping racism', though of course that wouldn't have worked out too well in practice-- was not only thinkable but likely, unlike the false hope of defeating a shardbearer that others cling to.

before roshone, kaladin did suffer from racism-- but less than others, and in a way where he was led to believe that it was escapable and conditional.

and many of the worst things that happened to him went against the rules of alethi society. roshone was corrupt, and should never have been promoted. kaladin was immune to the draft due to his apprenticeship, and tien was young enough that choosing him was taboo if not forbidden.

similarly, tien being sent to the front lines was the sort of tactic that 'honorable' alethi norms like the codes of war would have considered reprehensible.

and of course when he saved amaram and defeated the shardbearer, the rules of society dictated that he be rewarded; i imagine choosing to give the shard to amaram should, from an honorable man, have been rewarded with pay and retirement for his men or something similar.

kaladin's enslavement was not just dishonorable by alethi social norms, but illegal.

and the kholins, up to this point, have signaled commitment both to the law and to those alethi social honor codes. and while they (especially elhokar) have been casually prejudiced, they've also welcomed the idea of kaladin as the captain of the cobalt guard, suggesting that they aren't so racist that they can't sometimes see reason.

kaladin not realizing the boon was only for lighteyes was a little naive of him, but him expecting the legal system to work for him-- when he took the issue directly to someone who knew him, respected him, and owed him the lives of his whole family-- is very understandable in the light of his experiences.

kaladin is the kind of person from a minority who was raised genuinely thinking that if they behave well, they might experience some prejudice, but no door is truly, systemically closed to them. he's had some knocks to that belief (and is kind of a suspicious person), but in the first part of words of radiance the world seems to be trying to reassure him that not all lighteyes are (too) racist, that the system is not (inherently) unjust, that he's simply been the victim of some of the more prejudiced fringes of lighteyed society.

and then the rug gets pulled out from under him.

because no amount of familiarity or respect will make elhokar side with him over one of the good old boys, no accomplishment will allow a darkeyes to challenge a lighteyes, and no amount of good behavior or education will make kaladin white lighteyed.

but a shardblade would.

...right?

i think this and the immediate aftermath, with adolin giving kaladin a blade and him giving it to moash, could have been a really interesting examination of that idea, because i don't think that lighteyed society would have smoothly accepted either of them. even by rhythm of war, we get hints that kaladin occupies a weird social place where he technically has a lighteyed rank but he seems to have a complicated relationship with 'other' lighteyes (obviously made particularly weird by him being a radiant and because most of the lighteyes he interacts with heavily are also royalty, but he doesn't quite seem to be equals with most of them).

but i don't think sanderson quite understood the experience he was writing about with kaladin, and he set out to write a series about an apocalypse. and so kaladin's complicated-- but not unrealistic-- perspective on alethi casteism will go unexamined.

#for now anyway #if he lives through 5 im interested to see how he experiences post-challenge rosharan society in whatever form it takes #but also im trying to keep my expectations on this not too high #especially bc the listeners/singers issue is much more thorny and will probably get a lot more focus #stormlight archive #brandon sanderson #cosmere #words of radiance #kaladin stormblessed #roshar

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botwstoriesandsuch · 5 months ago

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HEYA WHO WANTS TO LEARN ABOUT GRASS AND VOLCANOES

Yes I'm alive and yes I'm making posts and music again. Ok so moving on HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GRASS???

This patch of grass is from a Youtube video by Quincyvhs ranking grass in Tears of the Kingdom. He's a cool guy and has a similar video on Breath of the Wild and I highly recommend you watch it cause his editing is very cool.

HOWEVER. He made an egregious error today by ranking this patch of grass, this lovely, magnificent, extraordinary patch of grass upon Death Mountain as a mere B Tier. It clearly is an S Tier.

How do I know this? Well this patch of grass indicates miracles. It indicates determination. It indicates the spirit of adventure, of change, of liberty and mayhaps even the purest form of happiness the world round...

...and as later corroborated by the actual geologist that I am dating, it is an indication of the massive shift in Hyrule's ecosystem and climate.

Let's Begin.

Using my ace detective skills I have located the site in question in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom (Botw and Totk). The general consensus is that there is a 5~ year time gap between the two games.

Given that the grass does not exist here in Botw, this means that this patch of grass took at maximum 5 years to grow. However, I'm going to prove that it probably took even less time than even that.

Below is the site on Botw's Map:

We are unable to get an accurate temperature reading of the area because the Sheikah Slate decided to give up. So we're going to use science to determine this soon to be important number

Given that wood near instantly ignites at this location in Botw, we can conclude that the temperature in the air is around 370 degrees Celcius or 700 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now typically, rock and soil serve as good insulators of heat, so the air temperature around a volcano itself isnot usually that much higher than the ambient temperature (unless you are actively within a Pyroclastic flow, which would be a more pressing problem than analyzing grass to say the least)

However, when near the presence of lava, that temperature of the air can actually reach up to 1000 degrees Celcius (1800F) so this reading is actually even more reasonable when you note that we are in good distance of the Medingo Lava Pool.

Conversely, we can actually grab an active temperature reading of the area during the time of Totk thanks to the Purah Pad.

It's 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

Easy. Simple. Fantastic. I love when my job doesn't require four hours of research for every single question!

Anyhow, here are some figures from the Oregon State Volcanology Laboratory on the rate of lava cooling

Yes this post is still about grass, stay with me.

To truly appreciate the glory of science and the glory of this patch of grass, we are going to calculate the exact amount of time needed for the temperatures to lower on Death Mountain to one sustanable for growth (That being around 100 degrees Farenheit).

SPOILER ALERT: It takes less than 5 years. This is insanely impressive considering grass of this type* typically takes DECADES.

Anyhow, The Figure 2 and 3 have to do with the depth of the lava, and Figure 4 deals with the thickness. (Many thanks again to my partner for providing their geological expertise and resources)

The thickness of the Medingo Lava is very easy to calculate given that Link can literally jump in with a splash and drown in it like the world's worst hot tub--the bitch ain't thick at all. So we use the lowest listed reading for that.

The depth of the lava is more tricky, but comparing the lava pool in Botw and Totk, and using Link as a marker of around 5 feet, we can say that the pool is around 10 feet deep.

Therefore, the Medingo Lava Pool took around 2-3 years to cool after Death Mountain stopped erupting.

Now when exactly did Death Mountain stop erupting?

According to the catalog of Volcanoes of the World by the Smithsonian Institution, 93% of volcanos stop erupting within 3 years.

Now I know that Death Mountain only started erupting because of the return of the Divine Beast Vah Rudania, and Link only "stops" the eruption of Death Mountain by defeating it. So one could argue that Death Mountain's "eruption" had to be less than a year or something.

My rebuttal to that would be 1) Within the game's canon, I don't see how we could justify Link taking one day, or even one month to wake up from the Great Plateau, travel immeidately all the way to Death Mountain. and then tame the Divine Beast in less than a month, and 2) Link didn't really stop shit because we can clearly still see active lava flow after taming Rudania. He only stopped the rock falls caused by the Divine Beast, the actual activity of Death Mountain still continues.

Given its insane size, I am going to say it took the full 3 years for its active lava flow to stop on Death Mountain. Volconologists in the notes, feel free to correct me.

SO! The Timeline is:

3 years for Death Mountain to stop actively flowing

2 years minimum for Medingo Lava Pool to cool

= >1 year for temperatures to be right for grass to grow!

This is an insanely quick time period for grass to thrive! The literal instant that the conditions were correct, we are able to see not just grass, but stoloniferous grass as well other types of shrubbery thrive! We would usually need several years for the volcanic rock to erode to rich soil (such as the soil in the Akkala region)

Allow me to elaborate:

This is Fountain Grass. Fountain grass is usually the fist type of grass that you would see in a volcanic region. They grow from a rhizome root system, which is a very vertical downward root system as you can see. This is good for young volcanic regions where only specific dotted areas are good enough for plants to grip onto and grow.

They grow something like this:

This patch of grass below I would call some sort of rhizome. (Botanists feel free to correct me in the notes)

THIS. however. (amazingly) is an example of stoloniferous grass!

This is thick bladed grass (as opposed to the more thin, fine-bladed grass with rhizomes) that grow in a stolon spreading pattern that is much more horizontal. It's a lot like the grass that might grow in your front lawn, if you're rich enough to have one of those in this economy--

They grow a bit more like this:

This type of grass need soil! Especially if we want to classify that other red flower behind the rock there as some sort of volcanic flower

We're basically talking about mass, rapid volcanic erosion in less than a year for this to happen. For context, the soil necessary for the region of Akkala to grow could have taken anywhere between a decade to thousands of years. The weather and erosion necessary for this patch of grass to grow took, at most, 3 years.

And all this in the period of time following an actual apocalypse. How quickly the tides have turned for Hyrule's ecosystem!!!!

IT'S A VERY IMPRESSIVE AND COOL PATCH OF GRASS AND THUS IS DESERVING OF THE S TIER RANKING

Also here's some behind the scenes of what my much smarter than me partner had to say about it ["Last pictures referencing the rhizome grass which, indeed, would be the oldest grass among the patch given it needs the least specific conditions to thrive/less soil to get started]

Growth is cool.

#tears of the kingdom #breath of the wild #botw #totk #OK MY PARTNER ACTUALLY DOING SCIENCE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS AND THEY CANT CONFIRM THE ACTUAL TIMELINE WITHOUT #HAVING ACCESS TO THE INTERNET BUT i think my research is sound enough for tumblr

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 6 months ago

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Since malleus is top 5 the most powerful mages (iirc?) how powerful is top 1? I hope that they someday give us more information of the top 4

Would be funny if top 1 is just a regular mortal who dresses up casually like a normal person lmao

At first, I thought that one of the other top 5 would have to be Malleus's grandmother, Maleficia, and that she would be above her grandson in ranking due to her long-lived experiences... But seeing how her magic can't brute force override Malleus's UM, then either 1) she cannot be in the top 5, 2) she is in the top 5, but is slotted in a place below Malleus, therefore she is still "weaker" in comparison, or 3) she is ranked higher than Malleus, but his overblot boosts his power to a point where it overtakes hers. I think it is probably the third option, since Malleus has a Chat where he says he “cannot hold a candle” to his grandmother.

(Side note: While we don't know where exactly Malleus falls in the ranking, I believe he is not #1. This is because if he was then everyone would be referring to him as "the" strongest mage in the world, not in the top 5.) He has to be somewhere in the lower half. I think other contenders for the remaining spots (at least of the characters we know of right now) could be Crowley and Ambrose, since they head prestigious magical institutions. Crowley more specifically has implied that he is much more powerful than he often lets on. However, I don't really have a basis for this besides that. Twisted Wonderland is such a big world, so it's totally possible that the other 4 in the top 5 mages are scattered around and we have not met them or even heard about them yet. (And if that's the case, then I'd like to know why the world's strongest mage isn't being informed about what's going on in book 7 and rushing to deck Malleus www) I'd love to learn more about these people and see how they stack against him. asihbfbyoqew8WVPbrw #1 being just an average joe schmoe or an innocuous mob character somewhere... Honestly, that's so real, kinda reminds me of how some irl billionaires are obsessed with the "clean" and minimalist aesthetic with just like some pants, a watch, and a bajillion dollar plain black shirt yes, I'm talking about Steve Jobs.

#twst #twisted wonderland #Malleus Draconia #Maleficia Draconia #twst theory #twisted wonderland theory #twst theories #twisted wonderland theories #disney twisted wonderland #disney twst #question #notes from the writing raven #Dire Crowley #Ambrose the 63rd

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thoughtlessthinkythoughts · 8 months ago

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Look, I would love to believe that Gerry is having a perfect time in an alternate universe, but I can’t. Something is up. Note: I’m using some info from the arg spreadsheet for this.

Cw for unethical psychology experiments and harm to children.

He claims to have been too young to remember, but according to the spreadsheet he is two years older than Sam. Of course they probably weren’t tested at the same time, but his development level indicates he was school-aged.

He says he just remembers filling out forms and answering questions. The spreadsheet indicates that they put the kids through the Milgram experiment (you know, the giving electric shocks to people one)

He is happy to invite strangers in first thing in the morning and offer them anything- food, a large painting, etc. This goes beyond typical hospitality/generosity.

He even thinks the landlord is lovely. And yes I think this is a hint considering TMA’s politics.

Gerry immediately considers strangers old friends.

I may be reading the spreadsheet wrong because it is ambiguous. But if I am correct, when tested Gerry was ranked very prosocial, but also wasn’t compliant with the Milgram test or a test of social conformity (the one where a bunch of people lie about the length of a line to see if the person being tested will agree with something obviously wrong). The Gerry we met seems very compliant.

Gertrude is eager to get rid of Sam and Celia, which is completely understandable, but I think there is more to it. She knows something and wants this away from Gerry.

The little “I like them” “of course you do” exchange. It isn’t much on it’s own, but altogether…I don’t think Gerry has a choice. Not in liking them or being generous. I think Gerry was so close to being what they wanted, but he wouldn’t comply with some things, so they…somehow made him compliant.

According to the spreadsheet, Gerry had the second highest empathy index. The only individual higher was Sam. And I think we can assume Sam’s results are significant, considering he is a main character. Sam’s results were similar to Gerry’s in almost every way…except that Sam was given opposite results in the social conformity and obedience measures. In general, as empathy, moral development, and prosocial behavior increased in the kids, milgram and asch scores were lower, which is why I believe low=not going along with them.

So, the institute was looking for kids who were highly empathetic but also easy to control. Until they found Sam, Gerry was the closest, so they tried to control him. And ended up damaging him badly and messing with his memory of what happened.

#tmagp #the magnus protocol #tmagp meta #gerry keay #happiness isn’t the suspicious part #it’s the situation as a whole #i want to be wrong #i really do

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shiratamahatsumiyo · 29 days ago

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Azul Ashengrotto with a Bad Genius reader (Part 2)

Thank you for supporting me throughout the year I've been in Tumblr, you guys. Unfortunately, I have to focus on my studies in the meantime. But I'll post small fics before I can post longer ones when I have the time... I'll be busy for a while.

Warning: Slight Swearing, Slight Angst

• ..... Life is not fair, you know?

• The same goes for schools and businesses. Unfair. The only thing that matters is the one who gets the most benefit. The teachers nurture the students with higher social status and leave the stunted students with lower social status in the dust. The businessmen only invest in partnerships that are rich and terminate contracts with failing partnerships. Why? It's simple, really...

• If you are smart, attractive, and confident, you will be admired and included. If you are dumb, ugly, and clumsy, you will be hated and casted out.

• JUST. LIKE. THAT GROSS. STUPID. AND USELESS. FUCKING. OCTOPUS.

• You are just a student. His student in his dorm. This school you're enrolled in is only an institution for only talented mages. With your average magical abilities, surely you cannot be a hindrance to his objectives in life... Right?

• ... Azul was wrong. Dead wrong. You, unfortunately, have become a nuisance.

• He's underestimated you. How can that be? He's always two steps ahead of... Everyone... Everyone but not you. How can you do this to him?! How ungrateful can you be?! You're the one who's at fault, not him! YOU TOOK HIS PLACE IN THE RANKS.

• ..................Just how did it come to this?

• ................................................................................................................................................................

"...zu........Azu.....Azul......zul................"

...?

"AZUL!"

! ! !

????: "Azul, why aren't you awake yet? You should be eating breakfast at this time."

Azul: "W-wha...?... Jade? What are you doing in my room?"

Jade: "To wake you up. Hm...You always wake up to your alarm. How strange....This is unlike you. Are you feeling alright?"

Azul: "I'm fine... Wait, what do you mean by "at this time?""

Jade: "It's already 8:25 in the morning-"

Azul: "SEVENS! WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP SOONER?! WE'RE LATE FOR CLASS!"

• Azul woke up late this morning, which is unusual for the silver-haired man. Jade and Floyd had those smug look on their face while watching him eat breakfast. Turns out the suave Azul isn't so suave after all, Floyd teased him. Perhaps the workload of managing Mostro Lounge the other day did a number on poor Azul? Jade also chided with the teasing. Preposterous! He isn't one to get tired of reading contracts! Waking up a little late this morning was definitely just a minor inconvenience!

• Azul quickly took a bath and changed to his uniform. He saw you rushing out of your room with Grim, looks like you also woke up late. You both greet each other and head to your classrooms together with the Tweels. The examinations are coming up which means that Azul will be hauling contracts after contracts as well as doubling, no, tripling the amount of students that are indebted to him! This semester, he's aiming for more than 200 students!

• For the few weeks of the examinations drawing near, he's contracted students from almost every dormitory. The other dorm leaders can't do anything about it because of their own dormmates' stupidity. A few more days before the exam, Azul noticed that some students are cautiously avoiding him for some reason. This has never happened before... Did he not add the right amount of charm? Did they see through his facade? That cannot be...

• He has never been more frustrated and puzzled in his entire school life here. The thought about it nearly stressed him out enough to leave wrinkles from the constant furrowing of his eyebrows. As he sat beside the counter of the lounge waiting for Jade to finish his drink, he saw you approaching him, dragging those awfully heavy eyebags of yours too. Jade offered a cup of coffee on the house and you took it, knowing that you'll be working on the exams with little to no sleep.

• The lounge's atmosphere was quiet. Of course, every student is busy studying their night away which means that this is the calm before the storm. This also means that you won't have time to rest after the exams when the lounge will be packed by students. Azul probably has to give you credit for staying up late to clean the tables even if the lounge is empty. After you drank the coffee Jade made for you, you slumped down like a tired Tumblr writer who chose to continue this part instead of working on class projects all-nighter.

Azul: "Good evening, BadGenius! Yuu. Rough day?"

BadGenius! Yuu: "Yeah... Ruggie and everyone can't work because of the exams. Floyd won't do shit. And Grim is too stubborn to study. How's business going for you?"

Azul: "It's going well, actually. If you don't mind me asking, why on Twisted Wonderland are you staying up late at this ungodly hour?"

BadGenius! Yuu: "For the after-exams bonus, duh."

Azul: "That will have to wait the next day."

BadGenius! Yuu: "Fine......Can I ask you something?"

Azul: "Oh?"

BadGenius! Yuu: "It's not for a contract or anything! Just asking for small advice."

Azul: "Advice? From me?"

BadGenius! Yuu: "Yes. Is it no good?"

Azul: "Hmm... From what I've observed, you've been working more efficiently than our workers..."

Jade: "Oya 😊?"

Azul: "Ahem! Aside from Jade. So I think I can partake some knowledge of... What is it about?"

BadGenius! Yuu: "Well, it's just... What do you do when you... Start a business but feel a little bit guilty about it? Like, what you're doing might be wrong and you'll end up rock-bottom if it continues?"

Azul: "...It depends. Usually when a business wants to expand, they must make multiple plans to avoid or to take risks."

BadGenius! Yuu: "Plans? Risks?"

Azul: "Yes. It involves taking a small step to further expand the business. Usually starts from small to big. Always have layered and detailed plans. You consider the threats, analyze the danger, re-evaluate your advantages and weaknesses when it comes to that threat, and then initiate an advantage to show that you have the upper hand. However, risking something without proper calculation, that one step can cause you to lose everything and start back to square one. It's like a game."

BadGenius! Yuu: "I see... Thank you for your advice, dorm leader. I owe you one."

Azul: "... No need. Its basic knowledge in business. Think of it as a reward... But if I may ask, why do you ask of me that--"

Floyd: "JAAADEE!!! AZUUUL!!!"

• The moody eel barged through the doors before Azul could ask you about his advice. You politely bowed to say goodnight and went to bed. You couldn't get a wink of sleep that night. You kept thinking over Azul's advice, it might help you with your struggles.

• 24 hours before the exam, the silver-haired man counted all the contracts he's hoarded. He couldn't stop thinking about your request for his advice relating to business. What were you even going to do with it? His frustration only grew when he counted the total amount of contracts... Only 185? He could've sworn he talked to students more than that. He doesn't remember them rejecting his offer... Something feels wrong. Should he talk to some students more?

• He groaned in exhaustion and massaged his temples. Jade is in kitchen making tea, Floyd is probably in his room since there are no one to squeeze. He contemplated on going to bed early and study for the night but stopped in his tracks when he heard voices outside of the room...

• Hold on... Students? In the lounge?? Before the exam??? He rushed outside to see a large number of students from different dormitories sitting on the tables, enjoying their drinks. He sees Jade and Floyd serving drinks to the supposedly-studying students. He noticed the students glancing at him and fidgeted. Some students suddenly opened the menu to read it and some not even making eye contact with him when he passed by. A familiar whine from a flaming cat reached his ears and his head turned to the entrance to see those troublemaker friends of yours.

Grim: "Fnyaagh... It's so tiring! BadGenius! Yuu keeps insisting that I should study harder. I'm trying! How am I gonna do that 😾?"

Deuce: "Stop complaining, Grim. They said they'd help us, so the least we could do is memorize half of it."

Ace: "Seriously, Juice? Who would have time to memorize all those piano lessons in one night?"

Deuce: "Ugh! It's Deuce!"

• ... Piano lessons? What?

Ace: "Oh crap...! Hey Azul-senpai! Uhh... Is BadGenius! Yuu here?"

Azul: "Oh? And why do you want to know that? You know you shouldn't be entering a dorm uninvited."

Deuce: "U-umm...!"

Azul: "If you're just here to order, that'll be-"

BadGenius! Yuu: "Good evening, dorm leader. I forgot to tell you that I have friends visiting me for piano lessons. Please excuse us. We'll try to make little noise as possible."

Azul: "Ah, I see. So that explains the music coming from your room. If they make too much racket, I'm afraid we'll have to throw them out."

BadGenius! Yuu: "Yes, dorm leader. Goodnight."

• Once Azul was in the ADeuce and Grim's line of sight, they greeted him. Azul was suspicious of them for a moment before you intervened and then they made a beeline to your room. If he strained his ears hard enough, he might hear sighs of relief from the three as they walked through the hallway. The students in the lounge relaxed a bit and went back to their ongoing chatter.

• How curious... He knows you liked to play piano. But repeating the same sequence over and over again? Especially when your friends visit you every time?

• He felt like he needed to confirm something and approached Jade. He asked how many students have entered the establishment. To the silver-haired man's surprise, Jade answered that there are 40 students. 40 STUDENTS. He observed the features of the nearby groups of students and finally, he recognized them... THOSE ARE THE STUDENTS THAT HE HASN'T MADE A DEAL WITH.

• The more students he observed, the more memories come flooding back to him... He remembers this beastman, he was in his class. Azul tried to offer him a contract but he fled without glancing back... He remembers that student, too. Azul encountered him in the hallway but he avoided him before Azul could speak... He remembers him, too. He went the other way... And him, as well... And him... And him...! ALL OF THE STUDENTS HERE AVOIDED HIS OFFER.

• Azul feels like there's a plan at hand being set here. He doesn't want to assume and just rely on that alone, but... You've been acting distant lately ever since he gave you that advice and... There were other students visiting the lounge in search of you despite the exam's date drawing near... Are you...? No, you're an honor student. You can't possibly.... Unless...?

Azul: "... Jade."

Jade: "Yes?"

Azul: "Observe BadGenius! Yuu. There's something going on here."

Jade: "I thought so. How long?"

Azul: "Until the exams are over."

• ... Don't be mad at him once he learns your secret. You cheated, after all.

To be Continued...

#Twisted Wonderland x reader #Twisted Wonderland x male reader #Twisted Wonderland x GN reader #Twisted Wonderland x Female reader #Twst x reader #Twst x male reader #Twst x GN reader #Twst x female reader #Twst x prodigy reader #Twisted Wonderland x prodigy reader #Azul Ashengrotto x reader #Azul Ashengrotto x prodigy reader #Azul Ashengrotto x male reader #Azul Ashengrotto x GN reader #Azul Ashengrotto x female reader

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townpostin · 3 months ago

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NIRF 2024: IISc Bengaluru Tops University Rankings Again

JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia secure second and third positions respectively The Ministry of Education’s NIRF 2024 reveals top educational institutions across various categories, with notable changes in evaluation criteria. JAMSHEDPUR – The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 results have been unveiled, showcasing India’s premier educational establishments in diverse…

#मुख्य #educational excellence #engineering college rankings #Featured #Higher Education in India #IISc Bengaluru #management institute rankings #medical college rankings #NIRF 2024 rankings #NIRF evaluation criteria #state university rankings #top Indian universities

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shelyue99 · 4 months ago

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A timeline re the friendship between Dick Winters and Lewis Nixon, in Dick’s own words.

Officer Candidate School(OCS), Fort Benning, April 1942

During my time at OCS one of the officer candidates caught my attention. Lewis Nixon was the son of privilege and wealth. Born September 30, 1918, Nixon was the grandson of the last man to design a battleship as an individual. Educated at Yale and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "Nix" was far more educated than most of the members of the class. —Beyond Band of Brothers

Toccoa, August 1942

Later we served as platoon leaders under Sobel's command. A special bond always exists among the platoon commanders in any military company, particularly when they perceive their own commander as 'the enemy.' I stayed in Easy Company, but Nix was transferred to higher headquarters. He drank too much, but he was also very conscientious. He was conscientious in his own way, on a man-to-man basis, and he always looked at what would best benefit the battalion. —Conversations with Major Dick Winters

Camp Mackall, February 1943

In addition, a number of Easy Company's officers were transferred to battalion staff, including Lewis Nixon, Clarence Hester, and George Lavenson. As I had grown quite fond of Nixon, I was sad to see him leave Easy Company. —Beyond Band of Brothers

Normandy, June 1944

"Nix" and I completely understood each other. We possessed a common understanding about leadership, of how troops should be employed, and how battles should be fought. On reflection, Nixon always seemed to be around. We had known each other from our days in Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning and at Toccoa, but our friendship was not cemented until Normandy.

After the fight at Brecourt, I had requested additional ammunition for my men. When none arrived, I went to battalion headquarters myself, where I saw Colonel Strayer and his staff studying the map that I had found on one of the guns. I blew my top, which was totally inappropriate considering my rank. Nixon, however, was instrumental in obtaining that ammunition. Later, when we aboard the LST returning from France, he approached me and asked that I deliver a lecture on leadership to the rest of the officers at battalion. That caught my attention. —Beyond Band of Brothers

Holland, Septembre 1944

By the time we jumped into Holland, I was so lonely that I needed someone in whom I could confide my inner thoughts. That someone was Nix. Whenever the bullets began to fly, I could turn and there stood Nix. He always walked on my left side, one or two steps behind me. This was his token of respect for me as a commander. —Conversations with Major Dick Winters

From a personal standpoint, I would have been devastated had Nixon been killed. As a leader you do not stop and calculate your losses during combat. You cannot stop a fight and ask yourself how many casualties you have sustained. You calculate losses only when the fight is over. Ever since the second week of the invasion, casualties had been my greatest concern. Victory would eventually be ours, but the casualties that had to be paid were the price that hurt. In that regard Nixon seemed a special case.

As different in temperament as Nixon and I were, he was the one man to whom I could talk. He provided an outlet that allowed me to unburden myself as a combat leader. —Beyond Band of Brothers

Mourmelon, March 1945

Nixon's return to battalion staff was the result of his repeated drunkenness. Colonel Sink recognized Nixon's tactical brilliance, but he was fed up with his excessive drinking. One day Sink visited me and asked me point-blank, "Can you get along with Nixon?"

"Yes, sir, I can get along with him."

"Can you get something out of him?"

Again I responded, "Yes, sir, we work together very well."

"Would you like to have him back?"

"Yes, sir, I would."

"You've got him."

And that is how Nixon returned to battalion staff. From a personal perspective, it was nice being reunited with Nix. —Beyond Band of Brothers

Mourmelon, March 23, 1945

The 101st was allowed to send observers, so I dispatched Captain Lewis Nixon. Fortunately, for Nixon, he was assigned to be jumpmaster of his aircraft. As he approached the drop zone, his plane was struck by heavy antiaircraft fire. Nixon and three other men made it out of the plane, but the rest were lost when the plane crashed.

Nix remained with the 17th Airborne Division for one night and was then returned to 2d Battalion at Mourmelon on a special plane. Nix's brush with death left him visibly shaken, particularly when at this stage in the war, no one intentionally put himself in danger now that victory was at hand. Captain Nixon found his usual retreat in alcohol that evening, but I was glad to see him safe. —Beyond Band of Brothers

Joigny, September 16, 1945

Capt. Nixon left this week, which makes everything just dandy. I am about as lonesome as a lovesick swab who married a Wave on an eight hour pass. —Hang Tough

On reflection:

On the surface no two individuals were more diametrically opposed in temperament than Nixon and I. I was a confirmed teetotaler and never swore. I preferred a quiet evening in the barracks to the nightlife of Columbus, Georgia, or neighboring Phenix City, Alabama. Despite the differences in lifestyle, I sensed we shared mutual feelings and ways of looking at life. I could understand him and help him understand me, as well as understand himself. Our friendship evolved naturally, and he soon became my closest friend. Lewis Nixon was the finest combat officer with whom I served under fire. He was utterly dependable and totally fearless. —Beyond Band of Brothers

In hindsight, Nix probably needed me as much as I needed him. He was undoubtedly the coolest man under fire whom I ever encountered in combat. —Conversations with Major Dick Winters

#dick winters #lewis nixon #band of brothers #winnix

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yatagarasuhonyaku · 16 days ago

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The Raven of the Empty Coffin: Prologue

Disclaimer: This is a fan-translation japanese-english of the original novel. The events of this novel follow after what's already covered by the anime. For an easier understanding, I recommend first reading the few scenes of previous books I've already translated.

Blog version

⊛　　　　　⊛　　　　　 ⊛

As the outer(1) books say: you shall know of the unbending reed in a gale, learn of the perennial tree in the heavy frost, and observe the great mountain in the storm.

Understand the strength of the grass that will not bend when the gale blows, of the tree that will not yield even when the frost falls, of the mountain that will not collapse when the storm rages.

In a peaceful land, many are those whose loyalty is no more than empty words; and few are the ones who act to prove their fealty in times of upheaval. It is only in troubled times when those truly loyal first become apparent.

Hence, I shall concede this place the name of Unbending Reed Monastery, as it is to become the place of learning for those in possession of genuine loyalty.

“The Golden Raven(2) Bestowing Unbending Reed Monastery Its Name”, from “Chronicles of the Temples of Yamauchi”

Prologue

“Hey, have you heard? It sounds like an unbelievable ‘monster’ is joining us this year.”

The rumors first reached him in the morning, the very same day the new trainees were scheduled to arrive.

“What do you mean by ‘monster’?”

“As in someone strong?”

Faced with the questions of a skeptical breakfast-eating crowd, the rumormonger answered. “That much I can’t say, but he seems to be the son of a very distinguished family. He outranks everyone here at the Monastery for sure.”

Oh, no wonder then, was the immediate general consensus. Nobody around the haphazardly placed four-legged trays, filled with an assortment of food, seemed to question it any further.

“I was thinking that the people from the Center seemed weirdly nervous lately. So that was the reason, huh.”

“Well, if they mess things up, they're going to lose all their privileges to the newcomer.”

“Eh, not like they need to mess anything up for that, you know? There’s no way they’ll be able to push people around anymore, not like they did before at least.” After all, they didn't have any talent whatsoever beyond their social status. Assuming a student with a higher rank did actually arrive, it would force them into paying court to him instead.

“Ridiculous,” Ichiryuu spat out in a low voice, in quite the contrast to his fellow students’ excitement. He had been listening with great interest at first, curious about this ‘unbelievable monster’, but in the end it was all complete rubbish.

“What's wrong, Ichiryuu?” One of his friends, who had somehow heard him complain, turned to him and asked.

Ichiryuu made a show out of snorting.

“As far as we know, the only thing he has going for him is his rank. To call someone like that a ‘monster’? It makes me laugh. We are warriors,” he added, a frown on his face as he looked around the room, “no matter how high your birth, it means nothing if you lack the skill with a sword. We really should leave the ‘monster’ talk for when we see his performance at the dojo.”

The Unbending Reed Monastery, the institution Ichiryuu and the others belonged to, was the training facility for the Yamauchi Guard: the organization in charge of protecting the Imperial Family.

The role of commanding the country and leading the Yatagarasu fell on the Golden Raven, who took residence in Central Mountain and the Imperial Court built inside of it, and protecting the Mountain and its surroundings from any harm was the job of the Feather Grove Heavenly Hosts(3).

Meanwhile, the Yamauchi Guard’s one and only job was to keep the Imperial Family—the Golden Raven's relatives—safe. Furthermore, while the Feather Grove had a Great General at the top, the Yamauchi Guard only took direct orders from the Imperial Family members they personally served.

The Guard was an elite organization; its warriors’ skill was leagues above the rest. As the position did of course come with matching privileges, it was stipulated that all members had to overcome the harsh training of the Unbending Reed Monastery. Your social status did not matter, only talent was required— at least in theory. A long time had passed since the last time that had actually been true.

Ichiryuu's words were born out of frustration towards his fellow trainees’ obsession with bloodlines. The other trainees, however, looked at him as if he had just grown three heads.

“What’s up with him? Did he eat something bad from the ground?”

“No, no, you got it wrong. He wants to be the cool senior, you see, so he's putting on airs already.”

“Just let him be,” people concluded in whispers, just loud enough for Ichiryuu to hear it all.

“You little—” Ichiryuu moved as if to stand up, but he was cut short by the rumormonger, who had just raised both his arms.

“Now, now, calm down, Ichiryuu. I wouldn't call someone a monster either just because they have high status. I have another good reason,” he said with a knowing smile. “Apparently, this newcomer was Wakamiya's close aide before this.”

“Wakamiya's close aide!?”

“Wait, is that true?”

“Now that's amazing!”

The trainees, their eyes wide open, started a ruckus. Wakamiya was the title of the Crown Prince, referring to the man that would one day shoulder all of Yamauchi. To be his close aide was a near guarantee to become one of the next Golven Raven's close advisers and hence seize power in the Imperial Court in the future. There was no mistaking it: this ‘monster' had one of the brightest futures possible for all Yatagarasu already promised to him.

“...... But, isn't that weird? He could have just joined the Imperial Court directly, why bother to come to the Monastery of all places?” someone said, skeptical.

Ichiryuu found himself frowning. As the Imperial Court stood at the moment, the On'i System was there to guarantee a rank fitting to their birthright for any noble. If Wakamiya had grown fond of someone with a low enough status then, yes, it would make some sense to send him to the Monastery so he could get a promotion through official means. However, this rumored ‘monster’ was supposed to be from the high nobility.

“Apparently, His Highness said that using the On'i System would be a waste of his talents, or something like that.”

“Really? It’s not like there’s any guarantee he'll even manage to graduate from the Monastery.”

The trainees, who knew better than anyone how brutal training at the Unbending Reed Monastery was, all exchanged glances at once.

“Well, there’s no way for us to know right now. No matter how talented they say he is, that's just by the standards of a Central Noble, am I wrong?”

“But, if the rumors are true and he has both the physical strength and the status, then that's truly a total monster.”

“Whatever, we should be fine as long as he isn't some snotty ass brat.”

While Ichiryuu's fellow trainees were all busy discussing the news animatedly, he stayed silent, too busy ruminating on the information he had just been given. The young son of an important noble family, and Wakamiya's close aide. He could have been given a high rank at the Court with no effort whatsoever, yet he still chose to come to Unbending Reed Monastery. Plus, he was young enough to join in the first place.

With a soft thump, the face of a certain boy came to mind.

——No. It couldn't be him, right?

After a moment, Ichiryuu shook his head. It was impossible. He made a point to take that image, that devious smile hiding under an airheaded facade, off his mind. After all, that guy had said so, hadn't he? That there was no way he was attending the Monastery, that he had no plans to enter the Imperial Court. It was the exact reason Ichiryuu had chosen to become a trainee.

As if to shake off the terrible feeling that had just overcome him, Ichiryuu scarfed down the white rice that remained in his bowl.

After breakfast, his entire group went to the dojo. Spring Break was yet to end, so morning training wasn't mandatory. And so, after a few light drills between those who had come on their own, they all set off to the nearby watering hole to clean off their sweat.

Then, at that precise moment—

“Hey, a newcomer has already arrived!” A fellow trainee, who had gone slightly ahead of the rest, called to them. Ichiryuu's group raised their voices in excitement.

“He sure is fast.”

“Is he truly a newcomer?”

“Most likely yes, and he's coming by flying carriage.”

A mode of transportation only available to the high nobility, it was kept in the air by huge horses. This had to be it. The so-called ‘monster’ that had everyone talking in the morning. Upon this realization, the group started to rush over there. Ichiryuu was in less of a hurry, still incapable of shaking off that bad feeling about the ‘monster'. His steps were heavy as he took his time with each one.

By the time he, the very last one to arrive, finally caught up with the rest, his friends were all crammed behind the azalea bushes, getting a look at their junior.

“I see. He arrived early to move all his furniture.”

“Look at that, he’s bringing so much luggage. I only brought a wrapping cloth worth of stuff with me.”

“And look where he's going too, isn't that the newest dormitory room?”

“The instructors must have gone out of their way to keep him happy.”

As his friends kept on with the half-mocking, half-joking remarks, Ichiryuu was busy thinking. As far as he knew, the person he thought of as the potential ‘monster’ was not the kind to enjoy luxury. Yet, still with fear in his heart, Ichiryuu took a look over the others’ shoulders at the teenager in question.

He first saw his back, his shoulder raised all high and mighty under the cherry blossoms in full bloom. His outfit shined impressively under the sunlight: it was a deep red, covered in white embroidery.

The servants kept on carrying his luggage, but the boy didn't move: he simply stood there imposingly. Instead, he gave them instructions with his folding fan, dyed into a light purple gradient with gold leaf speckles all over. His hair was a glossy reddish brown and neatly brushed.

The boy then turned around to talk with the servants, and Ichiryuu finally caught sight of his face. He was handsome, more than anyone he had ever seen before. His skin was the color of newly blossomed white peonies under dusk, his big eyes shone like reflections on a pond, and his face was soft like that of a woman. The boy was not only beautiful, but also had clear charisma. He was the kind that drew people in naturally, overflowing with pride and confidence.

If one of those poets from the Court had been here, his beauty would have called for a poem or two.

Not like any of that mattered to Ichiryuu, who was too busy experiencing relief. The so-called ‘close aide’ standing there wasn't that guy. Thank goodness, it wasn't him! The second he realized, his mood immediately lifted as if it had never dropped in the first place.

“What a face.”

“Well, nobles only take beauties as concubines, you see.”

“Dammit, wouldn’t it be nice if he fell on his face or something.”

Meanwhile, his friends were still watching the boy and whispering to each other. In stark contrast to them, however, Ichiryuu left the place behind with the lightest of hearts.

Once he had cleaned himself, Ichiryuu went on to his newly assigned dormitory room in the second building, tenth room. It would be his castle for the following year.

The trainees at Unbending Reed Monastery had to overcome three trials, one per year, through their education there. There was a proverb preserved in ancient documents that said as such: ‘you shall know of the unbending reed in a gale, learn of the perennial tree in the heavy frost, and observe the great mountain in the storm.’

It’s when the gales blow that the sturdy grass proves itself. The trees too prove their resilience by surviving the harsh frost, and so it's in times of genuine struggle that the truly strong become clear. The monastery based its trials on it, and thus they were referred to as the Trial of Gale, the Trial of Frost, and the Trial of Storm.

During their first year, trainees were referred to as Seeds(4), as they still had yet to even germinate. It was once they passed the Trial of Gale at the end of the year that they transitioned to Saplings. The Trial of Frost awaited them a year later, and those who managed to pass it would reach their last year and become Evergreens.

Although plenty of seeds sprout, few get to become fully grown trees. In this manner, very few trainees ever became Evergreens. On top of that, those Evergreens also had to overcome the harshest of the tests, the Trial of Storm, and get good enough results to even qualify for the Yamauchi Guard.

Of the three trainee categories, only Evergreens had their own individual rooms. Seeds and Saplings had to share one single tiny room in groups of three. In most cases, this meant one Sapling and two Seeds, with the Sapling in charge of the room, overseeing his juniors, and mentoring them about the fundamentals of life at the Monastery.

For the Seeds, this was a massive problem.

About half of the Seeds resigned every year without ever becoming Saplings and, while a part of the reason was the brutality of the Trial of Gale, social dynamics were often the actual cause. Ichiryuu considered himself fortunate in that regard, but even he struggled with it. To become a Sapling and not have to worry about the seniors’ mood had been a relief, and he was also looking forward to having juniors.

Being told he was ‘playing up the cool senior’ may have pissed him off, but thinking about it, there was some truth to it. Very soon, it would be time for his juniors to arrive in their shared room.

His nerves were fried, but in an attempt to look a bit more imposing to the newcomers, he chose to sit behind the desk at the back of the room. Finally, the surroundings became more lively, and he soon started to hear the rumble of anxiously chattering boys from the nearby rooms. Just as he was thinking about it, he sensed someone standing in front of the door.

“Excuse me, but is the senior of the tenth room already in the room?” someone said with a clear and booming voice. It was as if he had come to ask for a duel instead.

That caught Ichiryuu by surprise. He had expected a shaky, timid voice at the other side.

“Come in.”

“Excuse me then,” the voice answered as soon as he gave permission.

And, at the same time, the door opened with a loud thud. On the other side, there was an oonyuudou(5)-like giant, barely even fitting within the door's frame. He paid no mind to a dumbfounded Ichiryuu and immediately attempted to enter the room, proceeding to slam his head against the lintel. The giant stood there wincing in pain for a second, but his expression quickly shifted to a shy smile as he knelt in front of Ichiryuu.

“It's an honor to meet you. My name is Shigemaru, and I'll be under your care here in the tenth room.”

Despite Shigemaru's flawless politeness, he was so big Ichiryuu still found himself looking up. He had healthy tanned skin, and his thick unkempt eyebrows looked like massive caterpillars. His imposing face was somehow countered by a round button nose and jet black eyes, which gave him a very gentle aura instead. He looked like a bear that had everything intimidating taken away from him and was, indeed, a perfectly pleasing young man.

“...... How old are you exactly?”

“Ah, I'll be 18 in two months.”

“Eight… teen.”

To enter the Unbending Reed Monastery, and to become a trainee, you had to be between 15 and 17 years old when joining. For the most part, the children of nobility joined as soon as they reached the minimum age possible, as if they had been waiting for the chance to do so. Those who joined at 17 were nearly always commoners.

Ichiryuu was the son of rural aristocracy so, like most others, he became a Seed at 15. Which put him in a strange situation: he was a senior to an older, much bigger junior. And, just like that, his initial dream of being the confident and dependable mentor to a nervous youth was utterly shattered.

Shigemaru was at least very polite and respectful, a small blessing, but, how to put it… he had something different in mind, something more innocent and pure.

“Ah, well, yes. I'm Ichiryuu, a Sapling. We'll be sharing a room this year, it's nice to meet you,” Ichiryuu said in a panic. He had completely forgotten to introduce himself until just then.

“Ah, yes, I know that much,” Shigemaru replied with a carefree smile, “I'm from Shimaki Township(6), you see. Rumors about the third son of our Lord have reached me before. You have become such a wonderful young man. As one of your subjects, I'm filled with pride.”

So he was from his homeland, which made things even harder for him.

As Ichiryuu was struggling to find a good answer, Shigemaru suddenly turned around to look at something behind him.

“You know him too, don't you?”

It was then that Ichiryuu finally realized the other newcomer was already there too, hidden behind Shigemaru's massive frame. He seemed to be quite tiny. Ichiryuu proceeded to try to fix his pose in a desperate attempt to look imposing, at least for this other one. That’s when he realized.

“Yes, of course.”

——That voice sounded terribly familiar for some reason.

“Of course we know each other, Ichiryuu and I are what one could even call childhood friends. Although, it may be impossible to treat him like before, now that he is our senior. I'm still glad I get to share a room with someone I can trust,” the boy said with a carefree laugh.

Just like that, as soon as he heard his voice, those memories—that he couldn’t forget despite himself—came back to haunt him. The pain ruthlessly inflicted onto him, the endless verbal abuse he went through. And, at the same time, an unflinching smile as if painted on his face and the shrill of that crazed laugh.

All of a sudden, the source of his nightmares leaned out of Shigemaru’s shadow.

His brown, soft-looking hair was held up in a ponytail. His face was quite nondescript, with nothing that truly struck one as characteristic. He looked completely harmless, but those terrifying, cunning eyes betrayed his true nature.

“Long time no see, Ichiryuu. Let me introduce myself again, I am Yukiya of Taruhi. Let’s get along from now on too,” the boy said with a bright smile on his lips.

Ichiryuu screamed in horror.

---------------------

1: The original term for Outer Books is 外書, which originally refers to ‘foreign books’ or non-buddhist books. Within the context of the setting and given similar terms used elsewhere, this refers to books written by humans outside Yamauchi.

2: After some consideration and for the sake of narrative clarity later on, all the Raven titles will be fully translated from now on. Those already introduced at this point in the novels are the Golden Raven (Emperor, Kin’u), Scarlet Raven (Empress, Seki’u) and White Raven (Head Priest, Haku’u).

3: The Feather Grove Heavenly Hosts (羽林天軍, read Urin Tengun) are very briefly referred to in The Golden Raven. They’re the Center Army and don’t concern themselves with imperial matters. Their General is always the Northern Lord, so they’re at present controlled by Yukiya’s grandfather: he is the one to send them out in reconnaissance during the Monkeys’ attack.

4: The original terms for Seed, Sapling and Evergreen are as follows: 荳児, using the kanji for bean and child; 草牙, grass and fang (it itself being one radical away from 芽, meaning bud); and 貞木, which is a word to refer to evergreen trees.

5: Oonyuudou are youkai from Japanese folklore, traditionally giants who look like buddhist monks. Given the setting, they may as well truly exist.

6: After much consideration, I’ve switched the term Village as the anime uses it with Township. Townships (郷) in Yamauchi are provinces within a specific Region. Every Region is divided into a total of three Townships, and the Township Lord governs and controls all villages within their territory. The Townships in the North are Shimaki, Taruhi and Shigure.

#Translation: The Raven of the Empty Coffin #yatagarasu #yatagarasu series #the raven does not choose its master #karasu wa aruji wo erabanai

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