#i demand karmic retribution

[ambigrueity]

Incredibly long post about Trey and Riddle's Relationship that I vaguely said I'd do in the tags of my posts somewhere

Disclaimer: this is not intended to be shipping in any way I very much view them as family, even more so after these updates. To start with I'm going to separate their relationship into 3 distinct stages and focus on their perceptions of each other at each stage. I think their relationship is wonderfully written As usual, I ramble so sorry in advance, but I really want to analyze how complex they are.

Stage one: Childhood: ||Riddle|| A friend: Trey and Chenya were Riddle's first friends. Riddle had spent his whole life knowing the four walls of his home and his mother and both Trey and Chenya were his gateway to experiencing the world outside his windows. As such, they're immensely valuable to him. Under his mother he had no other way to grow socially, so when provided with a logical reason for going out and playing (Chenya stated his grandpa believed play is a form of study) he jumped at it because he wanted that connection. Trey specifically was his ideal. I think he looked up to him a lot. Normal home life. His mother didn't confine or trap him in any way. And he could eat whatever he liked. That's why when Trey said that one or two slices of tart wouldn't hurt, it was good enough to sway Riddle. All his life he'd grown up hearing about sweets being poison. But Trey seems happy and fulfilled so surely it's not as bad. However, breaking his mother's rule made him lose everything. The momentary friendship he'd built and any chance of freedom. It impressed upon him the importance of following the rules because breaking them lead to loss. And on top of that, it left him with guilt. I talk a lot about Trey's guilt in this situation (and I will talk more) but Riddle has his own guilt too that just manifested in a different way. More on that later.

||Trey|| A brother: While Riddle might have viewed Trey as a friend (no doubt because he was an isolated only child with a different perception and a lot of baggage tied to the world family), Trey saw him as a brother. He expressly states in his dream that Riddle was smart enough to identify plants and flowers and had enough magic control to get their soccer ball out of the trees, and he felt proud to have a smart little brother. And this sort of label is easier for him because he comes from a rather healthy family with siblings and has a blood brother around Riddle's age. Instinctively, Riddle became someone he wanted to care for, spoil, and cherish. That's why after knowing Riddle wanted to try a tart he wanted to let him. Later on, he tries to dismiss or come to terms with his actions in various ways, stating that it was not his place and of course anyone would get upset if their house rules and dietary restrictions weren't being respected. He tries to make it out into a joke, saying it's become a family incident of sorts that they just laugh about. "Who gets that mad at children playing." But underneath all those attempts to bury his own trauma, lies guilt. Because he feels, deep down, that as a brother he should have protected Riddle better. And instead, after just 2 months, he had to see everything that made Riddle happy stripped away again. More on this later. Stage 2: Riddle's First Year

||Riddle|| A stranger. Riddle's changed. He's developed some of his mother's anger. He's been confined for years. And because of that one incident with the tart, he firmly believes that growth and by extension fulfillment can only happen under the rules. Moreover, since Trey represents that period of his life where he learned that lesson rather harshly, he ices Trey out, pretending he barely knows him. After all, they might as well be strangers after all these years. Especially since Trey is banned from his house. This is a result of the guilt I mentioned earlier. He failed to follow his mother's rules and the punishment put Trey and his peaceful family that he looked up to in the crossfire. I think a part of him doesn't know how to face Trey after all that, worried that he might hate him. However, he cannot fully erase his own memories. So it is Trey he consults when he asks how to challenge a dorm leader for the seat. Even if he's distancing himself by calling him "Clover-senpai" Trey still remains someone he trusts to a degree. After Riddle takes the throne he makes a decision I find interesting. He doesn't select a vice, instead he leaves it to the popular vote. This could be read two ways IMO. Either, he didn't feel the need to have a vice because he was so confident in his own skills, but was aware that it was customary to have one so it didn't matter to him who it was. Or, deep down, he was afraid that no one would be willing to work with him. After seeing his dream, I do think it might be the latter. All of the darkness versions of his card soldiers showed some form of disloyalty. Willing to go along with the idea that they might jump ship, or that Riddle could be overpowered. It's this insecurity born from his own fear of his mother. He knows he's become a reflection of her, and he's worried how other people might react to it. In the end, he's still chasing those relationships from childhood, but is stuck believing that rules are the only way to keep what little happiness he has which alienates him from Trey to a degree. ||Trey|| A brother still: Despite the years, Trey's feelings about Riddle hadn't changed much other than being swamped with underlying guilt. Upon realizing that Riddle was going to attend NRC, his first instinct was to create a space for him. Trey generally, is introverted but excited to see his childhood friend again, he ends up talking to the people around him saying that Riddle was a quiet but studious boy and he hopes that people will welcome him. That was at least, before he saw what Riddle had become (he ended up fighting Floyd at the entrance ceremony) leaving Trey with the realization that this was not the boy he knew anymore. And worse, he was pretending not to know him. I'm sure it hurt, but even so, when RIddle asked about dueling the housewarden, he did try to accommodate him (after getting over his initial shock). The thing that gets me the most, however, is that Trey still saw the good in him. Trey in the rose maze part of Riddle's dream tells Ortho that the first thing Riddle did when he became housewarden was tend to the roses. To him that was a sign that Riddle was still somewhere in there and he was willing to support that. He would have been resigned to accepting that he was a stranger to Riddle if he hadn't been elected vice, but regardless of how Riddle felt, Trey still felt responsible for him. Both out of guilt and because he was still family.

[twistedwonderlandimaginesblog]

I'm in LOVE with your Dad!Leona headcanon. Can I request Leona's reaction to his daughter throwing a tantrum after he beat her in chess?? Ty!🤍🤍🤍

Leona Kingscholar:

Had he been that bad? Leona had no doubt he had scowled, pouted, perhaps even threatened Kifaji once or twice. He knew the old man had plenty of stories, and that perhaps this interaction was karmic retribution that had long since been written in the stars, but surprisingly it doesn’t bother him. As much as he still considered kids a pain in the ass he had a certain amount of patience for his own, willing to deal with her tantrum but without babying her. A loss was a loss, and he made it known he wasn’t going to go easy just because of her acting out, which only seemed to negatively affect her mood. He’s surprised when she asked to play again another time before storming off.

Leona sees the gears in her head turning with each loss, her moves more carefully thought out (though her age and inexperience showed, despite it all). She began to recognize his favorite strategies, yet still couldn’t figure out how to stop them, her frustration welling up to the point of tears at certain points. He remained calm as ever, not teasing or acting smug, simply continuing the game and seeing if she was still invested or needed a break. He didn’t know how he got such a determined and stubborn child but it was amusing, to say the least; despite each loss she continued to demand they play together.

She wasn’t a challenging opponent but it was fascinating to see the way she was growing, how much influence she had taken from him while he also had front row seats to the way they differed. It was a bonding activity regardless of the pre-determined outcome, which might come to change the older and wiser she became, but Leona decided he had to see it to truly believe she could beat him.

[lmsr-lilitu-sephiroth]

Equivalent Exchange Spell

This is a quick-spell made from a place of desire to balance the scales in my life, intended for fair retribution and repayment. I'm an abuse survivor, and sick of being treated like the villain because I wouldn't quietly lay down and take it.

No options for legal recourse, but you've been wronged by someone, or multiple others? Or perhaps the legal recourse that was available to you has left you feeling justice hasn't adequately been served?

Enter: this newly created spell intended to balance the scales, inspired partially by the concept of equivalent exchange from Fullmetal Alchemist/Brotherhood. If all you've been able to do was give and give without any true compensation, no repayment for your strife, then you're the intended audience for this.

The basic materials needed:

A sheet of paper (with or without lines)

A pencil, preferably (something non-toxic)

A fire-safe bowl

Something to start a small fire

Before you begin, make sure you're in a well ventilated space. This spell involves fire and burning paper. Please practice fire safety.

Spell transcript:

Equivalent Exchange

To you who've stolen from me, return in equal measure the energy it was worth.

To you who've robbed me of innocence and joy, return in equal measure the energy it was worth.

To you who've abused and broken me down, return in equal measure the energy it was worth.

The Wheel of Fortune ever turns

Justice is ever measured and served

Judgement is ever brought to term

Your karmic debt must be paid

Your own devil has come to collect

Your sins have been tallied in full

Athena, I call you to guide me

Ares, I call you to avenge me

Thor, I call you to defend me

By my will and power, I command and demand reparations paid in full.

Open your magical space in whatever way you usually do.

Air out your grievances to the universe, to make sure the gods/spirit knows your plight. You are fully free to change up who you call upon. Athena, Ares, and Thor are just who I felt I ought to call to.

Recopy these words on your piece of paper and fold it so they're concealed on the inside. Optionally, you may smear a bodily fluid on the page before you fold it to boost the magic (but please be careful with it and understand this is also a further binding action). Once you've folded the paper, charge it with whatever method you prefer or find the easiest. Repeat your grievances as you do.

When you've finished charging it, drop the paper in your fire-safe bowl and set it on fire. Make sure the entire piece of paper burns to ashes, then do as you see fit with those ashes.

Thank any of the entities you called upon for help, and make whatever offerings you see fit to. The base spell, itself, is done. You are free to close your ritual space however you usually do.

And there you have it!

I see this as something sitting at the cross hairs of justice and revenge. So a small word of caution: while this is directed towards others who have harmed you, I don't guarantee you as the spellcaster won't be made to pay some of your own karmic debt in the process. Again, this is about balancing the scales, and retribution and repayment for the wrongs that have been done. I'd rather recommend you make sure you've unpacked your trauma before you begin this, and take into account your own behavior.

What actions in the outside world do you need to take to ensure the spell goes smoothly for you? Don't forget about that, too. Is there someone else in the situation who has been manipulated and swayed against you, who you need to make amends with over other things being used against you? If you've been made a villain like me, whether by family, a wider community, or anyone else, eventually you'll have to confront why that happened and just how true the reasons for it are in the first place.

As it is, spell or no spell, the day of reckoning eventually comes for everyone. In my opinion, you might as well be as proactive about it as you reasonably can.

[radioiaci]

No, Alastor had not changed completely. It was a process - and one that he was struggling with every step of the way. His body was practically reviling against it, forcing his chest to constrict in ways he was not accustomed to; made him feel...

Nauseous?

Not a sensation he was familiar with either. Not when he was always so plagued with everlasting hunger. So desperate to fill his stomach with blood, food, or flesh. All he could feel in the moment, however, was the weird, uncomfortable twisting in his gut. Something anxious and nervous. But he willed it to not show on his face. Even if the sensation sharpened with Vox's apparent dismissive tone given in return.

First of all, he thought, incredulous.

Yes, Alastor was prone to running his mouth. It was what he did. And this, seemingly, was no exception.

"I see. You are punishing me. I understand."

Bitter about it, but he knew he had little right to be.

"I gave you the option to say no. You could at least speak the damn word if you are so intent on turning me away." Because yes, Alastor also knew that he had been told to leave more than once. Had nearly done so, too. And perhaps that was what it had to be. What he had to take this as. The rejection given in turn to the one he had made Vox suffer through.

Karmic retribution.

But that did not stop him from being haughty and offended.

"I will stand here until you say it."

Stubborn. Folding arms across his chest as he pinned ears back and against his hair. Not a demand that he had any right to make, but Alastor did not stop being a petty shithead in a single night.

Suffering for suffering.

Vox looked over the radio demon as he slunk in via his shadows. Looking as put together as ever- sans the jacket still missing. He wasn't actually sure where those had gone.

Some part of him was shocked that he had moved in, and right in front of him. Not even to the side or behind him. He had told the other man to get out twice now and here he still was. Alastor looked like he was not enjoying this part. Good. He hoped it hurt.

Something different bloomed in his chest when Alastor actually started speaking again. There was no way he was actually going to just say it again. Without all his wordy jaunty preamble and dodginess. Just... Outright.

His eyes moved to rest on Alastor's almost automatically. Like he had to quick study everything about it to judge how much he believed him. Maybe it was why Alastor faltered. Vox's eye contact left when he finished his sentence. It wasn't the same sentence. Or even the entirety of what he had said. Good to know Alastor hadn't changed completely.

Vox took a very slow inhale and then exhaled again, his claws shifted a tiny bit like he had expected or hoped his cigarette was still there. It was burnt out, on the carpet over there.

After a long moment Vox looked toward the window of his room.

"Mm.." he said curtly. Not keen on just playing right into whatever the radio demon was asking for. There was no way this was as genuine as it seemed. That Alastor wouldn't just disappear for another odd number of years when he got home and realized what he'd said just now.

He did seem genuine though...

He would let the silence sit otherwise. Sometimes people ran their mouths if left to silence. Gave more away.

[ddelline]

a story about reaping and sowing

have been chewing my lip bloody at work for the past couple of days bc I'm being forced to deal w a lot of entitled ass men who think they know better than me & my colleagues (in our own space, mind you). it unwittingly made me think of one time at a uni party when a semi-drunk frat boy came up to me on the dance floor, demanded to have my nicotine (despite my gently advising against it), and ended up w him passing out and subsequently got kicked out (and banned, lol) from the venue in question

cut bc I ramble and this is a dumb ass story in essence lol, but it is funny bc karmic retribution is a bitch

I was taking a snus (scandi tobacco/nicotine pouches), minding my business, when he shoves into my space. asks: "is that drugs??" me: uh, well, not really. I mean in a sense, it's nicotine him: give me one, I've never seen those me: well, I don't think I should, these are really strong (I do a brand on nicotine-only ones w/ mint; one pouch contains the nicotine equivalent of 4-ish cigarettes) him: *waits expectantly, hand outstretched* me: do you smoke? him: sometimes. they can't be that strong, you're doing them. have you seen me? I'm kinda bigger than you, huh (this guy is pushing 200cm, compared to my 170cm) me, at this point getting pissed at the sheer tone (not to mention the audacity of the wording): alright, but spit it out immediately if you start feeling dizzy. people react differently to nicotine him: yeah yeah sure, whatever

I give him one. he sticks it under his lip. 20 seconds pass, nothing happens apart from some whining about it burning (it's mint, it burns like a fucker at first)

then he wobbles. says "I don't feel so good....." and grabs for my shoulder.

then he passes the fuck out. I felt so bad so I ended up calling an uber and driving him home, shouldering him up the xtremely long and narrow stairs to his frat house (amsterdam housing. iykyk) despite....well, I did warn him

moral of the story: don't get up in my face demanding shit if I know better!!!! it might make you pass out

bonus note in before anyone thinks he was in danger: he rly wasn't. if your nicotine tolerance is low and you take a really high dose you'll end up a) puking or worst case b) passing out for about three seconds. he did b) and then a), and was then fine. the first time I did my brand I couldn't stop talking or sit still for twenty minutes. my friend turned to me and asked if I was on speed. moral of the story #2: your tolerance has nothing to do w your height/weight/mass. it just is what it is

[theinternetisfulloftrash]

Hiiiii, You should have seen how excited I got when you reblogged the prompts! Can I please have -

❛ i’m not wearing any underwear. thought you’d like to know. ❜ with Dylan or Mitch (you decide) <333 Thank you!!!!

AWH!

I'm so glad you're excited! I'm nervous because I've never really done these before, but I wanted to challenge myself. I love my serial, but I can feel trapped by it a little sometimes, so it's nice to do something fun and non-committal. I do feel a bit like I'm stepping out on my fic though. No one tell it. This is just a one night stand ;)

I gotchu with the prompt! I'm gonna do it with Dylan, and you'll see why, I promise <3

P.S. I was so excited when you sent this one because I had an idea for it immediately when I saw it in the list of prompts!!! <3

Prompt list HERE

Commando

Why does he have to look so god damn cozy and fuckable? And why does he have to be doing it when there's nothing you can do about it? He's got meetings and calls all day today, and you're just sitting there on the bed in your hotel room being slowly driven mad watching him charm the shit out of every single person that pops up on that screen. What makes matters worse? He knows he's driving you wild. He knows, and he likes it.

He's just about to click into another interview when he gets up from the sofa and crosses the room.

You're sitting on the bed, propped up against the headboard scrolling lazily through your phone, trying to make it seem like you've been ignoring him, even though you're certain he knows better.

"Whatcha doin'?" he asks, with feigned innocence that makes you want to smack him even harder than you already did.

"Nothing."

He leans onto the mattress on his curled fists. "Is someone having a bad day?" he teases, swinging a leg up onto the bed and sitting on it.

"I'm fine," you lie, not wanting any more satisfaction than catching you staring at him several times already had.

"Good," he says, scooching closer to press a kiss to your cheek.

You try to hold back the delicious little shudder that runs through your body, but what the hell is the point?

You feel the bed shake the tiniest bit when he lets out a little laugh. "So uh..." he breathes his words into your skin. "I'm not wearing any underwear..." he ghosts his lips along the shell your ear before he pulls back and gets up from the bed. "Just thought you'd like to know."

This. Fucker. What a fucking tease.

When he saunters back over to the couch, he's making a bit of a show of his ass in those black joggers he seems to live in these days. You find yourself wondering how you hadn't noticed he was commando before now. His ass always has a little more shake when it's bare under his pants, and when he sits down? Shit. Clearly teasing you had an unintended side effect.

You tried to hold in the small laugh, but he flashed a glance over at you. He was about to start a Zoom interview tenting in his pants. Karmic retribution, that's what that was. Well-deserved punishment for the tease of all teases.

"Looks like you've got a little problem, there Dyl..." You jut your chin toward him, a smirk on your face as you set your phone down next to you on the bed.

"Little?" he asks, gesturing down at his crotch.

"Fine...big problem" you emphasize the word. Leave it to him to demand you acknowledge his prowess at a time like this.

You hear the alert on his computer and watch him frantically reach into his pants and trap his erection in the waistband. That's not gonna work, and you know it. He knows it too. He's panicking a little bit now, and you almost feel bad. Almost.

"Shit," he curses under his breath, his hand on his dick in his pants. He's still for a moment before he's reaching for his phone on the coffee table.

You watch him tap out a message on the screen before he leans forward and types out another on his laptop. Then he slams the lid closed and turns to you.

"I have ten minutes."

Now's your chance to really hit him where it hurts. "And?" you say, snatching up your phone again, pretending you're looking at more than a black screen.

Dylan gets up off the couch. "Baby, come on..." he whines, collapsing a bit on bending knees before he's standing at the foot of the bed looking like a wounded puppy.

You tapped your screen to check the time. "Nine minutes," you say with a smirk.

He groans and grabs his hard-on through his pants. He's so cute when he's needy. He's pretty difficult to resist at the best of times, and you'd be lying if you said you didn't want him, so looking at him standing there with his dick in his hand looking at you like you're the only one in the world who can solve this problem is enough to have you caving.

"Come on then," you say tossing your phone aside.

His face lights with the delight of a kid on Christmas morning before he's rounding the end of the bed.

You don't have enough time to do much more than fix the immediate problem. He was gonna owe you, and you intended to collect five times over when he was done for the day.

"Sit," you say, grabbing his wrist and shoving him down onto the bed.

"Yes, Ma'am."

The bed is low enough that you can kneel on the floor in front of him. You lay your hands on his thighs, your fingers creeping up to pull down the waist of his joggers until his erection pops out. You wrap your hand around it and pump it one time, inching in between his thighs a little close.

His hands tangle into your hair, gathering it up into a ponytail to keep it out of the way.

"You're lucky I'm so nice," you say looking up at him with your lips so close to the tip of him you know the warmth of your breath must be like torture.

"Yes. So lucky," he agrees, nodding as he wets his lips with his tongue, the grip he has on your hair tightening enough that it stings.

You take that as your cue and open your mouth and swirl your tongue around the swollen tip of him before you seal your lips and take him into your mouth until he's prodding at the back of your throat.

"Fuck..." he groans, keeping your head still with the grip he has on you, forcing you to keep him deep in your mouth until he can feel that hint of struggle. You'd gotten so good at taking him deep.

You hollow your cheeks and begin to bob your head, your tongue painting patterns on the thick vein running along the underside of his length. You never really like to rush giving him head. It's too much fun to play with him, to get him close and let off enough to keep him right on the cusp of release. But you're on the clock, there's no time to toy with him—at least not right now—so you do what you know will get the job done.

You look up at him, at the way he's falling apart for you, and you nod your head. He knows what it means. It's permission. Permission to do what you know he loves. He's not making much sense at this point, but you're pretty sure there was a thank you in there before he's cupping your head between his hands and fucking into your mouth.

The erratic way his hips jolt forward as he drives himself into your mouth and down your throat every few thrusts makes you feel like you've got something he wants so desperately he'd be willing to sacrifice just about anything for it. It's empowering. You fight the natural reflex to gag when he drives himself down your throat, let him use you, let him have you.

"Oh shit...I'm gonna..." he pants, his fingers knotting into your hair. "Oh shit, yes! Fuck."

He tastes sweet and salty when he spills into your mouth, splashing off the roof of it as he pulses out rope after rope onto your tongue.

"Fuck...that was good."

"Mmm," you hum in agreement, sitting back on your calves as he tucks himself back in his pants. He looks strung the fuck out, red in the face, and you're pretty sure the interviewer would have to be blind to not know exactly what just happened in those ten extra minutes.

"What?" he asked, getting up from the bed, pulling you up from your knees to stand in front of him.

"Well, by my estimate...you've got about two minutes to sort out the fact that you look like you just had your brains blown out. Good luck."

[demoniqt]

Qijiu Week 2022

Day 5 - Family or Farming AU

Summary:

Usually, it's Shen Jiu who returns to have a second chance in life. This time, a jaded Yue Qi returns to do over in this time travel remix.

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

Yue Qi wiped a hand over his forehead, looking up at the rising sun with his other hand resting on the hoe he was using to till the dirt. Soon, the sun will be up high on the sky, making it too hot to continue his farming.

To his annoyance, he spied a figure flying in the distance. First a dot in the blue sky and then coming close enough for Yue Qi to identify as Liu Qingge.

Before, he would never describe his ex-shidi as annoying, but recently, the younger man's existence was grating on him like a thorn to his side.

That man can be so persistent.

Yue Qi waited until Liu Qingge landed before speaking.

"Peak Lord Liu," he greeted, face unsmiling, quite unlike the Cang Qiong Sect Leader he'd once been in another life.

"Any change?" Liu Qingge asked, straight to the point as always.

"No," Yue Qi answered. "He still doesn't remember his life... from before."

Liu Qingge's fists tightened as he audibly grinded his teeth. Before he could storm toward the direction of Yue Qi's home, the farmer stepped forward to block off his access.

"Peak Lord Liu," Yue Qi said with a warning tone.

"Let me see him," Liu Qingge said through gritted teeth.

"No," Yue Qi replied, still unsmiling. "Leave him be."

"Let me talk to him. I'll remind him," Liu Qingge said, attempting to advance forward but his respect for his former sect leader prevented him from shoving the other man away.

"Remind him of what? How we abandoned him? How we ostracized him and abandoned him at the time he needed us the most?" Yue Qi uncharacteristically spat, anger thick in his voice. The memories of the past never ceased to provoke the normally placid farmer into a rage when he remembered how foolish he had been.

His hesitance and foolhardiness had cost him more than just his life, it had cost him Xiao Jiu. Lead to Xiao Jiu losing his cultivation, his reputation, his limbs, suffering for years before finally losing his life.

Yue Qi vowed never to make the same mistakes again. Even if that meant keeping Xiao Jiu away from Cang Qiong.

"Yue-zhangmen, we need the both of you in Cang Qiong. The war.." Liu Qingge started but was cut off by Yue Qi.

"No," he repeated. "You don't need us."

Then, before Liu Qingge could continue with his appeal, he continued sternly, "Or at the very least, we don't need any of you."

Liu Qingge swelled in anger and Yue Qi felt a sudden wave of self pride for being able to do what only Shen Qingqiu frequently managed to do in another life.

"The demons have taken Huanhua Palace," Liu Qingge gritted out, as if it was anything but good news. Yue Qi felt nothing but vindication at the thought of the Old Palace Master falling at the hand of Tianlang-jun. It would be karmic retribution for what he did to the demon Lord in their previous life.

"Cang Qiong is still fighting but we've lost our tactician-," Liu Qingge was once again interrupted.

"Xiao Jiu and I are unconcerned. We are not of Cang Qiong and not involved in the politics between sects, nor are we involved in the struggles between the demon world and this world," Yue Qi answered, picking up his hoe.

"It will concern you once the demons overwhelm us," Liu Qingge protested.

"The South demons are not interested in the subjugation of humankind," Yue Qi said with a certainty that made Liu Qingge immediately suspicious. "Tianlang-jun is only aiming to bring down Huanhua Palace but Cang Qiong and the other sects got involved needlessly."

"So you're telling us to just ignore what happened!?" Liu Qingge demanded. "And what if you are wrong!? The demons are not honorable beings. They might just change their mind and decide to enslave humankind."

"Human themselves enslave children. We are not any better than them," Yue Qi returned uncharitably. Once, he had been just as naïve, believing in the good of people and ignoring all the bad.

But what good did it do for him to be so selfless?

Nothing.

Except pain and suffering for the one person that mattered most to him.

"And if the fighting continues till everything is consumed!?" continued Liu Qingge, completely ignorant of the progressively dark thoughts that shadowed Yue Qi's thoughts.

"Then I will be at Xiao Jiu's side until the end," Yue Qi replied.

Seeing his unbending resolve, Liu Qingge decided to change his tactic, "Let me see Shen Qingqiu."

"No," Yue Qi repeated once more. "Xiao Jiu don't remember anything from our first life. And I don't intend to bring him back there to repeat the same cycle of pain for him."

An expression of shame flashed across Liu Qingge's face momentarily.

"Go back, Peak Lord Liu," said Yue Qi. "Shen Qingqiu is no more. Shen Jiu deserves to live a peaceful life."

"It won't be peaceful once the demons come," Liu Qingge insisted.

"They won't. Tianlang-jun gave me his word," Yue Qi said with finality.

"You-"

"We aren't the only ones who remember, Liu-shidi," Yue Qi said, answering the unspoken question. "That's why only Huanhua Palace will suffer the consequences, if Cang Qiong stops interfering."

Speechless at the reveal, Liu Qingge hesitated.

"Go back, Peak Lord Liu," Yue Qi said for the final time. He walked away as the Bai Zhan Peak Lord stewed in anger and disbelief.

***

When Yue Qi had woken up after dying under thousands of arrows as Yue Qingyuan, he'd found himself in front of the wooden shed that separated him from his Xiao Jiu.

Without allowing himself to think too much, he'd picked up a rock and broke the lock with all his might, tapping into the internal raw untrained power he always had within him. Then he'd slammed into the wood shed and grabbed a shocked Shen Jiu.

The noise from his jailbreak had attracted the servants but Yue Qi ignored them all as he lead Xiao Jiu away, pushing aside anyone who tried to stop them. Somehow, they managed to escape the Qiu estate and they begin their life as runaways.

At first, Xiao Jiu kept pleading to go to the cultivational sects but Yue Qi, who was now wary and weary of sect politics, adamantly refused.

Instead, he worked hard to start a life for Shen Jiu and himself. Building a home and starting a farm. It was hard but the satisfaction of seeing his plants grow everyday inspired him to work harder. The victory was made sweeter still whenever Shen Jiu ate the food that came from said farm.

Whenever Xiao Jiu asked why he didn't want to go to Cang Qiong, Yue Qi would just tell him that as long as he can be with Xiao Jiu, it wouldn't matter if he didn't become a lofty immortal cultivator. A lifetime with Shen Jiu was worth more than an eternity alone.

Xiao Jiu would blush at that and be diverted from the topic. Soon, he stopped asking altogether when it became clear how strongly Yue Qi felt about staying away from cultivational sects.

(Because Shen Jiu gave all his loyalty to the one person who saved him from the Qius and he would never dream of leaving his Qi-Ge, even if it meant giving up a chance to be an elevated immortal.)

When the news about the war between the sects and the demons spread amongst the common people, Shen Jiu actually express gratitude that they were not involved in the matter at all.

"As long as Qi-Ge is with Xiao Jiu, the world can burn and I wouldn't care," Shen Jiu said with a shrug when Yue Qi enquired about his opinion.

Truth be told, as long as Yue Qi can keep his A-Jiu safe, he also didn't care about what happened to the world. In his previous life, where he had been the sect leader of Cang Qiong, he'd put everyone ahead of himself. Until it was too late.

He'd sacrificed so much of himself. So much of his Xiao Jiu. Until there was nothing left.

And for what?

For a world that willingly abandoned his Xiao Jiu. All because of the words of an old decrepit Palace Master with a hidden agenda.

In this lifetime, this loop, this reincarnation, he wasn't so foolish anymore.

Only one person mattered to him and he'd do anything to keep him safe.

***

"Qi-Ge!"

Xiao Jiu stood at the door of their little bamboo house, hands on his hip, looking like an angered housewife.

"Qi-Ge! Where are the onions and carrots!? I asked for onions and carrots. Did you forget them?" Shen Jiu demanded.

Yue Qi gave him a wide-eyed look as Shen Jiu scolded him.

"I'm sorry, Xiao Jiu," Yue Qi said apologetically. "Silly Qi-Ge forgot."

"Then what are we going to put in the stew? We only have potatoes," Shen Jiu complained, lips curving into a pout . "Urgh. Silly Qi-Ge."

"I'm sorry," Yue Qi said again, wrapping an arm around his husband. "Please forgive this Qi-Ge."

"Hmph," Shen Jiu harrumphed, turning away but not dislodging Yue Qi's hold. "I suppose instead of stew, we can head over to the town for lunch."

Then he pointed at the older man, "You better buy me tanghulu or I won't forgive."

"Yes, of course," agreed Yue Qi, a warm smile on his lips. "I'll get whatever you want."

"As long as it makes Xiao Jiu happy."

*

*

End of Farming and Family AU

Notes:

I hc LBH is never born here because TLJ died believing that SXY betrayed him. That's y he leveled HHP when he could. The CQ Sect Leader and QJPL that replaced YQ and SJ was too soft and not as talented to fight against TLJ's army. That's y the war extended for so long.

Did the other Peak Lords return with intact memories of the previous go? Yes.

Did they compare their new CQ Sect Leader/QJPL with YQ/SJ and found them wanting? You bet they did.

Did they regret taking what they had in their previous life for granted? Hell yes.

[theomnicode]

OPM God has more power and influence than we realised?

Is it just me or are all these characters ending up in "careful what you wish for?" monkey's paw moments a bit too consistently? Even from a narrative trope perspective.

And then this unlucky man goes against Black sperm, a being who multiplies up to like 54 trillion. That's what I'd call near instant Karma.

Saitama got a "careful what you wish for" moment. Garou got the same treatment.

And what God when awakened underground says when a cube is touched:

"Make a fervent wish."

It also got me thinking about this Tatsumaki scene, where she completely and utterly unnecessarily lifts up a part of city z into a giant drill and drills down. Just to showcase her massive powers.

While the moon looms over her.

We had seen the moon loom over her when her focus got weakened suddenly.

The move Tatsumaki does is purely an egotistical move. To show who is better.

But I believe in this scene she was influenced by God. Her Ego, to be precise.

Just like Saitama and Garou just had an ego fight on Jupiter, who has the bigger d*ck, but the entire fight was influenced by God.

What if God actually has far more power over people's actions than we realise? That it can influence both the ego and the desires of Earth's inhabitants.

Taking one's inflated sense of self-worth and inflated desires and making them a reality.

In modern English, ego has many meanings. It could mean one's self-esteem; an inflated sense of self-worth; the conscious-thinking self; or in philosophical terms, one's self.

One can get their inflated self-worthyness or one can get their heart's desires or both. But neither option is good, as they all have their karmic retributions. You may get that inflated sense of self-worth at a heavy cost or you can get your wish fulfillment and turned into a monster.

In Shinto, kami are not separate from nature, but are of nature, possessing positive and negative, and good and evil characteristics. They are manifestations of musubi (結び),[2] the interconnecting energy of the universe, and are considered exemplary of what humanity should strive towards. Kami are believed to be "hidden" from this world, and inhabit a complementary existence that mirrors our own: shinkai (神界, "the world of the kami").[3]: 22  To be in harmony with the awe-inspiring aspects of nature is to be conscious of kannagara no michi (随神の道 or 惟神の道, "the way of the kami"

Shinto followers also believe that the kami are the ones who can either grant blessings or curses to a person. Shinto believers desire to appease the evil kami to "stay on their good side", and also to please the good kami. In addition to practicing the four affirmations daily, Shinto believers also wear omamori to aid them in remaining pure and protected. Mamori are charms that keep the evil kami from striking a human with sickness or causing disaster to befall them

Kami are of two minds. They can nurture and love when respected, or they can cause destruction and disharmony when disregarded. Kami must be appeased in order to gain their favor and avoid their wrath. Traditionally, kami possess two souls, one gentle (nigi-mitama) and the other assertive (ara-mitama); additionally, in Yamakage Shinto (see Ko-Shintō), kami have two additional souls that are hidden: one happy (saki-mitama) and one mysterious (kushi-mitama)

God is simply playing with people's spirits this entire time. It gets pissed when people have inflated sense of self-worthyness or excessive desires if it's watching and so, smites them with karma and curses. It's playing the moral police of the universe, the superior ego being who demands perfection and punishes misbehaviour.

Not all that different from biblical god honestly.

Nobody is actually safe.

The more monsters are appearing and stronger monsters, the more God's power over reality grows.

And so too, does it's power over people's spirits.

(funny how it works as a narrative trope though that there's a God (ONE) who influences the narrative haha)

(God is self-insert? lmfao)

No Saitama, you don't want less boring monsters, trust me.

[lizacstuff]

Your thoughts on the epi?

This episode was everything! I don't remember when I've enjoyed crying so much. The funny thing is, though, that I've found myself crying more while rewatching those scenes, than I cried during the first time I watched the episode. This episode will definitely rank among my favorites. Let's talk about the B and C characters and then get to Edser and, of course, Kiraz at the end. I spent the first 30 minutes resisting the urge to punch my screen anytime Ayfer was on it. Damn, I wanted to slap her silly. Could she have been any more annoying? Eda's a grown woman, if she is finally doing the right thing and telling the father of her child he's a dad, then be supportive instead of a screeching pain in the ass. When she actually said "I told you so" to an upset Eda... seriously? That is awful. What a bitter, joyless, petty individual. I was cheering for Melo every time she told Ayfer she was negative. Good! At least we know the other characters recognize how awful she is.

(I get long winded, so this continues under the cut)

Also what was with her going overboard to protect Burak's feelings over his delusional aspirations? Why shouldn't he understand that Serkan and Eda shared a great love and Melo is rooting for them to rekindle it? What does hiding that from him do? It's still true. Ayfer treats this dude as a member of the family, so he might as well know. I get his feelings might get hurt, but dude needs a reality check and to move on, and no matter how hard Ayfer hopes, Serkan in their lives or no, Eda is never going to want Burak. She's made that clear. If Ayfer likes him so much maybe she should marry him, that way at least Melo would be saved from his milquetoast presence.

Speaking of that, they were clearly trying to establish some sort of connection or vibe between him and Melo. So far, I'm not into it. If he's still so into Eda that Ayfer doesn't want him to have to hear about Eda/Serkan possibly reuniting, then he doesn't deserve Melo. Melo deserves someone who wants her, not someone who pines after someone out of his league and then settles for her bff once he realizes he never had a shot with the great beauty. We'll see how it develops, but he has the personality of damp carpet so I don't have high hopes.

Aydan was a little screechy this episode, but I cut her some slack since she just found out these traitors stole 5 years of her granddaughter's life from her. My friend @echoapothecary made a good point to me that Aydan deserves no sympathy for this since she didn't tell Eda Serkan was alive back in amnesia times, and I don't disagree with that. That move by Aydan pretty much tainted her character forever, and it's near impossible to come back from, but viewing this story in a capsule I do feel sorry for her. She wasn't a good mother to Serkan, but she does love him, and I think she craves family. The main point being, Serkan wasn't the only one who lost something significant by not knowing about Kiraz until now, Aydan did too. Perhaps we can say that losing the first five years of her granddaughter's life is her punishment for keeping the secret about Serkan, it's about as steep a penalty as one could pay. Talk about karmic retribution.

Also, since Serkan is apparently not going to impose any emotional tolls on any of the traitors for the secret that was kept from him, I'm glad Aydan did at least make her displeasure known and made some of the liars uncomfortable. Piril, at least, felt it, even if she won't suffer any real consequences. I kind of wanted Serkan to kick her out of the company. I really don't like that character and I think every time she's on screen she just sucks the life out of the show. Engin when he's in scenes with Serkan or Eda or Melo or Aydan or Erdem = Interesting. Engin when he's with Piril = Zzzzzzz.

Pina and Kerem were cute, but to be honest I really don't care. It's inoffensive and I get that we need B, C and D storylines to fill out two hours each week, so I'm good with it, but let's be real I'm only watching for the main event.

Speaking of... now to EDSER! I actually like that Serkan walked out and drove away after hearing the truth. I can only imagine what kind of shock and betrayal he must have felt at that moment, escaping must have seemed like his best option. What I liked even more is that Eda followed him. What a relief after the last episode where she was looking for any and every excuse not to tell him and then made the nonsensical decision to flee in order to avoid it. Too many times in the past between these two pride has gotten in the way. There was a time that Eda might have thrown up her hands at him leaving and pretended like it didn't hurt, that it didn't matter. I'm so glad those days seem to be over. One of the hallmarks of season 2 has been the improved communication (sans secret) between these two and this episode took that concept to a new level.

How heartbreaking to watch Eda plead with Serkan through the door, and how double-y heartbreaking to watch Serkan sitting on the floor, head bent, clearly in emotional agony. You could feel it coming off of him. Kudos to both Hande and Kerem who KILLED IT this episode. Seriously, their best work to date. Their chemistry is always on point, but the way they flawlessly work off of one another in every scene they share, whether it's deeply dramatic or something light and romantic is truly something special to behold. That's one reason why I don't get the folks who are so hung up in hating the season 2 plotline, that they can't appreciate any of this. Because this is the point. Giving these two artists deep and challenging scenes together and opportunities to make more magic. Watching them this season is honestly a privilege and I plan on enjoying every minute of it.

Despite Serkan's emotional turmoil, it was so like him to put the blanket over her and then sit across from her sleeping form as he indulged in some more brooding. However, I really appreciate that by the morning he was ready to talk to her. That conversation was hard, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who was jarred by him saying that he would have told her to get an abortion. In light of his later confessions, I think there's a few ways to take that. I think it was in part a nod to what an emotional mess he was at the time, and in part he said it to alleviate some of her guilt. Because even a betrayed and hurt Serkan cares so much about her, and he knows what he put who through at the time. Especially because at that moment he still had no plans to tell her the truth about why he broke up with her, he was still playing the part of the man who just didn't want children. So stubborn! Thank goodness that over the course of the next 12 hours he'll change his mind about that...

On another note, how happy did it make you to see Sirius? It made me pretty happy. He lives!!!!

From the moment Eda went to his hotel room the night before to confess all the way until they met again at the hotel, Eda really did everything right in how she approached him. However, once back in Sile, she makes her first critical error. It reminded me of the Eda in episode 29 who started pushing so hard at amnesia!Serkan and coming at him with such extreme emotion that he shut down. And that's what happened during that conversation on the beach. Eda needed to give him a little bit of time to come to terms with things, instead of forcing a conversation the first moment they saw one another. Good grief, what was she doing demanding answers from him hours after he found out? She knows this man! She knows that he plans every aspect of his life. So to spring on him that you hid a child from him for 5 years and he's a dad, is a LOT. I like that in a later scene he knows he reacted badly, and actually also says to her "What did you expect?" While his reaction wasn't great, it was also pretty predictable and she should have known to give him some time.

Speaking of the conversation on the beach, what a powerhouse scene for Hande. One note on it, that was the scene they had just shot when Hande and Kerem did their last IGlive on premiere day. The one where Kerem kept talking about how he was in a mood because of an intense scene they had just done. After watching I couldn't help but note that he, as Serkan, mostly just stood there stoically as Hande did all the emoting as Eda let loose on all the pent up emotion she'd been carrying both for years and with Serkan's fresh rejection. It speaks to both their personal and professional dynamic that he was so affected by her being in that state since he didn't do the heavy lifting in that specific scene. The way they are attuned to each other is probably a big reason they are so flawlessly in sync on screen.

I liked how they weaved the Kiraz/Baba scene in at the right time. That was one instance where Aydan, Seyfi and Engin's meddling was for the good, engineering a situation where Serkan was alone with his daughter. Also excellent comedy from Can, ratting out his dad about throwing ice cream on him. Good stuff. I like Engin-as-a-father scenes, I like Engin-as-a-friend scenes, I could just do without Engin-as-a-husband scenes. Anyway, Serkan needed time to adjust, but he also needed to be exposed to Kiraz so that he could view their prior unlikely bond through the new prism of fatherhood. It's telling how easily he slid into Dad territory with teaching her how to tie her shoes. He had been doing that all along, but at that moment he knew about the relationship and still did what was natural. He is ready to be her father, he just needs to realize he's worthy of it.

You can't blame Eda for not realizing it, but it was lovely to see how quickly Serkan turned the corner. He was already adjusting his thinking not even 24 hours after he found out about Kiraz and that was really what inserting himself

into her dealings with the Italians was about. Staying in contact until he could beat back all his neurosis. As for the business stuff, she apparently needed him as an investor, but I also love the way he was there to first build up her confidence and then praise her after a successful presentation. I've said it before but Serkan as her professional mentor is one of my favorite dynamics between them. It did make me wonder, is she still 45% owner of the Holding? It seems like it, she sure didn't hesitate to present herself as his partner. If she is, though, it seems impossible that they could have had zero contact for all those years, unless she just placed her stake in a trust and gave him full voting control of it. Details I'm sure they won't explore in-depth, but I did wonder.

Don't you just love an unwitting guest character (Italian guy) who comes in and forces our two protagonists to spend extra time together? I do. Thank you Italian guy and Italian guy's wife! I love how quick Serkan was to accept, you see, he had already turned a corner and was looking for excuses to get close to her. It was his first step in his journey to opening up to her. Also, who noticed that Eda wore a slinky blue dress the night after Kiraz mentioned that it's Serkan's favorite color? Just checking. She is not as immune to his charms as she'd like us to believe...

OF COURSE Serkan was at Eda's graduation. I think pretty much the whole fandom had guessed that from their conversation in episode 40, but it still hit me emotionally to have it confirmed. What I really liked about it was that Serkan didn't tip his hand by accident. He quoted her graduation speech specifically because he wanted her to know he was there. And not only that he willingly admits that he thought of her every single day since they parted. This is a huge step for him. It has been driving him crazy that Eda thinks he forgot her and is totally unaffected by her. However, even just a few hours earlier he was still in a place where he had no intention to tell her anything, it's actually impressive how quickly he came around. Now I don't blame Eda at all for declaring it's not enough, he put her through emotional hell when they broke up. I mean on one hand you'd think she'd be able to see that he was already opening his heart and there was more to the story, however, her reaction was good because it spurred him on to go and tell her the whole story.

And what a heartbreaking story it was. As I said several times over the last few weeks, I was hoping that part of Serkan's motivation was that the doctor had told him he would be unable to have kids, what I wasn't expecting though was the double whammy of not being able to have kids AND there being a 70% chance of the cancer coming back. No wonder Serkan was eFFed up! Who wouldn't be, but then you add in his additional insecurities about not being worthy of love and his hypochondria and that is a bad mental cocktail. You know what's ironic, Ayfer hates him but in reality he did exactly what Ayfer would have wanted him to do. Push Eda away for her own good so she could have everything she wants in life without him dragging her down. What makes Ayfer the worst (and a hypocrite) is that this is exactly what she would have wanted him to do, but she also blames him for Eda's heartbreak in the aftermath.

The scene was so cathartic to watch as a viewer. We've been waiting for weeks for Serkan's point of view as he's hidden behind his usual confident and calm veneer, and when we finally got it, we really got it. He did not hold back. Serkan is such a complex character, which is a bit surprising for a silly show that you wouldn't really expect build a character with so many layers. On the surface he has everything and seems to be full of ego, but his arrogance is only surrounding his abilities, intellect, and skills as a businessman and architect. Personally, he has little self-worth and thinks he's not worthy of anyone's love, especially not Eda's. However, while that has been a truth of the character for a long time, this speech was the first time he admitted how deeply rooted his fears are. It was stunning, though, to have a character who is so rooted in being in control and who is worried about his outward image, open up in such a raw way and expose all his fears and insecurities to a woman he's been apart from for five years. It was breathtaking and Kerem was fantastic in the scene.

Initially, with the subtitles, I misinterpreted (though I knew it couldn't be quite right) his parting words. The subtitles I saw made it seem like Serkan was saying "Don't say you forgot me" as in Serkan didn't want Eda to say she forgot him. But it made so much more sense when I saw it translated as "But don't say I forgot you." which was a throw back to their dinner conversation in episode 40 when Eda says, "You forgot me." Once I realized Serkan was saying that he couldn't handle her thinking, or say, that he'd forgotten her, the scene hit doubly hard!

I saw some criticism of that scene that said Eda was just standing there with no emotion, but I didn't get that at all. She had tears running down her face and I thought she was fighting for his soul pretty dang hard. First by using both emotion-- telling him that everything had changed because now he had a daughter and that he'd locked his heart and soul in a cage. Then by using logic-- when she told him the cancer is gone and that's it's over and when she challenged him over why everything has to be perfect. Think from her perspective how disorienting it would be to find out that everything you thought was true, was not, and that if the love of your life wasn't such a stubborn, selfless, self-sabotaging martyr that you could have built a family together instead of been separated for 5 years. It's a lot.

On the first watch this doorway scene is where I started to get emotional, but I didn't really lose it and fully cry until Serkan's scene the next day with Engin. For whatever reason that scene hit me hard. Hats off to Anil for his work there, the way his voice broke at times during that conversation really got to me. This type of true friendship scene was something that was sorely missing during the era of the other writers, and it was wonderful to see it back, just when Serkan needed it most. Serkan needed someone to shake him a bit about his fears of dying. I think the writers did a good job here, because while Serkan's neurosis and self-sabotage is maddening, with his history it's believable that he was stuck in a headspace where he really thought he couldn't be a father to Kiraz, or a partner to Eda, because he might up and die on them. I loved how Engin pointed out that Eda and Kiraz would not be the only ones affected if he died and how ridiculous it was for him to lock himself away.

I'm glad we got the scene with the doctor to really get a full glimpse of Serkan's view of his illness and it's also a relief to not only Serkan, but to us viewers that since five years have passed cancer-free he now has the risk of a typical healthy person. Serkan isn't the only one who has hang ups about his health, I think after amnesia and cancer viewers do too!

Finding out that Eda had made videos specifically for Serkan over the years, talking to him directly, hit hard. I wasn't really expecting that. I thought maybe she just had general photos and videos, like any doting parent would have, but the fact that she was always wanting him, documenting Kiraz's life and preparing for a day when he would hopefully take his place as Kiraz's father... wow. On the cynical side it makes it that much harder to believe that she never made more of an effort to tell him once Kiraz was born, but I won't focus on that. Not when the scene was as perfect as it was. Kerem again was stellar, he made me cry buckets. I think since amnesia many of us wanted an emotional response from him, thank goodness this story finally delivered it. The emotions running through him at that moment were overwhelming and Kerem did a fantastic job of portraying all of them, the heartbreak over everything he missed, the joy at seeing moments

from his daughter's life, the regret of not being there and being the partner Eda needed, the pride in the job Eda did in raising their daughter alone, and finally the bittersweet relief that Eda never forgot him.

It was a lot, but it was a good segue to the next scene when Eda calls him frantic because Kiraz went missing. What was clear from those videos was that while Eda, when we first meet her in Sile, appeared on the surface to have everything handled as a single mom, she always really wanted to have Serkan there as her partner. While Kiraz was pining for her dad, Eda was pining for Serkan as well. And we see this displayed in full force when Serkan arrives. Several people try to comfort Eda, including Burak, but she's not having it. However, as soon as Serkan gets there you can almost see the relief hit her in a wave. She's not in this alone anymore. Kiraz's father is there to help. Even if nothing is settled at that moment, she knows she can rely on Serkan and that he will know what to do. Which is supported by the fact that he clearly took charge the moment he found out, calling the authorities, having them begin searches etc.

But while highlighting his competence, conversely can we talk about how incompetently everyone else was at searching for Kiraz? They all acted worried, but did any of them make any real effort to find her? LMAO, they all seemed much more concerned with their own personal dramas. Especially egregious were Engin and Piril. Hello! Your son is clearly trying to tell you where the missing person is! Stop ignoring him. Thank goodness Serkan is very good at finding people.

Of course he found her and our hearts collectively shattered as we watched her trying to send a message to her Baba in space when in reality he was kneeling right there beside her, helping her tie the note to the balloon. If anything else was left to convince Serkan that he is wanted and needed, by both Eda and Kiraz, this situation was it. Even though some careless crew member spoiled the astronaut suit in an unnecessary IG story from the set, (that would have been a really good surprise) it was still satisfying to see this fairy tale play out. Never over "Baba?" and "Happy Birthday, my daughter" and now I can't wait to see Kiraz's reaction that her new friend Serkan Bolat is actually her dad and it should be pretty great to watch the three of them form a family together.

Overall this was the most emotional episodes of the series, and also one of the best.

[xbuster]

Oh man oh man, I think I found a link among Macross, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings that makes them so important to me. They’re all stories where the villains destroy themselve. The heroes don’t get consumed by their burdens (in Frodo’s case the ring does win over him but only once he reaches the mouth of Mount Doom, which is how he’s able to win). They don’t allow themselves to become arbiters of justice. They extend humanity towards their greatest adversaries and even when they are rejected, they keep trying until their enemies self-destruct.

The Macross offers an olive branch towards the Zentradi and many Zentradi do join the humans to rebuild Earth as a planet for both humans and Zentradi. The conflict only continues when a faction of Zentradi refuse to coexist with humans, but the Macross never annihilates them. Eventually their own stubbornness to continue warring with a group that desires peace leads to a last-ditch suicide bomb where the whole of the rebel Zentradi attempt to collide head-on with the Macross and the humans on board were prepared to die with them rather than let themselves too be consumed by war, only for the Zentradi to kill themselves as the Macross survives.

Luke throws his lightsaber to the side to defy the Emperor’s desire for bloodshed. He appeals to Vader’s humanity as the Emperor tries to kill him with lightning. Eventually his humanity breaks through, but Vader’s own misdeeds cannot be forgiven and while Vader is able to dispose of the Emperor (Rise of Skywalker does not exist), his grief does not allow him to heal from the wounds inflicted on him by the Emperor and he too dies. Luke’s ability to recognize that he is a mediator, not a judge or executioner, is what kills Vader and the Emperor.

Frodo had recognized Gollum as a villain before he had even left on his journey, but when given the opportunity to kill him, he can’t. While the Jackson movies make Frodo more naïve, in the books he never does fully trust Gollum. He had many opportunities to end Gollum and maybe he should have, but he was carrying a burden that could corrupt even the most virtuous of men. If he could give into temptation so easily, the quest would have failed. In fact, it was only because Gollum did live that he could bite the ring off Frodo’s finger and carry it off to the bottom of Mount Doom with him once the ring possessed Frodo. Gollum may have gotten what he deserved, but only because he chose that path himself. Frodo only allowed him to walk it after showing Gollum immense kindness, which Gollum rejected.

These kinds of stories are just so captivating to me, not because I believe in some force of karmic retribution, but because I love the idea that cruelty is unsustainable. That someone cannot hurt others without hurting themselves. It’s unrealistic; cruelty will continue to exist if left unopposed, but these heroes did oppose cruelty until they pushed their adversaries into positions that demanded their own annihilation.

[warystares]

if orson is at all disappointed as the grandeur of his sentiment is swiftly dismissed by akira's blunt demand, such a human reaction remains neatly concealed behind a level gaze and a practiced smile. ( but aren't they all when it comes to orson lloyd ? the expression feels unnatural ; he can feel his zygomaticus major twitch in response to the unfamiliar upward stretch of lips more often pressed into a hard line. ) the hand curled around the pen extends to drop it abruptly into an open and waiting palm as orson finds a seat on the edge of the table and drops his gaze to the trolley where akira arranges his supplies. ❝ you're welcome, ❞ he says simply ― more than polite enough a reply to ❛ give it, ❜ orson thinks, and anyway, he means it. more or less.

( would it come as a surprise that he enjoys the way he is spoken to here ? for someone who claims to crave control, he becomes incredibly obedient under the proper hand . . . )

❝ i don't know if it's any consolation, ❞ orson offers dryly, but there's a twitch of a wry smirk tugging at flat features, ❝ but many of them will die of melanoma. karmic retribution ? it's a shame to imagine art of your caliber wasted. if a higher power exists, i'm sure it would be inclined to agree. ❞ he tries not to appear visibly appeased by the praise, not so much as he really is ― and really, he is ― but he does take great care to preserve the canvas akira has inked. brows crease but for a fraction of a second at the contact when akira's hand finds his cheek ; he is unused to touch that is not cold, lifeless. intimacy is a scarce commodity to the man who spends more time with the dead than the living.

and then, a laugh ; a quiet, odd sound . . . more of an exhale than anything. because it's not a lie, is it ? ❝ nature is cruel. if given the option, i choose to avoid it. there are better ways of tempting fate. ❞ orson complies with the direct instruction and begins unbuttoning his shirt as he speaks, folding the garment once its been removed and turning his exposed back toward akira. ❝ i fear i may be allergic to sunlight, coincidentally, ❞ he adds, straightening his shoulders in preparation for the intricate stencil. it would be only one of many things his body vehemently protests ; but like a cockroach, orson is persistent ― resilient ― if only because he hides away. ❝ but it's a hypothesis i'm hardly inclined to test, as i'm sure you can imagine. ❞

nothing equalises men better than death. so many must go through their lives never having to face it until the last minute, and only then must they confront the undying dilemma of whether to persist or relent. akira finds it beautiful. he's had it engraved on his skin, from elbow to the back of his hand: a tombstone to follow, and now orchestrating the same marking on someone else that will hopefully last until orson must face that inevitable quarry.

for now, though, he enjoys the boy's company, and lets him talk, nodding along dully. this assent -- agreement? -- can naturally be mistaken as the natural bobbing along to the dense mixture of bass and synthetic strings blaring through the speakers. he must look a sight now, no more a normal artist than the rest crawling through the dregs of this city, and all the more innocent for it despite the permanence cutting art he preferred over softer, lost canvases. in this, he supposes, he and orson are similar, so he hums and covers his trolley, prepares tools of the trade, approval splayed clearly on his face when orson decides to sit at the edge of his table this time rather than yammer on about fucking birds. "thank you for asking," he answers, rather than provide one too long-winded. better to leave those stories and hope they lull the man to sleep during the process. "why is your shirt still on? if you're going to give me that pen --," he extends a palm, expectant, "--give it. and talk about your winter, not mine. it's just been boring for me, you know -- surprisingly." he prepares a few paper towels. some wipes. having to reapply a stencil is an arduous task, but a necessary one. akira doesn't leave room for mistakes; even his own. "not a lot of people want to get tattooed in winter. it's like they all wait for the summer to ruin their new ink, just so they can show it off. which is why i like you the most."

this is a smile that isn't a smile. it's all knives aching for meat. "you probably don't go outside, which will make your tattoo last longer." he pats the man's cheek happily before rubbing his own hands in sanitiser. "that's good. don't let anybody tell you otherwise. now take that shirt off. we've only got until five, don't we?"

[xiverni]

Redemption and “Consequences”

A lot of talk has been had recently as of chapter 284 of both Endeavor and Bakugo’s “redemptions”, and how they seem to be leading up to some grand consequences for their actions, a final karmic retribution of sorts. People often talk about how these two characters have never had to “pay” for their actions, and that they have never had to face any real consequences. 

Of course, this notion is flawed from the surface all the way to the foundation. Not only have these two characters suffered quite a lot throughout their stay in the story, but the very notion that characters have to “face retribution” in order to become redeemed is an odd, troubling, and frankly reactionary idea that should be discarded as childish nonsense. 

To begin with the idea that Bakugo and Endeavor have not suffered due to the consequences of their actions, even a cursory glance at the story can immediately dispel these arguments. Bakugo, due to his abrasive nature and inferiority complex, spent much of the series losing over and over again. From the initial school training arc to the school festival, Bakugo’s flaws have resulted in him failing at his goals, whether they are beating Deku or fighting Todoroki at his full strength. His anger issues and “villainous” outward appearance even led to a terrorist organization kidnapping him, leading to a situation in which Bakugo spent a good length of time wracked in guilt and trauma over his actions, which he believed contributed to All Might’s fall. This all culminates in his failure in the Provisional License Exams, in which Bakugo’s failings again prevent him from reaching his ambitions. 

It is after his second confrontation with Deku that Bakugo’s development starts picking up real speed, with the next arc that centers around him showing that Bakugo is learning that looking down on those weaker than you will only lead to worse outcomes for yourself. Additionally, it is from here that we begin seeing Bakugo both act more cooperatively with his teammates and (occasionally) prioritize saving people over winning. This is shown when he acts as a cooperative unit with his teammates in the Joint Training Arc, and he is seen saving civilians in the Meta Liberation Arc and the Endeavor Internship Arc. 

When it comes to Endeavor, he is a character that is definitely a lot more contentious than Bakugo, for a number of reasons. For one, Bakugo is an “attractive” character to many of those who read this story, thus he is able to get a lot of leeway as compared to other characters. Additionally, he is a literal child, thus he is treated with a lighter moral weight by the “fandom”. The idea that being under the age of 18 somehow makes you less morally responsible for your actions than anyone arbitrary older than that age has always rubbed me the wrong way. Yes, younger people have a less complete and mature perception of the world, thus it is generally fairer to treat them lighter. However, there are countless adults who suffer from the same immaturity problems and developmental issues as young people do. That said, this is a bit of a tangent already.

From the moment All Might retires, Endeavor has already begun suffering for his actions. He has finally reached the position of number one hero... In the worst way possible : by default. The public is at best ambivalent about his position, and his tenure as the head hero has overseen a sharp rise in crime and disorder in society. What’s worse, as soon as Endeavor finally realizes the horrible things he’s done to his family, it becomes apparent that it’s far too little too late, as Natsuo literally can’t bear being in the same room as Endeavor and Shoto is consistently coldly professional to him. Fuyumi and Rei, the two that are more receptive to Endeavor, are a) doing it out a sense of longing for a “true family” and not particularly out of a sentimental attachment for Endeavor as a person or father, and b) in the case of Rei, not even wanting to see Endeavor. Can you imagine the impact of finally growing and learning from your horrific past mistakes, only to find out that these mistakes will never be able to be moved on from? Can you imagine resolving your pride and selfish desires, choosing to leave behind the family you want to rebuild, all so that they can live comfortably and in peace? Endeavor has almost constantly been suffering since the day All Might retired, and even though it absolutely cannot be said that he doesn’t deserve his suffering, it is in fact still suffering that is being dealt to him.

There is also another argument that centers around legal repercussions for actions committed by these characters, which is something that I both concede has not occurred and simultaneously state is literally of no narrative significance. If these were in fact real people in the real world, there would be a compelling argument that Endeavor deserves to serve time in prison for his abusive behavior. However, appropriate legal punishments are not equivalent to self improvement by the method of narrative punishments. How the fuck would a jail sentence improve Endeavor’s moral character any more than it already has improved? For those who are actually making the claim that these characters should have in universe been given legal repercussions for their actions (as well as those who, hilariously, use Endeavor’s lack of legal consequences as proof that the heroes are bad), Endeavor’s actions are literally unknown to the general public. Additionally, bullying among students is pretty standard in Japan, while it is certainly not a good thing. Furthermore, I really don’t see the point in arguing about “physical violence” in terms of characters in a superhero story throwing around explosions like nothing (I am talking about Bakugo’s more abrasive nature, not Endeavor’s actual physical violence against his children, the latter of which is meant narratively to hold actual weight). People in this universe are obviously a lot more durable than people in our universe. Accept that this is a fictional story with unrealistic aspects, and that in order to critically examine it, you need to accept its basic premises at face value without assuming things using the outside world. 

Now to move to my actual argument, I see so many people obsessed with the idea of “bad” characters having to go through some sort of “trial” or “punishment” in order to become redeemed - as if that’s the way people work. While this may come as a surprise to some, bad people are in fact capable of becoming better human beings without experiencing any sort of karmic retribution. In fact, I would say that the resolve to become better, even without some outside force pushing upon you, is a far harder and meaningful journey than one in which you’re simply pummeled and punished into waving a white flag. It reminds me of the trope “defeat means friendship”, in which the protagonists defeat (typically physically) an enemy, thus converting that enemy into an ally or friend of sorts. 

Think about it like this: would you be more willing to forgive someone who committed a terrible crime, served no time in prison for it, but nonetheless learned from their mistakes and genuinely became a better person.... or someone who committed a terrible crime, served decades in prison, and then came out none the wiser to their own actions?

What makes this situation even funnier is that many of the people demanding karmic retribution for these characters’ actions would, in real life, be advocating for justice reforms that lean towards “rehabilitation” rather than “retribution”. In fact, it has pretty much been proven that rehabilitation is almost universally more effective at actually changing the mindsets of people as opposed to retribution. 

In conclusion, the characters people say haven’t been given consequences have been given consequences, and the prison system should be reformed. Tune in next time for more wacky and unexpected topics like societal collapse and the technological decline of human civilization in BNHA. 

[elegant-agent]

Why Doom Eternal Is Pro-Colonialism And How It Affects Queer Minorities And Women

Doom Eternal has many things going for it: fast-paced action, a demand of skill, and unrelenting violence. However, all of that hides a backstory that's suspiciously sympathetic to the pro-colonialism of Mars. Simply put, the demons were right.

In Doom Eternal's current year, humans have colonized other planets. While we never see the conditions of those places, we can safely assume that, like the American colonies of Britain, they are filled with corporate slaves that have wrought havoc on the local environment, and are killing those planets as well. The demons, in response to the act, have reverse-colonized the Earth in an act of karmic retribution.

girlboss olivia pierce was just using the demons against samuel hayden's massive robo-cock

i can't keep this joke going, i've run out of things to say

[ecrivainsolitaire]

Yes, but those are things you can influence. You can help the homeless because you have spare resources and time, you can participate in protests because you're able-bodied and good at speaking. But if I asked you to do something for the Ukrainian refugees, or stop the bombings in Jerusalem, that would be an insane request. Entire nations are trying and failing to solve those problems, only a crazy person would expect the average Tumblr user to have the skills, resources and knowledge necessary to solve those massive catastrophes. And the same is true of the submarine. Not only is there nothing we can do about it, the people who can do it are the ones that are down there, and they are down there because they chose to do that over helping others. So yeah, that's kind of darkly funny. I understand why people are making jokes about it; realistically, that's all anyone here can do. But you got a group of people demanding their blood for being stupid and irresponsible and trying to use their deaths as some sort of karmic retribution to all billionaires as a class, which is nuts; and you got another group of people enraged because the other two groups aren't tearing their clothes apart in grief about strangers who have made themselves unsympathetic through the very action that stuck them there, and that is equally nuts. Demanding a specific and public emotional response from people whenever a tragedy happens is not only unreasonable, it's pathological. No one owes anyone grief, and no one owes anyone bloodthirst. People are allowed to just move on with their lives. Expecting everyone to publicly express a certain feeling is not going to help any politics or rescue any victims, it's the definition of virtue signalling. And I believe that's toxic and gross.

Hot take but making fun of the submarine castaways is not gonna make them more dead. And being all concerned and panicky about it is not gonna make them less dead. Everyone who's being like "how dare you laugh about this tragedy 😭😭😭" or "YEAH FUCK THEM EAT THE RICH 🤟🏽" is doing absolutely nothing to change the situation. This whole Tumblr drama about a naval accident that happened miles away from any of us no matter which dimension you're measuring from is nothing but virtue signalling. This wasn't a leftist own, it wasn't a murder of innocent tourists, it's just a shitty thing that happened because of a bunch of greedy capitalists. There's nothing you can do about it. Everyone keeps trying to find meaning in it, trying to find a bad guy, but there is no bad guy. A bunch of irresponsible people made a bunch of irresponsible choices, and this is the consequence. That's it. Move on.

[opalstream]

Mahabharata

“One should forgive, under any injury. It hath been said that the continuation of the species is due to man’s being forgiving. Forgiveness is holiness; by forgiveness the universe is held together. Forgiveness is the might of the mighty; forgiveness is sacrifice; forgiveness is quiet of mind. Forgiveness and gentleness are the qualities of the Self-possessed. They represent eternal virtues.”

Forgiveness is Holiness - A Shining Divine Quality Taught By Krishna and Christ - Gandhi on Satyagraha

Forgiveness (Kshama) in the man of God consists in not inflicting, or wishing to inflict, punishment on those who harm or wrong him. He knows that the cosmic law will see to it that all injustices are rectified; it is unnecessary and presumptuous to attempt to hasten its workings or to determine their form. Retribution at the hands of the immutable law of karma has for its proper and far-seeing purpose the eventual spiritual redemption of the sinner.

This is not to say that wrongdoers should have no curtailment. Social structure demands constraints for its survival. Those whose duty it is to enforce just laws for the well-being of humanity act as instruments of karmic law. Their judgements should be meted out without malice or a spirit of revenge. Even if justice does not seem to prevail, the karmic law will not fail to balance the scale.

Just before Mahatma Gandhi died in 1948, he lifted his hands from his bullet-torn body to bestow on the assassin a humble gesture of forgiveness. “All the sacrifices of his selfless life had made possible that final loving gesture,” I wrote in a tribute to the Mahatma.

Jesus, holding the power to summon to his aid “more than twelve legions of angels,” did not resist arrest and crucifixion, and prayed: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” With divine insight he was ever able to see man apart from his errors. Christ had perfect understanding that each human being is essentially a soul, a child of God, whose evil conduct is no expression of his real nature but is caused by ignorance, “knowing-not” - the dread, but not eternal, state of delusion into which men fall when they forget their true identity.

-Paramahansa Yogananda, God Talks With Arjuna, The Bhagavad Gita p 966.

*As the world witnesses massive demonstrations on the city streets of America, the study of Mahatma Gandhi’s principle of satyagraha seems timely. He led the cause of social change in India through the force of love and truth through peacefully resisting evil. As we pray for all who have been subjected to injustice, we have an opportunity to understand from a spiritual perspective how to implement social change in a spirit of forgiveness and love. Keen discrimination and purification of heart are required. Peace and Harmony to all beings, OmShanti, Annie

“Truth (satya) implies love, and Firmness (agraha) engenders and therefore serves as a synonym for force. I thus began to call the Indian movement ‘satyagraha’; that is to say, the force which is born of truth and love or nonviolence....Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.” - Mahatma Gandhi

*Learn to Meditate through Home Study - Share this with your friends who might like to learn:

https://yogananda.org/lessons

[ajora]

I keep getting ideas and I’m disappointed that I just don’t have the time to follow through on them

So one of the things I wanted to do with in-game parts of Dragondance is the Macross homage--Galuf just died, there’s no way to know if they can go back home to their world, and Lenna’s a bit down because 1) Galuf’s dead and they have his 14 year old grandkid taking his place, 2) one of her dreams was to get married, but because she’s deeply in love with someone she really can’t marry, that’s not something she can do anymore, 3) this whole end-of-the-world thing with ExDeath shattering all the Crystals. And maybe Faris can’t do anything about the other things, but she did want a sweet little wife one day (god I can hear her repeating Anne Lister’s words in that miniseries and hahahaha) and they’ll spend the night in Moore and rope some hapless official into doing this thing. That’s how Falil and Lotte, their alter-egos, came about.

Krile finds out about this in the 5-years-after fic and is upset and wants a redo, because at that point she’s unofficially adopted by them. Lenna soothes her with the fact that it was right after Galuf died and no one was thinking straight, and the last thing they wanted to do was burden her

Krile calls Faris “Dad” sometimes and Faris wonders if this is karmic retribution for something

Krile only found out because Butz keeps forgetting a wedding present and accidentally mentions it during the reunion

Butz only found out because he pestered Faris about whatever secret thing she and Lenna were up to.

Honestly one of my favorite things about the 5-years-after fic is, well, Butz and Faris settling into being best bros 5evah. They drink beer and tell bad jokes and drive Lenna and Krile up the wall. And yeah, Butz might still be attracted to her, but they’re friends first and foremost and he knows Faris prefers her partners short, eager, and definitely female-identifying. And honestly, at that point he has Squall and Greg.

The crossovers (Dissidia/DFFOO, WoFF) keep giving me ideas too, which I don’t want to do because I’m trying to avoid crossover fiascos for Dragondance.

In Faris’ introduction scene in DFFOO, Zidane hits on her. Edgar hits on her in WoFF. It’s grating, especially when we know how much she despised being in a dress in her original game and has gender issues a mile long. And now I have Lenna going green-eyed dragon monster over cis dudes and their microaggressions and fixation on Faris’ beauty and she... kinda wants to rip into them for potentially sending Faris on a dysphoria spiral. They’re very protective of each other. And then she’ll take care of her pirate captain with tea and a trip to the tailor to get her some handsome new trousers and men’s shirts and maybe a few new binders, and reassure Faris that they’re just jealous that they’re not as handsome and dashing as Faris is.

tbh of all the characters in FF, Lenna is still going to be the one to actually get Faris, and that’s because Lenna is still the only one she really opens up to.

Lenna is adamant that Faris should never be called beautiful or pretty, and if anything the proper word is “handsome”, and anyway Edgar is really fucking lucky she doesn’t actually exist in WoFF

@meimikana tells me that Butz and Squall have a great relationship in Dissidia and I’m so happy for them. Finally a good Butz ship. And honestly, I never liked Squall/Rinoa because she’s not good for his clinical depression. So now I just picture the girls+Faris demanding Butz bring his new boyfriend home to meet the family.

Related: Squall has to be the one to give Faris and Lenna their wedding present because he’s the responsible one of the two.

Butz introduces the girls+Faris to Squall as family. Squall thinks they’re all insane, but given Butz? Yeah this makes sense.

Anyway I have so much writing to do and not enough time.