#i think A. really good practice and B. more relatable for a good majority!

[londondungeon2]

There is no big speech given. Tears are not falling. This will not be a Shakespearean trail of tragic theatrics of having to say goodbye. However, Jade Leech had expected that you two would exchange more than two sentences each. Besides the outlier which is Idia’s overblot, the two of you have never been apart from each other for more than a day.

“No going into the darkroom. Everything in there is flammable.”

“Yah, yah, I get it. I wouldn’t go into that stuffy room anyways, Henchman.”

Really? That is all the words you and Grim are parting on? Jade knew not to wait for entertaining tears – neither Grim or you are big criers – but perhaps a bit of verbal horseplaying would have been appropriate – his blue fire and your red, icy stare. 

But, already you are turning towards Jade, who is joined by his brother and his housewarden. Suitcase like a faithful guide-dog by your legs and backpack slung on your shoulder. In the Mirror Chamber, you look upon him with silent, mild anticipatory eyes. If he were anyone else, he would be inclined to believe those were eyes overbrewing with frothy boredom. It is only a month; no need for a big fuss, what did you expect?, your eyes scold him.  Jade narrows his expression to let you know what he was thinking when –

“Myah,” you stumble when weight throws itself on your leg, “you better bring back a buncha souvenirs. And I want to eat Coral Sea tuna so bring me back ten – no twenty! And you better come back because I can’t be a master to a drowned Henchman! Got it!”

Floyd laughs at Sealy’s grumbling. 

However, a blink cracks your usual monotone facial expression. When a hand falls down to pet Grim’s ears, he bristles in embarrassment until you offer up a bigger catch, “I’ll bring back thirty..”

Ah, there are the entertaining tears Jade had been awaiting for when he woke up this morning. They shine like rubies in Grim’s eyes. Always polite, Jade hides a little quirk of his smirking lips behind his fist, feeling a bit like the cat who got the cream. 

It is a bit childish of him to be so happy about getting to keep you during the first half of the summer vacation; if Jade were a lesser man, he would stick out his tongue at Grim in victory but he only smirks. Which still earns him a pinch from you, scolding again. So cruel, his lovely pearl. 

He smiles wide at you when you turn back to him, urging you to believe his toothy innocence. Your expression pinches, ready to scold him again with just one mean look. A voice beats both of you to the punch, “Cooome on, I’m gettin’ bored of standin’ round. Let’s go! Let’s go!” Floyd nudges Jade’s shoulder hard.

Looking at his watch, another voice beats him to the punch, “It would be optimal if we leave now. It would look bad on us to run behind on schedule.” 

Jade surmises that is true enough, even if his entertainment has to be cut short. His mother’s impatience burns on the same burnt, centimeter-long wick that Floyd’s does; his father would be stern about punctuality. Jade had … conveniently neglected to mention you joining them on this voyage back home. Thirty one days of numerous divertissements and they are already off to a good start. 

But really if you want to take your time saying goodbye to Grim, he is not going to stop you from doing so. That thought is rendered useless when you are the first to break formation of all four of them standing by the Mirror Chamber. Suitcase wheels rolling, you move forward in silence forcefulness. You always have very little or nothing to say, mouth almost always glued shut.

“I’ll hunt for forty,” Jade supplies as he follows shortly after his energetic brother. This time when he pets Grim, he is not pushed off like typical. However, a half-serious vitriol glare is harsh on Grim’s expression, still teary eyed. So Jade offers, “Fifty?” Saltwater rubies rapidly dries at those words. 

Thus, all four of you disappear in your send off to the seas.

[sidebaxolotl]

Do you know of any good resources for dealing with gender dysphoria from a side B or Y Christian angle (i.e., not affirming sin or encouraging transition?) It's not huge in my life but sometimes it comes up and I wish I had more advice for dealing with it. A lot of the stuff I find is unhelpful because it's just plainly restating the rules with how Christianity doesn't condone gender ideology with no practical advice, is in that "how to talk to your friend who has this issue" pov, or just kinda goes "lol pray about it idk". I 100% know and stand by that biological sex is biological sex and don't think it's possible to change to the opposite sex, nor do I really want to... so it's not a matter of needing to persuade me, but it doesn't change that I still have feelings of stress and of not really living up to or fitting in with womanhood. When I'm around other women it can be really difficult because I feel so profoundly different when we should be similar. TIA

Sorry this took so long, I took the time to talk to a couple of people who had dysphoria in the past and some who didn't to get some insight.

Both the people I had talked to who had it had cited porn as a major reason why they developed it in the first place so if thats not ur experience then maybe this wont be as helpful for you 😅

They did bring up a good point that assessing where you think your dysphoria comes from from a psychiatric standpoint could help you figure out how to deal with it and i was given this link:

https://oncurrentevents.substack.com/on-gender-transition-and-psychiatric-disorders

Like for example it was pointed out to me that gd presents a lot like body dysmorphia (specifically, like eating disorders and stuff) so u might be able to use whatever coping mechanisms are used for that to help. It also seems to be a prevalent phenomenon in autistic and adhd individuals so perhaps addressing those things if you have them would help.

I was also linked to this book, the friend in question had remarked that it had helped a lot of the women he knew:

https://a.co/d/6DNWdA2

The guy I talked to said therapy had helped him as well as support from God/ his family but finding non affirming therapists that have a nuanced view on things is extremely difficult, esp if you want a Christian one. Him and I were extremely lucky in that way.

The one woman i spoke to said she quit porn and sobered off gd feelings once she realized transitioning wouldnt truly make her a boy.

I did want to be a boy when i was really young but im not super sure that counts? Idk.

For me what helped was realizing a lot of what made me not want to be a girl at that time was just a reaction to stereotypical gender roles and sexism towards women. Once i started challenging those perceptions and the ways my brain was affirming them i became way more comfortable in my body.

I also had a similar realization as sibling that I'd never truly be able to be a boy if i tried to alter my body. I could wear blue and be the night in shining armor and be a hero and still be a woman, yknow?

Also a lot of it was me being very gay and not realizing it lmaooo

I can def relate to not really fitting in with women--particularly in Christian settings I'm typically the only one who isnt hyperfemme and it can be a bit alienating.

Realizing i wasn't straight kinda helped too since the lesbian perception of womanhood is a lot more fluid than its straight counterpart. Not saying to "go gay" if you aren't but maybe looking into butch and gnc communities and framing your self-perception in that way might help?

If there are any other side b dysphoric folks reading this feel free to chime in with your own tips/resources in dealing with this stuff please!!

[kotos-and-smiles]

Ch.124 Analysis and Rambling

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 124 OF KOT!

As I often do, I’ll be referencing tessenpai’s rough tl which you can find here

Felt so good to have a new chapter after last month’s break! And we have the very interesting return of Uzuki with characters I was not expecting to see him interacting with.

Firstly, damn, Tetsuki really does try to ditch Isaki immediately after he’s able. Unfortunately for him, Isaki is the type to be forcefully ‘courteous’. Isaki was so amazing in this chapter, specifically with regards to Uzuki. Firstly her anger is very justified and relatable (I still wouldn’t completely mind punching him in the face, but I get we’re past that now). I enjoy the humor of the situation as well, and Isaki could indeed take down Uzuki if she wanted to. She’s both rightfully mad and also polite, as expected both Isaki and Tetsuki respecting Chika’s decision to invite him. I cannot handle at all the little panels of 103 flashbacks though of Chika in pain. And then Isaki just invites Uzuki out to lunch with a threatening smile on her face, and like how great is that? Also adore how afraid Tetsuki is of the women in Chika’s life. He knows what’s up.

I love that Momoya is able to honestly express that he’s tired when Takezou asks, instead of brushing it off with an ‘I’m fine.’ I don’t know, this chapter just really conveyed how much more comfortable Momoya seems with the club and allowing himself to just be himself. I also forgot about Yoshinaga’s “Chikaism” though and it is beautiful as always. Takinami’s appearances lately being purely to convey how annoyed he is are still wonderful. What Keishi said about how some competitors don’t listen to their competition’s performances because they don’t want it to affect their own was interesting because it made me just think about how Tokise is definitely the type of school that benefits a lot from hearing many different people’s sound. And there’s enough value in hearing those performances to them that it’s basically the only thing that’ll keep them from practicing, I think. That and they’re such dedicated koto nerds that want to hear everything they can.

Loved seeing Momoya talk about Chibana and be a bit savage towards them. And also accepting the club’s affectionate shenanigans even if he’s not used to them yet.

Ooof, Tomoe. How does she even perform if she’s like this every time? That’s some dedication to performing, I guess. Seeing Hiro and Satowa be so encouraging though is great to see.

I am never getting over that Satowa carries around the same strawberry candies as Chika once gave her because they help calm her down. Like, she carries a whole tin of them and is sharing them when she sees someone else obviously in distress because she wants to help even if Tomoe hasn’t been the nicest to Tokise. All of it’s so sweet, and yeah, I’m gonna be thinking about those strawberry candies for a long while now. And Hiro calling Satowa out on it, my god, I just love all of that.

We see a bit of a look into Tomoe’s mindset around Tokise, but I really like what her friend said about finding out what Tokise is really like when they hear them perform. Because that’s what it’ll really come down to, the music, the performance, and how it’ll carry the heart and voice of the people playing. But for now, Chibana will just have to focus on their own performance, and considering we know nothing about their sounds, and I don’t think we’ve heard much of their strengths and weaknesses either, though I could be forgetting, I’m really interested to see how their performance goes.

Honestly poor Tetsuki, now having to deal with both Isaki and Uzuki also getting roped into everything. Isaki went into full on Aunt Mode with Uzuki, like I may not like this kid but he’s gonna eat on my watch, and I really love that type of interaction. Isaki in general and how she understands Chika’s situation with some of the people around him but is also gonna protect Chika first and foremost is beautiful to see. She’s able to see through just her anger or resentment and relate how Chika has acted to how Uzuki’s acting, and again, she doesn’t want to let that happen on her watch. That little detail of Chika not eating when he first moved into with her even kind of surprising Tetsuki was really good and also so sad. In general, just hearing about how Uzuki feels about food does remind you of just how bad of a place Uzuki is in mentally. How she pushes the food issue with Uzuki by not making it an obligation for him to eat it all, but asking him simply to order something even if he only has a bite was a really great way of doing it and shows Isaki’s compassion, again even if she doesn’t like this boy, hasn’t forgiven him, much like Chika, she’s also not gonna let him just destroy himself either. 

“It takes a hell of a lot of strength to face what you’ve done and live with it. If you don’t have that kind of resolution, you don’t deserve to hear Chika and the rest’s performance.” These lines are really impactful. She’s telling Uzuki he has to face what he’s done, but it also takes a lot of strength to do that, so he better step up or he won’t be deserving of the chance Chika is giving him. While Chika still has some remaining self-worth issues when it comes to protecting himself, Isaki and those around him value him so much that they’re going to both respect his wishes and be angry and expect something of the people who have wronged him. They’re not gonna hesitate to make it clear how much protecting him is their first priority. Isaki just bridges the understanding and the knowledge Uzuki did something very wrong so well. She expects for him to step up and face it, and she knows that’s hard, but damn if he doesn’t deserve the hard process. But as Chika said in ch.111, hopefully Uzuki will come to learn with the performance what people can be to each other, what caring about someone really means, and while that may be hard in the face of his previous actions, facing it will allow him to better himself and move on, if he so chooses, if he’s strong enough to.

This also reminded me of what honestly might be one of my favorite quotes from this manga, though I have many, that Isaki said in ch.115. I don’t think I ever wrote anything about it, but this quote hit me so hard the first time I read it and still gets me with how true I feel it is

“But people change. Even when they don’t want to. They can’t stay as they were. And yet, when they do want to change, they’re unable to do so. We’re awkward creatures like that.”

Humans really are awkward like that. Much like in ch.115 with Isaki calling Chika’s dad, she has handled both him and Uzuki so, so beautifully. She is fully respecting Chika’s wishes while also letting these people in his life who have wronged him know where he’s at and that really they should be concerned with what they’ll do with the chance of listening to Chika, because Chika is living his own life. It’s up to Uzuki and Chika’s dad alike if they want to be any part of that or listen to what his music has to say, but they’re also sure as hell not gonna ruin that for Chika ever again. I don’t really know how much this specific quote even relates to ch.124, I just wanted to talk about it because I think it’s such a well-stated point. Sometimes we change when we don’t want that, and other times we can’t seem to change no matter how much we might want to, but it’s just a truth all of us sometimes have to face. The attitude both Chika and Isaki are taking on the subject, and that it seems Uzuki is trying to pick up as well, is that all that anyone can do now is move forward though the past will never change and never disappear, but there is still growth and peace to be found if people are open to working on it. Here’s hoping that Uzuki both does want to change and will be able to do so.

Anyway, going back to ch.124, it was hilariously predictable how everyone ended up staying to hear the rest of the performances despite their exhaustion. Takinami expecting it was amazing, and while he’s exasperated with it I love how happy Akira is about it. Also Yoshinaga just staring intently, sparkles included, at Momoya until he wordlessly gives in to staying was so damn cute.

Also, there were just so many cute little panels from this chapter

Anyway, I loved this chapter so much, pretty much as always, but I never get any less appreciative of how great every chapter that comes out is. I am very much in need of a reread of this entire manga, so hopefully what I was saying still made sense. As always, feel free to share your thoughts on the chapter as well!

[sujnn]

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 :: han sujin.

in between drowning in the water of his summons / and a curse of being born under leo skies * ,, HAN SUJIN came to all around broken seashells && a promise to break all that he touches .

STATS / ANOMALY / BIOGRAPHY / PLOTS + TRACKER hi ^^b this is luo's typist bringing up another muse to the dash! his intro is under the read more, so please feel free to look through it! i apologize for how lengthy his profile is but i really love his concept and i hope everyone will too >< please like this post if you'd like to plot, and i will work my magic by reaching out!

did you hear the latest scoop ? we’ve got a new student joining us ! a little birdie told me that they’re called han sujin, but they kinda remind me of park wonbin — don’t ‘cha think ? you’re probably thinkin’ they’re just another 23 year old in their third year of marine biology (bachelors), but wait ‘till you hear about their water bending ! nifty, huh ? especially ‘cause i heard they’re the house pulgasari’s new yang member ! they’re pretty soft spoken on nullivi, but you should watch out for their competitiveness just in case ! anyway — if you wanna check them out, i heard they’re staying at the blue hall. oops ! you didn’t hear that one from me !  ༊*·˚ ( sen, 24, description of self harm/eating disorders)

⊹˚. born n raised in busan, south korea ! han sujin is a silly little waterbender with a need to be liked at all cost. ⊹˚. and i mean it ! bro will spiral if one (1) person tells him they don't like him. ⊹˚. what do you mean you don't like me ? what did i do ? are you mad at me ? is it because i have a higher grade in that one class we have in common ?

⊹˚. naturally, he loves to swim. please, he's literally like a little fish in the water. it's canon that he sneaks inside the pool after hours (he got on the good side of a staff member and managed to snatch a double of the keys!) ⊹˚. it's also canon that he practices his water bending there. ⊹˚. oh ! speaking of ! his water bending style is very similar to the one from avatar the last airbender . . . meaning that he is heavily influences by martial arts, more specifically taekwondo, since he has been taking classes ever since he was a little kid !

⊹˚. he comes from a very supportive family: a father with the profession of fisherman, and the reason behind his anomaly ! after getting lost at sea and nearly dying, he was rescued by a little clan of water benders and was offered their utmost blessing. ⊹˚. a year later, little sujin is born with a handful of sand in his left hand and the rest is history (the history being: chaotic teenage years as he attempts to keep his anomaly under control ! )

⊹˚. because he was born with such promise, the need to be the best is engraved in his mind. he must be the best swimmer, the best fighter, the best student, and the best bender. no matter the cost.

⊹˚. such a mindset naturally gets him in a great deal of trouble: he skips meals often, pulls endless all nighters, and is a little too good at neglecting his overall mental health. but he's fine ! he's so fine ! he's totally fine, you got nothing to worry about !

⊹˚. he is a marine biology major ! he loves all things marine related, naturally, and would love to work with marine animals in the future. he also dabbles a little bit in engineering, and enjoys making silly little gadgets here and there in his free time.

⊹˚. he lives in blue hall: 3A and is roommate with a certain mermaid boy he may or may not be crushing on. but he doesn't have time for that, btw ! he's super busy with more important stuff such as ! well ! other things ! whatever, let's move on . . . !

⊹˚. he is house pulgasari's newest yang member, and he has a lot to show for ! you should totally reach out if you're curious about That. . .

i have a lot more that i want to add to his character, so please expect upcoming lore drop posts and plot calls on the dash !

[coarsely]

🍊 and 📙for saccade and vitor :D

🍊 – What is your OC’s favourite meal? Snack? Dessert? Drink? Any reasons behind this besides liking how it tastes? What is your OC’s most hated food? Stuff they can’t stand to eat or drink?

So, fun fact about Neo-Babylon; in some areas of the city, a number of underground factories were built, as part of a growing movement of people not wanting to have to travel for ages for work, as the city was already massive. Because of this, a number of factories for food are still in operation, left mostly unscathed by the extreme levels of radiation above. Some smart people have gotten these up and running, and now there is a real black market for the heavily processed foods that come from these factories. So Saccade's favourite food is essentially a Mr Kipling, or a twinkie, or whatever one's version might be. This is less because she genuinely loves how it tastes, and more because the rarity and exclusivity of it makes it taste better. Beyond that, her favourite foods tend to be spicy and vinegar-heavy. There are few things she won't eat, which is more a survival thing more than anything. However, she does avoid fish for the most part, because she hates picking out bones.

Vítor tends to eat simple; bowl of porridge in the morning, nice salt beef sandwich for lunch, and something like lasagna or risotto for dinner. This is a) because he's not a spectacular cook and these meals are simple enough to not mess up, and b) because he just isn't really a foodie guy. However, he enjoy a good pastry if he walks past a bakery of some kind, and he's never more at peace than in his office with a nice black cup of coffee. I think he also has a real sweet spot for cannolis, when he can get them.

📙 – What kind of subjects (of conversation, of discussion, in school or whatever) does your OC find interesting or engaging or that they can talk for hours about? What kind of stuff do they just find fun? What things bore your OC to tears and they couldn’t care less about? Why?

Saccade has a general interest in history, partially because it's often useful to know the how and why behind things, and partially just from natural curiosity. She's not much of a talker, to be honest, but she'd certainly be happy to tell you about the history behind a landmark or something if she knew it. She also goes to a fair amount of local sporting events, particularly boxing, and has a fair chunk of knowledge about the rules, techniques, history etc, but would have to be prompted to speak on this. She doesn't have much of a head for science-related subjects, especially mathematics. Biology and chemistry, she can understand in more practical terms, but try to explain calculus or algebra to her and she's tapping the fuck out.

Vítor is much more interested in math and the like than her, particularly computer science and coding. His major special interest however is music, particularly jazz and blues; there are a lot of performers in Golden Glimpse, where he lives, and the music that the city plays is why he has stayed there as long as he has, despite the many issues with gang activity and the influence from Bronze Eden. In the evening, when he's finished up with his work and when there's no more he has to do around his agency, he'll often go out and find a bar with performers and just sit a while to listen. He has a lot to say about the rhythms, influence, etc of the music. For what he isn't interested in, well he tries to act like he's interested to not discourage them, but when the kids that go through his agency start talking about motorcycles and modding them, he could not give a fuck. He doesn't have a car or any kind of vehicle, and he doesn't want or need one.

[theantarwitch]

Quick Question! Under your close practices tab you have Florida water listed. I've been wanting to use Florida water for some time (As a way to "bless" things, use it as an offering for deities, ancestors, etc, and as a protection water, to lock things like doors, windows, and mirrors.) but I wanted to research it a little bit before I bought it (just in case) From what I've seen, Florida water isn't a closed practice by itself, but their are traditions in magical practices like hoodoo, that are closed. I have 2 main reasons for thinking this is:

A. Spiritual creators (I know, not the most reliable source but still) have said many times that Florida water is not a closed practice. The 2 people I cite for this would be "That Honey Witch" and "The Glamour Witch LA", who both are POC. (Glamour stitches one of Honey's TikToks. I don't have TikTok but if you google search "is Florida water a closed practice?" the link is the second thing to pop up. There is also a reddit discussion on this topic, and while the poster/OP was really nice, the comments are filled with appropriation is BS etc etc so big yikes)

And my second reason being B. Florida water is a relatively common item sold at places like Walgreens, it's a cologne that, to my knowledge, was made by white man in 1808 (And was popular in the Victorian Era). It was advertised as a unisex perfume/cologne. I understand that the spiritual uses were popularized by mainly hoodoo practitioners, but from the research I've done, nothing says you have to be part of a specific culture to use it in your practice. (And was interestingly made in New York and not Florida, and got it's name from the supposed location of the fountain of youth.)

Sorry that this was kind of long- I genuinely mean no harm and I'm not trying to offend anyone, I just want to have a (hopefully) productive and helpful discussion about what is, and what isn't a closed practice, and the nuance behind it. I feel like people make things too cut and dry, especially on apps, like TikTok.

(also apologizes in advance for any spelling errors I'm sure I made a bunch)

Absolutely right.

Florida Water, just as White Sage, Oomancy and almost the majority of techniques, ingredientes, herbs and elements, are not closed or open PER SE. But is the use of it what make it closed or not, similar to how all herbs used in closed practices aren’t closed but the practices themselves are.

Just as you said, it wasn’t originally specifically created for spiritual practices. And I can tell that was probably used centuries before to get that fancy name. Was just a smelly cute water to the clothes in an age where was not even soap.

Like, dang it, if you look for the ingredients, you can find 50 different ways to make it! It can have Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit, Lime, Rose, Lavender, Bergamot, Jasmine, Chamomile, Neroli, Violet, Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, Sage, Basil, Eucalyptus, Mint, Cinnamon, Clove, Anise, Cardamom, Black pepper, Vanilla, ETC. None of the ingredients is closed.

Florida Water, used in a context of hoodoo, is closed to hoodoo. Just as White Sage in the context of Smudging is closed to Natives.

Florida Water, used as a ingredient to perfume, is open.

Florida Water, as a liquid to cleanse, is open.

If we become more tricky, a water made with, for example, lemon and mint, that you can make in your home to make the toilet smell good, is TECHNICALLY Florida Water.

Even more, we latins have the common use of rue and water as a way to cleanse a space, and, then, is florida water...

The Rose Water? Can almost be a florida water...

Probably, the link of the Florida Water and Hoodoo is related to the fact that Florida had a massive amount of African American slaves, but I'm not an expert in that topic and I would prefer than another POC with more knowledge of the topic say something about it. I speak only of the little I know.

So, short story. If you use Florida Water to use in the specific way of a hoodoo practice, not being from that culture, is closed af.

If you use it to cleanse your space as if it was moon water, or to make the pillow smell lovely, then is open.

That make me remember that I should fix that post lmao I remember I did it at 3am, no wonder why I made that AWFUL mistake, Thank you!

Also, don't worry, was not that long and I'm not a native english speaker, so I made 8237568 more mistakes than you lmao, chill.

Was a very interesting topic! Thanks to bring it up!

[marabarl-and-marlbara]

hi mara, i just wanted to say i love your art, your work, and i would be really excited to playing a vn by you - though there's no pressure. i hope you dont mind me asking, how many scientology works have you read? im currently reading a history of man. have a great day.

good morning, anonymous -- thank you very much for the kind words; i likely won:t ever make/finish a VN so let that excitement drain away, it was one of my "before-doomsday" goals, but @ some point it felt like the only reason i was creating a VN (to begin with) was to impress someone i had a crush on.

That:s not so simple, though! Because deep-down I really love the medium, and last night I spent the day day-dreaming about opening scenes + graphics I:d use to direct it; the day-prior was spent reflecting on my own failures to finish/publish my "blueprint for basic beliefs and practices" for others to follow, to form a fledgling sickly insect of introducing chiral faith (a sort-of 'anti-christianity' -- not-so-much anti as in "satan rules" and more-so "chiral objects should not overlap") coinciding with the production of the 8th-day calendar I:ve been following, for this year (this ties in-to the VN because the setting/script segregates the handedness of followers along several cultural lines, one of the major ones is separating the calendars with the introduction of an 8th-day for the left-handed (based on quaternal patternings) sabbath) -- because it dawned on me that I could probably affect more people by a) withdrawing wholly, as I freak-out easily from being exposed to connectivity due to contamination, & b) the VN script I had written already served as a 'pungent blueprint' for the insemination of my faith -- it made me think of that story about mundum, wherein there were two 'vehicles of mundum' b1) the fiction author, & b2) the academic, who both channeled utilitarian mechanical grind/erosion in their own outputs (ie, even if the method was different, the cause was the same); I might be more of an artist than a priest, basically, so I was (and am) struggling with a crisis of my own utility. Do I try to don the garb of religion, and affect people with well-written (lol) and concise (lolx2) blueprints that provide clear glossary/instructions for a future flock, when I die? Or: do I just map-out my internal world with characters that are being mechanically eroded (unaware) by the bacteria of my faith, in hope that it can reach-out and affect the environments of readers -- the phylactery that I wrote about in the "I am not a person of integrity" substack post.

I don:t know ^^ the person behind any of those possibilities struggles to do anything except obsessively follow a tight daily routine of over-exercising and cleaning.

To your Scientology question: I read this message before I went to bed & had a nightmare loosely related to it, ie: nightmare scenario: "I received odd messages from a person accusing me of causing the suicides of two people I knew, and that I could have stopped it if I just acted human with them and were willing to eat a rotting sandwich (context: there was this baked-bun that was filled with maggots)." Loosely: the idea of other people getting into Scientology due to me stresses me out, but at the same time: if I really cared about that: I wouldn:t make art about Scientology. Connectivity is always contamination, and ultimately under every excuse of "why I let this leave a 'clean' (untrue due to outside inputs) environment of my thoughts is always because temptation of connectivity (ie: the output companion of that prior-mentioned-input)." I:ve partially read Dianetics (original thesis), Dianetics (the volcano one -- I own this one physically!), and Self Analysis (I own this one physically, too).

Take care, chief.

[kyogre-blue]

White Clouds done for the first time. It took almost exactly 30 hours, whew.

I slowed down a bit toward the end because I started talking to every student in my class after Jeralt's death. They don't generally have much interesting to say, but I've hit the majority of available B ranks, so they've grown on me.

So, first, about this specific section. The escalation pace felt a bit fast though not necessarily in a bad way. It's just that the rest of the year had drip fed relevant info at such a comparatively slow rate that the last few month felt kinda crazy. Crazy villagers! Students turning into monsters! Jeralt dies! Byleth almost dies and merges with Sothis! Edelgard is the Flame Emperor and invading now! Bam, timeskip.

I think there is something to be said about this kind of pre-war period to help build up the characters and relationships before we get to the juicy part, but 30 hours of doing what I'd consider a fairly average amount of stuff is kind of a lot to hit what would be the inciting incident of older FE games. The calendar did not help with the pacing issues for sure.

Aside from that, I think we've gotten all the Byleth-related lore we're gonna get for a good while, and I spent a fair amount of time trying to ponder out what Rhea thinks is going on and what she wants to happen to Byleth. She talks about Byleth regaining their lost memories, which makes it seem like she considers them to be amnesiac Sothis, but she also refers to them as a vessel that will become one with the power within them, thus resurrecting Sothis...? It's really unclear what she thinks of the current Byleth, what she thinks will happen concretely, and how this would affect Byleth as an individual.

However, all this discussion only takes place AFTER Solon, so Sothis and Byleth have already merged. Byleth not only came out on top (albeit presumably based on Sothis's decision that it be so), but the first thing post timeskip text scroll is Sothis talking to you again, so it seems like the merger aspect might not even be the end of the subsumed personality.

The main point being, Byleth is not really in danger from anything except Rhea potentially reacting badly if we reveal that Sothis is gone. And since her actual aims are so unclear, it's hard to feel any particular concern or unease at that point. As a budding Rhea apologist, I wish we could had had more elaboration on this storyline.

As for White Clouds as a whole...

The pacing really is a mess. And while playing through once can be considered a reasonable experience, I do not enjoy the idea of doing it every single branch, especially with how little variation there seems to be. Up until Remire or so, what would even be different except the supports? And since you can recruit anyway.... Not great, to put it mildly.

It's unfortunate, because I think the calendar and monastery base could be have provided very good worldbuilding and immersion, but they just did not have enough put into them, whether because the developers did not understand how to use them, did not focus on this aspect enough, or did not have the time/budget to realize their vision. The calendar is very poorly laid out and too bare aside from repetitive grinding in the middle of the month, the explorable areas do not change according to seasons, making the calendar feel tacked on, etc. Just a lot of presentational shortcomings.

Liveblogging notes:

Kinda forgor what happened since Jeralt bit it because I took a few days break.

Well, regardless of the mission I forgot, I do recall Kronya got offed by her own ally, which was funny but kind of useless? I didn't really feel anything.

And then Solon had Byleth "swallowed by the mystical darkness of a forbidden spell." I guess if you can't deal with a problem (the protagonist), just yeet them into the void.

Lysithea shows no particular reaction to Solon, and neither does Flayn. I guess they're speaking generic lines here, which can go to practically any team member who is still alive to say them.

Everyone quite underreacts to the situation tbh. Claude's canned animations are very funny to see here.

Sothis speculates that Byleth was emotionless because of her. Presumably because she was still asleep until the start of the game, so Byleth, who is connected to her, was not entirely "awake" either?

It's kind of funny that Sothis calls herself a progenitor god but also the one who watches over Fodlan and all its creatures. But this world explicitly has more than just Fodlan. There's Almyra and other lands as well... Usually, the FE games are on separated continents specifically to avoid these questions.

The stuff Sothis says about needing to relinquish her power to you because she doesn't have a body... doesn't she directly possess Byleth in Hopes?

Sothis's soul with join with Byleth's, which I guess means Byleth does have their own soul.

The visuals somehow... feel so dated, it's weird.

Solon seems to not have realized that Byleth IS Sothis before this.

Seteth snuck a peak at Jeralt's diary too?? man, no privacy or respect for the dead. Interesting that Seteth has been so unsettled by Rhea's shenanigans that he's gone behind her back to investigate.

Rhea seems to think Sothis will revive through you for reals?

The monastery was built over the Holy Tomb, where Sothis sleeps... so they left her sleeping a ways from Zanado, where they lived, which is interesting.

This entire scene is hilarious if you know everyone's identities. Rhea is spouting pure nonsense about Seiros while being Seiros, and Seteth who knows all this and is in full doubt mode still has to go along with it.

Claude just directly eavesdrops on your meeting with Rhea? lmao

According to Cyril, Almyra is all plains and sky. Also has a city.

Ignatz just casually goes "let's go to Almyra after the war :D" Which is... Uh. Interesting that this doesn't present any travel concerns, but also what war

Imperial Army invades the Holy Tomb, wanting to take the Crest Stones there... But whose crest stones are they? I think dragons can traditionally create more than one dragonstone, but I'm not sure how crest stones function. I'm asking because it's unclear how many dragons there actually were. We have murals with the 10-something that have specific crests (who do not otherwise belong to any unified group, btw), but those crest stones would largely be accounted for, so were there other dragons too?

Also, not entirely sure what Rhea was expecting to happen. It doesn't seem like she directly expects you to get replaced by Sothis? My best guess is she expects Sothis to awaken (memories intact) and speak to you, but she doesn't know amnesia Sothis was already awake and is now gone...?

Suddenly, Edelgard

Edelgard's big invasion speech is hilariously propaganda. Ah yeah, Seteth and Rhea sure do want rule the world. Seteth is a grumpy but well meaning man, and Rhea has consistently cared about misuse of Relics/Crest Stones and Byleth and.... basically nothing else.

Also, this is not a subtle game. They want you to know Tomas is sus? Boy, they will make sure you know it. So Edelgard going "they divided the Kingdom and the Alliance from the Empire" "they live in extravagance by exploiting the masses"... NONE of this has ever been even slightly supported. There's nothing particularly extravagant about the monastery, and we have never even heard of people paying tithe. And while the Kingdom and Alliance history was mentioned somewhere, the Church was never brought up in association.

No one among the Deer students has anything to say about Edelgard's speech, just concern about this being a war. There's not even a hint that anyone thinks she's right lol

Seteth directly says that Edelgard is out to conquer the continent. His first thought after confirmation of the invasion is to have the surrounding villages evacuate.

OK, Rhea thinks Byleth's "lost memories" are beginning to return and that they've guessed "the truth of who they are." She says she has acted as "the proxy" for "Byleth." But to Seteth, she describes Byleth as a "vessel" and in time, the vessel will become one with the power within, at which point the progenitor god will return to this world. It's not entirely clear what she thinks of Byleth as an individual. She asks Seteth to "help our friend and in doing so, help her." So Byleth is a friend, but... they mention stuff like Flayn owing her life to Byleth and that Byleth may prove to be "their brethren"... Really hard to parse what they think is going to happen, specifically.

But since Sothis has already merged with Byleth and Byleth is obviously fine, there's not really anything to fear from this. It can't really read as ominous when the merging has already happened lol Edelgard supposedly spent the entire year gathering her forces at the monastery, speaking them in disguised as merchants and pilgrims.

Funny how all the Empire students are chilling at the monastery, telling us how their fathers and such are supporting Edelgard. Good thing we're too nice to take them hostage or something.

Sitri 1139 - 1159, Jeralt ?? - 1180. I guess we're in 1181 now...? Hang on, it's the 3rd month. Holy Tomb was 2nd month. Sothis merger would have been first month. So Jeralt death was 12th month of previous year, right?

It's cute how Claude says he'll always be on Byleth's side. Tbh I think the story would benefit from being able to highlight his ride or die side more. But since Byleth has very little direction in their own story, it ends up being more about Claude's ambitions.

Who the heck are Randolph and Ladislava

This music is very cool tho

The monastery walls are hella tall? Wow

I'm not sure what to make of this angle of Rhea leaving the monastery and the Church to Byleth.

Rhea just body slams the invading army.

The masked black beasts are creepy. Masks are a control mechanism, I suppose.

Byleth gets bodied by Thales lol. Where did this pit even come from

And that's that! The Unification of Fodlan has begun.

[soul-dwelling]

Thoughts on "Young Adult" literature? Do you think that it lets readers stagnate and become trapped in wish fulfilment for ever, never picking up more chalangening and emotionally complex stuff? Like to relate this to Okhubo - dont think that he read more "real" books besides what his higschool curciculm had him do

No.

There is enough young adult literature where wishes don't come true, it is not wish fulfillment--unless your wish is to see how bad things could get for someone and either live vicariously to deal with that pain and suffering, or to learn a lesson from it.

And I don't agree that young adult fiction is less challenging and less emotionally complex than other content. Have you seen stuff adults read? Not to cast aspersions on anyone who enjoys "common" literature, the kind of bestsellers you see at libraries all the time (the old gags about "Stephen King and James Patterson and Danielle Steel published 300 books per year"), but how are any of those somehow more challenging or more complex?

I've read and taught enough literature that is considered canonical and classic--and I still think a lot of it is less compelling than other content that would be considered low-brow or middle-brow or kids' stuff or young adult. Hell, look at canonical and classical literature that was initially considered for younger readers--yet is held up as really good, not only for canonicity, not only for historical value, not only for cementing common practices in writing, but because they are just flat-out good stories.

The practice I've had to take in researching, teaching, and enjoying literature is that the goal is learning practices for serious analysis of the work itself, whether that work is middling or amazing. You can read the worst pulp dimestore novel with the same practices as you would read Shakespeare or Toni Morison or Haruki Murakami, and I think you would come away with learning more about how to tell or not to tell a story. It's about what you put into it. If you are going in just for something superficial, that's all you get out of it, whether you're reading young adult or the classics (or, you know, young adult literature that is or may one day become a classic).

And for all the shit I'll give Ohkubo, if he isn't well-read, then he at least knows how to fake being well-read, because he cites major authors. You don't delve that much into Lovecraftian horror and not have read, if not Lovecraft, than all the other authors in that Cthulhuian circle. B Ichi brought up the Brothers Grimm' "Town Musicians of Bremen." Soul Eater brings up Lewis Carroll, Arsene Lupin, and Arthurian legends. Do those not count as "real" books? I have zero clue all that Ohkubo has read, but I have to imagine he did a bit of "reading" (whether we want to toss in good stories told in comics, TV, and film as well as "real literature" or"real books") to demonstrate some command of storytelling practices (...even as I still needle him for some sloppy plotting, story structure, toxic messages...).

[raposarealm]

Hmm, a random question to ask... What are some game series you like besides Mega Man games? Those are awesome, of course, but I don't remember if I ever asked you about other games.

(Oh, small edit: I’m serious on the “feel free to send in asks and bug me” bit, I’m not in school this semester and I’m. Very lonely.)

Well, Magia Record, but you knew that already.

I'm fond of the Project Diva games! I like rhythm games, even if I'm not practiced yet, and I'm a long-standing Vocaloid fan. I recently managed to get ahold of the Mega39's/MegaMix (no relation, sadly,) and it's been neat as well! Though I'm not forgiving them for replacing Sennen no Dousokuka with Snowman, god damnit.

Before I went AWOL from tumblr there for a while (late 2017 to early 2020, yeesh,) I posted a lot about The Stanley Parable as well, even though I couldn't play it since I didn't have a way to purchase it. Well, with the Ultra Deluxe release, I've been able to actually play it now! Except my mental state's been so unstable as of late that I've had to kinda shy away from it for a little bit. Actually, I've kinda had to shy away from a lot of games in general, partly due to just lack of energy from depression kicking my petunia, and partly because I can't get to some of the systems to set them up, because said lack of energy has caused me to not be able to clear up my room enough to do anything, much less play games. It's really annoying and I wish it'd stop.

Speaking of games I can't get to the system to play, I've had a copy of Mirror's Edge for a long time now, and I'm very fond of it, but... I've never actually gotten past the Edge and Flight part, the first real mission in the game... Well, I might have once, but it's. I'm not good at it. Also somehow I ended up with a Japanese copy, despite the game having been developed in the West? I don't know how that happened, but ah well. We have an Xbox One somewhere that got packed up in the move, and we've never been able to set it up. If I could actually find it at some point, I'd like to play the sequel Catalyst at some point. Also the series has a really, really damn good soundtrack, I beg of y'all please go listen to it.

And I think I've mentioned it somewhere before on this blog, maybe? But for a very long time, my favorite games were the Drawn to Life series, actually. In fact, my penname that I've used since the very beginning was named for the fox-like "Raposa" species in the game's world. Surprise, I don't speak Portuguese, just a little bit of Spanish. And what demoted the series from my favorite, you ask? Summer 2017 when my friend gave me a copy... of Starforce 1. Aye.

Oh, and until I lost them in the move, I was very fond of some of the Professor Layton games, but I never knew which games were in which order, so I kept getting confused, and I was too afraid of spoilers to look up the release order, because a) it's mostly a mystery series, and b) I've made the mistake before of looking up something like release dates or whatever on wikis and/or just Wikipedia and finding out a really major spoiler. Exhibit A: the Wikipedia article on Exe and me back in 2017 having only read the manga. God damnit.

There's probably lots more series I'd like if I could get into them, but I tend to shy away from new series and/or franchises unless someone drags me into them. Most of the games I've played have been one-off self-contained games that I saw mentioned somewhere and went "oh, that looks neat," or I ended up with a copy of one of the entries when I was really young and didn't fully grasp the idea of game series and playing in order (for instance, I got into Drawn to Life because my mother gave me a copy of The Next Chapter, the second game of the two, for Christmas back in 2009, since she saw the "drawn" in the title and went, "Oh, Rapo likes to draw!"; and back around the same time, I somehow ended up with a copy of the third Professor Layton game, "Unwound Future", and again, didn't know it was a later entry until Flora showed up and I had a "who dis" moment. Fun times.) The only exceptions really being Magireco, which I wanted to play from its launch, but didn't know it was technically free-to-play until the anime aired, and I finally checked it out; and of course, Rockman, which was the fault of my friend convincing me to watch the Starforce anime (and also lent me his copies of the Exe manga,) and it was all downhill from there. I regularly give him hell over this, by the way.

[honey-im-hotdog]

Big Ol’ Batsy III 

Batman/Bruce Wayne x Reader 

Author’s Note: HEY LOOK I DIDN’T TAKE A YEAR THIS TIME!! 

As always, reader is supposed to be gn+vague, so if you catch any mistakes related to that please let me know.

Word Count: 1.9k 

Warnings: swearing; violence (mugging, knife, threats, fighting—but nothing too graphic); migraines; vomiting; fear of dying (and related self deprecation); angst; hurt and comfort; and religious imagery, or at least I tried cuz a) I’m an atheist and b) I used to believe that Bonnie and Clyde were from the Bible... 

Summary: You know you shouldn’t go out after sundown, but your head has been killing you. Turns out, it’s not gonna be your head that kills you—but wait! Thank God for the B-man! (Aka the compulsory “he saves you!” part.) 

Series Masterlist — Masterpost 

———————————

Batman is a thing. He’s simply just there. Everyone knows about him, but barely anyone has actually seen him, let alone met him. So, Gotham’s masked vigilante is just…a thing.

He has been on the news so much, so often, that the people of Gotham have become desentized. It’s generally a good thing if you didn’t meet the man, actually. There are rumors—of course there are a ton of those floating around: he’s a shapeshifter; he’s a vampire; he’s a metahuman that controls the shadows; he’s a demon.

Laying here, on the dirty, wet concrete in an alleyway that reeks of piss, head woozy and sluggish, with the shadows bending to swallow each of your assailants, you can only think of one thing: if he is a demon, you’ll spend the rest of your life worshiping the Devil.

——————————————————————————

The last couple of days had been absolutely horrible for you. First you were stood up, which really fucked with your self esteem. (You’ve been trying to cheer yourself up by saying that they were probably a criminal anyway, and that you dodged a major bullet.) Then, the bank you go to was robbed—again—leaving you with just enough money to pay your bills, meaning you’ve been surviving on whatever you can scrape together from your kitchen. Today at work, your pompous ass coworker thought it would be a good idea to micromanage you. And if all that wasn’t enough, you’ve had a migraine since yesterday.

Opening your medicine cabinet, you let out a string of curses. Great, no fucking painkillers. The sun had just set, maybe an hour ago? You knew taking the chance could mean losing a few possessions at best, and losing your life at worst, but the pounding in your head and the swirling of acid in your stomach would probably have killed you anyway. You had your handy dandy knife, you would just have to be quick. The convenience store is only two blocks down, you tried to hype yourself.

You really should have tried to sit through it tonight.

Everything had been fine. Nothing had happened on your walk to the store; no robbery at the store. You went in, found your preferred painkiller, grabbed a Gatorade to help your stomach, and checked out. It took eleven minutes, max.

The way back is when shit took a turn for the worst.

The bright fluorescent lights in the store had messed with your head even more, the heavy metal music coming from the cashier’s small bluetooth speaker grinding your brain into a mush. There so is a right time to rock. Hell, walking around made you want to empty your guts alone.

You only had the homestretch left, quick and placid and you’d be home, finally able to chug down some relief. But, of course, shit never works out that way, especially not in Gotham.

Walking fast past an alleyway, even in broad daylight, was a practice every citizen had mastered, so how you were yanked into the depths of the darkened space is beyond you. The world tipped over, the pressure behind your eyes going insane. You felt the vomit rush up.

You had barely stumbled into the brick wall shoulder first when the front of your hoodie was grabbed and you were pulled forward, your head a few paces slower than the rest of your body. You barely heard one of the men hiss, “Give us whatever the fuck you got on you!” before your head caught up to your feet, and you puked what little contents you had in your stomach onto your assaulters. And surprise surprise, they didn’t seem to really like that. The guy on your left slammed your head against the wall, detouring from the agenda they originally had planned.

The explosion of pain in your skull had you seeing stars. You’re sure you had blacked out for a second, because the next thing you knew you were huddled on the ground and a leg was swinging into your right thigh. You had just enough sense to block your head from any further injury. Which really helped cushion your temple when an elbow had you slumping to the side.

The beating stopped as one of the assholes crouched down in front of you, brandishing something shiny in your face. A knife, you were quick to realize, but not just any knife, your knife. You weren’t sure when you dropped it; in your lightheaded state, you don’t even remember taking it out of your pocket in the first place.

“I’m gonna cut that pretty little face off you, cunt. Don’t think the homeless around here will mind a body without a face, do ya boys?” Their cruel laughter echoed inside your ears.

You may not have been there fully, but your groggy mind was able to comprehend one thing: you were going to die, and in the worst way possible.

You always thought you’d say something witty and hilarious for your last words, it’s something you had actually thought of numerous times (you do live in Gotham). Though when the time has come, you can’t think of anything.

You’re scared. You are absolutely terrified, dying in a dark corner where no one will find your body for a while. You aren’t anyone important, why would the cops look for you? You never got to say goodbye to your loved ones, never got to tell them you love them and are honored to have known them. You’re just gonna die; cold, in pain, alone.

So you squeezed your eyes shut: by God the last thing you saw was not going to be these pigshits.

But the knife never came. The pain that was so readily promised a second ago didn’t touch you.

Holy baby Jesus above! You thought right before you opened your eyes.

No, not God. The Devil himself.

The world felt murky as you tried to open your eyes wider, tried to take in the scene before you. The shadows, it would seem, had come alive. Twisting and turning, this way and that, wrapping each assailant in a terrifying embrace.

Then you saw him. They were right, you thought, that is a demon, straight from hell. The whole thing happens like an old film, a stop motion film. Shadows, rain, blood—it all mixed together in a dazzling, macabre dance in the dark alleyway.

God, you were told, is a good, pure, and gentle being. This? This is raw. It’s anger, fear, pain, and vengeance. This can’t be the doing of the big man upstairs (but really, when has God ever been a good guy).

You didn’t pray for anyone to save you, but the Devil still heard. The Devil understood.

The rain eventually drips into your eyes one too many times. The darkness behind your eyes is comforting, the cold floor numbs you, but the tilt of your head is adding to your migraine. So you lay down on your back. Nothing feels real to you anymore, so you let the chill around you envelop you completely.

So lost in the harrowing buzz coming from within, you start at the warm hand placed on your shoulder. You roll your head to look over at the owner, pointy ears being the first thing to catch your eye.

“Do those,” you creak out hoarsely, “do those have a purpose?” You push up into a semi-sitting, semi-leaning position in front of Batman. “They are so fucking rediculous.”

You begin laughing at the absurdity of anyone fearing his pointy ears, but your breath hitches and your croaked laughter quickly turns into broken sobs. Getting onto your knees, you throw your arms around him.

You cling to him. One hand fisting his cape and the other pushing against his shoulder blade. You press into him, pulling him into you, almost like you’re trying to disappear into the darkness he seemingly is able to control. Trying to leave this realm, this reality. Disappear into an abyss where you don’t hurt anymore, where you don’t feel the venomous fear leaking through every vein in your body. You cling to him harder. Your cries muffle against his collarbone, desperate whimpers ring out in the now-silent alleyway.

You sit like that for several minutes, but you eventually push away from him. Not too much, you don’t think you’ll survive if you separate from his warmth, so you only move your upper body back to look at him.

“Thank you,” you sniff. Your voice is shot to hell.

“I—”

“I know i-it was stupid of me to come out alone at this time, but my head really fucking hurt.” Your eyes shift lower and lower throughout the sentence, feeling ashamed of your own stupidity. You live in Gotham, for fuck’s sake, even infants know not to leave their house after sundown.

You want to cry some more but the pounding in your skull has gotten so loud that you don’t hear Batman call out to you. He grabs your attention by squeezing you a little. You were so lost in your fear, and his warmth, that you didn’t realize, until now, that he had also wrapped his arms around you.

“It’s okay.” His voice is low in a whisper, but still firm enough to make you hold eye contact. “It’s all right. Can you get up?”

You manage to breathe out a small affirmation, feeling like you’ll vomit on him if you had to speak anymore.

He slides his arms up to hold your biceps, pulling you away from the dirty ground in a swift move. His arms flex in an effort to steady you, before he does a little twirl counter-clockwise…

——————————————————————————

You wake up with a tiny groan. The familiar comfortness of your bed makes you feel safe. The room is dark and the city’s ever present noise is dull and distant, adding a soothing effect to the atmosphere.

“Here.”

A gloveless hand holds out a dose of painkillers to you, along with a Gatorade bottle. You squint up at the costumed man for a second before you grab the medicine. He gently places a hand behind your head, cradling your neck as he helps you sit up just enough to down the liquid.

“Your head wound is fine, nothing serious. Make sure you take care of it properly for the next couple days.” And as an afterthought he quietly adds, “your First Aid kit is impressive, I didn’t notice that other time.”

That makes you beam. “Right?!” The thing is practically your prized possession at this point; people usually brag about their car or their kids, you brag about your First Aid kit. You had gone out the very next day after patching him up to restock it.

The past couple days and events finally start to catch up to you, drowsiness seeping into the space behind your eyes, turning the world a little cotton-y. “Next time, make sure to wear the proper uniform, Nurse Vengeance.” You giggle at the image of Batman wearing a slutty Halloween nurse costume over his Batsuit.

The Knight shifts his hand from beneath your now resting head, to swipe an eyelash from your cheek, “Let’s not have a next time of this, okay?”

You’re too far gone to realize just how soft his voice has become, or the fact that his hand is still resting against your cheek. Before sleep fully envelopes you, you breathe out, “I was really scared, B. Thank you.”

You dream of bats and caves and demons; you dream of hell. You dream of him, reaching down to pull you into his darkness, into his warmth…

And slutty nurse costumes.

[doberbutts]

ok but the major term transmascs have to describe the specific oppression we face was coined by a violently antiblack, anti-indigenous, lesbophobe who has a fetishistic kink related to correctively raping lesbians and gaslighting them into thinking they’re men so like. maybe use another word that isn’t associated with that. bc the majority of the transmascs who use it are associated with him and harassed if they speak against him. and also with the harassment of black transmascs like voc.

Give me proof that he is anti-black and anti-indigenous, specifically. Because the "proof" I see is that he got into a dispute over the usage of the acronym ABO during a discussion about Omegaverse theory and how a lot of trans guys are uncomfortable with the way it's treated in fanfic. An Aboriginal blogger objected to the acronym being used in this way because it is also a slur used against Aboriginal people. He initially protested this because words, in fact, often have more than one meaning and many people who have it trigger-tagged use specifically that variant and he was very clearly not talking about Aboriginal people, but eventually relented and agreed to only use the acronym with the slashes A/B/O or call it Omegaverse instead.

That was apparently not good enough. He was then labelled anti-black after a short vent regarding Biden's Juneteeth declaration, calling it too little too late, a sentiment shared by many black people (including myself!) and said he wanted more from this country's leadership in terms of reparations. This was deemed... talking over black people? Because he thought our historically racist leadership was doing too little to make up for slavery?

He *then* was labelled harassing two bloggers who have honestly been doing a lot of petty shit-flinging and launching personal harassment campaigns when one of his followers eventually decided to call them to the carpet for 8 months of abuse and block-dodging and call-out-posting- and... let's not forget that these bloggers also outright deny black people who disagree with them their blackness by calling them white-aligned and coons and monkeys the second any black blogger comments on their bad behavior.

In other words, the 'proof' I've seen is a stupid petty personal dispute that got way out of hand and should have ended when all parties blocked each other.

As for his kink blog- again I say that digging through someone's private (PASSWORD PROTECTED) consensual sex life for dirt is like... old hat homophobia and transphobia. But even ignoring that, yes he was engaging in some borderline SSC kinks consensually with a trans woman partner and some of that was indeed deliberate misgendering, forced masculinization, and consensual non-consent. And eventually he realized he was not comfortable continuing and stopped, and the screenshots were taken well after the fact. He has said this more than once on his blog. You don't need to like what someone does in the privacy of their own bedroom (or in this case on a blog you shouldn't have had access to), but understand that not only was it consensual but that his partner enjoyed it and wanted it. You are calling him a predator because he engaged in consensual sex that was asked of him.

(also it's really fucking weird that y'all are so hung up on that but the trans masc and trans man and ftm tags are constantly filled with trans fems looking for trans mascs to practice forced fem/misgendering/cnc kinks on and y'all do literally nothing about it- idgaf what people are into as long as it's SSC but at least be consistent)

What's mind-boggling to me is that he's mostly just been doing his own thing on his own blog, getting top surgery, fixing his homelessness, and being isolated because anyone who dares actually research anything in regards to this is immediately put to the axe. That blocklist is because he was initially resistant to changing an acronym that people use to avoid a specific trigger that has nothing to do with the racist slur the acronyn shares letters with. Literally. This has snowballed out of proportion from that.

Meanwhile two trans fems so far have been called fakers or outright called men as a result of this block list. Several bloggers have recieved death threats, rape threats, transphobic garbage, ableist garbage, and worse. Who is harassing who, here? Because these bloggers were mainly talking among themselves (or in some cases, just talking TO themselves as there are vent blogs with only a small handful of followers on that list) and not going out of their way to bother anyone. When multiple trans fems spoke up saying hey, this isn't cool, I believe the same thing as these trans mascs and intersex people, put me on the list too... it was denied because the list is "only" for trans mascs. How does that make sense? If people who believe in something are all dangerous, why is it only some people being punished for it?

[mirclealignr]

Regulus Black Fluff Alphabet

regulus x gn! reader

requested by anon

warnings; brief mentions of food and anxiety

from this alphabet

A - Affection; how they like to show their love.

Regulus does a lot through touch and reassuring looks/smiles. He finds it hard sometimes to express just how he feels about you, especially considering expressions of love were severely lacking in his life. But when he holds your hand or caresses your face, he feels as if he's spilling all his secrets, and hopes that you understand them.

B - Beauty; what do they especially admire about you?

Your warmth. At first it was practically disarming, but overtime he learned to embrace it and miss it when it was absent, when you were absent. It would be so different to what he was used to, especially with the people closest to him. But he would adore the change that was you.

C - Cuddles; how they like to cuddle you.

Most of the time he likes to have his arms around you, sitting up slightly while you lay against his chest. There's a sense of safety he finds in knowing that you can hear his heartbeat and that it doesn't scare you off. But sometimes, he likes it when you take him in your arms and he can nuzzle in the crook of your neck.

D - Dancing; their favourite place to dance with you.

He is simply a hopeless romantic, and loves to dance with you when it's dark and raining outside, when the two of you are almost completely alone. He loves watching you smile as the rain seeps into your clothes and dampens your hair, and when you rest your head on his chest for some shelter.

E - Excitement; do they get excited with you about things?

Regulus likes to understand things before he gets excited about them with you. If you come running to him with an elated expression and start rambling about whatever brought you this pleasure, he'd want to know why. He'd want to understand you and relate to you. Almost always, he'd become just as excited as you.

F - First Date; your first date together.

The Astronomy Tower. Regulus would want to be alone with you, without prying or judging eyes. It wouldn't be much, maybe some snacks and a drink he brought for you, but he would want to hear you talk and laugh and to see you smile. He'd want to know your likes and dislikes, the memories you cherished, and things you looked back on and laughed at.

G - Goals; do they have things they want to achieve? Do they include you in these things?

For Regulus, his future goals remain largely unclear. Before you, he thought it was simple, but afterwards it would become far more complicated. With the weight of his family, and Sirius' abandonment making it heavier, he would often try to avoid the thought. But if you ever brought it up, he'd tell you that wherever you were, he would be.

H - Honesty; how open are they with you?

Very. Trust is something extremely important to him. While he may not tell you everything the second it happens, he does have every intention of letting you see every side of him, even the parts he wished would vanish from existence. Upon getting to know you, the trials of his family would be revealed slowly, rather than all at once, so he didn't overwhelm you. Of course, he'd be terrified, but he knew it was better that way, and he knew that you would love him all the same.

I - I Love You; do they say it a lot? did they say it first?

Regulus does not say it first, though he'd be sure he felt it first. He confesses straight after you, though, and gradually says it more and more over time. Expressing his feelings would not come easy, and sometimes, rather than tell you how much he appreciated you for listening or how beautiful he thought you were, he simply said 'I love you' in replacement, hoping that it would be enough.

J - Jealousy; do they get jealous?

Not necessarily jealous, but rather insecure. When he sees you laughing with someone else, he'd wonder whether they were better suited to you--they were warmer, more free, happier. Perhaps he brought you down, perhaps he weighed you down, and though he didn't express these insecurities out loud, he'd always seem to be easily read by you. And you'd always be there to reassure him when you needed to.

K - Kiss; their favourite place to kiss you.

Your hands. For Regulus, hands mean so much, represent so much, and yours are his to kiss and hold as much as he pleases. To him it would feel incredibly intimate, despite the fact that your hands can touch others, but that they're only his to kiss and hold. People can always get close, but never as close as he can.

L - Little Spoon; who’s the little spoon?

The majority of the time, you are the little spoon. He likes the idea that he is able to protect you, actually make you feel safe and wanted; it's one of the things he prides himself on. But, there woulds be times when he needed to feel that, and revelled in the warmth of your embrace tightening around him, holding him close.

M - Melody; what’s your song together?

I think your song together would be 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' by The Beatles.

N - Nicknames; do they use nicknames for you?

Yes a few. Some of them would include 'treasure' and/or 'my treasure' because he adores you and could not think of anything better than you. For him, you are what people search for their whole lives, sometimes without ever finding it. And, because he speaks French, ‘mon chéri /ma chérie' for definite.

O - Open Book; how hard was it to get to know them?

It wasn't necessarily hard, just gradual. However, you would have always suspected that Regulus did not have it easy and were content with him going at his own pace, and appreciating that he was brave enough to reveal it all to you. It never seemed too slow, rushed, or overwhelming--he picked his timings well and never let things become too heavy. He'd also be very conscious that everyone had their own burdens, and would make sure he always left time and room for you to air anything you wanted or needed.

P - PDA; how affectionate they are in public.

Not very much at all. He prefers to show you his love when it's just the two of you. But he isn't afraid to let other people know that you're in a relationship, and will often intertwine his fingers with yours, whisper things in your ear, and kiss your temple.

Q - Quirk: a weird but loveable trait of theirs.

He never signs his name, he always signs R.A.B. Even when it's small notes to you, little love letters, or ordinary letters, he will never sign it as Regulus, but with his full initials.

R - Romance; how romantic are they?

So much. He loves leaving you love notes, writing love letters to you, slow dancing with you, playing music for you, watching the stars with you, whispering sweet nothings in your ear, snuggling up in bed with you with a good book. He loves to do it all.

S - Secrets; do they keep secrets from you?

Not really. Perhaps only ones he thinks would unnecessarily hurt you, like what his family says about you. He doesn't tell you because he doesn't think it matters, they don't matter to him, only you do, and he wants their words to mean nothing.

T - Thrill; do they like to keep the relationship new and exciting?

He likes to, and he tries. He certainly likes surprising you, even if only to see that smile. He likes taking you places, learning your favourite songs on the piano simply because you like hearing them, taking you on spontaneous trips or dates. He's not on for grand, public gestures, but he still keeps excitement in the relationship his own way. But he also knows when things need to be slow and calm, and doesn't mind it either way.

U - Understanding; how they comfort/support when you’re upset or anxious.

He knows that most things said would be wrong, even if they were intended to be reassuring and understanding. Even when you talk about what's bothering you or don't, it can be hard to say the right thing. So instead, he takes you in his arms, rubs your back, kisses your cheek and gets you any comfort foods that you wish for. Sometimes, words speak far less than actions.

V - Vexed; how easily they lose their temper.

With his family, and even with Sirius, Regulus can lose his temper very quickly, but you understand that their relationship has not been easy, nor do you care for his family. With you, it's rare that he loses his temper or raises his voice at you. When he does, there are usually other factors that have contributed to his mood, and he is quick to apologise afterwards.

W - Weakness; what’s their weakness what it comes to you?

Your smile. So easily it can make him feel like he's falling from the stars, watching the constellations become smaller and smaller as he slips into the earth's atmosphere, burning and smiling and falling completely in love with you every time he sees it.

X - Xtra; random hc about them.

Regulus likes to speak in French to you when there are things he is too afraid to say or things he thinks sound more romantic when said in another language. Even if you can understand him, there's something less nerve-racking about saying it in French, it's almost like he's playing himself in another world, but still hopelessly in love with you.

Y - Years to Come; how they imagine your future together.

He doesn't like to think about the future often because he knows how easily it can change and fail to meet your expectations. He only hopes that he is with you, facing whatever is to come. He prefers to focus on the present, where he already is with you.

Z - Zzz; how they are when they sleep.

Incredibly still, almost scarily still. The only time he moves is to be closer to you, closer to your exuding warmth. It almost frightens you to move in case it wakes him or disturbs him, but if it does, he never lets on. - - - fill in this form or send an ask to be added to a tag list <3 forever friends; @myalupinblack / @selenes-sun / @vixxiann /@queen-asteria04 / @lillict / @savingpluto /@theincredibledeadlyviper / @pad-foots / @fizzleberries / @willowbleedsonpaper / @kinkyduuh harry potter; @fuckingbloodyhello / @catching-the-train-to-hogwarts / @scvrllet / @dreamerinthesun / @crazy-beautiful / @chaoticgirl04 /@cupids-crystals / @fandom-life-12 / @mypainistemporary-blog /@oliverwoodmarrymepls / @eunoniaa / @missryerye marauders era; @spxllcxstxr / @natashxromanovfreads / @ch /@sereinegemini / @helen-with-an-a / @sweeter-than-strawberries /@spxncervibes regulus black; @jackys-stuff-blog / @with-love-anu / @yinrose98 /@tarorootboba / @lyaseille / @bloodblossom73

[ariesjupiter]

Mitski Birth Chart Reading

This is just my interpretation based on Mitski’s birth chart and what I know of her music. Let me know if you have any suggestions of someone I should make a post on next! If you’re interested, I offer natal chart readings, just check my pinned post!

Libra sun: In terms of basic personality and ego, Mitski is focused on creating balanced, harmonic relationships. Intimate, one-on-one relationships are a major part of her identity. Libra is ruled by venus which represents love and beauty. After all, she is known for her lyrics relating to her romantic relationships. The lyric “I love everybody because I love you” is so profoundly Libra to me. She is friendly and charming. She sees herself reflected and other people and people see themselves reflected in her (for better or worse). Venus also rules the arts and Mitski is a natural artist in every sense of the word. Her music sonically is very unique, inventive, and creative as she experiments with mixing different genres. This is influenced by her sun in the 11th house. Sun in the 11th house also indicates an emphasis on friendships and memberships of certain groups and communities. It also indicates an importance of her hopes and dreams. Her sun in 3° explains why she is such a talented writer, communicator, and lyricist. Peak libra sun culture: “Young adult romance is the shit” (a real quote from the queen herself). And let’s not forget her iconic quote from 2016: “I’m a libra so my sexuality is essentially “you can really be any gender as long as you treat me like a princes.” Truer words have never been spoken.

Capricorn moon: Despite how personal her music is, Mitski is a rather private and reserved person, particularly when it comes to expressing her emotions. Also, Capricorn is associated with the father and she has been known to be especially private regarding her dad’s career. She is serious and intense with emotions but can sometimes get detached. The emphasis is on having control over her feelings. She is ambitious and a practical person. Her emotions are connected to her career. Those who do not know her well may see her as cold. In temperament she tends to be melancholic. Emotionally mature and wise beyond her years. Straightforward and honest with her expression. She is dependable, loyal, hard working, & realistic. Emotional fulfillment is often tied to achievement and success. Her moon in the 2nd house and 2° suggests material comforts make her feel safe. With the 2nd house being associated with venus, she is able to express her emotions in an artistic way. Could be protective over material objects. Sentimental. Music has a big impact on her emotions and mood. Peak capricorn moon culture: “I didn’t really feel anything. I’ve stopped feeling things for a long time” - Mitski, The Fader Interview, 2017. In all seriousness, I hope my capricorn moons are doing good.

Virgo mercury: Mitski is practical and detail oriented when it comes to communication and matters of learning. She takes the time to choose the right words to convey her thoughts. She is clear and concise. Mercury is in its sign of rulership here. Her mercury in the 10th house suggests that she will be known for her communication style. Has a lot of thoughts but is also organized. Analytical. Mitski likes making lists. Loves to give advice. Mercury is in 16° (cancer degree) and she has a soft spoken voice. Talks about the past and her roots (cancerian themes).

Virgo venus: In love, Mitski will assume a caretaking role and will gladly help her partner finish mundane tasks and chores. A devoted and faithful lover. Love is about the mundane and routine details of life. Love is about service. Acts of service tend to be virgo venus’ main love language. She wants to help improve her partner’s life. She is patient and observant. Values love that is simple and authentic. Appreciates a partner with whom she can have intellectual conversations. May have a tendency to be too critical on herself when it comes to love. Venus rules aesthetics & style and she tends to have a modest fashion sense. Mitski has voiced her interest in astrology and how she has asked people she’s interested for their birth times lmao. Her venus is in the 11th house, she treats a lover like she would treat a friend. In fact, romantic love probably equates to platonic love in her book. She has her venus in 24° which is a pisces degree, which explains this natural interest in astrology.

Gemini mars: Could be impatient because she moves quickly. Efficient. Has a lot of goals and likes to keep busy. She thrives when she talks to others and exchanged ideas. Likes to multitask. Very versatile. Probably has a flirty, bubbly energy when she’s attracted to someone. Attracted to intellect. Desire to see things from multiple perspectives. Gemini rules the hands so she’s skilled with playing instruments and writing. Likes to try new things. Witty and humorous. Could have nervous energy or fidget often.

Leo jupiter: The planet of luck and expansion in Leo is a big indicator of fame. Her jupiter is also in the 9th house and in 7°. Jupiter in the 9th indicates being born in a different country from where you reside now. Mitski is biracial and has lived in multiple countries growing up. She loves to learn, particularly about other cultures and ways of life. She is open minded, philosophical and values freedom and being independent. She attracts good fortune when she travels (touring!) and also when she focuses on partnerships/intimate relationships (7°). Combining this energy, Mitski attracts luck when she acts dramatically, demonstrates/teaches her knowledge, expresses herself artistically, shows her warm hearted and sometimes stubborn side, & takes chances, shows her bravery, and takes the lead. Be the Cowboy is big leo energy 🤠

Capricorn saturn: Mitski is responsible, practical, goal-oriented, and cautious. With saturn in the 3rd house, she probably had to grow up quickly and become mature at a young age. Capricorn saturn people tend to be very successful people. Strong willed. Tendency to be quiet and is a good listener. Could also be outspoken. With saturn in 18° (virgo degree), she’s very hard working but she may need to learn how to take a break and let herself rest and recharge.

Capricorn uranus: This placement also indicates that she goes after her goals and is efficient and practical in achieving them. Uranus being in the 2nd house shows that she could make money from being unique and groundbreaking. 2nd house also rules the voice! Her values are unique and she could be resistant to change them. Her self esteem could be in a constant state of flux and be tied to money. Her income could rapidly change, like maybe she did not get paid much but then suddenly she starts making a lot of money. Uranus is in 5° which is a fame degree. She’s famous for being authentically herself and very much an individual in the industry that can’t be compared.

Capricorn neptune: Capricorn neptunes are most likely realists. She is skilled at going after her dreams. Her dreams are practical and connected to themes of wealth, power, and control. Neptune in 3rd house shows a dreamy, poetic way of communicating. A very creative placement. Dreamy vibes. Could be elusive in communication, open for interpretation. Neptune is in 11° so this gives aquarian energy. Idealistic with friends and always searching for ways to achieve her dreams.

Scorpio pluto: Her power lies in her ability to analayze human interactions and be introspective with herself since it’s in the 1st house. She is very self aware. Mitski understands that life is about going through changes and she welcomes the ability to grow and rebuild. She has intense, deep emotions but has control over them and how she expresses them. Pluto in 16° adds a cancerian energy. Her strength lies in her ability to nurture and be empathetic.

Scorpio rising: First impressions of Mitski can be that she’s mysterious and secretive. A powerful and intimidating presence. This explains to me why she loves dressing in black. She probably has a strong dislike for anything superficial. She likes to get to know people on a deeper level and connect with them. She likes honesty and is probably very perceptive and intuitive. Privacy is so important to her! She has a lot of layers and wants people to unpack them, but it may take her a while to open up. She is powerful and has endurance. Her presence leaves an impact on people. Loyalty and intimacy is important. She’s not afraid to talk about taboo topics or scary, heavier emotions. Passionate and even a tendency to get fixed on or obsessed with something or someone. Her rising is in 15° (gemini degree) so she’s clever, curious, and thinks quickly. a little more flexible than a regular Scorpio rising would be.

Leo midheaven: People might see her as dramatic or arrogant. In the public eye, she was meant to be a performer. At her concerts she’s known for putting on a good show & includes interpretive dance and choreography. She becomes herself more when she’s on stage. The stage is where she shines. Has a lot of pride connected to her career. Reputation for creatively expressing herself and being brave and taking risks. Wants to be admired, especially regarding her career. Her purpose is to become a leader. Mc in 22° (capricorn degree) shows that she is a very hard worker when it comes to her career. She won’t let anyone stop her when it comes to achievement and success in her field. Another indicator of being at the top of her career and being publicly recognized for it!

TLDR: Mitski is a natural born singer, performer and artist. She is unique, talented, and an introspective writer. Being earth and water dominant, she balances practicality & stability with sentimentality & raw emotion. With all of her Capricorn placements, she is grounded and doesn’t let fame get to her head. Her chart ruler is Scorpio pluto in the 1st which means that major transformations will be a big theme in her life, especially regarding herself & her identity. She is always reflecting and looking at herself on a deep level.

[mango-dolphin]

idk if i sent this to someone else but i probably did and they just haven't answered BUT-

i love the idea of Ren and Itsuki being more, i guess, intelligent?? than Naofumi and Motoyasu. like high IQ, knows a ton of subjects and is VERY well versed in each, kinda way!!!

It makes sense kinda too, Ren is from a hi-tech world which likely needs a lot of extreme just to function in society NORMALLY, and i think he did good with A's and high B's. Itsuki went to a wealthy private school(based on uniform) for people with Superpowers and is probably a straight A honor student!!

that doesn't say anything about how dense/young they are, tho XD

Naofumi, though he is pretty smart, is canonically an otaku nerd who never went past highschool, and likely got like C's and B's. Motoyasu was in university, but with how stupid and stubborn he is i don't think he's too intelligent either XD; he seems like an Art Major(derogatory).

I can imagine Itsuki and Ren having a really engaged, in-depth, "high IQ" intelligent conversation and Nao and Motoyasu CANNOT keep up XD

tl;dr:

i agree that ren is probably a nerd but NOT because he's from a hi-tech world; i also agree that itsuki would be a huge nerd too but it is because he's from a world w/superpowers.

imo ren's range of knowledge would be wider than itsuki's and motoyasu's, but naofumi would have an even wider range and a greater depth of applicable knowledge because of how he spent his time in melromarc's world.

itsuki & motoyasu's intelligences would probably be confined to specific fields, perhaps even specific applications to a certain extent. their depth of knowledge would run pretty deep in that regard i feel

kizuna would also have a wide range of knowledge, some more shallow than others. she'd be a lot more practically (and emotionally) equipped than ren would, tbh

didn't mention it in the ramblings below, but i decided to add up my placements on all of the characters' intellects, and it looks like this: Naofumi > Kizuna > Itsuki > Motoyasu > Ren > Motoyasu again (because of the mental illnesses)

(DO note that these are in comparison to each other and not really how smart i think they actually are, which is something i could probably elaborate on later. there were some where i realized that the heroes would all be better than the average person, and there were a couple where i realized that the heroes weren't that smart in that category.)

however ren & itsuki would be so much better at, say, math than naofumi or kizuna would be. i'm sorry.

however i think motoyasu and naofumi would have soooorta equal math smarts (just different applications of what they know) so.

my actual post (sorry that it keeps getting so long)

hmmMMMM i will admit, as fun as these headcanons are, i don't know how much i can reciprocate...? i think there's a fallacy here wrt money, technology level, and education as they relate to knowledge: while having more of any one of those three can make access to knowledge easier, it doesn't necessarily mean that becoming more knowledgeable (either willingly or unwillingly) is a guarantee.

you ARE right that education doesn't say anything on how dense/young (immature?) they are. but i'd also like to call into question what we're calling "intelligence" here, as personally i think everyone has a different thing that they're "smart" in (if they're smart in anything at all). and the different heroes All definitely have a variety in that regard.

(personally i don't really buy into IQ points / IQ stuff either because it doesn't really say What that sort of intelligence is supposed to entail, i've always seen it as a thing white people use as a bragging right PRBTBBTT)

THAT SAID. i still think ren has a decent chance of being the (intellectually—i mean specifically logical*) smartest of the cardinal heroes just from his personality alone LMAO. i think the comparative list of logical intelligence looks like:

Ren

Naofumi (above Itsuki by a very close margin that only was made further after their time in Melromarc's world)

Itsuki

Motoyasu

Kizuna (including kizuna because she's a cardinal hero too and i like her.)

PLEASE note that i'm not trying to call Kizuna stupid here (in fact, i think she's decently smart; average intelligence for her age at the VERY least)—rather I'm trying to call Motoyasu smart (or at least. also average intelligence for his age w/some specializations)

(*invoking from the multiple intelligences theory, proposed by howard gardner. essentially, the theory claims that human "intellect" is actually split up into different modalities, rather than intelligence being one singular ability. i think this theory just Makes Sense™ because like. humans are far too complex. but also i didn't mean to bring in psychological theory just for headcanons HELP ME.

(further reading from the website this was taken from here!)

of course not everyone agrees that this theory is applicable to daily life or questions of intelligence, and additionally i may not even be naming more common reasons as to why people disbelieve this theory? but i support it and at the very least appreciate the classifications so i'm gonna borrow its basic proposed ideas for the rest of the post.)

i try to avoid Quantifying traits like intelligence tbh, but also there's no disregarding the fact that some people are just better at different shit than others. difference is a Thing. it Exists™. so with that, i'm gonna ramble about my headcanons/the vibes that i get wrt the 9 intelligence types in gardner's theory:

(NOTE: got tired in the middle of this so i'm not gonna comment on/define all of these. if you'd like me to, send me an ask for another category and i can go in-depth! i just realized that this post is getting LONG.)

Visual / Spatial (i rearranged this list SO FUCKING MUCH)

Best: Naofumi. Remembered that he got into jewelry-making; becoming a traveling trader probably unlocked some latent advertising/graphic design awareness locked in his subconscious after years of curating manga, anime, games, and doujinshi LMAO. Also has some great senses on the field, combined w/his stupendous leadership his ability to apply his intelligence here is off the charts.

(2) Itsuki. Great at visualizing things relative to where he is, and definitely would have to have that kind of awareness in order to be a good archer. Placing him this high because—ironically enough—I think he'd be close to the best at analyzing "chain reactions" (how things not only interact in a space, but how those interactions will affect everything else around them).

(3) Ren. Despite probably being used to cramped spaces more often than not, he's also used to VR, so he'd probably be more aware than most on what may be in his surroundings. Just as good at considering "chain reactions" as Itsuki would be. Probably knows a thing or two about graphics as well—not saying that he's an artist by any means, but rather he'd be exposed to art (in advertising) to the same degree anyone incredibly online or in a very urbanized space might be. Might have taken note of how all that stuff works—he seems like a curious kid.

(4) Kizuna. Pretty good at visualizing things in a 3d space—maybe not the most creative person out there (more resourceful than anything, which is a different skill), but has a strong sense of style. Also would be pretty good at observing and predicting how things would react physically—I could see her and Ren being tied, honestly.

Worst: Motoyasu. i agree so bad he'd be an Art Major (derogatory but also affectionate). Initially I put him at the top, then I recalled how the other heroes displayed their spatial intelligence in the anime and was forced to relent that Motoyasu's seeming inability to consider collateral damage (especially as compared to the other heroes) would put him squarely at the bottom. He sucks severely at thinking through the implications and consequences of things at their face. So even though I think he'd be the most artistically-minded and even potentially the most eagle-eyed of all the Cardinal Heroes (second to Itsuki on the latter part imo), he doesn't have the intelligence here to apply any observations he makes.

IN TERMS OF ARTISTIC ABILITY, HOWEVER! (from best to worst):

Artistic Scrutiny: Motoyasu, Naofumi, Kizuna, Itsuki, Ren Artistic Talent: Motoyasu, Itsuki, Naofumi, Kizuna, Ren Artistic Knowledge: Motoyasu, Ren, Kizuna, Naofumi, Itsuki Aesthetic Sense: Kizuna, Motoyasu, Naofumi, Ren, Itsuki Would realize the dress was blue and black and taken under weird lighting conditions: Motoyasu and Motoyasu alone, somehow

Naturalist

Best: Kizuna. IT'S A PERFECT DAY FOR A FISH HUNT. Kizuna is the Hunting Tool hero and has had to live away from civilization on her own for a very long time. Not to mention, just as the person she is, I doubt that she wasn't well-versed in nature and the world around her even before her exile. Loves to fish so bad

(2) Naofumi. Naofumi be multiclassing in everything, including plant-based magic (king)—however, before getting summoned, Itsuki would've known more than him by a long shot. (In fact, he'd probably rank above Motoyasu exclusively because of his affinity for animals!)

(3) Itsuki. Itsuki probably got some wildlife/survivalist training at his school, and his knowledge (even though he probably hasn't honed it too much so much as relied on what he knows) is probably close to Naofumi's. Maybe not the most comfortable around animals,

(4) Motoyasu. Wouldn't be the best forager or survivalist by a long shot, but would feel very comfortable (although not completely knowledgeable) in natural spaces. Most animals are probably ambivalent to him. Has more keen naturalistic instincts than the average person, so the gap between him and Ren is larger than his gap with Itsuki. It's not his fault that everyone else above him is just a nature freak. (Personally imagining him as a wild frat boy released into the apartment backyard woods hunting rabbits on all fours)

Worst: Ren. I don't know how urbanized Ren's home Japan was, but he doesn't seem like the type of kid who'd be spending all his time outside. Can't fucking swim. Would have learned enough from video games and (to his embarrassment) trial and error to get by, but do NOT forget the fucking Dragon Corpse incident holy shit. Probably hangs around civilization as much as possible. Legitimately worse at this than the average person prove me wrong

self-explanatory imo.

Musical

Best: Itsuki

(2, tied) Kizuna & Motoyasu

Worst, tied: Ren & Naofumi

apparently itsuki became the Vassal Music Instrument holder? good for him! i really need to read the light novels help me god.

musical headcanons are a BIG THING for me so i get really picky about them, but personally i don't know enough about these characters to really say one way or the other quite yet. my placements are just vague vibes, i'll feel more comfortable elaborating on a musical hc for these guys once i know more about the story.

Kizuna & Motoyasu probably have good grasps on musical concepts—i thiiiink motoyasu knows how to play guitar? and kizuna feels like someone who's played an instrument at some point.

Logical / Mathematical

Best: Ren. Probably did a lot of in-depth stat calculation when playing his video games, he gives me those vibes. His mathematical knowledge is best geared towards statistics and calculations, and he probably makes great assumptions/hypotheses when he's given the space and opportunity for it.

(2) Naofumi.

(3) Itsuki.

(4) Motoyasu.

Worst: Kizuna.

Talked about this earlier lmao.

Existential

Best: Kizuna. Her entire character arc :]

(2) Ren. Seems very thoughtful when he gives himself the space, in the LNs he seems to be giving himself that space for sure in alongside of how much he's trying to atone. I care him

(3) Motoyasu. Doesn't seem interested in this kind of thing admittedly, but would have some surprisingly profound ideas hidden underneath his whole idiot college boy facade. I think he has the capacity to be more spiritually intelligent/considerate than anyone might give him credit for. It'll take him a bit, but. Y'know. (gestures vaguely)

(4) Naofumi. He seemed incredibly dismissive about any sort of existential purpose he might have until recently I think? He never thought very much about his place in the world aside from how much the world hated him, and only recently (in the anime) started thinking about existential topics. He was just trying to survive for awhile, so philosophy outright didn't matter much to him. Could probably start outclassing Ren & Motoyasu if those two stagnate as he progresses.

Worst: Itsuki. Hates thinking about existentialism. Black and white thinking lends itself poorly to thinking about the possibilities of something, and spiritual/philosophical questions tend to introduce grey areas and mess with that kind of thinking.

idk who added this type or when, i think it's essentially spirituality? or at the very least how to keep going. idk. philosophy is also under this umbrella. idk how to tackle it

Interpersonal

Best: Kizuna.

(2, tied) Naofumi & Motoyasu. Naofumi theoretically wouldn't be that good with people (what with his anger at the world and subsequent introversion), but the entire series has demonstrated over and over that he's naturally good at making meaningful connections. On the flip side, ever since Motoyasu's mental breakdown in the LN it's been getting worse, but he's naturally charismatic and has been the people person out of the rest of the heroes. Motoyasu is good at making friends—Naofumi is good at keeping them.

(3) Itsuki. lol. lmao

Worst: Ren. He's doing so bad and he's going to continue to. I'm so sorry.

Bodily-Kinesthetic

Best: Naofumi, hands down, tied with Kizuna. It's kinda crazy how good at moving around and just throwing himself around the field the anime makes Naofumi. He's a natural fighter, great at defense. I could elaborate more but. Tired. Go king go

Kizuna, meanwhile, Probably has the best hand-eye coordination of the group, behind or tying with Itsuki (who'd probably train that as well). She's above him, however, due to probably having a better instinctual skill in using her body in combat. As in, good at getting into position, out of position, timing shots and attacks etc etc etc. Probably pretty good at physical skills as well. Honestly

(2) Motoyasu. Honestly I can see him having great motor functions, ranking below Kizuna only because he doesn't seem like he'd have gotten into many fights pre-summon (not that fighting a lot = more bodily-kinesthetic intelligence) and his batch of Cardinal Heroes haven't been at it this long. Being an artist (particularly someone who sews & designs) probably makes him aware of how to fine-tune certain things, as well as a higher awareness than average on how the body moves and how it could be restricted. Skilled with his hands, probably has some great footwork too. Also he probably has a pretty good understanding of his body because of. Because. Because he'd. You know how. It'd be because he'd have a lot of. Y'know. It's because he f

(3) Itsuki. Sure, he had to undergo training in his boarding school for superpower stuff, but I never got the impression that he was necessarily good at it. His power, "Accuracy" (able to hit targets accurately with any ranged weapon/device if not blocked), would probably make him instinctually good at positioning himself, but wouldn't necessarily make him naturally good at bodily mechanics—in fact, his power could've even made him complacent in that regard. Sorry to be so consistently harsh to this boy I know he's trying. Probably better than average because of his schooling, but he was also considered one of the weakest powers in his class so that probably affected him (at least mentally).

Worst: Ren. Can't fucking swim. King (sorry i know this isn't fair. he's probably actually better than itsuki in this regard but i decided to throw itsuki a bone by being too lazy to think it through at this point)

kinda tempted to put motoyasu above kizuna & naofumi but the results don't lie lmao

Linguistic

Best: Motoyasu. Rather poetic, probably incredibly well-read. I thiiiink his vocabulary is larger than the rest of the heroes? He gives me that vibe at the very least. Definitely a great actor if he tried, can put a lot of oompf in his words and—if he really feels like it—could craft incredibly effective speeches to evoke ideas he doesn't even state. Master at utilizing connotations without even realizing, imo. Would be a dangerous political opponent if he cared for it / used his talent/skill to the best of his ability. The royals love him.

(2) Naofumi. Doesn't try very hard to speak up for himself, which is a shame as he's gotten so much better at speaking in general. Great at conveying ideas when he needs to, has worked out his conversation & convincing muscles. Frankly the best speaker out of all the heroes due to skill, losing out to Motoyasu only because I think Motoyasu's just that talented.

(3) Ren. Not the most well-spoken in plain conversation, but is thoughtful enough to use his words properly and effectively. Pretty good at making and reading into inferences.

(4) Kizuna. Particularly blunt with her words, which is as much of a good thing as it can be a bad thing. Is also an otaku, so she's definitely reading a lot of media and I should hoooope thinking a lot about it too. Only slightly behind Ren if only because of the time she spent exiled, but could easily surpass him with time, age, and care for linguistic-focused skills.

(5) Itsuki. Alright conversationalist, decent public speaker. Due to his black and white thinking, however, he struggles to read between the lines. Can sense poor intention well enough, but if you've a good enough poker face, Itsuki won't be able to discern your true intentions through speech.

Worst: Wait a minute.

No.

No fucking way.

IT'S ALSO MOTOYASU. HOLY SHIT. Yeah, for all this "natural talent" and the flowery language he can put out, Motoyasu isn't precisely the best at communicating meaningful ideas when the going gets tough—and only gets worse as time goes on. Furthermore, due to his willful ignorance, he struggles a lot with reading between the lines. Can even completely ignore what's outright said to him if his mind is made up. After his mental breakdown in the LN, his ability to even understand half of the population gets stripped away by delusion (the. pig thing). Although I feel he has a natural affinity for linguistic intelligence, the Mental Illnesses™ afflicting him severely handicap his access to that affinity. sorry king.

Intrapersonal

Best: Kizuna. Better than everyone else by default, but has also spent a lot of time on her own. In fact had a whole arc in her backstory about coming to terms with herself and what she was going to do to get out of the Infinite Labyrinth. Has a strong sense of self I feel, knows who she is and what she wants, and more or less accepting of herself too.

Worst: Everyone else sucks here. I'm sorry. Naofumi would've outclassed them (by being an average person) before getting summoned, then unlocking his Curse Series (Wrath). With his party's help, he's been able to steadily climb back to "average/moderate intrapersonal intelligence" status, and is currently sitting next to Ren (who beats himself up far too much; this negative self-image clouds his ability to fully self-conceptualize. Ren would be above average otherwise imo). Itsuki struggles blaming himself for problems and deliberately tries to ignore his flaws, having a faulty understanding of himself.

Special Worst Category for Motoyasu who, if we were scoring this on a scale of 1 to 5, would have –5 points. There's so much wrong with him. Stop Asian Boy Stop.

i hope this makes sense. i will probably change my mind on most of these in a few days (and when i read thru the light novels/manga lmao)

[achilios]

out of context quotes that are (a) hilarious (b) ominous (c) both at once (from survival is a talent by @shanastoryteller )

(years 4-5, potential spoilers ahead?? maybe?? i’ll add an asterisk (*) to quotes that i think may be spoilers)

( * = possibly a spoiler ; ** = mild spoiler ; *** = kind of a big spoiler )

this was originally supposed to be for harry only, because his character in this fic is absolutely amazing and sarcastic and generally hilarious, but then the list somehow Grew, so!

harry:

"Millicent, thank merlin, has a trust fund and that’s it, and thinks the rest of them are insane[...]she’s a great barometer for when something’s a pureblood Slytherin thing, and for when their friends are just strange, but haven’t figured it out yet because they’re too busy being strange together."

"'I’ll meet you downstairs,' Harry says, then stands and jumps off the roof. George screams, but Harry’s laughing all the way down, casting a cushioning charm so he easily bounces back on his feet."

"'But it doesn’t bother me when I almost die,' Harry complains."

"I might as well cause a useful disaster."

* "Sometimes accidental necromancy just happens.”

"'Ritualistic cannibalism is my least preferred way to die,” Harry tells him companionably."

"Who cares if it’s a good idea? It’s a fun idea."

"She looks at Harry. “Can you walk, Mr. Potter?”“Sure,” he says, “absolutely, I’ve been walking for years.”"

"They all look at him like he’s crazy. Which isn’t a new experience, but is a little rude."

* "he’s planning to spend the summer collecting corpses so he has them on hand if needed."

+ bonus

Sirius saying Questionable Things, as always: "'I love that woman,' Sirius says, 'She’s so willing sell her morals away, I really admire that in a person.'"

Ron, who i’m kind of obsessed with(+ an appearance from Ginny): "'What are you planning, Ronald?' 'Nothing major. Just some public unrest, maybe a riot or two. A coup would be nice, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves,' he muses."

"'I flew a car into the Whomping Willow when I was twelve,' Ron says. 'How am I supposed to discipline students? As long as no one dies, it’s like, fine, right?'"

"“Hey!” Ron says, but he’s still grinning. “I think we make really logical and great choices for authority figures.” Harry twists to stare at him. “A third year got in a fight with a Hufflepuff, and you taught him how to throw a better punch.”"

Neville, who is awesome: "No election if we kill him."

"“Yippee,” Neville says morosely"

Hermione, who is somehow both chaotic good and lawful neutral at once: "'I won’t have to scold anyone for anything if they don’t get caught,' Hermione answers. 'Perhaps everyone should take this as an opportunity to brush up on their invisibility and silencing spells?'"

* "Hermione pulls out her wand. “It’s sad you’ll forget this moment. You’re a lot less pathetic when you grow a spine.”"

Draco, who I can’t even put into words how much I love in this fic: *** "Draco strides into Flitwick’s office and drops a ten foot scroll on his desk with a satisfying thwack. Flitwick looks up and raises an eyebrow. “That’s the complete arithmancy for the ghost summoning spell. Read it and weep, because I did.”"

"“Yeah, okay. I was personally planning to hex anyone who hit on you or stared at you too long, but I suppose your idea is a little more subtle.”"

"Murder suddenly sounds like a much more appealing option."

* "if it’s alive, we’ll come get you so we can – I don’t know, kill an millennia old creature in the middle of the night for the hell of it, I guess."

"“I have so much homework to do that I’ve considered taking up drinking to cope,”"

"Forget therapy. Draco needs a drink."

Quinn, because ze is amazing and I want to make potions explode with zir: "“My dad threw a fit when I accidentally melted the shed outside,” Quinn complains, “Like we all haven’t accidentally liquified a building or two.”"

** "Quinn leans forward, making sure to look him in the eye. “Tell me Harry. Have you ever wanted to lead an unofficial teenage militia? Because I think that would look great on your resume.”"

"“If you finish that sentence I’ll have to kill you, and that will really bum a lot of people out,”"

Seamus and Dean, who count as one person and are practically joined at the hip: "Seamus smacks his shoulder, “Ze has a boyfriend.” There’s a pause where they all stare at him, and then he goes, “Wait, and you have a boyfriend too! Me! No leering at Quinn.”"

Percy, who is entirely too relatable sometimes: "“I have to go,” he says, “and I don’t know, maybe develop a drinking problem or something.”"

This Scene:

I’m not even sure I understand what’s happening here, but I love it

This Scene As Well:

"Ron sighs and puts his arm around Harry’s shoulders. “Harry, murder is bad.”

“Most of the time,” Hermione says. Ron glares at her. “What? Sometimes a little murder can be helpful.”

He turns to Neville, beseeching, but he only shrugs. “Murder is bad almost all of the time.”"

Other Characters, who are equally amazing but admittedly less important to the story so far, so they don’t get individual sections: "“Angelina!” Katie scolds, even though she’s angry too. “Don’t admit to murder in front of so many witnesses.”"

" “I’ll keep watch. Have fun down there. I hope you die.”"

*** "“What is idiotic master needing from his lowly house elf, who is clearly so unimportant that he can not be telling her when he goes running off to do stupid things?” “Er,” he says, “look, Winky, it all happened really fast, and we were on a bit of time crunch-” “Ah, yes,” she says, “because it is taking so long to be summoning me, with a literal snap of your fingers.”"