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stylesonfilms · 19 days ago

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ink & innocence - 7

word count: 3.4k (a little shorter but next update will be good!)

The last day of their trip rounded the corner at the slowest pace possible.

Harry had been snappier to Aspen than usual. They only ran into each other once more, one going in the bathroom and the other coming out. He muttered a rude "excuse you" under his breath before bumping shoulders past her. As if he couldn't use the other bathroom, she scoffed to herself on the way out.

Harry wasn't sure why he didn't use the other one. His brain swirled in thoughts that he just wanted an excuse to see Aspen again but he brushed that thought off to the side.

To be honest, Aspen was over his façade. She kept her nose buried in her books the whole time. Anything that Harry did with the group, she decided it was best if she stayed back to read in her secluded area she found days ago. Aspen brushed it off as just taking up an opportunity she wouldn't have when they went back into town. And she couldn't take much more of the shoulder bumping Kirsten did to Harry whenever they walked together. Still, she didn't know why she was so jealous, if that's what to call it.

Harry slung his duffel bag under the rear of the RV, kicking it in with the toe of his boot. He shut the heavy metal door while footsteps trailed behind him. "Excuse us," Isobel chirped and shuffled around Harry while he took a step out of the way. She opened the latch back up and stuffed her bag under, turning back to Aspen to grab her bag. "Asp--." Isobels brows furrowed when her friend seemed to be long gone, but her duffel sat neatly packed where she had been standing. The blonde girl knew Aspen had plans of reading during their last few hours, soaking up the beautiful sight before they left. She just hadn't anticipated she'd flee so quickly. Maybe it was because she caught sight of Harry.

"You know," Isobel began as she tucked Aspens bag next to hers, closing the latch again. "You don't have to be such a dick, Harry." She gave a 'you know what I mean' look at the man who only looked at her with a confused look.

"I--."

"She's done nothing to you. So what if she's a nerd? She's my little nerd and I won't stand for your bullying that's uncalled for."

"It isn't bullying.," Harry shot back with a pointed look. Where does she get off on this?

"Zayn told me what you said. You are beyond lucky I didn't release Hell on you. And you're even more lucky I didn't tell Aspen." Isobel was the one to cross her arms now, not showing any sign of giving up on the conversation. Harry only scoffed and fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"Oh?" He challenged. "Or what? Little miss Aspen was gonna come kick my ass? Show me how daring and bold and strong she is?" A small smirk tugged on the end of his lips. He could honestly go at this for a while. Isobel's eyes flickered with a new flame. She was angered for her best friend.

"Shut it, Harry. Thats so cruel, you're so cruel," she returned his scoff. Isobel took a step forward. "When Aspen feels, she feels hard. No matter what it is. And something about what's in that journal," she nodded her head towards the closed door of duffels, "tells me that you don't want a grudge being held against you."

That only ignited something in Harry further. He couldn't believe that Zayn would tell Isobel. First what happened in the shop then what happened that night? Deny, deny, deny. His jaw clenched before relaxing again, a brow perching. "I don't know what you're talking about. Piss off, Iz."

"Whatever, Harry.," Isobel mumbled and shoved past him. Despite all the room around the two of them, she made sure her shoulder rocked into his arm as she made her way back to Zayn.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Harry’s green eyes scanned the group who sat on the couch inside the RV. He was idly scrolling through his phone in the passenger seat, occasionally glancing up or muttering a few words in response to the light chatter around him. His face was unreadable as ever, his sharp features stoic, but a weight pulled at his chest— a dull, gnawing guilt he couldn’t quite shake.

The point of this trip, Harry told himself, was to clear his head, to force himself into some semblance of normalcy among friends. He had hoped the open air and distance from his usual routines might help dull the sharp edges of his thoughts. Yet, the further they got from home, the heavier the weight seemed to settle.

What the hell is wrong with me? The question had been circling in his mind since the night before. It wasn’t just about the drawing, though that had been bad enough. It was everything. His interactions with Kirsten felt increasingly hollow, the quick smirks and teasing remarks carrying no real spark, no genuine pull. And then there was Aspen. Quiet, shy Aspen, who seemed to exist on the periphery of everything but somehow managed to occupy more space in his head than anyone else.

He had no business thinking about her, not like that. Noticing the small curve of her lips when she smiled at something Isobel said, or the way her nose scrunched when she was focused on her book, shouldn’t have felt significant. But it did. Every detail stood out in stark clarity, and it frustrated him more than he cared to admit.

Harry gritted his teeth and tapped the side of his phone with restless fingers. The guilt was a slow, persistent ache, digging its claws deeper with every glance in her direction. She didn’t know, of course—not about the drawing, not about the thoughts that had tangled themselves in his mind like threads he couldn’t unravel. But he knew. And that was the problem.

It wasn’t guilt in the traditional sense. It wasn’t as if Harry had wronged Aspen. But there was something unsettling in the way she made him feel, something that gnawed at the edges of his carefully constructed walls. She didn’t belong in the same category as Kirsten or anyone else he’d ever spent time with, and he hated how much it mattered.

The conflict churned inside him, a storm of emotions he couldn’t fully articulate. Frustration. Guilt. Curiosity. Why couldn’t he just leave it alone? He clenched his jaw, trying to force the thoughts away, but they clung to him stubbornly, refusing to be dismissed.

His eyes flicked to the time on his phone. They had a little over an hour before they needed to hit the road. Leaving closer to lunchtime meant they could grab something to eat before getting back on the main roads. It was enough time to… what? Harry didn’t know.

He glanced toward the back of the RV, where Aspen had disappeared earlier with her book. She had carved out a quiet little spot for herself beneath the trees, away from the noise and the others. Of course she had. It was so her, wasn’t it? Always tucked away, unobtrusive, as if she wanted to take up as little space as possible.

The thought pulled at him again, this inexplicable urge to talk to her, to say something—anything. To maybe shift the weight pressing down on his chest. But what the hell could he even say?

'Hey, sorry I’ve been a gruff asshole this whole trip. Also, I accidentally drew you in my journal last night.'

Yeah, that would go over well.

And yet, the more he sat there, the more he felt the need to do something. Sitting still wasn’t helping, and the idea of heading back to his tent felt suffocating. He needed to move. To clear his head.

Harry shoved his phone into his back pocket and stood abruptly, his movements sharp and deliberate. “I’ll be back. Going on a walk,” he announced gruffly, his voice carrying just enough edge to deter any follow-up questions.

It was mostly directed at Zayn, who gave him a casual wave, but the others chimed in with distracted acknowledgments. Harry didn’t linger, his long strides carrying him out of the RV and toward the path where Aspen had disappeared earlier.

The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of pine and earth, and the trees cast long shadows across the uneven ground. Harry shoved his hands into his jacket pockets as he walked, his brows furrowed in thought. He told himself he wasn’t looking for her, not really. He was just… walking. Clearing his head.

But as he approached the small clearing where the trees thinned, the sight of Aspen sitting cross-legged with her book in hand stopped him in his tracks. She was leaning against the trunk of a tree, her hair falling loosely around her face, and the sunlight filtering through the leaves cast a warm glow across her features.

Harry’s throat tightened. He felt the now-familiar tug of guilt and curiosity pulling him in opposite directions, his feet rooted to the spot as he watched her from a distance. What the hell am I doing?

He didn’t have an answer, but for once, he let the question linger. Taking a slow, deliberate breath, Harry steeled himself and began to close the distance between them.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Aspen was finishing up her book, on the last few chapters. Luckily, her tote bag which rested in her bed cot in the RV contained the second book in the series so she wouldn't bore herself during the ride. Soft tunes played through her wired earbuds while leaves rustled from birds and the wind above her on the tree she was leaning against. Her fingers briskly skimmed over the page of the book before catching on the edge, flipping it. The hadn't noticed the sound of footsteps until his boots came into view. Slowly, she looked up, pulling the headphones from her ear. Before she could speak, he did. "Can I?" Harry used his elbow, hands stuffed in his back pockets, to gesture at the spot next to her.

"Yeah, of course." Her voice was small but there while she scooted slightly. The breeze of the wind caught in the open top half of his flannel. He took a seat next to her, only to sit in silence with his knees propped up and his forearms resting on them. The mans eyes scanned over the water. The soft catch of waves in the current before they rippled out. It was slow and peaceful. Finally, he drew in a breath and let it out through a sigh before he turned his head to look at her.

"I'm sorry." Harry was sure his body could shrivel out from cringing. The words sounded so unnatural and when Aspen cocked her head in confusion, he knew he had to continue. But so badly, he wanted to up and walk away, to forget about it. The guilt still had him in a chokehold.

"For how I've treated you since Zayns party. It wasnt...," a breath, "nice. I wasn't nice."

Aspen was... shocked, to say the least. She placed the bookmark in the crease of her book before folding it closed. Shyly, she looked up at him. It was hard to keep her eyes on him. She was never one for eye contact and she wasn't sure if his gaze was captivating or wanted to make her run-- maybe a mix of both. "Oh," she whispered. A slow nod followed. "It's okay, Harry. I didn't mean to intrude, you had every right to act the way you did."

A small frown settled on Harry's lips. His brows furrowed and a pang of hurt hit his chest. Had she really felt like it was okay for him to act that way?

"No, I didn't. And you didn't intrude, I was a jackass for no reason. I shouldn't have pretended t'not know you after the party."

Her head tilted once again. "Pretend?"

Harry's tongue poked out to wet his lips slightly and he sighed. "Yeah. I... 'F course I knew who y'were. I only had a beer, and I drove y'home. Your bow fell out in my car, even." Harry stopped himself from letting her know it sat in his glove department, though. She didn't have to know that part. It was Aspens turn to crack a smile at the comment about her bow. When she didn't say anything, Harry continued.

"Can I be honest?" Aspen nodded, a soft 'of course' murmuring from her lips. Harry's heart hurt. Her gentleness, quietness-- whatever it was-- should not have been a bad thing.

"I don't... do people. Well, I do people," Harry shrugged and made a face before he continued. "But I don't do the feelings. If you hadn't noticed based on Zayn or my piercings or m'tattoos or my attitude, nice isn't m'thing. When Isobel told Zayn and I about you, any time, I found it aggravating. I convinced myself that I didn't like you because of the way y'acted. No one does shy anymore, not in this day and age. T'me, you were just... choosing t'be that way."

Aspens eyes dropped momentarily, complimenting her frown. But he continued on.

"Too shy, too quiet, too not involved. People like that get under my skin because why? When Zayn told me I should come to the party but you would be there, I told him I wouldn't. I didn't want to meet you at all. Isobel is the closest thing to, well you, that I talk to and even sometimes she's...," He trailed off. Their eyes were now on the water. "I surprised myself, y'know. Not just for saying something t'you, but genuinely talking to you. I was so confused on why I was interacting with you."

Was Aspen supposed to be... flattered? This just seemed like a conversation she'd cry to Isobel about later.

Harry sighed. "So, when I couldn't stop thinking about you, I got angry." Now that got Aspens attention. Her brown eyes darted back to Harry, who was already looking down at her.

Harry's gaze on Aspen didn’t waver, but his chest tightened with every beat of silence that stretched between them. His heart felt like it was racing and slowing all at once, like it couldn’t decide whether to speed toward disaster or drag out the moment in hopes of reprieve. Harry wasn’t a stranger to confrontation, but this felt different— more intimate, more vulnerable. He never needed to explain himself to anyone, much less bare the tangled mess of his thoughts. Yet here he was, the words teetering on the edge of his tongue.

“I don’t know what it is about you,” he started, his voice low, the gruffness softened ever so slightly. His green eyes drifted toward the water again, unable to keep looking at her. She was too much. Too kind. Too unassuming. It made him feel naked, exposed in a way that made him want to crawl back into his tent and hide. But he couldn’t stop now.

“You... irritate me.” The words came out bluntly, and he immediately regretted them when he saw the flicker of hurt flash across her face. He quickly followed, his voice softer this time, almost hesitant. “Not in a bad way. It’s... complicated.” He ran a hand through his curls, letting out a frustrated sigh. “You make me feel things I don’t bloody know how to deal with, alright?”

Aspen blinked, her lips parting slightly in surprise. She wasn’t sure how to respond, but the genuine frustration in his tone made her heart ache. Her fingers fidgeted with the edges of her book, the nervous energy bubbling up inside her as she fought to find words. “I-I don’t understand,” she whispered finally, her voice trembling. “Why would I— ? I mean, I never tried to bother you, Harry.”

“I know.” His response was quick, almost sharp, but not unkind. “That’s the worst part. You don’t do anything, and it still gets to me. I didn’t want it to. That’s why I acted like such a prick.” He shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. “You didn’t deserve that. I was just... scared.” That was a word he never used.

“Scared?” Aspen echoed softly, her brows knitting together. She could hardly imagine Harry being scared of anything. His towering frame and cold demeanor made him seem untouchable, unshakable. But here he was, admitting that something about her had gotten under his skin, chipped away at whatever walls he had built.

“Yeah,” he muttered, shifting uncomfortably where he sat. “Scared, confused... pissed off. Take your pick.” He finally turned to look at her again, his gaze intense but not unkind. “You’re nothing like the people I usually keep around. You’re quiet, you’re... soft. Y'don’t push. And I think that’s why y'got to me, yeah? I couldn’t figure you out, couldn’t put you in some box like everyone else.”

Aspen’s heart raced in her chest, her cheeks flushing under his piercing gaze. She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t mean to... get to you. I mean, I didn’t even think I was on your radar, not after how you...” She trailed off, biting her lip nervously. Her eyes dropped to her lap, her fingers twisting together. “The way you acted around me, with Kirsten... it hurt. And I didn’t know why. It’s not like I... it’s not like we...” She struggled to find the right words, her thoughts a chaotic mess.

Harry’s expression softened just a fraction as he watched her stumble over her words. He wasn’t used to this, to people being so open and vulnerable. It made his chest feel tight, like he was walking a fine line between staying detached and diving headfirst into something he didn’t understand. “I know,” he said quietly. “I know I was a right bastard. And I know how it must’ve looked, with Kirsten. But I wasn’t... she wasn’t...” He trailed off, sighing heavily. “She was jus' a distraction. From you.”

Aspen’s head snapped up at his admission, her brown eyes wide with surprise. “From me?” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

Harry nodded, his jaw clenching slightly as he forced himself to continue. “Yeah. From you. Because I didn’t know how t'deal with... whatever this is.” He gestured vaguely between them, his lips pressing into a thin line. “I didn’t want t'feel anything for you, Aspen. It’s not... it’s not who I am. But you’ve been in my head, whether I like it or not.”

Aspen’s cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red, her chest tightening at his words. She didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to process the fact that Harry—cold, distant, intimidating Harry—had been thinking about her. “I didn’t mean to or even know I was in your head,” she stammered, her voice trembling. She was so nervous. This was the longest conversation they've had since the first time they talked. “But you’ve been in mine too. And I hated it. I hated that you made me feel... like I wasn’t enough. Like I didn’t belong.”

Harry’s chest ached at her words, the guilt hitting him like a punch to the gut. He hadn’t realized just how much his actions had affected her, hadn’t thought that someone as quiet and unassuming as Aspen could feel so deeply. “You do belong,” he said firmly, his voice low but steady. “You belong more than I ever will. And I’m sorry I made you feel otherwise.”

Aspen’s eyes filled with tears, but she quickly blinked them away, nodding slowly. “I don’t know what this is either,” she admitted, her voice barely audible. “But maybe we don’t have to figure it out right now.”

Harry nodded, his gaze softening just a little. “Maybe not,” he agreed. For the first time, the tension in his chest eased just slightly, like a weight he hadn’t realized he was carrying had been lifted. His green orbs flickered around her face to try and read her. His eyes lingered on the small curve of her lips for just a moment before they traced back to her straying eyes.

"We... can try to be friends." Aspens voice was still in its soft zone but her eyes were back on his again. She nervously scanned over his face for any expression, afraid that disgust would be it. But to her surprise, for the first time in a while, she saw Harry's lips turn into a lopsided smile.

The tension on Harry's chest unraveled even more. She wanted to be his friend, even after all this. "Really?," he asked. Aspen nodded and let out a sigh.

"It's exhausting to bicker with you, even so silently with the mood. I really, really appreciate your apology, Harry. And in a weird way, I guess I understand where you're coming from." The girl let out a small giggle at her dramatics. "I forgive you."

She forgave him.

Harry felt the guilt slip from his shoulders. It wasn't just the feeling of being off the hook, but now he was more keen to be her friend rather than shutting her down again. Harry swore he was so relieved, so happy, that he could kiss her.

And that's exactly what he did.

#harry styles #fanfic #one direction #zayn malik #niall horan #fanfiction #wattpad fanfiction #wattpad #louis tomlinson #harry styles fanfiction #smut #harry smut #harry styles smut #harry styles fluff #harry styles writing

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stellaluna33 · 1 year ago

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Yes! And everybody makes fun of her (or worse) for the "study tree" thing, but her desperation when she can't focus because of all the unfamiliar surroundings and background noises at her dorm? And then people just call her "spoiled" and say she should "just get over it." 😕

I actually need someone to make a complication of Rory having sensory issues for X minutes because GIRL??

#Gilmore Girls #Rory Gilmore #My personal headcanon is that she's one of those ADHD girls who falls through the cracks #Because she's always micromanaged everything to overcompensate #(it's a THING! It's a REAL THING!)#But I'm convinced there's at least SOME kind of neurodivergence there #Because I've read enough interviews of ASP to STRONGLY suspect that she herself is undiagnosed neurodivergent #And so her characters just come out Like That because she thinks that's normal. 😂#Well they're relatable to ME and maybe that's why I love them so much!

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cedarxwing · 6 months ago

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My favorite details in Castle Lecter's set design

1. The Lecter family crest pays homage to the Hannibal book cover.

It references Milan's biscione, a snake devouring a man, which appears on the coat of arms of the Visconti and Sforza families (from which Hannibal is descended on his mother's side).

SIDE NOTE: One of Hannibal's favorite pastimes as the curator of the Palazzo Vecchio was reading about his ancestors:

Funnily enough, the Visconti-Sforza commissioned their own tarot decks in the 15th century, so Hannibal might've been studying those in the Palazzo library around the time he designed his Vitruvian Man tableau. Here's the original Visconti di Modrone Three of Swords vs an artist's reproduction:

2. Pheasant & Raven imagery

The Chiyoh/Abigail parallels are strong, but Chiyoh's symbolic prey animal is a pheasant instead of a deer! She uses pheasant quills as decoration for her dinner with Will, and there are some taxidermied pheasants in the hunting lodge we didn't get to see:

But my favorite detail is how she uses a pheasant bone to kill the Caged Man! Even a prey animal has sharp edges.

Meanwhile, ravens represent Hannibal's imposing presence haunting the estate. We see them on the Lecter family crest and taxidermied by the fireplace.

Doubled birds of prey motif... a nod to how Will is joining Hannibal as a predator?

All the hawk paintings could also just be referencing this single line in Hannibal Rising:

SIDE NOTE: Over in Florence, Hannibal is keeping in the bird theme with a feathered arm ham wing and a nest of green bean asps for his dinner with Sogliatto:

3. A Shrine for Mischa?

There's a deleted scene in the script where Will spots a Shinto shrine while snooping:

A small version of this shrine appears above the fireplace. It includes a pair of birds of paradise, the same flower Chiyoh leaves on Mischa's grave:

If you've read the books, Mischa's presence is also palpable in the deer heads watching over their dinner (not that we got to see them lol):

4. The way the painting above the fireplace is cut off makes it look like an oni glaring at them! Creepy!

Or maybe it's meant to look like Enma, the Buddhist King of Hell, who is depicted in the painting on the ceiling in the original production design (The Fever of Tairo no Kiyomori by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 1883):

It's actually this Rorschach of a landscape based on Old Plum by Kano Sansetsu (1646):

5. Japanese family crests (mon) on the curtains

The Secondo scene uses the weeping wisteria family crest (sagari fuji mon):

The name Murasaki means wisteria, so I assume this crest represents her. It's doubly fitting, since in real life, this is the Fujiwara crest, and Lady Murasaki's namesake (Murasaki Shikibu, author of the Tale of Genji) was a Fujiwara.

The original production design uses a princess tree family crest (kiri mon). Not sure if there was any symbolism to that choice, but they didn't go with it in the end.

#hannibal #hannibal meta #chiyoh #castle lecter

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maverick-werewolf · 6 months ago

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Werewolf Fact #75 - Cynocephali (dog-headed men)

This month's folklore fact is a long-awaited one from over on the Patreon: the cynocephali or "dog-headed men."

Some depictions of cynocephali (the one above is from the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493) are mistaken for werewolves fairly frequently; there are several differences of note, including but not limited to the fact that they are otherwise very, very human (normal hands and feet, no tail, etc) and that their ears are not always shaped like a wolf's/pointing directly upright. They often are, however, so don't take the ear shape as a surefire thing, either. When in doubt, make sure the depiction is actually meant to be showing a werewolf before using it for, I don't know, a royalty-free image in your werewolf publication (I've seen several). The cynocephali do not shapeshift, nor are they associated with wolves. They have nothing to do with werewolves. Yes, it was just a plot to make you click this link and read about cynocephali.

Cynocephali, or singular cynocephalus, is a term derived from the original Greek word "kynokephaloi," meaning "dog-headed." They have other names as well, which mean a range of things such as "dog-faced" and "half-dog." They were mentioned in assorted accounts and tales of travelers in Africa and India, appearing in sources as old as ancient Greece, and some similar beings can be found in other cultures, such as China. Likewise, depictions of and discussions of such beings continue into the Middle Ages. This same term was later used to refer to baboons, to which no-fun modern day scholars now attribute all cynocephali legends (although we do have at least one Ottoman depiction of a cynocephalus battling a monkey).

There are many quotes across various sources and time periods about these beings, including but not limited to this one from the fifth century BC Greek historian Herodotus, Histories 4. 191. 3 (trans. Godley) [source: Theoi]

"For the eastern region of Libya, which the Nomads inhabit, is low-lying and sandy as far as the Triton river; but the land west of this, where the farmers live, is exceedingly mountainous and wooded and full of wild beasts. In that country are the huge snakes and the lions, and the elephants and bears and asps, the horned asses, the Kunokephaloi (Cynocephali) (Dog-Headed) and the Headless Men that have their eyes in their chests, as the Libyans say, and the wild men and women, besides many other creatures not fabulous."

Some stories of the cynocephali are also frightfully specific as to how they live, rear livestock, grow fruit, weave baskets, wage war, and much more, even including details of their society, clothing, how long they live, etc. It's all quite interesting. If you'd like to read more specific quotations, you can find many on one of my favorite websites, Theoi.

Sources seem to dispute one another as to whether they bark, do not bark but only howl, only shriek, or whatever other sounds they may make, and there is also a range of descriptions including elements such as if they have beards and whether hair covers their bodies as well as the dog-head. Overall, probably the majority of sources say they wear the skins of animals as opposed to having fur, but there are those that also call them hairy all over.

Please note that I will not be covering/discussing any gods from ancient Egypt in this post, because despite what some modern day scholars like to discuss, I don't consider them "cynocephali." They were wolf-headed deities, not dog-headed (or even jackal-headed), and are overall only related to cynocephali legends by proxy and by modern scholars always putting everything into blasted categories for their next thesis. There were some dog-headed deities in ancient Egypt, and Anubis, Wepwawet, Duamutef, etc, were not among them, and even then, we can't really assert that the dog-headed deities among the ancient Egyptians are actually related to other legends and records of cynocephali.

With that out of the way, let's continue...

One of my personal favorite stories involving a dog-headed man is a version of the tale of Saint Christopher, though these depictions and this tale are not seen as canon by churches and has been proscribed in Eastern Orthodoxy (where such depictions were generally most common). Some of these depictions still survive, however. Some sources believe that Byzantine depictions of a dog-headed Christopher come from mistaking "Cananeus" (meaning "Canaanite") for "caninus," i.e. canine.

In the story about a dog-headed Saint Christopher, there lives Reprebrus (among other variations of his name; ultimately, they all essentially mean "reprobate"), who is captured by Romans in battle and made to serve among them. Reprebrus was said to be of "enormous size," with the head of a dog, said to be typical of his kind. He was later baptized and martyred. However, in another version (this one from Germany), Saint Christopher is depicted as a giant cynocephalus who ate human flesh and performed many atrocities. He meets the Christ child later and carries him across a river, as in tradition (the name Christopher means "bearer of Christ") and repents for his sinful behavior. He is baptized and becomes human, dedicating himself to serving Christianity and became a soldier saint.

There are far more fascinating details in the story than I relayed here in extreme simplicity, but that's a very simple view (the story is actually very specific about different regions and even the unit in which he served).

Other depictions of cynocephali exist in certain Christian traditions, with Ahrakas and Augani sometimes being depicted with dog heads in Coptic Christian tradition, in the life and legend of Saint Mercurius.

Bestiaries also got pretty wild with the creatures depicted therein, many of which were also mentioned in classical sources (such as the Herodotus quote earlier in this post). The image above is from between 1357 and 1371, in a work called The Voyage and Travels of Sir John Mandeville, or simply Mandeville's Travels, the memoirs of a man who traveled across the Middle East, India, and even as far as China. Medieval bestiaries also recorded all the same creatures shown here: a monopod or sciapod, a cyclops, a blemmy, and a cynocephalus, each different civilizations of beings said to dwell across the world (and often cited in multiple sources over considerable spans of time, which generally cite the same or similar regions for each civilization, which I've always found very interesting).

Mentions of the cynocephali span across centuries, such as in works by scribe Paul the Deacon, a Benedictine monk, and they are even mentioned in the Nowell Codex, a surviving Old English work containing Beowulf (as well as a work of the life of Saint Christopher and Wonders of the East, among others). They are also acknowledged in the works of multiple noteworthy explorers, including but not limited to Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, Ibn Battuta, and Piri Reis.

With that, I think that's a decent overview! Hope you enjoyed the post.

And stay tuned for news and updates on a major [werewolf/fantasy/adventure/horror/epic] book release later this year!

If you like my blog, be sure to follow me here and elsewhere for much more folklore and fiction, including books, especially on werewolves! You can also sign up for my free newsletter for monthly werewolf/vampire/folklore facts, a free story, book previews, and my other sundry projects and works, such as plushes.

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777rare · 2 years ago

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ASTROLOGY OBSERVATIONS PT.1

Disclaimer :

DO NOT READ FURTHUR IF YOU ARE A MINOR!!

!TW! : THIS CONTAINS MENTIONING OF seggs so please scroll if ur below 18+

THESE NOTES ARE ONLY A STUDY OF MINE AND HAS/HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN YET, SO IF IT DOES NOT RESONATE WITH YOU, FORGIVE ME AS IT WAS ONLY A STUDY/OBSERVATION OF MINE.

I DO NOT PILRIMIZE, COPY OR REWORD ANY OF MY FELLOW ASTROLOGY OBSERVERS POSTS AND I DEMAND THE SAME IN RETURN

venus- moon in harmonious aspects( trine,sextile, maybe conjunction too) natives seem to have prominent breasts whereas when there's negative aspects(square,opposition,semi square) the native could have breasts that may be a bit different in size.

Why do People having mercury- pluto (any asp.) Have a very smooth, husky or just a very soothing voice?🙊🔥💨 Ex: SZA has her mercury conjunct pluto and I can't help but notice how her voice has a touch of relaxation and idk it's just so satisfying to hear her voice. But this may not be the same for others, This can depend on the other aspects as well.

Aphrodite-sun , you carry beauty in your very aura. If in harmonious aspects, you may know that you carry beauty inside you but if there is a hard aspect, you probably struggle to understand, realize or accept how beautiful your aura is or even how beautiful you are.💫👑💓

Eros-mars natives love rough, passionate or even "sex that involves lots of energy" sex so so much. Esp. In a man's chart💥🔥🥵

people with Odin conjunct venus (male and female) know just how to romance and seduce anybody within a minute damnn they don't need no class. they make people lowkey fall for them so so easily.💘🙉🛐

Natives with kiss-mars love aggressive kissing. Anywhere on the body as well. Especially if it's sextile or conjunct.💥🤤

Natives with Saturn-sun (most of the time harsh aspects) have so much authoritative, unapproachable and even a formal energy. People don't wanna play with you cuz you look like a person who don't take anybodys shit and most of the time this is the reason people don't approach you much cuz you look too structured or formal for them to loosen up and speak casually with you. (If u hv this You could always look like 😐🤨😑)

Jupiter-venus >> big butt, beautiful thighs and hips🍑

(can my dear readers having neptune-saturn clarify if this is relatable with you) neptune- saturn natives like to fantasize about having their partner on their knees or their partner putting them on their knees. This can also apply to mars-saturn having this kink.⛓

Jupiter- pluto/mars, just stroke or kiss these natives thighs to make them wet. These people have so much genital liquids in their sex organs. They can even cum multiple times and You can also grab their hips and make em go ughh😩🥵

people having cusp of sensitivity/magic/rebirth are most likely to be naturally intuitive, spiritual from birth, even psychic and clairvoyant.

Cusp of sensitivity : Feb 15-21 (aquarius/pisces)

Cusp of magic : June 17-23 (gemini/cancer)

Cusp of rebirth : March 17-23 (pisces/aries)

Natives with Mercury-mars aspects like to grab their partners hands while making out

ASTEROIDS MENTIONED ABOVE :

aphrodite - 1388

Eros - 433

Odin - 3989

Let me know if y'all want a pt.2! Feel free to reblog and tag me when you do❤🙌🏻 hope you all enjoyed today's post! Thankyou!!🫂💫

Also I wanna let my dear readers know that I usually observe 18+ related topics in natal charts💓 and I could frequently post about 18+ observations so fasten yo seatbelts!🙌🏻💫

#spiritualawakening #spirituality #spiritual enlightenment #astrology notes #astro community #astroblr #astrotips #astrology #Astrology18+#astro posts #eros astrology

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majaloveschris · 2 months ago

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I am a different anon, but I would like to add my five cents.

I think when this all started she thought that she will get a positive attention and praise through this connection. Her friends were also milking that connection as much as they could.

She doesn’t get that nobody hates her because she exists, the problem is in her friends and her ATTITUDE. Even if she wasn’t an A-list actress or Oscar nominee, but a regular person, she would’ve receive more positive feedback, people would’ve supported her if she was a good person. The question is not in her existence or her connection to him, but what she does and how she acts.

Of course, there are some absolutely mental people wishing her death or laughing at her appearance. I don’t like her, but that’s too much.

Yet still people were raising questions about her and her friends attitude and I think that criticism was fair enough:

1) Racism allegations. Listen, people can make mistakes, but then grow up, learn and be better. She could’ve addressed it, talk about it and apologise. Deleting tweets didn’t solve the problem, it just showed how tone deaf her and her friends are. And the outcome of her silence? I think people read all those comments under ASP instagram post when they talked about situation on college campus.

2) https://www.tumblr.com/anneslibrary/709484574092263424/sugarbaby-accounts

Emm…how about this? Really? Cloe, we’re going to Disneyland? Dollar store Leo DiCaprio? He gave you great life opportunities and that’a how you show love to your “husband”? True love…word.

3) Not promoting her projects at all, zero professionalism (but more of a plain disrespect to producers, co-actors and even her own fans). 50 000 dollars for a big poster, for an attempt to save the show (that actually gave her a salary and at least some kind of fame), and yet - ZERO. At least be respectful and kind to your own fans (who were mostly young people and teenagers), who spent their OWN money.

Her friends and her acted worse than a dog shit and she expected people will swallow it and thank her? Nobody here is blind, deaf or dumb. Nobody here has a 3 second memory like a fish to forget what was in 2021-2023.

Even though I don’t support people who leave absolute vile comments about her, yet all the negative feedback she’s having now was caused by her own actions.

So the first person she should blame for toxicity is herself. She herself is toxic that’s what she forgets.

But I guess that doesn’t fit in “I’m innocent and shy and that’s everybody else who is the problem” narrative.

Yeah, and it's not even about the fact that she is connected to him; as you said, it's about her personality, and a lot of people don't see that, and they might be one of those people. However, this is not entirely their fault. There are people who would've hated her no matter what, even if she was the sweetest and kindest person out there, just because she is presumably with Chris.

I think it's important to call their behavior out, but I also don't agree with bodyshaming them. Their appearance has nothing to do with what we are calling them out for, and I think it just takes away from the importance of it. People can easily say we are just jealous, and that's why we are calling them out if we add something that has to do with her appearance, when in reality most of us don't like her because she and her friends aren't good people.

#majaloveschris #chris and alba pr #cevans-love

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maniculum · 3 months ago

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Maniculum Bestiaryposting Results: Miscellaneous Snakes

We have snakes!

Surely y'all know the deal by now, but in case you don't, here's a link: https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting.

To see the entry on which these pictures are based, click here:

To see the one on which next week's will be based, so that you can participate if you like, click here:

Now, art below the cut:

@silverhart-makes-art (link to post here) decided to draw these four snakes. I think they all turned out pretty interesting -- the Kramlengga looks rather elegant, and I think the Mlegtugwam is kind of cute.

@citrvsdrake (link to post here) has done five separate drawings for five separate snakes. All of them are quite good, actually, but I do think the Mlegtugwam hiding in its cave up at the top there is particularly delightful.

@cheapsweets (link to post here) has drawn all of them. I like them a lot -- the Zriggwanto continues to be very funny visually, and the Krefemklog strikes me as particularly well-rendered here. My favorite, however, is the Thagolgrom entirely because he's in a mazer and I'm fascinated by those. They're a deep research dive waiting to happen to me. (Also, thank you for providing alt text.)

@coolest-capybara (link to post here) had the excellent idea to borrow the concept of the "wound man" diagram for this, so we can see all the dangers of the snakes at once. All of this is fantastic, but I think my favorite is the Samgleshti which has somehow burrowed into the gold-foil background as if it were sand.

@wendievergreen (link to post here) has done this really cool-looking thing with black paper. I love it. the Thagolgrom and Kramlengga look especially striking. For information about the real-life snakes that inspired all these different depictions, check out the linked post. (Also, thank you for providing alt text.)

All right, let's take a look at the Aberdeen Bestiary.

Mlegtugwam

... so that's not a snake. That is our Default Medieval Wyvern Thing. I think anything serpent-adjacent has a habit of turning into these when our artist is bored.

Anyway, it's an asp. Looks just like one, too. Note that it's plugging its ears, but I'm not sure that defends against being Hit With Stick.

Girtranaeg

Come on. I know we keep finding out new layers of England's shocking lack of animal species, but I know you know what a snake is. I'm 100% sure England has snakes. Adders, at least.

I have to hand this one to the artist, though, they did a good job making the scales look visually interesting.

On the other hand, this is the scitalis, which is not a real snake, so maybe it does look like this. What do I know.

(I'm glossing over a lot of these not just because there are a lot, but also because there really isn't that much more written about them than what we've already read.)

Hrukgolklo

I'm sure at least one of y'all clocked this one, and if nobody did, someone probably just realized when they saw the illustration. This is the amphisbaena, and the above is possibly the most famous illustration of one -- seriously, I see it everywhere.

Which is kind of annoying actually, because again that is not a picture of a snake. There's also this thing going on here, which CheapSweets seemed to reach on their own from first principles -- it's really easy to read the description of the amphisbaena moving in a circle as it rolling along like a hoop snake. You can even see that kind of happening in the illustration, with the head gripping the tail. It comes up in multiple illustrations of the thing.

Now, I've always read it as... when the amphisbaena is crawling along, the heads are right next to each other and moving in the same direction, so the body forms almost a complete circle. I have no idea if a snake could actually do that, but bestiary authors aren't anatomists. Because, like, okay: of all the snakes, the amphisbaena is the least equipped to do the hoop snake thing, because if it grips its tail with its mouth, it's also gripping its other head, which should be more difficult and less comfortable, right?

Sorry, this is something that's bothered me for years.

Oh, also, the amphisbaena is of course fictitious, as is the hoop snake.

Thagolgrom

No illustration for this one, because it's "a kind of asp", so it's rolled into that entry. This is the (as far as I know not real) dissa.

Shabalrang

As above, except this is the appropriately named ypnalis.

Tafmiwukri

This type of asp is called emorrosis. Which... also has a familiar ring to it. I'm tempted to start looking stuff up to see if all of these asps are named after the effects of their venom, but it's past 11pm and I don't have the time.

Krefemklog

This asp is called a prester, and rules over a country of obscene riches far to the east... wait, no, that's a different thing. This kind of prester is just a cool snake.

Kraehozdim

This is the boa. Which threw me, because I thought those were New World snakes. Turns out, though, the genus Eryx is found around the Mediterranean and in various parts of Africa and Asia, so okay then.

Nrogklongo

Another asp with no illustration! This one is called spectaficus, which sounds cool.

Samgleshti

For some reason this one also doesn't have an illustration, which makes me feel cheated. It's the cerastis, which also makes an appearance in the Wonders of the East, though I think they call it corsia or something. Not a real snake, in case anyone wasn't sure about the horns.

Zriggwanto

... huh. Well, okay, that does look like a javelin snake. This one is the jaculus, which I was ready to dismiss as another imaginary thing, but apparently there might be a grain of truth to it? It seems that the boa species Eryx jaculus is so named because of a claim that the ancient Greeks used to throw them at enemy ships during naval battles to cause fear and confusion among the opposing crew. Maybe. I don't have the time to look into the veracity of that one right now.

But how 'bout that, huh?

Kramlengga

You'd think that one of these snakes being distinguished by having wings would have discouraged the artist from putting wings on the rest of them, but... well. See, now they don't have anything neat to do with the illustration for the winged snake.

Anyway, this is the siren. No, not that one, those are separate and turn up in other bestiaries. This is the snake kind of siren. It's also not real, which is a trend in snakes apparently.

Galwinglik

This is the closest to "snake", even if it has a fox head. It is the seps, which is also not real.

Yeakrindra

No illustration for this one. It also didn't get a header; the text just segued right from "seps" to dipsa. Might have been a scribal error somewhere maybe? Anyway, the dipsa is also fictitious.

And... that's all of them.

Goodnight; dream of danger noodles.

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delcat177 · 1 month ago

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The Wicked Tiger Scene

Please know Wicked (the book) is a dense political drama with a ton of adult stuff in it if you're planning on gifting it under the well-meaning act of "kids should read!". I grabbed the audiobook off Libby long enough to transcribe the most infamous scene. You're WELCOME.

But before they could make their way across the crowded dance floor, the elves began to banshee screech, and the singer thrust out her hip and said, "That's the mating call, dollies! Ladies and gentlefriends! We're doing--and I do mean DOING--"

She glanced at a note in her hand.

"Three black Clubs, six red Hearts, seven red Diamonds, and...on their honeymoon, isn't it sweet..." She simulated gagging. "Two black Spades! Up to the Mouth of Everlasting Bliss, fraidies and gentlehens!"

"Avaric, no!" said Boq. But the crone from the front who called herself Yackle came knocking through the hall, apparently having locked up the front door for the time being, and she remembered the holders of the designated cards, and brought them forward with a smile.

"All rides, all riders on the ready!" she said. "Here we be at the shank end of the evening! Lighten up lads, it's not a funeral! It's an entertainment!"

Boq (extra spoilery bit), but the time to back out, if such a time existed, had passed. They were swept through the oak doors, and along a slightly sloping passage, whose walls were padded in red and blue velvet. A merry tune was playing farther on, a dancing, ragged melody. A smell of roasting Tym leaves*, sweet and softening--you could almost feel them turning up their purplish edges. Yackle led the way, and the 23 revelers processed, in a confused state of apprehension, elation, and randiness. The dwarf followed behind.

Boq took stock as best his stumbling mind could manage. An erect tiger in hip boots and a cape. A couple of bankers and their evening consorts, all wearing black masks, as a protection against blackmail...or an aphrodisiac. A party of merchants from Ev and Flionne, in town on business. A pair of women, rather long in the tooth, bedecked in costume jewelry. The honeymoon couple were Glicken.** Boq hoped that his crowd wasn't gawping as much as the Glickens were. As he glanced around, only Avaric and Shenshen looked eager, and Fiyero, possibly because he hadn't grasped yet what this was all about. The others looked more than a little squeamish.

They entered a small, dark theater in the round, with a space for the public divided into six stalls. Above, the ceiling was lost in a stony blackness. Tapers fluttered, and a hollow music issued through fissues in the wall, increasing the unearthly air of dislocation and otherness. The stalls circled and faced the central stage, which was enshrouded in black drapes. The stalls were separated from one another by vertical strips of latticed wood and strips of mirror. All the parties were being mixed up, all friends and partners separated.

Was there incense in the air too? It seemed to make Boq's mind split in half, like a husk, and allow a tenderer, more complacent mind to emerge. The softer, more bruisable aspect; the private intention; the surrendering of self. He felt he was knowing less and less, and it was more and more beautiful to do so. Why had he been alarmed?

He was sitting on a stool, and around him in the stall, almost preternaturally near, a man in a black mask, an asp he hadn't noticed before, the tiger, whose breath ran hot and meaty on his neck, a beautiful schoolgirl--or was that the bride on her honeymoon? Did the whole stall, then, tilt forward like a gently-swung bucket?

Anyway, they leaned forward together toward the central dais, an altar of veils and sacrifices. Boq loosened his collar, and then his belt, felt the gingery appetite between heart and stomach, and the resulting stiffening apparatus below that. The music of pipes and whistles was slowing--or was it that as he watched and waited and breathed so, so slowly, that the secret area inside himself uncloaked itself where nothing mattered?

The dwarf, in a darker hood now, appeared on the stage. He could see from his vantage point into all the stalls, but the revelers in separate stalls couldn't see one another. The dwarf leaned and reached a hand here, there, welcoming, beckoning. He encouraged, from one stall, the figure of a woman; from another, a man--was it Tibbet?--and from the stall where Boq sat, he gestured to the tiger. Boq felt only vaguely sorry not to be chosen himself, as the dwarf passed a smoking vial beneath the nostrils of the three acolytes, and helped them to remove their clothes.

There were shackles, and a tray of scented oils and emollients, and a chest whose contents were still in shadow. The dwarf bound black blindfolds around the heads of the scholars. The tiger was pacing on all fours and growling softly, tossing his head back and forth in distress, or excitement. Tibbet--for it was he, though nearly out of consciousness--was made to lie on his back on the floor of the stage. The tiger strode over him and stood still while the dwarf and his assistants lifted Tippet, and tied his wrists together around the tiger's chest, and his ankles around the tiger's pelvis, so Tippet hung beneath the tiger's belly like a trussed pig, his face lost in the tiger's chest hair.

The woman was set on a sloping stool, almost like a tilted bowl, and the dwarf tucked something aromatic and rummy up in the shadowy regions. Then the dwarf pointed to Tibbet, who was beginning to twist and moan into the tiger's chest. "Let X be the unknown god!" said the dwarf, poking Tibbet in the ribs. The dwarf then slapped the tiger on his flank with a riding crop, and the tiger strained forward, positioning his head between the woman's legs. "Let Y be the Dragon of Time in its cave!" said the dwarf, hitting the tiger again. As he laced the woman into the half-shell, stroking her nipples with a glowing salve, he handed her a riding crop with which she could lash at the tiger's flanks and face. "And let Z be the Cumbric witch, and let us see if she exists tonight!"***

The crowd drew nearer, almost participants themselves, and the musky sense of adventure made them tear at their own buttons and nibble their own lips, leaning in, in, in.

"Such are the variables in our equation!" said the dwarf, as the room darkened even further. "So now let the true, clandestine study of knowledge begin!"

END SCENE

*Drugs. They are all super drugged up for this scene.

**Country bumpkins.

***This is all religious imagery in-universe.

I don't want to go sorting through the rest of the audiobook trying to find it, but the character who got tiger'd is never the same after, a shell of his former self with a "wasting disease" that he dies of slowly while his equally queer-coded "best friend" watches and grieves. Tiger AIDS.

That was the first time I threw the book across the room. The second was the mention of the Wizard recruiting kids into anti-Animal factions a la Hitler Youth.

I hate this stupid book.

#wicked #wicked 2024 #wicked movie #wicked the musical #i hate this stupid book #the wicked tiger scene #lord it's just not good #i don't care if something is gross or whatever #but lord it's just not GOOD #parenting #psa

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cosmicjoke · 2 months ago

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Hi, Cosmic! I was considering this scene from a Levi story on AO3 which I had read a while ago, where it described his life in the Underground before he met Furlan (maybe it was one of yours, I'm not certain). It talked of how he would often go days without speaking at all, and ultimately delved into his loneliness and how he hadn't realized how alone he'd been until he wasn't. I had also read recently an analysis stating that Levi's attachment style would be fearful-avoidant due to how he grew up, which, I mean, makes perfect sense.

Thus the combination made me wonder: How do you think Levi felt when he and Furlan moved in together? Did it trigger his abandonment issues in any way, letting Furlan in emotionally when his last relationship (that we know of) was with Kenny? Given the concept of attachment styles, Levi was probably both distant and reliant with him, so how do you think Furlan reacted to this?

Hmm, that could have been one of my stories, haha, I've definitely written a few stories (all of which remain incomplete, lol) about Levi's life Underground. I feel like it's a period in Levi's life that's just ripe for exploration, but very few people seem particularly interested in writing about it, for whatever reason.

I know I do explore that idea in "This Life, After", of Levi being sort of functionally mute because he gets so little social interaction, and I think that's a pretty fair assumption to make about him growing up, especially after Kenny left him. As far as we know, Levi didn't have a single friend until he met Furlan, and we know, from the extra stories included in the "No Regrets" manga that Levi met Furlan when he was essentially full grown. I've talked before also, pretty extensively, about how it seems very likely that Levi had no social interaction with other children growing up, even when living with his mother. I don't know if you've read my analysis posts on this, but I'll link you to them here:

Anyway, I'm not a psychologist, so I can't really speak to what specific attachment style Levi may or may not have. In truth, nobody, even an accredited and practicing psychologist could definitively diagnose Levi with any, specific mental disorder or condition, because of course he's a fictional character, lol. But I don't think you need to be a psychologist to make accurate or educated guesses about what sort of mental health issues Levi might be suffering from. For example, I think it's fairly obvious that Levi is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, because it would seem to me nearly impossible for him not to have been deeply traumatized by the experiences, not only in his childhood, but as an adult too, and I say that because of Levi's obvious emotional sensitivity. He feels things very keenly and I think more deeply than any other character in the series. That well of emotional depth, along with his immense empathic nature I think renders Levi more susceptible to emotional pain, and more easily given to grief over the loss of his comrades/friends/family than even an average person. I just think Levi feels things more deeply than is common. I think that's also what gives Levi his exceptional emotional intelligence, his ability to accurately read people and understand who they are at their cores.

To get to your specific question, it's an interesting one.

Levi is definitely someone who I think is fearful of getting close to others out of a fear of losing them, knowing the pain it causes him when he, seemingly inevitably, does. No doubt that finds its roots in Levi's earliest childhood experiences. People often talk about Kenny's abandonment of Levi (with good reason), but I rarely see it talked about how Levi's mother, in a sense, also abandoned him. Not intentionally, the way Kenny did, but the fact remains, Levi's mother died and left him alone, which very nearly led to Levi's own death. I think that absolutely must have had an impact on Levi and caused an expectation in him from very early on of abandonment. Levi couldn't have been more than five years old when his mother died, and those are obviously very important developmental years for a child. You add to that Kenny's abandonment, and it seems pretty likely to me that, yes, Levi has a fear of abandonment by the people he loves.

What's interesting about Levi, though, is that even with this fear, and even in his efforts to keep his distance from people in order to spare himself the emotional and mental distress of losing them, I think Levi's higher level of empathy and compassion renders him incapable of escaping that emotional pain, even when he doesn't know a person well, even when he's intentionally kept away from them. I've spoken numerous times of how Levi shows the same level of care and concern, and makes just as much of an effort to save the lives of people he doesn't know or doesn't know well as the ones he does know well and is close to. He even extends that same level of care and concern toward people who have been actively hostile toward him, such as the merchants in Trost who badger and bully him over the failures of the Survey Corps, to the point of even personally insulting him, or in "No Regrets", we see Levi go out of his way to save the lives of soldiers who have both endangered his own and actively mistreated and been cruel to him. We see Levi do this with Dieter, during the Female Titan arc. Despite Dieter's cruelty toward Levi, calling him a heartless monster, Levi gives him Petra's badge and tells him it was Ivan's. He gives up his own comfort to someone who's been nothing but hostile toward him, and who would have rightly been in for a scolding and even punishment for endangering the lives of the unit. But instead of being unkind in return, Levi shows Dieter nothing but compassion.

All this to say, I think even when Levi isn't emotionally or personally close to people, he still feels the weight of their loss as if he were, and he still empathizes with and understands their emotions and thought process as if he were. There's a part in "No Regrets" in which Furlan laments that they had better hurry up and complete their mission to get the documents from Erwin before Levi and Isabel start genuinely considering "dedicating their hearts" to the Survey Corps. I've talked about how this clearly indicates that Furlan is aware of Levi's tendency to get attached to people, even when he's actively trying not to. Levi, for example, doesn't want to teach his combat techniques to any of the other SC soldiers because he knows if he does and then they end up getting killed, he'll hold himself responsible for it. Again, this is indicative of Levi's tendency to become emotionally attached and involved with people, even those he doesn't know well, to the point he would feel responsible for their lives, and responsible for protecting those lives, even when, again, he doesn't know them well, and even when he hasn't been treated particularly well by them. We have to remember, upon entering the SC, none of the other soldiers showed any particular friendliness toward Levi, outside of Hange. He was even faced with pretty blatant classism from some of them, and plain resentment. But he still knew himself well enough to know that he was already beginning to feel responsible for their lives. Even with being treated as an outsider by them, he still isn't able to keep himself detached from them. We see this play out too, in the story's climax, when Levi makes his choice to go after Erwin alone. He makes the choice with full consideration of what he thinks will be best, not just for Furlan and Isabel, but for Flagon and the rest of their squad. He's equally concerned for their well being, and determines that all of them will have a better chance of survival if Furlan and Isabel stays with them. Again, Flagon has been nothing but hostile toward Levi through the entire story, but he still cares about Flagon's life.

So basically, to get to your specific question, lol, I think Levi likely became very attached to Furlan fairly quickly. There's even a similarity to Levi's relationship with Furlan and what I laid out above, in terms of how Levi even cares about people who have been unkind to him. We know from one of the extra stories that Furlan first met Levi by attempting to entrap him and force him through physical assault to join his gang. So Furlan's first interaction with Levi was one of deception and an attempt to use him against his will. We learn later from a conversation Levi is having with another scout that Levi saved his life from his own gang, when they eventually turned on him. This is consistent with how we see Levi make just as much effort to help and show just as much concern for the lives of people who have previously been unkind to him in some way or even attempted to hurt him in some way. Levi saves Furlan's life, despite Furlan trying to deceive Levi and force him into a situation against his will.

So I imagine, once Levi became actual friends with Furlan, and moved in with him, at that point, I imagine the bond between them was incredibly deep and unbreakable. I think over time Furlan would have begun to recognize that Levi's aloof demeanor and lack of expression wasn't at all indicative of the actual depth of attachment and care he felt toward Furlan himself. I always say that I think Levi's relationship with both Furlan and Isabel was more than simple friendship. I think Levi viewed the both of them as his family, and objectively speaking, I think he was probably closer to the two of them than anyone else in his life. Part of that, I think, would come from the fact they were his first, actual friends, and also because they were the only people Levi ever knew and was close to who were from the same world he was. I think Levi likely was fearful at first when he first moved in with Furlan that he might lose him in some way, that Furlan might leave him, or be killed, etc... But I also think it's a testament to Levi's resilience and open heart that, despite having already been abandoned by the two most important people in his life up to that point, he still allowed this new person into his life and allowed himself to grow deeply close to him. I think, also, that's a product of, again, Levi's inability to close his heart off to people, due to his immense empathy. Even though Levi is afraid of losing people and wants to shield himself against the pain of that, he continually fails at remaining detached, because he just naturally cares too much about other people to ever, truly separate himself from them or freeze them out. He's never been able to not care. I think Furlan probably understood that pretty quickly about Levi, and as I already said, he probably understood that Levi's aloof demeanor and seeming distance didn't actually mean he didn't care. I think Furlan understood that Levi would protect him no matter what and would always stay by his side. Isayama even said Levi is extremely loyal. He isn't ever going to abandon anyone himself. So basically, I think Furlan understood Levi, after a time, and would have recognized that Levi's appearance of apathy in truth was just his way of dealing with the fact he actually feels and cares more deeply than anyone. He only keeps his emotions held inside so he can remain reliable to himself and others, because if he allowed himself to fully feel what he was actually feeling in any, given moment, it would be overwhelming. People that know Levi truly know this about him. And so Furlan definitely would have realized that.

Anyway, I hope that answers your question, lol. That got WAY too long. I can never seem to keep my answers short.

#Levi Ackerman #asks #analysis #Furlan Church #No Regrets #ACWNR #attack on titan #shingeki no kyoujin

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thecarnivorousmuffinmeta · 11 months ago

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Muffin! It's ASP Inc, the conglomerate made up of the companies formerly known as Apple, Sony, and Pepsi-Co. Based on your credentials with prior projects, you've been conscripted again for another big budget Twilight media project! Probably the CEO is on drugs, but congrats on your $500m dollar budget.

Your task is to design a big-budget Twilight video game. "But I don't really play that many video games," you maybe say? Idk, the CEO doesn't seem to care and is maybe using this project for tax evasion, so your instructions are "Just make us a Twilight game with gameplay stolen from a popular thing like a Minecraft, Fortnight, Among Us, whatever the kids nowadays are playing. Maybe a Mario? Are Marios still a thing?? I played Oregon Trail on my mac once. Stick some story in it. Give it the Muffin treatment, kids like Muffins!"

Your project brief must include:

1) What non-story-based gameplay mechanic you're stealing ("It's like a Mario!") 2) What story set in the Twilight Universe (tm) you've decided is most game-able. 3) Where you're spending the big bucks.

Thank you and good luck! (I hope this is fun and not, you know, annoying)

That would be a very silly thing for them to do.

Caveat

Twilight already is a video game: it's a visual novel. You are Bella Swan, first person point of view, checking out hottie mchottie across the hall. You don't know it, but the wrong action you take, even if it's arriving in the parking lot late: you die.

It's up to you to find Bella's golden path to survival which is in fact the Twilight novels we know and love.

Ordinarily, I'm a big skeptic of medium jumps without much thought, especially to and from video games as they usually don't transition well. However, in this case, we're already there.

You don't even have to change that much of the narrative structure since it's all in first person and we have the visuals as we know exactly what everyone looks like down to what exact shade of red their hair is.

There's not much for me to do.

But That Will Never Fly/Isn't What You Asked For

It sounds like this merger corporation doesn't really understand Twilight or video games which is not surprising. So, I have to make a real person video game which is just like that thing the kiddos are playing.

And since I'm going to hell anyway: I'm making a Twilight game that's RDR/GTA styled and we're going wild.

You're Bella Swan going to high school but you can wander around the town of Forks/the world at large and do whatever the fuck you want. This often gets you killed horribly. You go to Mexico: you're eaten by vampires. You go to Alaska: you get fucked by vampires and have a wild time in their sauna. You go to Egypt: some guy named Amun locks you in a tomb where you hang out with Benjamin, Tia, and Amun's angry wife. You can take missions for the Volturi, which they never asked you to do, and every time you collect a bounty a Volturi member will give you a weird look and ask "what the fuck is wrong with you/why are you here?" but you'll earn in game rewards as they publicly shame you.

You can also get into affairs with your human friends and ruin Jessica's love life, go to Prom with five people, and so on and so forth.

You can also get involved in the La Push community where they stare at you for being this person who clearly doesn't belong and try to seduce Leah into a lesbian love affair with you. (This is a very difficult quest, Leah's not impressed and very confused and going through it with Sam right now). You get to hear all of people's drama that's going on in the side lines.

The actual plot is dating Edward, and somehow, he doesn't notice all your wild adventures because he can't read your mind and while he's been stalking you every time you leave the state he loses your scent.

Your missions are surprisingly difficult as you have to avoid death by Edward by saying the right things and avoid death by everything else in the universe by navigating Port Angeles correctly (shockingly hard as the rapists somehow corner you at every turn). You also get missions during the Hallucination Edward arc as you have to do increasingly difficult and dangerous things to get Hallucination Edward to appear at which point your player character gets sweet sweet endorphins.

In the online player mode, where you've probably become a vampire, you can engage in vampire warfare where the losing condition is you killed too many humans so the Volturi come to kill all of you.

And yes, of course, there is an honor system but you blow it yourself as Bella's honor plummets during New Moon when she has to endanger herself and others to see Edward.

The money's going into a) graphics b) the sheer open worldness allowed in the number of quests, the random events, and all that good points.

Conclusion

I imagine they ask me how I will market this game to Twilight's audience, who are presumably the only ones who will play this game, and I claim, "Young women love grand theft auto!"

#twilight #twilight meta #twilight headcanon #twilight renaissance #meta #headcanon #opinion

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