#impetu spiritus

[symmetricalscar]

Aypheros - Impetu Spiritus

[biblebloodhound]

Trust In God's Timing (Exodus 2:15-25)

“God is too good to be unkind. Too wise to be mistaken; and when you cannot trace his hand you can trust his heart.” C.H. Spurgeon

Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock. When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, “Why have you…

[nataliescatorccioapologist]

My takeaways from attending the Yellowjackets Vulture Fest panel

If you saw me and my friend trying and failing to carry 7 alcoholic beverages into the room, no you didn’t

•There will be a Season 3 announcement this upcoming Tuesday that fans have been “waiting for” and “expecting” for a while.

•I’m just going to come out and say it: Ella Purnell is definitely returning for Season 3. The interviewer asked if there is a chance of Jackie returning in flashbacks or hallucinations this season, and the writers all shared a knowing look, giggled, wiggled their eyebrows, and said “Maybe” with a smile. She’s coming back for sure guys.

•The writers were asked to rate the level of gore in Season 3 on a scale of 1-10, and they said, at certain points in the season, it will be a 9.5

•Van was originally supposed to die in the wilderness but the writers loved Liv Hewson’s performance so much that they decided to keep Van alive.

•Laura Lee was also supposed to die earlier (in episode 2) but the writers loved her character so much that they decided to keep her around until episode 8 instead (and they took great joy in writing her trying to fly that plane).

•The writers emphasized that the two sides of Taissa are not meant to be “good” and “evil” but rather “pragmatic” and “primal.” The “bad one” is really just more uninhibited, more open to the spiritual, ethereal side of things while the side of Tai we know and love is the more practical and logical side that is skeptical of the wilderness.

•Shauna is said to be the “core” and “impetus” of the events of the show. They also said that she best represents the duality of the primal nature of the wilderness and the pragmatism of civilization.

•Shauna eating Jackie was said to be both an act of “hatred” and “love.” Shauna consumed her both to as an act of worship and wanting Jackie to always be a part of her, as well as an act of “domination.”

•It was also emphasized that Shauna drawing the queen card in the adult timeline is not a coincidence and definitely holds significant meaning. The writers seemed hesitant to expand on that meaning, so I have a feeling it has something to do with adult Shauna’s storyline in Season 3 and beyond. In my opinion, Shauna drawing the queen card was symbolic of her assuming a leadership role in the adult timeline that will play out in Season 3.

•It was also said that Natalie’s death in the adult timeline is very much connected to her drawing the queen card in the teen timeline. They implied that her drawing the queen, in a way, lead to her eventual death. I’m wondering what this means for Shauna drawing the queen card in the adult timeline?

•Some of the actors wanted to know how their stories are going to play out, and some of them did not. Samantha Hanratty was named as one of the actors that does not want to know her character’s future and doesn’t read the adult timeline scripts to avoid the influence of them on her portrayal of the character.

•Natalie was specified as the “moral code” of the group, which is why the writers say she is so impacted by Javi’s death, as it goes against her moral code. This is part of the reason why she is so “broken” in the adult timeline.

•Natalie’s death was planned from the beginning. The writers confirmed that Natalie hallucinating Misty at the bonfire in the pilot episode was intentional foreshadowing and a “prophetic moment” for Natalie. This moment was said to foreshadow both that Misty would become an important figure in Natalie’s life one day and that she would be the “mechanism of Natalie’s death.” The writers said that Nat was always meant to die at some point, but they weren’t sure initially when it was going to happen. They said they decided on the end of Season 2 because things were just starting to go well for Natalie, she was just starting to heal, and therefore she had to die.

•The writers pointed out the impact of seeing Misty, a character who does not usually express genuine emotion (when she does it’s usually in a manipulative manner), fully sob and express genuine horror and grief during Nat’s death scene.

•Jeff was originally just meant to be an “accessory” to Shauna, but he gained more meaning and importance to the show as the writers loved Warren Kole and his portrayal of Jeff.

•For season 3, the writers were pretty tight-lipped, but they did say that they are very proud of the season and excited for people to see it. They said that there will be an interesting dynamic in that the winter will be over in the teen timeline, so the characters will have to grapple with what they’ve done now that they’re out of the dire situation they were in in the winter. They said this will have a great effect on their psyches and group dynamics.

•Joel McHale was cast after Ashley Lyle met him at a party of some sort (and Lyle admitted she was drunk during the encounter) and, after he said he was a fan of the show, Lyle basically said “Oh well I have a part in Season 3 for you” and he was cast.

•They were asked directly about the Eden lawsuit, and they had a little giggle about it and admitted that they’ve never seen that movie, and they’ve been very upfront about their influences (Lost, Alive, etc.) They obviously couldn’t say much more about it, but it was funny seeing them react.

•The writers emphasized the distinction between “fan appreciation” and “fan service,” and they said that, while they occasional look at fan feedback on Reddit and Twitter, they keep that feedback out of the writers room. This is actually very comforting to me, I was worried about Season 3 falling into the fan service trap. I am glad the writers are sticking with their intuitions and original intentions for the show.

So excited for Season 3 and so grateful these amazingly talented writers and showrunners are at the helm of it!

[ghostlyferrettarot]

🎲🖤Chiron in the signs🖤🎲

❗️All the observations in this post are based on personal experience and research, it's completely fine if it doesn't resonate with everyone❗️

✨️Paid Services ✨️ (Natal charts and tarot readings)Open!

🎲If you like my work you can support me through Ko-fi. Thank you!🎲

🗝Masterlist🗝

🗝Chiron reveals where we possibly have wounds, what hurts the most in each of us. With that, this influence guides us through a journey of suffering and liberation throughout life.🗝

🎲Chiron in Aries: is a more individualistic, impetuous and impulsive energy and such influence can "hurt." is affected by a possible feeling of worthlessness. These are people who may not value themselves (or may not know the exact measure of their value). Therefore, he should not fear his initiatives nor his own strength. At some point in life, the native must embark on a journey of self-discovery to overcome any feelings of helplessness that arise during life.

🎲Chiron in Taurus: can give rise to some problems related to insecurity or self-esteem. They may resent not considering themselves attractive or for some physical attribute that they dislike. Insecurity can also be due to the scarcity of some material good that he considers essential. It can be money, property, in short, anything he needs to feel safe and stable. Once he achieves such achievements and goals, insecurity will tend to decrease. People with this positioning have to learn to value themselves more in order to heal.

🎲Chiron in Gemini: May indicate a need to find your own voice. They can be very imaginative and creative but can have some problems expressing themselves. They relate more to their outgoing and spiritual side, some seek time for seclusion, introspection, and reflection. Individuals have difficulty learning rigorously, mechanically, but they still acquire knowledge by paying attention, capturing the deeper messages.

🎲Chiron in Cancer: Those with this positioning are more likely to feel out of place, sometimes thinking that they are not loved or that they do not receive enough love and attention. These are people who are more inclined to care for others, but they also need to be cared for. Learning to take care of their own needs is the key to balance, so they can feel complete. Opening your heart and accepting the love of others is also essential to healing any inner pain that may arise.

🎲Chiron in Leo: It can influence some feelings of dismissal, which eventually causes these people to feel unrecognized or not feel creative enough. These natives may think that their talents are or have been neglected, they may feel that they never had the opportunity to shine. The difficulty they demonstrate in expressing their own talents may be due to a repressed childhood or other various situations. To help overcome it, the individual needs to find a way to get closer to her inner child and awaken her creativity.

🎲Chiron in Virgo: may indicate possible changes in health or the feeling that personal problems are never definitively resolved. This influence can give the person a different way of dealing with the body, healing and health, in addition to work and routine. It can make the individual overly critical. It is recommended to learn to face imperfection, something that can be very difficult for them. . The fact is, since they tend to naturally be a perfectionist, they could use this trait where it is most welcome: in the spheres of healing and work.

🎲Chiron in Libra: May suggest possible problems in relationships with people. Relationships with some individuals may be more difficult and you may constantly have to deal with someone who is rude or rude. Or someone selfish or unfair. It may also indicate that this person is more likely to feel hurt or rejected in a relationship. You need to contain your impulses to achieve everything that the Libran scale means. The solution may involve better communication, more harmonious relationships, and the use of logic and common sense.

🎲Chiron in Scorpio: may suggest resentments or losses, material or symbolic throughout life. may, in some ways, suffer losses at an early age. Or feeling like a part of yourself has died due to irreparable losses. He may be afraid of his power to "dive" into the hearts of others, just as he may feel helpless. You are advised to enjoy life more lightly, because even when we lose something or someone, our life goes on and we can still become richer and more experienced with what we have or achieve.

🎲Chiron in Sagittarius: may suggest a certain lack of incentive in life or possible ruptures in your beliefs and values. In the sign of Sagittarius it may suggest wounds in the person's structure of faith or natural enthusiasm, which may have been discredited or missing. had no incentive. This positioning may suggest a break with spiritual traditions or teachings that may cause pain. People with this positioning may feel confined to a mundane existence. When you realize that there is wisdom in your own heart, your healing process begins.

🎲Chiron in Capricorn: May suggest some difficulty achieving goals in life and dealing with authority. It can suggest the difficulties that an individual may have in satisfying his or her greatest desires. From an early age, his ambition may have been restricted or he may have encountered many obstacles that were difficult to overcome. Perhaps you have lacked incentive from family or friends, or you have encountered inflexible bosses, etc. To overcome this, these natives must believe in themselves again, because then they will have more energy to pursue their ambitions.

🎲Chiron in Aquarius: can suggest wounds in collective concepts, freedom or personal originality. It may suggest feelings of inadequacy and social rejection. Aquarius brings a desire for freedom, originality, and the collective good, and such positioning can undermine such things, making the individual eventually feel uncomfortable dealing with people, groups, and tribes, and more likely to feel disconnected or isolated. To find the path to healing, they must learn to be themselves and appreciate their differences. This can be a difficult lesson, as some are not as comfortable in their own skin.

🎲Chiron in Pisces: may suggest wounds in beliefs, intuition, and the willingness to help those in need. People with this positioning in their birth chart may have been wounded by being wrong about others, suffering disappointments or betrayals. It suggests possible existential crises. This individual may eventually suffer a religious or spiritual crisis or lose faith in the world and others. They must balance their feelings and understand that there are disappointments along the way, but they can be overcome. That way, they will be able to find a cure for their problems.

[mysticstronomy]

WILL HUMANS EVER GO TO MARS??

Blog#417

Wednesday, July 10th, 2024.

Welcome back,

Mars has called to us since ancient times. To humans across the eons, the red-tinted speck glinting in the night sky has garnered special attention, with myths and legends wound around its possible ties to Earth. As we observed Mars with telescopes, this fondness graduated into a scientific fascination.

Within only about the last half century, as science has continued to advance, we gained the ability to land scientific instruments on the Red Planet. Beginning with the Viking probes in 1976 and continuing through the Perseverance rover and its flying companion, the Ingenuity helicopter drone, this robotic exploration has allowed humans to discover complex secrets of Mars.

But this is far from the end of our ambitions. Indeed, humans have planned crewed missions to Mars since at least as far back as the 1950s. Scientists and CEOs alike have crafted intricate ideas to establish a presence on the Red Planet, ranging from small-scale research outposts to major settlements. Elon Musk’s plans to put a million people on Mars stand as a particularly bold example.

Yet even with all the money and influence being poured into the goal of putting boot prints in the Martian regolith, there remain considerable doubts that we will ever actually get there. Between economic and ecological problems mounting here on Earth and the major challenges facing even the most basic mission to send humans to Mars, the impetus to spend the money necessary to fund such an initiative has ebbed with the political tides perhaps more so than any other space mission.

But the fascination remains, and the call of Mars is still as loud as it was to the futurists of the past. There seems to be something of a destiny in this call that makes it all but inevitable that humans will one day step down onto the surface of Mars, much as we once first stepped onto the surface of the Moon.

This history itself is instructive. In the earliest days of the Space Race, many people thought it inevitable that humans would one day set foot on the lunar surface, even if it took decades as opposed to the scant few years promised by visionaries like John F. Kennedy. But the illusion of inevitability is not proof of its existence in fact, as many failed predictions through history have shown.

Even the Moon landings were subject to faulty predictions. The New York Times’ 1920 declaration that rockets could not fly through space due to the lack of air comes readily to mind. Yet on July 21, 1969, two men from Earth stepped onto the surface of the Moon, proving all but the most determined doubters wrong. Will their spiritual successors at NASA and other space agencies one day follow suit on Mars? The first person to step on Mars likely walks among us now, and their moment in history may be coming soon.

Originally published on https://www.astronomy.com

COMING UP!!

(Saturday, July 13th, 2024)

"WHAT IS THE COLDEST PLANET IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM??"

[stellarwhisper]

Examining Mars, Moon, Cancer Placements, and Body Associations in Astrology for Astro-Fitness and Emotional Understanding

A person with Mars in Leo is frequently bold and self-assured when it comes to taking action. They usually pursue their objectives with a strong sense of passion, vigor, and assertiveness. This placement implies a strong desire for leadership and recognition along with a propensity for dramatic expression. They might have to watch out for becoming too controlling or attention-seeking, though.

Taurus Moon's innate propensity for security and comfort can breed complacency and a lack of desire, which can later in life result in sadness and destructive coping techniques. However, Scorpio Moon's early struggles frequently serve as fire for their desire for success and self-improvement; however, they may find it difficult to recognize and value their accomplishments without always looking for the next challenge. For both Moon placements, striking a balance between aspiration and self-care is crucial.

People with the Moon in Aries typically have intense, impetuous, and independent emotional personalities. They are aggressive, fast to respond, and thrill-seeking creatures. These people might be highly competitive in their pursuit of their objectives and aren't hesitant to take the initiative. They might occasionally suffer with impatience and impulsivity, though. Greater emotional fulfillment can be attained by Moon in Aries persons through learning to balance assertiveness with sensitivity and to channel their energy constructively.

People with the Moon in Leo are courageous, charming, and emotionally expressive. In their interpersonal connections, they yearn for acknowledgement, praise, and attention. These people are kind, kind-hearted, and enjoy showing their loved ones a lot of affection and lavish gifts. They may be sensitive to slights or criticism since they have a great sense of pride in themselves. People with the Moon in Leo are frequently imaginative and dramatic, and they do best in settings where they can be appreciated and allowed to shine. They love being the center of attention and have a natural aptitude for leadership. Moon in Leo people have the potential to have satisfying emotional experiences if they can learn to strike a balance between their desire for affirmation and humility and consideration for others' feelings.

People with the Moon in Sagittarius has an emotional disposition that is adventurous, optimistic, and philosophical. They want for fresh experiences, independence, and travel. These people are gregarious, full of energy, and like broadening their horizons via travel, education, and spiritual activities. They like learning about various cultures, philosophies, and ideas since they are inherently interested. Those with a Sagittarius Moon respect independence, sincerity, and honesty in their partnerships. They could suffer from a fear of becoming committed or a propensity to shy away from feeling deeply in order to preserve their independence. For Moon in Sagittarius people, finding a deeper sense of contentment can come from learning to strike a balance between their deep emotional attachment and their thirst for adventure.

Significant placements in Cancer degrees (4°, 16°, and 28°) might highlight the sensitive, caring, and emotional traits associated with the Cancer zodiac sign in the natal horoscope.

4° Cancer: A great emphasis on family, home, and emotional stability is indicated by this degree. People who have planets or sensitive points at 4° Cancer may feel strongly rooted in their heritage and look to their home environment for security and comfort. They might also have a strong sense of intuition and be very kind to others.

16° Cancer: This degree points to an emphasis on maternal instincts, emotional intuition, and empathy. Individuals placed at 16° Cancer may be very sensitive to the needs and feelings of others; as a result, they frequently take on caregiving roles or offer emotional support to individuals in their immediate vicinity.

28° Cancer: This degree emphasizes themes of psychic ability, intuition, and depth of feeling. People whose placements are at 28° Cancer might have a deep connection to the subconscious and be very successful in spirituality, psychology, or intuitive arts. Intense emotional experiences are another possibility, and they might need to develop appropriate coping skills to deal with their emotions.

All things considered, placements at these degrees in Cancer may point to a strong focus on caring skills, emotional intelligence, and a close interaction with one's inner self and others.

Because of their profound emotional depths, people with major Cancer placements frequently exude a captivating and strong attraction. They are incredibly loving and caring spouses since their desire for emotional closeness and connection is frequently entwined with their sexual appeal. Their desire for emotional intimacy and trust in their partnerships is reflected in their vulnerability, which heightens their attraction and attractiveness.

Astrology assigns specific bodily parts to each sign of the zodiac, the body part to work on that directly correlate with the moon's position in a sign or house.

For instance, someone may concentrate on activities that target the head and face, like facial yoga or head massages, if the moon is in Aries, which regulates those parts. Similarly, they might choose to do vocal exercises or neck stretches if the moon is in Taurus, which rules the throat and neck.

This method can make exercise regimens more enjoyable and unique, it's crucial to put overall balance.

Astrologically speaking, Scorpio is more closely linked to the pelvic and reproductive organs than it is to the hips. However, in order to harmonize with their astrological energy, someone who feels a link between their hips and their Scorpio placements may decide to include hip-targeting activities like Pilates in their fitness regimen. Pilates is well-known for its ability to stabilize and strengthen the pelvic and core muscles, which has an indirect positive effect on the hip area.

If an individual has a third house placements which can symbolize arms, they need incorporate arm workouts into their fitness regimen to harmonize with their astrological energy. This could involve arm-strengthening and arm-toning activities like push-ups, tricep dips, and bicep curls.

[familyabolisher]

you mentioned something about knights when you were talking about Joan of arc and i was wondering if you could expand on it? or link something that shared your perspective?

a lot of what people are drawing on when they talk about eg. "butch knights" or otherwise use knights as an articulation of a particular (generally non-normative) mode of gender is located within the chivalric imaginary. broadly speaking, chivalry as a european cultural phenomenon emerged in the literature of the late crusading era, largely fermented in the chrysalis of nostalgia for christian conquest and rule of the so-termed 'holy land' in west asia; crusading, in turn, was of course a bloodthirsty practice of christian conquest leading to the slaughter of vast swathes of muslim and jewish populations—cf. for example, the rhinelands pogroms or the aftermath of the siege of jerusalem in 1099, or the siege of maarat in 1098. chivalry as a cultural construct was significantly steeped in a desire to reconcile the military practices of knights with the guidance of the church, and the paradigmatic 'chivalric knight' was one whose military prowess or whatever could be matched by his piety. we see this effort to reconcile the 'worldly' with the spiritual as a galvanising force in much of the key works of chivalric lit; chrétien de troyes' perceval being a key example, or the narrative tensions around lancelot and galahad throughout the arthurian canon. the point is: chivalry is a phenomenon loyal to medieval european christianity, and deference to a medieval imaginary is most often reactionary. (cf., for example, the weight held by nostalgia for the 'chivalric era' in the ruling class of the antebellum american south.)

in chivalry and violence in medieval europe, richard kaeuper writes against the impetus to take the romantic image of the chivalric knight (as we may find in, say, chrétien de troyes) at face value, and urges us as historians to understand instead that many of our sources on the chivalric imaginary were produced as part of a reform effort promoting this idealised cultural construct. the natural follow-on here, of course, is that a reform effort must have a particular political tempering, and—imo—a meaningful queer politic of gender should be capable of understanding and reckoning with that political tempering which continues to hold currency in the present day rather than borrowing what we like and discarding what we don't.

like…knights are a state militia, chivalry is a social relation constructed around that fact, steeped in the presumed supremacy of the church, and loyal to the primary governing power. these very vague ideas around deference to 'ladies' (drawing on a romanticisation of the ruling class, ofc) can't really be separated from their broader social setting and the relations of power that chivalry sought to articulate and affirm. in short: it's very very white and it's very very goyish.

this isn't to say that like, everyone who does this has to Stop Immediately or else they're directly endorsing the ideological thorniness that chivalry invokes, but i do think it's worth spending some time with what it is that makes these cultural histories a) hold currency in the present discourse and b) appeal specifically to a lesbian/butch/transmasc/etc. imaginary. what are we trying to integrate ourselves into and what ideological hegemons are we trying to resist, and are we succeeding? can we be more imaginative?

[also—this was a very broad overview off the top of my largely unqualified head. would recommend going away and reading more about the history of chivalry + chivalric lit + the crusades if you're interested; the kaeuper text is a good starting-point.]

[tobiasdrake]

Any thoughts on how Dragonball handles Death, narratively

To be honest, I find the status quo created by the Dragon Balls and their easy free resurrections to be interesting. The setting of Dragon Ball is a unique and creative place, and part of that is because the characters live in the knowledge of death's impermanence.

From the moment Goku first climbs Karin Tower and meets the God of Martial Arts, Dragon Ball has a strong spiritual side to it. This is not a grounded story of a guy living a life in a mundane but fantastical world. Son Goku, an adaptation of the Monkey King Sun Wukong, brushes elbows with gods and learns sacred arts of the heavens to carry him along on his journey.

As I've said before, there is no one correct way to write a plot. There are no universally good tropes to use or universally right interpretation to employ. Every story is a unique creature, and the elements that make up the story should be suited to what that story is trying to do.

I'm not saying that Dragon Ball's approach to character death is better or worse than other approaches; Rather, that it's unique, and that uniqueness makes it interesting and adds to its identity. The way Dragon Ball does things wouldn't work for other series, but it works for Dragon Ball.

Dragon Ball is an individualistic story about the never-ending journey of self-improvement and personal development. It's about Goku coming into his own and growing up as a person and as a martial artist. The ultimate stakes of the story surround how Goku will grow and change and whether he will be able to prevail in this new predicament he's been placed into.

It's not about the world. It's about him and his emotional, physical, and spiritual journey.

With that in mind, Dragon Ball's relationship with death suits its story. Essentially, the stakes of any given Dragon Ball adventure are Winner-Take-All. If our heroes prevail, then all the damage is reversible. But if they fail, then all is lost.

This allows Dragon Ball to have its cake and eat it, with deaths that feel meaningful in the moment.

These deaths become motivating factors that drive the plot forward. But the tantalizing promise of revival is also a motivating factor that drives the plot forward.

While also building on the relationships between characters, which can then be followed up on when the character next returns from their grave.

The thing about Dragon Ball that sets it apart from other settings where death is often reversible is that Dragon Ball has a consistent mechanism for its reversal. One that the characters are fully aware of. This is precisely what makes its setting so distinctive, because it plays into the movement of the plot. Goku up there is going to meet God in order to bring resurrections back online.

The cast goes to Namek later on for the same reason. Piccolo's death means Kami dies means Shenron disappears from the Earth means no resurrections on the table for anyone Nappa and Vegeta killed; However, Krillin was paying the fuck attention during the battle and realizes that a slim hope exists for their friends.

The impetus for the entire Namek arc comes from the existence of resurrection as an option for the characters. Everything that happens on Namek is a quest to undo the damage Vegeta and Nappa inflicted.

This is the third time the possibility of resurrections has driven the plot. The second time was when Goku met God in Heaven. The first was when Goku went to war with Red Ribbon in the climax of their arc.

This is what I'm talking about when I say the stakes are Winner-Take-All. That characters can consistently return from death as long as conditions are right drives the plot forward at multiple points.

It also introduces new calculations into the decision-making of the cast themselves.

"Krillin, you've spent your 1-Up but I've still got mine so if one of us dies here then it should be me, not you." That's a choice Yamcha made, that would go on to pay dividends through this arc and the next.

"Can I come back to life if this goes bad Y/N?" is a real consideration that characters have to take into account when making their choices. Goku easily sacrifices himself to kill Raditz.

He's able to take us to visit the afterlife, meet Enma-Daio, and discover a great martial arts master in the heavens beyond life and death because of it.

All because he knows he's still got a revival on the docket, that he can trigger once he's ready to come home.

The Majin Buu arc takes the Winner-Take-All stakes to their absolute extreme with arguably the darkest moment in series history.

Majin Buu's been promised a great opponent to have a good fight with. In his new Super Buu state, he's impatient and wants his fight now. To buy time, Piccolo takes advantage of the fact that Shenron can revive the world to make Buu an offer: Finish exterminating humanity and then come back, and your opponent will be ready.

It's a bid for more time. It backfires in the most horrific way possible, when Super Buu uses this vantage in Heaven to fire Human Extinction Attack and kill all living humans at once.

What a fucking moment this is. Made possible by the reversible nature of all those billions of deaths - If, and only if, we can beat this guy. Winner takes all.

These are angles for the story that couldn't be explored without Shenron providing convenient resurrections. It's part and parcel of what the world of Dragon Ball even is, and a core component both in its storytelling and character decision-making.

Dragon Ball simply wouldn't be Dragon Ball without it.

[gallusrostromegalus]

So now that we're getting into the nitty-gritty about the zanpakuto, I'm immensely curious about what you're gonna do with Kaname's zanpakuto. Cuz if I remember canon right, he "inherited" (graverobbed?) the sword from his deceased friend, who we are told is the impetus for his whole crusade and made it his own to honor her. I'm interested to see your thoughts :))

You are remembering canon correctly! Suzumushi is NOT Kaname Tousen's Sword! It's the Sword of his friend/unrequited love interest Kakyo NoSurnameInCanon, who was fridged murdered, and when the central 46 refused to prosecute her killer because of his Noble status, that's when Kaname's crusade began, carrying Suzumushi.

...yeah.

In AEIWAM, it's similar, but instead of a friend/unrequited love interest-

Kaname is twelve when he dies suddenly, and reincarnates in the Soul society as a Tween. He is unceremoniously dumped on a country back road in West 51 with only the clothes he died in and no memory of his previous life besides his given name. Kakyo is also about twelve when she dies, and is dumped about four feet away from Kaname five seconds later, and sprains her ankle on the fall. She remembers her past life ("It Sucked"), and reassures Kaname that the guy that left her here said there was a 50-50 chance she'd lose her entire memory. That must be what happened to him. Kakyo can't walk on her injured ankle, but she can see where she's going. Kaname is a strong lad with great balance, and offers to carry her on his back if she can navigate him towards a village. It takes several freezing cold nights, scavenging for food and a terrifying encounter with a rabid dog before they finally reach the village.

Since neither actually knows their birthday, but were both 'reborn' on November 13th, and because they look extremely different, they decide that they are now brother and sister. And ever since then, Kakyo and Kaname regarded each other as twins.

They actually stumble into a library at the edge of a fairly large river trading port, run by Tomoko Tousen, a retired Gotei-13 Archivist, and her husband Yasuke, a retired shinigami, who gained a surname when they married. They never had children of their own, and it's nice having the young things about, so they adopt the 'twins', and they become Kakyo Tousen and Kaname Tousen. Fortunate, as it rapidly becomes apparent the twins have spiritual powers of their own.

Kaname is the gentler and shyer twin, and closer to his godmother, who figures out how to enchant a pair of glasses so they can 'read' text he looks at and speaks it to him, and he takes to books and archiving and data science like a duck to water.

Kakyo is a litter rougher and more gung-ho twin and takes after her adopted godfather, and dreams of leaving home and becoming a Shinigami herself... but their godparents are elderly, and can't run the library on their own, and she doesn't want to leave Kaname completely on his own.

Still, when she wakes up one morning from fitful dreams to discover she's holding a sword of her own, the whole family rejoices. Suzumushi is a not very powerful Zanpaktou, and strangely eager to avoid conflict for a weapon, and is content to stay in the river town, practicing Katas with Yasuke and occasionally lightly Harassing her weilder's brother- but before the year is out, Kaname has gotten used to sometimes having what feels like a clockwork cicada climb up his back or sit on his head, chiming and chittering while he works.

One day though, Kaname is talking with Yasuke, about how neither of them remembers their previous lives. Yasuke confides that while he doesn't remember who he was or where he lived, there are some memories that not even death can erase, like how his body remembered exactly what to do the first time he picked up a sword.

Kaname has nightmares after that, of picking up Suzumushi and knowing exactly how to wield her.

Time passes, Their godparents pass. And Kakyo stays with Kaname. Neither one really wants the other to be alone.

Then one day, A komuso monk comes to the library, body covered in robes and face hidden by his Tengai. ... A Really Big Monk. His name is Komamora Sajin, and from the way he acts around Kaname, Kakyo can tell he's taken care of people who are frail and missing senses before. Kaname is very fond of him- they have similar natures, and the actually-nine-foot-tall Sajin is very good at getting things off of high shelves and convincing difficult patrons to behave themselves. Eventually, he asks to stay on a more permanent basis, and Kakyo begs him to do so- she needs to become a Shinigami, but she can't abandon Kaname. They agree, and when she tells Kaname "Stay here, and stay gentle." it her telling her how much she loves him, and wants him to be happy.

...So you can imagine how devastating her death was for him.

Doubly so when he arrives in Seireitei to handle her funeral arrangements and touches Suzumushi's hilt for the first time- the rage, the grief of the sword spirit courses through him, baying for vengeance- and worse still, so does his body's memory of how to weild a sword.

He and Kakyo were about as close as humans can get, and Suzumushi knew him for as long as the spirit had known Kakyo- if there's someone who'd be willing to avenge her master's death, it's her beloved 'twin' brother.

...but this implies a lot of WIERD stuff about Kaname and his relationship with Suzumushi.

Sometimes Zanpaktou can be passed from one person to another, incarnating a bit differently each time (like how Senbonsakura is the Kuchiki Family Sword), but other Zanpaktou will die if thier wielder does. Suzumushi is not a particularly powerful zanpaktou- Tousen and Suzumushi are regularly ranked last in the "most powerful captains" fan-polls and rightly so I think. Rightly so, because I think Kaname's power is significantly nerfed by carrying a sword that is not his. Even if he and Suzumushi are particularly close, that's different than his own, and I don't think Suzumushi ever intended to be a heritable sword. Actually using her probably takes a ton more energy for Kaname that it ever did for Kakyo. Futhermore, Kaname might also be spending a ton of energy keeping Suzumushi alive past her time.

Suzumushi only has one potentially-lethal maneuver and that's an alternate form of her shikai. The regular forms are "Spell of take a nap and stop rioting" and "Spell of no for real you're losing your sensory privileges until you calm down". Both are way more crowd control abilities rather than Deuling ones, which fits with both his and Kakyo's characterization of wanting Soul Society to be a better place- Suzumushi is a sword that's practically built to get in the middle of a major battle and get everyone to STOP. And I gotta wonder- were these the original abilities of Suzumushi, or something she crafted for Kaname? Especially his Bankai- That's a weird Banaki for a sighted person like Kakyo to have. Or is it the original, drawn from Kakyo's experiences living with Kaname? Either way, he's either using tools not intended for him, or Suzumushi is heavily deviating from what she was meant to do, as a weapon.

My point is, as good as Kaname was- and he was good, he made Captain (and not just because they were... out of officers after the Turn Back The Pendulum Incident), but he did apparently hold his own in battle against everyone but fucking Kenpachi.

In AEIWAM, he does this by focusing on his technical skill as a swordsman- what he lacks in power or Zanpaktou abilities that are actually useful in Duels, he makes up for in learning really advanced, high-level Kido* and getting damn good at actually using his sword as a sword. In the fic, Kenpachi is a huge admirer and actually kind of Jealous of Kaname's technique- he declares that of all the captains, Kaname is the strongest, because he's the one punching highest above his weight class, while eveyone else (including him) is coasting by on their enormous power reserves or more duel-adept Zanpaktou, yet Kaname can go toe-to-toe with all

"It's like watching a little bitty Bat beat up a Tiger!" He says.

So, if Suzumushi is not Kaname's Zanpaktou, what is?

For that, I think we need to look at what happened to him after his hollowfication.

After dinner. this takes up a lot of brainpower.

[determinate-negation]

Do you think people are going to start converting to Islam for similar reasons? Of it being a "woke chill religion". There's anecdotally a bunch of Jessicas on ig who are converting(reverting?) and also Shaun the Scammer.

idk. i havent seen this that much so far. seems to be different motivating factors in these. im just noting a kind of longstanding trend on tumblr. but i think theres a pretty common overall trend of people in the industrialized west seeking some kind of spiritual guidance outside of themselves, like the impetus behind this been going on for over 100 years

[melanieathene]

In Purgatory

The mind is its own place and, in itself can make a Heaven of Hell or a Hell of Heaven.

— Paradise Lost, John Milton —

Purgatory was no place for humans. Nor was it meant for angels. It was a repository for the souls of demons, vampires, Leviathans, and other monstrous beings who were fit for neither Heaven nor Hell. But here Castiel was, an angel trapped in a place he had no right to be. What was worse, Dean was here too.

Purgatory was even less of a place for a human in an angel’s company. Castiel was a beacon of light, drawing monsters to him as nectar draws a bee. He knew this. Dean knew this. But Dean had spent the better part of a year searching for Castiel after the angel had fled upon their arrival in Purgatory, vainly hoping to draw danger away from Dean. Now that he had finally found Castiel, Dean was adamant that they stay together and make their way home. It was useless to protest, futile to try and explain that he had to atone for the sins he had committed. Castiel told himself that he would comply simply to ensure Dean had not misplaced his trust in his vampire companion. But the truth ran deeper than that. Castiel had no real desire to distance himself from Dean. He had missed the hunter terribly in the time they’d been apart. It was an ache that had crept deep into his bones. A temporary salve to such a spiritual wound was worth the risk... or so he hoped. After all, it would only be until he saw Dean safely though the portal.

Of course, his worst fears were soon realized. His presence drew a horde of Leviathans. The ensuing battle was brutal, intense and damnably prolonged. Even the vampire was tired by the time the last Leviathan lay lifeless on the ground.

Breathing heavily, Benny surveyed the gory remains, his eyes widening in dismay. “Where’s Dean?” he said.

~~~*~~~

They decided to split up, the better to cover more territory. Benny chose to retrace the route the Leviathans had taken to find them. Castiel headed in the opposite direction, towards the river, fear lending wings to his heels. Brambles tore at his clothing and branches slapped his face as he ran, heart pounding with the fear that he’d be too late. That Dean was already dead... or, worse, that he’d been carried off to face a slow, torturous death.

He almost ran straight into the river before catching himself on its brink. He stood staring blankly at a decapitated Leviathan whose head had rolled into the water. Two other bodies lay nearby in the tall grass. Yet a fourth was sprawled under a tree, several yards downstream.

“Cas,” Dean said, stepping out of the shadow the old tree cast. Weary. Bloodied. But alive.

Castiel froze, rooted in place for the count of one heartbeat... two... And then he was again in motion, running, running not in fear this time, but with a swell of emotion that drew him forward like a magnet. Running to Dean. Folding him into his arms. Holding him as if he’d never let him go.

“Dean,” he sighed, pouring all the relief and love in his heart into the utterance of the name.

“It’s okay, Cas,” Dean murmured, his arms coming up to return the angel’s embrace. “I’m okay. It’s all right. We won.”

“Dean,” Castiel repeated helplessly. And kissed him.

So entranced was the angel by the taste of Dean on his tongue, by his joy at savouring the very essence of the man, that he failed to notice Dean’s hands had dropped down to his sides; that the pliant body in his arms had stiffened in shock, in surprise... god forbid, in horror. But as his mind caught up to his runaway body, trepidation replaced rapture. Castiel stepped back, ashamed of his impetuous behaviour; ready to recant, to somehow try and make amends for his audacity. Conciliatory words trembled on his lips, words he never had the chance to say. Because suddenly he was the one who was shocked into immobility. Because Dean Winchester’s heart had finally kickstarted his brain. And it was Dean’s turn now to draw Castiel in, to fold him back into a tight embrace and return his kiss with unbridled enthusiasm.

Not that it took the angel long to respond...

They drank each other in as if they were dying men who, parched by the desert sun, had finally found a source of water. Their lips parted only when Dean had to draw a much needed breath. Their eyes locked, then; their fingers read the Braille of each other’s face, until neither could stand another second without the taste of the other and they fell together once more. Time and place ceased to have any meaning. They were lost, lost to the wonder of finally, finally coming together.

Who knows how far passion might have carried them had not Benny’s increasingly anxious cries of “Cas! Dean!” interrupted the moment.

“Have I ever mentioned how much I detest that vampire?” Castiel said, resting his forehead against Dean’s.

“A time or two.”

“And have I ever said how much I love you?”

“Every day. With every look you give me, with everything you do. But it’s nice to hear the words.” Dean placed a tender kiss on the angel’s nose and reluctantly stepped away, moments before Benny pushed his way through the last of the tangled vegetation and joined them at the water’s edge.

The vampire stared at them suspiciously. “You could have answered,” he grumbled. “I thought you both were dead.”

“Still alive and kicking,” Dean replied. “Unlike my friends over there, who thought they’d captured a prize. Guess the joke’s on them.”

“Then may I suggest we get a move on. The sounds of battle carry, and the stench of death will draw more unwelcome attention.” Benny tilted his head and narrowed his gaze. “If you’re quite done here, that is.”

“Are we?” Castiel inquired, also tilting his head.

“For now,” Dean said, and smiled. “Let’s go home.”

“Amen to that, brother.” Benny turned and walked away. “It’s not far now. A day or two at most before we reach the portal.”

Castiel’s answering smile faded.

“It’s mutual, you know,” Dean said, casually continuing their earlier, interrupted conversation. The back of his hand brushed against the angel’s, deliberate, lingering, and the fire the simple touch ignited in his veins made Castiel want to turn his hand and lace their fingers together.

But he didn’t, of course. Instead, he let Dean go, trailing along behind as the human followed after the vampire, his heart a leaden weight in his chest. Castiel understood this was but a small foreshadowing of the pain he’d feel when Dean was truly gone, safely back on Earth where he belonged, and he would be left alone in this nightmarish place, with only the memory of their kisses to sustain him.

“I didn’t know,” he murmured softly to himself. "But now I do. And that’s what makes it so hard to honour my resolution."

Knowing he was loved; knowing he didn’t deserve that love; knowing he couldn’t keep it, but wanting to with all his heart... He was being pulled in two directions at once, torn between elation and despair.

It was its own special kind of Purgatory.

And he knew there was no hope of escape.

Originally posted to AO3 on 2022-08-14. Just thought it might be fun to post some old stories here. :)

[centrally-unplanned]

To share another thought on the Folding Ideas video I Don't Know James Rolfe from my last post, while I enjoyed it a ton I do think its core "meta" element fails to reach the heights it could. It is never made that explicit so I am making a subjective read here, but essentially while most of the content of the video is textually about James Rolfe, there are dozens of moments where Dan performs actions that mimic or parallel James, culminating in his own parodic angry video game review as the finale. The idea is something of a "there but for the grace of god I go" point, that perhaps all youtubers, and Dan specifically, are too close for comfort to Rolfe's reality of limited creative options and a hostile fanbase clinging to the past .

But I can't really say for sure! Because he is very adverse to making this concrete enough for the audience.

At times the visual parallels are incredibly direct. There is one moment, where Dan is explaining the real skill and craft of being an internet clown on demand, where he mimics Rolfe's style of rant to explain it while projected AVGN videos that were looping in the background flash over his own body:

And it really works, the meaning shines through; it is a moment you can see back through time where the idea for this shot was, spiritually, the impetus for the film, that this idea must have come to him and he built the essay around making it happen.

Other visual parallels are less explicit; when the parody sequence starts, Dan - who has built a 1/12th scale recreation of the Rolfe's "video game basement" aka studio set in order to "understand" him like normal people do - represents himself in that room via a tiny hand puppet

Which is cute if, like probably most people, know him as the guy who makes videos about NFTs or Qanon. But close to a decade ago, when he was first making ~20 minute media analysis takes, he represented himself on screen with a wooden puppet like this:

It is even like the same color, I am confident this is intentional, it is saying "yeah this could have been an alt version of me; I was not so far from this".

All these symbols function to make the emotional impact; but an emotional impact in service of...what? So in the essay he discusses the film Wavelength, a 1967 avant garde film that is almost entirely composed of filming the side of a room with minimal camera movement while actions occur around it. It is a movie that never gives you a meaning, and therefore you must project meaning into it, bring yourself to the table. That makes sense for Wavelength, and the aggressive cinematography of I Don't Know James Rolfe - which is stellar to be clear - is making the film out to be sort of its own personal Wavelength for YouTube.

But then we go back to that text, which is over an hour of Dan directly talking to the camera about a real person. It is incredibly concrete and detailed, with explicit points being made over and over. And through what those explicit points reveal... I don't think Dan Olsen is like James Rolfe! Does he have an hostile fanbase trapped in nostalgia? Do people acuse him of being cucked by his bitch wife? He has evolved as a filmmaker, intensely so, he does things completely differently than Rolfe does and completely differently from how he himself used to. He doesn't have a shitty biography that self-outs his own creative narcissism, he isn't obsessed with remaking his own childhood films - I am pretty sure as a kid he had never heard of NFTs, they didn't really exist! The final line of the film is "maybe you aren't a filmmaker either" - but idk, Dan, I kinda think you are! If documentarians can be filmmakers you have to qualify.

Now I'm not a fool, I understand that the film could be suggesting these are differences of degrees and not kind; that Dan is equally "trapped in the room" making vlogs for the net, just with more outward trappings of success. But, in the ruthless specificity and detail of his treatment of Rolfe...this film cannot be Wavelength. I am not capable of forging my own meaning from the pieces, he connected way too many of them. This is the trap of avant-garde; you are tempted to help the audience, but once you try to answer some of the questions, it forces the hand of the rest, they all have to fit into that schema. And the film is just too coy with Dan's own parallel life for me to figure the schema out. I make my guesses and I lack confidence in them, they feel "contradicted" by the text.

More detail would have been the easier path; less detail and more symbolic expression would have been the harder path. But right now the balance is just a bit too out of whack for it to come fully together.

[n3xii]

there is nothing esoteric about wealth

There is something profoundly cruel about telling people that the reason they're poor is because of their mindset- that the reason they can't afford basic needs like food, health insurance, transportation, mental health care, education, and etc is because they didnt think good enough.

not only because it's condescending, but because its nothing we haven't heard before: we have all heard that the reason poor people are poor is because it's a emanation of a personal failure. they didnt work hard enough, they didn't invest in the right stock, they didnt hold themselves accountable enough for their own spending habits. or better yet, the reason they are poor is because they lacked the intelligence, cleverness, and thirst for financial freedom that the wealthy has.

its always been especially menacing when they attach spiritual morality or exaltation- the reason you're poor is because you're faith is lacking, or you karmically earned your fate as a result of a past life, you didnt trust god enough.

whats new is that this this idea of poverty being a personal failure is being repackaged through the terminology of manifestation- you are poor because you manifested it. your mindset allows the reality of poverty to exist.

Yesterday I watched a video about how to obtain financial freedom at a young age. The woman in the video was herself, young, wealthy and free. she believes she achieved this freedom through and work and manifestation. (and totally not related at all, the video was sponsored by a very reliable and safe app that claims if you keep it running in the background for 24 hours a day you might make 30 dollars a month. that's totally not the impetus to making the video at all. )

her advice was the mundane, typical ''start an online business, do drop shipping, invest in real estate, become a landlord, stop saving money and invest it instead.'' but she centered the video around something interesting- she said: ''stop persisting in the poor girl mindset''- the reason we are poor is because we aren't affirming the right things, we're poor because we portion our paychecks each month to save money on the side, we're poor because lack the lucky girl mindset and therefore we have made ourselves unlucky.

how barbaric.

she then spoke a good lot of time discussing how doing our own work is a waste of time and money- instead, we could be paying employees to do the work for us while we sit back and relax as the passive income flows to our bank accounts. what she said was actually the lowkey version of ''your labor alone is not enough to produce sustainable income; you have to exploit the labor of a large group of people in order to achieve your desirable paycheck.''

The mass produced content of ''how to achieve financial freedom at so and so age'' is massively based on the metaphysical idea that you manifest your own reality, so- if you are poor then its because you believe you are. whats distinctly manipulative about this is that it shifts the blame from the systematic, hierarchal reason behind your poverty onto yourself. you are to blame- not the series of calculated, money-hungry decisions made by those who actually have power over you to keep themselves rich and to keep you poor. you are poor because your thoughts affirm you are, not because the people at the top have the ability to hoard their wealth and spend it stupid ventures that ultimately refund their own bank accounts. certainly not because capitalism is doing exactly what it was designed to do in the first place. no, thats not the convenient answer, thats not the repackged, pretty ''you have the power to change your reality in a broken system'' answer people want to hear. the truth is, the system isnt broken, its doing exatly what it was designed to do. you do have the power to change your reality, its just not the way they're willing to admit.

you want to be rich? you want to be in the top? thats determined by one factor and one factor alone: your willingness to exploit and fuck over large amounts of people.

thats it, thats all. there is no intellectual or metaphysical secert, there is nothing esoteric about wealth. the only quality the people have at the top that you do not possess is their ability to smile as they kill.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Living His Word

Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. — Titus 2:2

If you were asked to make a list of the personal virtues of the ideal older man, then you would be hard-pressed to find a better starting point than the list the Apostle Paul gives us in our verse for today. Paul just got done telling Titus that he should "teach what accords with sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1). Significantly, his list is the first example he gives of such teaching.

Older men should be "sober-minded." What does this mean? It certainly means that older men should not get drunk, but it goes beyond that basic understanding. Young men tend to be careless, thoughtless, and insensible. Older men should set an example for younger men by being careful, thoughtful, and sensible.

Older men should also be dignified. What does it mean to be "dignified?" A dignified man is respectable, serious when it is called for, noble in character and bearing, and a man of distinction. An undignified man, in contrast, is indiscreet, trivial, unrefined, and a man of insignificance.

Older men should be self-controlled. Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but they still struggle with the old sinful spiritual state. Self-controlled men are able to keep the sinful spiritual state under control. They do not give in to its desires and directions easily. Instead, they follow the leading of the Spirit and reflect the fruit of the Spirit. The self-controlled man of God is a man who can be counted on to do the right thing at the right time.

Finally, older men should be sound in faith, love, and steadfastness (some translations have "patience"). Older men should be examples to the younger men of standing firm in the faith, so that the young will "no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (Ephesians 4:14). Older men should also be men of love, instead of men who give in to the anger and impetuous wrath of youth. And they should be steadfast or patient. Instead of allowing impatience to stampede them into the dead ends of life, they should wait patiently for the good things the LORD has in store.

Don't think that you must be rich, have a great job, or have high social status in order to properly embody the virtues on Paul's list. With the help of the LORD, men of any means and circumstances can embody these virtues.

© 2016 by Bible League International

[paragonrobits]

hmm villain concept meant to play on a common element in fandom discourse that bothers me a lot; the lionization of ruthlessness

it really bothers me a whole bunch when you get this glamorizing of ruthlessness; the idea that what you want is the only thing that matters and any end to achieve it is acceptable. To some degree it also infects political discourse. You see a LOT of people with this kind of callous attitude where they go 'kill everyone i don't like, that'll solve anything' and get downright hostile at any kind of... discussion that this kind of attitude might be a bad thing, or at least counter productive. Its the same kind of thing where you get fandom talk that boils down to 'superheroes should just kill all their villains' or 'if you dont want a protagonist to instantly murder all their enemies except for the Good Ones, you're a coward and probably a fascist supporter'

same thing with steven universe haters who really despise a loving protagonist who doesn't want to see people get hurt, or in general, heroes that dont want to kill people if they can avoid it. is the whole 'aang should have killed Ozai' crowd, so this character would be meant at sort of dissecting that attitude

so I'm thinking that this character, meant as an antagonist opposed to the protagonists due to incompatible goals or desiring the same resources and plot impetus, at one point was a warrior striving on behalf of their people; much as the kind of people I referred to write as though the only thing that matters is what you want, and killing everyone in your way will work out just fine, had an increasing escalation of thier activities until they gradually became a bloody minded dictator, gaining victory at the cost of eroding their capacity to care

doing that sort of thing makes it easier to do it again, and do it harder. more importantly it also makes it harder to NOT resort to it as soon as its convenient. once you've gotten a position through bloodshed, its likely that you lose patience with dealing with former allies; now you have competiting factions and feuds within your group, so much talking and arguing and factionalizing and it used to be so much easier...

so they do what always works for them. They got rid of it. Its hard to put down a weapon you're used to, and after killing their enemies, now they kill their political opponents, becoming a brutal tyrant.

This, however, backfires; in the setting there is a spiritual element to all things, and they get the attention of a spirit of retribution whom is displeased at their escalating actions, and it allows an invasion of fiendish entities, viewing the bloodshed as an acceptable reprisal. (The spirit is indifferent to the morality involved, it should be said.)

It causes a massive disaster, and so this warlord is left one of the few survivors of an enclave of humans, with blood on their hands and not much else. They've learned from the experience, but are still deeply bitter and having a hard time truly accepting (though they intellectually understand it now) that absolute ruthlessness doesn't do much in making things grow.

Currently thinking of this character being explicitly human in a setting where humans are just one of many creatures (and possibly being a subtle human supremacist, but chiefly concerned with long term survival of their people that believes all other beings are simply threats, and resents that the multi-species faction of the protagonists is a walking contradiction of their wariness), leading a faction of mass produced and simple-minded boisterous clones made to die young as expendable soldiers. If the protagonists have a theme of liberation and growth (from programming, from biological limitations, from apparently powerlessness), then this character is chained, and they know it. Chained by grief, chained by bitter resentment, chained by the knowing that everything they built is in flames because they just couldn't stop hurting others, or accept that they were never in control...

Consequently they would probably work best as a mid-level antagonist; not someone who ultimately pulls the strings (since that might be better reserved for truly evil characters, because the less I have to characterize them the less it compromises their malice), but as a commander or leader of the immediate antagonist team. Probably superpowered themselves, since in the settings I go that goes without saying. If they are powered by the respect and loyalty of their followers, this might also feed into their personal issues; they used to be far stronger, and they can FEEL how much weaker they are, because so much of the people who once followed them are gone and the weakness they feel is a reminder of what they've done.

[a-forbidden-detective]

Hey, I did see your post about one of the tropes that RonToto has. According to you, aside from "Eating the Eye Candy" trope, what is the other tropes (either underrated or not) that you think RonToto is fitting in, and why?

Dear anon, thank you for this ask. I didn’t forget your ask. Bit of an airhead, I didn’t know where to start.

Anyways, the most obvious of all is Akira’s use of height differences. Tumblr popularised this trope a decade ago to describe two characters with glaring height difference, tol/smol. I don’t think it has to do with being dominant or submissive, but both Toto and Ron have these qualities.

The Red Oni, Blue Oni. In this particular trope, Toto Isshiki is defined as the red oni:

A red oni is associated with passion, wildness, and defiance. A Red Oni character is often more brawny than brainy, extroverted, enthusiastic, determined, and filled with a zest for life. They are also much more likely to break conventions and rules than their counterpart. Often an Idiot Hero or, in more mature pieces, a Boisterous Bruiser. If a Red Oni is indeed noticeably intelligent, they will still be much more wild and impetuous than the Blue Oni and/or with less sophisticated thoughts, feelings, or goals. Generally speaking, they're more people-oriented than goal-oriented (although both Onis can be either). They may or may not shrug off criticism about themselves or their aims and goals, but say or do something nasty to their closest friends and you've just guaranteed yourself a world of pain.

… The Red Oni, while usually the more passionate and emotion-driven, may be the more easy-going and flexible of the two.

On the other hand, Ron is the typical Blue oni.

The Blue Oni is associated with serenity, control and observing authority. A Blue Oni is more intellectual, proud, traditional, introverted, and cultured (sometimes more spiritual, although that's not guaranteed), if a Blue Oni is indeed physically strong, they tend to be Genius Bruisers, with the calm, collected intelligence of a typical Blue Oni character combined with the physical prowess of a typical Red Oni character. Blue Oni personalities are often respected by others, but also likely to puzzle, confound or even intimidate their peers because they are difficult to read and have a mysterious quality to them.

It is also amusing that if you go on reading the trope there’s also a purple Oni. In this particular manga, it could be none other than Spitz Feier.

So far, that’s what I think they are. Subject to change once I find out more tropes. Thank you so much for waiting.