#it really illustrates how young he is! And inexperienced!

[msrosey]

No Such Thing as a Friendly Ghost

Rant on the differences between Movie-verse! Shadow and SA2! Shadow real quick because I am suffering! Suffering!

So Movie-verse! Shadow is so absolutely grief-stricken it was killing me to watch.

Like. SA2! Shadow was grieving, but he was driven towards revenge from pretty much the beginning (adjusted memories non-withstanding). He was the one who went to Eggman when he was freed, he was the one who set up the events of the game. He had agency.

Movie-verse!Shadow...doesn't. He gets woken up and immediately just wants to get away. No blowing up the base, no searching for answers from the guys still in the glass watching room, just defending himself against the armed guys trying to keep him in and then immediately bouncing. And when they chase them, he fights some more - he doesn't go looking for it. He even says it to Sonic - "Why can't you people leave me alone?"

And he goes straight back to the old G.U.N. facility. Like, it's so clear he had no clue what to do! He just sits in the wreckage of the only home he ever knew, with no clear next steps, just. There. Gerald is the one to tell him what to do. Gerald is the one who pushes him towards to revenge, who tells him its the only way. And Shadow just...follows?

In the game it was clear that Gerald had to mess with Shadow's memories to make him think that this is what he wanted, what Maria would have wanted. In the movie it's clear that Shadow is just looking for someone to tell him what to do. He even joins Agent Stone for guac, just cause Gerald said to stay with him! That's unthinkable for Game! Shadow or IDW! Shadow, both of which are big ignore-plan-jump-into-the-fight characters. Movie-verse! Shadow is strangely, like, innocent?

Like, Shadow is grieving, so badly, but its devastating because he also doesn't seem to realize. Like there's this underlying confusion when he's not actively fighting, and it's clear he has no frame of reference for anything he's feeling? It's like if Sonic had lost Longclaw and then never been exposed to the Wachowskis or Green Hills, just festered in his own guilt until coming across Knuckles or the echidna tribe.

AH and this is already so long but guys, can we talk about how the moment when Shadow starts to realize Maria would not want revenge and he no longer had someone telling him what to do, he like. Immediately tried to die. Several times.

He taunts Sonic to finish him off, despite him having the upper hand multiple times in the battle! He returned to the Eclipse Cannon alone to keep it from blowing up!

Like, yes the latter was the heroic things to do, but there's something so self-sacrificing about both, especially when he could have gotten Sonic's help with the ship? The rest of Team Sonic's help. This Shadow has (somehow) innate Chaos teleportation abilities, you're telling me he couldn't just teleport Sonic back to the ship and get things fixed with Knuckles and Tails' all together? But he doesn't even try, and it. feels like it's all tied back into this intense guilt and barely hidden desire to just not be there anymore.

Also I just can't get the image of him in the blown up base out of my head. He's just...standing there. Walking the halls. Haunting it.

And I know Knuckle's mention of Casper being scary is largely comic relief, but he has a point. Someone who doesn't care about their own life anymore, who stays replaying awful memories trapped in their own head, and who sees no future where they're in is terrifying.

They can't be friendly, or kind. Not even to themselves.

[huginn-on-the-loose]

Naturally, much like all others, I have my thoughts about Apology Tour.

Looking at it from production value, writing and all that jazz- it's just so fucking good. I saw plenty of Media Illiterates harping on it for 'not making sense', having 'plot holes', 'retconning characters'- and honestly there is no reason to entertain any of these supposed 'critiques', since all of them either pick and choose what to harp on or their ability to see nuance and story clues is so low it practically hit the bottom of Mariana Trench.

To briefly touch on Full Moon, both Stolas and Blitz messed that one up- but honestly, it was long coming, and I dont think there was any possible way both of them could prevent that, especially as that would require something neither were able to do- and that is talk and listen.

The Book Deal was obviously yikes, and to have any healthy relationship, it had to go- that was a step in right direction for Stolas, who realized that this was wrong, and I applaud him for that. But in his well meaning way, he forgot one important thing- to actually talk to Blitz about it.

Blitz, sadly, has a very unhealthy view of his own person. I would argue, actually, that his hypersexuality is not unlike that of an Angel Dust, because one needs to hit the lowest of low to be able to disregard and be indifferent to their own body like that. It could be its own separate post, but from Blitz's past, we know only of two loves he had- his crush on Fizz, which most likely never came to fruition, and his relationship with Verosika.

From the newest episode, we know it got pretty serious- and that Verosika considered it to be extremelly humiliating to open like that emotionally and have it blow up in her face. Seeing their 'photo' together- the illustration done- where she has a large fat 'NO' over her skirt, it really makes me wonder how comfortable young Verosika was with the fact she was seen as piece of meat- a desirable plaything, good only for one thing, and that's sex.

Blitz, obviously, is a well travelled imp; looking through the 'exes' at the party, there is fair amount of succubi/incubi, shark demons from greed, and some of the goat demons from sloth. Sprinkling of imps, yes- but it wouldnt be a far reach to expect that Blitz had to spend a fair amount in both Lust and Greed ring, to meet those specific people.

People like to talk about how naive and inexperienced Stolas is, while the party is a tapestry of Blitz' own experiences- but like, everyone conveniently forgets that Blitz was once naive and inexperienced as well. Verosika called him a 'selfish imp in the sheets'- partly out of spite probably- but we know the lenghts he went to have Stolas enjoy himself on full moons, and it makes me wonder how much of his 'selfishness' was him being selfish, and how much of it was, I don't know, dealing with another trauma? His vehemence of accusing Stolas of being just like all the other royals, and how he has an imp fetish, felt pretty personal.

25 years is a long time- we know the start of Blitz's major trauma, but there is no telling he had gained many other along the way. Him curled in fetal position after sleeping with Chaz really speaks for itself- there could have been a time where Blitz had nothing to offer to the table but himself, and it happened again and again until sex really became nothing but just another way to pay for something he needs, until making it part of his personality felt like the easier path to take instead of letting it devour him from the inside.

When he attempted to steal the book from Stolas, and then resigned himself to a pity sex because part of him didnt want to hurt Stolas' feelings even as they didnt havent seen each other for so long, his goal was to do it fast- probably his usual way of doing things- but he stayed the whole night instead.

That speaks of him enjoying the night, and when Stolas called about the deal offer, his irration was only about the timing, not the offer itself. I would go so far as say he welcomed it- what a perfect excuse to do something he enjoys without all the unnecessary emotional attachments. Only, Harvest Moon happened, with Striker (who at first was clearly a kindred spirit) managing to unsettle him by insulting his ability to be succesful, telling him he could be great but instead he is whoring himself out for a royal, and then Stolas unknowingly finishing the job. With Truth seekers following the Harvest Moon, where Stolas showed himself to be this all powerful demon while simultaneously demeaning Blitz again, he was already wavering- and then Ozzie's club did the rest.

Blitz, much like Striker, has a very poor opinion of the high class- only he is more quiet about it. With the doubts seeded, he started jerking away in the metaphorical chains he now thinks that Stolas put around him, and started paying closer attention to Stolas' actions, and clocking him as just another royal messing with him- thus taking the break offered from the Deal when he could, as a way to prove to himself he was no-one's pet.

Stolas, of course, in the meantime was grappling with his own issues. His daughter, the divorce, his own depression, his growing feelings for Blitz and the realization just how abhorrent the Book Deal was. Correctly, he realized that this needs to change, and - also somewhat correctly- realized his actions were hurting Blitz. His desire for something genuine and his doubt of getting it while the book was between them peaked when he got kidnapped and Blitz didnt even visit him while in the hospital- trouble is, he never even considered that Blitz might have deeper issues that would act as an obstacle between the two of them having a relationship.

Neither of them knows the other- not really. Stolas has guessed that Blitz put walls around himself to survive, and that the book didnt help the matters; he mentions he is aware Blitz is of a lower station but he doesnt trully know what it entails. To him, those are just two different responsibilities- he doesnt see the discrimination or bias, not yet. He doesnt know about the life Blitz lived, being hated by everyone he loved, causing pain to those he loved, and hurtling through life leaving destruction behind.

Similarly, Blitz sees the surface level of Stolas- the rich, all powerful prince, who cheated on his wife to get a fix. He sees all the power and oppoturnities he never had, wnd while at the beginning it was easy to bury himself in the sex, since Striker and Truth Seekers, he became only more sensitive to all the difference between their two lives. Sees the money, the splendour, sees the way Stolas treats his servant imps and it eats at him. He doesnt know about the abuse Stolas experienced from Stella, about the lack of parental love, doesnt know about his drinking problem or that he is so deep in depression he takes medicine for it. Doesn't know that Stolas is risking a lot in his life to be with Blitz.

And this is why they both blow up at each other as both lack context for each other's point. And they are both hurt for it more because they do, genuinelly, like each other and gravitate towards each other.

We can argue Blitz is being Blitz with his usual self-destructive tendencies- and he is, what's new?- but his frustration with Stolas is understandable, he was completely unprepared for the whole deal suddenly ending, and Stolas then dismissing him without any further explanation must have stung. That frustration continued when Stolas still refused to talk or even to turn to face him as Blitz was getting more and more agitated, finally culminated with getting thrown out the palace.

That is not to say that Stolas' own reactions were not justified. As an abuse survivor, heck, as a person, he is within every right to cut out people from his life if they cause him pain. There is a limit to how much one is able to take, and Blitz not only stamped all over his tentativelly offered heart, but then started screaming and insulting him, and he had enough of that from Stella. Stolas is done being someone's punching bag, and no matter how much he cares for Blitz, he refuses to let that continue- and then, of course, Blitz lets it slip that Striker had tried to kill him before and the sheer pain of that knowledge staggers him.

(Side note, I really think that Blitz genuinelly forgot- that whole expression was him realizing he never told Stolas about it and that the way he told him now was a major fuck up)

Before that confession, Stolas bringing up Striker was pure pettiness- as a father, he no doubt understood that Loona took preference, no matter how much it stung not to be saved personally, but at least he believed that Blitz cared, if not romantically. Now, he was not sure- and suddenly he feels hurt all over again, only this time it's worse, because what if Blitz never cared, not even a little?

Before he had no desire to go to Verosika's party, but after that, honestly, he just wanted to come to different thoughts.

Speaking of Verosika and her party, boy, she is so petty XD; I mentioned this in my other post, but while I understand her hurt and anger, her view of Blitz and any of his actions is very black and white. She villainized him, essentially stripped him of everything that made him a person in her eyes- and that automatically meant that every social interaction Blitz had that ended in a break up had a clear victim in her eyes, and Blitz was always at fault.

Considering the ensemble at the party (really, Dennis? A guy he french kissed like once?), Verosika is all to quick to shit on Blitz and doesnt bother getting the whole story out. Oh you know Blitz and he pushed you away? Welcome to the club, have a cake!

Seems to me, she only snapped out of that mentality after she overheard him talking to Stolas, as her mentioning that he made her feel guilty for being angry at him. Both of them seemed to have a bit of a wake up call- Blitz with his shitty ways and Verosika realising that maybe she was overdoing it (I sure hope so, I mean, burning effigies and violently murdering cake shaped like Blitz really makes her seem like the unhinged ex, not him- and I think Stolas agrees, if his horrified reaction means anything)

All in all, I see this episode as cathartic. Yes, the Stolitz ship is in shambles, but as it was, it could not continue; both because of the book, but also because both Blitz and Stolas are fundamentally broken people that need to take good long hard look at themselves and do better.

Stolas took a necessary step back from the mess that was their relationship and is not letting himself breath- start introspection of his own person because he has his own set of faults he needs to address, and Blitz's accusation about looking down on imps still rattles in his brain.

Blitz, for his part, already knew he was treating people shitty- but now he is finally acknowledging it, and admitting to himself he doesnt want to be like that. Hopefully he will work on being better- even if it means letting Stolas go because Blitz realize he himself is not in the state to be a good partner for him.

I think where Blitz's character is tragic is the fact that the circumstances of his life were better, he would be such a good person. He is loyal, fiercelly protective and sappy romantic at heart. He would move mountains for those he cares about, and is genuinelly happy when he sees them happy. He is still all those things- but sometimes burried so deep it's barely getting unearthed at times- we are lucky to only see slivers.

Going forward, I think we can expect Blitz opening more to others like Millie and Moxie- willingly or not. I doubt ever since the accident, he even had a chance to have a cathartic breakdown over that, instead bottling it all up.

[desceros]

this got longer than i meant it to, so tldr is these young men need to increase their experience bars to catch up to vi, nobody's maxed ??? i guess?? i rambled. uh. ANYHOW; gentle reminder that the boys were not in fact raised like typical humans, they have a very tight-knit social circle that very rarely grows or changes and their outside social interactions tend to be limited to yokai and other mutants just as bizarre as they are. Vi was raised presumably pretty standardly as a human in human society, regardless of the perceived pro-mutant thing given her some flavor. Her expectations are already set, she learned all this socializing biz growing up around other people learning probably around the same time, assuming she had like-aged peers as a kid- doubt that's been considered but if she's written to be neurotypical-coded then that's probably a fair take on her formative years. The boys did not get this social interaction with humans in public spaces and navigating relationships; even homeschooled children get outside to play with the neighborhood kids. They didn't even have yokai until they were 15. April was it until then. She's not exactly typical herself, either, so that's not much opportunity to learn how to treat people properly. all this to say, Leo and Donnie are both making the sort of mistakes you tend to make as kids, when it's less consequential because there's no predetermined expectation. I saw in another ask, Des, you said the bar couldn't be lower and I feel like that was true from the get-go with these boys; Vi's not just the best friend or love interest, she's also probably one of the, if not their very first human friend since adulthood (and no I do not count the Jones pair; one's feral ninja crazy and the other is apocalypse boy wonder, neither raise that bar, i will die on this hill). The boys are both learning character-building life lessons here. I for one am gonna be rooting for Leo to bounce back just as much as Donnie because these are not bad people, just inexperienced dum dums and I for one enjoy watching character growth in progress.

i'm really in a glass house about the Wow This Got Long tirade so you'll have no slings nor arrows from me, lmao

so, in symphony, i've tried to show that there's kind of a. hm. sliding scale of socialization that's happened with the boys. allow me to ramble on in detail since i know it's one of those things i've been perhaps a bit too sneaky about:

on one end of the spectrum, you have mikey. he's the one that goes out to the grocery store while dragging donnie along when he can, he makes friends that come to the party, etc. he's basically integrated at this point, as much as one can be as a ninja turtle that grew up in the sewer.

next you have leo, who i suspect talks to people and interacts with them as the face man, but he's still very sheltered. his sheltering, however, is by choice. hes not very interested in getting to know them. he's very closed off and protective of the hamato secrets, so he doesn't let people in. not unless they're useful.

next comes raph. i think early on, after krang, he probably tried to integrate. but he's, yknow, a huge-ass alligator snapping turtle mutant. he looks scary, and he's aware of how it comes across. he has a lot of encounters where people assume the worst of him. there's one line in chapter 14 that illustrates his stance on the situation, and how he's basically given up hope on the idea of integration:

“Honestly? I dunno. For years, we always lived in the shadows, never lettin’ humans see us ‘cause we didn’t know how they’d react. And now that we know, I wonder sometimes if we shouldn’t just stay down here.”

and finally, at the far end, we have donnie. if it weren't for his touch-aversion, i think he actually would have been next after mikey to integrate. we see him in the show going to april's school in the daytime in just his hoodie, talking to humans easily, and he's comfortable wearing pretty shitty disguises to go topside. but in symphony, because of his trauma (some of which we haven't explored yet i am so, so sorry to tell you), he self isolates so he doesn't have to Deal With People. crowds in particular are a No No, and the boy lives in new york. crowds are kinda hard to avoid. and you are correct! this has been detrimental to his socialization. he doesn't know how to communicate his needs to people. he never had to learn how.

but that's what's so... delicious about writing this fic for me. donnie having to grapple with the fact that he has to meet viola-chan in the middle, and viola-chan grappling with having to meet him in the middle. he needs direct, specific language. she needs authentic, affirming language. they're not mutually exclusive. but they are something that needs to be practiced, and hhhhhh. it's just so much fun to iron out!

[theflyingpimphat]

10 bad romance tropes

Ah yes, how to best celebrate the holiday of love by grinching it up. Now, what exactly does someone who doesn’t read or watch romance and mostly gets annoyed by the romantic subplots has to say on this matter? Well, unfortunately, romance is present almost everywhere in the form of said subplots and since I am pretty disinterested in the romance itself, maybe the focus on the other things that come with it like the characters’ personality or development might provide some insights past the heart eyes.

First, a few disclaimers:

-This is highly opinionated. It is not directed against you. If you genuinely like these tropes and enjoy exploring them in the safe environment of media, that is perfectly fine, as regardless of how strong my opinions on these tropes are, policing harmless interests is worse.

-To illustrate the tropes, I’ll use the names “Alice” and “Bob” as examples. However, the tropes also apply to Alice and Beate, Alan and Bob, or Ay:liss and Bo'orrb. It also applies if you switch the names around.

Rest under the cut to save you the scrolling if you're not interested.

Romanticised abuse

Bob stalks Alice, discourages her from going out with her friends and sometimes locks her in his basement, but it's all because of how much he luuuurves her and is concerned with ther safety! Sooo romantic!

Why is this bad?

-There is romance, and there is abuse. At worst case, someone who had gone through the abuse that is being romanticized will be put off by the story, or someone young and inexperienced could take the wrong lessons from it and either pursue relationships with shitheads that will abuse them or land in an abusive relationship and not see it for what it is.

What would be better?

-Depict the abuse as abuse. Yes, sometimes people will explain away their abuse as love, but there is a difference between a character's opinion and the message the story itself conveys.

2. Massive power imbalance

Alice is a billionaire, has bought up half the city, is a martial arts professional, an expert gunfighter, has five PhDs and on top of that, she's an archvampire who can rip a man apart with no effort. Bob is an ordinary man who dropped out of school, gets winded when he has to go up the stairs of more than two floors and is her janitor.

Why is this bad?

-Mind you, such relationships can be written well, but if the power imbalance is large, you will always wonder if the weaker party actually consents to the stronger party's actions or only agrees to them out of fear for the repercussions a denial might result in.

What would be better?

-Balance it out or make the consent between the two parties clear by letting them talk about it regularly.

3. Relationship is mainly detrimental for one of the characters

Alice is a bumbling idiot who constantly lands herself in trouble and needs Bob to save and protect her. Alternatively, Bob is a deadbeat who loads off all the housework to Alice and she barely has time for herself because of it.

Why is this bad?

-Ask yourself: would the character be happier if they had a blow-up doll with their significant other's face printed on it instead of their actual partner? If yes, maybe their relationship sucks.

What would be better?

-Make the characters mutually benefit from each other. And no, "but they really luuurve each other" or "the seggs is sooo amazing" doesn't count.

4. No common interests, just romance

Alice loves Bob. Bob loves Alice. That's all you can say about them.

Why is this bad?

-A relationship like that would be just smooching and maybe screwing. It would have no other substance. You would ask yourself: but why do they love each other?

What would be better?

-Let them have common interests, hobbies they do together, just any activities that aren't tied to showing how powerful, loving or fuckable the character is.

5. Enemies to lovers

Alice and Bob repeatedly attempted to kill each other at the start and there was a mutual hate between them, but their attempts to kill each other got them both so horny that they are getting married next week.

There, I said it. Bring out the torches and pitchforks, but I just find this trope terrible. From my own experience, every "friend" with whom I have started out on poor terms turned out to be a massive backstabber, so I won't buy such a romance as genuine.

Why is this bad?

-Who is to say they are lovers now and not just pretending, so they can strike when the other is most vulnerable? And how solid is their relationship, how big is the chance that one will betray the other at the next best opportunity?

What would be better?

-Build them up as rivals on friendly terms, or make their animosity non-personal.

6. Love at first sight, too-fast progress

Alice and Bob met in the morning and want to marry on afternoon. Both swear the other one is the love of their life.

Why is this bad?

-It shoehorns the characters into a relationship without building it up properly. This is especially egregious in movies, where all events have to happen in the span of a single day.

What would be better?

-Give them time together to develop their relationship properly. Alternatively, have them already be in a relationship and let them work through some tension.

7. "I can fix him"

Bob drinks, screams at and insults his employees, has driven his mother to suicide and is overally a piece of shit. Alice still pursues a relationship with him because she thinks that with her love and care, she can transform Bob into a nice, caring man.

Why is this bad?

-A terrible personality needs much more than the love of a partner to change, and even then, change is not guaranteed. And certainly, a relationship isn't worth one's mistreatment or mental exhaustion.

What would be better?

-Get the fucker into therapy instead.

8. Relationship built on looks

Bob is tall and has the physique of a Greek god. Alice has hair like gold and humongous boobs. Those are the main reasons they're together.

Why is this bad?

-While a perfectly fine reason for a one-night-stand or a temporary fling, looks alone won't let them stay together; it will be certainly over when they age at the latest, earlier if one of them gets disfigured by disease or an accident.

What would be better?

-Maybe they approached each other because they liked the other's appearance, but once that is done, they will have to start sharing interests and match their personality traits.

9. Predatory relationship

Alice can't stop thinking about Bob. Specifically, how much she wants to rip the flesh off his bones, crack open his bones to suck out the marrow and to lick his blood off her hands afterwards.

Why is this bad?

-It's creepy as fuck. Even if this is used as an example of how one character has to fight their urges and control themselves out of the luuurve they feel for their significant other, constantly reading or seeing how much they want to kill/eat/rape their partner is pretty offputting. Maybe they would be better off with a lubed-up sandwich they can fuck instead.

What would be better?

-Avoid it, or at least tone it down.

10. Love interest with no personality

Bob has a tense relationship with his family, loves his two dogs, enjoys building plane models and reading books about foreign cultures in his free time. His personality is slightly reserved towards strangers but he is very friendly and reliable to those he is familiar with.

Alice loves Bob. Her personality is her loving Bob.

Why is this bad?

-One of the characters gets written as a glorified sex toy and is nothing but an accessory of the other.

What would be better?

-Give both parties a personality and use those to deduct their relationship's dynamic.

Bonus: Babies ever after

I'm sorry, but having a smelly, slobbery, squalling shit factory to look after is the least romantic or sexy thing. Put that stuff at the end of the exploration of their relationship. Or have it pick up once again when the progeny starts resembling a person rather than a demon that feeds on attention.

[bhobbiel]

Scattered Maiden Rose Thoughts

*totally understand if this is not your kind of manga for very obvious reasons. This includes spoilers

New Impressions since reading years ago

I have not read this since I was a young teen! I had no idea there were new chapters or redraws (s/o to the saezuru discord- maiden rose channel or else I would have never found out)

I still have a decent of the "new" parts to read.

First of all when I read it as a teen I has no idea it was not a chronological story with regards to the train scene LOL .

I still get confused with the timeline like of the doujinshi/ one shots.

Like when Klaus is healing and all bloody with Taki with him is that like right after he was interrogated? Or when Klaus gets mad at Suguri for leaving Taki with him. Idk maybe if I read the new redraws and chapters it will make more sense.

Is it supposed to be a mystery whether or not Klaus is a Eurote spy? Or the thing that people assume instead of knowing real relationship between Taki and Klaus? Also I think other people besides Surgui know... like idk the older frowning man guarding Taki's door. Or the military people who were suspicious of why they were in each others' room...

_

Speed of relationship

Also its wild how much Taki's deportation/ the escalation of war speeds up their romantic and sexual relationship. It is the catalyst that forces Klaus to assert his romantic love for Taki, for him to get physically intimate with him. Truly now or never in the context of war.

But seriously its wild how fast things escalate. Like within days. Including a lot of "firsts" for Taki that he was forbidden to experience at all.

---

How each character fell in love with the other

Taki:

With Taki I think it is more clear to me why he fell in love with Klaus. No one fully saw Taki for who he was outside of his very high social standing that inherently puts him on a pedestal. He had a lot of first/ beautiful experiences at Luckenwalde. He shared those things with Klaus. Klaus actually genuinely enjoyed being with Taki as he was. I mean Taki is great but he is also uptight, naive, and sexually/romantically inexperienced. But idk I think its unique that it does not bother Klaus. Also because of Klaus openly being the first one to say his feelings/desires- Taki can even acknowledge these parts of himself at all.

However, in the beginning Taki could not consciously realize his feelings about Klaus. How could he? He faces: cultural ideas of purity linked to his family/social standing/ political role. War, taboo, and obligation. There are so many things at only Luckenwalde they will get to experience. There are so many kind soft parts of their relationship that can never be accessed again.

Klaus:

With Klaus it is more obvious to me how he shows his care for Taki and less of the why. I wish I understood better though!

He shows this in a myriad ways. Klaus is saved by the book he puts in his jacket because Taki wrote in it in Luckenwalde. He earnestly tells Taki how much he wants (maybe more in fantasy than in possible reality) a simple life with him. He shows how much he wants Taki including toxic ways. Sometimes he wants him softly and other times violently and ravenously.

It is shown in Luckenwalde that Klaus at first admired Taki's strength. But it becomes more and more things. Even if he only initially works on getting closer to Taki as an order.

I think it is really meaningful to Klaus that they met years before reuniting in Luckenwalde. Klaus infers that it shows that Taki wants him even if cannot verbalize it. Klaus' experience of the romance illustrates the more metaphysical aspect of love. For him, it does not matter why you fall in love with someone, even if none of their characteristics make sense on paper, it is that you must go toward it regardless of sacrifices.

I think this part of the story alludes that Taki's metaphysical social role isn't just "superstition" but is possibly the very thing that brings him and Klaus together.

Even given how things played out- I don't think Klaus regrets leaving his home, rights or citizenship for Taki. He definitely is furious that despite these things- Taki does not show physical or emotional intimacy toward him. He does not understand the rejection. And even the "why" Taki is acting this way is only explained by Surgui.

--

Emotions through art choices

How the author shows subtle facial expressions and touch between characters is really impressive. Especially since a large part of the story is the lack of fully honest, vulnerable, or direct verbal communication- the way the characters' facial expressions are both guarded and show emotion is a big part of the storytelling.

---

To be honest idk if this series will ever be finished 😭

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Civil War

Quite possibly the most controversial and dangerous genre of film is the one that focuses on politics or the political climate of an era. Biopics about presidents, getting the truth out about a government assassination or even just a film about an interview with a former president can trigger debates on what the film is actually trying say. The conversations of whether a film is leaning toward Democrats or Republicans, the left vs the right and so on are always polarizing and you’re damn if do lean a certain way and damned if you don't. What makes this particular film fascinating and particularly memorable is that none of what I just said is the subject matter. It is a fantastical, although somewhat plausible, “what if” story that’s intense, scary and free of any constraints of political influence. This was a tense and disturbing road trip film across classic Americana that follows the journey of the perfect non-combatants imaginable. Journalists. Yes, you get the violence of the civil war, but it is through many unique perspectives that are brilliantly realized and fulfilled by the end.

Kirsten Dunst gives a stirring and sofisticated performance as a renowned war photographer Lee Smith. You can see the amount of horror she has seen in her career in the way she carries herself and how she handles the chaotic moments. I loved that even though she was truly war torn, she still had moments of whatever was left of her humanity to shine. As the film progresses, you see a side of her that she tries to keep under control and I loved that internal struggle becoming external. Wagner Moura was fun and somewhat bloodthirsty as her colleague and fellow journalist, Joel. He was truly all for the adrenaline as the story progresses and I loved his chemistry with Kirsten. I believe he was probably one of the only ones that could really bring out the lighter side of Lee. Stephen McKinley Henderson was awesome and warm as veteran journalist and their mentor, Sammy. He was wise, quick witty and so loveable. The three of them together were fun to watch in a great hotel scene and even the moments in the car. He may have been older and slower, but you felt his influence in the journalism community. Cailee Spaeny was great as the aspiring young and hungry photographer, Jessie. To be honest, she was dangerously becoming that typical kid that you have to save from everything because she was too inexperienced or lacked the senses to look before she leapt. Her scenes with Lee were the most important as they both were a representation of the classic teacher and student trope that was used effectively throughout. Lee really saw herself in Jessie in many scenes and she tries her best to pull her out of her naivety and school her about the open road. Jesse Plemons was truly terrifying as the unnamed white-nationalist militiaman. As seen in the trailer, you get the sense that he has no qaulms about killing and his trademark dry and sometimes emotionless line delivery truly keeps you on edge. That scene alone was the highlight of the film. Nick Offerman was good as the President of the United States in the film. He was not in it for too long, but when he is, he sets the tone and is the key to the whole plot of the film and a particular scene.

The lack of score throughout the majority of the film was excellent and really let the characters breathe and the world sink in. When the score is active, composers Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow do an amazing job of heightening the drama and elevating the tension to another level. Visually the film is perfect and through the moments of excellent photography, it highlights the horror of war and the reverence many had for it. Sometimes a moment in a still image tells a story of its own and that is expertly illustrated in this film. Once again writer and director Alex Garland has taken a unique perspective on a subject matter that most fear or are ready to talk about actually happening. Just like Ex Machina, this film gives a pretty grim look at a hypothetical future that is both fascinating and intense. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

[69misato69]

Happy Birthday, Ajax (Childe x Zhongli) ✦ 3k, smut and domestic fluff

Childe comes back from a birthday trip, Zhongli has a celebration planned for just the two of them. Top Childe, Zhongli's first time receiving, needy inexperienced bottom Zhongli and some good ol' birthday sex. Childe is called Ajax and Zhongli Xiangsheng because it's canon, source: I felt a vibe

Top Childe (Tartaglia) x Bottom Zhongli

content warnings: anal sex, anal fingering, dirty talk, degrading language, cursing, slight breeding kink, delayed orgasm, unprotected sex, consensual non-safe gay sex

writer's note: explicit +18 content, please view at your own risk. thank you, have fun !

“Zhongli, I’m home!” Childe yelled from the door while taking his shoes off. His suitcase made a gentle thud on the floor as the archon descended from the stairs to greet his lover. “Ah, welcome home dear, and happy birthday!” Zhongli pulled the ginger in for a tight embrace. “Mgh...Thankmph you.” Childe muffled, buried in the taller man’s shoulder. “How was your trip?” Zhongli broke the embrace and led Childe to the kitchen by hand. He had gotten back from a work trip that also doubled as a birthday celebration, it was the day following his birthday in fact, and although Zhongli proposed a night out, Childe had said all he wanted was a homemade dinner prepared by the archon. 

“It was SO fun, the guys took me ice-fishing on the last day, you wouldn’t believe it Xiangsheng, I caught a bass THIS big.” Childe opened his arms to the sides to illustrate. Zhongli chuckled upon seeing the childish sparkle in the young man’s eyes. “I have no doubt it was fascinating.” Childe made his way to the archon who was making the final touches on the plate and hugged him from behind, “It really was, the only downside is missing the hell out of you.” he soaked up the older man’s oaky scent, a feeling bordering on dizziness. 

Zhongli turned to face the ginger and cupped his cheeks, “I know my love, but you’re here now, that’s what matters.” he leaned forward to marry their lips for a semi-passionate kiss, Childe could easily tell that the rejoice of being united was blooming inside Zhongli. 

Obviously they were not constantly glued together, Childe frequently made short trips out of town, but this time it was apparent that the archon was really looking forward to his lover’s arrival. Ever since they started dating, which was about 6 months ago, Childe had noticed that Zhongli loved being together but he also didn’t mind the harbinger’s absence. He would send him off and greet him but would never ask how long it would be until Childe himself would say “See you in ‘this many’ days” right before leaving. 

Only this time, Zhongli had slipped into bed the night before Childe left and asked “When will you be back?”. This would be insignificant for any regular couple, but to Childe it was precious, he knew from the start how hard it would be for Zhongli to get attached to him. It was easy for a mortal to love a god, but on the other side of that coin was an eternal, immortal being falling for a human. 

Long story short, being able to taste the neediness on Zhongli’s tongue was a big win for Childe. He purposefully slid away from the kiss and sat down at the table, imitating a caricature of a nobleman, “Very well then, Zhongli-sama, let us see what you’ve got.” Zhongli licked his lips before smiling, and decided to play along, “Welcome sir, tonight we have prepared a delicious menu just for you. We have Crystal Shrimp accompanied by Tianshu Meat and Rice Pudding for dessert. Oh, and of course our chef’s specialty, Black Perch Stew.”, he threw a towel over his forearm like a waiter and started to serve the food. Childe loved it when he got goofy with him since this was the most serious and important man in Liyue. 

“My heartfelt thanks to the chef, everything looks wonderful.”, the harbinger held Zhongli’s hand over the table and dug in, practically devouring the food. Zhongli knew the man did not really care for gastronomical nuances, for him eating was just a necessity and yet, he greatly enjoyed cooking for Childe and putting thought into it. 

The harbinger stretched after his final bite and sighed from being so full. He made his way to the archon cleaning his mouth and landed on his lap. “Thank you so much Xiangsheng, you’re the best boyfriend ever.”, the affectionate title followed by a gentle kiss on the cheek. Zhongli grabbed the ginger’s waist and looked up at him, “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself my love. I wish I could do more, but you said no date and no gifts.” He did, in fact, have outstanding ideas for presents and a night out, but he wouldn’t overstep his partner’s boundaries. 

Childe chuckled and let Zhongli’s hair down from the low bun it was in, he would trade the ponytail for this style whilst cooking and the harbinger absolutely adored it, his fingers danced around the silky locks of the archon’s golden brown hair. “You don’t need to ‘do more’, my only wish was for us to be together, and we are. It’s the best birthday because I seduced a literal god to cook for me.” he flipped his hair back with sass, “I mean I knew I had a magic dick but damn, this good?.” Zhongli burst out laughing at the young man’s ploy, “Don’t force it.” he teased. Childe smirked, “I can do whatever I want, I’m the birthday boy.” he wrapped his arms around Zhongli’s neck, lightly grinding against his cock.

“Mm…Sounds fair enough. How about tonight I entertain all of your requests, upstairs?” Zhongli pulled him even closer to himself, letting the younger man’s hips sink deeper. Childe was peppering kisses all over the archon’s neck already as his cock twitched slightly at the proposal, he came up to hiss in Zhongli’s ear. “I would love that, dearest, I already have a few things in mind.” The archon got up with Childe’s legs wrapped around his waist and carried him through the stairs into the bedroom. “Oh really? Care to elaborate?” Zhongli asked with a grin, placing the ginger on the bed lightly.

Whenever Childe wanted to try something out, it would always end with him becoming desperate and miserable instead of Zhongli, so the archon was comfortable, thinking that he had the upper hand and the chance to make a mess out of the young harbinger. Childe scooched closer to the older man, running his hand along the toned muscles of Zhongli’s thigh, “How about tonight we spice things up a little bit and…I top you?” he proposed. Zhongli asked, confused “I mean…of course but I don’t see how that’s a switch in gear. You love being on top.”  

To which Childe smirked devilishly, “No dear. I’m not saying I want to be ON top, I’m saying I want to top.” Zhongli raised his eyebrows, still slightly confused, “Oh?”, his eyes widened at the realization, “Oh!” Childe was having the time of his life already as the archon rambled, “I—I mean sure, if that will make you happy then I’d be glad to um—you know, I just didn’t really um—know that you…were into that but it’s not a proble-” “Are you a virgin?” Childe cut him off. “Wh—...What do you mean am I a virgin, how could I be...Well, yes, I am a virgin in that regard, I suppose.” Zhongli confessed before humiliating himself further. 

Childe took his place on the archon’s lap once again as he cupped his cheeks, and married their lips together. Zhongli’s face was flushed from the sudden affection and the embarrassment. Childe had guessed for some time that Zhongli had never been on the receiving end by his demeanor, he was an excellent top though, dominating yet caring, which is why Childe could not figure it out sooner, Zhongli’s confidence and skill were misleading. But still, he could never escape Shneznaya’s most brilliant gaydar holder. 

Childe pulled away from the archon’s face, his fingers still tracing the sharp bones and contrasting smooth curves on the man’s beautifully sculpted face. “Would you like me to be your first?” Zhongli wrapped his arms around the harbinger’s waist and torso, “Childe, I would love that but, it just slightly scares me.” Childe spoke between small kisses spread across the archon’s pale face, “I mean I can prep you for hours, and even then if you still don’t feel ready we can just stop.” he reassured the older man. 

“Not only physically but…I thought about asking you before as well but I couldn’t bring myself to give up control voluntarily for some reason. You also hate being controlled yet you take it so well which I…have a hard time understanding. I know it sounds stupid.” Zhongli explained. Childe chuckled at the accuracy of that statement, “No no, it’s true but I like submitting when it’s to you, that’s the real fun in it. I don’t know, feels liberating.”

Zhongli pondered for a moment upon hearing that explanation. “Alright, I would like to give it a shot, then.” Childe’s eyes sparkled, “Really?” Zhongli hummed yes and passionately went in for a kiss, their arms roamed each other’s bodies freely, it was long before they pulled away for air. Childe rested his forehead on Zhongli’s, “Don’t stress, I’ll take good care of you, Xiangsheng.” He could already feel Zhongli’s erection on his groin and didn’t waste another second before stripping him of his clothes.

Zhongli laid on the bed as he watched his lover get naked and take out a bottle of lube to place on the nightstand. Childe got on top, straddling Zhongli’s hips and took his time making love to the archon, placing kisses all over his neck and chest, swirling his tongue around his hardened nipples, tracing around the erection throbbing under his slender fingers. Zhongli’s hands caressed the harbinger’s ginger locks, the grip occasionally getting tighter when he dove in on a tender spot. 

Childe kept teasing and pleasing Zhongli until the archon’s skin was burning under his touch and his melodic moans filled the room. He grew needier with every kiss, unable to help it as he started grinding against the young man’s body, yearning for friction. “Do you want something, my dear?” Childe asked, seemingly innocent. “C—can you touch me?” Zhongli tried not to give away how unsteady his breath already was. Childe grinned, “Have I not been doing that?” The archon squirmed as the ginger continued to bite and suck around his collarbones.

“That’s not—hngh—I meant touching my…dick.” Childe came back up to level his face with Zhongli, “Such vulgar language for such a nice gentleman.”, he swept away a strand of hair stuck to the older man’s forehead with sweat. “I’ll touch you when I want to.” he dove back to lay his steaming breaths against Zhongli’s groin. “So there is no use in forcing it, unless you enjoy humping me like a desperate dog in heat.”

Zhongli knew it was coming off as desperate but he couldn’t stop himself, the humiliation was creating an even bigger turn on for him inexplicably. He wrapped his legs around Childe’s waist, aiming to get more stimulation. “Please, Ajax I—ah—really need it.” the pleas were spilling out of his mouth along needy moans. He would only call Childe by his real name when he was really turned on, vulnerable and set on getting what he wants. 

With that, Childe brushed against Zhongli’s hole lightly with his index finger, the tingle spread through the archon’s body like an earthquake, he was so sensitive to the touch, which was the harbinger’s plan all along. Instead of an awkward fingering session, he could get Zhongli to beg for it from the start, making it easier for both of them. 

Childe’s strokes got harsher, rubbing the outside of Zhongli’s hole and poking at the entrance while the older man’s breaths got even more shaky. With his eyes closed and head thrown back, Zhongli didn’t even notice Childe lubing his fingers up in the heat of the moment. The harbinger continued to massage the sensitive bundle of muscle. He looked up at Zhongli, his naked body was Childe’s favorite thing to see, however this time was different.

This wasn’t the strong, dominant, unyielding man that threw him around and fucked him senseless every night, he looked much more naive yet slutty, a begging and moaning mess, gentle and fragile. Childe’s dick was going crazy watching him writhe and squirm. Very gently, he pushed half of his index finger inside, Zhongli trembled at the intrusion for a moment, then settled into the sensation as the rest of the finger went inside of him. Childe stayed inside without movement to get confirmation. “You can keep going.” the archon spurted out. 

The harbinger started to push in and out with Zhongli soon joining in by grinding onto his finger. Childe smirked, adding a second digit and exploring around inside the tight hole, giving Zhongli time to adjust. Once he was sure that it was comfortable, he brushed against Zhongli’s prostate, making the archon’s legs tremble. “M—more please…” the archon requested as Childe added a third finger and kept stimulating his sweet spot. 

Zhongli’s body was shaking, melting into Childe’s hand as he moaned his name over and over. “Are you about to cum, my love?” the harbinger asked. “Am I—mmh—am I allowed to?” Childe was very satisfied with the question, “It will make you more sensitive, but if you think you can handle it, then sure.” Zhongli mumbled “I want to.” Childe complied and wrapped his other hand around the archon’s cock, pumping rhythmically with his three fingers thrusting in and out of Zhongli’s slick hole. “So…close—ah fuck.” he released on Childe’s hand, ropes of cum seeping onto his own stomach as his body spasmed with bliss.  

Childe let him ride it out gently and pulled away both of his hands. Zhongli whined at the loss of stimulation. The harbinger chuckled, “Such a whore for your first time.” Zhongli ran his hands over his body needily, waiting for Childe to lube himself up and wipe away the cum on his tummy. “It’s your fault for making me feel so good.” he replied slyly with half-lidded eyes.  

“I won’t ever stop doing that.”, the younger man settled back on the bed, lining himself up with Zhongli’s hole and rubbing the tip of his dick around it to test the waters. Eventually he pushed in slowly and leaned forward to pin the archon’s hands on his sides by intertwining their fingers. Zhongli moaned with a mix of pleasure and pain, leading Childe by signaling yes and no until the entirety of his dick was comfortably stuffed inside. 

With the first successful thrust, Childe groaned into Zhongli’s ear, having trouble staying in control because of how tight and warm he was. The archon wrapped his legs around his waist and broke free from the tight grip to dig his nails into Childe’s back, eliciting lewd moans and groans from the harbinger. Zhongli’s face was completely flushed, eyes rolling to the back of his head and incomprehensible curse words escaping his mouth. Childe grabbed his chin roughly to focus his eyes and attention onto him, “You look so beautiful—mmh—taking my cock like that.” 

Zhongli was shaking and spasming uncontrollably as his rock hard erection rubbed between the two men’s bodies. “M-more.” the archon cried out. Childe wrapped the man’s hair in a fist, pulling it back to glue him on the bed completely. “More what?”

The archon was struggling immensely to talk back, “F—hahh…Fuck me harder, Childe.” The harbinger jokingly tutted in dismay, “Dear God, where are your manners, Xiangsheng?” Tears were pooling up in Zhongli’s eyes from the stimulation, yet he wanted more. “I—please…Ajax…I want you in—ngh—deeper…please…It feels so fucking good.” he turned his face slightly to place kisses on the hand wrapped around his hair. Childe chuckled, letting go of the golden brown strands to place Zhongli’s legs on his shoulders.

“Screaming for my dick, and you still want more, hm?” he started thrusting into the archon’s prostate with full force, “Do you want me to make you cry for it, huh? Should I just rip you apart? Bet you’d like that too you greedy fucking bottom.” The bundles of tears pooling up soon started leaving Zhongli’s glowing amber eyes as he orgasmed for the second time, with zero contact to his dick. He barely forced his eyes open to find Childe on top of him with a piercing, hungry gaze, looking hotter than ever. 

The harbinger leaned forward to devour Zhongli’s lips, tasting the salty tears. “There’s my good boy.” he cooed in the archon’s ear. “Now it’s my turn to cum.”, he was about to pull away to the same position when Zhongli wrapped his arms around the young man’s neck, “Don’t…don’t pull out…please.” Childe kept thrusting with a smirk, “You want me to cum inside, precious?” Zhongli struggled to get his breath steady, “Want—ahh…want you to—mmh…breed me.”

Upon hearing that, lightning bolts rushed through Childe’s body, he picked up the pace even more chasing his own release, causing Zhongli to hiss from overstimulation. The harbinger held him close to his chest with reassurance, grunting and moaning over his head, both protecting and preying on Zhongli. “My beautiful prince, always so good for me.”, his praises were followed by one deep, still trust as he spilled inside the archon’s now puffy and sensitive hole. 

Zhongli ran his fingers soothingly on the younger man’s back, leaving kisses on his shoulder as he rode out the orgasm. Childe stood on his hands, gently pulling out and admiring the mess of a boyfriend he created. Zhongli’s chest was still going up and down at an unnatural pace with his rosy cheeks wetted by sweat and tears, Childe’s seed leaking out of his asshole. 

Childe quickly cleaned up in the bathroom and brought back a wet towel to take care of Zhongli’s stomach and ass. The archon still felt high, unwilling and slightly unable to speak until Childe laid next to him under the covers and pulled him on his chest lovingly.

“I…really liked that.” Zhongli finally broke his silence. Childe chuckled in amusement, “I could tell, did I hurt you?” The archon looked up at him, “Yeah, it was amazing, we should do this more often.” his eyes were glowing like a kid in a candy shop. Childe was losing his mind at how small and fragile the man felt in his arms. It was so refreshing to see Zhongli vulnerable for a change, begging, aching and moaning for more, left at Childe’s mercy for his own pleasure. “I agree, next time I’ll teach you how to ride me.” he caressed Zhongli’s hair gently as the archon yawned and settled comfortably on his chest. 

“Can’t wait.” the archon said before closing his eyes. He placed his hand inside Childe’s before drifting off to sleep, “I love you Ajax, happy birthday.” 

[terrence-silver]

Kinda unrealistic but what if twig had young daughter with beloved before being enlisted into the army and then before he left he had to say goodbye and it was hardest thing ever.

However, as the months go by that he’s overseas, his favourite thing is receiving a letter from beloved that contains photos of his little girl and every time he’s get a new one he’s always sure to show John because seeing those photos keeps them both at peace because of how innocent she is and also gives twig a reason to keep fighting. :3

Not unrealistic at all.

I literally see Terry's father just flat-out usurping his grandchild and the in-law parent and keeping them with him in the family manor until Twig proves himself and returns home. They serve as a bit of an inspiration for young Terry to do a good job out there and be presented with an elaborate carrot on a stick in the form of 'you get to have them back when you return alive --- and you get the family company too'. Naturally, meanwhile they are taken care of and provided for, never lacking for a thing, but every now and again Twig shows John something he never shows anyone else in the platoon really, lest they make fun of him that he has a full blown kid and significant other already waiting for him when he is so young and inexperienced himself; but with trust involved, he shares with John the fact that he has a little daughter back at his father's mansion who sends him drawn pictures, trinkets, gifts and letters. He is always illustrated and painted with an exclusively green crayon. The tallest one on each picture. John's incentive to help keep this guy safe now is all the greater.

[stina-is-a-punk-rocker]

jacqueline wilson’s ‘love lessons’

tw: abuse, pedophilia, characters making Bad Decisions, long unnecessary spiel about my childhood like I’m running a recipe blog

It’s funny how loads of the authors who helped shaped me into the vaguely humanoid being I am today have names beginning with the letter ‘J’; Judy Blume, Jeff Kinney, John Green, J.K. Rowling (yikes, I know) … and Jacqueline Wilson.

I’ve never owned a Jacqueline Wilson book of my own; they were always borrowed from a friend, or from a friend of a friend, or from a friend of a cousin- you get the gist. Her books, for me, come with an entire aesthetic: something reminiscent of yard sales, and reading under the covers with a flashlight, and being lulled into a false sense of security by the deceptively innocent Nick Sharratt illustration on the cover until someone’s best friend gets mowed over.

So I knew what I was getting into when I picked up Love Lessons. I knew this was going to be Fucked Up; and boy, was I right.

(Here’s the part where I warn you about spoilers.)

From an abusive dad to creepy child predator teachers to slut-shaming and victim blaming, this book has it all.

The main character is Prudence ‘Prue’ King, who is homeschooled at the beginning of the book, along with her sister, Grace. Their parents remain rooted in the early twentieth century, and are very strict about- well, everything. No TV, no computers, not a single mobile phone in the house; their clothing worse than the orphans’ from Annie; and their father remains distinctly distrustful of modern institutions like the school and the hospital; and so on, and so forth.

Daddy King suffers a stroke, and has to be taken to the hospital. Meanwhile, Mrs. King (a floppy, spineless woman who lives in fear and awe of her, frankly horrid, husband) sends the girls to school, behind the then invalid Mr. King’s back. Cue Prue and Grace being the freakshows of the school, with their strange clothing and overbearing mother.

Grace manages to make friends, but Prue remains alone. The kids are dicks, the teachers are dicks… well, all of them but one. And that’s the art teacher, Mr. Raxberry (I just couldn’t get over that name; it seems like something you’d name a mythical plant from Pixie Hollow or some shit. I’m assuming it isn’t an actual name, since the spelling & grammar check on my computer doesn’t seem to recognize it), or Rax, as he’s called.

Oh, yeah; Prudence’s favorite subject in school is art, and she’s a whiz at it. This is relevant, because reasons.

And here’s where stuff gets murky. Prue develops a crush on Rax- which is perfectly normal. I’m definitely no stranger to it; I’ve had crushes on my teachers, my mum admitted she used to think one of her professors was cute. And yeah, as I grew older, I grew out of those crushes and now have a markedly more refined taste in men (unless he’s 5’ 7’’, born in ’97 and named Bang Chan, I don’t want him); and my mum married my dad, so I’m assuming she did, too. Admittedly, now that my dad teaches at a university, it’s icky to think that there might be students who have crushes on him- but I digress.

My point is, loads of us have liked our teachers. But I doubt the majority of us have acted on it.

And Prue actively showing her interest in Rax isn’t the worst part. That’s a spot reserved for Rax reciprocating her feelings.

Guess Ezra Fitz and Ms. Grundy (yes, I watched Riverdale; please don’t cancel me) have a new addition to the Creep Club.

The age of consent in the UK is 16, if I’m not mistaken. Prue is 14. She’s just barely become a teenager, and she’s being preyed upon.

Because that is what Rax is. He’s a predator; he preys upon this vulnerable girl who’s never been in a relationship before- hell, she’s never even had friends- her father’s abusive, so she obviously doesn’t have the best experience when it comes to men- she’s unpopular at school, with the students and staff alike- and he lures her in. I don’t care how bloody nice he is to Sarah, or what a good dad he is (well, he’s really not, seeing as he cheated on the mother of his children WITH A BLOODY FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD CHILD)- the guy’s a fucking pedophile.

I was staunchly stuck at a yellow light with him; like, sure, maybe Prue thinks he’s flirting with her- maybe she’s looking at this all wrong, she doesn’t know how relationships work- see, he drew a picture of Sarah, too, in his secret notebook- Prue’s just reading into this too much- up until he says he loves her.

Dude. Humbert fucking Humbert. She’s fourteen, for Christ’s sake, and you’re married. You have two children. She’s a child. She’s probably closer to your son’s age than she is to yours.

(This is the part where I bury my head in my pillow. And scream. Extensively, and with passion.)

The book does make some genuinely good commentary on slut-shaming and victim blaming and abusive parenting. And on one hand, I can see why so many people find issue with the romanticization of the when I kissed the teacher trope- but I can defend it, too.

The book is in Prue’s perspective. She thinks she’s in love with Rax, so obviously, she’s not going to throw in some valuable moral at the end- because she’s too young and inexperienced to think otherwise. And sadly, there are loads of instances of child abuse that go unreported because the victims just don’t know better.

What I have issue with is how the school dealt with it, ultimately. Prudence, a child, has to deal with the consequences of the actions of a literal child predator. Sure, Rax ‘clears his name’ by cooking up some bullshit story about how it was only a crush and he didn’t encourage it, but you’d think other adults would know better and, oh, I dunno- dig deeper into it, instead of blaming it on a child?

“She says you told Mr. Raxberry you loved him and he held you in his arms and fondled you.”

Which Prudence denies, because, again, she doesn’t know better. She then goes on to say that they did nothing wrong. To which the adult speaking to her, in this case, the principal, Miss Wilmott, goes on to say:

“I’m not sure that’s entirely true… I feel that there are some aspects of your friendship that could be considered inappropriate.”

FYI, lady, he kissed her- multiple times (not that kissing her once makes him any more redeemable), and told her he loved her, and admitted to fantasizing about running away with her and leaving his family behind. Fun fact: do you know Prudence is underage?

You’d think that Miss Wilmott would maybe give this whole fiasco a favorable ending, but it turns out she listens to school gossip;

“I haven’t been at all happy with your attitude. You don’t seem to understand how to behave in school. I’ve heard tales of unsuitable underwear and then a silly romance with one of the boys in your class. I feel that in the space of a few short weeks you’ve made rather a bad name for yourself… I don’t know whether you intend to be deliberately insolent but you certainly come across as an unpleasantly opinionated and arrogant girl… I can’t help feeling that you’ll be much better off elsewhere. I shall try hard to engineer a suitable transfer to another school.”

And then she comes out with this gem:

“If you won’t leave, then I shall have to ensure that Mr. Raxberry finds another position.”

“No, you can’t do that! He’s a brilliant teacher.”

“You should have thought of that before you started acting in this ridiculous and precocious manner. If I were another kind of headteacher, I would have Mr. Raxberry instantly suspended. There could even be a court case. He would not only lose his job, he could find himself in very serious trouble. Did you ever stop to think about that?”

Girlboss, gaslight and gatekeep. The fucking trifecta.

Also, by ‘another kind of headteacher’, does she mean the kind of headteacher WHO DOESN’T LET CHILD PREDATORS ROAM FREELY WITHIN THEIR HALLS?

This bitch is out here blaming a child, a literal child, for the crimes of an adult man.

The only time Prue seems aware of the fact that Mr. Raxberry is actually a very shit person is her immediate thoughts that follow after she tells Miss Wilmott she’ll take the fall;

I so wanted to save darling Rax- and yet why hadn’t he wanted to save me? Had he told Miss Wilmott it was all my fault, that I’d got a ridiculous crush on him, that I’d made ludicrous advances to him? … I wanted to tell this horrible, patronizing woman how hungrily he’d kissed me, but I couldn’t do it. I loved him. I had to help him.

NO, SWEETHEART; YOU MOST DEFINITELY DO NOT.

And maybe I’m going overboard with all these excerpts, but here’s what Rax has to tell Prue, after school, following her expulsion:

“I let her think the worst of you, the best of me, just to save my skin. I said it was ridiculous talking about a love affair between us. I said you simply had a crush on me, and that I was just trying to be kind… You were brave enough to stand up to me and force me to acknowledge the truth… I love you… That’s why I had to take a risk and see you this one last time. I didn’t want you to think I didn’t care… Every night when I close my eyes, I’ll think of us together in this car and how badly I wanted to drive off with you. I’ll imagine us walking hand in hand at the water’s edge… I wish I wasn’t such a coward.”

(I burrow into the pillow further. I’m trying to suffocate myself.)

And that’s where I think Wilson went wrong. Sure, Prudence getting expelled for something that was completely out of her hands is unfair, and horrible, but it’s real. That shit can happen.

What’s bad is showing Rax in a positive light after all that. If only Wilson had written Rax to not be the Romeo he thinks he is. Make him ignore Prudence, throw her under the bus in front of her face, instead of this star-crossed lovers bullshit it’s made out to be. Show your younger audience that Rax is not a good man. I’ve got a little over two weeks left for my twentieth; I can see why this is unacceptable. But I was a little younger than Prue when I watched Pretty Little Liars, and my only gripe with Aria dating Ezra was that Noel Kahn was so much cuter.

It shows when you scroll down the Goodreads reviews; you’ve got adults giving it one or two stars, and teenagers giving it four or five, with their biggest complaints being, “but Toby was cuter!!!”

Other non-pedophilia related complaints regarding the book include: Prudence being unlikable- which I didn’t really notice, considering she reacted to some people way better than I would’ve, even at 19 (which probably says a lot more about me than it does about Prue, but oh well). Still, Prudence obviously isn’t the most prudent of people- and again, she’s fourteen. Look me in eye and tell me you weren’t an arsehole at that age (unless you’re fourteen now, in which case, I assure you that you’ll look back on yourself someday and go ‘wtf was I thinking’). Bringing up Toby’s dyslexia in an argument was low, though.

There were people who thought the Kings’ almost-Amish lifestyle was exaggerated and unrealistic, but I assure you, it may very well be real. There are 8 billion people on the world- it’s fair to assume that several of them are complete weirdos.

Grace was a sweet character, and I adored her with every fiber of my being. As were her friends Iggy and Figgy. Honestly, I would’ve loved a book about Iggy, Figgy and Piggy’s (mis)adventures too.

[ayuuria]

Yashahime Translation: Animedia Magazine March 2021 Issue

Please do not repost this translation without my consent! This includes screenshots of any type and amount. If you wish to share this translation, simply link to this post.

For more information regarding the use of my translations, click here.

Tis the Season of Love ♪,

Get That Person’s Heart! (let’s get it)

The flower blooming Spring is the season of (new) meetings. Look around for an instant and before you know it, the distance between “that person” and “that person” has gotten smaller. Will love be born from there? Picking up the relationship that people are curious about.

Even though they’re at the height of adolescence, the three Yashahimes slay demons all the time. Within that, recently there’s a gentleman that has quickly approached Towa. His name is Riku. He seems to be known among demons and is a suspicious unidentifiable person, but his manners are exceptional in any case! Whether it’s because Towa let’s her guard down at his friendly attitude, they seem to enjoy their conversations whenever they meet. It seems Riku has a motive but putting that aside, it appears that he’s taken a liking to Towa herself. While still not knowing whether he’s a friend or enemy, at some point, a relationship that’s not quite love (?) has sprouted between them. This time, we had Matsumoto Sara, the voice actress for Towa, talk about Riku and, going with the theme of Spring, had her choose flower images for the Yashahimes and Riku based on “Flower Language”.

The handsome young man with an ulterior motive, Riku

Self-proclaimed “pirate come ashore”. A young man of many mysteries who covets the rainbow pearls the three Yashahimes possess. He also knows a lot about the circumstances surrounding the birth of Towa and the others.

The honest girl who is still inexperienced in love, Towa

Sesshōmaru’s daughter and Setsuna’s elder twin sister. She treasures Setsuna, who was raised separately from her, more than anyone else. On the night of the new moon, she loses her demonic powers and her hair turns black.

Setsuna

Towa’s younger twin sister. Due to having her sleep stolen by the Dream Butterfly, she is unable to sleep. While she does not have any memories of her early childhood, she has gradually become able to let her guard down around Towa.

Spring Breeze Interview, The Voice Actress for Higurashi Towa: Matsumoto Sara

Moroha

Inuyasha and Kagome’s daughter. Separated from her parents soon after being born, she was raised by the wolf demon tribe. When she puts rouge on her lips, she becomes “Beniyasha, the Destroyer of Lands” and goes on a rampage.

— With the development thus far, which episode left a big impression on you?

What left the biggest impression on me was episode 14 which was the episode that showed the truth behind the forest fire that separated Towa and Setsuna. I always to keep an objective point of view while acting but at that time, I was truly angry from the bottom of my heart. Whether for better or for worse, Towa’s emotions came into me.

Also, the depiction of Towa and Setsuna when they were born in episode 15 left an impression on me as well. Since it’s Sesshōmaru, I thought he would be rough with the babies but surprisingly, he firmly and carefully held them, so I was relieved (laughs).

— Being Towa’s father, what do you think of Sesshōmaru’s actions?

Without really saying too much, even though there are not enough words, I end up just suddenly saying what I’m really curious about. However, I think Sesshōmaru himself acts on his intentions while not caring about what others around him think. I also didn’t know what the future development was, so as the role of the daughter I thought “Please give more hints”.

— How did you feel seeing the figure of Towa fighting up to this point?

When Towa’s life completely changed by jumping from the modern era to the feudal era, I worried if Towa would be able to cope but I was surprised at how adaptable she was. There’s the fact that she’s still in puberty so her sensitivity is like a sponge, or rather her ability to absorb things is amazing, I think. Also, having Setsuna nearby is big. There may be times where she’s uneasy but her strong sense of duty and justice to “protect Setsuna” is what I feel drives her. She’s the type to immediately take action if there’s something she has to do, so I think her current environment is a good fit.

— Alright then, what are some highlights going forward?

There’s an episode where you will learn Setsuna’s childhood and how she lived after she was separated from Towa. In episode 13, it talked about how Monk Miroku sealed Setsuna’s demonic powers, so this flashback episode of the past will connect to that. After episode 20, the fragments scattered throughout the story thus far will gradually come together as one, so there’s a lot of information packed in that you can’t miss. I think viewers have been in suspense following the mystery (of the story) so please look forward to the final stage of the development.

Will the Scheming Man’s Approach Work on the Dense Princess!?

Towa & Riku Affinity Investigation

I’m weak against boys like Riku, so if someone continuously came to me saying “I’m interested in you”, it would make my heart beat fast (laughs). Riku moves understanding that mentality and I think he’s good at setting up the mood when approaching Towa. I think right now based on where he stands, he makes spur of the moment decisions on how to act. He’s mysterious but he smiles periodically and even though he’s vague, he has a maternal appeal… He’s a very charming and sly character (Matsumoto)

By the way! If Riku were in the modern era, what sort of occupation would he be suitable for?

He’s a sweet talker, so the first thing that comes to mind is a swindler (laughs). There was a scene where he showed a magic technique so I think work in the entertainment field would also fit Riku. He also seems suitable to be an actor. He’s got natural talent and can turn into any person. Then conversely, I think strict jobs would also suit him. If he were a schoolteacher, I have a feeling he would be popular with the students. (Matsumoto)

The Part of Riku that Makes One Swoon: He completely reeks of danger.

Riku’s mysteriousness is appealing. He also met Kagome before she gave birth to Moroha, but he looked the same as he does now.

The Part of Towa that Makes One Swoon: She tries her hardest and is pure cuteness!

Losing her demonic powers on the “Night of the New Moon”, Towa becomes worried about Setsuna. Different from usual, she shows the weak side of a regular girl.

Try! Heart Pounding Flower & Date Plan

What flower comes to mind for Towa, Setsuna, Moroha, and Riku?

Setsuna is the Evening Primrose

Setsuna is an evening primrose which in flower language means “Silent Affection”. The evening primrose goes unnoticed and quietly blooms at night. Having her sleep stolen by the Dream Butterfly, I think it overlaps with the figure of Setsuna being the only one awake after everyone else has fallen asleep for the night. (Matsumoto)

Towa is the Lily

Towa is a lily which in flower language means “Pure”. While watching reality change before her eyes, I think the word “pure” fits Towa perfectly as she acts with a pure sense of justice and duty. That sense of not being tainted by anything is also like a lily. (Matsumoto)

Moroha is the Statice

Moroha is a statice which in flower language means “Endless Memories”. Born as Inuyasha and Kagome’s child, I think Moroha’s existence is blessed. The things Moroha inherited from her parents are within her as “endless memories”. That’s what I imagined. (Matsumoto)

Riku is the Anemone

Riku is a purple anemone which in flower language means “I will believe in you as I wait”. Riku will affectionately call Zero “Elder Sister” (translators: I believe the context is the same word that maiko (apprentice Geisha) use to address their superiors (full-fledged Geishas)) and he seems to have strong feelings for Kirinmaru in his own way, so I matched (the flower) to that image. (Matsumoto)

If you were to gift Towa, Setsuna, Moroha, and Riku flowers?

I think a small bouquet would suit Towa and Riku and they would genuinely be delighted. I think Towa would give you a wink as a thank you. I want to give Setsuna a large bouquet. She would probably turn her face away slightly, embarrassed. Instead of a bouquet for Moroha, I want to take her to a flower field myself. I think she would enjoy the scenery while saying “This won’t make any money.” (Matsumoto)

If you were to take Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha out in the Spring?

My impression is that the warm spring weather would suit the three of them. If in the feudal era, I think they would enjoy cherry blossom viewing. Ideally, it would be great if their parents were there with them too. If in the modern era, I’d have to say I want them to do some kind of team activity. I want to see something like Towa dressing up Setsuna, going shopping together, and eating delicious food. (Matsumoto)

I want their (the three Yashahimes) hearts to become closer while loving the cherry blossoms!

Illustration Description

Whether it was to let Towa know that there was a butterfly on her shoulder, Riku amiably calls out to her. It feels as though Towa’s encounter with Riku wasn’t all bad?

[scarlet--wiccan]

(1/?) The MCU is going on a specific direction and might touch Wanda's history of mental illness. Maybe talk about that when you have the time? Wanda was going on a nice direction before all that happened.

Whew! Sorry it’s taken me so long to answer this— I have several super-long message chains like this one in my inbox and they’re hard to parse through and harder still to write a real answer for. I’m gonna try through a couple of these today.

Well, I think you hit all the important points here-- the optics of a mixed-raced family of first- and second- gen Holocaust survivors committing mass acts of terrorism, becoming rulers of a fascist, supremacist regime, and then, finally, committing pseudo-genocide, are, you know, not great. These are complicated characters whose representation can easily swing in either really positive or really, really negative directions, but this goes beyond the pale for me, especially given the proximity to 9/11.

The portrayal of Wanda's mental illness during this time, while not wholly unsympathetic, is wildly inaccurate and generally played as a horror motif. I'm not an expert on schizophrenia, but I think we can all agree that it's high time we moved past exploiting sick and disabled people's experiences for cheap scares. It's especially frustrating because Wanda, as a character, does have ground for poignant stories about mental illness-- she's had numerous traumatic experiences, starting with generational trauma and a lifetime of violent discrimination, and ending, at that point, with the deaths of her young children and the abrupt dissolution of her marriage. Her mental health should be addressed, but not in a way that demonizes illness or characterizes sick people as villains. One thing I appreciate about Robinson's Scarlet Witch is that it represents her mental illness in a very human, matter of fact manner and gives her the power to take control of her own wellness. She has realistic symptoms and pursues realistic treatments, instead of, you know, making hallucination constructs and getting mind-probed by Charles fucking Xavier.

Wanda is simultaneously infantilized and vilified in these stories-- she's denied agency at every turn, and yet, Wolverine and the other "heroes" of this saga view her with unbridled contempt, and most of them are immediately ready to murder her in the name of justice, even before the "no more mutants" spell was cast. You wondered how Bendis was able to inspire such a long lasting hatred of Wanda, and I think the simple answer is that almost every character in House of M hates Wanda. The characters you root for, the characters whose perspectives dictate the tone of the story, direct palpable fury towards her, and even those who aren't out for her blood don't extend any actual empathy towards her-- most are ambivalent to her wellbeing, while Xavier and Strange are incredibly paternalistic.

The final spell, "no more mutants", has baffled me for years. You're spot-on in saying that Wanda here represents a self-hating minority, but it's really hard for me to understand how she could have reached that point. It's not consistent with her previous characterization, nor is it thematically connected to the factors which led to her breakdown. Bendis places the onus of her condition on Erik, alleging that he abandoned and abused his children in his fanatic commitment to the mutant cause, which, besides being a willful misinterpretation of canon, has nothing to do with Wanda's current circumstance-- she's like this because Agatha Harkness altered her memories, because the Avengers continuously gaslit her, and becaue Mephisto killed her kids in the first place. It has nothing to do with Magneto, and Wanda's breakdown has nothing to do with mutant politics. She and Pietro were raised in a loving family until their adoptive parents were killed by racists. Erik didn't knowingly abandon them, and while he did mistreat them during the Brotherhood days, it wasn't parental abuse because he wasn't a father figure to them-- neither party had any idea they were related. Bendis is evoking specific forms of trauma that never actually happened, while ignoring the ones that did, and the effects of the spell itself are vague and seemingly random.

~~~~~

Young Avengers does call back to Wanda's circumstances in Disassembled and HoM, but it doesn't execute the concept of reality-warping in the same way. The driving force in YA is the spell which Billy casts, and Loki tampers with, in the first issue. It is a spell which distorts reality, but it has specific parameters, and neither party is characterized as "crazy" the way Wanda was. The spell was intended to bend space and time so that Billy could pull Teddy's mom from the past, before she was killed, into the present-- it's not dissimilar from how Wanda "retroactively reincarnated" her kids. Due to Loki's interference, however, the spell was hijacked by an interdimensional parasite called Mother. The Mother virus appears primarily as a construct of Teddy's mom, but as her influence over the Earth-616 dimension grows, she's able to create constructs of other dead parents, and even mind-control living adults. All of the ways in which reality is being warped hinge on the specific conditions under which Mother was summoned, and while it is Billy's magic that's fueling these constructs and distortions, they aren't symptoms of psychosis-- Billy doesn't lose control of his magic because he's losing his mind, he loses control because he's too young and inexperienced to protect himself from predatory forces. Those forces do take advantage of his depression and anxiety, but his condition is never the cause.

Loki's magic is wrapped up in the spell, too, but rather than conjuring dead parents, it emerges as a construct of their former best friend, Leah. Loki, in Young Avengers, is a mashup of two personae-- the reincarnated child Loki, and Ikol, a phantom of their past life who is carrying out the previous Loki's evil will even though their heart isn't in it. Ikol has mostly overshadowed Loki, who has been reduced to a ghost that torments Ikol by acting as a constant reminder of their guilt. Ikol is haunted by their past, but it's important that this haunting is a nuanced metaphor and not literal hallucination, as Wanda's condition was in HoM. Because Loki's power is part of the spell, Kid Loki's ghost is able to hijack the reality distortions to summon the construct of Leah, who, in turn, is able to summon the Young Avengers' other exes, the same way that Mother, in the form of Teddy's dead mom, can summon other dead parents.

Loki does raise the question of whether or not Billy might be subconsciously influencing Teddy with his powers, but this is clearly illustrated as a manipulation tactic and disproven several times. Loki's original goal in summoning Mother was to draw out Billy's full magical potential so that they could steal his power for themselves. Driving a wedge between Billy and Teddy, and causing Billy to question his own sanity, were devices to make Billy more susceptible to having his power stolen, and they worked-- Billy is not able to divest his magic from the spell and banish Mother from Earth-616 until he overcomes his self-doubt and start exercising mindfulness. Loki, in turn, is not able to divest their power from the spell and banish Leah and the other exes until they own up to their guilt and admit everything they've done. Both characters are experiencing symptoms of exacerbated mental illness-- Billy's depression and suicidal ideation, Loki's disassociation-- but their mental illness is not the source of their magic, but a challenge which makes it harder for them to live as their fully realized selves... just as it would be for any normal person.

I know that was a long-winded explanation, but I wanted to illustrate what sets Gillen's take on "reality warping" apart from Bendis's. It's based on clearly though-out ideas of how magic works and what defines "reality" in a world populated by parallel universes and living myth-forms. Gillen affords Loki and Billy a degree of sympathy without denying them agency, and Loki is held accountable for their decisions without being painted as a total monster. Bendis, meanwhile, characterizes Wanda's magic as delusion made real, and completely vilifies her for her illness in spite of the fact that she's given no control over her actions.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Devotional Hours Within the Bible

by J.R. Miller

The Kingdom Divided

The golden age of Israel closed with the death of Solomon. His empire was great, extending over wide limits. His revenues were very large. Everything in his kingdom was on a grand scale. He "made silver and gold to be as stones in Jerusalem." The palaces and public buildings were magnificent in their splendor. Yet the seed of decay was in the heart of it all. The rabbis say that while Solomon walked about in splendor - a worm was eating at the heart of his empire. This is another way of saying that the elements of corruption were in Solomon's kingdom. There were reasons. His heart had been drawn away from God by his heathen wives. At the same time the magnificence of his kingdom and the extravagance of his reign made it necessary to extort oppressive taxes from the people. Many of them also were drafted for forced labor. No wonder that they grew restive under these hard conditions. When Solomon died they were ready for the outbreak which followed. If Rehoboam had been wise, there might not have been an immediate rending of the kingdom from him - but in his folly - he drove the people to the extreme of rebellion.

Solomon largely outlived his fame. His reign became excessively burdensome to the people by reason of the heavy taxes they had to pay. His character also lost much of its charm through his departure from God. His aims were not lofty - as they were at the beginning. He was called in his earlier years, the wisest of men - but his later life was characterized by folly. His kingdom was no longer as secure and strong as it was, when he received it. Indeed, it was ready for disruption, and Solomon himself was responsible for its corrupt condition. It was a pathetic ending of his record that, notwithstanding the glory of his reign and the great things he had done - no word of commendation of him is given. All that is said of the close of his life is that he "slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead."

Solomon did not leave behind him when he died - a sweet, fragrant memory in the hearts of his people. "When he was gone, the people came to Rehoboam, asking him to lighten their oppressive loads. Rehoboam promised them an answer in three days, and then sought advice.

First he sent for the older men, and they advised him to grant the request. Experience had made them gentle. "Show yourself their friend," they said. "Listen to their grievances. Take a kindly interest in them. Think of their good. Speak to them affectionately. Give them the relief they seek, and serve them in any way you can. If you do these things - you will win their love, and they will prove your faithful subjects."

This was good advice - but Rehoboam was not satisfied with it. The aged men were too slow for him. He turned to the young men of his own age, hot-headed fellows like himself, and sought advice of them.

When the people came to the king for his answer, Rehoboam, following the advice of the younger men, and replied to them roughly. His answer, indeed, was insolent and brutal. Such words as he spoke would have kindled the flame of rebellion, even if there had been no tinder dry and ready for the spark.

Rehoboam has many followers. We should learn the folly and wickedness of sharp, rude, and bitter words. Anyone sees how unworthy of a king, Rehoboam's speech was - but such words are unworthy of anyone's lips. They were insolent, contemptuous, haughty, unmanly, and cruel. We are all too apt, under provocation, to give rein to intemperate speech.

Destinies have been wrecked by following foolish counsel. Every young person needs a wise older friend to whom he may go with his life's serious questions. Happy is the young man or young woman who has such a counselor, and who will then accept the wisdom which comes of experience. But Rehoboam rejected the wise counsel of the aged men. He answered the people roughly: "My father was harsh on you, but I'll be even harsher! My father used whips on you, but I'll use scorpions!"

The consequence of Rehoboam's harsh words was the wrecking of his kingdom. The people turned away, saying, "What portion have we in David?" It took but a minute to give the reply which Rehoboam gave - but the harm done by it never could be undone! Burke said, "Rage and frenzy will pull down more in half an hour - than prudent deliberation and foresight can build up in a hundred years." We need not go far, nor seek long - to find other illustrations. Many people lose noble, helpful friends, lose them beyond regaining, by the petulant, ill-tempered words of a minute. Many lives with splendid possibilities become utter failures through uncontrolled tongues. When will men and women learn to put bridles in their mouths?

The matter of seeking advice is always a serious one. Some people too readily turn to others to ask them what they should do. We ought to learn to think for ourselves. Each man must bear his own burden. We never can get clear of the responsibility of choosing for ourselves. However, there are times when we may turn to others for advice. The young and inexperienced especially may receive valuable help from those who are older and more experienced. But in seeking advice we should make sure of the people to whom we turn. Bad advice has wrecked many a life.

Rehoboam had good advice from the older men - but rejected it. There are many who follow him in this regard - they receive good counsel from friends, from parents, from teachers, from godly men, from those who are wiser than themselves, and then ignore it. There are many who, like Rehoboam, reject the good advice - and take the bad. There was One Rehoboam seems to have missed altogether in seeking advice - he did not go to God for counsel. We should always ask God what He would have us do; He never advises unwisely. No life was ever wrecked by taking His counsel.

One lesson we get from Rehoboam's undisciplined course - is that those who would rule over others, must have achieved both self-control and patience in themselves. Rehoboam had achieved neither. He thought only of his own personal gain - the last element that should influence one in dealing with others. He lacked altogether that spirit of meekness, which Jesus said shall inherit the earth. We should keep SELF out of our work for God, out of all our work of love. Whenever SELF comes in - it mars everything. We should think only of our duty, not of the way our act may affect us. If Rehoboam had asked, "What course will be the best for the country and for the good of the kingdom?" he would not have acted so foolishly. He would have shown patience and kindliness, and would have lightened the heavy burdens under which the people were bending.

Those who rule over others, should love them and be ready to serve them. Rehoboam is an example of those who try to govern others by tyranny. If he had really loved the people and had been disposed to serve them, sympathizing with them in their burden-bearing and showing them kindness, they would have continued loyal to him. "Through love, be servants one to another" is the New Testament law.

We all need to guard ourselves at these points. We are apt to be unloving and harsh in our dealings with others, especially when our dignity seems to be hurt. Even parents need to keep a careful guard upon themselves in this matter, lest their consciousness of having authority should make them unjust to their children. Paul exhorts fathers not to provoke their children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Teachers have like temptation in enforcing authority. So have all who are placed over others.

It often happens that a man who has been very kind and brotherly as a fellow-workman, or as an equal among men, becomes tyrannical and intolerant when in a position of authority. We should remember that all power is of God, and we represent Him in whatever place of authority we occupy. We should rule, therefore, in God's name - as He would rule if He were in our place. In all our dealings with those over whom we are placed in the Providence of God - we should be gentle, sincere, loving - that we may look into God's face without shame.

Life has its turning points for all of us. This was the turning point in Rehoboam's career. He had before him the possibilities of a prosperous and successful reign. All hinged, however, on one word. Should he say yes - or no? If he had said yes, he would have won the people to himself and his kingdom would have been established. He said no, however, and he drove the people to anger and rebellion. Men are continually coming to turning points when all their future depends upon a single decision. Two paths lie before them. One leads to beauty, honor, blessing; the other leads to dishonor and sorrow. The decision of the moment, settles for us in which of these two paths we will walk. Many a man or woman by a careless word - throws away the hope of infinite blessing and good.

It is interesting to notice that while the kingdom of David had failed of its best through man's fault and sin, it was not altogether cast off. The vessel had not come out what the potter first intended it to be - it had been marred on the wheel - but he made it again, another vessel, not so fine as the first would have been - but still a good vessel. The kingdom had a second chance. From the seed of David came at length the Messiah. There is encouragement in this for all those who miss their first and best chance. They may try again, and their life may yet realize much honor and beauty. When we think of it, most of the worthy lives of godly men in the Bible - were second chances. They failed, and then God let them try again. David himself, and Jonah, and Peter, and Paul are illustrations.

[motherhenna]

Writers Rants: Backstory

How to Smoothly Integrate a Character’s Past into the Narrative

---

If you are even remotely interested in the process of writing, then you’ve probably heard this phrase at least a hundred times over: show, don’t tell.  Such a vague sentiment, but hell if it doesn’t pack a punch. In fact, it’s probably one of the only “rules” of storytelling that ought to be followed as closely as possible and as often as possible—at least in my opinion. But what, exactly, does it mean? In layman’s terms, show don’t tell is a simple recommendation: that authors should actively illustrate a concept rather than passively explain it. Why? Simple. One leaves the reader more room for interpretation and draws them deeper into the action at hand, and the other just…well, tells them what to see and what to feel in the same way a set of DIY instructions describe how to make a quirky set of kitchen lights out of mason jars. While yes, you got a straightforward idea of what to expect, did you actually have fun reading it?

These basic concepts are important to understand if you consider yourself a writer of any kind, as they function as the foundation for a) improving your prose, b) strengthening your characters, and c) forming a flowing narrative that will catch and keep readers’ attention.  And naturally, this also applies to the art of exposition.

Most people with even a cursory knowledge of telling a story know that characters should never be blank slates. If you have any desire to portray even a facsimile of real life, you have to put at least some effort into fleshing out the main characters. And when I say ‘flesh out’, I mean do more than just describing what they look like, a laundry list of personality traits, and what they’re wearing. I’m not going to go into this process deeply, as that’s a matter for another think-piece entirely, but it’s a starting point for the more convoluted parts to come. What I’m building up to is that your characters need a backstory, especially if they’re the one(s) through whom we, as readers, experience the story, i.e., the point of view (POV) character. This applies to both first- and third-person limited narratives, unless you’re going for a more anonymous / incidental narrator, like Mr. Lockwood in Wuthering Heights.

Now, these backstories don’t have to be a strict, detailed, chronological transcription of every year in that character’s life (though doing so certainly doesn’t hurt!) Rather, you should write it much like you would describe your own life if you had to plot it out on a timeline. At first, just stick with the most essential elements: where and when in history they were born, whether they have siblings or present family, and a simple list of significant events from various periods in their life. What specific things have most influenced who they are as a person, for good or ill? Next, it’s time to look at the family, since nothing impacts an individual more than how they were raised and how they were treated during their formative years. Were their parents present during their childhood? What was their parents’ relationship like before and after your character’s birth? Are they natives of the country in which the story is set, or did they immigrate—and if they immigrated, why did they do so? All of these and more are, to me at least, vital to developing a well-rounded and realistic character. I’ve even gone so far as to type out entire timelines for each character as well as their parents. Personalities, quirks, trauma—these are all just as hereditary as one’s genes, though this doesn’t mean that this inheritance has to be through blood. Nature vs. Nurture: they’re both equally important in the formation of an individual.

…So, what to do when you’ve finished all that? Do you dutifully transcribe it into the first chapter of your story? Absolutely not. Copy it into a separate document window and keep it there. A large chunk of this is for your benefit: most likely, less than half of it will make it into the written canon of the novel, and for good reason. All of that detailed history isn’t for the reader, it’s for you to use as a framework. Some of the most powerful elements to realistic characters are the unseen, the implied: all the hidden little things that lie just under the surface, but are never fully visible to the naked eye.

What a lot of inexperienced writers may not realize is that everything doesn’t always have to be stated unequivocally through dialogue or info-dumps. How often, in real life, do acquaintances explain upfront that this specific behavior they often exhibit is a result of how they were abandoned by their father and raised by an emotionally distant mother? Most people don’t psychoanalyze everything, nor do we ourselves do it to others—at least not often! Plus, it’s boring. Getting to know characters over the course of a story should be comparable to meeting a new friend. You find out the surface things at first, but pick up bits and pieces along the way that hint at what lies deeper inside. Little by little, you learn about their family, their hopes, dreams, fears…not always directly, and sometimes even in spite of their desire to keep up a front of normalcy.

With all this said, I think it’s become clear where I stand on backstory: it should be subtle, woven gradually into the narrative rather than stated by the character themselves or described by an omniscient narrator. Not only does this make the process of reading about it flow better and progress more naturally, it’s also far more interactive. Instead of being told why a character acts the way they do, the reader can catalogue said character’s actions, motivations, dialogue, and the way they interact with their surroundings, gradually putting the puzzle pieces together for themselves. In a sense, it’s almost a reward for those who read with a careful, inquisitive eye, and can be just as satisfying as solving a mystery before the detective does in a murder mystery.

I’ve used—and will continue to use—a lot of metaphors in this section because it’s the most thorough way I can to explain this process and why it’s so important. That being said, I approach backstory in the same way I might organize a scavenger hunt. It’s not about a treasure map, but rather an ongoing set of little discoveries without which the ultimate prize can never be found. But in keeping with this analogy, why would anyone want to take part in this if a) they’re just given the prize’s location outright, or b) don’t really care about the prize anyway?

When you’re straight-up told about character’s backstory within the first few chapters, there’s no groundwork for investment. Why should I care about this character’s history if I don’t even know them yet? Investment is a gradual process, and ought to be an interactive process too. One of the best strategies of implying backstory without stating it directly is illustrating how a character reacts to specific triggers. Yes, you can tell the reader in the character’s introductory paragraph that he was almost killed in a house fire as a child, which still haunts him to this day—but how else can you impart this information more effectively and poignantly? For some examples, he might…

Be too frightened to turn on the stove.

Avoid any type of matches or aerosol at all costs.

Get anxious when filling up his car at gas stations.

Constantly check and re-check the smoke detectors throughout his apartment

Panic when he smells her neighbor’s lit fireplace.

Why would we need to explain to readers what made him this way when we have all the evidence we need to figure it out for ourselves? Of course, there’s nothing wrong with, later on down the line, this character actively opening up about this trauma to a friend or therapist, as this is only natural and also supplies us with details we would have never known otherwise. This just shouldn’t be the first way we find it out.

Another efficient and interesting approach to gradual backstory incorporation is through dialogue. The way a character responds to nosy questions, criticisms, or simple observations tell a lot about the kind of people they are and how they’re coping (or not coping) with potentially painful parts of their personal histories / insecurities. For example, Character A can ask Character B, “Why don’t you want to go out tonight?” In truth, B is trying to back out of these plans because she can’t fit into a dress she was supposed to wear for the party, and is trying desperately not fall back into the pit dug by the various eating disorders she has suffered from since adolescence. She is afraid her friends will want to take group pictures, or remark on what’s she’s eating or not eating, or notice the extra pudge in her stomach. She remembers how her mother would chide her for eating second helpings when she was young, or all the times her ex called her fat. But B is not going to be capable of explaining all of this to her partner. So how does she respond?

1.     “I just…feel tired all of a sudden…but don’t let me keep you from going.  I don’t want to spoil your night.” Implication: saving face—she doesn’t want to reveal her real insecurities, so she uses a physical illness as a cover story.

2.      “What’s it to you? If this stupid party so important to you, then you can just go without me!”  Implication: defensiveness—she is uncomfortable being vulnerable, and lashes out instead.

Now obviously these are just two examples of a plethora of different responses a person might have to a question like this. But what matters is that each answer should give the reader some sort of information as to why said character reacts the way they do. And these reactions don’t have to have traumatic roots, either! Perhaps, because Character C’s older sister always encouraged them to stick up for and respect themselves, C is able to take that positive reinforcement and pay it forward, inspired to protect others who may not know how to protect themselves.  Positive change ripples and spreads just as much as negativity, and should never be discounted just because a character has gone through their fair share of tragedy, too.

 ---

In short, there is nothing simple or easy about creative writing—there is so much nuance involved in every aspect, though that shouldn’t discourage newcomers from experimenting and taking everything step by step. There are no absolutes in writing, and every rule can be challenged, so take what I say with a grain of salt. But still, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of backstory when developing strong characters, nor how much more natural a narrative will feel when these things are integrated with subtlety and grace. Your characters should never be objects, concepts, or a means to an end: if you want to make them seem real to your readers, then they must first seem real to you.

...And real people all have their own stories: to find them, all you have to do is watch and listen.    

[melodiesofblueroses]

Star Boy (Yoosung x Reader) Pt.2

★ ━ 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩: 3.2k

Part 1

Part 3

Part 4

Bonus: Alternate ending

        It was a rather cloudy night on this particular evening, and Yoosung was engaging in entertaining himself by reading human literature. He had apparently picked up some “shoujo manga,” whatever that was. The young star boy hated to admit it, but amongst the cliche and cheesy romance tropes within these illustrated books, Yoosung found some joy when reading them. Whether it was the sickeningly sweet romance that drove wild fantasies or his imaginations running amok, Yoosung knew for certain that he desperately sought out a relationship. Maybe it stemmed from the many years of lonely nights he had spent putting up stars in the night sky, wondering whether his whole life would be just the same tiring action. It was quite sad in a sense, being so desperate to seek out a relationship. He just wanted any form of affection really. It was embarrassing and brought a bit of shame upon the blonde. Another thing that did embarrass the star boy was the fact that he thought of (MC) whenever the idea of a romantic relationship crossed his mind. Gosh, why couldn’t he get her off of his mind? Was he that into her? Maybe hormones? He was a celestial body for goodness sake, what hormones could he possibly have? Ugh, he had been reading too many human books, hadn’t he?

        There she sat though, in the same spot as always, atop the bright white of the moon. His heart beat a bit faster, remembering the other night where she had told him her name. (MC). Ah, such a sweet name. It flowed easily and was quite comfortable to say. 

        “(MC),” he whispered to himself, a small smile present after. Oh how much he longed to talk to her again. God, snap out of it Yoosung! She’s only talked to you once, and you get butterflies in your stomach from such a tiny interaction! Besides, she probably doesn’t think of you that way! You’re such a tiny celestial being in the grand scheme of things, easily replaceable and unnoticed by everyone. All the other beings talk about the sun, the galaxies, and the planets, the most beloved of them all. A lone star boy doesn’t make a big difference for they just dot the skies in order to allow the other celestial bodies to shine as bright as these stars. 

        Yet, (MC)’s words from that night stuck to him. Did he really have an important role? Did the humans down below really enjoy his work? Do they really kiss and share intimate moments with one another under these stars? For a few moments in his entire career, Yoosung felt important. He felt needed in these vast skies. Why, Yoosung was the one that created the backdrop of the sky, even if it allowed the other beings to shine even brighter. Yoosung was needed in this universe! That (MC) sure had a way with words, making Yoosung feel proud of his job. 

        “Yoosung, is that you?” It was that sickly sweet voice again. To others, it might’ve been a bit too much. Maybe it was quite a bit squeaky, or maybe it was just a tinge too irritating, but that voice was a melody to Yoosung’s ears. Why, it’s (MC) of course, the one Yoosung didn’t want to admit that he had fallen for. 

        “(MC)!” He called out in excitement. “Why aren’t you atop of the moon? You know you can’t abandon your position, or else you’ll get shunned by society!” How adorable of Yoosung to look after (MC). “I’ve finished my duty for tonight, but you are just getting started. The night is still young, and the moon needs its maiden to watch over it.” The last part was a bit embarrassing for inexperienced little Yoosung to say, but it was quite worth it as he saw the cutest little blush on (MC).

        “Don’t worry, I just set out on a little walk. Besides, my job is to care for and look after the moon. The moon will keep on shining brightly even without me.” Her eyes glistened when she spoke about her job, which she was quite proud of; to have the honor of guarding the moon at night, when all of its beauty was cast onto the land below, it was quite a respectable position. Yoosung could only dream of that respect for star boys went unnoticed in the society of the celestial beings. “But, thank you for caring. I admit, not many have really looked my way, instead dismissing my job as too easy and unworthy of being a celestial being.”

        “But that’s far from the truth!” Yoosung proclaimed a bit too loudly. “The moon is so important to both the Earth and humans. Why, don’t you control the waves of the four oceans? You also create spectacular eclipses for the humans down below. How could anyone think of saying that your job isn’t important!”

        “Ah, Yoosung,” she giggled. “Thank you so much for your words. They really do mean a lot to me. As I said before, no one really cares for me.” Yoosung blushed a bit from her words. He didn’t really think that he did all that much, but if (MC) was happy, then so was he. “But, since I’ve stumbled onto you here,” she continued, “why don’t you come with me to the moon and continue chatting there?”

                                                               ~

        It was the first time Yoosung had step foot onto the moon, and honestly, it was nothing like what he had expected. From what he had picked up, the moon was a rather rocky and dull surface. Everything was rather monotonous and filled with craters. It wasn’t the ideal place to be. But, God, all those excerpts were completely off. The moon was one of the most spectacular things Yoosung had seen. Of course, the physical descriptions he had heard were correct, but the experience was something else entirely. 

        The stars surrounding the moon shone with such brilliance and almost acted like a spotlight that it put the moon in. The moon was visible from every surface on the Earth, even behind the clouds that tried to cover up the moon. The light prevailed, and it brought a whole new perspective to Yoosung. God, it was his stars that gave a spotlight to the moon. It was his stars that allowed the moon to shine in all its glory. Yes, his stars may have been the backdrops, but it created a gorgeous scenery that perfectly paired with the moon. 

        Atop the moon, where (MC) usually sat to gaze down below, was a dainty table, decorated with bits of stardust that Yoosung suspected was gifted to (MC) by another being. On the white table sat two cups of tea. (MC) had invited him for some tea! What a dream come true this was for him. He would have the honor to chat the night away with his crush while drinking a beverage the humans so highly valued. 

        “How long have you been a star boy?” (MC) started off the conversation, eyes fixated on the figure that lay before her. This was a first for Yoosung. Someone was truly interested in his work, captivated by his presence. Of course, their last encounter wasn’t taken into account. Yoosung had cried in front of this darling, and he tried to forget that. The first time they had actually spoken was when Yoosung was having a bit of a crisis. Perfect. However, second impressions can just be as important as the first, right? 

        “Twenty or so years, I’m quite new at this as you can tell.” Yoosung tried his hardest to avoid her gazing eyes. He could get lost in them, and quite frankly, it was a bit intimidating. Were people really like this when they listened intently to one another? 

        “Really? I couldn’t tell since your work is impeccable. The orientation of these stars and the way they dot the skies; I’ve seen many star boys, but no one comes close to this level. Your depictions of the constellations and the timing of them are also perfect. I can tell you’ve studied up quite a bit on these stars.” God, why did she have to compliment him like that? Did she like to see Yoosung as a blushing mess? Maybe it was to boost his confidence since she knew he wasn’t as proud of his job as he could be. 

        “T-Thank you,” he replied. This was already off to a cringy start. Wonderful. Was this story going in the direction of a cliché romance story where every interaction led to blushing messes? Well, hopefully, the author knows what she’s doing. “What about you? How long have you been a moon girl?”

        “Hmm, well, it’s been around a decade or so I believe. I’m still quite new you see. I’ve been a stardust collector for most of my time out in these vast skies.” She paused to take a sip of her tea. “I’ve always been in such a low-class position, just trailing behind those of importance. It was what I was best at, I believe. I never really uttered a word and just followed those beings that made ‘shooting stars’ and meteors, gathering the stardust that was left behind.” (MC) then made a sweeping motion to the table they were seated at. “This is where I got these starbits and stardust. I couldn’t bear to throw such beauties away, so I always collected and stored them somewhere in my room where I spent the sunny days in. I believed that such beauty would be a shame to be discarded.

        “Thus, I was mocked a lot of the time, by subordinates and those who I thought cared for me. ‘What a silly girl to collect such trash and debris’ they all said, sneering and looking down with such shame and disgust.”

        “But aren’t the starbits and stardust the ones that help decorate the night sky?” Yoosung interrupted, quite taken aback at her story. “If they weren’t so beautiful, then what would their purpose in the night sky be? Didn’t the universe put them there in order to decorate the empty sky? How could they say such a thing?”

        (MC) giggled at his innocence. It was a nice change of pace, always being supported no matter what your opinions on certain topics were. Yoosung was a ball of light in her world full of ridicule. “For a moment, I fell for their lies and deception. I truly thought that I was a naive and stupid little girl who didn’t know a thing about the night sky. After all, I was just a lowly servant to those who created masterpieces in the night sky, such as star showers and meteors. I couldn’t begin to understand the true nature of the night sky.

        “That was until I met Hyun. Oh! I don’t think you know him.” Yoosung thought that name sounded familiar, then remembered it was that fellow who was a bit too praising of his own looks. And he had the nerve to call Yoosung naive! Yoosung scrunched up his face a bit at the remembrance of such a fellow, and (MC) caught on to that. 

        “I see you’ve met Hyun. Yes, he can be a bit overbearing at times, but he was the only one that truly believed in me at the time. I remember when I was assigned to pick up the stardust and bits he left in his path. In our first meeting, he flirted with me. God, how tasteless he could be.” She stopped to giggle at the thought. “But he was always kind to me and treated me as if I was his equal. He never once looked down at me. 

        “One night, I decided to confide in him, reveal to him all of these negative thoughts that were swarming me. He was quite the listener, which took me by surprise. But he gave me such good advice, and bit by bit, he began to help me build my confidence. ‘Don’t listen to those who put you down,’ he once said. ‘You love to collect the stardust, and that’s beyond adorable. If you enjoy it, then why care what anyone else thinks? You live your life the way you want to.’”

        “Besides that, there was this one quote that stuck with me ever since, and I always look back on it. ‘What other people think only lasts a second...but how you consider yourself lasts forever.’”

        Yoosung was quite taken aback by (MC)’s past. He always thought that everyone loved such a sweet angel like her. And that jerk Hyun helped build her confidence? That was certainly uncalled for, at least in Yoosung’s eyes. He didn’t really know Hyun all too well, but his first impression was something else. To be fair, Yoosung’s first impression to (MC) was him crying about how humans didn’t appreciate his work (which is quite alright. Our dear Yoosung just doesn’t know how to be too confident just yet). He wasn’t really one to say anything. 

        “So it was Hyun that helped you out? I always thought that you were so confident and proud of your job! You were so helpful to me last time, and I truly do appreciate you! I can’t believe that there were people who tried to belittle you. That’s so awful!” Yoosung pouted after his little rant. He couldn’t really think of anyone in his life who tried to belittle him. Sure Yoosung wasn’t confident in his work, but no one tried to bring him down. Everyone around him was so supportive of him getting a job as a star boy. He couldn’t imagine a situation such as that of (MC). “But, how did you end up as a moon girl if you started out collecting stardust?” 

        “Apparently, Jihyun, the sun of our solar system, really liked my dedication to my job and basically promoted me to moon girl. Of course, all that hate and negativity came back, and I almost faltered once again, but Hyun was with me this time. He always supported me and basically applauded me for getting a promotion. To be honest, as corny as it sounds, I don’t know where I would be without him. He was one of the first people to ever support me, and I’m so happy to know a guy like him.”

                                                             ~

        The nightly moon chats became a routine for our star boy and moon girl. Every night, once Yoosung finished his duties as quickly as possible, he would make his way over to the moon, chatting the rest of the night away with (MC). Yoosung would like to think that the two of them grew closer due to this ordeal, often sharing intimate secrets and childhood stories. It was quite peculiar, two strangers bonding over similar experiences. Maybe it was due to the fact that (MC) had first seen Yoosung in quite a vulnerable state. Maybe (MC) just felt comfortable around Yoosung. Whatever it was, Yoosung was pleased to finally have someone by his side. The passing nights were continually growing lonelier, and (MC) was an escape from his duties and the society in which they were apart. 

        One night, when the sun was just over the horizon, about to give the spotlight over to the sun in order for it to shine, Yoosung came up with an idea. It was directly after one of his nightly chats with (MC), one where Yoosung finally realized his true feelings. He loved (MC). Now, he always knew that he had a crush on her, ever since he first saw her elegant form, but that was different. He thought that it was just a tiny crush, a fleeting feeling. Perhaps he was just a bit too lonely and started imagining what a relationship would be like. 

        But after endless nights of talking to her, Yoosung realized what his feelings meant. He realized why his heartbeat just a bit faster whenever she was around, what those butterflies in his stomach were, and why he could imagine a future with her. Yoosung truly loved and cared for (MC). She was his escape from reality, from his duties as a star boy, from his frustrations and struggles. (MC) was always there for Yoosung, ready to listen to any vents and give advice. What an angel she truly was. And now, Yoosung wants to do the same for her. He wants to be there for her, similar to how Hyun was always there for (MC). You could say that it was a tinge of jealousy, but Yoosung would rather believe that it was because he truly loved (MC) and wanted her to live a comfortable life. 

        Therefore, he came up with an idea. Yoosung would give (MC) a gift, maybe confess his love for her in the process. Whatever it was, Yoosung wanted to get across to her that he cared for her and would always be there for her. But the problem was, what would a good gift be? He knew that it had to signify his intentions, but he couldn’t quite think of anything. Mm, maybe a piece of a meteor? Nah, what if that reminded her of her past job. Stardust? She already had plenty. Ugh, this was quite difficult. 

He spent the entirety of the next night thinking of a suitable gift for (MC), sitting atop a fluffy cloud that floated throughout the sky. Yoosung had a good idea of what (MC) enjoyed. Maybe he could find a way to harvest some dried flowers from the humans down below. The problem with that, however, is that it was forbidden to go near the human surface. Everything known about humans had been recorded by the ancestors of the celestial beings, those daring enough to go and blend within human society, thus providing many forms of human literature that any celestial being may choose to read. And Yoosung didn’t know of any rebels that could sneak into the human world. Well, that idea was crossed out.

        Maybe he could gift her a book from his shoujo manga collection. But did she like shoujo manga? Ugh, another idea crossed off. He should’ve asked her beforehand. Mm, what else would (MC) possibly like. Maybe he could draw her something. After all, don’t handmade gifts signify that one cares for an individual. The only problem with that is Yoosung wasn’t much of an artist, and he didn’t really know anyone that would willingly draw him a portrait or something. 

        After dwelling on many ideas, Yoosung came up with the perfect gift. Yes, this gift would get across his message to (MC), plus, it would also signify that Yoosung would always be by her side. It was perfect. Now, he just had to start on it. Alright, his plan had gone into action. Yoosung was feeling a bit jittery. Would she even like this gift? Well, he hoped so because that was the only thing he could think of right now. 

        However, there was a bigger problem dwelling on the surface that Yoosung had completely forgotten about. Yoosung had neglected his duties that night, instead using his time to think of a gift for (MC). That cloudy night, Yoosung had forgotten to put up the stars in the sky.

[sagesrain]

Katara’s Duality

When I think of Katara, I think of her heart. I think of her caring nature. I also think of her passion. But also I think of the other side of Katara. The one that is holding vengeance, anger, and a tremendous amount of grief, that she is unable to process. In the gang each character has their role. Aang as avatar, and leader, Toph as strength, Sokka as brains, and humour. And Katara to me has always been the heart of the gang. Katara represents love.

Katara is the second- born child to Hakoda and Kya of the southern water tribe. Like Aang, she is the last of her people. Katara was the last remaining water bender in the Southern Water Tribe. Katara and Sokka’s youth, showcased a period of weakness, and devastation for the southern water tribe. The Fire Nation relentlessly attacked them in order to capture and murder their water benders, rendering them nearly incapable to fight back. Though their attacks diminished since they had effectively seized all of the water benders, when Katara was eight, the fire-benders would invade the tribe. For the final time they demanded the last water bender of the tribe. In that moment Kya sacrificed herself in order to protect her daughter, claiming that she was the last water bender alive in the Southern Water Tribe. This would result in her capture, and later her death. Several years later, their father, Hakoda would also leave to fight in the war, leaving his son and daughter as protectors of their diminished home.

Early on we are shown Katara’s role. Due to her mother’s absence, she was quickly forced into the role as a mother figure not only to Sokka, but to the entire tribe. Her life in the Southern Water Tribe was cut out for her. Help raise the children and protect Gran-Gran and the other elders. Katara had accepted this life, up until She and Sokka discovered the boy in the Iceberg. When Aang told her who he was, not only was she in it to help him, this was a way for Katara to revisit the idea of water bending. She could learn how to become a waterbending master. Which would in turn help her father, and avenge her mother.

Katara’s development as a bender is shown throughout season 1, and her role as mother of the group and invaluable member comes to light in the second season. Katara displays her immense will, and fearlessness when challenging Master Pakku which is illustrated by an iconic line, when she says:

This displays Katara’s unwavering will, stubbornness, and passion that would help her in becoming a waterbending master.

Katara’s love and care are shown all over the show, and even in greater detail when it comes Aang. Already in the first episode she displays her aptitude for heloung people. And by the third episode she showed her compassion, after Aang sees the bodies of his fellow Nomads. She would later become the person that can calm Aang down when moments like these arise, like in earth kingdom desert, after Appa is stolen; and Towards Toph, and Sokka she tries to make sure they are fed, and doing well.

This care makes me think of a specific statement by Sokka, where he says:

“I'm not sure I can remember what my mother looked like. It really seems like my whole life, Katara's been the one looking out for me. She's always been the one that's there. And now, when I try to remember my mom, Katara's is the only face I can picture.”

The young water bender has been tending to a small tribe ever since she was eight. Katara would later be known to be the greatest healer in the world. Katara is the literal embodiment of care.

However, all of this care, and love she provides, masks her pain, and grief. It masks her hidden anger.

Katara and Sokka were forced to protect their tribe at 14 and 16 years old, against Zuko’s team. An untrained waterbender, and an inexperienced leader. Their mother had died, and shortly after their father left to defend the tribe. A necessary sacrifice, one that Katara had not forgiven Hakoda for. The first episode of the third season would begin to shift the tone to a more serious one, which brings us to one of my favourite scenes of the episode, involving Hakoda, and Katara:

“Aang. He just took his glider and disappeared. He has this ridiculous notion that he has to save the world alone, that it's all his responsibility…I understand why you left. I really do, and I know that you had to go, so why do I still feel this way? I'm so sad and angry and hurt!”

This scene was very interesting to me because of the timing of it. Katara and Hakoda had been together for a few weeks now, and it seemed as if this burden was being held off, and this was portrayed by Katara’s behaviour towards her father during the episode. However Aang running away was so abrupt and uncalled for, that it seemed to trigger such intense feelings from Katara. It’s important to remember, that weeks before this Azula had taken Aang’s life, and this time she wasn’t there with the spirit water from the Oasis to save him. This feeling of possibly losing someone she loved again, led the young waterbender to her breaking point. Katara was never given the chance to properly lash out, to properly feel. Being forced into the role of mother of the tribe was a decision that she had no power over. Katara carried a heavy emotional burden up until this point. Helping Aang’s trauma, being the mother to her older brother and tribe, and being the loving mother to Toph, never gave Katara the time to feel. The time to be a grieving kid, who lost her mother. Seeing the powerful waterbender finally breakdown, finally let herself go, and feel, truly resonated with me.

Throughout that episode, as stated Katara showed a bitterness towards Hokoda. Which spawns a discussion about Katara’s untrustworthy Nature, that was also fed into, earlier during the crossroads of destiny episode. When locked into the crystal catacombs with the seemingly changed Zuko, the two of them shared an intimate moment, where she considered using the oasis spirit water on Zuko’s scar. Zuko would claim that destiny was in his hands, and that he was free to carve his own destiny. As he did when he chose to fight Katara and Aang, and join Azula, right after his time with Katara. This would create a rift for when Zuko tried to join the gang. Which I will touch upon later.

Many times I have stated that characters have their own crossroads of destiny, when they have to make important decisions in their lives. At this point in her journey, the darkness within the young waterbender had reached its peak. During the Southern Raiders episode, the moment Zuko mentions the people who killed their mother, Katara’s anger activates like a switch, even propelling her to tell Sokka that he didn’t love her mother like she did. When seeing the man she thought was the killer, she even blood bends him, using the very same bending art that she hated. When Katara was finally faced her mother’s killer, she was overthrown by darkness, and vengeance. When she heard the man’s voice, her blood boiled. Though, when it was time to finish him, to avenge her mother, Katara couldn’t bring herself to it. Katara chose the path of mercy, even when she really did not want to. With this decision, Katara’s development was finally finished, her arc was completed, by saying these words; “I don’t know if I was too weak to do it, or strong enough not to.” Katara was indeed strong enough not to kill him.

Finally, to Aang, Katara represents his heart. Upon meeting Katara, the young avatar didn’t know that he had lost his entire family. When it came time to visit his old home, and see his old comrades, and his mentor’s bodies stacked up on top of each other, we could only imagine the loneliness Aang felt. Katara would be the one person that tethered Aang to the world, the one person who would be by his side even until his death. As Guru Pathik says, Air Nomad’s love for him has no left the world, but instead has manifested itself in a new person, Katara.

In the end, Katara’s moral compass was realigned, to the one of her lover’s. Through Aang’s irresistible spirit, and teachings, and what I believe to be her mother’s kind heart, coupled with her own passion and resolve Katara spared Yon Rha, and chose the path of good. Her duality was erased. Katara didn’t forgive Yon Rha that day, but a person she did forgive that day was Zuko, and a very important forgiveness. Even though Zuko was forgiven by everyone, and even helped rescue her father, Katara at point gave ZUko a chance. And he repaid it by nearly killing Aang. Forgiving ZUko was a big step for her; as Zuko would become a second brother who she would fight alongside and he would show his love for her by risking his life for the young water bender.

Katara of the water tribe, represents the element of water perfectly. As stated by Iroh, water is the element of change, and the people of the water tribe adapt to their surroundings. They have a strong sense of community, and love. Katara has embodied the nature of the water tribe. Under pressure, Katara stood strong, and took care of the tribe, when no one else could. And with the love instilled to her by her community, she communicated this love back to the people who needed it most. Her brother of course, but also to the lonely Aang who lost his family. And to Toph, who’s family didn’t understand the real her.

Katara of the water tribe represents a very human character. A girl who has real flaws, but makes up for it with her strengths. Katara can be described as resilient, caring, and most of all, incredibly loving.

[artgurusauce]

Round two of the LycanGlad AU! This time with LycanLill and LycanMohn! Buckle in kids, we’re gettin’ family drama today as a trade for all the hot and heavy romance ya got last time!

Full disclosure, gonna re-iterate the context jic ya haven’t seen the first post yet:

Context: Gladion and his sister Lillie are born with Pokethropy, specifically Lycanthropy inherited from their father who unfortunately passed away just a couple months after Lillie was born. Lusamine is hence a single human mother who obviously struggles to keep her children under wraps. Especially her rowdy son, Gladion.

1.) LycanLill

As I said in my previous post, Lillie is not a Midnight Lycanroc like her elder brother. She is in fact a Midday Lycanroc, and as such, is far more capable of controlling her primal urges. Obviously, this proves to cause a bit of a divide between the siblings for a bit of time in their teenage years. After all, Gladion just doesn't see how it's fair that she's so perfect and capable of handling herself when he can barely keep himself in check during the day time for Arceus sake! Now, as a Midday Lycanroc, while still in control of her Pokethropy, still has to depart from home every once in a while for hunting season and normally secludes herself in caves during mating season. As an adult, she will go on to live primarily feral in a shocking contrast to her brother, who learns to live domestically with his human companion, a boy who lives on the islands named Hau. This is driven by her desire to escape the shackles of her mother's overprotectiveness and prove herself capable of handling danger and living beyond her expectations. Of course, she occasionally wanders to Lanakila Mountain on occasion to meet with her brother, but mostly remains distanced from their mother. Not really out of spite or malice, but moreso, as an adult who has learned to survive on her own.

2.) Daddy LycanMohn

So I mentioned in my previous post that the kids inherited their Pokethropy from their father, Mohn. Tragically, he died before he could properly begin teaching them how to cope with their admittedly strange powers. This illustration just depicts what he would've looked like in his fully-fledged form. The most rare form of a Lycanroc: The Dusk Lycanroc. He was born on the islands and while primarily living the feral life, he fell in love with a beautiful human woman he spotted researching some Pokemon in the woods. One thing lead to another and eventually Mohn reveals his secret to her a year after they begin dating, during a time where she starts thinking about marriage (Being the hopelessly romantic young adult that she is at the time). Unfortunately, not long after Lillie is born, Mohn dies in an awful research accident gone wrong and Lusamine is left a single mother to two half-Pokemon children. Oh, the shenanigans that will surely ensue.

3.) RockLill & RockGlad

Now neither Lillie nor Gladion got the hang of full transformation until their later more matured years, so they were never able to truly fully transform into Rockruffs as children. Had Mohn been around to train them, however, they would've been able to accomplish this feat from a much younger age. This is just showcasing what they would have looked like if they had been able to transform themselves all the way.

4.) Raising Rockruff Children

In this AU I've concocted, surprise surprise, Lusamine is actually not a shitty mother. Well, ok, not intentionally shitty, but, we'll get to that in a moment. As I said before, this AU is in part inspired by the film Wolf Children, a quirky little anime movie about a human mother raising half-wolf children. Lillie is the more docile of the two in nature, and as such, she was far less privy to causing trouble or running amuck. However, she was no angel. As a young Rockruff, she picked up some less than favorable behaviors from her elder brother, who was a tad more rambunctious than her. He would chew up furniture, scratch carpets and wallpaper, make an absolute mess at the table during dinner time, and, as shown in this illustration, almost nearly getting himself seriously injured nearly every single day. This is one of the first instances of Gladion beginning his trend of misbehavior. Thankfully, even as a rather young infant, Lillie kept a close eye on him and alerted their mother any time she saw him doing anything particularly problematic. And any of you who have seen Wolf Children know what scene this particular drawing is based on, it's probably my favorite of the montage they play lol. It is exactly this kind of repeated behavior that actually leads Gladion to outright run away from home out of frustration with his mother's over-protectiveness. Poor, poor Lusamine, widowed and entirely inexperienced with raising wild Pokemon children tried her absolute best to keep her children safe, above all else. She did all the research she could, and while Faba would suggests experiments, she refuses, absolutely appalled at the very idea of strapping her children to a table just for convenience. That's not how they treated Mohn, and it's certainly not how they should raise the children. However, her protectiveness leads her to be a tad strict and somewhat suffocating at times. Of course, she has to learn a hard lesson when her children grow up to be more mature, that being that she's already done all she could to prepare them for the outside world and that sheltering them from it only causes more damage than good. It's in learning this lesson, that she allows her children to finally leave their nests. Gladion, when he finds his soul mate, and Lillie, when reaching adulthood, decides it's time for her to head out into the wild and find her own path.

Alright that’s all I got for now, noodles. Enjoy this, cause I’m movin’ on now and I prolly ain’t gon’ come back to it lol.