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getami · 5 months ago

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" Jujutsu in the Kaisen " - What that world means and who are they for real?

This topic has intrigued me for quite some time. During my university years—which are still ongoing—one of our Japanese text-reading classes featured a passage about the Jōmon period. The text mentioned jujutsu and the jujutsushi (shamans). Of course, I was already reading the manga by then, and it was around the time the second season came out, so I actively started researching. Below is what I found.

Let’s begin with a brief kanji overview: 呪術 (Jujutsu)

呪 – SPELL

Reading: Ju

Its core meanings include “spell,” “curse,” “charm,” or “prayer,” often used in connection with malevolent or supernatural things. It belongs to the kango family (meaning it came from China), which is used for traditional terms. Fun fact: During the Heian period, Chinese influence was huge, and this was when most Chinese kanji flowed into Japan, giving us yet another hidden Heian reference from the mangaka. This is also a compound kanji, meaning it was created by combining two smaller kanji in ancient China—the kanji for “mouth” and “brother,” which forms yet another wordplay. The “brother” (which could refer to a monk or shaman) casts a spell or curse through his mouth. One long-standing issue with shounen anime is that characters always have to say their attack names, which can seem cheesy, but not in Jujutsu Kaisen. Gege solves this by introducing the legend of shamans, who could only cast spells through their spoken words, thus creating a logical basis for why attack names must be spoken aloud.

術 – TECHNIQUE

Reading: Jutsu

It is most commonly used to mean “art,” “technique,” “method,” or “skill,” especially in contexts requiring some level of expertise or technical knowledge. It’s also a kanbun word and another compound kanji, though in a slightly different way than the previous one—this might deserve a separate article. It’s used frequently, not just in the word jujutsu (which refers to the technique of magic), but also appears in Naruto, where the same kanji forms part of ninjutsu. You’ll also find it in more sophisticated words like bijutsu, which refers to the fine arts. But enough linguistics—let’s move on to who the jujutsushi were.

JUJUTSUSHI:

The jujutsushi of the Jōmon period (ca. 14,000 BCE – 300 BCE) were not specific historical figures, but rather a term referring to the practitioners of jujutsu. However, jujutsu here should not be understood as a modern martial art, but in its original meaning, referring to the art of curses or magic.

The jujutsushi (呪術師) were individuals who practiced magic, rituals, curses, and spiritual activities. In the Jōmon period, these people were likely spiritual leaders, shamans, or healers who maintained a connection with the natural and spiritual worlds. During this era, people believed only in nature and the things around them, and these shamans were responsible for ensuring the mental well-being of the tribes. They were thought to possess the ability to foresee the future, return from the dead, and influence the weather. In other words, they were considered omnipotent. This is especially interesting because we’re dealing with a time far before the Heian period—the Jōmon can be considered Japan's prehistoric age. Isn’t it fascinating that Heian-era Sukuna could only be defeated by magic much older than his own? In my humble opinion, this is a brilliant idea.

When discussing the Heian period, even 20 volumes would not suffice to fully explore the various magics and shamanism, but since we’re focusing on Jujutsu Kaisen, I’ll highlight two key spiritual traditions:

The first is incredibly interesting in its own right, as it not only inspired JJK but also countless other anime, manga, and games. It’s none other than Onmyōdō and the Onmyōji. One of the most significant spiritual traditions of the Heian period, Onmyōdō (陰陽道), developed from Chinese yin-yang philosophy and astrology. The onmyōji (陰陽師) were sorcerers or spiritual advisors who served the aristocracy and the imperial court. Their duties included exorcising evil spirits, performing rituals to bring good fortune, observing celestial movements, and conducting curse-breaking ceremonies. The onmyōji can be seen as the jujutsushi of the Heian period, as they too dealt with spiritual defense and magical techniques. Some of you may know that the Heian period was named after the capital city of the time, Heian (modern-day Kyoto), so it’s not far-fetched to assume that both spiritual traditions originated from there. And speaking of jujutsu techniques from the Tokyo school, those are more rooted in Buddhist foundations. Megumi’s shikigami also come to mind, which are not particularly Buddhist, but then I remembered that he comes from the Zenin clan, which is based in Kyoto—so we’re still on track.

The second tradition was more Buddhist and spiritual during the Heian period, known as Esoteric Buddhism (Mikkyō). Another major spiritual and magical system in the Heian period was esoteric Buddhism, associated with the Shingon and Tendai Buddhist schools. Priests performed intricate rituals and magic aimed at relieving human suffering and banishing evil spirits. The ceremonies often involved reciting mantras, using mudras (hand gestures), and employing mandalas. This tradition utilized mudras, which can be understood as hand gestures. Many characters in the series use this symbolic system. I wonder if you’ve noticed the sequence of mudras shown one after another in the second opening of the second season?

One last FanFact and that's it for today:

In Esoteric Buddhism, protective deities like Fudō Myōō (Acala) are common. These deities are strong, warrior-like protectors who can be invoked through rituals for protection. Similar defensive techniques also appear in Jujutsu Kaisen, such as the Domain Expansion (領域展開, Ryōiki Tenkai) techniques, which create a user-controlled territory. These resemble the ritualistic circles and protective symbols used in Esoteric Buddhist practices. In Jujutsu Kaisen, these techniques often involve spiritual or magical power to defeat opponents within the controlled area.

That's it for today! This topic might be worth a second part in the future, but we'll see. Do you have any questions? If there's any topic about Jujutsu Kaisen you're curious about, feel free to reach out to me!

Yo,

Getami 2024.09.29

#jjk #jujutsu #kaisen #jujutsu kaisen #gege akutami #kaisend #phonology #research #anime #manga #heian #kanji #megumi #joumon #history #kyoto #buddhism #mikkyo #shounen

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abwatt · 2 years ago

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Diviners: what are you reading

Fortune tellers, diviners, tarotists, astrologers, geomancers, bones-throwers, rune-readers... what are you reading??

I’ve heard tell, recently, of someone who got a reading from a Tarot card reader. The client came in with questions about their business.... and the Tarot card reader answered with advice about the gods and spirits, and connecting with the ancestors. They talked in numbers of disks and singular swords, and emperors and Devils.

Umm.

My friend was bewildered. And angry to be out $45. And lacked advice — actionable advice — about how to manage a deteriorating relationship with a business partner.

OK, I get it — I myself have shelves that are bending and sloping under the weight of tarot card decks and books about astrology. I have piles of workbooks and guides to being a better astrologer. And I’m certainly interested in gods and myths and legends of spirits, and how to do magic to make them help you get what you want. If you’re anything like me, THAT’s on your bookshelves, too.

BUT.

I read eight to ten books about business — about sales, about administration, about marketing and advertising, about business design — every year. I read two or three biographies of historical persons (partly to pick them apart for astrological purposes, partly because real people are interesting). I read five to six books about magic, because you have to keep your skills and techniques up-to-date, and know whether or not you’re doing stuff right. I read three or four books about history (ancient and modern) to have examples to draw on in consultations with clients. I read four or five how-to books (and devour YouTube educational content) on sewing, embroidery, woodworking, and more, every year. As my parents (and I) age, I’m reading more books about health and medicine, too.

And because I’m cis-, and white, and straight, and male, I read books by and about and for women, queer people, women of color, men of color. I read books by non-Americans, too, and try to get a sense of the world beyond my state and nation: geopolitics, the economics of South America, the logistics routes that make T-shirts and jeans in the US possible.

In ancient times, the laws of the city of Delphi, home of the most famous oracle in the Mediterranean, simply required that only a woman could sit on the tripod in the adyton and prophesy. By the Classical era, it was required that she be a married woman with children, in her fourth decade — someone who knew something of the world, and knew its pitfalls and challenges, as well as its opportunities.

Please don’t get me wrong — if you’re nineteen, or fifteen, and starting to learn a form of fortune-telling or divination, that’s fine. You don’t have to be married and in your forties to start. You don’t even have to wait for someone to give you a tarot deck or a pack of runes.

But PLEASE —widen the horizon of what’s valuable knowledge for a diviner. It’s not just the official meanings of the cards in the little white book. It’s ALL the other reading and information you’re carrying around in your brain: the things you learned in summer camp about making Friendship Bracelets and the class about computer programming; the obsessive binge-watching of every documentary about China you could find; the map you drew in your journal in math class of who was kissing whom; the lemonade stand you ran with your cousin during the family reunion; the book you borrowed from the library about how to write a novel. Fortune-telling, divination, is a weird method for deciding what information you carry around in your head is relevant to a given conversation with a client or a friend. But feed that head. Locked up inside that head is a treasure-house of experiences, and the more you put in there, the more that you will be able to unfold to a client in the course of a consultation.

#feed your head #training the fortune teller #divination #fortune telling #astrology #tarot #magic

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beardedmrbean · 4 months ago

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[Huey Zoomer Anon]

You know the talks about Arab colonialism and such https://www.tumblr.com/beardedmrbean/751049712890773504

Well…it not in the curriculum…the none white ones Americans are only taught are half ass explanations of the Han empire, Aztec, and imperial Japan

With Assassin Creed Revelations taking place in 1511-1513 Ottoman Empire, that probably when a lot of Americans learn about it

Not the mention it also where I learn that Vlad the Impaler lived during the renaissance (okay that should been obvious but they constantly separated the two) and such

Also I said they before…the left knows that…modern mena people are..descended from the earliest known empires such as the Akkadians, Babylonians, and such? How can’t the Arab be conquerors when they claim to be descended from such old civilizations?

Also the far leftists they only consume stuff based off European/American imperialism with ATLA the only one using imperial China and Japan as inspiration for the fire nation

And because the woke Arabs conveniently leave out their ancestors imperialism vs the whole guilt people. The left are confused for some goddamn reason how Arab could be colonizers…unless they presumed that Ancient Israel was destroyed like Atlantis or something…

Well…it not in the curriculum…the none white ones Americans are only taught are half ass explanations of the Han empire, Aztec, and imperial Japan.

Oddly (or not) it's not even all the white ones, the Russian empire gets left out a lot too, big thing most people know about "early™" Russia is Czar Nicholas and his family being murdered by revolutionaries, the Anastasia story and Ra Ra Rasputin.

We do touch on the Aztecs now here, but I'm in CA and for some reason the state education board thought it would be important to the Latino students to learn about a culture that existed in the southern 1/3 of the land mass known now as Mexico that the overwhelming majority of them have no real connection to.

I don't know if the curriculum includes the whole slavery and human sacrifice thing, but it should if it doesn't.

With Assassin Creed Revelations taking place in 1511-1513 Ottoman Empire, that probably when a lot of Americans learn about it

I can't for the life of me remember any lessons on the ottoman empire, I learned more from a episode of Young Indiana Jones Chronicles than I can remember learning in school, which really feels like a silly thing to have left out.

Not the mention it also where I learn that Vlad the Impaler lived during the renaissance (okay that should been obvious but they constantly separated the two) and such

I blame Hollywood for this one, as historical people go he's one that wouldn't have showed up on too many people's radars if not for the book and movies that tend to get the timing wrong a whole lot.

There's lunatics everywhere, got ding dongs that think the original occupants of the Americas were black, it's very easy to twist things to fit the narrative you want as long as you're ok with ignoring a lot of factual evidence in the process.

Also the far leftists they only consume stuff based off European/American imperialism with ATLA the only one using imperial China and Japan as inspiration for the fire nation

Gotta be more than that, granted I could be totally wrong and that's about it, but the whole part of localization in a attempt to make things more appealing to the widest possible audience aimed at the US or western Europe will inevitably be more geared toward that audience, that is changing up here and there and folks are branching out in places, but it's slow going because failure is incredibly expensive.

The darkened area is Arabia, which is named that because that's where the Arabic people come from, everywhere else they are is somewhere they migrated to, which is a totally normal thing that humanity does

As for ancient Israel, it was kinda destroyed by Rome in the first century AD, Byzantines let them rebuild some I think but the area was sparsely populated for a while, much of the Jewish population had been forced into diaspora but there were still a lot of them there too as well as the Samaritan remnants of the northern kingdom and then in 634 AD

And then for reasons that I can only think were malicious they built a mosque on top of the holiest site for the global Jewish population and then appropriated a large % of their prophets and patriarchs. __________________

Circling back round to the start, I'll finish with a the way world history is taught in the US (and likely other countries) is woefully lacking in many places and needs to be retooled for the good of everyone.

#zoomer huey anon

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yamayuandadu · 5 months ago

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Does Jiutian Xuannü have any connection/relations to Ishtar/Inanna?

I’ll be blunt: I’d really prefer to get better Inanna questions, if possible.

Questions which deal with actual published comparative scholarship and which show actual engagement with the material are fair game and as you can see going by the past few months worth of responses I don’t dismiss these (in fact, the series of questions about Iranian-Mesopotamian interactions were among the most enjoyable to answer out of recent ones, I had fun with the question about Durga’s early history too). However, in the case of this ask there’s not even any real argument to be made here, those are two completely unrelated figures which arose in completely different cultural contexts and have no spatial overlap. I’ll try to answer it nonetheless, more under the cut.

For the sake of a hypothetical, let’s ignore the temporal and spatial differences for a moment though these would be more than enough.

Jiutian Xuannü’s association with sexuality exists in a highly specific Daoist context where sex functions essentially like neidan, the “inner alchemy” from immortality manuals and other similar literature (see Suzanne E. Cahill, Sublimation in Medieval China: The Case of the Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens, p. 101). Correct conduct in this sphere is a pathway to longevity. Needless to say, that offers no real parallel to any Mesopotamian material from any period; for a brief overview of Mesopotamian attitudes to sex across time and space see here, it’s also worth looking into Gioele Zisa’s The Loss of Male Sexual Desire in Ancient Mesopotamia.

Warfare is too universal of a sphere of activity for a deity to really warrant any comment here but, similarly, the cultural context is very different; for Jiutian Xuannü see Peng Liu’s “Conceal my Body so that I can Protect the State”: The Making of the Mysterious Woman in Daoism and Water Margin, for Inanna Ilona Zsolnay’s Goddess of War, Pacifier of Kings.

Iconography-wise I don’t exactly see grounds for any comparisons either. The earliest version of Jiutian Xuannü, known from Han dynasty funerary art and sometimes mentioned in later literary texts, was a bird with a woman’s head (Cahill, p. 102) which… also doesn’t exactly offer any real parallel to Mesopotamia (indeed, it’s basically a rule that deities of note lack animal parts, serpentine peripheral oddities like Tishpak and Ishtaran aside). No human-headed birds are really mentioned in Frans Wiggermann’s overview of hybrid creatures in Mesopotamian art. However, this fits in perfectly well with the host of other partially human, partially animal deities and other supernatural beings from Han dynasty sources like the Classic of Mountains and Seas. In other words, as far as I am concerned there is no real reason to suspect that Jiutian Xuannü is anything but a typical Han dynasty deity who then underwent typical shifts such a figure would as Daoism continued to develop. Incredibly hard to imagine that a deity from the other side of the continent whose cult would be already on the way out when the first references to Jiutian Xuannü start to pop up and who is not really attested in any period east of Susa would have anything to do with her. The closest thing to reception of a Mesopotamian figure in China would be the occasional references to the Sogdian version of Nanaya (I compiled relevant evidence in her wiki article), but there’s no real evidence anyone but the Central Asian immigrants would be particularly familiar with her. There is only one depiction of her from China and it’s an oddity commissioned by a Sogdian for personal use, the funerary couch from the collection of the Miho Museum:

The iconography tbh doesn’t even resemble her depictions from Sogdia save for the two orbs. Given that this is a figure worshiped right next door think how less likely it would be for a Mesopotamian figure to reach China and leave some meaningful impact at a time when there were less contacts with foreigners, let alone foreigners which would have any contact with Mesopotamia.

#mesopotamian miscellanea #chinese miscellanea

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s-b-party · 10 months ago

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Lagenaria: Baizhu and the Calabash

****Spoilers ahead especially for Baizhu story quest & Chenyu Vale!!

Forget about the longest time a character had to wait for a rerun, this man had to wait TWO years to finally get his first banner ever after his early introduction in the game but at least he’s here now 😂

Today we will be talking about Baizhu but we also can’t forget about Changsheng who has a strong presence in both his lore & constellation

So what is Lagenaria? The name comes from a combination of lagena which can mean bottle or flask in Latin & -aria which can sometimes be used as the suffix of plants’ scientific names; Lagenaria is the genus w/ a number of species referring to vines that generally produce gourds

The calabash (aka bottle gourd, long melon, birdhouse gourd, white-flowered gourd, etc) is one of the more well-known species of the Lagenaria genus

When we look at some examples of the plant itself, it makes sense why it’s compared to a bottle (keep in mind not all of them look like bottles)

These gourds have been used to hold liquids (i.e. water & medicine) even in ancient times

In China, the calabash was often seen as a symbol for health due to it being a container for something to help sustain life

Looking at Baizhu, the calabash makes perfect sense as his constellation since doctors are meant to help cure illnesses; however there is also the irony that he can’t get rid of his perpetual cough even as a doctor but understandably so due to his unique situation as someone in a contract w/ Changsheng

As we learn in Baizhu’s story quest, in exchange for his lifeforce, Changsheng provides him the ability to absorb illnesses from others & thus cure them

I’ve already alluded to Changsheng’s presence in the constellation as the snake that’s coiled around the calabash but there’s more to it than just her being Baizhu’s contractor

In terms of symbolism, although they are sometimes viewed as mysterious and/or evil, snakes in Chinese culture are also sometimes believed to be symbols of good fortune, luck, and health which can be attributed to their ability to shed their skin, getting rid of old/bad things thus revitalizing one’s health; as we’ll see, Changsheng has strong connections to medicine & health

In the Chenyu Vale world quest involving Fujin, there are hints heavily implying that Changsheng is Herblord; aside from the fact that Herblord was described as a white snake who was friends with Fujin & Lingyuan, it is mentioned that she was knowledgeable about medicine & she could heal any illness

At one point of the world quest, Fujin meets Little Mao & due to his unique scent, she asks him if he met someone from the mountains w/ red eyes to which he responded no since he only knew Lingyuan from the mountains but we know she doesn’t have red eyes

There are very few in Liyue who fit the bill of red eyes but interestingly Changsheng‘s eyes weren’t always red; the mural that we find of her depicted w/ Fujin in her abode located in Yaodie Valley can attest to this

We can see in the mural that her eyes appear golden; Changsheng has golden eyes when the first predecessor was searching for Herblord in the cutscene that plays in Baizhu’s story quest

Even w/ Baizhu, her eyes are golden & it’s Baizhu whose eyes are red instead only until he enters into a contract w/ Changsheng

Taking this into account, it would imply that Fujin referring to red eyes instead of gold means that she’s aware of Changsheng being in a contract w/ someone or at least she has certain circumstances at the moment causing her eyes to be red

Out of the trio of friends, Fujin & Herblord were the ones closest to humanity so it is not surprising that Herblord would reside w/ humans in Liyue after having fought against her former master (probably the reason why she was initially weakened & resting in the cutscene)

The last hint that I want to point out is that in the cutscene, Changsheng tells Baizhu that if the contract were to end without a successor, she would spend her final moments napping on Mt. Yaojun; we don’t actually see Mt. Yaojun on the map & the closest thing would probably be Yaodie Valley

It turns out that Herblord when translated is Yào Jūn so I assume the mountain is just where she lived

As we’ve seen, her abode is located underground of Yaodie Valley; Yaodie can be translated to Medicine/Healing Butterfly which is fitting bc when we look inside the abode, there are notes that we can find nearby that mention butterflies being injected w/ adeptal energy, hence the several butterflies in the abode

Going back to Baizhu, we know that his goal is to be the last person to be in a contract w/ Changsheng; as a result, he’s trying to obtain immortality so that he can still continue to help others without subjecting another person to the contract which would take away their life force

Immortality is a common topic when it comes to health & it is no exception in Baizhu’s story quest; there are some instances where it is mentioned

For instance, we see Xiao in the quest & he tells Baizhu that immortality is not the blessing that he imagines it to be; when Jiangliang ends up dying in the end, Baizhu has a concoction called an Elixir of Immortality but it doesn’t exactly make Jiangliang immortal…instead it makes him stuck in a state between life & death & he becomes similar to Qiqi; at the end Changsheng mentions in passing that even the old gods struggled with obtaining “true” immortality…

I do wonder, if he is successful, how Baizhu will obtain immortality but also does immortality truly exist when gods themselves can also die in this world? Only time will tell how his story will unfold 👀

#genshin impact #genshin lore #genshin spoilers #genshin constellations #genshin baizhu #genshin changsheng #chenyu vale

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hrodvitnon · 10 months ago

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Here’s some more headcanons for how other Godzilla characters could work in the Abraxasverse. This time we’re getting a lil obscure.

Krystallak: With Xenilla defeated (alive or dead depending on your decision), Gigan needed a new herald to further his plan. Plan from the DNA taken from Ozymandias and mixed with Cordycepts, Krystallak was created. A living Cordycept colony, Krystallak only has one object: assimilate every living thing it sees. Speaking with with a collective of voices, it is perhaps the most animalistic and feral foe the Titans have yet to face. Secretly, Gigan has designed the beast so that its death would trigger a wormhole to allow his entire fleet to jump to earth instantly.

Obsidius: an ancient enemy of Shimo, its mummified body lay had long laid in the deep sea by the time Xenilla fell from the stars. During its final battle against the possessed king, a crystalline spine blown from his back landed in the ocean, near the resting place of the ancient rival. Speaking the body back to life, the intense heat destroyed the damaged cordycepts before they could assimilate into him. Filled with an ever present rage, his constant fury burns within him like a furnace. Quiet, patient, and polite, he is nevertheless vicious and brutal in a fight. He is also kind of obsessive about Shimo, seeing her as the Yang to his Yin, his eternal foe in battle. In truth, he subconsciously yearns to be return to the grave via a warriors death at Shimo’s hands.

Balkzardan and Jyarumu (putting these two together cause their stories are intertwined): Bagan was once the most powerful of Earth’s enemies. In times before most of the titans even existed, the first titans sealed him away, splitting his essence into two halves. One light, Balkzardan, and one dark, Jyarumu. The two were mortal enemies, battling each other constantly. Nothing mattered to Balkzardan but destroying her brother, feeling it her duty to protect the world from his evil, even if it cost lives. Jyarumu, by contrast, saw his sister only as a nuisance, with his focus on creating as much death and destruction to revel in as possible. Soon the other titans realized that not only were the twins constant battles dangerous to the developing life on earth, but they could be catastrophic. Mothra received a vision of what would happen should either one ever prevail and kill their sibling - an absorption of the dead’s energy by the living resulting in Bagan being freed from his imprisonment deep beneath China. Despite their pleas, Balkzardan refused to stop fighting her brother, seeing his defeat and death as the only thing that mattered. Jyarumu would only see this result as the best chaos he could hope for. So, the Titans were forced to seal the two away. Shimo froze Jyarumu in ice in Siberia, while Mothra and Battra placed Balkzardan beneath a seal with help of two Iwi priestess, the first of the Shobijin. Should the two ever reawaken, perhaps due to the damage to the earth as a result of attempts at terraforming by a certain three headed devil, catastrophe is perhaps inevitable for all those who live on Earth.

First two are from Unleashed, second two are from the Trading Battle game. Thought it would be nice to experiment with some more obscure kaiju, curious to what ya think. Probably will do the other trading battle kaiju (Razin, Barugraon, Shiigan/Seagan, and Vagnosaurus) soon. Also credit to Matt Frank’s Godzilla Neo for the ideas of Krystallak being a wormhole catalyst and the trading battle siblings being connected to Bagan.

Ooh, food for thought. Krystalak and Obsidius I was already passingly aware of, but never heard of the Trading Battle game, so it's always cool to see what kind of obscure beasties show up in games and stuff.

#darthpan #abraxasverse

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lunatic-fandom-space · 2 years ago

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Oh god, Im five minutes into the Shanghai Special and I definitely remember reading salt posts about this at some point, but I completely forgot that the inciting incident of Marinette wanting to go there was to follow Adrien and that she basically used going to visit her uncle as the excuse which is bad, especially considering Adrien is the whitest boy alive and the show does this weird thing where he knows chinese culture better than Marinette and knows how to speak the language better than Marinette and his family has more personal connections to the chinese miracle box than Marinette's, like, it looks really bad

But the reason Im making this post is actually because I wanted to talk a little about the way they handle Marinette being part of a, idk if this is the best way to phrase this, non-dominant culture. Im phrasing it like that because Im white and the child of two immigrants from the same country, so Im not getting into the additional nuances of being biracial or even of belonging to two different cultures here

First off, I think its fine that Marinette isnt super in-touch with the chinese side of things because she doesnt like, live there and her parents dont seem to be encouraging her to get in touch with it. Im in pretty much the same situation and I actually find it pretty relatable that she doesnt interact too much with her culture outside of like, food mostly. It is a shame because we couldve had something interesting with her initially not being interested in learning more about chinese culture and only researching it and ancient china to find out more about the Miraculous, but then a genuine desire to reconnect with that part of herself starts to grow from that, but I dont think its the biggest deal in the world

The thing that bothers me the most is that they not only basically had Adrien 'be better' at her own culture than Marinette, she doesnt react to it all beyond maybe being like "oh hes so talented" and its like. Im having a lot of trouble putting this into words, but I'll try anyway

When youre the child of immigrants especially and youre not very in-touch with your/your parents' culture, dont really speak the language, dont participate in any traditions and then you meet other immigrant-kids from the same country/culture and they do speak the language and are overall way more in-touch with it than you are, theres this incredible sense of embarassment that I could never explain to people who are, idk, unicultural ? is that a word I should use here? And like, with other people from a similar background theres atleast this sense of solidarity yknow, but with people who are not from there and who are maybe just good at the language and know the culture bc culture lessions are a pretty big part of most language learning lessions.... its a bit different I would imagine. I say 'I would imagine' bc my parents are from a russian-speaking country and we live in germany and, while a lot of schools here will offer some kind of voluntary russian lessions (atleast in my area) most of those are attended by immigrant-kids trying to learn or relearn their language and Ive never met someone who was born here without a russian or post-soviet background who knew russian beyond a few words and who was well versed in russian culture and the cultures of ex-soviet countriws.

However, if I did meet a person like that, I would probably be pissed. Thats obviously not the case for all immigrants and I think the reason why the thought of people not from 'my' culture being "better" at it than I am honestly relates to some deep personal baggage I have because I started crying when I wrote that previous section. And like, its good to learn other languages and to learn about other cultures, please dont let this post discourage you in any way, this is just because of some personal stuff that I dont want to share here.

My point here is, there are intense and complex emotions attached to your family's culture, even if you dont participate in it yourself for whatever reasons you may have. I dont like that its just being swept under the rug for Marinette because the writers would rather have her drool over an intensely bland guy than even begin to address how awful it feels to not be able to communicate with or understand a memeber of your own family due to cultural differences and because you just didnt keep in touch.

Thats it, if you're biracial or you were raised in a multi-cultured home and you have thoughts about this, please share them because I'd love to hear them!

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug salt #miraculous ladybug crit

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female-malice · 1 year ago

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Thank you for responding to my question - I suppose I thought you were Jewish, my mistake.

I appreciate your response. I'm not sure I agree with supersession permeating the secular gen z political consciousness as you described, antisemitism being a cultural "default" - where expressed by secular gen z/millenials it seems more an antisemitism founded on a conspiracy logic, detached from religion and a collection of stereotypes. I don't know much about the supersession project admittedly.

On my initial question, though, you still upheld that Jewish people = Israel. The logic of Jewish people not being responsible for gentiles' antisemitism, I agree with. But to clarify, I was asking about if Israel as a state is inciting that hatred, not Jewish people. The Israeli state's specific policy and military choices, with the assumption that the Israeli state is distinct from Jewish people, and therefore Jewish people shouldn't be automatically held accountable for Israel's actions unless they actively support it.

But I see lots of Jewish people arguing there is no distinction between Israel as a state and Judaism, and I see this as tying Jewish people to the fate and actions of Israel. I don't see how this is a good idea because of Israel's actions and global condemnation on humanitarian grounds. I see it as inciting antisemitism on humanitarian grounds in new demographics who are being told Israel=Jewish people. I worry for anti- or non-Zionist Jews who are being called to account for the actions of Israel.

Knowing now you aren't Jewish, I suppose you won't be able to comment on this from the Jewish persective, but I would like your opinion anyway. I'm wondering why Jewish people support the conflation of Jewish people with Israel, and why there isn't more pushback on this. For example, when other "peoples" are held accountable for their state's actions we call it racism, ex. Chinese people facing racial aggression for China's handling of Covid. The distinction between a state and a people is reaffirmed in other contexts. Israel and many Jewish people seem to reject that distinction completely, and I'm wondering about their perspective behind that stance. Are there just too few non- or anti-Zionist Jews? From a personal perspective, this distinction is important to me because I can't support many things Israel does but have no hatred towards Jewish people and am completely secular, so not supersessionist.

You need to actually research supersession or you will never understand any of this.

If your family puts up Christmas decorations, then you're a secular person from a Christian culture. This means that you don't understand anything about supersession but you are a participant in it. This is the case for the majority of Gen Z. The whole point of supersession is for the average person to know nothing about it. You're not supposed to know why the religion exists. You're just supposed to open your Christmas presents.

What if you told Han Chinese people that all their history and culture is the foundation of a new proselytizing religion. And you told them that their history and culture isn't about them anymore. It's now about your new religion. Their mytho-historical heroes are now your religious heroes. Their ancient connection to land is now your ancient connection to their land. Your new religion doesn't include them unless they convert. And if they convert, they'd no longer be Han. Another religious group sees you doing this and gets inspired and does the same thing. Now there are two religious groups claiming the mytho-history of the Han. This conflict you've created is the basis of all cultural and political interactions with Han Chinese people for 2000 years. And after 2000 years, half the world follows the two superseding religions. And there's only a small community of Han left alive to claim their history, culture, and land as their own. That's what supersession is.

This could not have happened to the Han because they had gunpowder and automatic crossbows. Today, 1 in 5 human beings on planet Earth are Han Chinese. They are the largest ethnic group in the world.

A Chinese person from Hong Kong or Taiwan or America is probably critical of the CCP. But that's just politics. What do you imagine Chinese people would say if you said about China what Gen Z says about Israel?

"We should stop equating the country of China with the Chinese people. China as a sovereign state is a genocidal construct and a failed project. It has done more harm than good to Chinese people so it shouldn't exist. The Chinese people do not need a homeland. They'd be able to live safely in diaspora as long as the state of China becomes obsolete."

You will not find one Chinese person who will ever agree with that statement. And if you make a Tiktok saying this, they'll ban your IP address.

There are many Chinese people who think the CCP is redeemable and it's only Xi Jinping who is concerning. There are many Chinese people who think the PRC is redeemable and it's only the CCP causing problems. There are many Chinese people who don't recognize the PRC and believe the ROC is the real Chinese sovereign state. There are many different Chinese political opinions. But no Chinese person on Earth would support abolishing Chinese sovereignty in the Chinese homeland.

I don't support everything that goes on inside the PRC. But I agree with the historical fact that they won the civil war. I agree with the fact that they are the sovereign state that represents the Chinese homeland. The idea of dissolving the PRC would never cross my mind.

But of course, the ROC does not recognize the PRC and vice versa. The civil war never officially ended despite the PRC's clear victory. So, someone could insert themselves into this geopolitical limbo to argue in favor of dissolving the PRC. I personally think that's a terrible idea. Those are the type of arguments that would incite a new round of warfare between the PRC and ROC. So, even though these two governments have different opinions about who the land belongs to, the rest of us should not weigh in. Instead, we should sit at home and say "two state solution." The PRC and ROC are not doing a two state solution any time soon. But let's just say the words "two state solution" instead of inciting WWIII in Asia.

Most Gen Z opinions I see online are arguments in favor of inciting WWIII in the Middle East. You can't say "ceasefire" one moment and "dissolve Israel" the next and then call yourself a peace activist.

It's wild that Israel/Palestine has the same geopolitical weight as PRC/ROC. But that's the world we live in. 1 in 5 human beings are Chinese and have a deep personal opinion about the Chinese homeland. And 1 in 2 human beings are Christian or Muslim and have a deep personal opinion about the Jewish homeland. Even the secular college students putting up Christmas decorations have a deep personal opinion about the Jewish homeland. That's what 2000 years of supersession, conquest, and proselytizing will do. After 2000 years, the obsession with Israel is not a religious thing anymore. It's become the secular status quo in Christian majority and Muslim majority societies.

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qqcathy · 3 months ago

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Common Module 2 - AY 24.25 CTS B Artistic vision statement

My artistic vision statement is graphic design. I also wrote that I want to be a photography editor because I am very interested in photography. In my spare time, I also take portraits by myself. I am also very interested in video editing, and I am looking forward to the optional course Video Production next semester. The most important thing is graphic design. I enjoy the feeling of creativity being realized in my hands. I enjoy when inspiration bursts out. I think divergently, thinking about what colors to use, what elements to use, and how to arrange text and layout, which makes me feel in control of the overall situation. When all the design things are connected together to form a visual effect, I feel very satisfied and accomplished. When the ideas are implemented and presented, the passion in my heart makes me sure that I love design and graphic design.

This is the traditional Chinese historical art of Dunhuang, which is one of my favorite cultures. Currently, many Chinese cultural and creative designs are related to it. I chose to display and analyze the cosmetics and chocolates designed with Dunhuang elements. The similarities between the two are that they both use the patterns, pipa, nine-colored deer, lotus, ancient books, auspicious beasts, and other elements in Dunhuang culture for design. On the one hand, they inherit and develop Chinese traditional culture and art and have cultural value; on the other hand, they are beautiful, unique, and attractive and have good commercial value.

In the CTSB course, I learned that tradition/lineages can be combined with design, which will not only have the historical heritage precipitation but also the cultural customs of one's own country, and the combination with design will produce a rich "chemical reaction."

The reason for choosing Dunhuang traditional culture and art is that I think it can reflect China's unique traditional culture, and it has high artistic value and can be well used in design because of its historical murals and stories such as "Rebounding Pipa," "Nine-Colored Deer," "Dunhuang Flying Apsaras," traditional patterns and moires, various styles of lotus, different auspicious signs, unique colors, etc. These elements can be brought to the extreme in graphic design, just like the combination of pipa and flying desert in the fourth poster, and the background has vague patterns of characters in the murals. So I think combining tradition/lineages in design is a good way to protect, inherit, and innovate different cultural customs in different countries. So this can give some inspiration and help to my artistic vision statement.

（427 words）

Image from

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theweirdspacejellyfish · 5 months ago

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dramas you should watch

hikaru no go - 36 ep

summary: while looting his grandfather's attic, Shi Guang discovers and Go board manifesting the spirit of Chu Ying, an ancient Go master. together, they enter the world of Go with a newfound passion, encountering many lessons and friendships

nirvana in fire - 54 ep/ 1 seaon

summary: in sixth-century china, the emperor of Great Liang orders the unjust execution of his brother-in-law Marshal Lin Xie alongside the Lin family, his 70,000 army soldiers, and Crown Prince Qi. secretly surviving the massacre is Lin Xie's son, Lin Shu, who undergoes medical treatment that changes his appearance entirely and leaves his in a weakened state, unable to ever perform martial arts again. Lin Shu changed his name to Mei Chang Su and later became the chief of the pugilist world and established the Jiangzou Alliance. twelve years later, Mei Chang Su returns to the capital with a secret plan after being sought after by Prince Yu and Prince Xian during their fight for the throne. he decides to covertly assist Prince Jing, the unfavoured son of the emperor, and wisely rids the court of all scheming officials

rakshasa street - 24 ep

summary: Xia Ling, is a senior college student and looking for jobs. after a freak accident where she is the only survivor, she continues to live her life, however when many misfortunate events start occurring she realizes she is now cursed. she is then told that there is only one way to protect her life. she wounds up seeking a street called Rakshasa, she rushes out. from this point on its too late to turn back and she has crossed into a transitional dimension, the bridge between the human realm and hell, where spirits are kept until they are sanctioned. there are many streets like this and each street has a guardian general, guarding the place. at Rakshasa Street, its the turf of two brothers - Cao Yan Bing ( older) and Cao Xuan Ling, presumably are descendants of Cao Cao. in this world full of evil spirits, can you cooperate with your guardian spirit in order to survive?

connect - 6 ep

summary: a work that depicts the mysterious story of a man who has been deprived of a part of his body by organ hunters and becomes 'connected' with a person who has received an organ transplant. Ha Dong Soo is part of a new human race called connect, who has an immortal body, kidnapped by a group of human organ traffickers. his eye is cut out from him. he soon sees something and realizes the man who has his stolen eye is a serial killer. Ha Dong Soo is now able to see what the serial killer sees. he chases after the serial killer to stop him from killing more people

no gain, no love - 12 ep

summary: Son Hae Yeong is the type of person who doesnt want to lose money under any circumstance. while growing up, she had to share her mothers love with others. she often found her partners in relationships below her break-even point. now, Hae Yeong faces the possibility of missing out on a job promotion at her workplace. to avoid such a loss, she makes a plan for a fake wedding. she recruits Kim Ji Uk to be her fiance. Ji Uk works part-timer as a cashier at a convenience store. he is the type of person who cant ignore people in need and tries of person who cant ignore people in need and tries to do the right thing. he is smooth with every customer at the convenience store. expect for one person. that person is Hae Yeong. when she suddenly asks him to become the fake groom at her wedding, he somehow accepts her offer

shopacholic louis - 16 ep

suumary: louis, a young and handsome heir of vast business empire, who lived a luxurious life happens to become a homeless by a car accident that caused him to loose his memories. he meets an angelic country girl who agrees to take care of him until he finds out his real identity. she tries to teach homeless Louis on right amount of spending, but she is astounded by his spending habits, never knowing his real identity before he lost the memory

fated to love you - 20 ep

summary: Mi Yeong is a typical office clerk who is rather plain, somewhat awkward and has her good nature taken advantage of by her co-workers on a daily basis. while on vacation, she accidentally spends one night a stranger who happens to be handsome, charming and rich. and her life will never be the same! this fateful encounter brings a love that transforms this not-so-special girl into an attractive,warm, lovable young lady

#drama #would reccomend

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govindhtech · 1 year ago

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External Bogus M.2 NVMe SSD With MicroSD secrets

The user of the computer is dissatisfied with the performance of the low-cost external M.2 NVMe SSD that they purchased, and because the device’s transfer rates were so bad, the user chooses to have a look inside the drive case that is linked by USB Type-C. The user’s computer is connected to the drive by means of a cable that has a Type-C connector.

M.2 NVMe SSD alternatives

As soon as they learned that the half-length PCB had two microSD cards, a “ancient” controller, and a connection that was wired for USB 2.0 speeds, they had every reason in the world to believe that their unhappiness was warranted. According to the findings of research that was carried out , these microSD card “M.2 NVMe SSDs” have already started to become available for purchase in stores.

It would appear that the dissatisfied Chinese internet user portrayed in the study was caught aback by the information that low-priced, no-name items purchased from dubious online marketplaces may be phony or fake. It appears that the things were acquired from a market located in China that is accessible online.

People continue to fall prey to items that are offered by marketplaces where everything goes for prices that are too good to be true, despite the fact that they have been made aware of a great number of warnings, heard a great number of horror stories, and demonstrated superior judgment. This is because people continue to be enticed to products that are supplied by marketplaces where anything goes for prices that are too good to be true.

The performance of the brand new 512 GB external M.2 NVMe SSD owned by an internet user who preferred to remain anonymous appeared to provide performance that was not even comparable to that of an external hard drive. Because of this, the internet user started developing some apprehensions regarding the item. After some consideration, he came to the realization that it would be most beneficial to take the casing off of the portable drive.

How to identify Fake M.2 NVMe SSD

The image on top reveals that the internal drive makes use of a pair of MicroSD slots, which are then loaded with TF cards. These slots may also accommodate SD cards. In the picture, you can see this process in action. We are not aware of the memory card’s technical specifications, such as its speeds, capacities, or how it was set; we are not privy to this information.

If the storage capacity of any of the cards was less than 256 gigabytes apiece, there is a possibility that the drive controller firmware might deceive the user regarding the capacity of the cards to store data. Con artists frequently employ methods such as the one being discussed here.

High-performance M.2 NVMe SSD

After further research, it was discovered that the printed circuit board (PCB) that is green in color and housing the small controller chip had a highly outdated layout. In addition, the wiring of current USB-C ports was solely designed to support the data transmission performance of USB 2.0 devices because it was the only purpose for which they were intended.

The findings of the research indicate that a person whose external M.2 NVMe SSD was taken and replaced with a fake would have noticed read rates on the device that were no better than one hundred megabytes per second at best. Came to the conclusion that the write speeds would be reported in the tens of megabytes per second range, unless the two MicroSD cards were configured in RAID0, which was an extremely unlikely scenario. In such scenario, the write rates would be evaluated somewhere in the neighborhood of hundreds of gigabytes per second.

Fast and affordable M.2 NVMe SSD

Online markets that do not have a good reputation everywhere in the world make it simple to acquire electronic devices that are false, fraudulent, poorly labeled, inappropriately advertised, and even occasionally harmful. This makes it easier to commit identity theft or financial fraud.

Because of so many different aspects, it could be tough to find these things. (Particularly interesting fake products and audacious scams sometimes make the pages of sites like ours). Stick with brands and companies that you are already familiar with and know you can trust, be suspicious of reported deals from sources that you don’t know as well, and most importantly, apply your common sense.

#govindhtech #technology #technews #news #ssd #nvme #microsd

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oumaheroes · 4 years ago

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Old Age

Word Count: 1772

Characters: Canada, England, and France

---

There were some days where Canada truly felt his age.

Most of the time how old he was didn’t really hit him. He happily pottered around work or home as easily as he imagined most humans his physical age did: running for a train he was almost certainly going to miss, tripping down the last few steps on a flight of stairs because he was staring at his phone and wasn’t watching his feet, or spilling coffee on himself when he missed his mouth taking a sip.

His colleagues, despite knowing who he was, spoke to him as an equal and Canada could happily pass weeks, or sometimes even months, without consciously being aware of how old he was- or even really what he was.

It was easy to forget, surrounded by humans every day, that he was not one. His ministers and co-workers spoke to him without questioning his position that high in government- that was admittedly unusual for a face as young as his. Occasionally, he’d bump into a young intern or graduate who didn’t know him and he’d have a nice, genuine interaction before a look of shock crossed their face when someone high up greeted him respectfully. It was a helpful, yet stark, reminder.

But overall, when you were surrounded by people who did know it never really hit him that his presence or job was something he took for granted and the passing of time was something he didn’t really take notice of. It was normal. He was there, he was called Matthew, sometimes, or Canada, but both were his name and the potency of what he was, was surprisingly quite forgettable.

Of course, what he was was never something he could completely avoid. Someone would mention a time, or a date, or a thing that had happened and Canada would immediately feel the distance widen between them all as it was made obvious that, to everyone else, what they were discussing was history. It was something passed, something that had happened to other people too long ago to properly connect with on an emotional level. An old battle, an old political bill; something that someone long long dead had said or written that now remained only as faint ink on curling, dusty paper.

But to Canada it was there in his head, the words clear and as easy to recall as if they were spoken to him yesterday. A benefit of nationhood, he supposed, to be fully aware of things that had political consequence, to be able to trace the makings of himself back through time and see how they spiralled and grew.

History wasn’t just words, to him, or mere events. Such things made up the foundations of himself, the building blocks of his life and he felt them thrum through him like a song, twisting and moulding him into being.

Becoming aware of his age and the difference between himself and humans were when Canada really felt the weight of the years he carried. Over three hundred of them made themselves known, hanging off his shoulders and settling down to his legs to hold him up. It was easy to briefly forget how old he was, but that knowledge was impossible to rid himself of entirely- Canada was made up of history, of the bones of time and they cracked together as he moved through his life to remind him of who he was with every step.

He had burned, he had bled, he had died. He had seen.

That was the point of him. To watch to passage of time and remember it, to hold the memory of his people within him and use their voices and experiences to push for the continuation of the future. Their future.

Canada was his people, was made by his people for his people and as he sat amongst them, discussing old old moments long gone with humans who could only read and dream of them, the distinction of what he was would hit him like a thunderbolt.

It was heavy, to be so old. To have seen so many things, to have lived through so much. To be what he was.

He had just had one of those instances. He and his cabinet had spent the entire morning discussing the founding of their nation and its independence in order to plan for the yearly celebrations and Canada had suffered through the whole time feeling every second of his age press against him.

When talks finally drew to a close and he could escape, Canada dragged his ancient body towards the centre of town. England and France were visiting, along with the rest of the UN, and he’d promised to meet them both for lunch before they too were pulled into an afternoon of far more internationally inclined meetings.

If he were honest with himself, what Canada really wanted to do was go home and watch TV; switch his brain off so that he could numb himself with bad reality shows. It was a good pastime that he enjoyed with guilty abandon and one that he would much rather have preferred doing. However, he’d made a promise and Canada was nothing if not a nation of his word.

Sadly.

England and France were already there when he arrived, tucked away in a corner table. France glanced up as the door jingled with his entrance, waving him over with a smile. Canada nodded at the waiter who motioned him through and settled himself down in a chair at their table between them.

‘Good afternoon,’ France greeted him with his usual cheek kisses, hair tickling Canada’s nose as he leant in close, ‘you arrived just on time, I was about to throw Arthur out of the window.’

‘You wish,’ England looked up from his phone and shot him a quick, but warm smile, ‘Hello Matthew.’

Canada’s heart sank. He really wasn’t in the mood to play mediator today, ‘Dare I ask why?’ he said, turning to France.

France gave an effortless shrug and settled back in his seat, ‘Do I really need a reason?’

‘Yes.’

Both England and Canada spoke at once and France gave a sly grin, ‘I won’t darling, you don’t deserve the trouble,’ he patted Canada’s knee soothingly and politely ignored England’s muttered “as if you could” from across the table, ‘but the idiot seems to think he’s correct about something which he very much is not.’

‘Oh, of course,’ England retorted immediately, ‘you can’t remember properly but I’m the one who’s wrong.’

‘Yes.’

‘No.’

‘What is it?’ Canada interjected quickly. The waiter who had greeted him at the door was shooting their table looks of alarm out of the corner of his eye and Canada smiled at him apologetically, ‘Maybe I could help.’

To his surprise, England and France shared a look, something unspoken passing between them, ‘You weren’t about yet,’ offered France, sounding apologetic.

‘When was it?’

‘Oh, not too long ago,’ England waved a hand airily, ‘only six hundred years or so.’

Canada blinked, ‘Six hundred?’

‘Or there abouts,’ England frowned again, ‘I’m not sure when exactly, but I know France is wrong.’

France scoffed, ‘You can’t remember when it is, but you know I’m wrong?’

‘Obviously. I know it was about fifty years after Agincourt, I’m not sure of exactly when but-‘

‘Well, there you go! You’ve muddled it up with something else.’

‘I haven’t! You held that ball, the one with the fucking shit tonne of flowers everywhere, and were displaying those golden goblet things you were so damn proud of and I gave you that stupid painting-‘

‘No!’ France interjected angrily, ‘You took that painting and then were made to give it back.’

‘I didn’t! It was my bloody painting- Jesus fucking Christ,’ England held his head in his hands, ‘that’s not the point, I’m using that as a reference-‘

‘Yes well, pick a reference that has a grain of reality in it, would you?’

England opened his mouth to argue back again but Canada didn’t hear him, by now long tuned out of the conversation.

Only. Only six hundred years ago. Canada couldn’t even imagine that amount of time, couldn’t imagine having lived so long that six hundred years was considered to be a mere drop in the ocean.

But to these two, it was. England and France had both been alive for millennia, had known each other for that long and had been alive without each other for even longer before that.

Sitting next to them, his own existence suddenly felt like nothing, felt insignificant in the history of mankind. What had Canada seen, that these two had not? He couldn’t even begin to imagine. Three hundred years felt more than enough.

It hit him, then, how long most of their kind had lived. He’d realised this before, of course, but still the comprehension about the difference in age between him and most of the world left him dumbstruck anew. Fuck, what about China; Lord only knew how old he really was. There wasn’t a point in history that it didn’t seem as though China hadn’t been around to experience, even from across the world. Whole empires and civilisations had risen and fallen and most of the nations Canada knew had personally been involved in them somehow. It was astounding to consider all the people who had lived throughout the centuries that, to Canada, felt like nothing more than characters in a story.

What on earth was three hundred years to age like that? To history that felt so ancient to him, so disconnected that it didn’t really even feel real, but that was as normal to most nations as his own history was.

How many years would Canada have to live until three hundred was something he would describe as ‘only’?

‘Are you alright, lad?’ Canada was jolted out of his spiral to find England looking at him with concern, a hand on his arm.

‘Yeah, sorry,’ he shook his head, ‘it’s just- you’re both so old.’

England coloured and France laughed, ‘We’re not old,’ England jabbed a thumb in France’s direction, ‘Well, he is.’

‘It is more about how you feel and act, dear, that’s more important and in that regard, you are far older than I.’ France yelped suddenly as England kicked him under the table, ‘Does the truth sting, Arthur? Is that why you felt the need to vent your frustrations on me?’

‘As if I need more of a reason-‘

They began again, in earnest, but Canada let them continue uninterrupted, silently and guiltily enjoying the feeling of being a child once more.

---

AN:

I must admit that not much thought or plot went into this. I wanted to write something short and somewhat silly as a treat for spending most of yesterday editing. Ideally, one day I want to take this concept and explore it more with greater care and detail because I think it’s something a newer nation like Canada would really struggle with.

300 years is a long time, and I’m sure it must be hard for him to feel that age and then go and speak to anyone from the Old World and be met with the reality of how truly old their kind can be. Canada is a baby, despite the centuries he has collected for himself, and I feel like there would always be that conflict within him about how old he feels around humans comapred to how old he is next to other nations. Maybe this idea is best explored as a headcannon rather than a fic, but I had a fun time writing it.

Anyway, that is my tuppence worth- thank you for reading!

#aph canada #hws canada #aph england #hws england #aph france #hws france #hetalia fanfic #hetalia #aph #hws #hetalia fanfiction #matthew williams #francis bonnefoy #arthur kirkland #my writing #i will put fruk into literally anything i swear #i cannot be stopped

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sashi-ya · 3 years ago

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One Piece Through The Ages Event by @heyitsdoe

Trafalgar Law x F! Reader ~ The Red String of Fate ~ Chapter 1

by @simpforroses + @sashi-ya

Hi! This is our entry for @heyitsdoe wonderful event, One Piece Through the Ages! Thank you @heyitsdoe for creating it! 💖

@simpforroses and I @sashi-ya chose to write this (multi chap) fic based in the era of China’s 3 Kingdoms. You will notice it’s a mix in between a modern AU and the Ancient China AU. So you will notice several temporal jumps between both timelines! We decided to include reader in both of the temporal timelines, so you will be able to experience both AUs from a personal perspective.

@simpforroses have created this beautiful work of art for this event, in which you can appreciate Ancient China! Law during one of the true historical battles, the Battle of Nanjun (208 AD).

The drawing and the fic are based on true facts and historical events, so if you want to learn a little more about the 3 Kingdoms you can by reading this love stor(ies) in one!

Tw: first ch. is SFW. Blood and violence related to war and battles. Temporal jumps between modern AU & Ancient China History.

A/n: The title is actually based in a Chinese well known tradition, "The Red String of Fate" which is an invisible string connecting those who were destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. It is unbreakable, and a reason why in Chinese literature, lovers would be willing to walk through hell, experience hardships, and literally fight gods/demons/defy death, in order to be with their lover or to get them back.

Wc: 4.7K

Chapter 1.

The alarm resonates all around your room. You growl opening your eyes slowly, annoyed by the repetitive sounds from your phone. A new day, your first day of classes… being the professor. Well, one of them, since there are going to be two. But in any case, it’s gonna be your first time teaching others Ancient Chinese History professionally. Yeah, that field in which you specialized in is finally having some sort of workshop at your university, and you, recently graduated, were invited to be the professor.

You hastily take a bath, a quick breakfast, and head out. Luckily, you have chosen your outfit yesterday, so there was no excess loss of time during the morning. You feel anxious, what if your students don’t like your class? What if nobody shows up? Will the other professor be a young or an old guy? The only thing you know is that he is a man.

Lost in your thoughts you enter your car and head out from your entrance. At the first red light you notice something important is missing from your wrist: the red string bracelet you inherited from your grandmother. Every time you felt nervous, you would play with it a little and feel instant peace. “F… where is it?” you think, and turn around your steering wheel in order to return to your house. It couldn’t be anywhere else.

You looked at both sides of the road and there you saw it, a complete U-bend -illegal as hell-. You hear a driver honking at you, and you step on the brake in order to avoid hitting the other car.

“Are you insane, woman?” a tall man, with long black hair, a goatee, grey eyes and caramel skin shouted at you while getting off his yellow New Beetle. “I’m really sorry, I… just…” you try to excuse yourself, but noticed that the man was already knocking at your window with his long fingers tattooed with “DEATH,” and holding a well known sword by you over his shoulder. “Who the fuck carries a miao dao openly in public nowadays? Is he asking to get arrested?” you mutter to yourself, until flinching in your seat and deciding you had enough of this morning. If that bastard wanted to slice you up, you should brace to defend yourself. You roll down the passenger seat window and bend forward. “Oi, it’s enough ok? I’m sorry. Go back before I get out of my car. I’m a certified black belt you know?” you lie, unscrupulously.

Both of you fix your eyes on each other in an unspoken fight for dominance, ignoring the rest of the drivers honking and spitting insults at you, so you could move from the middle of the street. “Oi, Torao! Stop it already” a green haired man shouts from the yellow Beetle.. “Tsk…” the inked man sizes you up from head to toe and turns around. “Cocky idiot” you mumble, before something catches your attention. Hanging from his miao dao, or nodachi, if we’re talking about the close Japanese equivalent, you notice a blood-red tassel hanging from the sheath. It appeared that the end part was sliced and you found yourself instinctively reaching for your wrist.

But your bracelet isn’t there, and you panic once again…

You enter your home, slamming the door, completely aware of the fact that you are going to be late for your first day at work. But, without your red armlet, you weren’t going anywhere. Luckily the scarlet string awaited you, sitting on your nightstand. You pick it up and put it on. “I’m sorry, I’m never taking you off my wrist ever again,” you say, while kissing the worn bundles and stray threads hanging from it.

Inner peace, calm, and confidence have been restored, so you head out once again. The traffic gets worse with every minute you spend on the streets, but fortunately, campus is close to your home, so it shouldn’t take more than ten minutes to get there.

The classroom looks bigger when you are standing on the other side. You take some time to breathe in the atmosphere. The wooden musk from the lecture room walls flood the place. Outside, red leaves fall from the trees, giving a lively embellishment to the dry grass below. Fall is here, and you love it.

You take a look at your watch and realize it’s almost time for your students to attend the class. You quickly prepare the PowerPoint presentation that provides a quick background to the important figures and elements of the 3 Kingdoms Era that you were going to be teaching.

The students begin to arrive, placing their materials over the desks, while you are fixing the presentation on the uncooperative laptop that seems to freeze each time you press any key. You sweat, nervously trying to make it work, when someone places a tanned inked hand over yours.

“Let me help you.”

You turn to face the owner of the voice, crystalline grey eyes fixed on yours. “Ah…” you momentarily stutter at discovering such beauty. Seconds pass that felt like an eternity, where neither of you made further movements, until the man with inked hands grazes the red bracelet around your wrist… An instant electricity makes you pull away your hand, as well as him.

Slowly grounding yourself from the awe of such handsomeness, you quickly realize who the man is right before your eyes... the yellow New Beetle bastard.

“Oh lord, don’t tell me you followed me,” you whisper a little too loudly, with slight irritation and apprehensiveness. “What? No, I didn’t follow you! Actually, what are you doing here? This is my class. I am the new professor of Ancient Chinese History and Medicine” he stated, with an air of pride,. “You… You are Mr. Trafalgar?” you ask, your cheeks on fire.

“Y-yes… then you must be Ms. (Surname)-ya?”

“Yes, I am.”

The students shifted in their seats, contemplating the obvious bickering between you two, wondering if that will be included or not in the final exam. A green haired man, the same guy sitting next to the “new beetle bastard” clears his throat to make you stop.

Law and you look at the man simultaneously with a death glare, but soon you realize he was signaling to you both to start class. Quickly, you let Mr. Trafalgar configure the laptop, while you nervously stood in front of a huge class.

“I hope you don’t teach them the same way you drive,” he whispers with some snark behind you.. You turn around with a menacing grin that suggests how you are going to kill him, once the class finishes, and return your attention back to your students. You can hear a subtle “heh” and can only imagine his shitty grin. A sexy shitty grin.

“Welcome students!”

The class goes smoothly, your pupils are half excited for your class, half excited for the young professor behind you. You learn that Mr. Trafalgar is called “Law,” and that he is a doctor specializing in traditional Chinese medicine. Through his studies, he also discovered many historical information and connections to his practice.

Class finally concludes, and with that, the students finally leave the classroom. While you are packing your materials, a black-haired woman reaches out to you. Law was in the back closing his bag, completely unaware of the events to follow.

“Hi, Ms. (Surname) I’m Nico Robin. I loved the class and wanted to ask you about something that I have seen in this book. It's quite peculiar, I must say,” she says with a kind smile, that you wouldn’t dare to ignore. The woman who sits behind Law’s friend shows you an ancient book. She opens it to a certain page marked by a bookmark with a red tassel hanging from it.

In the page there is information about “the Battle of Nanjun”. There is no new information that you were not already well-versed in, but there is something that catches your attention: a painting that depicts a man of notable presence and defined features. And not only that, but also holds the same surname and striking resemblance to Law…

You are absolutely amazed by the similarities between that man and him, and instantly shouted to him before he left the classroom. Law seems like a man that had an aversion to making friends, and it was evident by the expression he wore when he turned to look at you.

“What?”

You narrow your eyes, but brush off the edge in his voice, “Come here, take a look at this”. Law sighs in exasperation and comes to the desk.

His icy stare scans the book scratching his goatee. “Weird,” he mumbles. “Weird?! He looks just like you, plus, your surname! Are you a descendant?” you ask, a little more excited than you should. He turns his gaze to you, making your cheeks blush and burn in an instant. “I don’t know, I know my heritage but not that far. What’s actually even more weird is that the sword… it’s just like mine”.

“You mean the miao dao you were carrying today? The one you took with you as a ‘friendly courtesy’ when you came to me today?” you ask, a little annoyed and a little surprised because it looked just like his sword. Robin, the student, giggles, you two looked like a married couple fighting over the pettiest thing.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Nico,” you excuse yourself, taking your hand to your forehead.

“It’s ok! I’m late for my next class, but you can find the same book at the library to investigate further. There are plenty of copies. Just go to the “ancient history” section on the very end of the third bookshelf.” The raven haired woman leaves the classroom with a smile on her face, while Law and you are lost in the image you just have seen.

“Oi Torao, Luffy is waiting for us at the cafeteria, are you coming?” A voice breaks the silence in which the both of you were so pleasantly immersed, while reading the pages of that book. “Yeah, I’m coming” he responds, and picks up his bag. He walks away and stops right at the door. “Don’t get too obsessed with my image, ok?” he utters with a shit-eating grin and leaves with his marimo friend.

“You wish,” you tell him, and flip him off. Even if it’s not the proper way to treat your coworker, he deserves it.

You decide to have lunch in the park outside, the autumn scenery looks amazing on campus. During the whole time your mind has been wondering about the painting in that book. How is it possible? Is Law some kind of time traveler?... Your thoughts make you laugh out loud, causing a couple that was passing by to look at you as if you grew a second head.

But, you ignore it and decide to get up because you genuinely wanted to investigate a little more. “Am I getting obsessed with his image?” you ask yourself while walking into the big gothic building that leads to the library. “I might be intrigued, but not because he is hot. Wait a minute…”

You stopped in your tracks. Great. Of course you were starting to have a crush on that handsome man. Who wouldn’t? But, he is also somewhat annoying and somehow there is an energy of rivalry between you two, and you wonder why…

You find the perfect isolated spot in the back of the library for your investigation , with the large table completely free for you to display as many books as you need. Most importantly this spot provided privacy. Or so that’s what you thought, because the moment you pick the book from the shelf, someone pulls it from the other side. “Excuse me, but I saw it first!” you protest. “No. I did!” a familiar voice retorts. You fight over the book, until you realize who was on the other side…

“You are definitely following me.”

Law wins the fight for the book and comes around the shelf. “Take it, I can come later” he mutters, handing you the book. You take it in silence, and when you do, some old parchment piece falls from it.

Both of you crouch to lift it up -bumping your heads-. “Ouch” you hiss. “Are you ok?” he asks, inspecting your forehead. “I’m ok, thanks,” you say and quickly stand up, the close proximity of his face makes you want to run away as fast as you can.

You look at the parchment piece from each side, until you realize it appears to be a short letter, perhaps a note that’s been ripped from the main piece. It seems really old, almost as if it belonged to a museum. “Law, look at this!” you tell him with enthusiasm. “Hum?” he mumbles, knitting his eyebrows, yet he comes closer to read it out of curiosity.

“Ring”. “Fire?”. “Danger?” “Love?” you read aloud, attempting to decipher what was written.. “(Name-ya)” Law stops you with half-amazement and half-shock..

“What?”.

“I… have the missing piece with a hair pin at home,” he informs you. “What? How?” you ask in disbelief.. “My grandpa, before passing away, gave me a box with some items. The miao dao and the other piece with a hairpin… there is also more that I haven’t had the chance to look at…” he says. As soon as you two pick up your belongings, you head to Law’s home. Both of you are suckers for history, and this needed to be demystified.

Law’s place is clean, minimalistic, sleek, and cold. You wonder how things evolved from you almost killing each other on the street this morning, to you being a guest at his house researching a mysterious piece of paper.

“Want something to drink? Water?” he offers you as he takes his coat off. “Huh? Water would be ok, thank you,” you mumble, inspecting a huge bookcase embedded in the wall.

Your research partner comes back to the living room with a glass of water in one hand and a little key in the other. “Follow me, I have the things stored in the attic”. You nod and follow your coworker.

The place looks nothing like the clean and cold living room. Dust floated in every corner of the air and even some spider’s webs decorated the wooden ceiling. But you don’t really care, as the mystery of the little paper is far more important.

“Here” he points towards a big wooden chest. “This is where I found the sword and the little box” he indicates, while crunching and opening it. Law takes the little wooden box and hands it to you.

“Can I?” you ask, waiting for his approval to open it. “Go on”. Law sits on the ground in front of you as he waits for you to discover what’s inside. The box is beautifully crafted in red lacquer. A gold phoenix and a dragon decorated the lid, and it looks as ancient as the little piece of paper that fell from the book.

Inside lay a beautiful golden hair pin, with a crystal white moon donning it, with some plum blossoms, butterflies, and some chains hanging delicately from it. You are mesmerized, you passionately wish you lived in Ancient China, so you would be able to wear things like those everyday.

“So pretty,” you whisper. “Really pretty,” Law says with his soft sexy voice looking at you, resting his temple over the palm of his hand. You laugh nervously, that man might make you breathless if he ever decides to look at you in like that ever again.

You take the little paper you found out of your pocket and hand it to him. He looks at it and immediately unites it showing you that indeed he had the missing part. “See? Told you I had it.” You give him a side smile, inspecting the way Law’s slender hands hold the papers together. A sudden noise invades the dusty place as both of you take your time to appreciate the coincidence.

“Is there anything else inside the chest?” you ask, trying to fill the silent void that surrounds you two. “Uhum” he says and stretches an arm into the box, in order to take out some ancient books and scrolls. There is one that particularly catches your attention. Written over the cover it puts “The Red String of Fate”.

“Let’s read this one first” you say excitedly.. You have always been a romantic. After all, the little letter looked like some kind of warning to a loved one.

“Fine,” Law sighs but suddenly pauses. “You have been looking at the hairpin non-stop, if you want to, you can have it. I bet it would look good on you,” he says, taking the pin out of the box, before approaching you and nestling it in your hair. As he does, your faces get so close, and you can almost feel his lips over yours. Your eyes fixed in enchantment, amplifying the intense tension between you and him.

“Thank you,” you whisper. Law smiles, this time without sarcasm, but genuine sweetness; a smile you will cherish for as long as your memory can hold it. “It really looks good on you” he says, sitting back in his original place. You touch the fine piece that garnishes your hair, feeling like a princess in front of his prince.

Law takes the book written, which was entirely written in mineral ink and starts reading…

Chu-Han, Xian, Sanguo (3 Kingdoms), 208 AD, Winter - The day I met him

I was in charge of guarding one of the passes to one of our major forts when I was informed Wei forces were mobilizing toward us…

“I want two units to intercept them near our camp. The rest will be waiting here with me, understood?” you command. Every man in Shu’s army accepts the order in unison and mobilizes to stop the enemy. Your eyes, as sharp as the eyes of a hawk, are fixed forward into the cold scenery ahead. “You won’t anticipate me this time” you mumble, sure that the enemy strategist that has been consistently ruining your plans would be outsmarted today.

Some hours later, a scout notified you that Wei forces have made for the pass. “I knew it, they are all coming our way in one large unit” you say. “Take the oil barrels and draw a line closer to us, wait for them to come closer, and when I give you the signal… light them on fire!” you command.

Lines of oil are drawn right in front of the gates, waiting to be alighted, to protect the Shu kingdom, your kingdom. You want to create a better world for the people, and you will fight Wei to do so. They were the ones who have made you lose your family, as your emperor Liu Bei always says, because of “the cruelty and arrogance of the Wei”.

And of course there they are, the forces of Wei coming at you at full calvary strength and determined to win this encounter. But you are strong, you are pure strategy, pure intelligence…

“FIRE!!!” you shout.

A sudden wall of flames reflects into your eyes as you observe how the enemy steps back, their horses thrown into a frightened craze, as they run away, breaking formation. You smile. You have stopped them, or at least that’s what you thought.

There was something amiss. You noticed various captains and lieutenants scattered throughout their forces, but it was uncharacteristic that they would attack head-on without a sense of direction. Then it hit you. He must have been hiding in the ranks of the small detachment you allowed to pass earlier. His decoy proved to be useful, even if you anticipated it. As if on cue, a report came in detailing that the enemy detachment did not advance to the next camp, but in fact rounded back to aid the main forces to surround the gate. Soon, you found yourself in a pincher from both sides. It was typical of him to compose a tactic that would work in his favor, regardless of whether you or he made a move, but this didn’t deter you. You were known not only for your extreme intelligence, but also for your fierce determination to win.

And you will.

“We have no time to send for help, let’s go for a defensive formation, soldiers!” Everybody agrees immediately and follows your orders, the plan is to create a “Rotating Wheel”. However, it won’t be the normal type of “wheel,” the order is to turn their shields upside down and poke their spears at the bottom. That way, while moving in a rotating manner, your soldiers will be able to scare horses and make the cavalrymen fall.

And of course it’s efficient.

The battle continues and even if you are pissed with your opponent, you smile imagining his annoyance. And so, you grab your horse in order to find him. You want to see his face and you bet he wants you to see yours, too. You ride your horse, making your way inside the skirmish, cutting down every enemy that dares to attack.

Blood spilled on the ground, a crimson rain over the cold snow.

But nothing is as cold as the icy grey eyes of the man you were trying to find for so long. There he is, his sword to your neck, your sword to his neck. The scenery around you two is pure violence, but the moment feels frozen in time.

Chest rising up and down, pure hatred mixed with something else. The edge of his miao dao grazes your skin threateningly. A simple movement and your head is off… but his would be too. A sharp caress that both scares and excites you.

“Finally, there you are Trafalgar Law, servant of the Wei”

“Finally, there you are (Name), servant of the Shu”

And none of you move, eyes fixed, your chest feels warm, your heart beats fast. He is stunning, he looks so strong, and a powerful aura surrounds him. A man so handsome, with the blackest strands of long hair flowing in the wind. A trail of blood flowing like a thin river from his eyebrow to his neck. Stunning armor complimented by the stunning black horse he rides. The steady holding of his sword to your neck...

A man so strong and intelligent, the very first man deserving of your respect. You both smirk in challenge, he respects you, he sees you as a strong opponent… yet not before getting lost and having analyzed every inch, every curve, every part of you.

“Duel me” you mouth.

There is absolutely no difference in power and skill, each time your swords encounter, they collide, and you could swear even sparks fly from the edges. He fights with strength and intelligence. You do it with intelligence and strength.

Your mind is completely empty, his mind is too. You only focus on his movements and how the red tassel hanging from his grip appears similar to yours, before you both simultaneously commit the perfect cut to the other’s respective cords.

“I tied the sliced red tassel on my missing one, and he did the same with mine… it was our trophy… our acknowledgment of being equals. But soon…

“It turned into something else…” Law and you read at unison. Both of you look into each other's eyes, smiling, as the very first part of that strange diary satisfied something you have always wanted to read. But not only are you satisfied, but also curious and amazed. Law looks exactly like the painting and the description of the diary. That man must be related to him, it cannot be a coincidence.

But, it’s getting cold in the attic and you wanna keep reading even if your lips have turned a little blueish.

“Why don’t we take these to the living room, we can keep reading them there. You look cold” Law says, noticing you are indeed freezing up there. Leaving your pride aside, you agree with him and both of you go down the little stairs.

He prepares you hot cocoa and sits next to you. Outside the sky is turning dark, but he doesn't show any sign of wanting you to leave. What’s more, he takes a grey blanket that looks old as hell, yet clean, and puts it over your and his back.

The proximity with him feels a little too much, but still you are ok with it. The warmth of the blanket and his tattooed arms next to you makes you feel instantly relieved. “Thanks,” you whisper and nod as you take a sip of your drink.

“You are welcome, if you want we can order in,” he says, confirming he doesn’t want you to go any time soon. “Oh… ok,” you utter, perplexed. How did the grumpy man you met this morning turn into this nice companion? Law smiles at your thinking face, you are not talking but your eyes say it all.

“I’m not a bad guy after all, huh? What about some Chinese?”

You dig in as soon as the delivery guy arrives with your food. Some laughing and some noodles that traveled into your nose after, made you two feel in good company. You find out Law has a special smile when he feels at ease, and you wonder if it is because he likes you…

as much as you are starting to like him.

“I’m really curious about what’s coming next, aren’t you?” you ask, while Law is taking the dishes to the kitchen, and you follow him. “Uhum, me too. Let’s keep reading” he says, flashing a sweet smile to you. “Lord save me from this man,” you think, trying to kill every butterfly floating around your stomach.

After Law efficiently turned on the fireplace, you two sit in front of it over a few pillows. Law grabbed the diary once again and scanned the next pages. “Want me to read it? The next pages look as if it were written by another person,” he says, while you sit closer to him just to appreciate the fragile and worn pages that tattooed soft hands are holding. “Another person? Do you think is him? And please, do the honors...” you say, because his voice is like pure melody to your ears.

“Ok…

Chu-Han, Xian, Sanguo (3 Kingdoms), 208 AD, Winter - The first cup of tea I ever served to her,

I simply needed to speak to her, I wanted to. She was a mystery to me, I wanted to learn from her…”

He looks at her coming towards the prettiest and secluded tea house on his territory. Her clothes look different compared to the first encounter where blood stained her armor. Everybody looks at her as she walks, she is strong and intimidating, she carries the badge of the enemy… but also she looks beautiful, like a lotus flower.

His icy stare melts as she waves softly at him. “Trafalgar” she says. The sound of her voice mixes with the tinkling of her crescent moon hairpin.

“(Name)” he whispers, inviting his rival to take a seat on the cushion in front of him. Law immediately serves her a cup of tea trying to stop the subtle shaking in his hands…

“Law! Wait!” you shout, stopping him from reading. “What?” he asks, startled, because when he read, it felt as if he was almost living it in his mind. “Heh, sorry… but the moon pin” you say, pointing towards your head where Law has put it before.

He comes closer to you. So, so close you flinch a little. His subtle skin scent is once again invading your senses. Law inspects the hairpin on your head with a soft smirk, completely aware of the way you act when he gets closer to you.

“You are right, it must be the same…” he whispers, now looking at your eyes, noses almost touching. You swallow, his lips look so soft and tempting from there…

“Law…”

“Hum?”

to be continued ~

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