#other people and their circumstances I can look at purely objectively

[simlit]

All odd numbers for Kyrie!😁

What memory would your OC rather just forget?

I think he'd wish he could forget that he was given to the church as a baby. Not necessarily because he wants to reunite or even know his birth parents, he doesn't. But it's a constant reminder that he, quite literally, doesn't belong there. That he was given away as if he was a tool or some material good. It's just a lot to carry around with you.

What is your OC's fatal flaw? Are they aware of this flaw?

Fear of failure. Something that has only recently made itself evident to him (and me lol). In a way, he's a people pleaser. He doesn't want to disappoint those around him. He fears the ripple of consequences that might stem from his domino falling first, and doesn't want to be the person responsible for a larger collapse, so he sort of keeps to his duty as a cog, despite how he might not align with the objective.

How far is your OC willing to go to get what they want?

I would say... not very. He's lazy, certainly, but he's also sheltered, incredibly inexperienced, and lacks the means to get what he wants through pure brute strength, power or smarts. That being said, if the obstacle is something he can overcome, I think he'd be more inclined to actually try.

What's one way your OC has changed since you first came up with them?

I made Kyrie almost as a blank slate so that I could easily adapt him to the circumstances of the story. Because CotS is both interactive and filled with characters I didn't create, he had to be someone who could blend well with all types of people, and not have many "hardstops" so to speak, morally or otherwise. But along the way I've tried to make someone who is an "open template" entertaining, and I think Kyrie's almost lackadaisical unbothered humor emerged from all of ~that~. I didn't go in planning him to be such a huge fucking troll, but I'm glad he has his "thing". In a story with so many strong personalities, it would have been easy to get overtaken by the other cast members.

Do you have a specific lyric or quote which you associate with your OC?

"That's abominable." Because it's just so damn funny.

What is your OC's weapon of choice? Have they ever actually used it?

Yes, he has one, and no he doesn't use it. And it's been called into question multiple times in the story, and I still don't think a damn one of them knows the actual truth yet lmao. It's funnier that way. It wouldn't save him from getting murdered, obviously. It would probably just get him murdered faster.

If you met your OC, would the two of you get along?

Absolutely. If he wasn't so hot. Because honestly every time I look at him I just want to punch him in the face so 100% the conversation would go no where and I'd get arrested.

Does your OC have a faceclaim? If so, who?

No he doesn't.

What is the worst thing you have put your OC through story-wise?

I kind of... took his sister. Mean Jade go grr. I have this terrible habit of killing off loving sisters. I leave the bad ones though. Elsera says hi.

How does your OC behave when enraged?

He's one of those awful people who just gets stoic and civil when angry. As Tay said while having the absolute pleasure of being on the other end of it: that's probably worse. He's not been confronted with a situation that would make him exceptionally angry though, i.e. nothing life or death, so maybe that would change.

Does your OC have any illnesses or disorders? How do they handle it?

He doesn't.

What emotion is the hardest for your OC to process? How about express?

I think it would be loss. Which I guess is a generic answer, since it's pretty typical of human nature not to handle loss well. But I think when you have so very little in your life that is truly meaningful, then you're grasping at straws and have nothing to distract you from your grief. I think in the story currently, he's in a constant state of bracing. Trying to remain outwardly hopeful even though his body is already starting to reject the premise that things will turn out well, and that putting so much mental strength into denying it, degrades his focus in other facets of his life. Outside of the few moments where he's truly and genuinely amused, I do feel he's starting to lose himself under the pressure he would have, otherwise, been able to stand against without hesitation. I can't really imagine him in a place where he has to accept that loss is real, and I don't know how or if he can cope with it when it does.

What is your favorite thing about your OC?

I love what a huge fuckin TROLL he is. Sorry, it's so entertaining to me. It's one of my main reasons for preferring him with ~certain~ members of the cast. Mostly the ones who are ripe for riling up ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[yinyuedijun]

Help I have another idea I need to share sjdnkek

This one's a bit wild ig so bear with me ok??! It's fluffy too and non toxic I think. I hope. Pls tell me this isn't somehow creepy I'm sorry if it is skskdkkd

SO- Aventurine × Ena! Reader.

Ena being ofc, the Gaiathra Triclops. In this version, even though everyone believes Ena was assimilated into Xipe, that's not what really happened - Ena instead made a deal with Xipe, trusting the Harmony to uphold Order, and willingly gave up their path and power as an Aeon, choosing to reincarnate as a mortal. And before they gave up their power, they did two last things: first, guarantee that their reincarnation would regain at least some knowledge of their previous life, i.e knowing that they were an Aeon before. And second, give out one last blessing to one of the people they watched over - Kakavasha.

Ena goes on to reincarnate (I'm thinking something like the Dan Heng/Dan Feng situation, so reader has dreams of their previous memories and such, but is a completely different person to who Ena was), and Reader!Ena lives a pretty tranquil life as a mortal - while Kakavasha goes through hell, and loses faith in the Gaiathra Triclops. I haven't given much thought to how they meet, but maybe Ena!Reader goes to Penacony out of curiosity for what a land presided by Harmony is like (given that they know they used to be the Aeon of Order, and that they had previously chosen to entrust Harmony with their path.) and they run into Aventurine there - and they just know. They can feel Ena's blessing on him, and they're immediately drawn to him.

Getting to know each other, creating a bond, trusting each other until Aventurine can open up about his past with them, and reader reveals their identity, and suddenly everything changes for him - he wasn't abandoned by his God, but rather they'd given him their final blessing before they passed - and reader has this strong urge to cherish and protect him, not because he's the child blessed by Ena, but because they've fallen for him. The complicated relationship they'll have to sort out where Kakavasha feels like Reader is a gift sent by Gaiathra, while Reader cherishes and worships him like he's the divine one. Aventurine being loved unconditionally and cherished for the first time, being basically worshiped by the Reader.. being treated like he's the most precious thing in the world, being looked at with pure love and adoration. The hurt, the confusion, the fear of being loved.. maybe reader can have some issues too and be so wholly devoted they'd do anything for him, no matter how much it might harm them, just to add a bit more trouble to work on.

I don't think I'll ever actually write any of my ideas (even though I do have a writing blog lmao) bc I'm too insecure about my writing and my inspiration bursts are too inconsistent, but thank you for reading my silly thoughts and letting me share them lol I really appreciate it, especially bc you're one of my favorite writers here <3

- Penacony DH smut anon (lol)

I DONT THINK ITS CREEPY AT ALL!! I adore reincarnation romances and I have a particular fondness for reincarnated deity romances. It would be so interesting to see Aventurine process this news. I really like the phrase you used wrt "the fear of being loved" - I think Aventurine would suffer very, very intensely from this fear under regular circumstances with a human. I can only imagine the state of panic he'd be in if he were the object of affection of the god who supposedly forsook him. augflgsjsk it would be so juicy... reader too I'm sure they're full of many complicated feelings just like dan heng is (I bet the two of them would be besties)

I'm sad hearing that you feel you won't write your ideas, I think they are so brilliant and I love reading them 🥺 you're always welcome to share them here - but please let me know if you do ever decide to post something, I'd love to read and reblog it <333

[zenmastercharles]

Conceptualizing Upgraded Powers for Every Miraculous

What’s up BITCHES🗣️‼️

…i’m sorry guys, I shouldn’t have called you bitches.

The concept of evolving powers in Miraculous Ladybug has raised some…interesting questions. When Ladybug basically said “fuck you, I do what I want” and made herself a new power, it confused a lot of us. And when Shadowmoth did the same goddamn thing, we were just kind of tired of it. The unspecific and wishy washy circumstances around upgrading a Miraculous user’s powers has inspired many people in the fanbase to make up their own headcanons for it, improving on the power that we were given and also conceptualizing upgrades for other users. 

Well, in this post, I’m gonna do the same thing….

For every goddamn Miraculous we see in this show

Am I crazy? Yes. Do I even have the time to do all of this? No.  Am I going to obsess over this for days on end instead of doing what I actually need to do? Absolutely.

To explain what exactly I’m doing here, instead of looking into the animals each Miraculous is based on, I’m purely going to draw concepts from the, well, concept the kwami embodies. That means I’m going to find a new power for Creation, Destruction, Transmission, Emotion, Illusion, Protection, Subjection (fuck Action, all my homies hate Action), Evolution, Intuition, Migration, Derision, Perfection, Jubilation, Inflatio-nah I’m just fuckin’ with you, Exaltation, Multiplication, Pretension, Passion, Determination, and Adoration.

Okay so maybe I lied about every Miraculous being in here since I’m ignoring the Eagle, but I’d rather wait until more Miraculouses from the NA Box get explored. Some of these are going to be easier than others, and some of these are going to be the bane of my existence, lookin’ at you Derision (which is oddly fitting). I’m gonna try my hardest not to make these upgrades OP. Now, without further ado, let’s do this.

🐞LADYBUG MIRACULOUS🐞

“Oh, Ladybug already got an upgra-” Well that upgrade was ASS, so we’re giving her a better one. When thinking of a new power for the Ladybug Miraculous, it was pretty damn difficult. I mean, Creation is a concept that’s so broad yet so specific. You have so many options yet no options at the same time. I was caught in a bit of a strange conundrum. So, in my desperate time of need, I turned to a friend that’s been helping me with shit like this since I first started writing.  My all-knowing buddy,

🪽𝒮𝓊𝓅𝓮𝓇𝓅𝓸𝓌𝓮𝓇 𝒲𝒾𝓀𝒾🪽

When I went to this site, I did what anyone would do and simply searched up Creation to see what I found. And I found a lot, a lot that could become too busted too fast. I had a few ideas at first, my first idea after going to this page was a literal goddamn domain expansion, that being Ladybug projecting her will in the form of a pocket dimension where her imagination reigns supreme. My second idea was something I would’ve called Power Plant, basically Ladybug’s spots glow and she can generate blasts of pure Big Bang energy, which again, is busted. 

Eventually, I found something that interested me and that’s Transmutation. Y’know, Alchemy from FMA? Yeah, that. It’s basically transforming one thing into another thing of equal value. And that, my friends, falls under Creation. Because you’re basically breaking something and using the parts to create something new. So, I’m guessing you can see where I’m going with this, right?

Ladybug’s new upgraded power is Overhaul, an ability that allows her to transform an inanimate object into an object of equal weight and density. So she can take a vase and transform it into an ax, but that ax is gonna be the same weight and density of the vase…and it’s gonna be made out of glass.

…holy shit, I just realized that’s an MHA reference, I legit didn’t even mean tha-

🐈‍⬛BLACK CAT MIRACULOUS🐈‍

Another upgrade that I came up with thanks to the help of with the help of my dear friend,

🪽𝒮𝓊𝓅𝓮𝓇𝓅𝓸𝓌𝓮𝓇 𝒲𝒾𝓀𝒾🪽

I am of the opinion that Chat Noir got absolutely shitted out of a new power in Season 5. You’re telling me you had Adrien go through all that bullshit that season and you couldn’t have at least given him some new razzle-dazzle to pay it off? Boosh.

Anyway, this one was actually fairly easier since Destruction isn’t really that broad a concept. I mean, you’re destroying shit, how complicated can it be? So, with Creation, I wanted to think about how Ladybug was creating something, but with Destruction, I want to focus on what Chat Noir’s destroying.

I went through some ideas before I came to a conclusion, Chat Noir being able to destroy someone’s soul to incapacitate them, him being able to destroy someone’s mental boundaries and what not. For the longest time I had the idea in my head that Chat Noir could maybe destroy an aspect of something, like maybe he could just destroy the color in an object and turn it completely gray. However, I feel that’s a bit more…situational. But, I eventually had a definitive idea. You know what falls under Destruction? Division.

“Wha-how does Division fall under Destruction?” You might ask, and that’s simple, division is destroying the bond that keeps multiple things whole, forcefully separating them. For example, if you have a lobster and you tear off it’s claw you have to destroy the shell to get to the meat inside. You’re dividing the shell from the meat by destroying the shell. (I’m fully aware that you didn’t need that explanation but I just watched the episode of Young Sheldon where George taught Missy how to crack a lobster and I’m still not over it)

So, Chat Noir’s new power is Hissection, it allows him to forcefully separate one thing from another by basically touching it and pulling that bitch out. He could use it on an akuma’s object and literally rip the akuma out of it without damaging the object. Or, if he’s getting really morbid, he could rip someone’s skeletal structure out of their body and just watch them fall down like ol jelly bones. He obviously wouldn’t do that, but still.

I have the perfect scenario for this power to develop too, Monarch finds out that Adrien is Chat Noir and tries to use the ring to get him to come to his side since Adrien’s a sentimonster, only for Chat Noir to use this power to separate himself from the Peacock Miraculous and wedding rings, granting himself his own sentience. Isn’t that just raw as hell?

🦋BUTTERFLY MIRACULOUS🦋

I’m gonna call Gabriel Hawkmoth for this section because I refuse to keep up with his new names. Hawk Moth has already got a kind-of upgrade with “Megakumas”. However, Megakumas are just boosh. They’re basically ‘akumas but stronger’. So I’ll be coming up with a new one just how I did with Ladybug. 

Now, the butterfly is connected to the concept of Transmission which I was having a hard time with because my stupid ass brain only thought of Transmission as “broadcasting TV/telekinetic signals”. That’s the reason I changed it to “Transformation” in one of my fics. However, one quick trip to le dictionary corrected me. Now I know that Transmission is the act of transferring something from one place to another. THAT’S why he can do that fuckin’ butterfly head thing…well my version doesn’t make sense anymore.

I really only have one idea for this and I find it perfect. Y’know how akumas transmit powers to akumatized victims right? Well, what if the butterfly user could transmit themselves?

Hawkmoth’s new power is Swarm Shadow, it allows him to break his corporeal form into a swarm of butterflies, allowing him to blast across large distances in a reduced timeframe and re-materialize. It’s basically teleportation with extra steps. 

I always thought him being able to do that in Volpina was cool as hell and I wished canon came up with a way to incorporate that someday…they didn’t.

🦚PEACOCK MIRACULOUS🦚

This one is gonna be a bit shorter because I pretty much got a great idea the moment I thought about it for more than three seconds. The Peacock is the Miraculous of Emotion, right? Well, what better upgrade would there be than, well, controlling emotions?

Argos’ new power is Vehementor, it allows him to subtly or blatantly influence a person’s emotions, he can push positive or negative emotions onto someone, or soften certain emotions to calm someone down. Someone with a stronger will could of course resist this. 

I used Argos instead of Mayura because we clearly aren’t seeing her again for a while. 

🦊FOX MIRACULOUS🦊

Now THIS one is harder. The Fox Miraculous is one of Illusion, which is a power that’s so straight-forward that it’s hard to think of anything to add to it without dipping into other domains. At one point, I thought of giving Rena a memory-based power, maybe the ability to take people’s memories and project them in the form of illusions, but that seemed like it was a bit situational in nature.

Eventually, I did come up with something. Imagine an illusion so advanced that it covered you at all times and that you could alter at will. You can make yourself invisible by forcing the illusion to mimic your surroundings, you could make it look like you’re teleporting by disappearing and reappearing behind people in puffs of orange smoke, you could make yourself look like someone else, you could make someone think you’re a shapeshifter, pretty much anything! 

So, Rena Rouge’s new power is Outfox, it allows her to manifest an illusion that’s connected to her brain and can react to her brain activity, twisting, shaping, and altering itself to whatever Rena can think of. She’ll definitely need to focus to keep pulling this off, or else the illusion would go haywire and out of her control, but it could still be pretty damn cool.

🐢TURTLE MIRACULOUS🐢

The Turtle Miraculous is one of Protection, which sounds like it would be difficult to come up for something with. I always felt that when coming up with new powers for the Turtle, other fan-creators did some that just…didn’t feel right to me. They just didn’t focus on the ‘protection’ part enough for me to feel like it made sense. My first idea for this was to give Carapace the ability to shape his shields into other stuff, and while I do think that would make for a good sub-power, it wouldn’t really fit for what I’m going for.

But then, I came up with something I like. Do you remember Metal Mario? It’s a powerup from, well, Mario, that gave him a thin coating of metal that enhanced his durability and strength. I’m going to give Nino something similar to that.

Carapace’s new power is Fortify, it allows him to create a forcefield that’s shaped around his body, allowing him to run around tanking attacks left and right. It also increases his physical strength, however, a downside is that he experiences a slight decrease in speed and agility. 

(Yes, I gave him and Rena similar powers intentionally, DJWifi is one of my favorite relationships, let me be)

🐝BEE MIRACULOUS🐝

Subjection! 

“Wait, isn’t it Action no-” SUBJECTION!

Subjection is an easy one. Subjection basically means ‘bringing something under your control’. So what better power for this one than mind control?

Queen Bee’s new upgraded power is Hive Mind, it allows her to stick someone with her trompo and bring them under her control, forcing them to do whatever she wants.

Notice how I said ‘Queen Bee’? Don’t worry Vesperia fans, I’m one of you, and I’m not leaving her out. In fact, I’m giving her a completely separate power upgrade. While Chloe would have no problem mind controlling someone, Zoe would likely find the concept…icky.  So, we’ll have to find something new for her. At first I wanted to give her the ability to control plants, because one, putting plants under subjection and two, bee, but that felt unoriginal. So, what did I go with? Something also unoriginal. Because what’s better than enacting subjection? Reversing it.

Vesperia’s new upgraded power is Layoff, it allows her to reverse low-level subjection, if someone else has you mind controlled, Vesperia can reverse that shit easy. Yes, it’s basically Bee Balm from Scarlet Lady (zoe please don’t sue me).

…ugh, fine, if I did consider the concept of Action, then the power would be Comb-Up, it would allow the user to drain the momentum from an object with the tip of the trompo to such a point that the object just completely freezes mid-air.

🐰RABBIT MIRACULOUS🐰

We’ve got the main 7 out of the way, let’s get onto the time-hopping Miraculous itself, the Miraculous of Evolution. I have mixed feelings on the linking of Evolution to the Time Miraculous because, like, I get it…but like, it doesn’t match all that well. I mean, Duration was right there if you really wanted something time-related. It doesn’t make that much more sense than Evolution, but it’s closer.

Now, at first, I focused a little too much on the time aspect, I thought of stealing time from someone else to slow them down DC style, I thought of enhancing her own time to speed herself up, I even thought of a power that’s actually going to the next Miraculous on the chopping block. But, I eventually got back to Evolution, and thought about what it means to evolve. And I came up with something pretty cool. What if Bunnyx could evolve objects?

Bunnyx’s new power is Rush Job, it allows her to harness a small percentage of chronokinetic energies and apply it to an object to evolve it, bringing it to a higher level. For example, you got a car? Do you want it to fly? BOOM! Rush Job! Now your car has jets and wings….I feel like I haven’t explained it well enough.

The weakness of this one would be, I guess, when it evolves it looses one of it’s best features from when it pre-evolved. Like, going back to the car, yeah it has jets now but there’s not a steering wheel anymore, just a steering mechanism that’s hella hard to get down. Also it wears off fast.

🐍SNAKE MIRACULOUS🐍

Ah, the Miraculous of the Snake, or as I like to call it, the one that basically lets you go “nuh-uh”. Intuition is a simple concept to get down, basically you’re super aware and have good instincts. This is also another wibbly wobbly time Miraculous, it and the Rabbit take turns making each other insignificant. This one was actually pretty easy for me, as I already had this power in mind for the snake for months now. 

Viperion’s new power is Scale Factor, it allows him to peer through time to view the possible outcomes of each action they take, and adjust for certain happenings. He would have to focus hard, but I feel that shouldn’t be hard for Luka.

🐴HORSE MIRACULOUS🐴

Bit of a detour, but the Horse Miraculous’ power doesn’t make sense to me, mostly because it’s a huge wasted opportunity. The concept is Migration, and that’s basically moving from one direction to another. And what are horses known for? Running! So the obvious conclusion for the Horse’s power is PORTALS! I’m gonna give the Horse the power I think it should’ve had in the first place.

Pegasus’ new power is Steed, it allows him to sprint at incredible speeds, becoming a light green blur (same color as the portals). 

🐒MONKEY MIRACULOUS🐒

This one…this one was the death of me. Because what the fuck is ‘Derision’? I didn’t even know that was a word before Thomas decided to pull it out of his ass and slap it onto the table. Apparently is means, “contemptuous ridicule or mockery”. So basically, magic bullying. Now, how do I find another application of this? Credit where credit’s due, Uproar is kinda perfect for the concept of Derision. Basically making your opponent the laughing stock by disrupting their power. After a few hours, I finally got it. What if your power made you the laughing stock.

What if you’re the jester, the joker, the one who made people laugh, whether they like it or not?

Roi Singe’s new power is Quip King, it allows him to tell a joke so bad, a joke so cringe, a joke so unbelievably garbage, that anyone who hears it laughs at him. Forcibly. And they can’t stop. It’s basically Joker Venom but WAY less lethal. Can’t exactly threaten the city while your ribs are quaking.

🐲DRAGON MIRACULOUS🐲 

Okay, Derision was the death of me, this buried me underground. This time, I knew what Perfection was, I just don’t know how that connects to the animal or the power. I mean, Ryuko has weather powers. The fuck does that have to do with Perfection? I mean, if you wanted her to have weather powers that bad, Precipitation was right there. 

Anyways, finding something to do with Perfection that still looped in with it’s main power was very hard…so I just didn't. I straight up forgot about the ‘Storm Dragon’ powers and focused completely on Perfection. Perfection means, well, making things perfect, so I thought of something like a stat booster, making the user a living unit of strength, speed, durability, and stamina. I realized that, one, that would be way too busted, and two, it would overshadow the turtle’s new power. I eventually came up with something different though.

Ryuko’s new power is Omni-Tongue, it allows her to understand and speak all existing languages, including ancient or fictional languages. It’s kind of situational but honestly, the Dragon is already one of the most busted of the Chinese Box, it doesn’t need another super flashy power. 

🐷PIG MIRACULOUS🐷

Ah yes, the Miraculous quite literally designed for Rose. It’s the Miraculous of Jubilation, meaning the feeling of great happiness or triumph. I’m sure you’re thinking “Zen Master Charles, how the hell are you gonna find another application of this.” Quiet, dear reader, as I know how to do this. I didn’t really have any other ideas for this one since the answer was pretty clear cut.

Pigella’s new power is Peace Out, it overloads whoever she hits with her tambourine with so much positive emotion that they can’t do anything else but frolic around and enjoy the world’s beauty.

🐯TIGER MIRACULOUS🐯

What the fuck is ‘exaltation’?

“Actually, the concept got changed to ‘elation’.” Ahhh…what the fuck is ‘elation’?

Okay so Elation means ‘a feeling of great joy or pride’. Now, how the hell does that factor into a super punch? I have no idea, but I do have an idea of what it’s upgraded power could be. See, when you’re super happy, you’re super energetic, like you’re bouncing around and shit. And you would need a lot of stamina for that, so…

Purple Tigress’ new power is Resolver, it allows her to grant herself nigh-infinite stamina and a slight increase in speed and agility. 

🐁MOUSE MIRACULOUS🐁

Eezy dubs.

Polymouse’s new power is Bootleg, it allows her to produce copies of physical objects, the only downside being that the copies will be of lower quality, y’know, like a bootleg version.

🐓ROOSTER MIRACULOUS🐓

Ah, pretension, a claim or assertion of a claim to something. It actually makes sense paired with the power of the Miraculous itself, good job Thomas! Of course the power itself is busted beyond all accounts and makes the rest of the show seem like it could’ve been solved if at least one character had an IQ above room temperature. It’s hard to come up with something new for Pretension because it’s such a…specific term.

My first idea was a power that allowed the user to create a specific rule that had to be followed within a certain area, but that sounded busted. Too busted, even by the standards of the power it already has. However, once I wrote this off, I had an idea. How about, instead of creating rules, the Rooster hero could break them?

So, Rooster Bold’s new power is Rebel Roost, it allows him to make himself exempt from any rule or law by writing it with his feather pen dagger. Seems pretty useless at first right? WRONG! Laws of gravity? Fuck you, I can fly. Rules of Nature? Hey, mouse! You can kill that cat that’s been hunting you now! Yes, it’s broken, but so is it’s other power.

🐐GOAT MIRACULOUS🐐

Another eezy dub, y’know how passion basically means you’re dedicated towards something and have strong emotions towards it? And when it’s at it’s peak, nothing can keep you away from it?

Caprikid’s new power is Scapegoat, it allows him to become intangible, meaning that he can walk and/or float through physical objects, but he can’t touch them until he deactivates the power.

🐂OX MIRACULOUS🐂

The Ox Miraculous of Determination, in the simplest terms, is literally a big blue ‘nuh uh’ button. Surprisingly, it also makes sense paired with the power Astruc came up with! I’m tired as hell so I’m not gonna explain my thought process here.

Minataurox’s new power is Oxenfree, it allows him to supply his allies with boosts to their willpower. It’s lazy, I know, idc. (God, I’m falling off.)

🐕DOG MIRACULOUS🐕

THE FINAL ONE, YEEEEES

The Miraculous of the Dog holds the concept of Adoration, makes sense with the animal, not so much the power. Now, how the hell am I supposed to find another application of Adoration…actually it’s quite easy. It’s the same thing as the Horse, where all I have to do is give it the power I think it should’ve had in the first place. 

Miss Hound’s new power is Track Star, it allows her to target a specific person and track them down wherever they go. 

~~hide away, hide away from me, hide away, hide away from me-~~

I’M FINALLY FUCKING DONE! 

Guys, this took me 10 days.

Alright, if you have any alternate ideas you want to share or want to use any of these for your fics, make sure to comment below.

[rawliverandgoronspice]

hi! firstly, sorry in advance for the long ask. your blog is very thought provoking! secondly, i wanna say i really appreciate all your writing on totk - i’ve kinda deliberately avoided looking at any critiques of the game because, quite frankly, i had a fun time in the moment while playing it and i didn’t want to sully that experience, but your posts have all been quality and have given me a lot to think about with respect to the narrative, its aims, and whether or not “pure, uncomplicated, escapist fiction” is actually a good thing

i digress though - the subject i wanted to ask about, which comes up both in your general “all the consequences were undone and therefore nothing mattered” stance, and more directly in your post about dondons/humanity/morality (specifically the part about “should we trust the bargainer statues that nothing matters? or should we actually care about light vs dark?”) is kind of the age old sentiment that the journey is more important than the destination, and how you think about this in the context of zelda as a narrative, as a defining game in the adventure genre, and now as a landmark in the open world style

in the case of the bargainer statue, i was thrown by you framing “trusting the statues about morality” vs “being moved by the struggle of light against dark” as an either/or - a grimly nihilistic view. in the game (and, i think, in real life), the message is that the ultimate futility of everything does not invalidate the reality of people living their lives in the present, and a positive nihilism challenges us to try and help people and do good in spite of that meaninglessness. this is why the bargainer statues feel so bizarre and un-zelda-like (or at the very least, un-hyrulian. not a bad thing!) - the universe of zelda has always at its core been about how helping other people is a noble endeavor and is its own reward (with gratitude in skyward sword actually manifesting this physically), and the bargainers’ ambivalence flies in the face of this. it’s obvious to us as the player that towns being destroyed and lives being torn apart is objectively bad, even if everyone ends up as a poe in the depths either way, and the bargainers reading as sinister and alien actually reinforces this more than it calls it into question. the quality of the time spent in life matters, even if the ending looks the same

as a game, i think zelda has always been at least as much about the stories and connections you experience on your quest to deal with the big bad as it is about that actual climactic fight. it’s always leaned into the adventure half of “action/adventure,” and in some ways i do think this is what “gameplay before story” originally meant. as you’ve noted, some of the brightest points of totk are the sidequests and characters for whom you can make a small but noticeable difference, and through which you’re driven to interrogate the world and maybe yourself too. and it’s because of these connections that reverting things at the end doesn’t make everything futile and pointless. link is our connection to hyrule, and if the adventure impacted us positively, then we can infer that it impacted link (and to a lesser extent, zelda) positively as well, and that’s worthwhile even if the external circumstances change

a last quick point is that i think the increasingly open world nature of the series also reinforces this - sure you can run naked straight to castle and beat ganondorf without engaging with the game in any way, and you’ll save the day the same as someone who put in 300 hours on the way there, but your takeaway will be completely different, because that journey is the entire point

anyways thanks again for your thoughtful posts and for reading this far if you did!

Heyy thank you so much for perusing my blog and leaving such a thoughtful ask, it's greatly appreciated! <3

That's interesting you took the Dondon post in that way, as it wasn't what I meant at all haha. But I do recognize it was worded in kind of a cryptic way, and left it up to interpretation perhaps a tad too much (see: the limits of subtext), so I can try and make myself a little more clear (and I also think you bring up really good points that completely deserve to be mentioned and that I personally do not mention nearly enough)

What I meant by the "either/or" isn't what we, as an audience should take away as what's important or meaningful, and completely discard the other part as useless. It's not what we experience ingame, and this contradiction is inherently interesting and sparks some degree of conflict (good! storytelling need those and totk is conflict anemic honestly)

What bothered me is that we are prompted, in the game, to see things in an extremely black and white way in spite of an argumentation that maybe, we shouldn't. It's not bad in itself, I even think it's great that we get to question the moral fabric of the world! It's one of the very rare (in my opinion) compelling things about the narrative weaved out for us. But the endgoal of the game still remains the same: find Zelda, and swear yourself/all of your friends to Rauru's ancestral kingdom by using his powers and his guiding hand. Link's role in restoring Hyrule is never even hinted as being a potential question mark, or something we should ponder upon (Twilight Princess did directly question Hyrule in more ways than one, WW is also there, etc). But moreso than in other games in my opinion: we are doing the bidding of a king's territorial war that happened a very long time ago, and the current state of Hyrule doesn't seem to indicate the need for pushing a unified kingdom back onto everybody, or at least it wouldn't be a problem if not for Ganondorf's presence (which in of itself is still arguable as an argument for royal unity, since people would have been willing to band together for the sake of their own communities regardless of whether or not there was a unifying realm --remove the Sage's vow, and I don't believe Link's friends would have let him handle his fight on his own even without having to swear their alliegeance to what is basically a dead kingdom by this point).

My problem isn't the statues; it's that this Light/Darkness framing is only ever questioned when close to them/the Monster Brothers, and the rest of the world is extremely rigid in what is the correct path --but without the added tragic weight that other Zelda games generally have about this aspect (the Sages in OoT being torn from their previous aspect/your own lost childhood, Skyward Sword's Hylia and the way she enacts her plan through people who never had a choice --and that's identified as something bittersweet, not to mention the infamous curse of Demise...)

I do adore what you mention, this sort of "positive nihilism" as a staple of the series. It's never as apparent as in Majora's Mask in my opinion, where getting people comfort and rest is ultimately without consequence as you constantly reset their minds, but it still feels meaningful to have helped. I think BotW did that really well too --where you help people rebuidling life and meaning in the middle of the desolation, making the post-apocalypse hopeful, a place for potential growth and change and resilience and experimentation. In TotK, however, I don't think your efforts are as centered around making sure these people get a future as they were in BotW (except maybe, as you mentioned, in a couple of sidequests --Lurelin's village being one of them, for example). Maybe it's because Ganondorf's threat is not as clear as the Calamity's was, maybe it's because what guides your adventure is to find Zelda first and foremost rather than defeating whatever threatens the peace (treated narratively as a hindrance more than the core problem, even if it is ultimately the core problem --again, the narration/quest design is pretty messy here and it doesn't help matters), or maybe it's because the endgoal is not for people to make their own way into the world, but mostly for the wayward folk of Hyrule to be ushered back onto the glorious trail of Hylian/Zonai's legacy --but to me, the game has a weird agenda regarding Link/the player's role into this world that is generally tangential to his role as a hero and a balancing force in other legends. Here, he starts the game as a knight. His duty is to Zelda, but it ends up overlapping to what Zelda represents in a far more abstract way than usual.

What I think works in TotK in terms of "positive nihilism" is actually Ultrahand, and this gimmick of "world as playground", which I believe is a very clever and engaging way to imagine an open world. There are a ton of little gameplay moments that are yours to shape and inject meaning into; manipulation for the sake of it, the joy of play, and experimentation being rewarded and never punished. To me, this feels the most like inhabiting the world, making it your own, and doing things because they matters to you --and this being enough. But narratively speaking, this is just not really the story being told to us: we are told, us and basically every other NPC, to conform to a plan laid out for us that doesn't ever need to be investigated or questioned --even though now, at crossroad of what the future could look like, would be the perfect moment to do so.

I think what I ultimately tried to point out in that Dondon post is how jarring this hint that, perhaps nothing you do In The Name of Light actually means anything, and this having zero impact on the rigidity of the pupose you are supposed to accomplish In The Name of Light --and the game never seemingly acknowledging that paradox, which made for a (I think, unplanned) pretty oppressive playing experience on my end.

[anonymousewrites]

Logos and Pathos (Book 2) Chapter Fourteen

Spock x Empath! Reader

Chapter Fourteen: Fog of Emotion

Summary: Murder and mayhem abound, and (Y/N) is determined to discover the truth so that Scotty isn't sent to prison.

            “Depending on your wife’s empathic abilities is all very well, Prefect, but there’s one way we can find out what it is Mr. Scott cannot remember,” said Kirk as Jaris escorted them to an elegant living room in his home. “But there’s one way we can find out what it is Mr. Scott cannot remember. Since you find it impossible to let us go back up to our ship, I can beam down a technician with a psycho-tricorder.”

            Bones nodded. “Prefect, it will give us a detailed account of everything that’s happened to Mr. Scott in the last twenty-four hours.”

            “I’d advise against it, Prefect,” said Hengist. “This is purely an Argelian matter.”

            (Y/N) furrowed their brow. They understood that diplomacy was necessary when dealing with a planet’s jurisdiction, but surely they understood that this would help everyone. (Y/N) sighed. Bureaucracy.

            “My wife must meditate for a time before she is ready,” said Jaris. “I see no reason why we should not use that time to good advantage.”

            (Y/N) smiled. At least someone here has sense.

            Kirk nodded and radioed to the Enterprise to send down a technician with a psycho-tricorder.

            “Prefect, the psycho-tricorder will require privacy in order to be effective,” said Spock.

            “There is a small chamber below this room.” Jaris motioned to a small corridor. “Perhaps that will suffice.” He glanced at Kirk. “Captain, news of this frightful murder is spreading among my people. They’re greatly disturbed. I have heard talk of closing Argelius to space vehicles.”

            “Well, that would be most unfortunate. Argelian hospitality is well-known,” said Kirk. “As well as its strategic importance as a space port.”

            “Yes, I believe it’s the only one in the quadrant,” said Jaris.

            Hengist cleared his throat. “There are other people we should question. Perhaps I should go to expedite their arrival here?”

            “Yes, please do so, Mr. Hengist,” said Jaris, nodding. “Anyone with any connection with this murder should be present at the ceremony.”

            Hengist smiled, nodded, and left to follow orders. He paused when a woman beamed into the room, the technician with the psycho-tricorder. She gave him a polite nod which he returned before continuing on.

            “Lieutenant Karen Tracy reporting as ordered, Captain,” said Tracy.

            “Lieutenant, we require a twenty-four hour regressive memory check on Mr. Scott,” said Spock.

            “Yes, sir. Where shall I set up?” asked Tracy.

            “Down this hall, Lieutenant,” said (Y/N), smiling and gesturing to the hall. Scotty swallowed hard before following Tracy down to the room where they’d get their answers.

            Bones frowned. “Under normal circumstances, Scotty could never have done such a thing.”

            Kirk nodded grimly. “But that blow to the head—it could put all his previous behavior patterns into the junk heap.”

            “Of course, there’s another possibility,” said Bones.

            “What?” asked (Y/N).

            “Hysterical amnesia,” said Bones. “When a man feels guilty about something, something too terrible to remember, he blots it out of his conscious memory.”

            “We shall find out soon,” said Spock gravely.

            “Ah, Sybo,” said Jaris happily as his wife appeared in the room’s doorway. “Are you ready?”

            “I am ready,” said Sybo, her voice smooth and clear. “May I have the knife, please?”

            “Certainly,” said Jaris. He looked to the Enterprise officers. “Among other gifts, Sybo has the ability to receive impressions from inanimate objects. With Lieutenant (L/N)’s more powerful empathic abilities, we shall discover the truths this weapon hides. Do you have it, Captain?”

            “The knife?” Kirk frowned. “No.”

            Jaris furrowed his brow as he examined the ring of sitting pillows, small table, and fire. “I put it right here when we arrived. It’s gone.”

            As if on cue, a woman’s scream pierced the silence, as blood-curdling as that of Kara’s as she was murdered. (Y/N) gasped as a flash of powerful fear hit them. The woman was close enough to feel her emotions as her terror overcame her.

            (Y/N) stumbled, and Spock was by their side in a moment to steady them while Jaris, Kirk, and Bones ran to the corridor where Scotty and Tracy had disappeared not five minutes before. (Y/N) straightened, touching Spock’s arm briefly in thanks, before running down as well.

            In the private room, Scotty was slumped over in his chair while Tracy was sprawled on the ground with stab wounds in her back.

            “She’s dead, Jim,” said Bones in a hushed voice. “Just like Kara. Stabbed over and over again.”

            And Scotty’s at the scene of the crime again, thought (Y/N).

            “We must complete the ceremony,” said Jaris gravely. “We must discover the truth before more die.”

            Kirk nodded shortly and with Bones’s help, he hauled Scotty to his feet and escorted him upstairs, still prone and nearly unconscious. Sybo prepared by the fire and circle of pillows as Jaris poured a drink to rejuvenate Scotty.

            “An Argelian stimulant, Doctor,” said Jaris. “Quite effective and quite harmless.”

            Bones nodded. “Go ahead, Scotty.” The Scotsman took the drink and downed it in a moment.

            “Lieutenant,” called Sybo, her eyes closed as she entered a calm, meditative state. “Join me. I find calming oneself is beneficial for the ceremony.”

            “Alright,” said (Y/N), taking a step towards Sybo.

            Spock caught their wrist for a moment. “If the ceremony causes any discomfort or pain, please protect your mind.”

            (Y/N) smiled. “Don’t worry, Spock. I’ll be careful.”

            Spock nodded sharply. “Good.”

            Hengist reentered the room. “Uh, Prefect, both of these men were at the café the night of the murder.”

            “Where have they been during the past few minutes?” asked Kirk sharply.

            “Captain, if you don’t mind, please—” Undoubtedly, Hengist was going to ask for protocol and Argelian traditions and all that.

            “There’s been another murder, Hengist,” interrupted Kirk. “One of my crew.”

            “The same as Kara,” said Jaris.

            “Why that…that’s terrible,” said Hengist. Once again, no real emotions followed the cold bureaucrat. He turned and pointed at one of the men. “You. My men picked you up near here. What were you doing?”

            The man scoffed. “Please, I know nothing about it. I didn’t kill anyone.”

            Hengist frowned. “Well, how was the girl killed?”

            (Y/N)’s eyes narrowed for a moment. Something was off about his statement, but (Y/N) couldn’t place it. Maybe the wording? Seeing him eyeing them suspiciously, (Y/N) turned away.

            “Stabbed,” responded Kirk. “And there’s no sign of the weapon.”

            Hengist sighed and shook his head sadly. “If only I had the facilities.”

            (Y/N) scowled and muttered under their breath, “If you don’t really feel sympathetic because you’ve been doing this job for so long, don’t try to act all sorry. It doesn’t come off right.” Spock raised an eyebrow as he heard them.

            Kirk approached the other man. “I know you…You were a musician at the café. You played for Kara.”

            The older man nodded. “Since she was a little girl, she danced for me.” His voice was sorrowful and soft. “She was my daughter.”

            “Now that’s true emotion,” murmured (Y/N). Sad emotions, but true.

            “Prefect, how could a thing like this have happened here?” asked Kara’s father. “The man who did it must be found. He must be punished.”

            “And you,” said Kirk, approaching the younger man. “You left the café before Scotty and Kara.”

            “Is this true?” questioned Jaris. “Who are you?”

            “Morla of Cantaba Street, Prefect,” said the man. “I was there. I have nothing to hide.”

            “Did you know Kara?” asked Spock.

            “‘Course he knew her,” said Kara’s father. “They were to be married.”

            (Y/N) blinked. Yikes, that makes Scotty and Kara flirting a little awkward.

            “But he behaved disgracefully. Unheard of. He was jealous of her,” said Kara’s father.

            Oh, good, they weren’t together anymore, then, thought (Y/N).

            “That is very disquieting,” said Jaris.

            It was strange in Argelian culture to be jealous since everyone involved themselves in various forms of pleasure. They were fairly hedonistic, after all. It might have been strange for the Starfleet crew, but their culture was not the Argelian’s.

            “I know it was wrong, Prefect,” said Morla. “But I just couldn’t help myself. I loved her. And when she danced with others and went over to the table with these officers, I could not stand to watch so I left. I went home.”

            “Jealousy has often been a motive for murder,” said Kirk.

            Jaris nodded. “Yes, I know. That is why the emotion is so strongly disapproved of here.”

            “Prefect, I didn’t kill anyone, I couldn’t,” said Morla, his voice and emotions a desperate storm.

            “We shall see, Morla,” said Jaris gravely.

            Bones reentered the room from where he’d been checking the other door of the room where Tracy had been killed. “Sorry, Jim, the lock may or may not have been picked. Be hard to tell, even with the tricorder.”

            Kirk frowned. That didn’t help Scotty’s case. Turning to Morla, he said, “Can you prove you went directly home?”

            “Captain, may I continue with the questions, please?” interrupted Hengist, full of strict protocol and presumption.

            “Well, get on with it, man!” said Kirk sharply. “Just don’t stand there.”

            “Captain, Captain, you’re behaving very much like a man who is desperately trying anything to save his friend,” said Jaris evenly. “Would you be so desperate to save Argelius as a space port for your Starfleet?”

            “Prefect, not just as officers of Starfleet but as people, we’re trying to find justice for Kara and Tracy,” said (Y/N) resolutely. “We want to help and find the truth. No matter what it is.”

            “Even if its Mr. Scott? Need I remind you that in both cases, your friend Scott was discovered over the body and later claimed to remember nothing,” pointed out Hengist, who was really starting to get on (Y/N)’s nerves.

            “I am ready, Jaris,” said Sybo’s soft voice. She took a seat by the fire.

            “Gentlemen, sit down, please,” said Jaris, gesturing to the circle of pillows.

            “On one condition, Prefect,” said Kirk. “That the room be sealed so that no one can leave or enter while the ceremony is going on.”

            Jaris nodded and pulled a switch, closing the doors. “The room is sealed.”

            “Captain, are you sure about this?” asked Scotty.

            “Scotty, this won’t seal your case,” said (Y/N). “It will just indicate bits of the truth or clues to it.” They smiled slightly. “It can’t hurt.”

            Scotty nodded. “Alright, if you insist.”

            “And afterwards, we can return to the Enterprise for a more scientifically detailed investigation,” said Spock. He knew (Y/N)’s abilities could help alleviate some suspicion from Scotty and didn’t doubt their observations since they never overreached and assumed what couldn’t be determined with mere empathy, so he would go with the ceremony because he trusted (Y/N) not to twist any facts.

            Kirk nodded. “We do this their way, and then we do it our way. Let’s take our seats.”

            (Y/N) sat beside Sybo and took her hand. Spock was on their other side, but they merely took his wrist to avoid his hands. As usual, Spock marveled and was honored by the care they took not to cross any of his boundaries. Kirk was on his other side, but Spock was the first to just move so his wrist was touched and not his hand. Yes, Kirk wasn’t going to disrespect his culture, but there was still a difference in the care (Y/N) put in. It made Spock feel special to them. And that was one emotion he didn’t mind at all.

            (Y/N) took a deep breath as they felt Sybo’s psychic energy join with their own to grow and strengthen hers. It was a pleasant feeling—(Y/N) hadn’t been connected with another psychic in a while, and as a Celian they were used to physical and psychic connections growing up—but it was still strange to engage with someone so foreign to them. Thankfully, the feeling of Spock’s firm arm beneath their hand grounded them.

            “Let us begin,” said Sybo. “Let the circle be not broken. Concentrate upon the flame which burns upon the altar of truth.” Everyone’s eyes closed.

            Spock could feel (Y/N)’s psychic aura touch his own. For a moment, he was worried they’d search his emotions and reveal how deep his own really ran, but then he remembered who it was. It was (Y/N). They merely sensed him with their psychic abilities. They were not going to breach his trust. In fact, he didn’t even mind the feeling of their mind. It was warm, like the sunshine in a meadow. Odd. It conjured such dreamy images in his head. Odd, but not unwanted.

            (Y/N) furrowed their brow as they felt a psychic presence other than their own and Sybo’s in the circle. As they were all connected and their energies amplified through Sybo, they could feel each other. First, they thought of Spock, but this energy…it was too dark to be Spock. Spock’s aura made (Y/N) feel safe, like they were at home and surrounded by comfort. This energy made (Y/N)’s skin crawl with its aggression.

            “Yes, there is something here…” murmured Sybo, sensing the same as (Y/N). “…Something terrible. I feel its presence.”

            (Y/N)’s grip on Spock’s wrist tightened. The emotions invading their senses were unbearably strong and malevolent. “There’s so much fear, so much anger, hatred. I can feel it.” Their brow furrowed uncomfortably. “Like needles digging into my skin.”

            “Anger feeds the flame,” said Sybo. “Oh…Oh, there is evil here.”

            (Y/N)’s head throbbed as the presence nearly attacked their mind. Their own fear grew as barbs of anger dug into their skin from the presence. They were not as eloquent as Sybo, but they felt it too. “It’s monstrous. There’s so much hate that it hurts.” They struggled to keep their countenance.

            “A hatred of all that lives,” said Sybo. “A hunger that never dies. It is strong, overpowering. An ancient power. It has a name—Beratis Kesla Redjac. Devouring all life, all light—” Sybo’s ancient priestess powers now flew beyond empathy as her mind gripped onto the enemy’s presence. “—a hunger that will never die! Redjac! Redjac!”

            The room went dark. (Y/N) cried out. Sybo screamed.

            (Y/N) slumped over as the shock of feeling someone’s—Sybo’s—death flash through them. The emotions of pure terror and being so entwined with her mind was nearly unbearable. Spock caught them and pulled them protectively closer for fear that Redjac would attack them as well.

            The lights switched on, and the group’s eyes widened as they saw Scotty standing right behind Sybo, who fell over, eyes blank and unseeing, with a knife in her back. Blood stained Scotty’s hands.

            “We…We need to move her body,” said Bones quietly.

            “Yes…So we may bury her soon,” murmured Jaris sadly. “My beloved Sybo…oh, my beloved.”

            Kirk and Bones exchanged looks and carefully carried Sybo to a nearby couch so she may rest in peace. Scotty sat in a chair, staring blankly, horrified with himself. Kirk glanced at Spock and saw him supporting (Y/N). He still refused to let go of them.

            “Spock, is (L/N)…?” Kirk didn’t want to say it.

            Spock shook his head. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if they were. “Their mind was still connected with Sybo’s when she was killed. (Y/N) is merely in a state of shock induced by psychic injury.”

            “And they’ll be alright?” asked Kirk worriedly.

            Bones nodded. “Yes. They’ll just be a little fragile for now.”

            “I’ll watch over them,” said Spock, not even bothering to justify his behavior with logic. When it came to (Y/N), what mattered was them, not his image.

            Kirk nodded and then addressed the main issue. “Three murders, and Scotty the only possible answer each time.”

            “I don’t care what the circumstances indicate, Jim. Scotty simply could not have done it,” said Bones forcefully.

            “Normally, no. But that blow to his head could—” said Kirk grimly.

            “No, Captain,” croaked Scotty.

            “Scotty, I’m sorry,” said Kirk. “You don’t even remember whether you did it or not.”

            “I agree with you, Captain,” said Hengist. “I am perfectly satisfied Mr. Scott is guilty.”

            “But not responsible,” said Kirk sharply.

            “That is unproven, sir,” said Hengist.

            “We can prove it, if he’s insane,” insisted Kirk.

            “Gentlemen!” said Jaris. “Please. How could any man do such monstrous things?”

            “That’s what we hope to find out, sir,” said Kirk.

            “Mr. Scott…” Jaris gazed at Scotty.

            “Sir, I swear to you I did not kill your wife or the other women,” cried Scotty.

            “By your own admission you don’t know whether you did or didn’t!” said Hengist. “Your so-called failing memory—”

            “Mr. Hengist,” said Kirk. “On the Enterprise, we can make a recording of the registrations of Mr. Scott’s conscious and subconscious mind. And they will tell us what happened to him in the recent past.”

            “There would be no room for doubt,” said Bones. “We would know. And, after all, that’s what we’re after, isn’t it, Prefect? To know?”

            “You, sir, claim to remember nothing about the murders,” said Jaris gravely.

            “Aye,” replied Scotty.

            “If this is so, you may have killed without knowing it,” said Jaris. “Will your machines tell us this?”

            “No doubt will remain,” promised Kirk.

            “Very well. We will go to your ship. And he who is guilty will face the ancient penalties, barbaric and horrible though they may be,” said Jaris. “The ancient penalty for murder was death by slow torture. That law has never been changed.” He looked at Kirk. “Make the preparations.”

            Kirk nodded and pulled out his communicator to speak with the Bridge to prepare the Transporter. In Spock’s arms, (Y/N)’s mind finally became “present” again.

            “Spock?” they asked hesitantly, trying to sit up.

            Spock guided their movements. “Your mind was shocked by Sybo’s emotions,” he said, assessing that they needed to know what had happened to ground themself. “You are alright; your mind is just strengthening its barriers once more.”

            “Yeah…I can feel it,” said (Y/N), wincing. “What’s happened while I was out?”

            “We are preparing to beam aboard the Enterprise to properly determine Mr. Scott’s guilt. The Prefect has decided it will be allowed,” explained Spock.

            (Y/N) nodded. “Good. We need the truth. I couldn’t…I don’t know who it is, but someone here is so angry. I know they’re planning to hurt more people. Their anger burned and felt like needles in my skin.” They shivered at the phantom sensation. “It hurt, Spock.”

            Spock furrowed his brow at the knowledge that they were in pain. He hated it. He wanted the one he loved to be safe. So Spock would do the only thing he could: he’d ensure that the evil affecting them was caught. He’d protect them.

Taglist:

@a-ofzest

@grippleback-galaxy

@genderfluid-anime-goth

@groovy-lady

@im-making-an-effort

@unending-screaming

[szarr]

Heavy spoilers for BG3 below the cut!

The Emperor is really well written. He is written in such a way where you can come to the conclusion he is a good person or at least just a victim of circumstance. When you really think about him and his actions though you really kinda lose that perception.

He talks on and on about how much he has helped you, especially if you dare to disagree with him. Don't trust him because he is mind flayer, don't want to become a mind flayer, think Orpheus and the gith might be reasonable? 'We need to trust each other! I have done so much for you!' Yes sir, you have protected me but you only did all of that because it suited you and your ambitions.

The emperor does not care about you, he never did. He cared about his own survival and that has always been what he cared about. He's killed friends, lovers, and countless innocent people just to stay alive. When he talks to you he uses rhetoric to minimize his atrocities. For instance he says when he ruled Baldur's gate he only ate the brains of prisoners and criminals, but who exactly is a criminal or someone in a jail cell? Plenty of people are thrown in prison while innocent or for petty crimes. And the emperor has countless times only spoken in half truths, making you only aware of the things that make him look okay. You can't trust him.

The emperor often speaks with a degree of objectivity but he is shown to be wrong at various instances. He does not reveal his true form to you until he has no way of deceiving you anymore. He withholds the truth from you when he can, he tries to force evolution on you, he has no qualms at all with eating innocent people's brains because he looks at regular people in the same way a human looks at cattle. And FINALLY he is power hungry, if you side with him until the end and convince him it would be best to take control of the netherbrain? He turns you and your companions into his slaves and rules the Ilithids as a god king.

Make no mistake in your playthroughs if you have the game! The Emperor is evil 100%! He is a perfect look at a purely neutral evil character! He is not flashy with his wicked nature at all, he does not draw attention to himself as someone like Kethric or Orin but everything about him is entirely self serving.

[ina-nis]

I don’t want to dig on my heels here but I feel like there are so many people who look at matters of relationship and loneliness with so much entitlement.

Great, you’re working on yourself and you can’t stand to stay on unfulfilling one-sided relationships, you’re not willing to put up with crappy connections anymore so you “opt in” to singlehood. You know, one day whenever you feel like dating again, you’ll do it.

Now, what happens next is that this configuration, this “lifestyle”, is then, pushed as the ideal and a goal people ought to meet - understandably so, it’s healthy to live your life for yourself and to work on yourself for your own sake, to dedicate time and energy on yourself.

But it becomes a huge problem when that spreads to places and people who are trying to “escape it”.

It’s likely said people never had (or feel like) any saying on this. They cannot “opt out” of their singlehood. Chances are this has been an ongoing issue and they’ve been alone for many, many years.

There’s this unsaid assumption that these people are “not working on themselves” and even if that was true (it can be or not, it doesn’t matter) it doesn’t mean they deserve to go through that. No one does.

I have seen so, so many people talking about “just go to therapy” and this is especially true for men.

Look how ironic: taking cisnormativity into account, women generally have better support and the fact that they’re generally more in tune with their own emotions, straight women might have a “lot” to choose from and yet, they need to worry about being assaulted and more. Men are supposed to be tough and bottle up their feelings, support might be harder to find/keep and this leads to straight men treating women as sexual objects or worse.

All of them get involved in crappy relationships with awful people of both genders and, supposedly, therapy can “fix it”.

And this is not even touching on queer genders and genderless people such as myself: where do I fit in all this? Can I have any voice in these discussions?

I am in tune with my emotions and go to therapy. I don’t feel like “there’s always fish in the sea”. I worry about suffering violence because of my identity. I find it difficult to build and maintain a support system.

I’m not a woman, nor I am a man.

Well... I got a little sidetracked but the matter of fact is that I don’t feel like I had any choice in my circumstances and my attempts at addressing all that have been unsuccessful so far. I suspect the lack of a support system make matters much worse.

It makes sense to me that I relate more to experiences of lonely men who lack social support, and people will see them as nothing but creeps - I get it, many are insufferable and I have my own share of dealing with them in my life even today. It’s the whole “friendless people are friendless for a reason (so you better watch out)” and “people who don’t have a social life/hermits/NEETS/hikikomori/etc are a bunch of creeps that should stay away” and “not being able to hold a job is a red flag” and so many other feelings like these. Pure and normalized ableism.

It also makes sense that the people who do manage to bounce back, and whom might rely on their own support systems, might feel like they’re more in control of those circumstances and can opt in and out of things. Women or anyone really. This is not a binary issue, unfortunately.

The thing that grinds my gears is assumption that it’s a personal failing that you just have to go to therapy for. Therapy is not a support system, it will never be. Your therapist is not your friend (and they shouldn’t be! It’s unprofessional and can really affect treatment negatively).

Or that you can “just get used to it” because “being single is not that bad, and actually it’s great” and that you can just focus on self-improvement (as if me and so many others don’t already do that...). Self-care is not a support system or make me less alone, I think being alone sucks even though I tried so hard to embrace it. I have found that none of those coping mechanisms to “combat loneliness” work for me because they don’t address it: I’m still alone. What’s the goddamn point of exercising, hobbies and touching grass as a “remedy” to isolation? You just do them on your own! It feels good, but it doesn’t address it.

It makes me want to scream when I see this kind of stuff, all of this, since I’m busting my ass here in therapy and treatment, doing all the “right” things, going outside, trying to build a life and find enjoyment regardless and I can’t complain about being chronically alone and single???

Oh yeah sure, that’s my fault! What am I supposed to do then??? I’d love to hear suggestions because I have tried pretty much all I could think of.

And the thing that really does leave a bitter aftertaste: my lack of a support system is somehow because I’m not trying hard enough, right??? I just need to chase after people harder, and I just need to be someone wonderful for them, right?

I’m aware nobody is going to save me, but I don’t want to fucking hear any of this shit is my fault or that I should accept and embrace my current circumstances as something tragic and terminal, that should be framed as “inspiring” and “empowering”. FUCK THAT NOISE. I hate it! I don’t want to see it on the bright side so I’m not going to fucking do that.

I believe in changes, and I still have hope, somehow.

[fairycosmos]

i love you chloe i do, and i think you're very aware of the privileges you have been afforded (being white, living in a relatively secure country, food and shelter) but let's be real living under capitalism in this political landscape and the nhs doing fuckall to help people with their mental health issues and in general the cost of living crisis..... it's okay to say you're not doing well even if you have some of your basic needs met idk if this sounds rude but to me it's honestly no surprise most of us are not doing well... look around us, how could we be doing well given the circumstances of modern life. and even if you were well situated and doing well, there's also the grappling with imperalism and neo-colonialism, plus the exploitation in the workforce happening in our own countries right in front of our eyes

dw it doesn't sound rude at all!! and like ur objectively right, there's no point in playing the pain olympics with my own struggles - i rarely used to do it. i used to think: well the shit im going through is still rough so i don't need to factor in that other people have it worse when considering my own trauma. but the older i get the more it sinks in that compared to most human existences the world has ever seen, mine has been a generally comfortable and uneventful one despite the grief. ive always had food and water and a home and an education and modern conveniences and (relative) freedom a day decent physical health and certain privileges, and they're such important things that have always just been right there for me to access, out of pure luck, not even bc i am more deserving of them than those who have no access to these necessities - and i still never feel good. i still lose my mind all the time and cry basically every day and can't manage to overcome my own pain and loss and mental illness and contempt for the way society is set up. sometimes i just think to myself, if spirits are somehow real, they must look at me and see the weakest most pitiful creature ever lmfao. whew anyway i do completely get and understand your point, and i agree, despite my complicated personal emotions on the topic. i know the present moment has its own legitimate and terrible challenges, and they just seem to get worse by the day, and we probably really r in a special kind of hell when it comes to the progression of late stage capitalism. and just because our urgent needs are currently being met (and who knows how long we can keep that up, like you said, cost of living crisis etc...), doesn't mean our emotional ones are, which can still be debilitating. thats what i would tell anyone else struggling with this feeling, so i get you. i don't know, it's just so hard to cope sometimes. it's so bizarre to feel utterly depressed and slightly lucky at the same time. anyway, thank you for being a friend and a validating voice that i needed to hear. i really appreciate it. love u love u love u ❤️

[creepercraftguy]

NAEGIRI WEEK Day 3 - Past/Future

Kyoko tells Makoto an interesting story about her ancenstors from the Taisho Period.

@naegiriweek​

Full Story below the cut. You can also find the story on my WattPad - https://www.wattpad.com/1288769125-naegiri-week-2022-creepercraftguy-day-3-past

The Kirigiri family were known in the business for being a family of special detectives, with Kyoko, the youngest, having attended Hope's Peak Academy with the title of Ultimate. What many did not know however, is that the family line expanded a long way into the past; all the way back in the Taisho period in fact.

Every Kirigiri had their own methodology, their own field and their own level of skill, but the skill of Kaguya Kirigiri was her unrivaled ability to hide in plain sight.

In 1919, Kaguya was the owner of an esteemed hotel. It was very high-standard, but not too expensive, and it was placed in a very good place for business, near a mountain road. Many travelers, weary from their journey, or out seeking thrills, stopped by her hotel to put their feet up and relax, before they went on their way to continue their own expeditions.

However, the hotel itself was, in secret, a front for Kaguya's detective work. She used it as a way of gathering intelligence from potential targets and suspects, and it just so happened that tonight, a particularly shady figure was staying at her place.

The figure in question was a businessman named Fuuji Itsutsuji. A variety of people, mainly victims of his misdeeds, as well as some of his business partners, close cohorts and yes-men (who Kaguya had managed to squeeze info out of after getting them drunk enough) had given Kaguya more than enough information on this man.

He had a previous criminal record, but ever since his release, Itsutsuji has retained the image of a law-abiding citizen, and had even been able to start his own company. The twisted reality on the other hand, was that he has used the contacts he had made in prison to form his own underground crime syndicate, and began masterminding heists and criminal fronts across the whole country. These days, he travelled Japan as a billionaire art collector and critic, but his real business was the trafficking of not just priceless stolen treasures, but people too.

Be it through pure circumstance and/or sheer dumb luck, the man had taken residency at Kaguya's hotel for a week. If there was ever a time to expose his criminal nature to the world, it was here and now.

Kaguya couldn't stand criminals like Itsutsuji; likely as a result of her traumatic childhood. As a young girl, her family was taken from her, and she had lost them as a result of the worst betrayal imaginable. The criminal responsible was arrested and sentenced to death, but the emotional scars on her conscience didn't fade. This was what fueled her determination as a detective, having carried on the family business from her father before her; but it also meant she had steeled her nerves and kept her emotions in check, not allowing anyone to get past her impenetrable defense's...

Or so she thought...

Itsutsuji had been staying at her hotel for three days now, which meant she had four more days to officially bust him and turn him into the police. On this dark and stormy night, she had taken the time to put all her evidence out in front of her.

"I'm so close...I have everything I need to counter any claims he may make..." she looked over the objects she had stolen from his room, plus copies of transcripts he had sent to his allies, "all I need is a confession directly from his mouth."

The entrance door to the hotel suddenly slid open, forcing Kaguya to hide away all of her evidence as she greeted her unexpected guests. A storm was raging on that night, so she hadn't expected anyone to come knocking so late. Much less who she actually saw through the doorway.

3 men kitted in gi and with swords strapped to their belts barged in, clearly desperate to escape the storm. Kaguya very quickly noticed the weapons and started observing them keenly. One of them was taller than the other two, and had a muscular build and tanned skin. The one in the middle had done his clothes neatly, despite the dampness from the rain, and he had large red eyes, black hair, and a furious pair of eyebrows. The third one had a crew cut and a goatee beard, tied with a band.

It was obvious these three must be wandering swordsmen, but thankfully, didn't look threatening enough to warrant suspicion. Of course, that didn't mean Kaguya was going to let her guard down. She stepped out from behind the desk and approached the gentlemen.

"Welcome, gentlemen," she bowed courteously, "I assume you will be staying with us tonight?"

"Yeah, that'd be lovely, thanks..." the one with the goatee giggled, winking at her "sorry, but we'll be crashing here. Hope ya' don't mind..."

"Kazuo Matsuzaki! Show the lady some respect!" the one with the furious eyebrows snapped at him, causing him to immediately stand up straight while the large one laughed at him, "I apologize for his rudeness. He doesn't know where to show respect when it is due. However, he is right that we need aid and a place to stay. We were travelling up the mountain to visit my grandfather's estate when the storm hit suddenly."

The swordsman bowed and held his hilt.

"I am Kizoku of the Ishimaru clan, heir to my family legacy and a wandering swordsman. And these gentlemen are my cohorts, also wandering swordsmen. Kazuo Matsuzaki, Kencho Owada and...um...Huh!?"

Kizoku suddenly looked around frantically, much to Kaguya's confusion, but he suddenly started spouting panicked warblings at his fellow swordsmen.

"Where in the blazes is Kirikabu!?" he shrieked.

"Huh? Oh, he's probably lagging behind a little," Kencho scratched his head awkwardly, "remember, we made him carry all our shit."

"Kencho, do not use such profane language while in another person's estate!" Kizoku snapped, "surely you could have cut him some slack! It is the middle of a storm! Carry your own stuff!"

"You gotta relax Kizoku," Kazuo assured him, trying to calm him down, "now you're the one losing his cool in someone else's estate."

"Ah! M-My apologies Ma'am! I uh...I didn't mean it!" Kizoku quickly spun around and started to frantically bow, getting the attention of the other ladies who worked in the hotel, "um...I don't believe I heard your name."

"Kirigiri," she said "Kaguya Kirigiri, I'm the owner...and...who is-?"

Kaguya didn't need to finish her question. A moment later, another person came crashing through the doorway, carrying 4 heavy-looking bags and appearing to have a difficult time with it. The bags were so big, they almost covered his entire body, but he carefully dropped them and shook the water off his gi and his hair like a wet dog. He also had a sword holstered to his waist

Unlike the rest of the swordsmen who looked up to snuff and even somewhat intimidating, this one looked very feeble and not particularly strong. It seemed to Kaguya that he was the outlier of the group.

"Sorry guys!" he panted, clearly out of breath, "the rain came down so suddenly and I started lagging behind because I was trying to keep our stuff dry! I was able to...uuuh..."

He froze and his eyes widened as he lay them upon Kaguya. He stared at her as she brushed her hair elegantly to the side, his soaking wet face growing progressively more red and warm.

"I assume you are also a travelling swordsman in the company of Ishimaru-sama here," Kaguya bowed, "greetings. I am Kaguya Kirigiri."

"You're beautiful..." he uttered.

Kaguya immediately did a double take and coughed in surprise. "I'm sorry...!?" she exclaimed quietly.

"Oooooooh~" Kazuo and Kencho both put in mischievous grins and winked at the newcomer, who Kaguya assumed to be Kirikabu. The young man's eyes widened even more, and his face went bright red.

"Wait!? D-Did I say that out loud!?" he exclaimed, "AGH! I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean it...Wait, no, I DID mean it! B-But it was still inappropriate of me to say!"

He bowed apologetically.

"I-I am o-o-f the Kirikabu c-clan! My name is Yukio!"

"Y-Yes...A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kirikabu-sama." Kaguya bowed back, trying her hardest to return to her stoic demeanor.

"Y-Yours too, Kirigiri-sama..." he stammered.

"Please, there is no need to treat me in such a way," she tried to smile, "you are the guests after all. Speaking of which, how long will you all be staying?"

"The monks on the road predicted the storms will last for another 5 days at least, and will be on and off," Ishimaru explained, "while there is no evidence of their claims of course, I would rather not run the risk. The mountains are treacherous at this time of year."

"Of course," Kaguya nodded, "I do hope you have yen on hand, and I should let you know that you won't be allowed to bring your blades into your accomadations."

"Of course not, we would never do such a thing," Ishimaru affirmed, "but we will wish to keep our weapons, so we will leave them with you for now."

The swordsmen handed their weapons to some maids, who exchanged them for towels to help them dry. While they did so, Kaguya talked them through the terms of accommodation, including the rooms, bedding, and what they would be eating for meals. As soon as she was finished, both Matsuzaki and Owada walked past her down the hall with the key she had lent them. Ishimaru also followed.

"Rooms at the end of the hallway Kirikabu!" Matsuzaki called back, "make sure you put the luggage somewhere we can find it!"

"O-Of course!" Yukio stammered. He took a deep breath and reached down to grab the bags, but Kaguya did the same. Their hands brushed against each other, and their faces came very close to one another. Yukio immediately became flustered and retracted, and Kaguya did the same, though she was more calm on the surface.

"P-Please, don't worry about it," Yukio smiled nervously, "I can take care of it."

"You looked like you were struggling to carry all of these though," Kaguya pointed out, "let me assist you. I need to make my money's worth after all."

"Ah...in that case, I gladly accept." Yukio picked up two of the bags while Kaguya picked up the other two. As soon as she picked the luggage up, she immediately realized how heavy it was. Did Kirikabu really have to carry all four of these heavy bags up a mountain path?

She called for the ladies to prepare dinner as she heaved the luggage to the end of the hallway, accompanied by Yukio. Ishimaru, Matsuzaki and Owada had already gotten settled in their room.

"Be careful with that, dumbass!" Matsuzaki snapped, "oh uh...I'm talkin' to Kirikabu by the way."

"I noticed," Kaguya frowned, "you could stand to be a little bit nicer even so."

"Don't worry about it Kirigiri-sama," Yukio still addressed Kaguya formally, "I'm used to this. It's nothing for you to worry about."

This only concerned Kaguya even more.

"Hey! Kirikabu!" Owada growled suddenly, "I'm thirsty. Grab me a drink, will ya'?"

"If you would like a drink, you are more than free to ask the staff," Kaguya interjected, "allow Kirikabu-san to rest for a moment too. He did carry your luggage for you after all."

"Seriously Kirigiri-sama, don't worry," Yukio smiled warmly, "Kencho-kun isn't the type to drink tea or do anything deemed traditional. He has certain tastes. You wouldn't happen to have strawberry milk here, would you?"

"We do actually." Kaguya nodded.

"Oi, while you're there, grab me something too!" Matsuzaki called.

"I would like some lemon tea myself." Ishimaru added.

"Sure, I'll grab all of it," Yukio nodded, "though...would you mind helping me Kaguya-sama? I might drop it if I carry it all at once."

"Gladly," Kaguya smiled, "though, really, I should be doing this myself..."

A few days passed, and while she continued her investigation into Itsutsuji, Kaguya continued to keep a close eye on the travelling swordsmen. Despite their awkward encounter, she had began to develop a bond of sorts with Yukio Kirikabu.

However, as their connection developed, she began to grow increasingly concerned with him. To the point that it was actually beginning to slow down the progress of her investigation. But the reason why she had grown concerned is because it was painfully obvious how much the other three treated Yukio like a gofer. Even the sensible Ishimaru seemed to be singling him out and giving him a hard time, despite the arrogant attitude of the other two.

Despite having the room service, Yukio seemed to be the one doing most of the work for the group. Not only did he carry all their stuff around the commode, but he brought all the supplies back to the room and even paid all their meals.

Kaguya had asked Yukio countless times during his stay if he was ok, or if he needed help with anything, but he retained his jovial attitude and kept telling her how much fun he was having spending time with her. The more Kaguya pushed the matter, the more concerned Yukio got for HER, so she was forced to stop every time.

However, it saddened her, though she didn't show it. It would only be a matter of days before Yukio and the other swordsmen moved on.

Kaguya lamented on this during the night. but her thoughts were interrupted very suddenly and sternly.

"Good evening Kirigiri-sama."

Kaguya snapped back to reality and saw who it was that was greeting her at the desk. Her heart sank as she saw it was the man she had been investigating all this time, Fuuji Itsutsuji. He wore a black kimono and had a cigar in his mouth, as he greeted her with a shit-eating grin.

"Good evening Itsutsuji-sama," Kaguya retained her act, bowing to him, "I didn't expect you would be up this time of night. I hope you are aware we don't permit smoking on these premises?"

"Eh, c'mon sweetheart, you could at least allow me one," he said in his gruff voice, "'sides, I'll be leaving this joint as soon as I can and...you won't be around to stop me any more..."

"I beg your pardon, sir?" Kaguya began to ask, but she was caught massively off guard as Itsutsuji grabbed her and shoved her to the floor! He then waltzed around to the other side of the desk while Kaguya was grounded and started rummaging through her drawers, pulling out the evidence she had collected against him.

"Ooh, these are some interesting developments," Itsutsuji grinned maliciously, "you've been busy, Detective Kirigiri..."

Kaguya was wise enough to know playing dumb at this point would achieve nothing, so she dropped the act. "How did you know?" she grumbled. Itsutsuji cackled.

"I heard a rumor that you'd been asking about me well before I came here, so I did a little digging into your history," he explained, "and I quickly figured out you had dealings with the police and have been onto me for a while...So I got a riddle for the great Detective herself. What do you think the real reason is that I came to this hotel? There are other, richer, more luscious joints than this one that would be more befitting of my status, so why would I come here of all places?"

"I understand...as much as I loathe too..." Kaguya tried to clamber back to her feet, "you knew I would use the opportunity to investigate you and you used it to lead me into a trap...Sad as it is to say, I fell for it..."

Itsutsuji suddenly grabbed Kaguya's shoulder and pinned her to the wall, his creepy old face leaning in.

"I can't let the police know what you've found out about me, so I'm gonna have to kill you and frame your death as an accident," he giggled maniacally, "but before I do, I'm gonna have some fun with you..."

Kaguya was unable to escape from Itsutsuji's grip. He kept a tight hold of her arm and used his other hand to squeeze her breast. He then leaned in to forcibly kiss her, but before he could, someone suddenly grabbed his arm and yanked him off of the detective. Kaguya instinctively jumped away, and upon doing so, saw that the one who had saved her was none other than Yukio Kirikabu.

"Sorry sir. I was about to ask the nice lady here for some more strawberry milk for my friend...but you're in my way..." Yukio said, anger and frustration in his eyes.

"The fuck are you supposed to be? Her boyfriend? HAH! A beansprout like you hasn't got shit on me!" Itsutsuji leered, "it's gonna be hard to take this easy. Don't make a fuss if I accidently snap your body all over the place!"

"Yukio-kun! Run! Get out of here!" Kaguya cried out as Itsutsuji lunged at him. However, what came next was something nobody expected.

In one swift motion, Yukio countered a running hit from Itsutsuji, bent his arm in a position where he couldn't move, and proceeded to break it! Itsutsuji fell to the ground, screaming in pain and agony! Yukio then proceeded to jump on top of Itsutsuji and hold him still before he could do anything else!

"Kaguya-chan!" Yukio cried, "are you ok!? You're not hurt too badly, are you?"

"N-No...he only slightly felt me up..." Kaguya replied, dumbfounded at what she was seeing, "Yukio-kun, how are you-?"

"Kirikabu-kun!" a shout came from down the hallway. Yukio and Kaguya looked up to see Ishimaru, Matsuzaki and Owada run towards them, all looking shocked and apalled.

"Yukio, what'cha doing!?" Owada exclaimed.

"This man tried to have his way with the hostess, Kirigiri-sama!" Yukio exclaimed, "he even tried to kiss her forcefully, so I stopped him! I might have gone a little far though..."

"Itsutsuji-san...I heard rumors, but I didn't know if they were true or not..." Ishimaru growled, "keep holding him here Kirikabu. Kirigiri-sama, please, inform the authorities. Matsuzaki! Owada! Grab your gear and round up anyone in the hotel that may be in league with this man!"

"Got it!" Matsuzaku and Owada exclaimed. The two of them, as well as Ishimaru, went to grab their swords. By this point, Itsutsuji had fallen unconscious from the pain, so Yukio loosened his grib on him.

"Do you have anything I can tie him up with?" he asked Kaguya.

"Stay there," she said, "I'll call the police and get the maids to grab something."

It only took half-an-hour for the local police to arrive, and by the time they did, the swordsmen had already rounded up all of Itsutsuji's cronies. Thankfully, while many of them had deep cuts from the swords, none of them had been killed. The chief of the police, who knew Kaguya was a secret detective, thanked her for the assistance. She signed a document, agreeing to be a witness and presenter of evidence for Itsutsuji's trial, and they took Itsutsuji and his men away.

Kaguya breathed a huge sigh of relief and sunk into a seat. As she did however, she suddenly felt something cold on her face. She opened her eyes and looked up to see Yukio, holding towards her a glass of strawberry milk.

"Something to quench your thirst, Detective?" he asked jokingly, immediately clarifying, "sorry, I heard Itsutsuji bring it up when I came over. Rest assured, your secret is safe with me."

Kaguya nodded in thanks and took the milk, taking a sip. Yukio sat on a barrel next to her and sipped some water.

"Ah, there you both are," Ishimaru suddenly appeared, with Matsuzaki and Owada by his side, "Kirigiri-sama, I trust you're ok?"

"I'm alright," she nodded, "you might not believe it, but I've had rougher customers in the past."

"Are you sure, Kaguya-san?" Yukio asked, "he didn't really intend to hold back."

"Wait, "Kaguya-san?" You guys are on a first name basis now?" Matsuzaki winked.

"Huh!? Ah-no, it's not l-like that!" Yukio assured, blushing.

"By the way, Yukio-kun..."

""Yukio-kun!?""

This time it was Kaguya's turn to blush in the face of Matsuzaki's teasing.

"Shaddup man, let 'er speak!" Owada snapped.

"Th-Thank you Owada-san," Kaguya coughed and corrected herself again, "I've been wanting to ask...when and how did you get so strong?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Yukio seemed confused, "I just do basic training as part of my life as a swordsman. When you wield a blade, you kind of become like a blade. If you don't tend to yourself, you grow dull."

"But it always seemed to me your companions took advantage of you a lot," Kaguya pointed out, "I thought they'd grinded you down to the point that you couldn't refuse what they demanded of you."

"See!?" Ishimaru snapped, "I TOLD you you gave people that impression!"

"Yeah, ok, our bad," Matsuzaki giggled, "but it's not like we could boss Kirikabu around even if we wanted to?"

"Yeah, I mean, he's the strongest out of all of us after all..." Owada also laughed.

"The strongest!?" Kaguya exclaimed, "but...the rest of you seem so much more experienced!"

"We might be bigger and burlier, but we're still learning," Owada explained, "Yukio might not have much in terms of muscle or stature, but he grew up in a family of swordsmiths, so he's learned from a young age. The rest of us though? We only became students a few years ago. He's kind of our senpai, even though he's younger than us."

"I know it looks like I'm always doing favors or running errands for them, but it's not because they take advantage of my kindness," Yukio added, "it's more like something I do willingly...like a...training regime or something. Carrying their bags gives me a good workout, and taking notes helps me have a good memory and makes me more observant to other people's feelings."

"That doesn't explain why you're always paying for their meals and drinks..." Kaguya said.

"Do you really think I would allow any of us to force another to pay for our goods?" Ishimaru's brow furrowed as he pulled out a notepad, "I keep books in here of all Yukio spends in here, and I endeavor to have the rest of us pitch in and pay him back as soon as we can."

"Yeah, truth is we're just bad at remembering to bring money with us wherever we go..." Owada blushed.

"And again, even if we refuse, Kirikabu knows more about swordfighting than all of us. He could kick our asses if we refuse." Matsuzaki laughed, but there was a hint of cold sweat on his face.

Frankly, Kaguya was confused, but also embarrassed that she had come to such a drastically wrong conclusion despite being a detective.

"I apologize," Kaguya bowed, "you all helped me out, even though I had such a drastically false impression of you this whole time."

"Worry not Kaguya-sama," Ishimaru saluted, "I'm just happy we could fix the misunderstanding. In any case, I believe we've spent more than enough.

The following day, the investigation finally came to a close. Itsutsuji was officially charged for his crimes and sentenced to jail. Kaguya couldn't help but think he had gotten off a little bit lightly, but right now, she had other things on her mind. After all, the four swordsmen, including Yukio, were leaving that day.

Kaguya went to the door and handed their swords and other equipment back to them, checking to see if anything had been left behind. She carried two of the heavy bags to Yukio, who currently held the other two.

"It's ok," he said, "I've got it. Don't worry."

Even knowing that he had the strength to pull it off, Kaguya still reluctantly handed Yukio the other bags. However, as soon as she did, Ishimaru, Owada and Matsuzaki came over and grabbed the bags, proceeded to lift them over their shoulders.

"We'll carry our own bags the rest of the way," Ishimaru said, "thank you for your assistance up until now, Kirikabu-kun, but we need to put in a bit of effort ourselves."

Before Yukio could say anything, Ishimaru, Owada and Matsuzaki bowed at Kaguya and the other maids and ladies, and headed out. Yukio followed suit, but before he could leave, Kaguya tugged his sleeve. She lowered her face to hide the fact that she was blushing. Uncuccessfully.

"Um...Yukio-kun..." she mumbled, "it would be a great honor if...you would come back to stay with us again..."

She looked up at him sheepishly. Yukio beamed. He took Kaguya's hand and gently kissed it."

"I'll visit any time I can, Kaguya-sama~" he winked. And for the first time in many years, as she watched him head up the mountain trail, Kaguya's face broke out into a huge, bashful smile.

"That's one hell of a story," Makoto Naegi smiled, "I didn't know your family line extended all the way back to the Taisho period. Although...she does look a lot like you."

In present day Japan, Makoto Naegi and Kyoko Kirigiri stood together in a gallery, standing in front of a prestigious old painting. It depicted a woman with sleek, dark-purple hair holding a painted paper parasol.

"I've always looked up to Grandma Kaguya," Kyoko said, "when I was a little girl, she set the benchmark for the kind of investigator I wanted to be when I grew up...I guess that still holds true now."

"You know...speaking of which..." Makoto took a closer look, "don't you think this...What was his name..."Yukio Kirikabu..." kind of looks like me?"

Kaguya was not the only one depicted in the painting. At her feet, sitting down politely in front of her, sword at his side, was the young swordsmaster, Yukio Kirikabu."

"Hm...Maybe he's YOUR ancestor? Wouldn't that be something?" Kyoko smiled.

"Wouldn't that be a little awkward?" Makoto asked, "that would kind of make us cousins..."

"Everyone's related to one another in some way, but you do have a point. How about this then? You and I are Yukio and Kaguya's reincarnations?" Kyoko suggested, "though that seems unlikely...After all, Kirikabu seemed to be a lot stronger and capable than you~"

"What are you trying to say!? That I'm weak because I can't wield a sword!?" Makoto snapped, "also, I didn't think you believed in reincarnation."

"Not usually..." Kyoko held his hand as they continued walking through the gallery, "but the idea of picking up where they left off? It's...a nice thought."

[gear-project]

Wait so Ramlethal's katanas could theoretically be a potential threat to Happy Chaos because her Instant Kill is called Soul Extinguisher? Shouldn't Happy Chaos, after spending time in the Backyard, be resistant to spiritual or soul attacks? Unless there is something about the Rattle swords we don't know about.

From the very beginning, the RATTLE katanas were "created" along with Ramlethal herself inside the Backyard.

So from that point onward, they had spiritual features to them that a sword forged in the outside world probably would NOT have.

And while Happy Chaos himself has similar origins, there are different properties to speak of when talking about the difference between a "normal" Backyard Resident, and a being that was "corrupted" by Negative Information.

When the Valentines were created, they utilized the properties of GEAR Cells (from a VERY specific Gear, Justice), a specific kind of Human, and various other useful data that would aid a Valentine's powers in the outside world.

However, with Demihumans and Youkai, they have slightly "different" circumstances related to their birth: some are born from "strong beliefs", "rumors", "fears", "intense thoughts/feelings towards something or someone", or even simply an "intense focus" that manifests itself as a living being or monster.

With Demihumans/Youkai in particular, some are formed from Positive thoughts, while others are formed from Negative thoughts and fears, the former are often associated with Guardians, Deities, and Treasured Objects and Folklore associated with those... However the latter often bear Curses, Deadly properties, and dark Legends surrounding their existences.

You can think of it as similar to the concepts of "Yin" and "Yang" which are focused on both Positive and Negative energies.

That is not to say that all Negative Energy is "bad" or that all Positive Energy is "good" in classification, but in the natural sense of things, it is similar to the difference between Nutritional things and Poison depending on the being or person it affects.

In the case of a being like Izuna... he was born from the well-wishes of a dying woman who wished to see if her husband was safe... and thus Izuna was born as a "guardian" of sorts for human well-being born from an Kanzashi Hair Ornament.

But when you look at a being like I-No:, she was born from the fears and dreads of Humans towards GEAR-Kind: the nightmares and hatred of Gears and the desire for a world free of war and conflict with Gears.

Is I-No's existence truly a Negative existence though? Hard to tell.

With Happy Chaos though... he was exposed to "pure" (undiluted) amounts of Negative Thoughts, Negative Emotions, and dark intent that literally transformed his body and twisted its appearance...

If that sort of thing can transform a "human" in to a "monster"... imagine what it could do to an entire POPULACE of people... that's how potentially DANGEROUS Happy Chaos actually IS.

Just like it's "common knowledge" to avoid toxic chemicals or poison... this is the sort of thing you SHOULD avoid for your HEALTH!

Happy Chaos already classified himself as something akin to an "undead corpse" saying he was "already dead" when he confronted Nagoriyuki (and even Giovanna stated that something "reeks" when she got a wiff of his scent).

But well, just as humans use cleaning chemical agents to get rid of stains and corrupt and rotting elements, there are entities that are the complete OPPOSITE of what Happy Chaos is by nature... beings that COULD purify if not wipe out his very existence!

Thus far, Folklore often hints that the Japanese people are often known for using methods to kill Demons and Ghosts, so those "ancient methods" are most likely the key to defeating something of "undiluted darkness" like Happy Chaos.

Even the very bloodline of the Japanese is tied to the extermination of spiritual entities that have a negative impact on this world...

As for Ramlethal herself... while one might speculate that she has no immediate ties to Eastern culture, just the mere fact she uses Katanas and the "sacred methods used" for forging said katanas, speaks positively towards her case as a potential enemy to Dark Energies (and Chaos).

[acourtofthought]

Yeah, absolutely. I didn’t mean to say that the “only soft with the love interest” trope is exclusive to Feysand, but that it doesn’t make sense to rely on it so heavily with both Feysand and E/riel (two of the sisters’ ships and main romances, whether established or potential).

Especially because, again, that’s not what E/riel is about. It’s literally a ship between two people who can’t communicate even when they have all the chances and instruments to do so, who hide their true selves from the other because they feel (deep down) that they wouldn’t be accepted. And they wouldn’t.

They’re too different, and not in a good way. Azriel’s life revolves around violence and shadows; Elain’s revolves around peace, gardening and sunlight. What do the two of them even have in common? What could they build a relationship on?

Feysand and Nessian have core values in common (and I don’t like Nessian, but it’s objective), Elucien have core values and also hobbies in common. It’s easy to see why these couples work or would work together, but not E/riel.

And even if we were to look past Azriel and Elain’s differences, why would anyone wish for them to be together after what we learned in Azriel’s SF bonus chapter? Because, no matter how you spin it, that was seriously problematic.

Not only does Azriel show that Lucien’s life means nothing to him (which should give everyone the ick considering Lucien is Elain’s Mate and someone she’d never want to be hurt), but also that he has zero regards for her feelings.

Azriel doesn’t stop and think about what it’d be like for Elain to lose her Mate (both psychologically and physically), or acknowledge Lucien’s importance (which goes beyond there being romantic feelings between Lucien and Elain or not). Azriel also admits that he’s only thought about having sex with Elain, and that was a red flag considering the circumstances.

Do I think there’s anything wrong with not wanting anything besides sex? Absolutely not. Do I think Azriel should be shamed for it? Again, absolutely not. Does it bother me that, out of everyone in the NC and Prythian, he chose Elain? YES.

We get it, Elain’s the third sister, Azriel’s the third brother, it’s almost impossible for him not to think “why Lucien and not me.” But shouldn’t some boundaries come into place when you risk hurting another person, and one you supposedly have feelings for at that?

The thing is: Azriel and Elain are two people who view romance and sex differently, who’ve had opposite experiences regarding the latter (as far as we know), and if Azriel actually cared about Elain (even just as a friend) he would’ve spoken to her at length about engaging in something that’s only physical. That’s a conversation that needs to be had, especially if you have an inkling that your partner may not share your view or experiences.

Of course, Elain could simply want to have sex too. We don’t know her enough to rule the option out, and it’s her right to do whatever she wants. But still, how can we, how can AZRIEL know if he hasn’t asked her? How can he respect Elain and her wishes if he only thinks about getting in bed with the third sister, and can’t even ask her if that’s what she wants?

Us readers, being outside of the story, can see that Elain is either (according to E/riels) chasing a romance with Azriel, or (according to us Eluciens) ignoring her too difficult feelings towards Lucien, their mating bond and what happened during the War by seeking an “easier” connection.

Both opinions are based on possible interpretations of Elain’s feelings more than they are based on possible interpretations of her physical desires, and, while both are important, Elain deserves to know that Azriel’s interest is purely physical.

She also deserves to know that Azriel fantasizes about having sex with her, which is okay, per se, but becomes a bit troubling when you realize that the only reason he’s fixated with Elain is that she’s Feyre and Nesta’s sister, that Azriel knows Elain has a difficult situation to still sort through, and never even bothers asking her if she’s fine with it all. (With her situation, his desire).

That’s the quintessential of problematic.

(P.S. Understand, it’s not my intention to shame Azriel. He can do whatever he wants as long as he doesn’t hurt anyone and I stand by that, but I also think that there were many ways to go about his attraction towards Elain, all of them much more respectful to her, and that he simply didn’t care enough to go with them).

Hello again! 😊

You made so many good points.

It almost seems like they get so fixated on a trope (like you said with Az being soft around Elain versus who he normally is) at the very first hint of it and they call it a day. They never bother to question whether it actually meets the criteria for that trope. That trope only works when the female is aware of the Male having a dark side but knows he's soft around her. According to Az, Elain has no idea so she's been tricked into thinking he's someone different than he is. If they're really meant to be together, he should have trusted her to show the good and bad in him especially before they were willing to hook up.

The Bonus Chapter always makes me question how anyone still thinks Az and Elain are endgame.

What girl wants the male love interest to say he's never thought of a future with her beyond his sexual fantasies? In what world does anyone think that means Az is in love with Elain?

And you make an excellent point. There is nothing wrong with Elain and Az sharing a mutual attraction and being willing to hook up and I completely applaud that as part of these characters journeys if that's what they need. But we can still recognize the difference between what that is and actual love.

E/riels love to talk about consent but is it really consent when the guy knows he's given the female a false impression of who he is? Their lack of communication is such a red flag. Like you said, she deserves to know exactly who it is she decided to take that next step with and vice versa. Az also should have been informed on where Elain's thoughts are when it comes to Lucien. He thinks he knows but that's not the same thing as Elain explaining to him what she wants to do about the bond.

I don't think you're shaming Az. I think you're expressing why in this situation Az is not making smart decisions and is basing those decisions on the wrong things. Seeing that he would have kissed Elain wouldn't have become so problematic if it wasn't followed up with all the reasons why he's become so fixated on Elain.. And the fact that he admit to Rhys or himself that he's over Mor..

Thank you for your follow-up! 😍

[indieninja92]

i actually disagree with OP in that i think the people they're talking about aren't treating their books as objects at all - they're treating them almost exclusively as symbols that represent a whole raft of other ideas, well beyond anything contained in the actual physical pages.

i remember reading about how, in the 1950s, america was building lots of new houses for the burgeoning middle class, and these houses almost always included built-in bookshelves. books were a symbol of middle class comfort, because they were associated with disposable income and leisure time.

but the people buying these homes didn't all necessarily read, or want to read, that much! so instead they'd buy cardboard boxes with book spines glued onto them to fill the shelves. they wanted to tap into the book-as-symbol without engaging with the book-as-object.

when books are being used for their symbolic function, they can be put on a shelf like any other ornament. they're set apart from ordinary use, not bought to be read but to be part of a visual story someone is telling about themselves.

if that's how you view your books, then annotating them is akin to using an ornamental bowl to eat your cereal out of. it's not appropriate - that's not a bowl for using, it's a bowl for looking at.

but when the book is being used symbolically, the way we treat it becomes inseparable from the way we treat the ideas it symbolises. destroying a book becomes identical to attacking either the ideas expressed in that book itself, or the ideas people associate with books in general (education, learning, intellectual freedom, etc.)

this is about as far as you can get from appreciating the book as an object. it has nothing to do with enjoying the feel of the book in your hand, the texture of the pages, the smell, the weight, the physical experience of interacting with that object. it's a purely symbolic engagement, with ideas that have little to nothing to do with the object at hand. the book-as-symbol is all about the person, not the book.

for what it's worth, i dont think there's anything wrong with enjoying books as symbols. i enjoy collecting books as a distinct hobby from reading, and i enjoy displaying my collection for all sorts of symbolic reasons. if i didnt, i wouldn't have half so many of them in the house! i like to read, but i also like to be a person who has a lot of books - two very different things!

the issue is really in conflating the two, or in treating all books under all circumstances as either purely symbolic or purely practical. like most things, they're both, and which they are in any moment depends on the person engaging with them. cutting a book up for an art project might be a symbolic attack on those ideas, or it might be a practical use of an easy source of paper. a book on your shelf might be symbolic of your identity as a well-educated, literary-minded person, or it might be a nice splash of colour to liven up your living room. i don't have anything pithy to sum this up except... isnt that cool?!

most annoying trait from what i see as a millenial book girlie culture is "love of books" not as love of reading but as adoration for the physical object. an e-book, a library book or an audiobook don't have the same value because you can't display them forever for others to see. full shelves of unread titles are a symbol of status. annotating your own books is a crime. using old books in art projects like collages is guaranteed to earn you "as a reader this pains me" comments. i love buying a beautiful edition as much as anyone else but man the consumption mentality here is tiresome

[femmefatalelf]

Escaping the Illusion's Web: Why you're trapped in your current life and how to change it

If a genie suddenly popped out of a bottle and offered to answer to any question that has been troubling you, what would you ask? That was pretty visit site here much the situation posed to thousands of metaphysically oriented people recently when they were given the opportunity to solicit the aid of higher consciousness.

Not surprisingly, the majority of the questions concerned personal predicaments. Here's a fairly representative example: "I have been on a spiritual path for fifteen years. I am a vegetarian. I meditate and do yoga. I am a healer and am always offering myself in service to others. Why can't I have the perfect relationship? Please help me. Thank you, Mary."

Mary is typical of the many Light Workers who responded. She feels stuck, disempowered, and more than a little frustrated by the condition of her life, and she wants (almost desperately) to find a way out. This presents a curious dilemma, for in the perception of higher consciousness, Mary's problem has already been surmounted - only she hasn't yet realized this, so she herself continues to perpetuate it.

Within the laws of the illusion created by the Veil of Forgetting (the energetic barrier that separates each human incarnating on Earth from knowing who he or she truly is), problems arise purely out of preference. When you find yourself in a less than optimum situation, it is because the condition as you perceive it clashes with how you would like things to be. If you could look from a higher perspective, you would recognize the perfection of your circumstance, the great care and intent expended in its creation, and the lesson it offers for your growth. And you would realize that the answers you seek are already with you. But while this may be lovely theory, it has little value unless you can do it.

It's always tempting to ask an expanded intelligence to intervene and fix the problem for you, but this also means giving your power away. Given the choice, wouldn't you prefer to learn how to resolve problems by yourself? There is a wonderful saying attributed to the Chinese: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. It is in this spirit that we offer the following information.

The key to the solution is embedded right in Mary's question, hidden so cleverly in plain view that the questioner rarely sees it. Her question, like almost all the others we received, is centered on the pronouns "I," "myself," and "me." "Of course," you might think. "After all, who else but I is experiencing the problem, and who else but I wishes to know the fix?" Beware, however, of truths that seem self-evident. They often turn out to be glib but false axioms that you-like most humans experiencing the world behind the Veil - assume are immutable.

As Albert Einstein delighted in reminding his associates, it is impossible to solve problems at the level of their creation. What this refers to is not the need for more intelligence and information but rather an increased awareness, or consciousness. It is simply another way of expressing one of the universal truths of Creation: What you see depends on where you're looking from. A problem persists only as long as the person experiencing it clings to his or her existing viewpoint.

There is no area of conflict on your planet today - personal, national, or global - that is not rooted in this simple principle. One faction wages war against another only because of differences in the points from which they view. There is no objective right or wrong; there is only perception. The solution is not compromise, for compromise can cripple the spirit and most often results in mutual dissatisfaction and covert resentment. Resolving the issue requires that both parties let go of their personality viewpoints (expressed as belief systems) and rise above the level of conflict to meet in a new field where both are seeing in a new way.

It is the same with an individual's problems. Therapy and processing only help you adjust to what is an unpleasant circumstance. The real solution is to let go of the viewpoint that keeps you stuck and expand into a greater level of consciousness.

"So," you might ask, "can I become more conscious?" The response is "Yes and no." Why such an evasive answer? Because the question holds the very glossed-over, self-evident assumption that lies at the heart of your difficulties. Which I are you speaking about? If you think there is only one, then there is much to reconsider.

[stewiemartins]

The discontent of retailers (as revealed both in common actions and in wholly distinct ones), the distrust of the government amongst industrialists and bankers (as expressed in the refusal of loans), the revival of anti-Semitism (after a defeat or a national humiliation): all these objective realities should be regarded as totalising schemata. But we should realise that every one of them, in itself and for everyone, is the Other, that is signifying structure is infinite seriality, and that it has the practico-inert unity of an index of separation. For example, in so far as retailers have produced their own organs of defence and can affect the government, it is inappropriate to speak of discontent: they fight ministerial power and try to change it. Everything is praxis, if it succeeds, everything will be settled amicably. On the other hand, when the isolated small shopkeeper sees taxes and wholesale prices rising when he is unable to raise his retail prices, he feels, in his very person, the fear of ruin and hunger. But his reaction would be pure terror, rather than discontent, unless, in his very fear he discovered the same discontent among other shopkeepers as a serial totality of impotence, that is to say, unless he discovered himself as dispersed in the seriality of the Other, as affected by the impotence of Others, and as affecting the Others (that is to say, himself as Other to infinity) with his impotence. For this reason, the common material object (for example, tax or the index of wholesale prices) in its practico-inert development, creates the unity of the discontent. But it creates it outside, in him. In the multiplicity of individuals, this discontent realises itself in the theoretical and practical protests of isolated, discontented individuals (who do not know one another as individuals), as the index of their separation. In this sense, it is a social reality; it is a force (as impotence) lived individually, it may lead a person to sell his business, to commit suicide, etc; and in circumstances it can serve as a basis for regroupment) and this force is simply the practico-inert power of hundreds of thousands of people as potential energy. But this force does not reside in anyone, and it is not the product of everyone; it is alterity itself to precisely the extent that, for everyone, it is elsewhere.

Practico-Inert: represents the material consequences of human actions that persist and influence future actions, even though they may no longer align with the original intentions. For the wealth generated by the Industrial Revolution and Climate Change, Climate Change being the practico-inert.

Praxis: The process of putting theory into practice. It involves the practical application of knowledge, skills, or theories in real world situations.

Alterity: refers to the state of being different or the quality of being radically alien to the conscious self or a particular cultural orientation.

I know this is from the Critique of Dialectical Reason by Jean-Paul Sartre but i need to look up the reference and I don't have the copy right now.

[jdgo51]

Believe

Today's inspiration comes from:

A Savior Is Risen

by Susan Hill

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” — John 20:29

"'Doubt tends to creep in at unfortunate times. In pivotal moments, when we need mountain-moving faith, doubt whispers, Does God hear my prayers? Why hasn’t He fixed this situation? How long will this continue? Often, when we experience doubt, we put on our game face and pretend all is well — but there’s a better way.

After Jesus was resurrected, the apostle Thomas struggled to believe the reports about Jesus being alive. Thomas said,

Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe. — John 20:25

Sounds pretty cynical, right? Maybe so cynical that Jesus might write off Thomas? Hardly. Rather than dismissing Thomas because of his doubts, Jesus invited Thomas to take a closer look. A few days later, Jesus appeared to the apostle and said,

Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe. — John 20:27

When Thomas leaned in and took a closer look, he said,

My Lord and my God! — John 20:28

The remedy for doubt is taking a closer look at Jesus. No, you can’t reach out like Thomas did and touch Jesus’ flesh — but you can study His Word. You can study history. You can study science. You can wrestle with the Scriptures and voice your questions in prayer. Jesus invites you to lean in closer and express your doubts — it’s the process that strengthens faith.

Lord, like Your disciples, I pray, “I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). When I struggle with doubt, teach me to look for the answers in Your Word and fill me with Your faith.

Take a closer look at Jesus

Humility

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross! — Philippians 2:8

As the Son of God and Savior of the world, Jesus could have preached with pride and condemnation, but He never did. God could’ve chosen for Jesus to be born into a prominent and wealthy family; instead, He was born into humble circumstances. Jesus could’ve spent His thirty-three years on earth focusing on self-glorification, but instead, His goal was to bring glory to the Father. Although Jesus had the option to turn His back on His mission, He humbled Himself to the point of death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). At every fork in the road, Jesus chose the humble path.

The apostle Peter wrote,

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. — 1 Peter 5:6–7

What does it mean to live with humility? It means in order to love your neighbor, you should lay down your privilege and position and choose kindness and meekness instead. Humble living doesn’t mean you should shelve your ambition — some of the most productive people in the world are the most humble. Humility means approaching your work and goals with the objective of serving God and helping other people.

Humility may present differently in every culture and generation — it’s up to you to look for opportunities to make your life service-oriented. How can you encourage a peer at work and celebrate their talent? How can you surrender your time to volunteer at local nonprofits? How can you commit a portion of your income to help someone else? When done with a pure heart, these actions are all ways to participate in humble living. Identify one way you can actively humble yourself before your neighbor and contribute to Christ’s mission of love. As you do, watch how God changes you.

Lord, I pray You will teach me to humble myself before You and my neighbor. I pray my life will bring You glory and be of service in Your name."'

Excerpted with permission from A Savior Is Risen, copyright Zondervan.

[abotl]

I suspect that part of what purity culture and this bullshit around morally pure reading comes from the following logic:

If it’s good to critique JK Rowling for her antisemitic goblins and her casual racism in text and it’s good to condemn Orson Scott Card for his homophobia, then it must be good to go after anything in fiction that would be bad if it happened in the real world and that is defined by anything I think is bad.

No. The reason those things are bad is because they ARE happening in the real world. Card donates his profits to organizations that want to nullify queer rights. Rowling is a racist TERF who, again, uses her considerable financial power to hurt people.

The stories that you enjoy, the level of darkness, the amount of pain or trauma felt by the characters, the illegalness of their actions - those are NOT HAPPENING. No one is harmed by the existence of a character in a darkfic. That does not mean that every story is a good story for you, personally, to read. Don’t like, don’t read is a genuinely important stance. You are not obligated to read stories that will hurt you. Neither are you entitled to demand they disappear because you think that they are inherently bad rather than bad for you.

The contents and plot and what happens in a story are not a useful place to draw moral conclusions about the author or the reader. In certain circumstances, the subjects of a story and their depictions may be worth criticizing because those are the aspects of the story that are in the world rather than in the book. But that is a judgment on what the story is doing, not a moral judgment on the person.

AND criticism is not the same as purity. Even if you look at a book and say “the ideology of this text is objectively bad” and discuss why, that is not the same as saying “people who read this are bad”. Purity is, in general, a bad concept. We are not meant to be pure and alone and untouched, we are meant to be messy and in the world and connected and exposed to each other and growing. Our goals should be harm reduction and raising each other up and better and more nourishing sources for everyone and you cannot do that if your goal is to remain unsullied and condemn those who are touched by anything you don’t like.

Even within reasonable criticisms and the arguments that some authors or texts are not worth reading, purity is not the reason. It’s not about making sure you are offended by the right things or hiding from bad thoughts. And it’s not about deciding the minds or souls of others are unclean from association. Stop trying to figure out who you should shun and start trying to figure out who you can help.

I really think everyone needs to truly internalize this:

Fictional characters are objects.

They are not people. You cannot "objectify" them, because they have no personhood to be deprived of. They have no humanity to be erased. You cannot "disrespect" them, because they are not real.