#thank you for the insight op! very much agree with you

[fierrochase-falafel]

The homophobia in Kieta Hatsukoi was genuinely handled so well, I love this analysis. It was made very clear that Okano was entirely in the wrong, and neither Aoki nor his friends hestitate to identify that. The only reason Aoki struggles with confronting him is because he doesn't want to make it more of a big deal, which is very realistic because even if they did report Okano, it would also complicate things for Aoki from that point. Aoki is well aware of homophobia and worries about the consequences (particularly for Ida earlier on) in classic Aoki fashion, but he never once questions his right to like who he likes and knows Okano is being a bigot. This makes sense for Aoki as well, because even though Aoki second-guesses almost everything about himself and his relationship, he is pretty vocal and clear on what he believes is right in the context of other people- like when he stepped up to be Cinderella thinking that nobody should be forced into something they don't want to do (even though he did have a crush on Hashimoto when this was happening so...I call multiple motives).

That being said, the representation was also great on Okano's part I think. Okano is a homophobic bigot, but it's not that he means harm. He's just incredibly ignorant to what being gay actually entails (AKA not liking just any guy ever, and not having sex for money), and doesn't engage with the queer community as a straight guy. He still does care about Aoki throughout though, and after eating ramen with them in the manga he is shown to get over himself slowly, still feeling guilty about the things he said and making sure to apologise, and even casually chat with Aoki about their respective signficant others (like in volume 9) in a normal and fun way- actually being the sort of older brother figure Aoki wanted. Meeting Ida and realising that their relationship isn't evil or whatever, Okano takes a step in the right direction by acknowledging different people like different people, and apologising to Aoki while drunk in volume 5 itself. Okano was not justified in what he did at all, but we also get to see him learn from his mistakes and become a more accepting person. In all this though, Aoki and Ida never forgive him and they aren't obligated to even though Aoki ultimately still maintains an amicable friendship/tutorship with Okano. Okano's actions are shown to be as bigoted as they actually are without demonising him nor justifying him, which is a brilliant portrayal of how homophobia in the real world is. It's not okay, but it's not necessarily malicious- in fact, it often isn't.

Okano doesn't expect forgiveness from Aoki either. Ida still casually jokes about leaving him with the burnables after he gets drunk in volume 5 and doesn't like him even after time has passed in volume 8. Even if Okano has grown or changed, it doesn't become Aoki or Ida's responsibility to validate his change and completely forget about his past actions towards them just so he can feel better about having changed. All in all, the homophobia in Kieta Hatsukoi is treated with the nuance and seriousness it deserves I think, which is something that stands out really well and deserves more appreciation.

I would just like to praise kieta hatsukoi for how they handled homophobia, what I really liked about it and it was Aoki’s reaction.

And the reason I liked his reaction so much was because his confidence wasn’t shaken by it. He was definitely shaken by it and hurt, but he maintains quiet and firm that Okada is in the wrong and there’s nothing wrong with his relationship. 

It’s pretty stereotypical in japanese bl manga for a character, like Aoki, who didn’t know they liked guys until they fell in love with the love interest to experience/be exposed to homophobia for the first time (and have it be directly relevant to them) and it sends them into a mental crisis where they start questioning themselves and their relationship, wondering if they’re wrong for what they feel, it often causes tension in the relationship, and in some cases results in a break up (think life: love on the line).

But not my precious Aoki. It effects him, and I definitely think it makes him think about the issue. It’s obviously not the first time he’s thought about it, like he was scared to tell Aida, but that’s different that actually having someone who you’ve had a good relationship with suddenly treat you coldly after finding out. But Aoki doesn’t show any kind of hesitation. He doesn’t shy away from Ida, he doesn’t become overly conscious of him and Ida in public. He’s hurt and shocked, but he still knows there’s nothing wrong with him and he even finds comfort in Ida and their relationship rather than the opposite.

Also the way he fights back against Okada once he gets over the initial shock (plus the empowerment from his friends), and like he does have the stereotypical protagonist speech, but he also just calls him a biggot.

My second favorite part was the quiet and unseen support from the homeroom teacher and Ida’s friend from the volleyball team, who clearly know that Aoki and Ida are in a relationship and do their small, subtle things to support them. It’s so small and they didn’t have to add those two scenes, but they did and it’s heartwarming to see that Aoki and Ida have a larger support system than they realize.

Also, honorable mentions: Ida, Aida, and Hashimoto’s immediate and unflinching support and willingness to punch a teacher in the face.

[beanghostprincess]

Rayleigh and Buggy reunion, but Rayleigh is being over the top judgemental about everything, like idk if u are familiar with crazy ex girlfriend the TV show but Rayleigh shows up and acts exactly like Rebecca's mom does. Overcritical of his life choices and dismissive of what he perceives as excuses coming from Buggy, because he knows Buggy's true potential and is annoyed with Buggy not living up to it. He gives Crocodile a once over and goes "is that what you found to replace Shanks with" and moves on and Crocodile doesn't even have a moment to compute the way he was just insulted because Rayleigh has moved on to criticising Mihawk's cooking instead. Worst part is, this all comes from a genuine place of love and care, Rayleigh is legitimately worried sick about his baby clown son of 39 years, but he cannot express that worry without being extremely invasive about everything. Buggy isn't even responding, he just shoots ppl apologetic looks and rolls his eyes when Rayleigh isn't looking because of course he does this obviously Buggy is never good enough for him and Shanks had always been the favourite (you ask Shanks or any other Roger pirate and they will tell you that Buggy is Rayleigh's baby boy and absolute favourite with utmost confidence, too bad the emotional constipation runs in the crew). Dinner is awkward as fuck, because Rayleigh makes attempts at being easygoing but his motherhenning nature irt Buggy shines through, his conviction that Buggy would be happier with Shanks by his side is making him be overcritical of everyone in that dinner and he keeps discussing the good old days and subtly hinting at Buggy that there is still time for him to go back to Shanks....and Buggy looks close to frustrated tears (and everyone agrees, Crocodile has snapped 5 cigars in half with his teeth and Mihawk is 5 seconds away from banging his head on the table).

Just overbearing father Rayleigh being stifling and trying to overcompensate for his shit parenting choices during Buggy's childhood and Buggy having his daddy issues expanded upon (and Crocodile and Mihawk gaining insight to Buggy's entire deal)

"Idk if u are familiar with crazy ex girlfriend the TV sho-" My therapist literally told me to stop watching it so much because it was affecting my mental health. So. Yes. I know the show. It's one of my favorite shows EVER. Rebecca is just like me fr my beloved. All of them my beloveds. The songs my beloveds. Don't make me go into CEG x OP because I won't finish. And as you can see, I did not listen to my therapist.

Even though I've always seen Rayleigh as the one who understands Buggy the most (Roger and him love Shanks and Buggy equally but it is quite obvious they put more pressure on Shanks to be more like Roger and that only made things worse by making Buggy's inferiority complex exist) and the one who stands up more for him and comforts him when needed, it is true that he might be more judgemental and he'd be worried for Buggy. Like. Think about it. Roger died and the kids (their kids) ended up alone and going their own separate ways. For Rayleigh, finding out Shanks and Buggy aren't together is just?? So weird?? Because they've always been together. Birds of a feather (if somebody mentions the song 'Two Birds' I am punching them because I can't handle that song today please). And it's just... Well, surprising. 'But as long as they're okay' but they're obviously not okay!!! And it's not that Rayleigh is judging Buggy. In fact, I think he would do the same with Shanks. The second Rayleigh sees Shanks he's already saying he drinks too much (even for a pirate) and that he's been acting recklessly and "What the fuck are you doing without Buggy? Is this because of Buggy?" / "I do not drink because of him. It's- It's not about him. He left-" / "HE LEFT AND YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING?????" / "I hate it when you get like this" / "Like what?" / "Like you want to still do something about my life. I'm an adult, thank you very much-" / "No, you're not if you keep acting this way". And I personally think Rayleigh would just be worried for the both of them and also feel extremely guilty because he wasn't there to fix things when they fought, the way he always did. "The second I left you alone you two start a fight that lasts two decades?" and he would say this to both of them and they would hate it.

But yeah, going back to Buggy I think he'd be worried because. Well. Have you seen Crocodile and Mihawk? I mean. They're kind of on good terms with Buggy now (more or... More or less. Kind of. They're not equals but they're some sort of weird thing and they respect and care for each other. More or less. It's- It's complicated. Don't ask) but they're still them. And Rayleigh can't help but see the situation and be like "I'm proud you made a name of yourself, kid, but you don't have to do this if you don't want to" (meaning: You could go back to Shanks any time you wanted) and Buggy takes it as an "You could go back to Shanks any time you wanted because you'd be safer with him" instead of the real "You could go back to Shanks any time you wanted because you'd be happier with him and this war of pride and hearts you have going on is dumb". And he understands Buggy needs to be away from Shanks to grow, but it's just so, so sad to see them like this when they used to love each other so damn much.

Also, I think Buggy would be going through the worst moment of his life and Crocodile and Mihawk would be so done for different reasons. First, they don't give a fuck about all of this drama. And second, they are starting to see Buggy more like a person and understand why he is the way he is, and the things Rayleigh is saying are bothering them a lot. They've been trying to make the clown move on from his past so he's useful for once (because when he believes in himself he's actually not a burden and more interesting) and now this guy (that they respect because it's Silvers Fucking Rayleigh) comes and tries to change things around here? Nope. Not happening.

So basically, what you're trying to tell me is that Rayleigh regrets raising the boys that way and now he's overcompensating and it's overwhelming for everyone, right? I- I love it. Great plot. 10/10. In character. Perfect. It makes me go insane. I love their daddy issues.

(Also, can we talk about how "This Was a Shit Show" and "What'll it be" are extremely Buggy songs??? Because- Because now I want to-)

[anpanman95]

so I just read a post from @everythingiloveblog and—first of all go check it out it has incredible insights and constructive criticism— I feel OP has made an incredible point which brings me to something that bothers me from episode 10:

Okay. I understand Jack and Joke have a…very unusual relationship. I know they’ve been through hell and back, together and apart, and their bond is stronger than ever.

And, ever since the beginning, they show us a dynamic that doesn’t promise to be all “lovey-dovey” or cute or anything like that.

That’s fine. We’re all here for it. Every relationship is different, and actors Yin and War have made it clear Jack and Joke’s dynamic was going to be different.

But, and this is a big, big but, there are things I do not agree with, and I’ll start by casting light on this moment right here where they say “I love you” for the first time.

Emphasis on the first time.

That was not a first time “I love you”. That’s not how you say I love you for the first time to your lover with whom you’ve been through hell and back.

I mean yes, they’ve shown it plenty, but still. This moment was, and I’m very sorry if I ruffle some feathers, to me, very bro-coded (there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just not very engaging for me)

And as much as I love their dynamic, as much as I love their characters, it felt incredibly underwhelming and lacking of a tenderness I was desperately craving after such a long slow burn. I know I may be coming from a more “romantic” point of view, but what’s wrong with a little romance?

I really would have loved them to be a bit sweeter, or more tender about it.

Another thing is the closing scene at the hospital; sure, Joke later tells Jack he was the one who betrayed, but Jack didn’t know that right away, and the first thing he saw was the man he loves in shambles, bawling his eyes out, visibly in need to be held, and he didn’t take him into his arms nor made any move to get at least physically closer to him.

That put me off, if I’m being honest. Aren’t they supposed to be in love and care for one another? Jack did say “I’ll only focus on you” and, yeah, he’s angry and confused about Save and worried about his daughter but it would have been very human of him to at least seek and give comfort to the person he loves.

They do have their moments, their chemistry is top tier, and that’s undeniable. But there are certain little actions that would be very realistic for them to partake in, and it leaves me a tad unsatisfied when they don’t.

Of course, I’m still eating this up, I’ll take anything. Yin and War did an incredible job with this show, and this is just a bit of criticism, done in my most humble, respectful opinion.

Thanks for reading! I know some will not agree and that’s fine! Let’s just all be respectful about it! ✨🫶🏽

(post from OP)

[krypticcafe]

the worst thing about the "Maus" thing is that it's not even smth someone speaking german would say. it sounds like he's pointing out random mice. the proper use would be "Mausi" or "Mäuschen" if we're gonna have to go with that pet name. Maus would only ever work in specific sentences like "Meine kleine Maus." but even in those the adjective is always diminutive to indicate that its a pet name and not just a random animal. There are so many potential nicknames but its a boring one and used wrong on top of it. Might be stupid to get worked up over that but it's fucking ANNOYING

Thanks for the insight, OP! I knew there were variations German words for nicknames (I've seen schatzi and täubchen) but I never knew it had specific connotations. And yes, I absolutely agree, there are some other cute nicknames I've seen used!!

I'm not a German speaker or aware of the regional differences there could be between German and Austrian pet names, but here's some of my faves I've seen:

Mein/Meine [insert name] - I'm very curious if there's a gender neutral usage of this or if "mein" is the default.

Prinz/Prinzessin - Prince/Princess; too bad there isn't a gender neutral version.

Schatz(i) - Treasure; someone let me know if the "i" makes a difference. It's my personal favorite since I think in an accent it sounds much more natural plus I just like how nicknames in German aren't too soft-sounding but still very meaningful.

Häsechen - Bunny; surprised it isn't used more.

Engel - Angel; this has me melting in a puddle, idk why I prefer this pronunciation over English lmao

Liebling - Heard that "liebe" is typically feminine and liebling works better. It's basic but I like it a lot.

Süßer - Sweet; it's sounds so cute what the fuck man

Täubchen - Little Dove; I'd personally call König this or Bärchen, it's so fucking cute why don't people use this more >:(((

If any of you are German speaking or German or Austrian natives, please correct me if needed! I'd also highly appreciate it if you guys can pitch in any other pet names and how they're used, preferably gender neutral and maybe some clarity on how suffixes (-i, -chen, etc) affect the name. I'll see if I can put it in a list for people to reference (and I will credit by the end of it, lord knows I don't know shit on German language lol). I know I can look online, and I have, but tbh I trust natives more than articles written by quirky English travel blogs.

[kyouka-supremacy]

hi! I've been going through your blog and I love all your analyses, we may not agree on everything but it's definitely fun to read and eye-opening and I'm grateful to see someone looking into bsd with such depth and whipping out whole essays <3

On that note. There was a fan theory I read when dead apple came out (for the life of me I cannot remember the source, if anyone knows please tell me) that Atsushi's healing ability applies only to the injuries caused by other abilities, and he can't heal from non-ability things like guns etc. The op cited the scene in ch18 where Atsushi is caught in a shooting, and healed by Yosano in the next chapter.

This theory came about because 1) in dead apple, Shibusawa says that the tiger is "the antithesis to all abilities" and "the ability everyone desires." Then we never get the reason why Shibusawa was so obsessed with Atsushi. And 2) in ch7 after sskk's first encounter where Atsushi's leg is severed, Yosano takes a look and thinks "there's no scar, it's more of a restoration than a regeneration."

The gist of this is that I like the idea of Atsushi not being 100% invulnerable. And, if his is indeed the antithesis to all abilities then I'm excited to see what that entails; it implies that in the face of a time travel ability, he would be able to turn back time (if he knew how to use it ofc, cough Fukuchi fight cough). If the book is tied to an ability, Atsushi may be able to undo changes done by the book? he may also nullify Dazai's nullification? idk this opens many doors. Anyway! this is my fave bsd theory. I think, with how Akutagwa's ability sort of completes Atsushi's, and with the whole Rashomon being able to eat space, maybe with this development it will also "eat" a portion of the timeline, as in, undoing the events that occurred? is this making any sense? sorry for the rant I'd love to hear what u think, thanks <3

Hi!! Thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot!!! Could this be the post you were looking for? Funny enough, it was at the very top of my reblogs queue. Indeed, it's an extremely insightful theory!!!

So, there's a lot to unpack here. Ever since I've read that theory, I've found Yosano's thoughts regarding Atsushi's healing from chapter 7 extremely interesting. It's curious, because the nuance gets completely lost in the official English translation:

(Raws → fantranslation → official Yen Press English translation). As you can see, the meaning gets totally lost in the last one. It almost makes me wonder if it was an intentional change due to the fact that the plot point won't be brought up in the manga in ten years (much like opting out of adapting the Steinbeck Guild uprising in the anime, since that plot point has been apparently discarded), but I hope that's not the case.

All taken into account, I don't think it's a stretch to say Atsushi's ability, due to his quality of denying other abilities, can only quickly regenerate as far as other abilities wounds go. When I was reading the manga I thought it was only plot convenience and suspension of disbelief, but taking a closer look perhaps the pattern of wounds not caused by abilities taking longer to heal isn't coincidental: it already happened with the wounds he suffered from in the orphanage, which ended up leaving scars (chapter 28), with the Guild's attack, which was of unknown nature but required Yosano's help to heal (chapter 18-19), with Twain's sniper attacks, which as the theory's Op point don't seem to have healed immediately (chapter 29). But in my opinion it's still too little instances to be able to affirm with certainty that it's not just coincidences dictated by plot convenience.

I do have a feeling there must be Something to Atsushi's ability. it can't just be tiger transformation and wounds regeneration. He's the protagonist, and leaving it at that, that's about the lamest ability of them all (sorry!! I love him still!!). I like the idea of Atsushi's ability being truly special, carrying qualities that have yet to be unfolded that make it different and somehow above the other abilities. I really think it'd be the most satisfying progression narrative wise, because so far Atsushi has gotten really little to claim for his protagonist role, being constantly overshadowed by Dazai; but he's the main character still, and it's like the story itself is waiting to reveal what makes him special. And there being something special to his ability has been, though subtly, consistently underlined: the extraordinary bounty on his head that nothing about what we know seems to explain, the fact that the Guild wanted to capture him specifically, the no further elaborated on fact that he's the key to finding the Book, Shibusawa's concern with him and, most importantly, the ability's quality of tearing through other abilities. Like, that feels very relevant; it's different from Dazai's nullification ability in the way it doesn't just temporarily nullify the other ability, but straight up denies it. I feel like in a manga that is so littered with meta commentary on literature, it'd be fitting to have an ability that denies other abilities' very existence, like moving an eraser through the page. It's certainly interesting to think about. And I like the concept of Atsushi's ability as an alternative to Dazai's nullification ability. Dazai has been feeling invulnerable so long, it would be gratifying to contemplate the existence of something that's outside of his sphere of influence, and potentially even more powerful and destructive than he is.

Again, there's already so many elements that make it impossible to ignore the uniqueness of Atsushi's ability; but even then, they're still so sparse and obscure it's really hard to take a guess on what it could really be about, or what is the reason why it's special. There's so much space for speculations - a connection with the book, a singularity, a God-like ability just to name a few -, but in my opinion none of them have any concrete enough canon basis to leave space for theories. I think I'd rather limit myself to say it would make a lot of sense for it to be an ability superior to other abilities, since it's something that has the power to tear through abilities themselves, and I believe that such quality is also coherent with its link to the Book as another ability-originated, extremely powerful object. The ability's power to rewrite reality, if only to a smaller extent compared to the Book, may further hint to its connection to the Book / being originated from the Book / sharing origins with the Book. When the ability immediately helps Atsushi regenerate from ability induced wounds he is lowkey rewriting the story to portray a reality where Atsushi wasn't hurt, and when he tears abilities apart it is lowkey rewriting a story where the ability didn't exist. In that, I believe it wouldn't be too far-fetched to draw similarities with the way the Book works. This also made me realize that where it's confirmed that the Book's altered reality to the point of changing the ada's memories so they remembered committing the terrorism crimes, I'm pretty sure that we never got the confirmation the same happened to Atsushi. Then, what if the book can't have effect on Atsushi due to his ability, but only on the reality surrounding him.

So yeah. I'm curious to see how this will unwrap, although I have my doubts I'll still be around when it does (man, the manga is going to take another six months just to catch up with the last anime episode, so you know). I really really like the concept of Atsushi's ability developing in a way that will make it more functional in a rematch against Fukuchi. I've been advocating for a sskk vs. Fukuchi rematch for years at this point, and it seems like we will indeed be getting it; and sskk BETTER win it this time, it wouldn't make any narrative sense to be otherwise. But to do that they'll have to overcome their biggest disadvantage that is Shintou Amenogozen's time manipulation, so you know!! Looking forward to see a sskk that is now mature and experienced unveil new skills to their abilities.

[hornystiel]

hiii again gen z mutual from the other day here, i wanted to let you know that yes i did read everything and enjoyed too!

regarding the issue of using "old" too loosely and using it to make weird ageist comments, i understand your concern and i agree. although i haven't seen that much towards other people in the spn fandom but more towards actors like to wish a happy birthday to them i saw people saying "grandpa" and that was very odd (wasn't on tumblr though). also about your point about how busy adults have time for fandom, the way you wrote that was quite moving and very real.

regarding destiel you had a super insightful answer, which i was not expecting but was super appreciated i'm gonna try to reply slightly more in depth, sorry i don't remember the order but several points were made:

- 40 is absolutely canon dean age and in no way old and dying at any age below like 80 is quite young so yeah absolutely dean is not old

- regarding them getting old and being put in a heteronormative box, i agree on that so much and i hate those stereotypes with a passion too. i will say i get the appeal of the more white picket fence life, the suburban lifestyle or baby jack in art, it's downright delusional but it's the kind of dream that leads to seeing them happy which is heart-warming. thankfully there are wonderful exceptions that are realistic enough to want to indulge in them especially for AUs. i'm not immune to high quality fluff is all

- i LOVED the super realistic headcanons you had for dean and cas and i need you to know how incredibly interesting and CORRECT they are (the cas being too frustrated to garden too real)

long story short: no offense taken i appreciated your in-depth reply and if you read all this you're the hero ;)

(re this convo)

i am genuinely so happy my thoughts didn't look smth like 'old woman yelling at cloud' :') your answer is very sweet, thank you

the 'old' thing i mostly see on twt because here i follow those who'd never say smth like this in an ageist way but well even here some posts like this can still reach my blog through the vine but usually it's people already rightfully grumbling at the op so <3

about destiel - thank you again, usually people don't really like my way of thinking about them or are simply not interested in that (no offense to each their own) and i'm just doing my thing with a close circle of weirdos but sometimes it do be lonely. so you saying you find my thoughts interesting means a lot 💜 and of course, there are works (fics, art etc) that nail even the happy-fluffy-white-fence concepts and i enjoy them despite me not being a fluff loving person really. and sure, aus are literally for this - discovering different paths for the characters and if it's done in a compelling way - cheers

i can talk for a long ass time about all my hcs (hashtag just girl things) it's just i usually don't receive a lot of feedback on them so i keep them to one on one chats mostly, but you're always welcome to ask me stuff or just chat, i love chatting (even tho i guess i can be seen as an angry intimidating person sometimes because...well. i am angry at a lot of things sighhh)

anyway thank you again, i really enjoyed both answering your asks and reading your reply 🌷

[otogariado]

found a thread made by a japanese mlm about the fujoshi label, in response to a tweet that's now deleted. thought it provided some insight so i'm gonna share it anyway. thread was originally from twitter on august 3 2020. he also linked resources in the thread as well as a poll from JP twt about if they should keep the label or not, which i didn't include here but you can find by accessing the post source.

obvs disclaimer, communities are not a monolith and one person isn't the end all be all of a discussion, but i think we should consider and listen to what he says anyway. especially if we're not from japan. op uses he/they according to their twitter bio.

@/matchamallow from twitter: "As a japanese mlm... Please don't spread more misinformation about the word fujoshi. 😅 It's simply a woman who likes BL. It's also a reclaimed word in Japan so making it a bad word again is not nice. Plus BL is very important to LGBT movement in Japan."

@/bokutosbooty replies: "I’m sorry!! i didn’t mean to start fujoshi discourse or try to change its meaning. It’s just that in the west i’ve been seeing a LOT of western mlm be uncomfortable w the term bc of its negative implications and associations set by those who fetishize mlm."

@/matchamallow replies: "Don't worry! And yes I know many self proclaimed fujoshi in the west behave very poorly. I think we should fight the behaviour and not the word, you know? Because of course I don't agree with how they act, but I also dislike seeing a word from my culture with so much history be associated with that. I don't blame anyone for conflating the two! I'm just trying to show resources so we can fight misinformation and bad behaviour together without demonizing a word."

@/bokutosbooty: "yes!! THANK YOU for leaving your thread and pointing out the real problem of fighting the behavior rather than fighting the word!! it saddens me to see fujoshi has such a negative undertone in the west bc thats very disrespectful to japanese otaku who have reclaimed the term"

@/matchamallow: "Yes, that's why I think we should recognize its origins and context. There's nothing inherently wrong with being or calling yourself a fujoshi - the wrong thing is being disrespectful to real people. We should strive to educate them and clear up the meaning of fujoshi."

@/matchamallow: "Again I don't blame anyone for being uncomfortable with the word or disliking some of their behaviour. That's very understandable. I just want to clear up misunderstandings how I can and focus more on the behaviour, not the word. And thank you for listening!!"

@/bokutosbooty: "thank you for sharing your information!! hopefully all of the fujoshi discourse ends and the focus solely on fixing bad behaviors as we both stated!! pls take care and have a good day!!"

[smol-jelena]

screaming...op your brain is so huge...adopting the new insights i learned from your analysis into my understanding of her...

aughh i'm so happy to see someone else point out how she's willing to defy the rules and expectations of the ipc when it doesn't align with her values, goals, etc., even if it's to her detriment. it stuck out for me for some time and i could not have explained it better!

—

I really don’t think she is that blinded as her words make her out to be, and her actions do seem to be contradicting to that as well. (op's analysis above)

agreed!!

to me she seems more...near-sighted than blind, as i do think some of her beliefs are aligned with the ipc.

Topaz: I appreciate each case has its difficulties, but if I treated every late debtor as a "special case," the galaxy's economy would come to a grinding halt. (jolted awake from a winter dream, future market (i))

Protecting the interests of the vast majority of people is the reason I chose this career path. The IPC has given me an excellent platform to pursue my goals... and for that, I have nothing to complain about. (topaz voice-overs, about self: occupation)

the ipc can give planets the resources they need to survive and grow, and in exchange they'll pay the ipc back. it facilitates the exchange of goods and services so involved parties can gain what they lack, while giving back the ipc so that the system can sustain itself. this is my impression of what topaz believes in that aligns with the ipc. well at least part of it.

she views the ipc as a flawed but a (mostly) fair and trustworthy system.

the problem is that the ipc just isn't fair or trustworthy on a fundamental level. a system where its very foundation is for the sake of its own growth and accumulation of resources for itself simply has to take way more than it gives. to quote the song "give and take" by poor man's poison because i'm fun like that (joke) "give and take only works when both sides really give and take."

it's a lie the ipc sells so well because there's some truth to it in smaller-scale interactions, but on a macro level it's gradually sucking the resources out of the world for itself, inevitably causing a lot of harm in the process. hence why i used the term "near-sighted".

i don't actually know just how much topaz understands this. my personal stance is that it hasn't fully clicked yet. she is at the very least, aware that the ipc only cares about profits.

Topaz: The IPC doesn't need fleeting intangible goods like souls. They only want profit. (i can't find a site with the full-script but it's in her dialogue in the luminary wardance event)

...but i think she views this as more of a neutral thing rather than something actively harmful. i understand that she's practically stuck in the ipc and regardless of her views, she'll have to make the best of what she has, but i don't think she'd be as passionate about her job if she had already come to this realization. this is entirely my own speculation and i'm open to other ideas/interpretations!

—

For someone who was molded at a young age, you would think she wouldn’t be this rebellious. Especially if she truly did think that the IPC is ultimately good (added: which she actually has never out rightly stated). (op's analysis above)

hmm i wonder if we can thank dvorski for part of that, topaz's former team leader back when she was working in marketing team 166. topaz — then just jelena — notably calls him "uncle dvorski", in contrast to how she addresses jade.

(also omg i never realized she never explicitly said the ipc is good, but it makes sense...)

when jelena broke the "pets are forbidden in the office" rule, dvorski let it slide when she convinced him how having pets helped her work.

"— But I think this rule is useless and doesn't need to be obeyed at all. To be honest with you, sir — with these cute little things around, my work efficiency went up by twenty-seven percent!" — jelena "...I won't question the numbers coming out of your mouth, but..." — dvorski "See? This little one — up you get — it's called Numby! Don't treat it just as a normal Warp Trotter. It's really sensitive to the scent of money! Now I bring it with me wherever I go abroad for business. It's basically become my lucky star~" — jelena "I never thought I'd see such creatures at the office. Seriously... *cough* Anyways, I'll pretend I didn't see it. Just remember, the next time the director comes for a visit — Ah! Ahhh! What's going on!? D-Don't bite me! Q-quickly! Get it away —" — dvorski (topaz's character story: part ii)

the adorable interaction aside...it's so telling how jelena is comfortable being so candid with him in an environment like the ipc. dvorski then turning a blind eye to her breaking a rule after she gave him a good reason. it aligns perfectly with how jelena operates now. this interaction — and possibly other similar ones we don't see — may have instilled in her that she can defy the system as long as she can back up her actions.

it's also notable that dvorski sees his work at the ipc as a means to end, which probably isn't unusual for an ipc employee, but it's significant because he was likely a very prominent figure in jelena's life given how much presence he has in her character stories.

I may not be able to call myself distinguished, but I have at least gathered enough wealth for the next few generations of my family. I desire nothing else. — dvorski, letter to jade (topaz's character story: part iii)

he seems fairly open about it too, even to a high-ranking superior like jade. maybe this is simply part of the "culture" of the strategic investment department "valuing results above all else"...or maybe it's because he's retiring soon...

regardless, the same/similar mentality is seen in how jelena views the ipc.

Money is a means, not an end. Work should make you happy... That's the most fundamental principle. (topaz voice-overs, hobbies: work)

the ipc only wants profit (aka money), and money is a means to an end, and there's also more to life than money.

Topaz: Capital definitely plays a critical role in the universe... but if everything in the world revolved around it, then life would be a lot less romantic... don't you think? (topaz's dialogue on the astral express)

jelena and dvorski's "ends" differ, but they both align in the belief that the ipc is the means to their ends, and they're both fairly open about too.

to round all of this out, dvorski seems to care a lot about jelena, which likely means a lot to her, and could be part of why the core of her character can be seen in dvorski as opposed to just business expertise (in contrast with jade).

"Dear Mr. Dvorski, Thank you for your constant support and help over the years! I would definitely not be where I am today without your care and nurture. I offer my deepest apologies for being unable to attend your retirement farewell party — I am currently working abroad at Taikiyan. Once this project is over, I will definitely take a whole day off and go visit you. Also, I seem to recall that you are into Roboball — So I'm going to bring back some souvenirs for you from Taikiyan. Yours Faithfully Forever, Jelena." "..." "Mr... Dvorski? Are you... crying?" (topaz's character story: part iv)

all of this (at least partly) explains how jelena can be so rebellious despite practically growing up in the ipc. it's likely a combination of her own character with dvorski's nuturing leadership. she has her own values and goals, but a lot of his qualities are reflected in her as well. also i'm realizing now just how much their relationship contrasts with her relationship with jade after reading your analysis...

—

speaking of...your the section about topaz and jade was really enlightening! it helped me better understand their relationship and it says so much about how topaz views and operates in the ipc.

It shows that Topaz is mindful with how she should behave in front of Jade, not wanting to divulge more into personal topics and strictly staying professional. This hints that she is aware of Jade’s manipulation and tries to extract what she learns from her. (op's analysis above)

i didn't previously consider topaz navigating the ipc in such a careful way but it makes so much sense! she's trying to maintain her sincerity and protect her interests while ensuring her own safety and success! that's very impressive...

—

sorry for the incredibly long reblog...i was so excited to see such a thoughtful analysis of topaz/jelena and the floodgates opened...

i don't have a lot of confidence in my ability to properly analyze media so i just call these my thoughts inspired by the media...but if anyone finds what i added enjoyable or valuable in any way then i'm glad!

Topaz's Awareness

I feel like people don’t give Topaz enough credit on how aware she is about her surrounding… It is easy to think she just blindly believes the IPC is good, or that Jade means well based on what she states. But there’s some nuances that shows her thinking is far more complex than that.

For example, just in her character stories alone, she goes against IPC rules in what she doesn’t believe in. This is shown through her rebellious behavior of purposely failing the business formality exam, or going around the rule regarding pets.

She didn’t agree and found it won’t harm her if she didn’t listen exactly to those rules according to her contract. She also tries to beef up her reasoning by proving it won’t hinder her capabilities to get her job done, making it harder to question her “exclusion” to said rules.

In a way, despite being stuck in a lifelong contract, she seems to try and go around the system as much as possible to operate the way she believes instead of blindly following the rules set.

For someone who was molded at a young age, you would think she wouldn’t be this rebellious. Especially if she truly did think that the IPC is ultimately good (added: which she actually has never out rightly stated). It’s more like she believes you can do good in the company, and she tries to take advantage of it to try and do that.

There’s only so much she can do at the end of the day, as the IPC clearly has specific conditions and goals in mind she still has to follow. However, she tries her best to examine all parties involved and present a solution that tries to make majority happy or satisfied.

This showed quite a bit in her approach with Jarilo VI. She did start off rather roughly with her initially engagement. Though she backs off to be able to assess the planet, trying to find evidence and proof for the IPC to say they can get a better deal because they have more value.

During her talk with Svarog as well, she states that she went out of her way to do extra research on seeing if planets could recover on their own from a Stellaron, indicating the possibility of not needing the IPC’s help.

For someone who claims that the IPC can help, this little action of hers shows that she doesn’t necessarily agree with the company’s method and would rather them recover on their own without the deal as long as they have proof to backup the claim.

If the planet is able to recover on their own, why sign a deal with the IPC and possibly be put on a lifelong contract like her? Topaz goes out of her way to try and find proof that they can recover on their own. However, she states her results were all negative about that search.

Going into the end of the Jarilo VI’s case when Bronya reveals the Engine of Creation, Topaz genuinely takes into consideration that the planet has a chance to recover without the IPC, giving them her full support by even taking a demotion to her position to ensure they don’t sign a deal.

This only occurred though because the planet appealed to Topaz’s rational/logical (added: risk-averse) side with proof, something she seems to value when making decisions. Without proof, she can’t take the words at face value and treats it as a note to maybe consider with some skepticism.

Now, this leads to her dynamic with Jade. Her voice lines about her does hold her in high regards, but most of it talks about her business skills and support she can provide (with a hefty price). (Added: Note that this is only EN TL, which is inaccurate as in CN, she actually refers to Jade as a benefactor and not “nobility”.)

In a logical and business standpoint, Jade’s skills are widely known and similar to Topaz’s style of getting things done efficiently. Especially as her student of sorts, she takes her teachings of business but places her own twist to it by adding in her kindness as a factor.

However, despite seeming to “idolize” Jade’s achievements and skills, Topaz has made points to show that she is aware Jade is not exactly who she tries to present herself to be as. In 2.3, she reminds her team to not call Jade “big boss”, saying they would get punished if so.

It hints that she is aware that there’s more to Jade than what she shows, especially knowing that Jade didn’t want Topaz to see her negotiate with the Family after learning how greedy they were to try and push the IPC out.

It was further hinted as well that despite seemingly knowing Jade for a decent amount of time and even being mentored by her, Topaz creates this “distance” with Jade when interacting with her. She would stay very formal ironically to her, calling her “Madam Jade” instead of "Miss Jade" until told not to.

Even when Jade insists that they are equals and there’s no need for such titles, Topaz still mentions that Jade is her senior. Even during their other talks, Topaz seems to try and strictly keep their topics to business, seemingly a bit cautious when Jade brings up Aventurine.

This is really seen specifically when Jade mentions Topaz’s trust in him. She seems to divert the topic to her logical business reason to why she would bet her cornerstone in this mission. But the minute Jade seems to casually speak about Aventurine, Topaz tries to go back to business.

It shows that Topaz is mindful with how she should behave in front of Jade, not wanting to divulge more into personal topics and strictly staying professional. This hints that she is aware of Jade’s manipulation and tries to extract what she learns from her.

What I mean is, she takes Jade’s teaching with value in a business sense. She clearly remembers her lessons and how to approach negotiation well. However, she doesn’t follow all of it by heart, changing it according to what she believes in and how she adds kindness to it.

She does value what she can learn from Jade, as it helps her strive and excel in her goal of helping others. But she navigates cautiously and seems to keep her guard up when gaining knowledge. It’s similar to Aventurine where he knows about Jade, but values what he can gain from her.

This doesn’t even go into the Keeping Up with Star Rail trailer where Topaz was co-hosting. She has always been good at analyzing and assessing. But it’s interesting she mentions not to test Jade, even hinting she was close to being “swallowed” by the abyss while looking nervous…

Ultimately, I just think Topaz is far more complex than she presents herself to be. I really don’t think she is that blinded as her words make her out to be, and her actions do seem to be contradicting to that as well.

This is just how I’ve come to interpret her behavior as I found it really off despite her words. She makes for an interesting character to analyze.

Original Date of Posting on Twt/X: Jul 3, 2024

[writingwithcolor]

B’nei mitzvah in spaceship without Jewish community | Jewish character celebrating Christmas

Hi! Thank you so much for running this blog. I appreciate how much time and effort all the mods have put into it. I finished reading through the whole Jewish tag a few days ago, and I’ve learned so much! I’m writing a Voltron fic (I *know* lol) and decided to make one of the protagonists a white nonbinary Ashkenazi Reform Jewish girl. Her astronaut brother mysteriously disappears in space and is presumed dead, so she runs away from home a couple of months before her b'nei mitzvah to find him. Now, she’s in a group of rebels in space fighting against an Empire. I have two concerns:

1. Everyone on the ship misses home, so part of the way they cope is through getting in touch with their cultures. They’re gonna celebrate (a mostly non-Americanized) Christmas because it matters a lot to some of the characters for non-religious reasons. To what extent can my Jewish character participate in the celebration without it being weird? I want her to enjoy herself more because she’s with her friends than because Jesus etc. They’ll also celebrate Chanukah, if that helps. I know Chanukah isn’t a major holiday, so I also want to have her celebrate a more significant one like Rosh Hashanah and/or Purim with them. Is it okay for gentiles to participate in those holiday celebrations, or should she do that alone?

2. Throughout most of the story, she’ll struggle with choosing whether to prioritize fighting the Empire or finding her brother and bringing him home. When she eventually does find her brother (who also turns out to be a rebel), he lets her decide whether they stay or go home. I thought it would be nice if she decided to stay and keep fighting for the greater good after she finally has her b'nei mitzvah. Her friends and other experiences are also a big part of why she decides to stay, but the b'nei mitzvah would be what gives her the final push she needs to decide. I don’t know if it would be okay for me to write the ceremony itself or if she can even have one if only two of the eight people on the ship are Jewish. I read that not everyone has a b'nei mitzvah and that it’s not required, but I feel like it’d be a big deal to her character. Should I keep the b'nei mitzvah idea, or am I heading towards appropriative territory here?

I want to make her Jewishness a big part of her character’s growth, and I really want to make sure I do it respectfully and accurately. I plan on finding a sensitivity reader when I’ve made more progress with actually writing everything out. Thank you for any insight you might offer!

It feels off to me to join a community symbolically when you’re far away FROM the community. Why not just have had her already have done the ceremony before she has all these adventures? That way it could just be a straightforward story about a Jewish teen having exciting heroic adventures in space, rather than a story about what happens when you have to miss aspects of Jewish life because you’re in space. It would also make the “….well, I guess I’m around for Christmas” bit less weighted because then that would be the only one of those instead of having two of those.

–Shira 

I’ll cover some other territory here. For those who don’t know, b'nei mitzvah is something you just automatically become at the correct age, the ceremony is simply to celebrate that with the community. Not all people have the ceremony, but if you are Jewish, and of age (for religious purposes), your status changes with or without it. Personally, I’m comfortable with showing a Jewish character finding a way to have a Jewish celebration when the circumstances are less than ideal, for me the other aspects of the story are more troubling. 

On the subject of having a Jewish character celebrate Christmas with their friends… look I don’t like this trope. There are many Jewish people, who are completely secular, who don’t celebrate Christmas, because it is explicitly a Christian holiday, and secular Jewish people are still Jewish. Some Jewish people (secular or otherwise) do choose to celebrate other holidays, and I am very comfortable with those folks telling their own stories. What I’m not happy with is the push from outside of the community for every Jewish character to slide into assimilation. 

Some Jewish people will go to Christmas parties and not eat the food, because they keep kosher, or won’t stay for a tree-lighting, because that feels like it goes too far, or will give presents but not receive them. There are a huge number of ways we might handle Christmas, and I appreciate that you plan to show holidays other than just Chanukah (and yes, it’s fine for non-Jewish characters to join her in her holidays, if she invites them), but I always question why a non-Jewish writer is so keen to show Jewish characters celebrating Christmas. The most generous version of me wants to assume that you get so much out of Christmas that you want to share it, but the part of me that knows about the pressures to assimilate, and the history of increased antisemitic violence around Christmas thinks… just leave this kid alone. She missed her celebration, she’s far from her community, and now she has to go put on a Happy Assimilated Smile for the culturally Christian folks around her. From a nonbinary Jewish perspective, it’s a little unusual for your nonbinary character to use she/her pronouns, and use b'nei mitzvah as a gender neutral alternative to the gendered bat mitzvah. In secular life, at least in the US, it’s not uncommon for people to use multiple pronouns, but I haven’t met, or even heard of, a single person using gendered pronouns secularly, and using new neutral alternatives religiously. It absolutely could happen but, because it is so unusual, to me it reads as either invalidating the character’s gender, or tokenizing her in the religious sphere. 

–Dierdra 

Shira, I think that’s a really good idea to make the character post-b'nei mitzvah. That way you just have a Jewish character having adventures rather than her culture being The Conflict. (And also, a pre-b'nei mitzvah seems a bit young for this storyline? Can she really consent to fighting alongside the rebels? Do they habitually take unaccompanied children on their ship? To me a teenager would make more sense, but hey it’s not my story!)

Dierdra, your answer regarding the Christmas aspect was awesome and really thorough. Thanks for your thoughts on the pronouns as well, it also jarred with me but I was waiting to hear your opinion as you have lived experience. My worry is if you use gender neutral terms for one but not the other, you risk falling into to the stereotype that only marginalised religious folks have to change our language etc to be inclusive to LGBTQ+ people, but everyone else is fine. 

I wanted to come back to the point about Rosh Hashana. First of all, thank you for acknowledging that we have holidays that are more important than Chanukah! Sooo many OP’s don’t know that. In terms of how she would celebrate it, I agree it’s fine to invite non-Jewish people along. However, given how community-based Jewish life is, making her keep Yom Tov on her own feels a bit like a torture story, especially when others have people to celebrate Christmas with. I wonder if you’ve thought about giving her a Jewish friend on the ship? Especially if you want her Jewishness to be part of her growth as you mentioned, an older Jewish friend and mentor could be a huge help :)

–Shoshi

As you can see, we have a wide range of possibilities for “what happens when you ask a Jewish person about celebrating Christmas.” I didn’t mind hanging around it as an outsider myself until a certain subset of Christians started being mean-spirited about it in the news plus some personal trauma that time of year, as long as everyone involved was clear that I was just participating from the outside and this didn’t somehow change me. (If I may make an analogy: compare it to going to a baby shower when you want to support your friend or family member but also really don’t want kids of your own. You’re going to have a whole different experience if your decision is respected vs. if all the other guests treat you like you being there means you’ll change your mind about not wanting kids.)

That being said, it’s still all over the map. Some people IRL are okay even going to mass with their partner’s Catholic family (without participating in communion obvs.) Some would never, ever do that and are sitting here with shocked faces that I even typed that. But what becomes important is the way it’s written. Sitting around listening to the Christmas story is probably a bad fit for your fanfic, but helping other people bake Christmas cookies or put ornaments on a tree could work. The ornament thing could remind her of decorating a sukkah, and she could point that out to the others. 

I guess I’m saying is 

keep her participation secular, and 

keep her participation from leaning into the idea that we’re unhappy with our customs and would prefer to do it their way. 

I have literally never in my life felt jealous of the kids who “got to do Santa” (for example) and while I’m sure some kids were and they’re valid too, I think it’s important to show that it’s not a universal phenomenon.

–Shira

[nerdythebard]

#15: Aphrodite, Goddess of Beauty

Umm... I, uh... t-this... ughhh...

You know what, let's just move on! (>///<)

Next Time: The true king of music comes in to bring the heat!

Now that we've got that embarrassing thing out of the way, let's... uh... see what we need to play as Aphrodite in D&D:

Soulmate Bond: While the concept itself is exploited to its core by fanfiction writers, here we need to focus our attention on our party members. We're the ultimate support. If we're close, they are better at doing... well... D&D things.

Sustainability: We might be offering our heart and soul to help our teammates, but we can't forget about ourselves. We won't be much help if we cannot survive.

The Power of Love Protects You: Aphrodite is a very good healer. Her Ultimate also grants temporary invulnerability to her soulmate. #LoveWins.

---

Despite being often viewed as "just a goddess of love", Aphrodite is an immensely powerful Elder Deity. Born directly from the Primordial being Ouranos, she is love and desire and passion; some of the most powerful forces that can drive a person to accomplish their goals... or to make them completely mad.

In D&D, however, we're going to make her a Protector Aasimar. We get +2 Charisma and +1 Wisdom, 60 feet of Darkvision, Celestial Resistance (which grants us resistance to radiant and necrotic damage), and we know how to speak Common and Celestial. Thanks to the Light Bearer feature, we know the Light cantrip, and because of Healing Hands, we can touch a creature and make them recover Hit Points equal to our overall level (once per long rest).

I think we can all agree that if Aphrodite was a character in D&D, she would be a total socialite. For that, let's modify the Noble background slightly, by swapping out History for Insight, keep the Persuasion proficiency, swap the proficiency with a gaming set into another language of our choice, and let's replace the Position of Privilege feature with a similar yet bit more useful Kept In Style from Sword Coast: Adventurer's Guide. This feature makes sure that whatever city we're in (it does say Waterdeep, but work with your DM on that one), our needs and desires are catered to and most expenses are sent to our family to deal with. Our name and family symbol might grand us (and our party members) discounts or straight-up free lodging and meals at a high-class festhall, and general approval from the middle class.

ABILITY SCORES

There is no doubt about it, Charisma is our top ability; we're the Goddess of Love and Desire, we need to flaunt it and charm people left and right. Wisdom is next, we may not look like it, but we're actually pretty resourceful and can read people quite well. Constitution is after that, all casters need Hit Points and yes, we're going to be a caster.

Dexterity is a little lower than I would like it to be (especially since SMITE Aphrodite doesn't use any armour), but we'll make it work later. Follow that up with Intelligence, we might seem like an occasional ditz and books are Athena's thing anyway. Finally, we'll dump Strength.

CLASS

Although there were several ways to make this build work (I was considering another Sorcerer multiclass), I've decided to use the recently-released stuff. We're going Cleric start-to-finish.

Clerics have a d8 for their Hit Dice, and they start with [8 + our Constitution modifier] initial Hit Points. They gain proficiency with light armour, medium armour, shields, and simple weapon. For Aphrodite, I would go with a quarterstaff (with a holy symbol attached to it) and studded leather armour. Clerics' saving throws are Wisdom and Charisma, and they get to pick two class skills (Medicine and Religion).

Level 1: Clerics start their D&D adventure by picking their subclass, their Divine Domain. There once was a leaked playtest material with the Love Domain subclass (which was later rebranded as Unity Domain), but with the release of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything it became the Peace Domain, and that's what we're using.

With the Implement of Peace feature, we gain proficiency in Performance. The Emboldening Bond feature lets us choose a number of creatures within 30 feet of us (including ourselves) equal to our proficiency bonus. For 10 minutes, all bonded creatures can roll a 1d4 and add the result to any attack roll, ability check, or saving throw they make... okay, so this is basically the Bless spell, but lasts longer and targets more creatures... Aphrodite, why are you so broken OP from the start?

Clerics also gain some Domain Spells, when they hit certain levels. Those spells do not count against the number of spells Clerics can prepare per day, and are always prepared:

Heroism imbues one creature we touch with bravery for 1 minute (concentration). For the duration, the creature is immune to being frightened and gains Temporary Hit Points equal to our casting ability modifier at the start of each of their turn. When the spell ends, all of the remaining THP are lost.

Sanctuary wards one creature within 30 feet of us against attacks for 1 minute. Any creature that attacks the spell's recipient must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, they must choose a different target or lose the attack (or spell). If the protected creature initiates an attack, a spell, or deals damage to anybody, the spell ends.

Besides those spells, we also get some from the Spellcasting feature. Clerics know cantrips, regular spells, and rituals. We start by picking three cantrips:

Guidance is a must-have for support players. It lasts for 1 minute (concentration), and it gives the creature we touch a 1d4 to add to their next ability check. The spell then ends.

Sacred Flame is probably the best source of radiant damage in the game. Target within 60 feet of us must make a Dexterity saving throw or suffer 1d8 radiant damage (damage increases as we level up).

Word of Radiance is a great way to handle swarms and multiple enemies. Each creature of our choice within 5 feet of us must make a Constitution saving throw or suffer 1d6 radiant damage (damage increases as we level up).

Clerics have access to their full spell list and prepare spells every day. The number of spells we can is [our Wisdom modifier + our Cleric level]. We are only restricted by the number and amount of spell slots. At the 1st level, we get two 1st-level spell slots:

Guiding Bolt creates a flash of light that targets one creature within 120 feet of us. On a successful hit, the target suffers 4d6 radiant damage, and the next attack roll made against it until the end of its next turn has an advantage.

Healing Word uses a bonus action to target one creature we can see within 60 feet of us and let them recover [1d4 + our spellcasting modifier] Hit Points. The healing increases by 1d4 for each spell slot higher than 1st-level.

Shield of Faith grants us (or a creature within 60 feet of us) a +2 AC bonus for 10 minutes (concentration).

Level 2: We gain one of the Cleric's signature skills - Channel Divinity. Once per short or long rest, we can become a conduit for the divine powers and perform one of the following effects:

Turn Undead: Each undead creature within 30 feet of us must make a Wisdom saving throw or be turned for 1 minute. A turned creature must spend its turn trying to move as far away as possible from us and cannot willingly move closer than 30 feet towards us.

Balm of Peace: CD effect granted to us by our Domain. As an action, we can move our full movement speed without provoking attacks of opportunity and when we move within 5 feet of any other creature while doing that, we can restore [2d6 + our Wisdom modifier] Hit Points to that creature.

We also get to learn one more spell: Protection from Evil and Good last for 10 minutes (concentration). Until the spell ends, one target we touch is protected against the following types of creatures: aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. Creatures of those types have a disadvantage on attack rolls against the target. The target also can't be charmed, frightened, or possessed by them.

Level 3: We unlock 2nd-level spell slots here. Spiritual Weapon creates a manifestation of our deity's power (it can be a sceptre, a weapon, or even a comb or a giant lollipop). We can summon it as a bonus action within 60 feet and make melee attacks with it. On a successful hit, the target takes [1d8 + our spellcasting modifier] force damage.

Our Divine Domain also grants us two spells at this level:

Aid bolsters our allies' toughness and resolve. We choose up to three creatures within 30 feet of us. For the next 8 hours, each target's Hit Points and Hit Points Maximum increase by 5.

Warding Bond creates a connection between us and one creature within 60 feet of us for 1 hour. While the bonded target is within 60 feet of us, it gains a +1 to their AC and saving throws, and resistance to all damage. Unfortunately, if they take damage we suffer the same amount.

We also get a new racial feature: Radiant Soul. We can use our action to sprout a pair of luminous wings, which give us flying speed of 30 feet for 1 minute. Once per turn, we can also deal extra radiant damage (equal to our level) to an attack or a spell. This feature can be used once per long rest.

Level 4: Time for our first Ability Score Improvement. Let's raise our Wisdom and Constitution, to start rounding up those odd numbers.

Because we've increased our spellcasting ability, we can pick two spells here:

Hold Person forces a Constitution saving throw onto one (humanoid) target within 60 feet. On a failed save, the target is paralysed for 1 minute (concentration).

Calm Emotions does the opposite of what Aphrodite stands for, but it's nonetheless useful. The spell forces a Charisma saving throw onto all creatures within 20-foot-radius sphere (creatures can also choose to fail this throw). On a failed save, we get to select one of two effect: suppress the charmed or frightened status for 1 minute (concentration), or suppress a creature's hostile feelings for 1 minute (concentration).

We also learn a new cantrip: Spare the Dying helps a creature with 0 Hit Points to remain stable; the player doesn't have to make Death Saving Throws, but the character is still unconscious.

Level 5: Our Turn Undead gets an upgrade and becomes Destroy Undead. Starting at this level, when an undead of CR 1/2 or lower (skeletons, shadows, zombies, etc.) fails the saving throw against our Turn Undead, it gets destroyed instead.

We also unlock 3rd-level spell slots: Spirit Guardians create a flock of spectral protectors in a 15-foot radius centred on ourselves for 10 minutes (concentration). Creatures within the area have their speed halved and must make a Wisdom saving throw or take 3d8 damage (radiant if we're good or neutral, necrotic if we're evil; half damage on a successful save). We can select which creatures are unaffected by the spirits, and we can choose the form they appear as. For Aphrodite, I'd suggest doves since those are her sacred animals.

Our Divine Domain grants us two spells at this level:

Beacon of Hope lets us grant a number of creatures within 30 feet of us an advantage on Wisdom saving throws and Death Saving Throws for 1 minute (concentration). We also receive maximum healing from spells.

Sending allows us to put a telepathic message in the mind of a creature we've previously met (or seen, like in a photo). The message must be of 25 words or less, and the receiver is able to reply.

Level 6: Our Channel Divinity feature can now be used twice per short or long rest. We also gain a subclass feature: Protective Bond. The bonds we create help people protect each other. If a creature affected by our Emboldening Bond is about to take damage, any other bonded creature within 30 feet of them can use a reaction to teleport to their location and take all the damage instead.

For this level's spell, we'll go with Fast Friends. Using her divine beauty, Aphrodite can ensure people do her biddings without question.

Fast Friends lets us charm one humanoid within 30 feet of us that can hear and understand us. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become charmed for 1 hour (concentration). While charmed, the creature will carry out any task and provide any service we ask if we do so in a friendly manner. Any task that might harm the target or conflicts with their morals requires another Wisdom saving throw. When the spell ends, the target realizes they were under a spell.

Level 7: We don't get anything class-related, but we do unlock 4th-level spells:

Death Ward grants one creature we touch immunity to death for 8 hours. When the target's Hit Points get reduced to 0, they come back to life with 1 Hit Point instead and the spell ends. The spell also protects from instant-kill effects, such as Power Word: Kill.

We also get more spells from our Divine Domain:

Aura of Purity creates an energy surge spreading 30 feet from us. Until the spell ends (10 minutes, concentration), non-hostile creatures within the aura cannot succumb to diseases, have resistance to poison damage, and gain an advantage against the following conditions: blindness, deafness, charmed, frightened, paralysed, poisoned, and stunned.

Otiluke's Resilient Sphere is our another attempt at Aphrodite's Invulnerability ability. The spell creates a bubble of force that surrounds a target within 30 feet of us. For 1 minute (concentration), nothing – spells, physical objects, or energy – cannot pass through the bubble, and the target inside cannot be harmed by anything. They can use their action to move the bubble up to half of their speed, a'la giant hamster ball.

Level 8: A lot happens to Clerics here. First off, we get another ASI; let's boost our Charisma and Dexterity. Next, our Destroy Undead now works against the undead with a CR of 1 or lower (spectres, ghouls, boneless, husks, etc.). We also learn another 4th-level spell: Banishment sends a creature within 60 feet of us into another plane of existence, provided the target fails its Charisma saving throw. The spell lasts for 1 minute (concentration) and has two outcomes, depending on where the banished target is from:

If the banished target is native to the plane of existence we're banishing it from, it gets transported to a demiplane prison and reappears in the same spot when the spell ends.

If the banished target is not native to the plane of existence we're banishing it from, we must keep the spell active for 1 minute for the banishment to be permanent.

Finally, we get another Divine Domain feature: Potent Spellcasting allows us to add our Wisdom modifier to the damage dealt by our Cleric cantrips.

Level 9: Once again, we don't get any new class upgrades, but we do unlock 5th-level spells:

Holy Weapon enchants a weapon we touch with divine energy. Until the spell ends (1 hour, concentration), the weapon emits a bright light for 30 feet and a dim one for another 30. Attacks made with the now blessed weapon deal extra 2d6 radiant damage and if the weapon is not magical, it becomes so for the duration.

We also receive our final Divine Domain spells:

Greater Restoration is a high-level healing spell that cures serious ailments, such as curses, status effects (charmed, exhaustion, petrification), loss of Maximum Hit Points, etc.

Rary's Telepathic Bond links together the minds of up to eight willing creatures for 1 hour. Until the spell ends, the creatures can communicate telepathically freely, regardless of distance (although they must be on the same plane of existence).

Level 10: We learn our last cantrip: Mending repairs some minor breaks and tears in objects we touch, such as broken key or a severed rope. The spell can mend a damage of up to 1 foot.

We learn Divine Intervention from our Domain. We call our deity for direct help, and roll percentile dice. If the result is equal to our Cleric level (or lower), the plea is successful and we receive help from our god (DM's interpretation. It can be a vision, a direct manifestation, a spell or an item useful for the request we make, etc.). If we do not succeed, we can try again after taking a long rest. If we succeed, we can try again after 7 days.

We also learn another 5th-level spells: Mass Cure Wounds creates a wave of healing energy that affects up to six creatures in a 30-foot-radius sphere appearing at a point of our choice within 60 feet of us. Each target regains Hit Points equal do [3d8 + our spellcasting ability].

Level 11: Our Destroy Undead now affects the undead with the CR of 2 and lower (ghasts, poltergeists, will-o'-wisps, etc.).

We unlock 6th-level spells here. Word of Recall allows us to teleport us and up to five willing creatures within 5 feet of us to a pre-established sanctuary to our deity.

Level 12: Time for another ASI! This time, let's raise our Dexterity and Constitution.

Planar Ally allows us to summon an otherworldly helper directly from our deity's entourage. The creature can be a celestial, a fey, or a fiend loyal to us, although it is under no compulsion to carry out orders. It will also demand payment for its services.

Level 13: We unlock 7th-level spells at this level.

Temple of the Gods is the divine version of Mordenkeinen's Magnificent Mansion, but with less furnishings. We create a temple within 120 cubic feet space for 24 hours, and designate creatures who can freely enter it. Undesignated creatures may try to breach the temple, but have to succeed on a Charisma saving throw. If they manage to enter the temple, they are hindered by divine magic; each attack roll and saving throw carries a 1d4 penalty to their overall result. The spell cannot be cancelled by Dispel Magic or Antimagic Field.

Level 14: Our Destroy Undead feature now affects the undead with the CR of 3 and lower (wights, vampiric mists, mummies, etc.)

Since we've skipped Revivify, now is a good chance to have a resurrection-type spell. Resurrection brings back a target that's been dead for no more than a century (that isn't undead and didn't die of old age). The spell neutralizes poisons and diseases, closes wounds and regenerates missing body parts; it does not, however, remove curses. The resurrected character takes a -4 penalty to all of their attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws; each long rest reduces the penalty by 1.

Level 15: We don't get anything here, just 8th-level spells:

Antimagic Field creates a zone (10-foot-radius sphere) in which no magic can exist for 1 hour (concentration). Summoned creatures disappear, magical items become mundane, spells cannot be cast. Magical effects (charmed and frightened conditions, etc.) except ones coming from artefacts and/or deities are suppressed.

Level 16: Time for an ASI! Let's put one point into Constitution and one into Dexterity.

Holy Aura radiates from our body up to 30 feet for 1 minute (concentration). Any creature within range that we choose is also sheds the same light in 5 feet radius of them and have advantage on all saving throws, and other creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against them until the spell ends. If by chance a fiend or an undead attacks us, it has to make a Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the spell ends.

Level 17: Our Destroy Undead reaches its peak potential and now affects the undead with the CR of 4 or lower (ghosts, banshees, flameskulls, etc.)

We also get our final Domain feature: Expansive Bond. The benefits of our previous Bonds now work for creatures within 60 feet of each other. Moreover, if a creature uses Protective Bond to take somebody else's damage, they have a resistance to that attack.

We finally unlock 9th-level spells. Mass Heal affects any number of creatures within 60 feet of us and restores up to 700 Hit Points, divided as we choose. The creatures are also healed of all diseases and blindness and deafness effects are removed.

Level 18: We can now use our Channel Divinity feature three times per rest.

We take a few step back with spells and take the 7th-level Divine Word. We choose any number of creatures within 30 feet of us and force a Charisma saving throw on them. On a failed save, the creatures suffer an effect based on their current number of Hit Points:

50 or fewer: deafened for 1 minute

40 or fewer: deafened and blinded for 10 minutes

30 or fewer: deafened, blinded, and stunned for 1 hour

20 or fewer: killed instantly

Regardless of their Hit Points, a celestial, a fiend, or a fey is additionally sent back to its native plane of existence and cannot return for 24 hours (unless via Wish spell).

Level 19: Time for our final ASI. Let's get that Dexterity up again and... I dunno, maybe Strength? Doesn't change much, but it's better than having an odd number for more important stats.

Now... in case the theme of this build hadn't been clear before

And the 9th-level healing spells are absolute monsters. Power Word: Heal restores all Hit Points of one creature we touch. It removes charmed, frightened, paralysed, and stunned conditions, and if the creature is knocked prone, it doesn't waste its movement to get up.

Level 20: Our capstone is Cleric 20, which grants us probably one of the strongest endgame abilities: Divine Intervention Improvement. From this point onwards, our Divine Intervention always succeeds. We don't need to roll for it, although the 7-days limit is still present.

For our final spell of the build, we get True Resurrection. We can bring back a creature that's been dead for no more than 200 years and hadn't died of old age. The spell restores all of their Hit Points, closes wounds, removes poisons and diseases, and even lifts curses. It can even make a new body for the willing soul, if the old one's gone.

---

And that is it. Aphrodite, the protective Goddess of Beauty. Let's see how well (or not) we've made her:

First off, and this should come as no surprise, we're a support character. We have a plethora of healing and protection options, and our charms could help us and our party members to avoid conflict. We have the AC of 15, 133 Hit Points on average, and a +3 to our initiative.

Unfortunately, this build has a few downsides: we're don't have many damage-dealing abilities, with the most prominent being our cantrips. Also, we're pretty useless against creatures immune to being charmed. Our Intelligence is also not great, so those saving throws could be trouble.

---

Anyway, another deity off the list. I hope you guys enjoy yourselves with these builds. I'll see you next time!

- Nerdy out!

[abraxax-heart]

Oh, I love your universe! Jason would 100% either forget to tell how he got his ring or most likely not really know how, and poor Kyle would pay for it the next time he reaches earth, sitting in an interrogation room surrounded by bats (he also wouldn't know how Jason got his ring and I imagine would be very confused).

I have not read about what you mentioned about willpower vs motivation or any of it's ramifications, so I guess I have some reading to do on my old friend PubMed... That being said, I agree with your characterization of Dick. How he lets his anger boil and simmer under his skin for so long without an outlet until it reaches a point when it doesn't stop and he ends up crossing his morals, hurting himself and others in the end.

Duke would be so OP and he does deserve that. He also would be so annoying to Hal tbh.

I like your version of the indigo corps better. It always left a bitter taste in my mouth what the og concept is, the lack of agency, the ableism, it's icky. And like I said, Damian is working so hard on his empathy and compassion and unlearning the League's teachings and learning to be his own person, it would fit to have an indigo ring for him, in your universe.

Lastly, on the topic of Bruce and what you've alluded it's coming, all I can say is: Good luck Bruce Wayne, you are gonna need it.

Thank you so much for expanding your universe and giving me some more insight!

Batfam Lantern AU:

Some of my hcs for Lantern!batfam and how they came to be.

Jason: Fuck, I hate you guys so much... All high and mighty, pretending like you give a shit when you keep enforcing a system that's not fucking working...

Tim: hey what's that in the sky?

Dick: God you're such a fucking asshole, if you hate us so much why are you even here?

Jason: Well because some poor fucker has to make sure-

Duke: Jason, watch out!

Jason: *gets knocked out by the sheer extreme speed at which the violet ring flung itself at him.*

****

Tim: Hey Dick, how are you? We heard about that argument you had with Bruce, and reopening old wounds and everything...

Dick: That's sweet, but I'm doing great, don't worry! Punched a bunch of criminals, hung out with friends, now I feel amazing. Of course, if it gets me an excuse to hang out with my little brother...

Tim: Cool, because I'm already breaking into your apartment and I'm -woah, what the fuck is that?

Dick: Oh, you like my new suit?

Tim: what the fuck holy shit is that a red lantern ring? Can you take it off?

Dick: I mean, I think I'll die? It's fine, it's fine, totally cool. Probably someone will have an idea how to fix it if I need to. I'm perfectly calm!

***

Izzy: Hey Duke, you feeling good about physics?

Duke: Wait what's in physics?

Izzy: The test...? That's gonna count for like half our grade...?

Duke, who meant to study this weekend but spent it sleeping off opioids after Croc nearly entirely gnawed off his foot: Ah, right, the test. It's going to be fine! I've figured stuff out with worse odds.

Izzy: If you say so! Hey what's that hovering ominously around you?

Duke, absent-mindedly pocketing a blue ring: hold on a second, gotta dip, Dick is texting me he needs help. You'll never guess what stupid shit he's gotten himself into.

***

Damian: Jordan! I challenge you in combat for the right to your ring!

Hal: Eh, kid... You really need a green lantern ring?

Damian: I shall prove I am as worthy of this honour as the rest of my fami- will you quit gazing off? What are you staring at?

Hal: *wordlessly points at the indigo ring floating behind him*

Damian: oh.

[outbythehighwind]

Tifa’s Fighting Style

One of the things that impressed me most about FF7R is Tifa Lockhart’s combat. Her mechanics were dazzling. Her combos left me awed. Her style was so realistic, but... what was it? Naturally, I did some digging, and happened to stumble across a blog where most of the work had already been done. So this post is courtesy of Flowerslightning, with thoughts and elaboration on my part. THANKS AND CREDIT TO THIS WONDERFULLY INSIGHTFUL BLOGGER (do check out her tumblr for more fantastic content).

First, let’s note that Tifa’s combat design is very much in the field of fighting games. To some degree at least, developers take inspiration from real-life arts. The style of Tekken’s Lei Wulong, for instance, is based on the Drunken First. Street Fighter’s Chun Li uses the model of Chinese Kenpo.

The FFVII devs - to my knowledge - have revealed nothing on Tifa’s inspired martial arts background. She adopted the monk style (the fisticuffs of FF-verse) from a traveler named Zangan. That’s all we know. She trained (obviously very hard) as his pupil for the 2 years between Cloud leaving Nibelheim and Sephiroth burning the town. Zangan then brought her to Midgar and continued his travels. The only path for discerning real-arts inspiration is through observing Tifa’s fights - though even such attempt is limited. Her style is not as straightforward as Lei’s or Chun Li’s. She seems to employ a mix of martial arts, specializing in the offense and using speed and dexterity to her advantage.

Here are the main styles that Flowerslightning deduced, supported by some of Tifa’s abilities.

1. Muay Thai [demonstrated by Somersault].

This is the known as the “Art of Eight Limbs” and is commonly referred to as “Thai boxing”. It differs from traditional kickboxing (which has its roots in Japan) most notably in being an 8-point instead of 4-point striking system. In other words, Muay Thai employs elbow and shin strikes in addition to kicks and punches. Tifa’s kicks, I would say, are actually more akin to kickboxing, for Muay Thai places emphasis on heavy kicks involving the shin bone. Yet her acrobatic style is very akin to the latter.

In addition to the key boxing techniques of both the Thai and Japanese art, Tifa’s elbow maneuvers provide further evidence for the former. This is most evident during her fight with Loz, where she uses her elbows for offense and defense. One could say she expanded her Thai-based skills during in the 2 years that followed saving the world.

Running a new bar and raising two under-10-year-olds would have left at least a... smidgen of free time, right?

2. Muay Thai [demonstrated by Refocus].

Some may suggest this move of Tifa’s is a Taekwondo technique (we’ll get to that lovable sport soon, don’t you worry), but I agree with Flowerslightning in that her jumping style is more Muay Thai. Almost all Muay Thai techniques use movement of the entire body, rotating the hip with each kick, punch, elbow and block. This to me is the obvious discerning factor. Tifa exquisitely throws her whole body into the majority of her combos and limit breaks, ground and aerial alike. Specifically through that neat hip rotation. Refocus is but one example of many.

PS. Don’t you just love her boots? The gloves are really something but, those red boots... Just look at them.

3. Taekwondo [shown in Overpower].

Literally the “Way of the Hand and Foot”, this is a Korean martial art set apart by its emphasis on kicks. Head-height kicks, jump spin kicks, swift kicks, the list goes on. (But of course, there’s plenty of hand blocking and take-downs too.) Did you know that Taekwondo is part of South Korea’s military training program as well as their national sport? Its skillset is heavy in self-defense.

Tifa is mostly an offensive attacker (and wow, do her strikes deal devastating damage). Yet her aerial maneuvers and acrobatic footwork certainly have elements of Taekwondo. What makes the Taekwondo kick-style unique is its elaborate, advanced forms. Xtreme 720s, for instance, are underpinned by precise technical soundness and accuracy.

Yes, these are literal 720° mid-air turns with a SERIES of kicks timed in utmost precision. They require extraordinary strength. Something Tifa deceptively pulls off with ease, no?

4. Hēi-Hǔ-Quán [displayed in Starshower].

Flowerslightning deduces this ATB ability to be a Boxing combo. Though to me it looks more like Hēi-Hǔ-Quán (lit. ‘Black Tiger Fist’, a Shaolin striking art from China). Watch her hands closely: the thumbs are curled like the fingers rather than wrapped around them to form a fist. Tifa’s wide stances and acrostic kicks are a little less tiger-esque than Hēi-Hǔ-Quán, but there is definitely resemblance of the style there too.

All in all, she seems to employ a mixture of Shaolin arts and Boxing. Her finger-positions for fast jabs (as in Starshower and the Loz fight) are predominantly of the Tiger Fist. Her more powerful strikes, meanwhile, include Boxing crosses, hooks and uppercuts. The sewer cutscene demonstrates this clearly, when Tifa & Cloud encounter the Sahagin.

And damn, do we love the back-to-back Cloti in that scene. Surely I’m not just speaking for myself here.

5. Boxing [displayed in Unbridled Strength].

Tifa’s aforementioned fist moves and powerful finishing punches are no doubt reminiscent of boxing. Also, she always enters a fight with her fists closed in a boxing stance (whether she will employ Shaolin or other hand techniques is irrelevant). Take her cutscene against the Whispers where she, Cloud and Aerith arrive at Sector 7. She begins with a cross and follows with a rotated hook - one of the most basic boxing combos.

BONUS FACT: Rather than orthodox, Tifa always employs a southpaw stance (right hand and right foot forward). This is the preferred stance of a left-hand fighter. Is Tifa left-handed? Considering her fighting alone, yes is the plausible assumption. Here are a few examples:

     - Unbridled Strength has her delivering a finishing blow with her left hand. We would expect such a move to be done with the power hand.

     - Her single strike that hurls Loz across the church is also with the left hand. This punch is not part of a combo; she could have used either hand.

     - In guard position, her left is the rear hand, to both attack and protect herself.

     - And of course, in southpaw stance, she always begins with a left-hand strike.

However, all of Tifa’s general actions (to my observance) - like bartending, catching Aerith in the sewer, carrying the Buster Sword into Corneo’s quarters, etc. - suggest that she is right-handed. So why use the left, the weaker, as her dominant hand in fighting? Could she actually be ambidextrous? That is a possibility. But weighing up the evidence in addition to Tifa's ingenuity, this could well be out of fighting strategy.

Southpaw can give Tifa a strategic advantage, you see, because of the tactical and cognitive difficulties her enemies would have of coping with a fighter who moves in a mirror-reverse of the norm. In other words, she takes advantage of the fact that most fighters lack experience against lefties. Doing this:

     - opens up chance for a variety of surprise combos;

     - puts her human enemies in danger of KOs by what would otherwise be ordinary strikes; and

     - enables her to trick her opponents should she unexpectedly convert to orthodox during fights.

Pretty damn awesome, huh?

6. Gymnastics [dodging maneuvers].

Gymnastics, like fighting arts, enhances balance, strength, flexibility and agility - the four areas Tifa excels at. Now, we’ve talked a lot about her strong points. But what of her weaknesses? Players will have noticed immediately that Tifa has a major setback. She can accurately be described as a glass cannon, due to her low HP and defenses that counter-balance her speed and dexterity. That is precisely what makes playing as her so compelling; you get that sense of life or death intensity. The fight feels REAL. She is the least OP character in the party, in addition to by far being the most difficult to master. Utilized properly, she can be the strongest of them all. And wow, is that rewarding or what?

Because of her weak defenses, Tifa must constantly remain on the move, and gymnastics is the quintessential means in doing so. Hand springs, aerial cartwheels - you name it, she’s got it. As if those kicks and uppercuts don’t scream epic enough already. Doesn’t it just make her even MORE amazing?

So I’ve added Hēi-Hǔ-Quán to Flowerslightning’s conclusion: that Tifa’s combat is Mixed Martial Arts, with her dominant skills as Kickboxing, Taekwondo and Muay Thai. And of course, the interweaving of Gymnastics, which adds an elegance to her epic kickassery.

Tifa lost her teacher after just two years, and spent the last five managing & running a bar, serving as AVALANCHE’s funder & treasurer, and effectively solo-raising Barret’s little daughter. Add two more years, and we have a completely absent Barret, a very sick child in addition to the one she is (now permanently) raising, and a depressed, distant Cloud who has left her to struggle as a solo barkeep, full-time nurse and single mother. How on earth did she find the time and will to master her fighting techniques?

Yes, we are talking about fiction, but this woman is nothing short of incredible. Not simply as a fighter - that isn’t even the start of it. Tifa is, to me, the character who has had it the hardest. Yet she perseveres. And not only that, but she gives. She gives and gives, and doesn’t give up, even when everyone else around her has. In addition, she is the only ‘ordinary’ member of the party: Cloud, on top of military training, had his senses enhanced with Mako & Jenova cells; Barret literally has a gun for an arm; and Aerith as the last Cetra possesses exceedingly strong magic. Tifa, like with everything she does, worked hard to hone her skills. And that, to me, is incontestably admirable.

As Flowerslightning put it, she was “ready to go through hell and yet still remain soft”. And those virtues she held to, where most people would have quit. Compassion and perseverance to the end, the two traits that uphold her - to me - as the most inspiring hero of fiction.

[plutoswrath]

i’m sorry to annoy you with this again. i just look up to your kpop mixed with astrology content. but lucas’s neptune contact with his mc is going to annoy the shit out of me until this is fixed. the cloudiness that neptune brings to his public image is something that i think possibly fuels these situations further. false accusations and mixed perceptions based off of them is exactly what makes these scandals to continue on and on. and i’m sick of it. both sides ignore what the other is saying and it gets nowhere. neptune, the malefic bastard.

Hello! I saw your recent asks and I appreciate your words regarding my content, thank you so much for the kind words! <3

I will touch on astrolgy under the cut, but before this happens, I want to leave a few words. There's a reason why I didn't answer the previous questions I received (not only yours op) regarding the Lucas situation so far. For several reasons I didn't want to feed into any sort of (perceived) sensationalism in regards to the Lucas situation, even though I'd really love to look at the situation from an astrological point of view. That people are divided on this topic is to be expected, but I think the way it has been handled by majority so far is very bad. I really want to elaborate on my reasoning why we should rethink the way we talk about/represent the Lucas situation right now, but as this topic is very kpop specific everything will be under the cut.

My reasoning for avoiding any questions about it until now:

1. People already don't take the situation seriously enough: Regardless of what your standpoint is, I'd like for people to consider looking at it from a more critical point of view for a second: The allegations are not about him being exposed as ‘just a f-boy’ as some people make it out to be, they are more serious than that. Lucas allegedly manipulated and used these women for his own emotional/sexual/financial needs and ego boost. The fact that he has money and allegedly still used other people to provide financially for him just demonstrates the power play underneath it all. He abused his position of power as an idol, the power dynamics between him and fans who idolize him are plain and simple just completely off. Please think about the fact, that he allegedly decided who to date on at fansigns. This alone gives no security to any fans that want to attend fansigns in the future. TW SV: he also talked one of these women into having sex with him + doing it unprotected, which is not only emotionally/sexually manipulative/coercive and can possibly be traumatic for them but also heightens the risk for transfering STD's as END TW he was supposedly seeing people at the same time/cheating. In general, the behavior he gets accused of leaves trauma and is abuse, to be more specific abuse of power on multiple levels and his social position makes it just easier to continue abusing that power. As you've mentioned yourself op, there is a huge back and forth about the allegations, and I know people like to take situations like the one of Taeyong as an example to justify that not every public apology is real and that allegations turn out to be false years later, but I believe it's different this time and that the allegations that came forward were real. Even his cbar closed, a fanbase that works closely with Label V (!), that alone shows that there is 'at least' some truth to the story, or else his hardcore fanbase wouldn't have decided to turn their back on him in matters of just days. Also, all the 'jokes' and the portrayal of 'juicy gossip' people make about the situation just downplays and ridicules the possible traumatic experiences of the people that were hurt by his actions. If anyone decides to not believe these allegations until SM gives a more specific statement, that's fine, but please do so without making fun of the people who were victims of his behavior, as there is already little to no sympathy for them online. It makes it just way harder for any survivors in the future to speak out on their experience. People say it's 'nothing illegal, just morally wrong' but given the fact that he is also a person in power, the line between 'just' morally wrong and illegal can be very thin in some cases. And please overthink arguments such as: 'this is typical boy behavior for someone in his 20's'/ 'he's just an f-boy' or 'boys will be boys' because they are deeply misogynistic and we shouldn't normalize behavior like that, thus making the root of the problem actually way deeper than most people think.

2. WayV's future: This mainly goes for people who are fans of WayV. I know not everyone probably likes to hear this, but another thing why wild speculations, sensationalism or even possible defence about this situation should be kept on the low is WayV's career. I want to be honest here, but I'm scared for their future, their comeback for october has been cancelled for now and they are put on a hiatus for several months as far as I know. They were on a good path of gaining more and more recognition and establishing themselves even better as a c-pop group, but now Luca's reputation in China (their target audience) is as good as gone and that pulls all of WayV down to rock bottom with him. People really need to try seeing the story out of the eyes of the korean and especially chinese fans as well, their perception of the allegations (especially after the Kris Wu situation!) are way different and more serious than the ones of i-fans and i-fans have to accept that. Also, we all know how companies (especially SM) handle these type of situations: keep the people on the low till the storm has calmed down. But will the storm ever calm down for Lucas when his public image is basically destroyed, and thus WayV as well? What I want people to understand is that this whole situation affects WayV and their career directly, actually on the biggest scale possible. All the work so far is at risk to be for good and I think a lot of fans tend to forget that, things look especially critical for HenXiaoYanKun if WayV would be to continue/redebute/fall apart. It doesn't matter if Lucas talking bad about the members/the companies/shows he works with/for was real or not in the end, because unfortunately damage is already done, WayV's image (WayV= family) is already tarnished and WayV as a group will suffer from this. You summed it up with malefic Neptune the best actually: We all don't know the full confirmed truth about the situation and will most likely never know it. (small astro insight here as well, but part of Neptune is to accept fantasy for what it is: fantasy, and thus turn to cold reality when you're in too deep)

3. What O'd advice the fandom to do right now: Regardless of your opinion on the situation, what we as a fandom can do best right now is staying on the low, wait things out, and stop adding more fire to the situation with our actions and wait how the situation actually developes, since a) we can not fasten the process and b) a lot of rumors, false information and unnecessary details get exposed to mudd the waters and to discredit the statement of the victims as well. I've seen some strong reactions from both sides, but as someone who's a big fan of nct in general I really just want to say that part of the fandom throwing a fit on the internet leads basically to nothing, it actually only reflects even worse on nctzens/weshennies and thus on WayV's (and also NCT as whole) image as well. Things right now are handled internal, not extern. Whatever gets through to the public will be half of the story anyway. A lot of people seem to forget, that we talk about SM and all they care for right now is saving themselves economically (think about the domino effect this situation has on the whole group/company), so we will have to see what their final decision is going to be, if anything will happen at all. For now, be patient, wait and see. Last words: It's okay to feel hurt/confused/angry/drained. Even though most of us are aware that we dont know any celebrity's character, it's still hard to swallow and to digest because you were a fan of that artist. Let it take time and vent. Take a break from it if it gets too much! Talking about it to process your emotions better is okay and very valid, but keep in mind that you should not worsen the situation by doing so - it's already absolute chaos.

Also: This statement is by no means a direct attack to anyone or me trying to push my opinion onto you, just my two cents in how to handle the situation best right now, because our hands are basically tied. Also: agree to disagree. If you don't like that I side with the victims (unless there is an official statement that Lucas is proven not guilty, which I doubt, unfortunately) then so be it, but don't start a war in my inbox for our opinions differing.

-------

Now, to astrology:

Disclaimer: This analysis will not be very light-hearted, but remember that it's just a theory and not me trying to confirm anything!

First of all op, sorry for just answering you know, but I neded some time to think through how to adress this without adding to the fire with my astrological analysis! Boy, does the birth time fit the shoe right now. To be fair as I did my short rising sign analysis about him recently, I cancelled out every other fire rising except for Leo, because I got stuck on the ego part a bit. Anything for me made sense, as long as it highlights his ego, which by itself doesn't have to be a bad thing automatically, but there's always two sides of the coin as we all know.

I looked into the transits the past week and added a few asteroids/mathematical points as well. An anon before pointed to the full moon happening in his tenth house, conjunct his sun, etc. (I deleted the ask because I didn't know what was going on at that time and thought it was just the 'usual' rumors that once in a while get spread around, but after looking more into it I decided this was not the right time to stirr the pot in any kind of way or treat it as funny, hot gos). But yeah a full Moon in Aquarius happening in his 10th house AND on top of that Saturn in Aquarius, conjuncting that Moon and his natal Uranus in the 10th! Talk about destrcution of any stable foundation and a change in a public image! Honestly, looking at astrologically the way his public image just got radically destroyed over night, with Saturn and the Moon having been in a conjunction (in his chart it was in the 10th house) is kinda eery even. Talk about collective consciousness - not only exposing quiet literally the feelings of the collective, but also doing so in the favor of others and gaining collective emotional consciousness. Take this with a grain of salt (!), because we're still in a tense situation, but I'm tapping into the darker, unfriendlier side of astrology now. Taking his confirmed birth time, he has Nessus in Sagittarius in his 8th house and as I saw that I could feel myself shifting into the surprised pikachu face. I am not saying that this prooves the allegations whatsoever, but as you seemed to be very interested in anaylzing the case in-depth as well, the allegations fit his Nessus - jumping from partner to partner, carelessness (regarding physical intimacy as well), making people share all their ressources with him/finacial gain, and basically the whole jist of gaining control/being in a power position in intimate connections. Keep in mind that this is only one interpretation of Nessus though, Nessus can also show the complete opposite to someone 'turning to their dark side'. On top of that, his Nessus was conjunct transit Phollus the past week, so if anything, we can see that a large event triggered him to 'open his eyes' and face anything of an 'obstacle' that hinders him from seeing the 'truth' to a larger picture and his own nature/destiny. Pholus can symbolize change that will alter your perception of the responsibility you have for yourself and others.

But my latest new interest with these two asteroids aside (asteroids just add a little more nuance to a situation after all), I want to touch on Lilith too, since you (op) have mentioned Lilith before in one of your asks!

He has his Lilith exactly conjunct his Descendant when we consider his confirmed birth time. What happened just now can be seen as 'backfiring' of his actions, either Lilith embodying the women who expose him now for his 'inappropriate' behavior, but also simply fans shaming him now for his alleged manipulative/imoral behavior, especially shaming him about who he chose to date and how. Next to that, you've mentioned Lilith opposite Moon and it just makes me think about him possibly feeling very indecisive and potentially in denial about what he actually needs to be fulfilled in order to be emotionally happy and thus leading to him appearing to have this 'second, dark side' to him now. BML is not necessarily opposite the Moon in my opinion, it's just the side of the subconscious we don't really like to deal with and all we're told not to express and desire because it can be conflicting in the eyes of others (thus BML also leading to a lot of recklessness on the negative side). I think if we take the allegations into consideration, regardless of how much of it is true of it, it can be a good example what happens, when an opposition gets out of balance, as it also manifests outwardly a lot! Lilith shows in his 'double life' aka what he allegedly did with fans. Lilith wanted an outlet and found one by working behind the scenes. If we take in his supposed Taurus rising, which his Lilith is in an exact opposition with, it's a good example of what can lurk underneath the surface.

And of course, last but not least, Neptune and Sun conjunct his MC. People are quiet literally blinded by him more than they would like to think. Also: Lucas was always known for his 'flirty & charismatic' nature, this is another reason why people think we shouldn't be surprised he 'turns out to be like that in real life'. I'm not analyzing this argument right now, but what I think is very interesting is how Sun conjunct MC literally ties a good amount of their personality to their career - they want to be accepted and shine for their personality/big part of their individuality. Idols play a role, no matter how transparent they appear to us, but it's really funny how this 'image' of him melts almost seemingly with parts of his personality (almost af if you were to quiet literally sell your self) and as you've mentioned: Neptune only adds to that, unfortunately.

[sharksssm]

no please pile onto OP i’m really glad for people with more insight than me (only engaged in fandom a little bit compared to some others, haven’t finished the game as origin characters) to speak! I wasn’t expecting this post to get as much attention as it did otherwise I would have thought it out a lot more

and to agree with carryoncastiel it was definitely badly worded on my part, but i’m not sure how to convey what i mean entirely, so i all just say that I agree with you 100%. I wish there was better characterisation of Wyll in fan works maybe? and I definitely do think there’s an aspect of racism at play in the fandom, i’ve seen a lot of creators pointing it out and saw some really horrid mods and stuff that change wyll’s race which is gross. I’m glad people with significantly better takes than me are interacting with this post, thank you so much!

editing to add that someone said what I think I was trying to say! Thank you @marmett

Also I want to make sure this addition from @poetikat doesn’t go unappreciated either

I’m probably not the best person to speak on this and never have been but i’m glad the post is facilitating very important conversation

I wish every day that Larian heard people freaking out about Astarion and went “yeah cool we made a good character” and then KEPT DEVELOPING THE OTHER CHARACTERS JUST AS MUCH. People liking Astarion shouldn’t have meant working less/cutting other characters content and writing. I love the concept of Wyll just as much, but we never get to know Wyll which is why it’s so much harder to write for him. Gale was supposed to have Tara in camp but we never got that content.

Astarion’s story is so so important, but every other story was (and is) important too. I hope with patches comes some more cut content, but even more than that I hope we get some more resolutions for the characters. I want Lae’zel to have the option to align her belief in herself, not any god. I want Karlach to be able to take apart a steel watcher, to find what makes them tick and try to apply it to herself, it doesn’t even have to work I just hate that the game alluded to it and then it went nowhere. Larian, your character design is amazing, I love all of your characters and wish you gave all of them the same love you gave Astarion.

[shadlad24]

Observations from “Sins of the Past”

So, I watched the Xena Warrior Princess series premiere all the way through last night. ’Twas the first time I’d seen it since completing the whole series. Naturally, I took down seventy-two larger notes about it. I will spare this post the entirety of my ramblings. haha I guess I’ll give you fifteen of them. Is that a good number? Hope so! 🥲 Oh, also; please don’t mind my goofy Meg-like nicknames for people.

Xena doesn’t only look back for Gabrielle. How interesting. She first looks back at and then aids random other villagers. Perhaps this is another sign of what GW did for Xe. (Then again, maybe Xe was looking for GW that first time but didn’t have long enough to find her? Either way, she looked for GW twice after that. Hmm…)

GabbyWabs is SO bossy! 😆 Why does Hector have to let the others go? Why does Xena have to teach you everything she knows and take you with her? Maybe GW was always a princess, Amazon or not. 

Why am I not surprised that this kid =/= stealthy? Are we to assume that she never snuck out before now? She clearly doesn’t know where to step to avoid creaking and crashing. 😆

I’mma just assume Xena calls Argo “boy” to embolden her or to rile her up; either way, it’s to get them both across the bridge. As we’ll well see, Xe is not as much a fan of walking as G is. 😂 (Also, is it just me, or does Argo look super pale in this episode? She seems practically white rather than usual so-called golden.) 

I’m not surprised that Xena told Hector the pinch works quicker than she tells other people it does. He’s dumb and wastes time. I think Xe actually should have done this more often. 😝 (Watch the pinch actually take five minutes to fully go into effect, but Xena just doesn’t have the patience to wait around that long. heh) Don’t believe me that she’s just rushing him? Listen how quick twenty seconds becomes ten, especially when in later seasons, thirty is sometimes closer to sixty, if not more! This is the first (and only?) we’re hearing about sensation taking a few minutes to return, though; I think. Hm… 

Cyrene! Hiiii! …Oh my. 😂 I like how no one cowered when Warlord Xena (as far as they know) walked in. But Cy with a blade?? Ruuun!!! Run and cuddle, quick! …XenieWeenie looks so sad. 😞

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL! So, we’ve seen this she-beast stare down an army, a warlord, a Cyclops, a sword-wielding mama, and a stone-brandishing mob, even be threatened if not attacked by each, and yet barely blink. But a tiny fluff-ball diving between her and being murdered? That’s scary! *SUPER flinch* Heeeee! 

Too, why do I feel like XW is that dude who sued Mr. Incredible? “You didn’t save my life! You ruined my death!” I’m getting serious “Could you please stop interrupting my suicide attempts? That’s two out of two now!” vibes from XW’s expressions. 😂 

And then this! What does little GW do? The second; the second she gets invited into Xena’s personal space? GW grabs da butt! LOL/But of course. XW eye-rolls. LOL/But of course, the sequel. 😂

Going to see Lyceus seems to be another challenge to G in addition to a self-soothing move for Xe. + D’awww. His ever-dirty face 🥲 + You knew this already, love. + Op. Non-shocker. Of course the princess just strolls right into a super private moment and immediately makes her presence known. 😂 But where would we be if she hadn’t? D’aw! Even here, Xe agrees. 

Did Xe tie G outside with Argo? That’s the only way the princess isn’t here, right? XD ...What the? *quick rewind* Oh. I missed her sneaking in while I was writing. Yay, she’s developing already. Nothing creaked or crashed this time. 😂

Hee/D’aw! Xe forgot stuff at her mom’s tavern again. Sure, Xena. But awww! This time she gets what she really came for. A fond smile, warm hug, and words of forgiveness and reconciliation… what more could a giant “little one” ask for? 🥲

Hee! GW sees that sword raised to her and just keeps sulking her way forward. Oh, GW. But this is yet another sign that she’s just as brave as Xena is, if not more so 🥲Never forget how frightened Xe was of G a few minutes ago while the girl is not fazed by the Destroyer of Nations. LOL 

GW really can be so insightful and eloquent at times. She duly gets accolades for her understanding, but Xe is understanding too …here, anyway. I wonder if GW was being more tricky or sincere with her conclusion. Hmm… Eep. She blinks in recognition of Xe’s understanding and meaning. Cuuute! …Xe rolls her eyes. Shocker. 😆 

Something tells me that GW won’t be sleeping “over there” for very long. She’ll get quite possessive over her spot next to Xena too (Thank you very much, Tara. 😑). 

[tempenensis]

Hi hi it’s family crest anon again~ I think I saw the whole crest post on Twitter first and then on Tumblr, I saw your OP analysis post (which was amazing and insightful btw!!)

Ooooooh that makes a lot of sense cause I was so confused like “link where??” 😂 But yeah, idky the staff @ Tumblr aren’t fixing the issue cause it’s been happening for a while and a lot ppl are having issues.

Ah, hello there crest anon lol. Yeah, I also see a lot of people using the crests for theories and such, but only some I actually kinda agree with .

Thank you very much on the feedback. Lol yeah, the issues have persisted for months and it seems nothing changes up until now. Well, let’s just see where they will take this :(     

Have a good day!