#this had to be in second person because I was the protagonist but it wasn’t me

[writing-with-melon]

After months of stress dreams, my brain finally came up with something good.

So picture this, a sea side town with beautiful crystalline waters. A dock and a clean beach with soft white sand. You and your friends just gambled away your money for some fishing hooks because we’re going fishing and we’ll feast on whatever we catch. But to head down to the beach you must pass a Temple. There’s no god in this temple and certainly not The God, but it’s a place of reverence and prayer. Because there is no god here just the forces of nature and the universe. And because this temple is by the big blue sea it’s decorated with blue tapestries and it feels old ancient even. Like it’s always been and always will be. It looks out onto the sea and it’s peaceful like a place you’ve always known.

Your shoes have bells on them they announce where you’re going. Because you’re important to the temple you had to pass through to find out how much. The forces of nature need to be kept in balance and that’s the real reason why you are here. To learn. You have been chosen as a guardian. The water and the air currents said so and now they are at your command.

Looking to the left you see the temple converges into other buildings, other temples all erected for a different natural element and there’s others like you who have also come to learn to master their element.

And now it’s up to you to prove that the water and air made the right choice so you jump into the infinity pool to find that your body has transformed. You have fins where you had hands scales where you had skin. You are one with the water.

But there is still so much to learn about yourself and the world and the other guardians who were just chosen with you. You have to work together to keep peace and balance in the world.

[blaire-apricity]

hellow can i make a request of a sylusxiseakaid reader who is a side character and her being unrequited love due to sylus has mc of l&d?

Unrequited Love

sʏʟᴜs x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᯓ❅ ┆ 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴 ┆ : 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥?

ᯓ❅ ┆ 𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘴 ┆ : 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘵 & 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵

─────────────── ˗ˏˋ ❅｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽ ˎˊ˗ ────────────────

One moment, you were having a regular day and as you were about to retire for the day, upon pushing through your door, you stepped into the foreign yet familiar world; your heart raced with excitement as you realized where you entered. What once existed only in your wildest dreams, the fantasy confined to your phone screen, had become your reality. You found yourself inside the very game you played for so long: ‘Love and Deepspace.’

Your old life, a cycle of dull routines and exhausting repetition, seemed distant now. Here you were, in a place you only ever daydreamed about. It felt like the universe had granted you a second chance—to rewrite your story in a world you once believed was unreachable.

But this new life came with its own challenges. Most painfully, it brought you face-to-face with someone you’d always admired from afar, separated only by the cold distance of a screen and the difference between reality and fantasy.

But now, it was different, you were closer than ever, yet nothing was as you imagined.

In the game, you had always been the protagonist in Sylus’ storyline. You thought that, now that you were here, it would be the same. But it wasn’t. Instead, you were reduced to a mere side character, watching from the shadows. The gut-wrenching disappointment hit hard.

Abandoning your old monotonous life was one thing. But realizing that the person you longed for might never see you—that hurt even more. Yet, you were determined to make the most of this second chance. Just because the person you love doesn’t love you back doesn’t mean your world has to end.

Right?

But convincing yourself of that was harder than you expected. Back when it was all fiction, when Sylus’ every move was scripted by developers, at least there was some comfort in the illusion that, in some way, he knew you existed. In that fictional world, he loved you.

Now, in this real version, he didn’t even know your name. He had no idea what you looked like, what you loved, or that you even existed. The sting of unrequited love was unbearable, but being invisible to him was what shattered your heart.

You clung to your knowledge of this world from your days playing the game, using it to guide you. You poured every ounce of effort, persistence, and determination into getting closer to his orbit. You left Linkon City behind and ventured into the N109 Zone, carving a path for yourself in his industry.

You were still far from his actual organization, but you understood the game’s rules better than most. You thought maybe—just maybe—you could introduce yourself, find a way to meet him, forge your own story with him.

For a while, that hope kept you going.

But then you saw him. With her. The real protagonist of this world.

That’s when it hit you. You weren’t her. This world didn’t revolve around you. With or without you, it continued, indifferent to your dreams.

Clenching your fists, you let go of that delusion. This love of yours, so deep and painful, would remain unrequited forever. And there was nothing you could do to change it.

·❆　　　❆　❅　　　　•　　　　.　　　　　❆❆• 　·　.　　　❅

𝐴𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑟'𝑠 𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑒: 𝐼 𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡, 𝐴𝑛𝑜𝑛. 𝐼𝑡'𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑘𝑎𝑖 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔, 𝐼 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑛'𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝐼'𝑚 𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼'𝑚 𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡 𝑡𝑜𝑑𝑎𝑦.

𝑊𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛, 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑒�� 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 2 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑢𝑝𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒 (𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠, 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦). 𝐼 𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑦 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑎𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡, 𝐼'𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐿𝐴𝐷𝑆 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝐼 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔.

𝐼'𝑚 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐿𝐴𝐷𝑆 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑡.

𝑀𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝐼 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑎 𝑏𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛.

[eternitariant]

Sketchy

cw//tw//~ knives, blood, bruising, biting, vvv subtle lowkey hints towards sub/dom dynamic, one brutal physical assault (he's very protective... what can i say)

You were walking to your next class when someone’s shoulder slammed into you and sent you flying back into the lockers-

“Ow, Jesus.” You muttered, moving your shoulder back and forth to ensure that you still could,

“Stay out of my way.” Debbie Marlston, your most common tormenter glared at you and you rolled your eyes before continuing towards the classroom.

You sat towards the back of the room and used the time to focus more on a personal project than pay attention to the teacher’s lesson, it wasn’t anything that you didn’t already know anyway. As you sketched out the next frame of your project, someone cleared their throat beside you to get your attention,

“What?” you snipped, not even bothering to look up at them because you knew who it was,

“See, that sparkling attitude is exactly why you have no friends…”

“Well what are you then huh? A charity worker?” you quipped and your best friend laughed,

“This is really coming along. I’ve never seen you so focused… or inspired.” She held one of your loose pages and inspected it, “Shits getting kinda dark though, don’t you think?”

She was holding a drawing of a scene where your protagonist was covered in her own blood after letting someone carve a confession into her skin- it was graphic but that was kind of the point,

“Not even close. Not yet.” You smiled and she laughed,

“Whatever, just don’t cut me up into tiny pieces when you finally lose it.”

After school, you made your way home by taking your usual route along the creek and you were silently plotting out the next chapters of your story when you were interrupted,

“Your arm.” He growled and you turned your head,

“Patrick, it’s nothing.”

“It’s not fucking nothing, tell me who.” He demanded, grabbing your waist to still your frame. His dark eyes were boring into your soul and you knew that you if didn’t tell him, he’d just take it out on everyone.

“Debbie.”

“Good Girl.” He praised and you swallowed before walking again, “Ah, hold on. You haven’t shown me the next part.”

You nodded and handed him your sketchbook. He flipped through it, his smirk growing into a full blown proud smile by the end,

“I like this part.” He announced lowly and you subtly smiled,

“Figured you might, you sick freak.”

“Which part do you want to recreate tonight then, princess?” he asked, slinging his arm around your shoulders,

“It’s nothing we haven’t done before… maybe you should come up with something inspiring, Trickster.” You teased and he raised an eyebrow,

“Challenge accepted.”

Patrick was trailing kisses all over your bare skin when he reached the bruise that he hadn’t made,

“No one ever gets to mark you but me, you understand?” it wasn’t really a question so much as a command and you just nodded slowly to express your compliance, “Good girl. Roll over.” He said, lifting your hips and helping you do as he had said. He pulled his pocket knife from his jeans and lightly skimmed the tip of the blade along your spine before he used his free hand to grip into your waist and where his thumb had left an impression, he made a cut. You hissed but you certainly didn’t dislike the feeling.

“Just mapping you out baby.” He whispered, kissing the opposite side before doing the same thing so that you would have symmetrical scars.

His breath fanned your neck before he sunk his teeth into your uninjured shoulder, breaking the skin and very lightly sucking as he released his bite,

“Ready for me yet, angel?” he asked and you only answered him with pleas, begging him to give you what you needed. He chuckled lowly at how desperate you’d become and how pliable you were for him. That was probably his favourite thing about you

“Dude! Did you hear?” your best friend bombarded you the second you set foot inside the school,

“Hear what?”

“Y/N, Debbie Marlston was attacked last night.” She blurted and you just stared at her blankly,

“How?”

“Her neighbour is Hilary’s cousin and he said that she was like in her backyard or whatever, having a smoke and then this guy came out of nowhere and cut her fingers off with those like giant hedge scissor things, isn’t that so insane?” she was shocked and kinda grossed out but she definitely wasn’t upset and neither were you…

“Do they know who did it?”

“Fucking clueless. Whoever it was, they did us all a favour if you ask me.”

Patrick naturally followed you home, as always and so as you were walking you asked

“Hedging shears… who’d you steal those from?”

He laughed, “That’s what you’re worried about?”

“Not worried, just curious. They better not have come from my house, Hockstetter.” You warned,

“You don’t even have any hedges idiot.” He drawled before he cupped your face with a firm grip and his expression shifted drastically as his eyes narrowed at you, “Now, what did I say?”

“Not to worry about it.” You whispered meekly,

“There’s my girl.” He smiled, “What else do you say?”

“Thank you.” Your voice was still hushed but he nodded at you,

“That’s fucking right.”

[causticsodaa]

What I personally think is behind Suo’s eyepatch: A Delusional Theory

The title explains itself (heed the disclaimer please), so I’ll get straight to the point.

Firstly, I believe that Suo is blind in his right eye.

Typically, eyepatches are mainly worn by people who

Are recovering from surgery

Cosplay

Have eye trauma or are half-blind

The first point is immediately negated, since it’s confirmed that Suo has been wearing an eyepatch on his right eye since middle school at the earliest. I doubt that even the most extensive eye surgeries would need him to be wearing one for years on end. Most eyepatches are made out of adhesive material, whilst Suo’s is made out of leather. I won’t dwell on this point much since I don’t think this outcome is very likely, but I just wanted to bring it up anyways (lol).

The second point could be plausible, considering that Suo voluntarily draws attention to his eyepatch in his introduction, even stating that there is “an ancient Chinese spirit sealed” in it—there’s a story behind it.

However, Nirei’s question immediately disproves this. Nii Satoru is a very deliberate writer; I don’t think there would be any reason to include Nirei’s dialogue about a ‘past accident’ (more on this later) if it wasn’t meant to serve as foreshadowing or at least be somewhat true.

Theres also the fact that Suo directly agrees with Nirei’s claim, though his wording is very vague (ie. it’s what other people say rather than Suo himself confirming it).

I believe this scene is mainly meant to showcase Suo’s goofy side (backed by Nirei’s comment about expecting Suo to be more cold/aloof and with Suo introducing himself as Leonardo di Caprio); but I also assume that he decided to make up a story about his eye because he’s been questioned about it many times in the past. It’s obviously not true, but I don’t think that Suo would voluntarily wear an eyepatch for years on end just to look cool (not to mention the depth perception issues!).

It’s also important to note that Nirei’s information is scarily accurate as well. He even figured out that Suo hated natto despite how secretive the latter is, but I digress.

This leads me to the third point, which is what most of the fandom (myself included) speculates. However, I’ll be focusing more on the prospect of Suo being half-blind.

If Suo is blind in his right eye, he would have a white iris. Although many blind characters in anime/animation have their eyes closed or just lack pupils, some do have white/clear/sheen irises:

Additionally, some people who are blind do have ‘milky’ eyes in real life!

Even other animanga characters who wear eyepatches have some sort of eye trauma (if they aren’t pirates/concealing some power/forced to give their eyeball up for a contract, though WBK isn’t that kind of story) such as Hange Zoë and Asuka Langely Soryu.

Personally, I believe that Suo had injured his right eye in the past to the point of blindness, given with the evidence presented before. I can’t really provide any theories as to how this happened due to a lack of canon evidence, but it’s probably linked to why he tells Nirei to never close his eyes. It’s highly probable his right eye is linked to a traumatic incident of his past—though anything further related to Suo’s backstory prompts an entirely different conversation.

Theres also a possibility that Suo might have been born half blind as well, and uses his eyepatch to protect/cover it; though it’s merely speculation on my part (and I’ll talk about this theory more in a bit).

You’ve probably noticed that I’m drawing a lot of attention to the color of Suo’s right eye, rather than the cause of his blind eye. This is where my theory gets delusional.

Let me bring in our beloved protagonist of Wind Breaker; Sakura Haruka!

Wait, isn’t this a theory about Suo? What does Sakura have to do with Suo’s eye?

Although Sakura and Suo do have their stark differences, they’re also eerily similar (and this criteria applies to Suo + Nirei and Sakura + Nirei as well). The most prominent thing they have in common [design wise] are their ‘abnormal’ eyes (with Sakura having heterochromia, and Suo with only one eye visible), and how they’re somehow linked to some sort of past trauma. I (albeit briefly) went over how Suo’s right eye connects with a potentially traumatic incident earlier, so I’ll be focusing on Sakura in the meantime.

In the beginning of the anime, we see snippets of dialogue by people from Sakura’s past, which mainly consisted of a barrage of criticism and rude remarks towards him. This line in particular stands out to me:

Japanese society is very conformative both in real life and what we see in Sakura’s memories—being unique or looking different from the norm is 🆖. We see different people in the series poke fun at Sakura’s hair, but I feel like this comment hurts the most. You can’t exactly change your eye color easily without contacts, unlike hair in which you can style/dye it as you please (though I’m not trying to justify the mistreatment Sakura has experienced by comparing apples and oranges; simply put, it’s incredibly vile).

Because of the above, Sakura has been consistently ostracized in the past mainly due to his ‘weird’ appearance. This causes him to internalize those sentiments for years on end before coming to Furin. He then begins to project his insecurities externally throughout the manga whether it relates to his leadership skills or how he interacts with the other students (initially questioning why people can accept him given his ‘strange’ appearance and mannerisms). There’s also this:

Sakura used to cover his hair and eyes with hats/sunglasses, however it failed to work as people still avoided him. This is even shown in the anime!

Poor kid took all those comments to heart and internalized it to the point it essentially crippled his self-esteem—but who wouldn’t, honestly? Being constantly alienated and perceived as ‘disgusting’ by others causes a sense of distrust to a person, especially during their developmental stages (as Sakura experienced most of this as a child/teen), hence why I’m classifying this as traumatic for Sakura. Even though he’s in a better place now, the ghosts of his past still haunt and affect him to this day.

Since Suo + Sakura are written to foil/parallel each other at times, there is a chance that Suo might have also covered his eye for a similar reason to Sakura’s: he doesn’t want other people to know he is blind (either to not be perceived as weak, or Suo was ashamed of for a different reason—perhaps other people thought his blind eye was scary?). Maybe Suo was born with a blind eye, much like how Sakura was born with a “half and half” appearance.

As I’ve mentioned before, Sakura has heterochromia (wow no shit Sherlock); his left eye is yellow, while his right is black[ish-grey] (his eye is sometimes colored a light grey/blue but thats usually a stylistic choice)

Both Sakura and Suo’s character colors are based off their left eyes: Sakura’s being an amber and Suo’s being red (rather than mainly sappanwood but its a shade of red anyways—and Suo is usually represented with a bold red in other official/merch art so shhhh)

And if we were to follow my theory, Suo would hypothetically have a milky colored right eye and a red iris for his left as in canon. Do you see where I’m going with this?

Both Sakura and Suo would have their character color as their right eye (amber and red respectively), while their left eyes (black and white) would contrast each other. Black and white are considered opposites, after all.

If my (delulu) theory holds true, this could perfectly showcase Suo and Sakura’s differences and similarities—but instead of it being almost hidden through the layers of their unspoken relationship, they are physically represented through their character designs.

Okay, I know you’re probably thinking that this theory is too far fetched (hell, even I think the same). But hear me out:

There is another duo in Wind Breaker who have character designs that contrast each other: Togame and Choji!

Nii Satoru makes it a point to emphasize how different these two are—and it’s no secret given their designs: Togame is tall, beefier, and has straight dark hair while Choji is short, lankier, with light and curlier hair. Even their eyes contrast each other; Togame’s are thin, slanted, and green while Choji’s are wide, round and red[dish brown]. (I KNOW THAT HIS EYES ARE MORE BROWN IN THE ANIME BUT THEYRE COLORED RED SOMETIMES BY NIISATO PLEASE TRUST ME ON THIS)

Honestly, this entire section makes me want analyze Choji and Togame (must… control… my demons…), so I’ll just move on to my next point.

Additionally, Sakura is sometimes drawn with his hair slicked back, which makes him look eerily similar to Umemiya…

I believe this is entirely intentional by Nii-sensei, but if I speak any more I fear that I will start rambling about Umemiya/Sakura parallels like a madman. My point is, two characters with similar/contrasting designs do already exist in WBK.

And in the case of Suo and Sakura, these two elements could possibly coexist in their character designs via their ‘irregular’ eyes.

TLDR; Suo and Sakura are the only characters in the cast with messed up eyes -> If Suo’s blind in his right eye, it would be white -> which would contrast Sakura’s black iris thats also in his right eye -> this shows their differences -> but also reinforces the fact that they are similar since their left eyes are red and amber -> which are their character colors -> I am severely delusional -> and I need to be euthanized immediately

[poppystheories]

Tyki’s reaction to being slapped fascinates me. This guy gets slapped by a helpless exorcist that's fully at his mercy and he kinda likes it. It wasn’t a weak slap either! Despite the state Allen’s in, it left a mark! But Tyki just laughs it off. Settles down to chat. Lights himself a cigarette.

Let’s face it. It’s charming.

I really like the contrast between Allen’s first meeting with Road and his first meeting with Tyki. Road had no intention of killing Allen from the start, and she wasn't really there to destroy any Innocence, but she gets incredibly rough with him: nailing his arm to the wall, stabbing his eye out, making a pincushion out of him with her candles. She fully delights in the bodily harm.

Tyki’s here to kill Allen and destroy his Innocence. That’s already decided. But he doesn’t brutalize him at any point.

Because Tyki's so casual, you keep thinking: hey, Allen’s going to get out of this totally fine. Someone is going to show up and save him. Lenalee should be looking for him. We haven’t seen the others in a while, so they must be on their way. Someone is going to arrive in the nick of time to save Allen, and everything’s going to be fine. We still have to get to Japan, after all.

But no one comes.

The scene progresses. Tyki keeps talking, he shows off his power a bit, tries to play with Allen like he played with the others. Tries to make him scared, maybe beg a little. He’s fooling around with the prey he’s already caught, like a cat.

But Allen's not scared, and Tyki backs off. The actual physical torture isn't the appeal for him, so if his victim isn't scared there's no reason to get violent.

So now you're thinking, wow, this guy is gonna regret taking his time when someone finally arrives! What a classic villain fumble; failing your mission because you were too busy monologuing.

But no one comes.

Tyki pulls out the card the Earl gave him. And you find out Tyki’s been searching for Allen. Specifically.

That’s bad, but it's okay. It'll be fine. Someone is going—

You turn the page, and Tyki is ripping Allen’s arm off. No warning, no posturing. One second Allen is fine—someone is going to save him, any second now, Tyki hasn’t even hurt him yet—and the next Allen’s fucking Innocence is on the forest floor.

Tyki keeps talking, smiling. Nothing about his demeanor has changed.

He destroys Allen's Innocence. Like it's nothing.

And at this point, you start to realize, maybe no one is coming. Or if they are, it’s already too late.

Tim gets sent away. He can go get help. But, now Allen’s truly alone with the assassin sent to kill him—if anyone’s coming, it has to be now! Where is everyone?!

Right on cue, you finally get to see the other characters.

And they’re still on the fucking ship.

Then maybe Lenalee—

No. Lenalee’s also at the ship. Tyki has his hand hovering over Allen’s chest and Lenalee’s at the goddamn ship.

No one is coming, you realize. No one was ever coming.

And just like that, Tyki kills Allen. Intimately, with a smile. He wants it to be slow, but quiet. He wants Allen to feel how helpless he really is.

Tyki's a serial killer: we've seen him stage his victims before, like leaving Daisya hanging like some kind of grisly ornament. We saw the state he left the General in.

Allen, however, gets more artistic treatment; he's by the far the favorite of Tyki's victims so far, and Tyki doesn't want to disturb the pretty picture he's already made too much, but it needs a little extra flair, doesn't it? A more personal touch.

So he scatters his own gift to Allen over him: a little something to suit his white hair and black coat and red scars, and the last thing we see is the black crescent of despair. Put there quite deliberately; it is not a typical image to appear on a Joker card.

Volume 6 ends, just like that.

It really is a merciless ending. You can't believe that the protagonist will really die here, but even if he somehow survives, his Innocence has been destroyed. The entire scene is built around your expectations as a reader that the protagonist can't die, so someone will save him, or there will be some other interference.

But no. No one was ever coming to save Allen; not this time.

And that? That has consequences.

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

As a Art History and Heritage researcher, I have to say “Nosferatu” (2024) geniality cannot be underestimated. This is an absolute historic triumph. Robert Eggers recreated the early 19th century setting, way of thinking and behaving, so masterfully, he actually convinced the general audience into believing the Victorian characters are the “good guys” here, and the Eastern European Pagan shaman-priest is the villain of the story, and that his protagonist Ellen is a passive victim at his hands. And now many are starting to realize that’s not the case and are throwing a fit or making weird mental gymnastics to validate their incorrect interpretations.

This isn’t surprising because this tale has years on the making, and it’s an entirely new story under a familiar make-up. Academics and researchers helped shape this story (History and Romanian folklore; Eggers is an occult scholar himself but he only talked about it publicly once); Academic thesis were used to create the script and the world building (“Dracula” literacy analysis; Şolomonari connection to Zalmoxis worship); a dead language was reconstructed for this (fictional but very well-researched alongside linguistics specialized on Balkan extinct languages); two different types of English are spoken (late 16th century and 19th century). The historical accuracy of everything is on point: Romanian Folklore, Victorian sexuality views, Victorian medicine, demonization of Pagan beliefs by Christianity, 19th century racist theories; the threat of female sexuality as a contagious disease (Ellen), etc. If this wasn’t horror I would even recommend this film as a study tool to understand the early 19th century.

The comprehension of these references and themes are way out of your league. Many of these are academic-level knowledge; others should be general knowledge (Victorian era as sexually repressed) but apparently aren’t(?) Either way, the entire “discourse” around this film comes from the general audience lack of historical knowledge and ignorance about these themes and references. I’m an academic myself, and I had to breakdown the entire story to see what this is actually about. Some of you watched this film once and already think you know? When you can’t even interpret one scene from this film correctly, and think Orlok appeared to Ellen when she was a little kid or that Ellen’s father abused her?? The prologue and her scene with Von Franz contradicts both these “interpretations”. Most of you don’t even realize it was Ellen who cursed Orlok to be a strigoi, to begin with (or probably don’t know what a “strigoi” is).

The cast and crew already explained what this film is about in interviews, but there appears to be a weird rejection of everything the creators of this story have to say. But Robert Eggers probably isn’t concerned because he didn’t make this film for you. The way modern audiences digest Art is extremely bizarre to me. This is not how interpretation of Art works, and I tell you this as someone who interprets Art in its historical context for a living. This is my job. And this is a director obsessed with historical accuracy and with a strict artistic view. There are no “multiple opposite interpretations” here. Because he’s using specific academic thesis to create his story. On a personal level you can see whatever you want to see, but if your intention is to understand this story know you are incorrect. And the majority of the “breakdowns” and “interpretations” out there are incorrect and the only world I can use to describe them is “bullshit”. Because these content creators and influencers have no idea of what they are talking about. But the Internet gave them the illusion they do, and they are very proud in displaying their ignorance to the world. Or those who are going around making jokes about “wanting to bounce on Orlok crazy style”. Your anti-intellectualism gives me second-hand embarrassment. This is the peak definition of functional illiteracy, and what’s worse is that the folks who want to know will come across this content and think “yeah, that’s what’s this film is about”.

This entire story a huge middle finger to Christian Victorian society. This a celebration and vengeance of Paganism on Christian civilization, embodied in both Orlok and Ellen characters. Robert Eggers called Ellen the only heroic character of his story; and Ellen and Orlok share the same spirit, the same nature (one Ellen rejects until she embraces it, at the end). They are the true heroes here. The Pagan priestess and the Pagan priest-shaman bringing death and plague upon the Christian civilization that demonized them using their Sex Magick, and end it with Sex Magick too, to give birth to the New Age of Aquarius (which was already the occult meaning of the 1922 “Nosferatu” ending, Eggers included the divine feminine instead of the “virgin sacrifice”). That’s why Eggers describes his ending as a “sacred marriage” between Ellen and Orlok: their sexual encounters are ritualistic, and always have been, and it’s Ellen sexual energy that conjures Orlok, every time: she’s the one who calls out to him, always. She has full agency over their connection (and Herr Knock ritual scene should tell you this; Ellen ending their connection when she met Thomas, and sending the maiden token to reconnect).

Everything that happens in this story is according to Ellen’s will. She has Orlok where she wants him to be; and, yes, she plays both Thomas and Orlok, and weaponizes them against each other (“Wuthering Heights” inspiration, hello?). Because she’s a dark character (like every Gothic horror protagonist), and her innocence and naivety are a front she puts on for Victorian society, her true self is only shown in some occasions because this story gives you several POVs. And that’s why Lily-Rose Depp tells us Ellen is “not a victim at all” because “she’s the one calling the shots the entire time”. She’s like Catherine; she wants to fuck around with Heathcliff/Orlok, while being married to the respectable Edgar/Thomas. But here it’s Orlok that’s not having any of it. I would even say the only victimized character here is Thomas himself, who gets caught up in the middle of something he doesn’t know nor understands and gets his entire life wrecked as a result (like Edgar Linton).

This whole story is about Ellen liberating herself from Victorian society, taking ownership of her own sexuality (one that according to Victorian era belongs to her husband) and embracing her nature, as she fully accepts Orlok at the end. She’s as evil and as good as he is. It’s not that hard to understand.

[demonmoonsupreme]

Ugh. I have to say it. I’ve been holding it back because I know how much fandom hates this plot point so much. And like maybe it’s because I enjoy angst, or because characters coming in a vacuum sealed ‘morally upstanding’ package is just not realistic or enjoyable to me.

But Gwen should not have been ‘bewitched’ to cheat on Arthur with Lancelot. For one, it just sets another horrible precedence of magic use within the narrative. And two: it’s boring as hell. Oh, and also apparently Gwen was only allowed screen time in later seasons when her autonomy was nowhere to be seen. So three. Three reasons why I find it dumb as hell. And one that last front? Yeah, I think she should have willingly had an affair with Lancelot. I know, I Know. Cheating bad. Cheating make evil wrong person. Or whatever twitterinas are saying.

But hear me out (or don’t). How did Gwen feel after Lancelot died after she made him promise to return Arthur to her alive? Did she feel that she had unwittingly sentenced him to death? Her first true love; the man she looked for in other men. (Maybe we’d know how she felt if the writers didn’t have her going off like a broken record and just keep repeating what a great king Artie would someday be). I wish we had seen her grief, I wish she had been given time to mourn (as we know she never is in a series that kills every family member she has). And then Lancelot returns. She realizes she stills loves him, she feels guilty and blames herself thinking she had a part in his death. She thinks she asked him to sacrifice himself. And she wonders if she made the right choice. Lancelot and Arthur are there before her, and her wedding is in two days, and it’s all so sudden and the window of opportunity is about to be closed for the rest of her life; and she wonders if she’s chosen the right man. Gwen wonders if she’s been given a second chance, can she amend her previous choices. Does she want to amend them. Yes, this storyline opens her up to all sorts of criticisms. Fandom would condemn her a slut, she would join the ranks of women who can’t just make up their damn mind. Someone would declare it’s anti-feminist, because women aren’t allowed to be portrayed with “bad” qualities and when they are it just sets us all back.

But…it would be so much more nuanced than the plot they gave us. It would give Gwen the opportunity to make the choice because in the past it had been robbed from her (Lancelot leaving when he realized that Arthur loved Gwen, and Lancelot dying the first time). It would grant her autonomy over her own sexuality and choice of partner(s). Unlike the male protagonists in this show, Gwen is never actually given a real chance to morally grapple with anything, especially her own actions. She just is a good person who never does anything wrong, can be a bad-ass if it’s required, and falls into the straight and narrow path of ideal womanhood when she gets a boyfriend in a position of extreme power.

I know I’m barely making sense, but she just could have been written so much better. She could have been treated like a real person in the writers room, but she wasn’t.

[allfryam]

feeder for president 2: mike’s story

This isn’t a direct sequel to feeder for president, but it takes place in the same universe, about a year after the law was implemented. We follow our protagonist Mike as he has to bid farewell to his abs because he turns 18 soon.

Mike awoke groggily and smacked his ringing alarm clock that sat on his nightstand. He slowly pulled off the covers and sat up. Still in his underwear, he walked sleepily to the kitchen to get some breakfast. A glass of orange juice and 3 scrambled eggs ought to do the trick. He yawned and scratched his lower abs. He had been going to the gym consistently for about a year now and you could tell. His rock hard abs were complemented by his thick, muscular arms and lean frame. It wasn’t easy having this body though. Ever since the lard law was put into place, gyms had been banned and healthy food was a thing of the past. Mike was smart enough to keep some old weights and dumbbells hidden in his garage so he could still keep his nice figure. That was all going to change soon though. His birthday was in a couple months and the second he turned 18, he would have to throw this healthy lifestyle out the window.

Mike had a plan though. He was going to try to eat as healthy as possible and continue working out even after he turned 18. He figured he would just have to gain 25 pounds of muscle instead of fat. How hard could it be?

well, it was finally here. Mike awoke like any other day, but his throat was a little sore from the new implant they gave him last night. Instead of his usual small breakfast, Mike ate 6 eggs, sausage, and toast. He had downloaded a calorie tracker app to make sure he was eating enough. For breakfast, he ate about 1700 calories. Nice. He was on track to hit 5000 before the end of the day. He made himself a protein shake with about 500 calories and headed out to his garage. Still shirtless, he lifted weights and did various exercises for about an hour. His chilled frame was dripping with sweat by the time he was finished. It was the middle of July and the only air conditioning in his garage was a dinky box fan that hadn’t been turned off in years.

for lunch, Mike met up with his friend Hayden at a local diner. Hayden used to have a similar frame to Mike, but Hayden turned 18 back in April, and as you may expect, his abs were a thing of the past. “Nice gut, dude.” Mike teased. Hayden didn’t really seem to mind. Most people had come to terms with the new law, and being bigger was the new fashion standard. “I think I’m gonna shoot to gain 35 pounds instead of 25 this year. The extra thousand bucks would be sweet!” Hayden said, breaking the silence. “Those extra fat rolls will be pretty sweet too huh?” Mike said sarcastically. Hayden just rolled his eyes.

when lunch finally arrived, Mike was starving. He ordered the double cheeseburger and fries with a large sweet tea. 1200 calories. A bit less than lunch but he would be up to 3400 for the day after this meal. Hayden ordered a personal pizza, a basket of loaded tater tots, buffalo chicken dip, and a large chocolate milkshake. “Jeez dude. You’re really gonna eat all that?” Mike commented. “If I’m gonna get this extra cash, I need to start eating more. I’m only up 10 pounds since April.” Hayden replied. “This meal should actually already put me over the 5000 calorie minimum for the day. I had a pretty big breakfast.”

by the end of his first day being an adult, Mike had eaten 5300 calories. He could have eaten more but he didn’t want to overeat like Hayden. He was gonna turn himself into a fat slob eating like that. Mike was gonna stay perfectly fit. This stupid law wouldn’t affect him at all.

“Damnit.” Mike whispered to himself, looking in the mirror. It had been about a month since he turned 18, and he was struggling to keep up with his healthy lifestyle. Eating 5000 calories a day was slowly catching up to Mike. He pinched the small belly that was forming on him. If he flexed, his abs were still visible, and you could hardly tell he had gained any weight unless he took his shirt off, but Mike was devastated. He had abs almost his entire life, and just like that, they were gone. Mike didn’t have time to sulk in the bathroom though. He had to finish packing for college so he could move out tomorrow. He and Hayden were going to be roommates and Mike was excited.

the boys first week at school was rough. Well, for Mike. Hayden was having the time of his life. The unlimited food plan meant he could practically live in the dining hall. Hayden had gotten even fatter since Mike had last seen him and Hayden didn’t seem to care. “Look around dude. Everyone has at least a little bit of a belly. You’re like the only skinny one.” Hayden said between mouthfuls of pizza. Mike hated to admit it but Hayden was right. Looking around the dining hall, there was a guy in a Spider-Man shirt that looked like it was two sizes too small, a guy that had pulled his shirt up to rub his bloated gut, a tall guy that had unbuttoned his jeans to give his belly room to grow, and even a guy with no shirt at all. He had his round gut on full display and no one seemed to care. Was it really better to just let yourself go like that? Mike pondered as he ate his burrito.

Mike decided to listen to Hayden and try out this weight gain thing. It was already happening to him slowly, why not speed it up? He spent the whole day eating whatever he wanted, not caring about his body at all. And to his surprise, it felt incredible! Eating stress free was the best thing he’s ever done! Tallying his calories at the end of the day, Mike discovered he ate over 7000 calories! He didn’t care though. If he was gonna be forced to gain weight, why not have fun while doing it?

over the next few weeks, Mike and Hayden continued to grow. They would eat constantly. One day they decided to camp out in the dining hall and eat all day. They got there bright and early at 6 AM when they opened and ordered a huge breakfast. Waffles, pancakes, French toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, and more. They scarfed it down and rubbed their bellies while talking to each other. “Looks like Mr. Perfect is starting to fall apart.” Hayden teased, poking the sliver of belly poking out from Mike’s shirt. Mike blushed and pulled his shirt back down. “Shut up.” Mike huffed. They continued to chitchat for a few more hours until they were both hungry enough for lunch. Burgers, fries, pizza, tacos, chips, cookies, chicken, and various other meals were brought back to the table and munched on as the boys continued to talk. Two 18 year olds stuffing their faces with fattening food would be considered odd or inappropriate a few years back, but with the new law, it was completely normal. Everyone in the dining hall was trying to eat loads of food. Everyone’s clothes were a bit to tight. Everyone’s belly was a bit bloated. It was great. People weren’t judged for their bodies anymore.

around 6 or seven, the boys decided they had finally recovered from their massive lunch, they decided to grab dinner. They went all out this time, getting crabs, fish, pasta, rice, subs, shrimp, quesadillas, and more. Mike’s belly was barely fitting under his shirt, and his pants were super tight. Hayden had completely taken his shirt off, opting to let his expanding belly breathe. By the end of dinner the boys were stuffed beyond belief. They leaned back in their chairs, rubbing their bloated bellies, trying to stifle their massive burps.

“Dude! It’s already 8:45!” Hayden said about an hour later. “Yeah. So what?” Mike asked. “The dining hall closes at nine! We need to get dessert before they close!” The bloated boys rushed back to the food area to find some desserts. To their surprise, most of the staff gave them extra so they wouldn’t have to throw it out at the end of the night. They arrived back at their table with an entire cheesecake, 3 slices of chocolate cake, a plate full of various cookies, lots of pastries, and a huge sundae they had created with the rest of the I e cream and toppings. They started with that so they could eat it before it melted. It was vanilla ice cream with whipped cream, cookie dough, hot fudge, Oreos, caramel, and a cherry on top. They tore through it quickly and moved on to the mountain of other dessert. By the time they were finished, the boys were exhausted. Hayden had eaten so much, his bloated belly was touching the table. They headed back to their dorm and passed out with their bloated bellies grumbling in pain.

let me know if you guys would like a part two to this story. I really enjoyed writing about these two, and they quickly became one of my favorite characters. I know posts have been slow lately but I’ve been focusing on myself and I have officially started gaining! I started about a month ago and I’m up 5 pounds. It’s been slow but I’m having a really great time. If anyone has any tips please leave them in the comments.

[snapghoul]

Why Twisters is an amazing movie

Brought to you by snapghoul and their film degree

I really love analyzing films and I need to talk about this movie so badly. Get cozy, grab a nice drink because this is a long one.

Spoilers below

[ Part 2 ]

1) Disaster film - Human vs Nature

Disasters films are one of the most difficult movies to write and shoot because it’s human vs nature and people can only do so much. They are to remind us that we are very fragile, nature very dangerous, and a visual metaphor for the illusion of control. Making a film like this also requires a lot of CGI or a balanced mix of practical effects which in most films today is not as common due to budget.

When looking at films like San Andres (2015) or Day After Tomorrow (2004), both films are more action based. San Andres is written worse to worse before it gets better which is externally common in films like these, the earth quakes that lead to a tsunami and so on. The film also ends with the hopeful “we won” with the American flag and everyone recovering.

What makes Twisters stand out is the presence of the disasters are there but they aren’t what drive the characters solely, the tornadoes themselves are actually a subplot. It’s not tragedy after tragedy, like there’s an ungodly amount of tornadoes at once and people are dying left and right. And when people died it wasn’t graphic, I appreciated that very much that it was only people being swept away and not bloody. The tornadoes themselves only take up about 30 minutes of the 2 hour movie, which is very little compared to other storm films.

The main story is Kate working to overcome her trauma and relearning how to love chasing and being in the field again. They are an obstacle that do end being the “antagonist” towards the end of the film where Kate drives into the EF5 to stop it. Twisters is more written in a way to respect nature, to see the beauty and the power of the earth. Twisters also ends more ambiguous, there is the moment of triumph but it’s very short lived before the resolution of Javi, Kate and Tyler at the airport.

2) Kate’s Character & Relationships

Kate is one of the best written female protagonists I’ve seen in a very long time. Through the film she is struggling to over come a lot of trauma while also trying to juggle her crumbled friendship with Javi and her disconnection with her mother. Her struggles are very real, they weren’t played down or exaggerated, she had realistic response to being in a tornado again after the death of her friends. They also show her reliving that event many times, in the beginning we see a “ghost” of Jeb telling she’s okay, the moment she sees a tornado with Javi up close, she stumbles back and the voices of Jeb as they’re riding out the storm in the pool and how she grabs Tyler’s hand for a second to see if he was still there.

I personally loved that she refused to acknowledge her fear when around others because that is a very human thing, many people do it which makes her very dimensional and relatable. How she didn’t give Ben her last name, how she told Riggs she wasn’t scared. It’s such a real things that it makes me froth at the mouth because it such good writing.

As many people are upset that Kate and Tyler didn’t kiss, I actually agree on why they cut it out, it’s not about their budding romance. In movies there are many different subplots, in Twisters, Kate and Tyler are I would say around subplot C. Which I LOVED, i loved that they didn’t have all her problems fixed by a love interest or how his character downplayed her intelligence. In fact he elevated her character, Tyler is there to remind her the passion and fun of their field, he is also a blank slate with Kate, he has no preconceptions about her or history which allows her to open up and reignite her passion she had before.

And her hair symbolism! How we see it slowly gets more brown and less bright beach blonde that we see in New York.

Kate and Javi’s relationship I would also place at subplot B, Javi trying to get Kate back in the field but doing it in a not so right way. They have some unresolved issues between them regarding the trauma they share and it rears its head multiple times. The line “three of my best friends died while you were trying to land a big fat grant.” Was a real nail in the coffin for them but also it opened Javi’s character development up for the end of the film. Not only that but they and audience known that he agreed to getting the money at the beginning. So them splitting up was good because neither of them could get what they wanted or process anything when they were together. And in the end the come back together when they grow and change.

Also have to mention Kate and her mom, because it’s more growth for Kate, her mom comes in as the mentor character type, she refused to let Kate throw anything away and pushed her and Tyler together because she saw what he was doing.

3) Tyler Owens & The Wranglers

Of course I have to talk about our favorite tornado cowboy. His character is so interesting, he adds so much to each character, like a said above he only lifted Kate up.

But what I loved most about him was the infectious enthusiasm and passion he just oozed about weather. Even with the cocky YouTube personality he was having fun which was a contrast to Javi and Kate who were there on business. He is also very bright, instead of having a self taught chaser he had a degree, he knows what he’s doing and how to be safe while doing stupid stuff. The scenes where we see him showing her science side were some of my favorites, seeing him geek out over the storms and setting up models just showed he’s as much as a nerd and Kate.

His character is also very compassionate as well as the wranglers. We learn they sell merch so they can provide free food and water to survivors, that Tyler and Boone spent a while looking for a dog and that Lilly offered Kate food before she left. We see Tyler put himself in danger for the safety of others many times but not in a hero archetype way, he’s not a hero in any way, he’s a man who deeply cares, understands tragedy and knows how important friends and family are.

4) Music & Sound

Oh my god, the music in the film is phenomenal. Sound makes up a good majority of a movie, without good sound a film can flop. What I loved most about it was a lot of the music was diegetic: taking place in the world and can be heard by the characters. Seen(or heard) Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma playing through the speakers as the wranglers roll up, accompanied by a shot of the loud speakers on the motor home and the audio editing to make it sound like it’s coming from said speakers. (Ghost) Riders in the Sky blasting while they go to shoot fireworks, seeing Tyler whipping the truck through the field very recklessly also sets up that these characters are wild and obnoxious. Boone singing along to Dead End Road while loading flares, it adds another element of fun for them to interact with the music instead of it there so let for aesthetics.

If there was music for the action scenes, it wasn’t overpowering, in fact i barely noticed it until my third watch through.

The soundtrack is also really good, I’m not a huge country fan but my god did I by that OST vinyl so fast.

5) The Trucks

This is an honorable mention, but the red sped up dually ram was a character in its self. Once again showing the rugged and fun loving wranglers when put next to StormPAR’s pristine white trucks which is also a metaphor for Javi that we see it gets dirtier and dirtier as the film progresses and his character changes. But also how the red ram represents Tyler, he’s very safety oriented and the truck is a part of him and protects Kate during the final storm. She puts her trust in it and lets nature run it course instead of fighting it, something Tyler was trying to teach her. Not to run from it but to ride it.

But also Tyler ripping that rig through fields going 75mph is also just so funny to me.

I love symbolism.

I’m gonna stop it here before I write a whole essay about this which I might. But if you haven’t seen this movie I highly recommend it, it’s PG-13 so I suggest being careful watching this with little ones if you have them, the CGI storms can get a little freaky.

(Please let me know if you want more, I will gladly talk more)

[bryngmemoney]

✁FASHION FLIRT✃

Megumi Fushiguro x Reader

⭑story masterlist link

tw: none that i know

Writing in between messages!!

🪡Chapter Four: Leaf

Maki’s POV for these first 2!

Nobara sat against the park bench, staring at the lest message sent by Yuta. She looked up again to see Yuji waving his arm to the left, as Junpei stood behind a propped up camera. Although covered by the shade of the tree above her, the noon sun blaring onto her phone screen bothered her as she struggled to read what was displayed on it. Farther up she could see Megumi hiding in a group of bushes holding up a scarecrow, that had been DIY’d into a monster prop, and Todo who she guessed was supposed to be acting scared right now. It looked crazy to any on-lookers, but not like any of them really cared.

“Hey Yuji!” She called out, earning the boys head to whip back in reaction. “How much more is this gonna take? I need to be out of here before three.” Yuji looked back at her confused, “What? You said you were free all day?” Nobara simply shrugged in response, “I didn’t think it’d take this long,” granted, they had been there since 9 this morning but only because of Yuji’s indecisiveness on scenes.

“Can we just hurry up and get this over with?” With that Yuji turned back around to look at Megumi, who for the past thirty minutes had been shoved into plants while having to hold up the prop. Although Megumi played the main protagonist in Yuji and Junpei’s indie horror film, due to the limited amount of people they could find everyone had to double up on rolls. Just his luck that since he was the main role he didn’t have to do much than memorize his lines, but in the few scenes he wasn’t in, he had to do tedious tasks like this.

Nobara just sighed in defeat, regretting not taking Mai’s offer on going with her to the cafe across the street to grab a quick drink.

You walked next to Yuta down a concrete pathway, tracking Nobara’s location on your phone. “It says she’s-” you were cut off by a sudden force crashing into the side of your shoulder. You stumbled forward a bit hearing Yuta let out a gasp at your sudden push. You turned around to look at the aggressor only to find a familiar face.

“And what are you doing here?” asked none other than Ryomen Sukuna. Knowing him, this was probably his way of giving you a ‘polite hello’. “Walking, watch where you’re going next time,” you replied, only earning a huff of a laugh from him.

“Y/n! Yuta!” called Nobara, you looked to find her running up to you guys. “Hey Nobara!” greeted Yuta beside you. She turned towards you smiling, however it dropped once she saw Sukuna. “Ew.” In response, he only rolled his eyes. “Well let’s go guys, don’t wanna be around him any more than I need to.” She was about to start walking away, until yet another person called out, but this one with less enthusiasm. “Nobara, get your bag because I am not carrying this around.” You saw him walk up reaching out his arm with the purse you always saw your friend with. Yuta first to speak up greeted him with a ‘hi fushiguro’, followed by a ‘What’s up Megumi,” from Sukuna.

Once Nobara grabbed her purse, he looked passed her at the others, greeting a small ‘hey’ and immediately noticing you along the two. In response to his stare you gave him a small smile, “Hi, y/n l/n.” It took him a second but he managed out a second ‘hey’ except this one directed at you. “You’ve got something in your hair,” you pointed out.

Instinctively he tried to get it, yet missed. In a helpful manner you went to grab it, he was less than an arms reach away anyway, and took the small leaf out.

…

“Thanks.” “No problem.” “Okay, thanks Megumi, bye now.” Nobara said, turning to face you and Yuta once again. “Let’s go i’m hungry, have not eaten anything all day!” With that you three started walking off. “Bye Fushiguro nice seeing you!” Yuta added. You gave a simple wave back, watching Sukuna turn away, and Megumi reply with a small lift of his hand.

Author’s Note: more megumi very soon guys 🤗 also a little plot building ig, but I hope you enjoyed!

still having taglist problems trying to fix it the best I can but hope it’s working!

Taglist below, feel free to comment or dm me to be added!!

TAGLIST

@iridescentrays @gumimegz @maya-maya-56 @mamafly @lunavixia @swissy23 @coltsgf @m00nglad3-mp3 @etsukis @xosren @qtnfer @oengleli @harek89 @y-sabell-a

[physalian]

How to Keep your Insecure Character from Becoming a “Nice Guy”

Or Nice Girl

The very last book I will have beta’d for the foreseeable future had a lot going for it, but one trait I absolutely despise in fictional characters is insecurity that makes it everybody else’s problem (I mean I hate it in people, too). By this I mean, the girlfriend who cannot tolerate her boyfriend having other friends who are girls, and whining to him about it. The partner who still wonders if their lover loves them, with zero evidence to the contrary, constantly forcing a tiring debate to sate these unfounded claims.

The thing is. Real people are like this.

But the other thing is: Fiction is meant to entertain.

It’s never the insecurity that I have issue with (I am not immune to it myself) it’s the impact that insecurity has on the story. If this protagonist had quietly kept it to herself but allowed the rest of the story to move forward, and dealt with it, if not alone, but in some progressive or even regressive manner, just not stagnant, it might’ve been okay.

So the scene that would have had me DNF immediately if this had been an organic read was these two adult middle-aged characters. Stalker plotline. The boyfriend is a has-been. The girlfriend, protagonist, has already had many a bout of insecure nonsense (oh he thinks I’m ugly as he’s railing me against my dresser) but the breaking point is when she’s sent an explicit photo of him when he was younger, mid-sex with some model.

And this lady is absolutely crushed. The revelation that… this is a person who has had sex before… is somehow shocking. Like, this character seemed to desire a 50-year-old virgin who is also an adonis. The whole time I’m reading her only care about her own feelings, when I’m thinking “do you not give a single fuck about how your boyfriend feels seeing himself so exposed, a picture floating around on the internet at anyone’s mercy? How he feels to be reminded of this moment and manipulated, too?”

I’m sure I’m in the vast minority who cannot stand these types of characters, but I would have quit the book right then and there. The book was also a who-dun-it, meaning any character could be a suspect, including the boyfriend. So we’re sitting here with multiple red herrings while the protagonist ignores all of them to whine about how the man’s unbridled and unflinching love and adoration for her just isn’t enough.

Bitch then be single if you can’t handle the knowledge that your 50-year-old celebrity boyfriend got around when he was younger. You knew what you were getting into. Which was my sticking point—it wasn’t like this was a shocking twist reveal. She knew from the moment they met that he was a bit of a player. It would be wholly different if he’d led her to believe that he’s some devout celibate saving himself for her.

Is this entertaining to other people? It’s not to me.

Separating it from the actual insecurity for a second: When you force your character to go around in circles in their arc and development, no matter what that arc and development is, you have stagnated the plot and each time they meet the same pitfall, they make the exact same choices that keep them in this loop.

None of this insecurity subplot amounted to anything. She eventually got over it after one arbitrary conversation but she didn’t change as a person, it didn’t do anything for the story, it was just there, probably an outlet for the author to exercise her own demons.

But this is a story and I am not entertained and your author insert is subject to the same scrutiny as everyone else.

So.

What *I think* are compelling ways to write insecure characters. Because I wrote one. My protagonist in ENNS.

You can and should absolutely write for yourself. Just always remember that if you only write for yourself, you can’t expect everyone else to like it, and you can’t get mad when they don’t. They are not you and they don’t have your tastes.

Have the insecurity be part of their arc with movement, either forward or backward, so they don’t become a static and boring character

Give them some evidence, any evidence, to support this insecurity. Maybe their love interest really does have an issue with some physical trait. Or in the past they really have been bullied or mocked for it. Anything so that this character’s fears have merit and can become tragic and relatable instead of unfounded and annoying.

Have this character take actions to augment this insecurity or cover it up, so that they’re not going “ugh I’m so ugly… but I’m not doing anything about it it’s just here”. Like wearing oversized clothes, keeping their hair in their face, speaking softly or not smiling with teeth—whatever it is, give them some agency in this fear. This is still a character trait and internal conflict, therefore it needs some actual conflict. Inaction is unappealing.

Balance out the negativity with something more compelling. They might be insecure but they’re really skilled at this one thing, or they’re really funny or kind or smart, so the audience has something else to root for instead of just a character who is negative and self-deprecating for the entire story.

Show that though experience proves this insecurity garnered them mistreatment, this current person they’re trying to impress really doesn’t care one bit about it, and don’t make it the other character’s problem. You can still have the protagonist wary and skeptical that the comments haven’t started, but let them do so quietly instead of cornering the friend/love interest with zero evidence to demand attention when said friend/love interest has done absolutely nothing wrong.

Like. If this was a murder mystery, and you had a character who, with zero proof, started suspecting Character E, and didn’t even look at A-D, despite all the mounting evidence that E is innocent, Protagonist is just fixating and projecting and stuck in their own head, would that be entertaining? You’re reading a murder mystery to live vicariously through the hero and use their smarts and observation skills to try and solve it yourself. You’re not here to watch them harass E until they admit to guilt for a crime they didn’t commit just to make it stop.

If that is a story you want to read, the summary would make that quite clear up front, or at least the first two chapters before you get invested. If I’m sold a murder mystery, by god, I’m going to expect a murder mystery.

Something I see a lot in inexperienced authors (or those who think “writing is easy, if it’s hard for you, you just suck”) is making characters too realistic. If you want to write a full-blown transcript of a conversation, false-starts and stutters and nonsensical grammar and half-finished points, be my guest, but fiction is supposed to be a little cleaned up. Details in fictional stories should be written with intent.

Not every single one. Sometimes a character’s eyes are green because I have too many with brown. It’s not that deep.

But bigger things, like a character’s personality and motives, should all serve the greater narrative. What does their insecurity say about them? How does it impact the choices they make and how they see the world? Is this something they grow out of or a trait that dooms them as a self-fulfilling prophecy?

The lesson doesn’t always have to be “you’re beautiful just the way you are”. It can be a nightmarish regression. Whatever it is, just tell a story with it, otherwise, why is it here?

[doodlinge]

my writing tips, that i think people will find useful:

- write dialogue first and THEN make a scene around it.

i like to do this sometimes for multiple reasons. first, if you’re in a flow of good ideas, getting dialogue done will be a future GAME CHANGER. you don’t have to be stuck fussing over little word choices because you just do it when you have a good idea, and it works! fuss over it now, save time for descriptions later. second, the characters you’re writing usuuallly wont be able to read eachother’s minds. we people do everything by communication and talking! so, map out what you want your scene to look like through dialogue! i like to do mine as a screenplay or movie script, so that way i can ensure that the characters are speaking Like Real People (tm). and THEN I READ IT OUTLOUD >:)

- map out your chapters before you start to write. seriously, do it.

so, personally, my favorite part of fanfiction and writing is the planning stage. and i like doing it on paper, but we’ll get into that after this. first, you get the idea, the spark in your brain that could make an AMAZING story, comic, or au. that’s the general premise to work off of! write that down, if you need. next, do a VERY rough draft of what you want to happen—specifically, the 3 main points of your story: the beginning event, the middle event or climax, and the ending event, or your point A, B, and C. work off of and build up (or build down) from each of these core events of your story, planning the small events that lead up to The Big Guy (or B). these ideas or premises for each leading event can and probably will be VERY, VERY rough, but once you’ve got the rough idea of what will probably happen done, you can get to work on MORE PLANNING (sorry guys. learn to enjoy it)

- PLANNING PART TWO BABY WOOO (plan out your chapters. and if it doesnt work when you’re writing it, that’s okay!)

this is what you will do before you write your chapters, that works for me way better than just going in with no plan. personally, when i started to write the fic i’m currently writing, i mapped out all the rough details that i want to happen in the climax chapter of my story, because most people find the middle the hardest part. since i already had an rough idea of what would have happened before the climax with my previous planning stage, i already was able to connect how all of the buildup would lead into the climax of the story pretty easily. every action in your story will have a consequence, big or small, and that all will lead up to your protagonist bursting into tears or the main couple confessing their love or the final, epic battle between the protagonist and antagonist! if, when you’re writing, the rough idea you had just isn’t working out, you can either a: redo it completely if it’s a huge problem, or b (my favorite): work around it in the moment and improvise. i ended up making my fic’s climax way better just because of the extra scenes i added in while writing, but since i had my original plan to work off of, everything was a lot easier.

- make every scene with a motive to accomplish

most people know this one, but i thought it was good to add in. whether it’s to flesh out the world around your characters with fun and shenanigans or to give the audience a little more insight into a character who will be useful in the future, every scene and every chapter should have a purpose. when people act, they also like to give their characters motivations, and for a while, i wasn’t sure how that could connect. however, now i understand. let’s say a character is trying to motivate another one to be brave and face their fears, but character a is actually only interested in their own interests. character a’s motivation is to be self-serving—they’re not as concerned with helping character b, but instead, they want to help themself. this shows a lot about character a! when you have a purpose for every story beat and a motive for each character, it can help you flesh out the character much better.

- show don’t tell (and what i interpret that as)

okay, so for a while, i had NO idea what show don’t tell even meant. i LOVE writing about my character’s thoughts, their interests, their perspectives on what’s going on around them. character analysis is one of the best parts, for me! but there are ways to show what a character is thinking without the use of heavy description. for example, take this part from the fic i’m currently working on right now:

the character i’m writing for had not mentioned her mom the entire chapter, but when you go back and analyze her character throughout it, you can see major hints that part of why she who she is stems from her trauma with her mother. when she connects to an older adult female figure and feels understood, the issues she has are shown and not told, clear as day. by using dialogue and trusting your audience to connect the dots about your characters, you can make a better-written story! remember motivations; sometimes, characters don’t even know they have the motivations that they do, and the audience has to figure it out based on context clues. leave room for intrigue and mystery! think; if you were this character in this situation feeling the way they felt, what would you do? what would you say? why would you say it, and what would that reveal about you?

- write one story beat per day and WRITE ON PAPER

the word count, for me, doesn’t matter. if the quality of your writing is good, and the pacing gives audiences room to breathe, then that’s enough! quality over quantity, in my opinion. if you’re not up for writing, PLAN CHAPTERS! plan scenes, plan events! plan dialogue, make it fun! that is writing too. for me, when i have the planning done, i go with the One Story Beat Per Day Rule. if you get one small event done each time you write, you’ll be finishing The Big Event you wanted to accomplish in no time. and if you’re in the middle of a big story beat and you just need a break, i’d say to take one…. and later, come back with a notebook and a pen and think. paper has helped me write better because the flow of thought just keeps going when i’m focused, and i think it might work for a lot of people.

- remember, YOU CAN DO THIS! MAKE IT FUN!

writing and finishing stuff is really, really hard. but if you get one small thing done for the characters in your story, comic or au each day… you’ll eventually have an amazing, finished story. make it fun for yourself. listen to music, act out the scripts, use color theory, analyze your characters and don’t make it a chore! every small step contributes to getting to the top. make something you will love to write, and that you will love to read. make something for yourself, because in the end, if you enjoy it, the audiences will enjoy it.

[cure-icy-writes]

Ghost from Hollow Knight is disabled, and here's why

Obligatory disclaimer, of course, that this is just a theory. It may not even be what the creators intended! But it’s special to me, which is why I want to share if. And I think that a well crafted theory with textual evidence is far better than any inflammatory thumbnail by a YouTuber with enough charisma to overcome his utter lack of reading comprehension. 

So, to start, I’ll explain the particular disability. Put simply, being filled with the primordial darkness soup has detrimental effects on one’s health. It takes the place of blood, but it’s more viscous, which means that the heart is constantly working overtime just to pump it properly. 

So, what are the symptoms of this? Well, the most prominent one is this: Ghost is able to fully recover their health simply by sitting on a bench. If you’re wondering how that could possibly be linked to a heart condition, it’s actually based on my own experiences with POTS, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It’s a health condition that’s affectionately known as “can’t fucking stand disorder” or less affectionately known as other, more explicit things when it’s causing me trouble. 

To get personal about my experience with POTS: I get dizzy standing up, or standing too long. I use a cane to support myself, and I need to drink what amounts to salt water to raise my blood volume. The blood volume is important, for reasons I’ll get into later. 

So, on the surface level: they’re disabled because they need benches to recover. But bear with me, because I think it goes a little deeper and a little weirder. Here’s my theory.

Ghost was intended to be invincible. They don’t take contact damage. Every time they take damage, it’s actually just them flinching and their heart rate increasing.

I know, it sounds insane, but I promise that there is evidence to support this. The first piece is the Pale King’s ambition. He created everyone in the dead baby pit to be invincible, right? The perfect vessel to seal away the Radiance, no voice to cry suffering. But then we also know that the Hollow Knight themself wasn’t perfect. They were weak specifically because they wanted to be loved. They were weak because they had a heart, they had emotions, because their traitorous heart pumped blood too fast and it made them vulnerable, because they felt fear. It’s poetic, in a sense.

Diversity Loss! The dead baby pit created in a fruitless effort to save the remnants of a crumbling kingdom is made up of disabled bugs who were subject to a fuckshit eugenics experiment, yippee!

Another interesting piece of supporting evidence is the existence of Lifeblood. The heretic Joni pioneered its use, and there’s some weird implications that maybe this wasn't the best idea, but hear me out for a second. What if it’s literally increasing blood volume of our protagonist to give them some protection from the symptoms of what is effectively a goopy heart disease? The name is quite literal, actually.

The final piece of evidence? Look at the effects of the Fury of the Fallen charm. This one is like adrenaline overdose, complete with pulsing visual effects meant to set you on edge. While this charm is equipped, the knight won't even perform their idle animations. It's a small thing, but I think it is definitely meant to indicate that they're too pumped with adrenaline to have the focus to do this little things. All of that energy is dedicated towards not losing control, one way or another.

Overall, like I said. It’s not something I can prove, but it is backed up by some canon evidence. And it adds to the tragedy, I think, of a scared bug with a bleeding heart.

[yuseirra]

I'm really sorry I can't shut up about this subject, I'm probably repeating this same idea over and over like some broken machine,

It's just that... My brain keeps acting on its own, it races and my hands can't keep up with the thoughts sometimes,

Well, I'm really passionate ;v;)/ and this won't return once I lose it, I still feel it could be a fun read for many! Because I like reading my thoughts-

Here's what I jotted again today!

Oshi no Ko

It feels somewhat refreshing now that the underlying story is starting to make sense.

This manga needs to address these aspects explicitly, whether through additional content in the volumes or something else.

The reason I ended up picking this manga back up in the latter half was...

Because I became convinced that Ai’s boyfriend could never have intended to harm her. He just didn’t seem like the kind of person who would do that. It's such a peculiar reason, isn’t it? But that had me so intrigued. I just had this feeling, like... “Huh? What’s going on here?” That’s how I got back into it.

The moment I saw the lyrics for the second season’s opening, I knew it. There’s something about this person... This person desperately wants to do something for Ai. The emotional tone—it’s just not the kind you’d see in someone who harmed their partner. And the way he reacts? That’s not it either. I had this instinctive feeling about it.

And as it turns out, as the story progresses, this aspect becomes even more opaque. In the end, the protagonist kills this person for reasons unrelated to Ai’s revenge.

There were so many opportunities to have developed him into someone who had gone after his girlfriend. Someone that'd have harmed her out of spite. That's pretty much what I thought the story would go when I first picked up this work. I wasn't really against that idea itself... I was sort of going to accept that as a thing, the matter was how it came to be and how he'd be punished for such a misdeed.

However, I’m convinced that he wasn’t guilty of that particular act. He never intended to harm Ai. There’s absolutely no hint of anything to suggest he did. His reactions don’t align with someone who’d do such a thing, the writers don't write things to back it up, in fact, he's written in a way that contradicts it. Which is why I kept following the series weekly, thinking, “No, this doesn’t add up. It just doesn’t.” And that chaotic whirlwind—I watched it all.

Honestly, you have no idea how tense I was, how much my heart raced as I drew fan art. I was so convinced the more I looked: “This person didn’t do it. He didn’t. He genuinely loved Ai so much.” I got so confused but that's really what I picked up. But then again, it’s up to the author how they decide to twist things. If it turned out he was just some petty guy who got angry at being dumped and lashed out at Ai and her child, who she was raising on her own—I was ready to scrap all my interpretations and artwork and accept it. That’s how I approached this series.

This manga drives you nuts... It touches on such sensitive themes, but I can’t help feeling there are points where it’s handled too carelessly. It keeps pushing the limits of what I can tolerate—back and forth.

Looking at it, Kamiki seems to hold Ai more precious than himself. It’s a consistent attitude of his, so much so that he prioritizes her life over his own. This must’ve been the case even before they broke up, back when they were young. His state of mind is exactly that of Fatal or Mephisto: not hatred or resentment, but longing, sorrow, and despair.

I was baffled by why a character with such accusations against him would display these emotions, so I delved into the story. And honestly, there’s actually no evidence to suggest he harbored any kind of twisted affection toward Ai. On the contrary, everything points to them having been genuinely happy together. My conclusion is that he loved Ai sincerely and purely.

Then why did things turn out this way? Why did Aqua still feel the need to kill him, even if it was for another reason? (Yeah.. Because he supposedly killed a lot of people... Haha. This is so messed up lol) And how on earth did Kamiki end up becoming involved in such bizarre, horrifying serial murders? Why? What logic? How could he do such things, and why would he even think of doing them?

He’s at least a major antagonist and, at most, the final boss. He’s the protagonist’s ultimate target—someone Aqua sacrifices everything to defeat. Yet everything about him remains ambiguous, and the resolution feels absurd, almost like a deus ex machina. The ending is shockingly flimsy and absurd, boiling down to, “They just talked, and then he drowned. The end.” (Oh, come on.)

There are faint hints scattered throughout about why things unfolded this way, but the story never fully explores them.

There’s one critical premise required to make sense of this progression. If that premise is confirmed, then all the bizarre developments and foreshadowing fall neatly into place. This must be the answer:

Kamiki Hikaru is, in truth, Sarutahiko Okami, the husband of Ame-no-Uzume, the goddess of entertainment, who has reincarnated as Ai. His name suggests he’s a god of light—not just any god of light, but a fallen one. (Because he needs to have fallen to give the protagonist a justification to defeat him, right? Haha, seriously.)

If this had been made clear, it would’ve explained the strange developments in the final act, resolved the loose ends, and provided at least some semblance of closure. But because the story refused to address this, we’re left without an explanation for why events unfolded the way they did.

The rest, the analogies to back this up, I'll put in the read more because this is getting long.

The strange events occurring around that character are not necessarily logical or causal; instead, they seem oddly supernatural in nature.

That’s because it’s the power of that god Sarutahiko. It works that way.

They kill this person, claiming he will "ruin Ruby’s future", right? How does that make sense? Well-

Originally, he is the "Michihiraki" god—a deity who leads everything toward goodness, righteousness, and the best possible outcomes. If he had not fallen and retained the white star, he probably would have continued to act that way. However, due to the darkness of the entertainment industry, he was hurt, broken, and corrupted, turning black and changing to the opposite. Even the events that occur around him—whether or not he intends them—are unclear.

Both Ai and this person are gods, and both are fatale, bringing misfortune to those around them.

However, it seems this person is the ultimate fatale. That's why Ai's song is IDOL and his is named Fatal. That is what they are!!!

What would have been the best outcome for Kamiki himself? He likely never wanted to part ways with Ai in the first place. If that’s already the case, he would have wanted to reunite with Ai and get back together. He might have wanted to congratulate her on her dome performance. He probably wished to live happily with her. However, if his power had already been corrupted at that time, it would have worked to lead him into the worst possible future, even for himself.

Looking back now, wasn’t him being separated from Ai the beginning of everything really falling apart for these two? While they were apart, they seemed to manage their own lives well enough. But in the brief moments Ai reconnected with Kamiki after that breakup, events spiraled in unpredictable, tragic directions—even for Kamiki.

Was Gorou’s death Kamiki’s fault? <I honestly don’t know about this. Did he commission it, thinking that without the children, Ai would return to him?;; ??? Probably not?? Since Kamiki claims he didn’t know, let’s set that aside for now (though, truthfully, I don’t understand this part at all;;).

As for the situation where Ryosuke killed Ai: Kamiki likely didn’t want Ai to die. He suffers from that consequence and it literally ate up his entire purpose of living. The context provided in Chapter 154 and the one provided in Chapter 160 differ. When I read the context in Chapter 154, it was so sloppy and strange. I mean, who sends a grown man to a woman they claim to love—and to her children? And sending flowers along with it too? Threatening her, yet sending flowers? Looking back, in that scene, there was also a bottle of alcohol in the flashback. In Japan, you have to be 20 years old to drink alcohol, right? So even Ai couldn’t drink before her death. That means Kamiki couldn’t drink at all, then; I drew something about this even before Chapter 160’s context was revealed. And about that ‘despair’ he's felt—whenever Kamiki feels despair, he doesn’t take bold actions. He freezes, stiffens, and cries instead. That's his behavior pattern.

I think Chapter 160 provides the most accurate context, for several reasons. When Kamiki received Ai’s call, he likely responded in one of two ways: either he grieved in a self-critical way (thinking, I can’t reconcile with her because I’m inadequate) or he felt pure joy (I’m just happy I get to see her again). Chapter 160 suggests the latter, and it fits his personality. Why didn’t he go to meet her in person? That part is frustrating, but not impossible to understand. He’s timid. Compared to the personality we see in the movie arc, he’s likely even gentler and more timid, incapable of taking bold actions.

From what I perceive, this person seems even more fragile and soft-hearted than the version Aqua portrayed in the movie arc! It’s because they genuinely seemed clueless. Overly naive, overly trusting, and incapable of doubting others—someone who took everything they were told at face value. This personality seemed to exist, at least in their youth. Even when they were being abused, they were tormented but still thought, “Is this right because everyone likes it?” On the other hand, Aqua's portrayal of the character was aware of the wrongness of the situation, showing displeasure in their expressions. However, in Kamiki’s actual flashback of similar circumstances, their expression looked somewhat blank, as though they didn’t even realize that what was happening to them was wrong. That’s how defenseless they were, to the point where they couldn’t even bring themselves to get angry.

When a person recognizes that what they’re enduring is unjust or horrific, they can resist. But Kamiki seems to have been subjected to such things from an early age, to the extent that they internalized everything as their own fault.

This explains why, regarding Ai, they couldn’t have had a strong reaction when they were rejected. They likely couldn’t even get angry about it. Based on their own words and the reactions they showed, it’s hard to believe this person is the perpetrator. The situation described in Chapter 160 aligns best with their personality. Up until that point, they seemed cheerful, easily swayed by others, and overly trusting. It feels like they only became more wary and aware after being completely burned by the Ryosuke incident.

Also, when you look at how they reacted to Ai, their expressions are far brighter and more genuine than what was portrayed in the movie arc. Their face shows pure happiness, as if they didn’t know how to contain the joy they felt.

No, there’s just no way this person could have intended any harm toward Ai. Absolutely none.

They didn't have to write him this way, yet they have... They keep things vague!!

Well, these ambiguous aspects are truly headache-inducing, but since this isn’t a character analysis post, let’s move on.

If we conclude that Chapter 160 is closer to the truth, then what would have been the best future for Kamiki? It would have been Ai safely receiving the flowers, being happy, the two reuniting, and Kamiki getting to meet his children. That would have been the best, righteous outcome.

But the exact opposite happens. And Kamiki himself feels despair to the point of wanting to die over the situation. His feelings of love, as described in Chapter 158, were referred to as desire, disappointment, and despair. I think it means something like this: he wanted to be with Ai, was disappointed when he couldn’t be, and despaired when Ai died. Alternatively, it could mean: he wanted to resurrect Ai and be with her again, was disappointed repeatedly when he failed, and despaired over her absence.

In the flashbacks to events around Ai’s death, Kamiki already had the black star. But does that alone mean he was already evil? I’m not sure. When he cried to Ai or in the flashback of their breakup, he had the black star, but Ai seemed very concerned about him and appeared to care for him deeply, even wanting to live with him forever.

If that’s the case, the black star itself might not signify wickedness but rather a change in nature—a fall, perhaps. And if that state persists, it might lead to a damaged soul or something like that.

As for the events happening around Kamiki, they seem... beyond his control.

Whether he intends them or not, the conclusion remains the same: he is a god. For example, when he suggested Nino to turn herself in but she ended up acting out attempting to stab Ruby instead—that was bizarre. Nino blames Kamiki, but what was absurd was the reason she brings up to blame him. She says he kept talking about Ai. That's it. It’s unlikely Kamiki said anything bad about Ai. If anything, he probably spoke fondly and expressed how much he missed her. What else would he have said to a fan or someone from Ai’s group? Yet, because of that, Ai ends up being killed? Ruby ends up being threatened? If that’s all Kamiki did, it suggests his ability isn’t merely about manipulating people cleverly—it’s about controlling the future itself. Things don't naturally turn out to be like this. The cause-effect is illogical and disproportionate. It's too disatrous of an outcome for something so trivial. If he intends for this to happen and it's played out exactly the way he wanted, then this guy is a god!!!

But in Ai’s case, it wasn't the desired result, right? He never wanted her to get killed, did he? And in the case of Airi’s family’s deaths, even more so. Could Kamiki have planned for Uehara to kill Airi and then himself? If Kamiki were the type of person with that much malice, he wouldn’t have been so helpless or despairing about Airi's exploitation of him. Things just don't add up for this person to be thought of as the ultimate evil mastermind of sorts, even if he may be now, he doesn't seem like he used to be one.

The discussion veered off-track, but to summarize:

Kamiki is a god meant to lead everything in a virtuous and righteous direction, but at some point, he transformed into a god who drives everything toward destruction and malice. As a result, he became an entity that must be eliminated.

Aqua's role is to remove him, while Ruby's role is to replace him. Ruby embodies both Ai and Kamiki's roles, as she is both Light (Kamiki—the light/sun god) and an Idol (Ai—the god of entertainment). It’s as if the twins born between Ai and Kamiki were each assigned these roles as their missions.

Meanwhile, Kamiki, having lost Ai, desperately wanted to regain her and thus went around gathering the “light of love.”

Regardless of his intentions, Kamiki’s very existence became a disaster. Keeping him alive would only bring misfortune to those around him. He became a fatal figure who draws out the destructive and malicious sides of people, leading them to ruin. This makes him a threat. However, it seems even he himself suffered because of this. Look at the ending—what he truly wanted was so far from what he achieved. He didn't want things to end the way it did.

The things Kamiki caused are not within the scope of what humans can logically perform.

There were plenty of foreshadowing hints that he is Sarutahiko the god. A shrine dedicated to the god he represents appeared, and the circumstances linking Ai and Kamiki closely resemble the marriage of the entertainment gods Ame-no-Uzume and Sarutahiko. Ai even remarked that Kamiki had lost his way, which is ironic since he’s supposed to be the god of guidance. He shows interest in others' wishes,(he grants them) is called a monster (he's the model for one), and is described as having a noble soul(that god does). Alongside his wife, he is also a god of entertainment. His role was to bless the industry originally. There’s even the water motif—his mythological counterpart dies by drowning. His name itself contains both “light” and “god.” He was concerned with finding and understanding what’s right as a child, likely because that knowledge was essential for properly guiding others.

The ending reflects the myth of his model deity, who dies by drowning. Ruby shining brightly in the end mirrors Ame-no-Uzume (Ai) drawing out Amaterasu (Ruby) while Kamiki, the former sun god (Sarutahiko), is replaced. This resolution ties directly to these mythological connections.

This should have been explained more explicitly in the story. Doing so would have clarified the narrative progression, the antagonist’s actions, and the true nature of the events. Without this context, readers are left constantly asking, “How should I interpret this story? What was it even about?”

Moreover, the things this character supposedly did don’t make logical sense, lack narrative consistency, and don’t align with his personality. Why did this happen? What was the necessity? It feels like there must have been a reason for writing his personality this way. They could have portrayed him as purely evil or even confirmed he killed Ai but they never do. So, it’s unsettling. It doesn’t feel right. The protagonist’s actions and the resolution don’t sit well with me. How could this even happen? Where is the realism? There’s no way to interpret this cleanly by only looking at the base source material.

This needs to be addressed. It’s not about whether the character is good or evil. Without this explanation, the story’s progression and resolution remain incomprehensible. Why did it unfold this way? Why does the ending feel so unresolved? Without these answers, I can’t help but feel dissatisfied.

Am I the only one who feels this way? Is this really resolved? It didn’t feel like a conclusion at all.

For a character who appeared so little, they carried an oddly significant weight in the story. If you don’t understand who they are, you’ll never fully grasp the work as a whole. But looking at it this way, nearly everything falls into place. If we’re questioning how much of it was intentional on his part, then…

When I view this through the lens of mythology, the god corresponding to Kamiki genuinely seems like a benevolent one. I think he went mad after losing his wife.

He went insane. He wouldn’t have stopped unless he died or brought his wife back. But malice… I don’t think it was present. Personally, I place great importance on intention, and that has always been the sticking point for me.

Ai treasured him so deeply, and if I can conclude that he was worth such devotion, I think I’d find some comfort in that. Yes… they must have been happy together. Truly. That’s how I see it.

Was he a malicious and wicked person? There aren’t as many supporting elements for that interpretation as you’d expect—surprisingly, none at all. If that’s the case, then this interpretation must be correct.

[ecargmura]

Pokemon Horizons Episode 66 Review - School Hacking Incident

We’re closing in on the finale of Terastal Debut, and we’re seeing some major growth for our young protagonists. The difference between the penultimate episode of Terastal Debut and the penultimate episode of Shine of Terapagos is very major. While both involve the Explorers, the kids are now more capable.

Like with the end of the Basics test, Clavell lets the students have fun by hosting another battle tournament. I do like that they’re so eager to let the students battle so often. The failed students are still allowed to Terastal, but it’d be the last time they do it as failed students would have to return their orbs after the day is over. Other than Liko, the only other known person who failed is Bocco, the Dot look-alike.

I do like that there are lots of callbacks of episodes 43 and 44 in this one. Episode 43 had Liko and Roy do a Multi Battle against Sidian and Coral with Liko vs Sidian and Roy vs Coral, but the battle was called off. In this episode, the same matchup from before happens, but Liko and Roy are more experienced now. Floragato is no longer a Sprigatito and Liko even uses Terastal to beat Sidian. Even though she failed her exam and is only supposed to use Terastal during the battle tournament, but Sidian used it illegally, so Liko did the same.

With Roy and Coral, no one used Terastal, but it’s nice to finally see Fuecoco get a win from Glalie after battling against it twice. One little detail I like from the Roy battle is that it was originally in the art room, but he didn’t want to destroy the artwork, so he used Kilowattrel to move to another location. It’s really sweet that he’s so considerate of the students’ hard work when it comes to their schoolwork. Coral didn’t really care if it gets damaged or not, but still followed Roy to the new location.

There also seems to be a budding rivalry between Dot and Chalce now that Dot is more involved. I hope that they’ll get another battle in a future arc; it does suck that Dot’s essentially the only one who “failed” her battle. I do like that the kids know that “Sandwich”, “Onigiri” and “Agepan” are Explorer members, but they never knew their names until now. Sidian gives Liko his name while Coral and Chalce reveal theirs to Roy and Dot. I do like that giving their names is like a sign that they acknowledge them as worthy opponents or something…

Remember what I wrote in my review of Episode 63 in that Grusha was being harsh towards Liko because he wanted her to prove him wrong? I was right! Liko did prove Grusha wrong, but in a different way, however. He was there to witness her battle against Sidian and saw that she used Terastal despite being forbidden from doing so because she has something to protect. He even mentions that Liko fights better when she’s battling for self-defense or to protect something rather than competitively. It was nice that he went all the way to Clavell’s office to change his mind about failing Liko since she protected the school from the Explorers and did not allow the incident to escalate into something disastrous. I think it’s a nice reward for Liko’s efforts. People might see it as a “pity badge” sort of thing like how Ash got some badges in Kanto out of pity, but sometimes, hard work deserves good rewards.

I was a tad disappointed that Penny wasn’t more involved with the episode. Sure, she did try to prevent Chalce from hacking the system, and that her role in the story is to be the school and league’s tech person, but it does feel odd that she seemed like she’d play an important part, but does get sidelined as the story is about Liko and co. Still, it was nice seeing more of Penny.

I also like that the kids’ second Pokemon were used in the episode. Liko let Hattrem out of her ball to heal the security guard and his Psyduck while she went on ahead. Hattrem was also the key figure to let Grusha stay back and witness Liko fight against Sidian. Roy used Kilowattrel to move locations. Dot used Tinkatink to destroy the computer, but got the wrong one. It’s nice to see their other Pokemon be more involved now that the kids have grown as capable Trainers.

I think we were long overdue for an eventual Liko vs Roy match, but it seems that the finale will finally showcase it. I think it’s the perfect way to end off this arc. They’ve been training buddies, but now they’re opponents for the friendly battle tournament. Both were rookie trainers, but now have grown so much. Who do you think will win? I honestly think it’ll be a draw.

[wordmade]

TOO CLOSE TO YOU

— What was your name again? — Lauren asked, waking you up from your work.

Lauren was the protagonist of Terrifier 3, and you were absolutely terrified to be working with her make up.

She was a legend in your eyes, the most iconic final girl of all time. Her presence was magnetic, commanding the room with her confidence and charm.

Even in casual conversation, she looked effortlessly stunning, and it was hard not to stare.

— Lua — you managed to say, your voice barely audible over the bustle of the set outside. The sound of makeup artists chatting, footsteps rushing past, and the distant hum of cameras being adjusted created a chaotic yet familiar atmosphere.

Lauren tilted her head slightly, repeating your name as if savoring it.

— Lua... What a beautiful name! Where are you from?

— Brazil.

Her face lit up with genuine enthusiasm.

— David! — Lauren turned toward David, who was lingering near the other end of the dressing room. — We’ve got someone from Brazil on the staff. Didn’t you say you’ve always wanted to visit Brazil?

You blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in attention. Why had Lauren thrown you into such an awkward situation? David Howard Thornton, the star of the Terrifier franchise alongside Lauren, had always seemed larger than life to you.

Now, he was walking toward you with a warm smile, and you suddenly became aware of your appearance. You hair must have been awful!

David extended his hand, his large frame towering over you yet somehow exuding a relaxed energy.

— I’m David. How are you?

You hesitated for a split second before shaking his hand, noticing how firm and steady his grip was. His graying hair a little messed , while his easy smile made him instantly approachable.

— I’m good. Excited to start.

— Me too — he replied, his tone casual yet kind. His voice was less deep than you imagined, the kind that carried even over the noise of people setting up equipment and actors practicing lines in the background. Something about his ways made you so confortable that you two instantly clicked.

David leaned slightly against the edge of the counter as you began to chat. The conversation flowed effortlessly, touching on small topics—favorite horror movies, funny set stories, and how exhausting late-night shoots could be.

There was something calming about David’s demeanor. He spoke with the ease of someone who genuinely enjoyed connecting with others, yet his gestures carried a certain old-school politeness. He was much older than you, you remembered.

His laugh was warm, and the way he occasionally scratched the back of his head when speaking made him seem humble despite his fame.

— I’ve been looking forward to meeting you — he said suddenly, his tone sincere.

Your heart skipped a beat.

— Me? Why?

You hated how naive you sounded, but the question slipped out before you could think. Compliments weren’t uncommon in your line of work, but hearing them from someone like David felt different—almost surreal.

— Well — he scratched the back of his head again, glancing at the floor for a moment before meeting your eyes — I saw your work during the tests. You were so fast and precise. This kind of makeup is brutal to endure, hot and uncomfortable. Having someone as quick as you is essential.

You nodded, trying to hide the flicker of disappointment you felt. It wasn’t like you were expecting much, but a part of you had hoped for something a little more personal.

David glanced around, as if checking to see if anyone was listening, then leaned slightly closer.

— And working with such a beautiful woman makes me nervous — he added with a small, awkward smile.

Your eyes widened. His words were so unexpected and yet so subtly delivered that you were left speechless. For a moment, the noise of the set seemed to fade into the background.

Whatever expression crossed your face must have made him second-guess himself, because David quickly added:

— I’m kidding, Lua. Sorry about that.

He gave an apologetic smile before stepping away, clearly embarrassed, leaving you standing there frozen, trying to process the fact that David Howard Thornton had just called you beautiful.

---

You were still a bit confused about the interaction with David. You mean, there wasn’t much to interpret, the man had called you beautiful, and you simply couldn’t sleep that night.

The routine on set was exhausting. The constant noise of equipment being dragged around, the heat from the lights, and the endless stream of people rushing with props made every day feel endless.

Breaks were rare and often interrupted by some technical issue or last-minute adjustments. Your mornings started early, preparing the workspace, and your nights ended late, dragging your feet from sheer exhaustion.

At night, the echoes of the set still rang in your ears, and you’d fall asleep thinking about all the retouches that needed to be done the next day. But that night, it wasn’t work that kept you up, and it was David.

It was obvious he had flirted with you. But it had been so sudden and direct that you had shoved the thought into some corner of your mind, convincing yourself it was just a joke.

You were just part of the staff, almost like an assistant. You weren’t even hired as a full makeup artist; this was a gore movie, the work was far too specialized, and Damien, the director, handled most of the intricate details himself.

At one point, during a discussion about the makeup formulation, you noticed something off. The primer base was silicone, while the black eyeshadow was water-based, which was likely why it was cracking.

The makeup artists were aware of this, but someone had switched the product brand without realizing the implications, and everyone had continued using it without noticing the change.

— Good catch, Lua! — Damien said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

The praise made you squirm slightly as the entire team turned their attention to you. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed David nearby, his admiring gaze fixed on you. You didn’t like how your entire body seemed to respond to his looks, a heat creeping up your neck whenever his eyes lingered too long.

Interacting with the cast was easy enough. Over time, you got used to the pace and the personalities of each person. During the first week, you learned a lot from Damien, but you avoided David as much as possible.

On Friday, during a late-night shoot, David’s regular makeup artist had already left, and since you’d done his makeup once before, they asked you to handle it. You froze. He was Art the Clown, and if anything looked off, it would be your head on the chopping block.

David noticed how flustered you were the moment he sat in the chair.

— You’ve got this, Lua — he said softly, touching your hand lightly before leaning back and closing his eyes.

Doing David’s makeup was pure torture. You had to push his hair back, pin it in place, clean his face, and prep his skin, your hands brushing against his jaw, his lips, his cheekbones.

As you worked, you retouched here and there with your fingertips, feeling his breath warm against your hand. Without realizing it, your eyes kept locking onto his. When you touched his lips with your fingers, David’s gray-green eyes dropped to your mouth and lingered there for a moment before he closed them again.

As you painted around his eyes, you felt his knees gently brushing against yours. The subtle touch of his hand resting lightly on your leg sent a jolt through you. You were mesmerized by the unspoken tension between you.

David was so subtle that no one seemed to notice, but if anyone had been paying attention, they would’ve seen how both of your breathing had become heavier, almost labored. His breath against your arm sent shivers down your spine, making it nearly impossible to concentrate.

When you finally finished and stepped back, you found David staring at you through the black makeup around his eyes, his gray-green gaze piercing and intense.

In that moment, you knew this was the beginning of something you wouldn’t be able to stop.

Amidst all the makeup and the chaos of the set, there was David Howard Thornton, looking at your lips, your chest, and finally your eyes. There was a question in his gaze, though you couldn’t be sure what it was. But whatever he was asking, you already knew your answer: yes.

---

Later that night:

The set was unusually quiet after the shooting, with most of the crew gone for the day.

You were sitting in front of the makeup station, mindlessly organizing brushes and products, trying to focus on anything but the lingering tension between you and David. You waited for the scene to be done and disapeared to avoid seeing him.

He had finished his scenes earlier, his makeup long removed, leaving his face clean and his silver hair slightly messy. He leaned against the doorway, watching you in silence.

— You’ve been avoiding me, Lua.

His voice startled you, low and sharp, cutting through the stillness of the room. You turned to face him, trying to feign innocence.

— I’m not avoiding you. I’ve been busy.

He stepped closer, closing the distance between you with deliberate slowness. There was something different about him tonight, a quiet intensity in his gaze that made you question where was that silly and warm David.

— Busy? — he echoed, his tone serious— That’s the excuse you’re going with?

You didn’t have time to respond before he was in front of you, his tall frame towering over your chair. The faint scent of his wooden cologne filled the space between you. His hands gripped the arms of the chair, caging you in.

— David, — you began, but your voice faltered when his piercing gray green eyes met yours, full of something you couldn’t quite name.

— Stop lying to me, Lua, — he said softly, but there was no gentleness in his voice. It was commanding, almost dangerous. You almost felt a bit scared — You’ve felt it, haven’t you?

Your breath hitched as his face inched closer, the tension crackling in the air like a live wire. His hand moved to your jaw, his thumb brushing your cheek with surprising softness, a sharp contrast to the firm hold of his fingers.

— Say it, — he demanded, his voice dropping to a whisper. - please.

— I… I don’t know what you’re talking about, — you stammered, though your body betrayed you, leaning into his touch.

— Don’t lie to me, — he repeated, and before you could argue, his mouth was onto yours.

The kiss was nothing like you’d imagined, it wasn’t soft or innocent. It was possessive, urgent, and completely unrestrained. His hand slipped from your jaw to the back of your neck, pulling you closer, while his other hand gripped your waist, pressing you against the chair.

You gasped against his mouth, and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue sliding against yours in a way that made your insides twist.

There was no hesitation in his movements, no room for doubt. He kissed you like he’d been waiting for this moment, like he was claiming you.

Your hands found their way to his chest, feeling the rapid thrum of his heartbeat beneath your fingertips. His breath was hot against your skin as he pulled back slightly, just enough to look at you, his eyes dark.

— You can’t avoid me anymore, — he murmured, his voice rough.

You opened your mouth, but before you could respond, he kissed you again, softer this time but no less intense, his lips lingering like he wanted to savor every second.

The world around you seemed to blur, the set forgotten as you lost yourself in him.