#this was in my drafts for over a year lol

[tremendouskoalachild]

Wookiee Jedi: A History

Wookiees. Jedi. Wookiee Jedi. How could you not love them? I’ve decided to compile a hopefully exhaustive little list of all Wookiee Jedi in Star Wars, canon or not. They are ordered chronologically by their introduction and sorted by decade.

The 90s or: Lowbacca, a category of his own

The first Wookiee Jedi in Star Wars was Lowbacca, nicknamed Lowie, introduced in 1995. He was Chewbacca’s nephew and one of the principal characters in the Young Jedi Knights book series, where he trained as one of the students at Luke’s Jedi academy alongside Han and Leia’s kids. He remained a quite frequent side character in later books, especially the New Jedi Order series.

Lowbacca was literally and figuratively exiled in the Dark Nest trilogy (2005) after Lucas banned Wookiee Jedi (we’ll get to that). He did appear in books since then until the cancellation of the now-Legends timeline, although less frequently than before. His appearances in late-stage Legends content are usually related to Wookiees and Kashyyyk specifically, rather than as just another Jedi knight, and mostly reserved for Troy Denning’s novels. Important fact to know about Lowie: I love him.

The 2000s and The Ban

The early 2000s saw the introduction of several Wookiee Jedi, although always as very minor characters. The first one we need to discuss for completeness’ sake is, no joke, Unidentified Wookiee Jedi. We know next to nothing about them: they appear briefly in the background of a 2000 book as a student of the new Jedi Order. This is contemporary with Lowbacca’s time but due to other storylines we can rule out that this Jedi is him. I suppose you can decide for yourself whether this is a simple continuity error, or a random background character used to characterize the setting of Luke’s Order as a harmonious multispecies organization (while utilizing a well-known Star Wars alien species).

For more senior – and named – Jedi we have Master Tyvokka, member of the Council, introduced in 2001. He appears in the flashbacks of a single issue of the Republic comic line by John Ostrander, though he is mentioned in several following issues. He is technically canon despite only appearing in the old continuity due to a mention in reference to Plo Koon, who was his student in both continuities. I think he’s cool for the simple fact that he used a yellow lightsaber. We know Lucas was familiar with the Republic comics (he famously incorporated Aayla into the prequels) but it isn’t entirely clear how much of them he read.

Next we have RPG Wookiees. Master Kirlocca was a prequel-era Jedi in the campaign Living Force, which started in 2001 and concluded in 2007. He has appeared in many installments and supplementary materials of the campaign but never outside it. Living Force also “introduced” Wookiee Jedi Knight Vorlocca as a corpse players find in one of its adventures. Whatever, he counts. (the RPG also introduced Force-sensitive non-Jedi Wookiees named Kuce and Furellas, who is notable for being a lady.)

At some point in the early 2000s Lucas banned the introduction of more Force-sensitive Wookiees. Apart from Lowie this affected Hanharr, a member of your party and playable character in KOTOR II. The devs were supposedly not allowed to include the option of making him a Dark Jedi for this reason. When working on ROTS, concept artist Derek Thompson "wanted to try at least one Wookiee Jedi on the off chance that George would go for it. He didn't go for it."

The 2010s or: maybe we can get Wookiee Jedi again?

Quite possibly the most widely known on this list is Gungi, the first Wookiee Jedi we’ve seen on screen. He made his first appearance in a 2012 episode of The Clone Wars’ fifth season as one of the Jedi younglings gathering crystals for their lightsabers, in an arc that was at one point considered for its own spinoff. He has since also appeared in The Bad Batch season 2. His nature as a Wookiee Jedi is specifically referred to as rare by Huyang and since Lucas was still involved in making the show at that time we can assume he either went back on his distaste for furry Jedi by then, or wanted Gungi to be all the more unique.

Also in 2012 – suggesting Gungi’s introduction might have loosened the ban – we have another comic Jedi, Ruhr. More accurately, he was a Je’daii, a predecessor organization to the Order we know. He was part of the Dawn of the Jedi series, also by Ostrander for Dark Horse. That series ended 15 issues in because the comic rights were transferred to Marvel after the Disney sale, so no more Ruhr.

We also absolutely have to mention Kitmum. She (!) is not canon and never was – unlike the other books and comics discussed here her 2013 book was explicitly non-canonical even before the impending canon reboot of 2014. We love her for her outfit, teaching children how to exercise, and being the only girl Jedi on this list.

The 2020s and the High Republic, golden age for Wookiee Jedi fans

Star Wars publishing over the last several years was largely focused on the High Republic initiative, which is so far a great time for Jedi Wookiees (or, more accurately, for their fans – the Jedi are not doing so good), with more to come soon in The Acolyte, set in the same era.

The first and most prominent is Burryaga Agaburry, one of the principal characters in the adult novel trilogy in Phase I, introduced in Light of the Jedi (2021). He is both a POV character in his own right and the best friend of the main teenage Jedi in the adult novels, Bell Zettifar. Apart from the novels he appears in the audio drama Tempest Runner and is often mentioned or shown in the background of many other High Republic projects. He is also one of the characters most often depicted in children’s media of the era, probably due to his adorable cuddly appearance. His fate in the wake of Phase I’s ending was a major cliffhanger leading into Phase III, leaving the readers hanging for over a year and a half. You love Burry.

The other major Wookiee Jedi in the High Republic multimedia project is Arkoff, technically first introduced in the same book as Burry due to a single mention of his name in a list of notable Jedi. He is the teacher of Lily, herself the protagonist of the Edge of Balance manga, and appears more notably in the manga’s prequel volume set 150 years earlier during Phase II. Ah, the advantages of Wookiee life expectancy.

2023 saw the introduction of Krrsish, an initiate in the flashback sections of the Yoda comic. He has a hard time.

The first Wookiee Jedi in live action is set to be Kelnacca in The Acolyte. He is played by Joonas Suotamo, the actor who took over the role of Chewie for Solo and TROS. He’s also getting a comic one-shot by Cavan Scott later this year!

I can't wait to meet him.

[justwannabecat]

“Yeah, see, the Anti-Ecto Acts are even more troubling than ‘inciting war with the Realm of the Dead and all its gods’ level.” Phantom began. “It affects the living, even outside of that.”

Constantine huffed, but didn’t disagree. Bruce could only guess what he was thinking.

“At least, from what Clockwork taught me,” Phantom continued, and that made Constantine snap to attention, “ectoplasm is just kind of… There. Floating around in the background, but at such a low level that it doesn’t usually manifest. But it’s still there, and it functions kind of like radiation: just being around it might cause you to develop liminality.”

“Liminality?” Bruce asked. Phantom shrugged.

“Any side effects you would notice are only caused by high levels of exposure, nothing like this low-level radiation. But, well… Ectoplasm is both attracted to emotions and attracted by emotions. And ectoplasm heightens emotions, too. The fact that the human race has been alive so long, evolved to feel more complex emotions, it’s because the ectoplasm bonded enough with humanity to allow that. Humans achieved sentience because they could feel enough to determine they existed. Without ectoplasm, slowly those emotions will fade. And…” Phantom hesitated.

“…I can’t say that humanity will become nonsentient once again, not for sure. But I can say that you will slowly, generation by generation, lose the feelings you have now.”

[okartichoke]

ace avian. that’s what we’re calling this 🗣️🗣️🗣️

please let me know if you have any thoughts or suggestions or input or anything! i’m happy to bounce ideas around (i'll post DL-6 someday soon i swear)

link to masterpost || explations below cut

shoutout to the anon who sent in that ask bc i seriously fell in love with blue jay phoenix. SHOUTOUT TO TAKAHE PHOENIX TOO THO takahe phoenix, you will forever be in my heart and im glad you existed <3333,, (maybe in this au he’s got some loving adoptive takahe parents :3) (YKNOW WHAT YEAH that’s canon now)

but yeah, flight-avoidant jay phoenix still lends itself well to the common-man hardworking underdog vibe i want from him. speaking of flight-avoidant...

Phoenix's relationship with flying:

It's a bit complicated. Basically, Phoenix can fly, but he historically chooses not to. From the lack of any practice, he's an INCREDIBLY weak flier. (That hovering is really all he can manage)

For one, he's still afraid of heights. Can't help that. This fear means he was less inclined to practice flying, which made him a weaker flier. And being a weaker flier, in turn, made his fear of heights worse. And so on, in a loop. With flightless parents too (it's canon now it's canon), there's even less of a reason to learn to fly. At some point, not flying might've even become something he stuck with out of stubbornness lol, knowing Phoenix.

(I will soon be making a couple small world building posts, but) flying isn't necessary to get around in their society. Convenient, sure, but Phoenix realized he could make do without, and so he did. Phoenix, you icon. Slay. 💅💅

i know this probably isn't the popular take with wing AUs??, but Phoenix being flightless (or at least semi-flightless) sounded like a really fun take on the idea to me. His name is irony at its peak. I also look forward to exploring how other characters react to him not flying. The prosecutors are going to have so many cheap insult opportunities.

As I mentioned though, he still uses his wings a LOT, though. He's much more emotive with them than most people. His sarcastic inner-dialogue remarks are also betrayed by his wings lmao

I also imagine bird-folk never really invented bikes (riding would just be annoying with their wings, plus bikes aren't fast/efficient enough to outweigh just flying), so instead, Phoenix gets around on a little wing-powered scooter device (like scootaloo lol) (they're usually made for children who can't fly yet, but Phoenix still uses one)

finally, wow, stellar jay’s are quite literally just phoenix wright as a bird lmao? color scheme, hair, it’s uncanny. give it a pink tie and it just is Phoenix Wright, i used a blue jay since they’ve got a bit more striking wings but wow.

(ty again for the support and for reading my essay ! :3)

one more thing, but @kora-kat YES YES YES this. ^^^^ omg THIS. this is still true even though he's a jay now.

[icewindandboringhorror]

Little bright colored outfit with a fun vest ~

(shoes from ebay like 10 years ago. everything else is thrifted)

[coldasyou]

Audrey Tautou as Amélie Poulain

Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001) dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet 

[suchine-toki]

Top 10 Gintaka moments

(Arranged chronologically because it was too difficult to choose. Spoilers ahead.)

1. Takasugi's laugh

After many encounters challenging the dojo, Gintoki sees Takasugi laugh for the first time, which becomes a core memory of his, a symbol of how things used to be and what he wants to preserve (ch. 517).

2. The promise

Surrounded by enemies, Takasugi asks Gintoki why he decided to join the war, to which Gintoki replies that, like him, it was not for a noble cause. At this, Takasugi recognizes that the two are good-for-nothing warriors, but asks Gintoki to take care of their sensei in case he dies. Likewise, Gintoki asks Takasugi to stay alive (ch. 516).

3. Gintoki's tears

Right after their sensei's death, Takasugi furiously runs towards Gintoki until, for a split second, he sees him crying. This becomes the last thing he saw with his left eye, a core memory that reminds him of the pain and grief they experienced (ch. 520).

4. Reunion at the festival

After 10 years of not seeing each other, Takasugi sneaks up behind Gintoki and threatens him with his sword, commenting on how easy it was and that he has become weak. He also tells him about his plan to kill the Shogun, claiming that within him there is a black beast that seeks revenge. At the same time, he confronts Gintoki for looking away from the past, making him unable to understand his feelings. To this, Gintoki responds that it's a shame that he underestimated him, which can be read in both a physical and emotional sense. It's assumed that they separate without another word (chs. 30-31).

5. They were the same

During a conversation with Nobume, Oboro asks her if Gintoki and Takasugi look like their sensei, to which she answers no, that the true resemblance was between them, since both had eyes full of sadness. As she says that, Gintoki and Takasugi can be seen passing each other, but only the former turns around to check that the latter is gone. It's worth mentioning that Gintoki warned Takasugi to be careful if he saw him walking down the street in chapter 97, but in the end he decided to not do anything (ch. 398).

6. Confession and realization

After their fight, with both of them on the floor, tired and full of injuries, Takasugi opens up to Gintoki about his suffering. He confesses to him that his face was the last thing he saw before losing his left eye, how devastating it was to see him cry, and the enormous survivor's guilt he feels, because he understands how much Gintoki loved Shouyo. To this, Gintoki responds that he didn't choose him, but simply knew what was important to theirsensei, thus lifting the burden from Takasugi's shoulders. Not only that, but Gintoki also confesses that, despite everything, he continues to see him as a fellow disciple of the Shouka Sonjuku and a comrade, whose soul he will protect (ch. 520).

7. Sword exchange

After a long coma, Takasugi awakens in Rakuyo and throws his sword to save Bansai. Likewise, Gintoki launches his bokuto to save Shinpachi, leaving them both unarmed. This is when they decide to take each other's sword and protect what is important to the other, reinforcing the message that a sword is made to protect the soul, and on other occasions that it even embodies it. Afterwards, they pass through hordes of enemies in order to see each other again, defending the other from an imminent attack and retrieving their weapon while locking eyes and making snarky remarks (ch. 573).

8. Pep talk

While everyone on Earth seems defeated, Gintoki hears a familiar voice over the radio. Hundreds of kilometers, far up in space, Takasugi tells him that they have everything under control and encourages him to continue fighting. Likewise, Gintoki assures him that on his side they haven't lost yet, and playfully encourages him, asking if he has already been reduced to junk. Despite being injured, Takasugi tells him to be ready when he comes for him, to which Gintoki smiles (ch. 650).

9. Let's rescue sensei

The greatest tragedy in Takasugi's life is not only the death of his teacher, but also that Gintoki had to be the one to kill him. Aware that he has little left to live, he admits that now he can be a little more honest with what he really wants to do. After fighting Gintoki as a way to punish himself, he's now able to recognize that he wishes to fight alongside him, while also wanting to alleviate his suffering by sharing the burden of his actions that day. Upon hearing this, the serious expression on Gintoki's face turns to astonishment at being able to achieve mutual understanding and once again have a common goal that is deeply personal to both of them (ch. 682).

10. Born under the same star

While Gintoki's eyes reflect the despair he feels at having to strike Takasugi's body, he remembers their childhood together. Gintoki fought very hard to protect everyone, but Takasugi fought even harder to protect him, and although Gintoki was definitely not ready to lose him, Takasugi was content with the idea that he had prevented him from killing their sensei once more. Knowing that he has little time left, it's Gintoki's turn to be more sincere. He embraces Takasugi and reassures him, acknowledging that he did indeed manage to protect him and that he wished they could have drunk together more often. But Takasugi tells Gintoki he doesn't want to hear him like this and he asks him not to send him off with a sad face. Mustering willpower, Gintoki smiles and tells him to wait for him in hell, which becomes the last sight from Takasugi's right eye as he smiles back before dying. No longer able to restrain his emotions, Gintoki weeps as he watches the sunset (ch. 703).

Part (1) (2) (3) (4)

[fierrochase-falafel]

Making a case for Xie Lian's complex morality in TGCF

Finally getting over myself and getting this one out of the drafts...

Disclaimer: Any MXTX book has a very divided fandom on whether practically all the characters are "good" or not- Hua Cheng, Xie Lian, Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, Pei Ming, Luo Binghe. I feel the way MXTX writes is such that our own interpretation of the book can grow to be the very thing we love about it. So naturally I am going to start off by saying this is my interpretation of her work- you can disagree with me, sure, and I'd love to hear other people's thoughts, but I don't think it is something worth calling me wrong over. I'm not claiming to preach the 1 true reading or even claiming to be 'correct'- this is just my interpretation. This doesn't mean I don't find value in alternate interpretations, contradictory or otherwise. Please be nice to me!! :,)

Part I: Smart, but not smart

So anyways...there's this quote in book 3, when Xie Lian reveals Ling Wen as the creator of the Brocade Immortal, where this happens:

Ling Wen crossed her arms and shook her head. “Your Highness, someone like you…sometimes you’re smart, but sometimes you’re also not very smart; sometimes you’re soft-hearted, but sometimes you’re cold-hearted, too.”

And I've always loved this quote, it's arguably one of my favourites, because it emphasises what I think is the core of the story- to ascend is human, to fall is also human. What matters is appreciating that humanity, and nobody embodies this like Xie Lian. MXTX always pits together contradictions like this throughout the story: ascension with falling, soft-hearted with cold-hearted, laughing with crying. Humanity is a series of contradictions, and Xie Lian is the epitome of that. We see him saving a child with regal presence/grace and also drunkenly yelling swear words in a ditch; we see him calmly ascend to godhood at 17 and also almost violently kill a guy for insulting his street performance. Xie Lian is a man who can be kind, calm, endearing and spirited but also vengeful, bitter, jaded and broken. He has been naive and impulsive as well as strategic and controlled.

These differences often seem to happen at the same time in him, even. Xie Lian as a prince was still relatively calm and controlled, but it didn't stop him from being naive and desperate at various points too- sometimes at the same time. His decision in the Land of the Tender (T/W- to stab himself) was arguably a sign of him losing control of his senses yet remaining just on the cusp of controlling his actions. He is holding on to his no-sex cultivation by saying the Ethics Sutra and making the impulsive decision to turn his sword on himself voluntarily but also reacting sexually to the flower demons involuntarily. He is placed in situations where he is distinctly both in and out of control at the same time! Later when he's lying in a ditch (T/W- having stabbed himself AGAIN), there's a lens to it that he's waiting for someone to be kind to him, just once. He's optimistic in giving people a chance- hopeful and altruistic on some level while also being angry and bitter at nobody having helping him yet. In present day he's still impulsive at times but also level-headed, jaded and also optimistic. Hua Cheng fully recognises this in him, and his recognition of Xie Lian's utter humanity is what makes him the one person who truly understands Xie Lian.

"Your Highness, I understand your everything. Your courage, your despair; your kindness, your pain; your resentment, your hate; your intelligence, your foolishness."- Hua Cheng

Part II: Mass murder is...a big deal

Xie Lian is nowhere near perfect, like Feng Xin tends to see him, but neither is he just pretending to be altruistic to make people like him, as Mu Qing tends to believe. Both of them have these ideas in their heads of Xie Lian being amazing or awful, when really Xie Lian has the potential to be both, and that's what makes him, ultimately, just a human above all else. And Hua Cheng gets that about him, more than anyone else, which is important. Hua Cheng loves him and believes in him not because he is inherently, fundamentally good but because of who he is entirely. Part of that 'being' for Xie Lian is trying not to indulge his worst emotions, trying to be good as much as he can, but part of that 'being' includes parts of him that can't be perceived as 'good'. See, no matter how traumatised you are, and even though I'm not judging Xie Lian for his mental state, choking some man on the street almost to death is a no-go, okay.

Xie Lian's will to keep to his principles of what is right and wrong is one thing, but TGCF stretches these boundaries over and over as we watch Xie Lian's view evolve from being a child. I don't think Xie Lian is a 'good person' because he never strays from his values, because he does. Save the common people? The people of Yong'an he intended to mass massacre were the 'common people'. And yes he tried to save them before, and yes it took very little to make him not massacre the people of Yong'an, but the fact that this was something he started at all? He himself used Fangxin to collect the souls from the battlefield- no matter how much he subconsciously wanted to believe in the worth of humanity with his self-stabbing social experiment, he created the conditions necessary to commit mass murder and that in itself is a sign that a part of him meant to go through with it. This isn't just a byproduct of his rage, a response befitting of an uncaring society, no, this is a big deal, and I don't think we can still argue Xie Lian is / has always been a beacon of virtue. Xie Lian isn't just flawed in ways that are easy to forgive, it's not just that he's inherently 'good' with flaws such as impulsivity or naivety that do not really reflect on his moral character. He is also morally flawed, in a way all humans can be but may find it hard to recognise within themselves.

To be fair to the guy, most humans don't have their kingdoms destroyed, their bodily autonomy violated and all their loved ones gone from their lives. Particularly not the first one. For trauma of such epic proportions and disasters of such epic proportions, this intense of a response to commit mass murder isn't shocking. Given his exposure to all this power through his godhood and descent, the power to commit mass murder is less massive-seeming than needing the power to save his own people from it. Given the deaths of so many Xianle inhabitants, this is almost an eye-for-an-eye response: something which some people or cultures may see as morally righteous (the Locrians in Ancient Greece were huge on this, for instance) and some see as morally wrong. However, the way I see it that does not make potential mass murder easily ethically justifiable. MXTX doesn't shy away from giving us insight into Xie Lian's vulnerable and broken mental state and reasons for attempting this, but his actions are still consequential in a huge way. Had he committed the murder; had he not been pulled up by the farmer or had he not found it in him to stop, would we view him as morally good? Could we? What if he did murder the Yong'an citizens but then realised how awful that was then, and spent the rest of his life trying to be good? It feels a bit like a cop-out to say, "well, he didn't do it so that's that", because even the idea, the intention of him doing it and the fact it almost happened raises so many questions about how much blame would be attribute to him if the people of Yong'an really were killed. Even if Xie Lian hadn't done it himself: if he failed to stop Bai Wuxiang from killing them all, for instance. If he were stabbed over and over again but his body couldn't take it, if the rest of the people of Yong'an weren't willing to stab him, and Wu Ming didn't take the bullet then what? It's not like Bai Wuxiang had any reason to go out of his way to call the spirits of Yong'an to Fangxin, for to him the biggest matter was getting Xie Lian to do it and solidify the latter's allegiance to resentment and apathy (just like himself). That would have been done by Xie Lian's hand, and how much the consequences would lay on Xie Lian's head is really difficult to think about. Even if he'd have done his utmost to stop it, but it would've happened atleast partially because of him.

Part III: Morality measured

It's interesting to consider how we measure morality as individuals- somewhere in-between intentions and consequences we diverge, and this tension is what fuels MXTX's conflicts. This is why it's so hard to assign blame in TGCF. Shi Wudu's intentions with the fate-swap were not malicious at all but the consequences for He Xuan were utterly disastrous, and that's on Shi Wudu. Quan Yizhen's intentions were never to make Yin Yu feel bad, but his obliviousness and shining talent hurt Yin Yu anyways. Of course, Yin Yu was the one who kept silent until he couldn't take it anymore, and said the worst possible thing at the worst possible time even if all he wanted was to be nice to Quan Yizhen and not project his feelings onto him. Book 3 contains an increase in these dynamics where the intentions and consequences are SO vastly incongruent that it plays with what morality means, encouraging you to ask: "Who do you believe was in the right?" "Do you think anyone here is or isn't entitled to what they want?" "Is there any way to objectively assign blame here, or are some scenarios too complicated for there to be a direct conflict of right and wrong?" So when it comes to Xie Lian, all that he could have been and all that he is, book 4 naturally stretches the limits of his heart being in paradise.

In conversations I have had or opinions I've seen on this platform and others, people's opinions on how much Xie Lian caused aspects of his own downfall range from "he did absolutely nothing wrong ever" to "he was the epitome of hubris and ignorance", the latter usually accompanied by a favourable analysis towards another character such as Mu Qing. When getting into MDZS, I was reminded of this when seeing Wei Wuxian-Jiang Cheng discourse actually, people talking about Wei Wuxian as a model of goodness who never hurt anyone unless his hand was forced (as if the Wen Chao toruture scene didn't happen) or as an irresponsible and disloyal rascal (as if he wasn't protecting defenseless people including JC's rescuers in the Burial Mounds). This sort of range can be seen with many characters in TGCF: particularly with Xie Lian, Hua Cheng and Mu Qing but you also get many for Jun Wu, He Xuan, Shi Wudu and the like. Xie Lian, as the main character, is possibly the most complicated of them all. The series is in his perspective, he recognises and regrets both his glory days and his fall from grace- the former due to his naivety and the latter due to his resentment. Since then all of the plots he has involved himself in have involved him taking on as much of the pain as physically possible for himself because his desire to help other people flourished again alongside and mingled with his shame and lasting trauma. He is ashamed of both his highest and lowest moments for not being able to offset the consequences, but while you're reading the story it feels very often like there's nothing else he could have done. Partially because (although this is debatable imo) this is somewhat from his perspective despite the 3rd person narrative, so we know what he's like before anyone else. Plus, with how book 2 plays out like a classic tragedy where his greatest strength (will to help his people despite tradition) becomes his greatest weakness, it's the age-old question of how much he can be held accountable for his kingdom's downfall or how much was completely out of his control or in the hands of fate.

One take I remember very strongly that was quite popular was about MXTX's characters being ultimately morally good characters, in which Xie Lian's character was said to not change or develop. Rather, Xie Lian has always been inherently morally good and TGCF is about the world around him not rewarding that goodness yet Xie Lian remaining good and pure-hearted all the way through no matter what, even in his darkest times. While this may be an interpretation some people have, I think it's more complicated than that. Xie Lian's morality was seemingly very clear-cut in book 2 because he had no huge reason not to be 'good'. Yeah sure, he was chastised for saving a child during the lantern festival parade, but nothing was genuinely going to happen to him. He was the crown prince! The stakes for him were never as high, and he had no reason to believe he could fail at all. When put to the test, given the fact he did set up the conditions for the immediate slaughter of Yong'an, I don't think any goodness automatically present in his character was being channelled in his decision. Morality can be as easy as "I want to always do what's right" when you have money and security, but becomes more difficult when you're consumed by grief and rage, or when you've lost everything you once had. Morality is more than an inherent aspect to one's character, and how we perceive someone's moral nature depends on their intentions, their choices, the consequences of those choices and whether they accept responsibility and accountability for the other 3 things.

Part IV: Complexity is the key

Having said all this, I hope it's clear I am NOT saying Xie Lian is an immoral character. In fact, I WOULD argue that he is a 'good' person, that is, a person who embodies what goodness would look like despite all the complications involved. What I'm saying here is that he is a good person not because he always sticks to his standards/beliefs, or even that he always believes in his own standards, but because he chooses to try to believe. In humanity, in the power of his own actions, in the kindness of strangers after he was shown kindness once himself. And this is something earned and learned, not something he had in the beginning. In the beginning it came natural to him because he had the privilege of that as Crown prince. "If something goes wrong, I'll fix it, and everyone around me will always be looking out for my best interests even if I disagree with them. Murder is wrong, following the path to ascension is the ultimate good." etc. etc. When he has to face the world as someone with nothing, those are the experiences that mould his current day understanding of why people do the things they do even if they seem completely morally wrong. Why people would stab someone knowing they would feel the pain, why people would murder someone, why they might steal or rage or drink. And in most cases, it can be hard to judge someone as completely morally wrong for doing actions deemed morally wrong if you believe intention has any bearing on morality.

Xie Lian to me is not inherently good, but someone who chooses to try to be a good person, thus arguably being a good person. And I would defend him as such on that premise, not because his righteous morals have remained static and intact throughout the novels. It isn't that he didn't choose to be good as a child, but he didn't really have to TRY because he hadn't faced the sort of crisis that shook his foundations and forced him to grow, understanding and adapting to the complexity of living in the real world. Where you fail, where falling upon hard times can force you to resort to things you once thought beneath you. Where your actions have power over your circumstances, but your circumstances also hold power over you whether you like it or not. The root of Xie Lian's compelling character, for me, is in his growth from a man with a static morality to a man with moral complexity. A belief in one's principles that accounts for its limits and recognises its flaws in the face of circumstance, and adapts accordingly. It's not like Xie Lian wanted to betray and murder the Yong'an king who was so kind to him, and to actively do that seems pretty horrible until you remember he did it to save a whole group of people, Xianle descendants. Xie Lian still blames himself for this in book 1 even though in this act he saved numerous civilians, but Hua Cheng reminds him that he made that choice for a good reason, and has faith in Xie Lian's choices.

Speaking of the devil...Hua Cheng, even though he loves all of Xie Lian, does not love him blindly or without consideration of the worst parts of himself. He would follow Xie Lian into the abyss of his mental state but still try to help Xie Lian out of the sort of guilt, back from the point of no return. One interpretation of his refusal to let Xie Lian kill Lang Ying is that he wanted Xie Lian to not have Lang Ying's blood on his hands as well. If this would affect any future cultivation or make him feel any more guilty in the future. He also tried to gently tell Xie Lian that he still has believers to calm him down when he sees the white flower. However, to Hua Cheng, whatever Xie Lian would've chosen in the end would still be a decision taken by the same Xie Lian, and Hua Cheng would follow Xie Lian no matter whether he's engaged in the worst parts of himself or not. I think it's very easy for us to assign a specified amount of goodness to a character based on just 1 thing- be it just their intentions or just their choices or just the consequences of their actions. A few sample assumptions I've seen (that do not reflect wider society or anything, these are just opinions I've seen around online): To want to save people is good, therefore Xie Lian is good. Hua Cheng has no qualms about killing 33 gods for Xie Lian, so he must be amoral. But the nature of what is good is variable- under the light of different interpretations, Xie Lian is more morally grey and Hua Cheng is more morally inclined than those assumptions would give them credit for. My point essentially is that many characters, but Xie Lian in particular, are more complicated than we sometimes give them credit for. It's also why he's so easily put up against Jun Wu- someone who is the antagonist and committed several heinous crime, but also parallels what Xie Lian at his worst could have been. If Jun Wu really did repent on everyone he damaged at the end of the novels, you can't call him a good person just based on newfound intent and he can't be so easily forgiven, but to imply alternatively that after all he's done he will always be a bad man and that's that...doesn't sit right with me either. Of course, the question of Jun Wu seems even more complicated somehow, funnily enough.

I think when I first read TGCF years back, Xie Lian is the character who showed me not to judge multidimensional characters or people on a consistent metric of goodness but rather on numerous aspects of how they live that can change over time and leaves room for circumstantial flexibility. I also think that acknowledging complexity in how we view morality in each other can allow us to gain a better understanding of what it is to be a human. And in my view, what makes Xie Lian such a well-written character is that he's nothing if not a human.

[rhea-ripley]

SmackDown || November 26 - 2021

[lifeintheeleventhdimension]

So.

Do i have an...explanation for this? No. Not really. Just an AU i'm poking at with a stick where Loop gets a third go at the time looping thing, but this time its a LOT weirder.

Also. Siffrin and Loop are a little cursed in this AU. In the 'already had near death experiences often' even before the time loops. Think of them as 'doomed by the narrative' but surrounded by people willing to spit in the face of death to see they live anyway and break the world if needed.'

And BOY did it turn out to be needed.

[oppalus]

♡ WARDROBE TEMPLATE  —  watermelon sugar (revamped).

free template made from scratch and fully customizable. even when text, colors, and images can be changed easily, you’ll need to know how to use the clipping mask and how to change the bending option of each layer.

credits: arial and poppins as the fonts used, icons from flaticons.

as usual, don’t claim this as your own and reblog if you find it useful.

download (payhip).

[wundrousarts]

Mini Silverborn Countdown

If you’ve been around for a few years, you’ve seen me vaguely mention a “Silverborn Countdown Challenge” several times. It’s been delayed and changed as many times as the book itself, lol.

If anyone wants sort of a low-stakes, very chill and spaced out version of this ye olde never tackled challenge to complete in the next year before Silverborn, I propose what I’m doing:

Every 3 months leading up to the initial release, I am creating one thing based on each of the books.

January — Nevermoor

April — Wundersmith

July — Hollowpox

[yaminerua]

A CLAMP School Timeline

I want to preface this by saying that I know the CLAMP School timeline isn’t following real world rules for the school year (much like those gags in the Ouran manga where they acknowledge that there have been many Springs but no graduations lol). We would expect grade changes to happen if it was following those rules but for the sake of convenience they have been kept in the same grades. Lately, I’ve been plotting the rough timeline of events across 20 Mensou, Duklyon and CLAMP School Detectives and noticed that the school year seemed to be too long so clearly CLAMP share the same sentiment of ignoring all otherwise anticipated graduations.

BUT for the sake of plotting a realistic timeline that DOES take the school year into account I decided to rework some ages to allow for the movement up into the next grade that would otherwise happen in the middle of 20 Mensou and Detectives.

For the purposes of this I have aged down everyone in the Kindergarten and Elementary School divisions by One Year (this is to allow for characters like Nokoru and Utako to remain in their respective divisions because otherwise they would have moved up into the next division in the middle of their respective manga series). However, because of Duklyon’s position in the timeline taking place BEFORE the grade change would occur I have NOT altered the High Schoolers’ ages.

This means that to begin with Akira is now 8 years old and in 3rd Grade, Suoh is now 9 years old and in 4th Grade and Nokoru is now 10 years old and in 5th Grade and they will then move into 4th, 5th and 6th Grade in the April which occurs sometime in the middle of Detectives and 20 Mensou.

I also believe that the events of the CLAMP School series are taking place during the same time as Tokyo Babylon so this timeline also includes Tokyo Babylon events. I’m basing this on what looks like kindergartener Utako in the background of a page in early Tokyo Babylon, plus the mention of Duklyon and the Imonoyama Shoutengai in Shoten, which is not strictly 100% canon to manga Tokyo Babylon but several things that ARE canon to the manga were also originally present in Shoten so I choose to believe the time setting to be carried over as well).

I’ve also included known birthdays in this timeline as well (with amended ages marked with *). Any additional notes or explanations I want to make will be included at the end bc this is already long.

I’ve used stated dates where they are known, and assumptions for others based on where they fall between stated dates and whether the summer or winter uniforms are used etc…

So without further ado, here is the TB/CLAMP school timeline as I see it:

—————————————————————

1990:

January 21 1990 - Erii Chusonji’s 16th Birthday

February 11 1990 - Kentaro Higashikunimaru’s 15th Birthday

February 19 1990 - Subaru and Hokuto Sumeragi’s 16th Birthday

March 31 1990 - Suoh Takamura’s 9th* Birthday

———————————

APRIL 1st 1990 - School Year for 1990/91 Commences with everyone entering the following classes:

1st Year High School: Kentaro, Takeshi, Sukiyabashi, Ryusuke, Subaru, Hokuto

2nd Year High School: Erii Chusonji

Kindergarten: Mako** [see Notes], Utako, Nagisa

3rd Grade Elementary School: Akira Ijyuin

4th Grade Elementary School: Suoh Takamura

5th Grade Elementary School: Nokoru Imonoyama

——————————

Unspecified date in presumably April 1990 - Seishirou and Subaru meet again. Unbeknownst to Subaru, the One Year of The Bet begins

April 15 1990 - Ryusuke Kobayashi’s 16th Birthday

Unspecified date in May 1990 - High School Sports Event after which Kentaro and Takeshi are invited to form Duklyon

Unspecified date in Summer 1990 but definitely placed before late August - 20 Masks steals the curtain from Gamera Hall

Unspecified date in Summer 1990 but definitely placed before late August - Utako confesses to her kindergarten teacher and later meets 20 Masks when he hides from police

June 16 1990 - Nokoru Imonoyama’s 11th* Birthday

July 10 1990 - Kotobuki Sukiyabashi’s 16th Birthday

August 24 1990 - Utako Ohkawa’s 5th* Birthday. 20 Masks steals the ice sculpture at her party but gifts her a hair bow in apology

September 28 1990 - Nagisa Azuya’s 5th* Birthday

Unspecified date in presumably October 1990 (5 months after May high school sports event) - Utako kidnapped by Imonoyama Shopping District Association and rescued by Duklyon

Unspecified date in presumably October 1990 (5 months after May high school sports event) - Imonoyama Shopping District Association attacks the CLAMP School cafeteria

Unspecified date in Autumn 1990 - Sukiyabashi meets Erii and is enamoured. He later attacks a classroom she happens to be in

Unspecified date in Autumn 1990 - Erii gets a cold but arrives to help Duklyon battle Wooltar

Unspecified date in Autumn 1990 - High School Taste of Autumn trip to the greenhouse. Sukiyabashi nervously gifts Erii the pears he has collected. Erii develops a crush on him

Unspecified date in presumably Autumn 1990 - Subaru exorcises the Chanel suit

Unspecified date in November 1990, a few days before the 11th - Subaru and Seishirou help the spirit haunting Tokyo Tower to pass on

Unspecified date in November 1990, the day after the Tokyo Tower exorcism - CLAMP School Kindergarten class seen on a trip to Tokyo Tower

November 11 1990 - Subaru returns to Kyoto to visit his grandmother

November 12 1990 - Subaru helps Mitsuki awaken from her coma

Unspecified date in presumably November 1990 (3 months after Utako’s birthday) - Utako makes a fake declaration that 20 Masks will target her in order to have an excuse to see him again

Unspecified date in presumably November 1990 (3 months after Utako’s birthday) - Utako and 20 Masks begin to see each other every Friday

November 22 1990 - Seishirou Sakurazuka’s 25th Birthday

November 28 1990 - Mako Ohkawa’s 6th** Birthday

Unspecified date in Autumn or Winter 1990 - 20 Masks steals a rose but misses a date with Utako

Unspecified date in Autumn or Winter 1990 - 20 Masks steals the royal chef

Unspecified date in Autumn or Winter 1990 - 20 Masks steals glass bowl

Unspecified date in December 1990 - List of next year’s faculty compiled by the Chairwoman

Unspecified date in December 1990 (shortly before the 23rd) - Nokoru, Suoh and Akira consider Tokyo Tower as the location for the Christmas party. They meet and help a lady who is being pressured by her brother-in-law to give up her house

December 23 1990 - Nokoru, Suoh and Akira join the Tokyo Tower lady on the anniversary of her wedding to her missing husband

December 24 1990 - Akira Ijyuin’s 9th* Birthday. Akira meets his father disguised as Santa Claus

December 31 1990 - Takeshi Shukaido’s 16th Birthday

1991:

Unspecified date in presumably early January 1991 - A bird accidentally steals the microdisk containing the faculty list

Unspecified date in presumably early January 1991 - Nokoru & co investigate the missing faculty list. Nokoru momentarily misplaces the creative plans for Duklyon vs 20 Masks theatre performance. CLAMP School Detectives officially founded

Unspecified date in January 1991 - Subaru and Seishirou get an affinity test done. Subaru calls the Dial Q2 line to confront the 1999 girls

Unspecified date in January 1991 - Duklyon vs 20 Masks theatre performance. 20 Masks kidnaps Duklyon

Unspecified date in January 1991 - Detectives help find a missing pet peacock

January 21 1991 - Erii Chusonji’s 17th Birthday

Unspecified date in presumably January 1991 - Subaru stops a grieving mother from creating an Inugami and is distressed at having to lie to her about her daughter’s pain

Unspecified date in presumably late January/early February 1991 - Sukiyabashi invited to join Erii at the cafe terrace. The Imonoyama Shopping District Association attacks without Sukiyabashi leading it

Unspecified date in presumably February 1991 - Imonoyama Shopping District Association attacks home economics class. The female leader is first seen

February 9 1991 - Subaru’s grandmother does a reading on the twins and is concerned by what she sees

February 11 1991 - Kentaro Higashikunimaru’s 16th Birthday. Subaru is given the job to investigate the MS Institute and warned by his grandmother not to be seduced by the sakura

Unspecified date in February 1991 - Subaru joins the MS Institute to investigate. Subaru witnesses Hashimoto being bullied and gives her a handkerchief

Unspecified date in February 1991 - Subaru is informed that Hashimoto has been stabbed. He confronts the MS Institute lady but Seishirou interrupts them and kills her for a job

Unspecified date in presumably February 1991 - Duklyon cast watch the X movie. Imonoyama Shopping District Association attacks. Sukiyabashi gets injured protecting Erii

Unspecified date in presumably February 1991 - Erii issued a challenge by Sukiyabashi’s fiancée. Later that day the fiancée tells her of Sukiyabashi’s identity as the leader of the Imonoyama Shopping District Association

Unspecified date in presumably February 1991 (3 or so days after finding out Sukiyabashi’s identity) - Erii reveals that she knows the truth and also reveals her own identity as an alien. Inuko gets turned gigantic and Duklyon are made gigantic to handle her. Erii and Sukiyabashi decide to elope together

February 14 - 18 1991 - Nokoru challenged to find a buried item or else he must resign

February 19 1991 - Subaru and Hokuto Sumeragi’s 17th Birthday

Unspecified date in presumably late February/early March 1991 - Subaru meets an old man and begins to meet up with him regularly

Unspecified date in presumably late February/early March 1991 - The old man is hit by a vehicle on the way to bring his daughter some bananas. Subaru delivers them to her instead

Unspecified date in presumably March 1991 - Subaru helps a ghost pass on at karaoke

Unspecified date in March 1991 - Subaru meets a boy receiving dialysis treatment and begins to come visit him regularly

Unspecified date in March 1991 - It has been 1 month since Erii and Sukiyabashi eloped. They return and rejoin Duklyon

Unspecified date in presumably late March/early April 1991 - Seishirou loses his eye getting in the way of Yuya’s mother trying to attack Subaru

March 31 1991 - Suoh Takamura’s 10th* Birthday

——————————

APRIL 1st 1991 - School Year for 1991/92 Commences with everyone entering the following classes:

2nd Year High School: Kentaro, Takeshi, Sukiyabashi, Ryusuke, Subaru, Hokuto

3rd Year High School: Erii Chusonji

Kindergarten: Utako, Nagisa

1st Grade Elementary School: Mako Ohkawa**

4th Grade Elementary School: Akira Ijyuin

5th Grade Elementary School: Suoh Takamura

6th Grade Elementary School: Nokoru Imonoyama

——————————

Unspecified date in presumably April 1991 - Subaru meets a blind man and his seeing-eye dog and realises that he is in love with Seishirou. The One Year of The Bet ends. Seishirou breaks Subaru’s arm and heart but does not kill him

Unspecified date in presumably April 1991 - Hokuto can’t bear to see Subaru in the unresponsive state Seishirou left him in. She takes Subaru’s robes and leaves

April 15 1991 - Ryusuke Kobayashi’s 17th Birthday

Unspecified date in presumably May 1991 - One month after Hokuto disappears, Subaru sees her death in his dream and wakes up

June 16 1991 - Nokoru Imonoyama’s 12th* Birthday

July 10 1991 - Kotobuki Sukiyabashi’s 17th Birthday

Unspecified date in mid July or August 1991, around the Obon festival - Obon dance preparations are being made. The detectives investigate reports of a ghost during the art department’s preparations for an Autumn exhibition

Unspecified date in August 1991, before Utako’s birthday - Akira angers Utako by saying he would love to be invited to her future wedding

August 24 1991 - Utako Ohkawa’s 6th* Birthday. Akira tells Utako he loves her

Unspecified date in Autumn 1991 - The dance party being planned by Nokoru and co receives numerous threats. Suoh is injured saving Nokoru when he is pushed over a railing

September 28 1991 - Nagisa Azuya’s 6th* Birthday

Unspecified date in Autumn 1991 - Suoh first catches a glimpse of Nagisa playing the flute amongst the wisteria. Preparations for the Autumn Cultural Fair are being made

Unspecified date in Autumn 1991, presumably early November - Suoh rescues Nagisa from being injured at the cultural fair

Unspecified date in Autumn 1991 - Akira helps a university student confess to her crush

Unspecified date in Autumn 1991 - Mako’s missing stocking that she uses for a citrus bath is found by Nokoru

November 22 1991 - Seishirou Sakurazuka’s 26th Birthday

November 28 1991 - Mako Ohkawa’s 7th** Birthday

Unspecified date in presumably Autumn 1991 - Nokoru leaves a decoy at his desk which causes Akira and Suoh to search the campus to try to find him

December 24 1991 - Akira Ijyuin’s 10th* Birthday

December 31 1991 - Takeshi Shukaido’s 17th Birthday

——————————————————————

Notes:

TB running alongside CLAMP School

When trying to confirm whether TB and the CLAMP School stories take place around the same time I used the TB panel of what looks like Utako and her kindergarten class on a trip to Tokyo Tower in the background as a starting point.

The girl in front of who we assume to be Utako could easily be Nagisa, and the teacher with the light hair behind Utako could be Shiva, the teacher she initially has the crush on. So TB absolutely takes place during the time Utako is in kindergarten.

But there can be multiple years of kindergarten, as many as 3, so this shot of Utako could be from anywhere during that time so there was a possibility that the CLAMP School stories don’t even take place in the 1990/91 school year at all. Knowing Seishirou and Subaru’s birth years and ages we do know that Tokyo Babylon starts in 1990 and that assuming 3 years of kindergarten, Utako could be in her first, second or third year of kindergarten when we see her cameo.

Taking the CLAMP School stories into account, it looks like 2 school years elapse and although it’s not shown in any of the stories, the characters ought to move up a grade for the next school year. This is why I assume these stories start with Utako in second year of kindergarten and move into her third year where she would turn 6 (the English release I’ve seen of 20 Mensou accidentally has her turn 6 twice but I must assume only the second instance of it is correct).

I’m also assuming that CLAMP School’s school year begins on April 1st and that Japan’s system of starting 1st grade the April after your 6th birthday applies too.

Considering the old Shoten versions of what became Tokyo Babylon, in which Subaru mentions Duklyon interrupting class to fight the Imonoyama Shopping District Association, this would also place those events firmly in Utako’s 2nd kindergarten year because by her 3rd the Imonoyama Shopping District Association has ceased attacking and a new enemy has appeared and it can be no earlier than that because Duklyon is only formed in May of her second kindergarten year (we know this because of the placement of events matching up, notably the Duklyon vs 20 Masks theatre show mentioned in both Duklyon and CLAMP School Detectives, shown here (the Japanese on the paper in the first picture reads the same as the translated banner from Duklyon):

as well as the discussion of the location of the Christmas party in CLAMP School Detectives and 20 Masks and recalling the previous year’s event shown here:

as well as the flashback in Duklyon that shows Kentaro and Takeshi being invited to form Duklyon in May of the same year).

I know Shoten is not canon to the Tokyo Babylon that was eventually released but if we take at the very least that time setting to be accurate then we can assume Tokyo Babylon is also happening during Utako’s second kindergarten year. This places the events of 20 Masks, Duklyon and CLAMP School Detectives in 1990-1991, therefore happening alongside Tokyo Babylon.

The Bet

I’m also assuming the timeline for The Bet to start some time around April or late March at the earliest, basically not long after the twins move to Tokyo ahead of starting at CLAMP School. The old Shoten stories have the same setting for Seishirou seeing Subaru falling in Ikebukuro station as the manga release, and the available translations for those stories say he’s “just been accepted” into his first year around this time. Assuming the time setting was kept roughly the same for this meeting as well, that’s why I place the commencement of The Bet’s year to be around this time.

Ages and Grades

For this timeline, as mentioned, I chose to change the ages of Nokoru, Suoh, Akira, Utako, Nagisa and Mako* so that they are a year younger because the stories encompass summer 1990 through to presumably autumn/winter 1991 which would have resulted in everyone moving up a grade midway through the stories.

The overall CLAMP School series timeline starts in Summer (in 20 Mensou and the Duklyon flashback), moves into winter which is where CLAMP School Detectives begins, and then continues on through Summer again (where 20 Mensou ends) and on to Autumn of the next year where Detectives ends. It is clear that more than a year passes and there should realistically be a point where the characters move up a grade at the start of the school year.

Because of the grades they are spread across, this would have moved Nokoru out of the Elementary Division and Utako out of Kindergarten in the middle of the stories. To keep them in their stated divisions, aging them down a year at the start allows them to age up into the grades we are familiar with for them.

As mentioned before, Utako has her 6th birthday twice by mistake and there are even inconsistencies in what grade Akira is in at first, with it starting with him in 3rd grade and mysteriously switching to 4th around Christmas, before the grade change would naturally happen.

This adjustment of ages I’ve made effectively returns to the setting of him starting in 3rd grade and moving up into 4th over the course of the stories’ timeline. This would also change the birthday Akira celebrates in the manga to be his 9th instead of 10th.

There was an omake CLAMP made once where the Detectives discussed their future appearances in X and they state they would be adults (大人) by then. With my adjustment of ages, Akira would now technically be in his final high school year instead while Nokoru and Suoh are university age instead of them all being out of high school, but ah well.

I would like to note that I did NOT age any of the high schoolers down along with the younger characters because it would have moved the 1st years down into middle school for the 1990/91 school year which wouldn’t work with Duklyon. I’m reasonably certain Duklyon takes place entirely BEFORE April 1st of the 1991/92 school year so their story wraps up before the grade change and therefore their ages didn’t need altering. This does now mean that there’s an extra year age difference between the elementary schoolers and the high schoolers.

*One note about Mako, however, since changing her age is the only thing that doesn’t quite line up clearly. In the original stories she is in 1st grade during Christmas 1990 in 20 Masks but also still 1st grade by autumn 1991 in CLAMP School Detectives. To keep her age difference with Utako the same, aging her down with everyone resulted in Mako now starting in her final kindergarten year before moving into 1st grade, when she has always been shown in Elementary uniform in her manga appearances. But it could also be reworked to have her start in 1st grade and move into 2nd, although that would of course change her to being an extra year older than Utako.

Also, regarding Subaru and Hokuto’s ages, in Tokyo Babylon we see a document which states Subaru to be a high school 1st year at CLAMP School, despite the fact that his official birthday 19 February 1974 makes him 16 before April 1st and would therefore mean at first glance that he ought to be a 2nd year like Erii Chusonji. He’s also stated to be 16 and in first year in Shoten too.

For Subaru to be able to enter 1st year in 1990 (which he would ordinarily need to be 15 to do), I am assuming the year of training Subaru spent honing his onmyouji skills interrupted his education by a year which therefore explains how he would be a 1st year despite turning 16 before April 1st. Being in homeroom Z also means he would be in the same class as the Duklyon boys.

Also a final note on possible inconsistencies in translations, the English release of 20 Masks says that Ryusuke is a sophomore, so in his 2nd year of high school (which would make sense at a glance since he’s stated to be 16) but online on Japanese sources I’ve seen him stated to be in first year.

I checked which date CLAMP gave him for his birthday and it is apparently April 15th so it actually does make sense for him to be a first year if he entered first year still 15 and then turned 16 after April 1st. There are also bits of old fan scanlations of 20 Mensou floating about that I’ve seen that translated the Ryusuke profile to say he was in ‘tenth grade’ which aligns with 1st Year high school. So I assume the original Japanese says he’s in 1st Year and the English version got it wrong. Also being in first year he would be in the same class as Subaru and the Duklyon boys. What a chaotic class.

[thistledropkick]

Here's a translation of the time Taichi tried to trade sushi to Desperado in exchange for photos of Desperado in panties.

The backstory: This all happened during May of 2020, while NJPW shows were shut down. Taichi did a livestream with Tam, which he only convinced her to do by promising to treat her to sushi.

The conversation starts with Taichi saying that in the video, there's a moment where you can see Tam's panties. (Also he censors the word "panties")

Despe:

What’s the timestamp?

Taichi:

Don’t just skip to that part!

If you want to know the timestamp then pay me.

Despe:

I have zero interest in the rest of this video!

Why should I have to watch a long video of you flirting with a girl!

And buy me sushi too!

Taichi:

If you want sushi too, then show me your p*nties too!

If you send me a magnificent pan*y photo, I’ll consider it

Despe:

A panty photo!?

Aren’t you being generous today!

Are you sure you didn’t mean to say an assh*le photo!?

OHHHKAY!

What’re we waiting for, let’s do this!

Taichi:

*sshole photos huh… I’ve seen too many of those, I’m completely bored of them. 

Hey, you said you’ll do it right? Don’t agree to this lightly okay?

Will you do it? Will you really do it?

Once you’ve said you’ll do this, you can’t go back on it. You understand?

So say it.

Will you show me a magnificent panty photo, the likes of which I’ve never seen before?

Well then, I can’t wait!

Despe:

I’ll take the photo tomorrow afternoon!

Prepare the sushi!

Tam (who they have been @ ing this entire time):

Please stop having this vulgar conversation in my mentions , ,

Taichi:

wtf is vulgar about it

Anyway you’re the one who started this by flashing your panti*s on the livestream!

So go buy Pe some sushi

Despe:

If I'm getting treated to sushi I don't care who's buying

but

who are you talking to?

-

Ohh sorry, I didn’t see your name there!

Panty-flashing girl

Tam:

Please don’t call me panty-flashing girl 😡

It’s Tam.

And why do I have to treat you to anything? I haven’t even eaten mine yet!

I was in line before you, Pe-san!

_

The next day:

Despe:

Why is a simple panty photo

And a selfie no less

So incredibly stressful to take…

Hey you in the next apartment, don’t look at me!

You may not know this but my panties have value (sushi)!

Do not report me! DO NOT!

[gncrezan]

realised about midway through drawing this that i'm not actually sure if hermes takes on the role of being a psychopomp in foa, but i do enjoy the idea that the various chthonic deities contributed to his training/teaching, with the occasional sass from his teachers ofc <3

(and @chrysanthemumgames is out, as of like 15 minutes ago. GO PLAY!!)

[icewindandboringhorror]

recent lounging babey images

[korechuuu]

the council will decide your fate